Planet Valenti

ISRAEL’S KNESSET PASSES ‘DISGRACEFUL NEW LAW’ By LARA FRIEDMAN Special to PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (EDITOR’s NOTE): THE PLANET, which values the larger view as much as we do putting the local yokels under the pin and tweezers, presents this guest contribution from Lara Friedman, director of policy and government relations for American for […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, July 13, 2011) — Normally, nothing in Monroeville, Pa., would cause our pause or book a look, but beginning on July 16, McDain’s, an upscale restaurant there, has struck a blow for maturity and given The Children a proper swat in the fanny. […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Arts (PITTSFIELD, Mass. TUESDAY July 12, 2011) — With director Eric Hill at the controls, you know there will be a whirlwind of swirling action and not one wasted move. Hill could direct The Phone Book, and the endless lines of “Smiths” would be doing the mambo with 1-800 numbers and […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Arts and Commentary When South County developer Richard Stanley proposed a movie complex for the Kresge Building in downtown Pittsfield, THE PLANET was all for it, providing it was a capitalistic venture. As details emerged, however, it became clear that the city of Pittsfield and Stanley had in mind the […]

By CHAD COOPER Special to PLANET VALENTI Sports (BROCTON, Mass., GAME of SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2011) — The Pittsfield Colonials saw the Brocton Rox plate five seventh-inning runs as the Rox pulled away with a 13-6 victory. Brockton would record the first runs of the game in the second inning on an RBI double from […]

By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, SUNDAY JULY 10, 2011) — How the tables can turn from one side to another in a flash. Last night, the tables turned in a Wink. Though Pittsfield got out to an early 6-2 lead, a six-run 8th inning by the Bears, capped by a grand slam by Tim […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary BIACHI SIGN FIRST SHOT ACROSS MARCHETTI BOW (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, SATURDAY, JULY 9, 2011) —The Boring Broadsheet didn’t mention it, of course, because they didn’t know it happened (sound familiar?). THE PLANET, however, couldn’t help but notice the huge “BIANCHI FOR MAYOR” sign placed in direct view […]

By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, Mass., Saturday, July 9, 2011) — Wet weather can’t rain on the Pittsfield Colonials’ parade right now. Despite a light but steady drizzle for most of the night, Pittsfield’s eighth inning rally and spectacular defense propelled the C’s to a 2-1 victory before 1,547 jacked-up fans at Historic Wahconah […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, ADD # 1, JULY 8, 2011 ITEM: BORING BROADSHEET PUBLISHES 2nd PUFF PIECE ON NO SHOW IN TWO DAZE — We won’t subject ourselves to cruel and unusual punishment by going back to the BB today to see the headline on Ned Oliver’s piece […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2011) — THE PLANET put it “out there” on the pass line coming out: We wrote that last night’s game, the first after the 4,009 on July 4, would be a litmus test for the future of the Pittsfield Colonials franchise. We set […]

A REVIEW OF “MOONCHILDREN” NOW PLAYING AT THE UNICORN STAGE, BERKSHIRE THEATER FESTIVAL, STOCKBRIDGE, MASS., THROUGH JULY 16.  BOX OFFICE (413) 298-5576 or ONLINE AT www.berkshiretheatre.org. By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Arts (STOCKBRIDGE, Mass., JULY 7, 2011) — Michael Weller’s originally titled his play Moonchildren with the name of a disease. “Cancer,” however, places too much […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Arts ADD #1 (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WED., July 6, 2011, 1st ADD) — Shakespeare & Company’s current production of the Bard’s farce comedy, “As You Like It,” drives home a point about Will that, while once startlingly original, has, through repetition stemming from its truth, become a cliché. The point? Shakespeare […]

By DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, JULY 5, 2011) — Attendance, tremendous ball game, chintzy fireworks, and another JT review: These four items occupy our time this delightful morning deep in haven’s hinterland, otherwise known as The Berkshires. ATTENDANCE — A serendipitous confluence of events enabled us to finally provide the most accurate number for […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Sports (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, JULY 5, 2011) — Johnny homered. Pat and Matt made it stand up. That’s all you need to know about the Pittsfield Colonials’ thrilling Fourth of July 1-0 win over Bill Buckner’s Brocton Rox at a rocking Wahconah Park with 4,009 fans on hand. Johnny Welch […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, Mass., Sunday, July 3, 2011) — The C’s have a flair for the dramatic. This time, it was a Bomb from Bomback. For the second straight night, the Pittsfield Colonials took a pulsating game Bill Buckner’s Brocton Rox at historic Wahconah Park, pulling out a 3-2 win in […]

By DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, SUNDAY, JULY 3, 2011) —  As if you didn’t know or suspect that the Boring Broadsheet, the lone daily “newspaper” serving the citizens of Pittsfield, was part of the rigged dice game that will end in Chris “No Show” Speranzo as the next clerk magistrate, you find evidence in […]