By DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, June 16, 2011 ) — We got rid of our TV on Sept. 1, 2008 and haven’t looked back whatsoever. The cliches proved true: Mr. and Mrs. Planet suddenly found a whole lot more time built into the evenings of our days. She designed and installed a sewing room/art […]
By DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, JUNE 16, 2011) — This just in. The Pittsfield Colonials will conduct a press conference today at 3 p.m. at Beloved Wahconah Park (BWP) to address the future of the franchise. This comes in light of a hatchet job a couple days ago in the Boring Broadsheet. Hint: The […]
By DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, JUNE 15, 2011) —Quick hits and funky bits: * PROMGATE — Funny how $10,000 of school money is stolen, drugs and booze are consumed inside of PHS, and the building is vandalized, and the apologists for this crime eagerly dismisses this as high school hijinx — you know, boys […]
By DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, JUNE 14, 2011) — After spending a couple of days in Perth Amboy, N.J., hardly the garden spot of the Garden State, The Planet finds it good to be back on terra more-or-lessa firma, noting with interest a new page on Facebook promoting a write-in for Sara Hathaway for […]
By DAN VALENTI GOBs and STICKY, SLIMY GOO (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, June 13, 2011) — Two quick pieces of circumstantial evidence that suggest that the GOBs are playing for keeps and that their stranglehold over Pittsfield public life — which has continued uninterrupted since Ann Wotjkowski’s tenure as mayor save for the two years of Sara […]
By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, June 12, 2011) — Though inclement weather conditions prevented a doubleheader between the Pittsfield Colonials and the New York Federals from being played, it couldn’t spoil the party for about 500 family, friends, and supporters of former Pittsfield Red Sox pitcher and Berkshire County Jimmy Fund chapter founder […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Arts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, JUNE 11, 2011) — “But is it art”? This question has nagged, haunted, and harassed animators and commercial artists since doodlers began finding paying customers in the commercial world. From advertising slicks to lurid pulp magazine covers, illustration has ruffled the bow-tied high brows who wouldn’t […]
By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI Sports (Pittsfield-Friday, June 10th, 2011) — You knew it was too good to be true. While the New York Federals lived up to their .208 team batting average on Friday night, Mike Petroski made the team’s 7.63 ERA seem irrelevant, shutting down the Pittsfield Colonials 2-1 before 728 fans on […]
By CHAD COOPER Special to PLANET VALENTI Sports FEDERALS CLIP COLONIALS (PITTSFIELD, June 10, 2011) — The Pittsfield Colonials saw the New York Federals plate an unearned run in the top of the eighth inning as the Colonials fell to the Federals, 2-1. With the game tied 1-1 in the top of the eighth inning, […]
By DAN VALENTI ADD 1 JUNE 9, 2011 For Ruberto, Does ‘Opportunity’ Knock? With respect to the rumors that Mayor Jimmy Ruberto will be leaving office before his term is up (see first posting from today, immediately below), The Planet has received information from a credible source that may shed light on the mayor’s tenuous […]
By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI sports (PITTSFIELD, JUNE 8, 2011) — The Pittsfield Colonials have spent the past week looking for a hero late in games to push them over the edge and into victory. Wednesday morning, the C’s finally found one in Chris “CT” Torres. With the game tied 4-4 in the bottom of […]
By Josh Cutler PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, JUNE 7, 2011) — Despite a day off to recoup after a poor showing in Quebec against the Capitales, the Worcester Tornadoes spun into Pittsfield and beat the Colonials 11-5 before 473 fans at Historic Wahconah Park on Tuesday morning. Colonials’ Manager Jamie Keefe was not pleased with the […]
BY DAN VALENTI A Salute to D-Day Heroes (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, June 6 into 7, 2011) — On this 67th anniversary of D-Day, we pause and give thanks to the veterans of that campaign and all the battles of WWII. They aren’t called The Greatest Generation for nothing. They were our fathers and mothers. They […]
By DAN VALENTI In our discussion of Truth, we said we would continue to pursue it as the highest goal of anyone who writes, speaks, or teaches. That being said, we must admit to only one definitive statement about Truth. On this good earth, it can only be perceived and known from a relative perspective. […]
By CHAD COOPER Special to PLANET VALENTI Sports (PROVINCE OF QUEBEC, Canada, June 5, 2011) —The Pittsfield Colonials were handcuffed by Quebec starter Matt Rusch, who pitched seven shutout innings as the Capitales took the series finale from Pittsfield 6-0. The Capitales got the initial runs of the game on the board in the second […]
By DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, June 4, 2011) — One of our commentators, Bizarro, brought up an interesting point when he disputed my statement made in connection with the young kid who may have severed his arm punching out a plate glass storefront on Union Street. I said I did not enjoy reporting on […]
