Planet Valenti

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD 1 (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, SATURDAY, NOV. 12, 2011) — We take this break from a most enjoyable weekend to let you know THE PLANET has been hard at work. On Monday, we shall share contents of a letter the city of Pittsfield received from the state. […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, NOV. 10, 2011) — With everyone trying to gleam cosmic significance over tomorrow’s date of 11/11/11, THE PLANET finds soul in everything we see, touch, hear. In short, the transcendent is where you find it. Even in elections, you find people caught in […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD 1 FORTRESS, WEDNESDAY NOONEY, Nov. 9. 2011 This morning THE PLANET has been busier than a fly swatter in an outdoor farmer’s market in Honduras, and most of it, believe it or not, non-political stuff. Nonetheless, we wanted to at least drop in on you today […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, ELECTION DAY, NOV. 8, 2011) — As we get to put to bed another municipal election campaign, we present these final items for contemplation and “ommmmmm”-ing while you do your laundry. BIANCHI WINS! PLANET CALLS IT FIRST — No chance of “Dewey Beats Truman” […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, NOV. 7, 2011) — The day of reckoning, Election Day, looms over Pittsfield like a Leviathan cut down to size by the fractions of a Lilliputian campaign. Before THE PLANET gives our endorsements, we share this news we broke yesterday on Facebook. We […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, SATURDAY, NOV. 5, 2011) — Yesterday was a “houndstooth” kind of a day on THE PLANET. We had a record volume, and not by a little. Ironically, though, for more than a few, they could not read more than the headline of Friday’s post. […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary BIANCHI TO MARCHETTI: ‘YOU’RE NO JACK KENNEDY’ … SORT OF (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, NOV. 4, 2011) — It may go down in Pittsfield political lore along with the infamous botched at-large ballot in Jody Phillips’ first election as city clerk, Gerry Doyle throwing the city into […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD #1 KROL DEFENDS HIS POSITION THE PLANET heard from Ward 6 Councilor John Krol this afternoon about our posting below, from earlier today. We had a comprehensive exchange of views, and it culminated with us thanking him for calling us directly, explaining the reasoning of his […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 2, 2011) — THE PLANET came across an interesting verse from the New Testament this morning, one that is eerily prophetic to The Shape of Things As They Are, present-day division. In 2 Timothy 3: 1-7 we read: But understand this, that […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, NOV. 1, 2011) — Welcome to November, month of the crab, month of the sister. First up, a quickie. As we wrote yesterday, the bumpouts on North Street proved their worthlessness in the surprise Halloween snowstorm. They caused hassles, if not havoc, for […]

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, OCT. 31, 2011) — No, in the name of my good friend Pete White, we will not say a word about the “oh, woe are we” snows that graced the area in copious quantities of alabaster fluff. We were in New York, and […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, OCT. 28, 2011) — The aftermath of Staffergate continues to rock, and possibly sink, the Marchetti for Mayor campaign. The voters will decide that one, definitively. THE PLANET has heard that the key Marchetti staffer, who prompted the firestorm by a gratuitous, post-debate […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary BULLETIN JUST IN: CITIZEN ALERT (10/26/11, 11:34 a.m.) Armed Robbery The Pittsfield Police Department is investigating a reported armed robbery that occurred at the Convenience Plus at First and Tyler at 10:18 AM. The suspect is described as a black male, 5-5″ to 5-7″, wearing white shorts […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 26, 2011) — First, the debates, such as they were. We won’t again go into our critique of the format itself, but THE PLANET maintains that the traditional-style debate elicits little of actual help to voters, save for seeing how candidates react […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY,OCT. 25, 2011) — THE PLANET’s discussion of the bumpouts so foolishly incorporated into the alleged re-vamping of downtown Pittsfield has generated much comment, both on the site and off. As we explored yesterday, the bumpouts will eat up 20 parking spaces, they have […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI  News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, OCT. 23, 2011) — Supping in hand-made ravioli squares with a chick pea-and-beat balsamic salad and washed down by red and white might take our mind off of the issues of the day, but alas, ’tis Monday, and the world awaits. First up […]