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THE PLANET PREDICTS THE FUTURE

By DAN VALENTI As of this post, The Planet shall be going dark, show biz for closed, until at least early June. When we return, and only we know the date, we shall be featuring a different editorial focus that shall prevail at least through Labor Day. In the Beginning… At the end of September, […]

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PLANET PLANS BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

BY DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MAY 17, 2011) — We interrupt our regular postings to present this bulletin: STAY TUNED TOMORROW FOR A LARGE ANNOUNCEMENT CONCERNING THIS WEBSITE.

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PLANET ON THE AIR: TODAY 8:30 a.m. on 89.7 FM WITH CHAD COOPER ON “COLONIALS CORNER”, THURSDAY WITH BILL STURGEON AT 11 A.M. on WBRK; plus, THE KNUTSEN KAPER: KK REFUSES TO STEP FORWARD WITH WHAT HE CLAIMS IS THE TRUTH. THE FULL EXCHANGE IS HERE

BY DAN VALENTI CHAD AND DAN TALK COLONIALS THIS AM ON THE FM (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MAY 16, 2011) — Join us this morning on “Colonials Corner with Chad Cooper and Dan Valenti”, Monday, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on home of The Brave, 89.7 FM, as we bring you another thrill-packed adventure of Pittsfield Colonials […]

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STRATEGIC RESPONSE TEAM: NECESSARY OR NEEDLESS? POLITICIANS, DECIDE! plus, Red Crosswalks, Fishy Jail House Audits, Sherman’s Misstep on Charter Review, and KK: Call a Press Conference

BY DAN VALENTI ADD 1 Do We Need the Strategic Response Team, or Is is an OT Scam of Guys Playing Rambo? That’s Just a Question, by the Way. (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MAY 14, 2011 ) — The question will be among the top this campaign season, so candidates had better begin doing research now: […]

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PPD SOURCES OFFER MORE ON ‘STEROIDsGATE’ AND BEYOND; INFORMANTS FINGER POLICE STRATEGIC RESPONSE TEAM, WHICH THEY CLAIM IS AN OT SCAM; ALSO, CITY LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS AT PONTOOSUC, ONOTA DOCKS

BY DAN VALENTI Don’t call it the SWAT Team. The Boring Broadsheet Won’t. (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, May 13, 2010) — The Planet has been mining information from Goalpost, Touchdown, Red Dog, and other sources from within the Pittsfield Police Department. This is in response to a big story that the Boring Broadsheet refuses to touch, […]

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JAE IN STIR-FRY PAN AFTER FRAUD CHARGES; SOURCES DIFFER ON NATURE OF AUDIT AT COUNTY LOCKUP; WHO’s INVESTIGATING AND WHAT HAVE THEY FOUND? PLANET SEEKS COMMENT FROM SHERIFF TOM BOWLER

BY DAN VALENTI ADD # 2 FROM THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, 5/12/11 JAE CHUNG: FROM STIR FRY PAN TO THE FIRE Yes, The Planet had the story about insurance fraud claims against Jae Chung and his wife, owners of the now defunct Jae’s Spice. No, we did not publish it. We KNEW the Boring Broadsheet […]

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‘THE VINCELETTE STATEMENT’: CANDIDATE ‘PUTS FINANCIAL CONCERNS TO REST’. WILL CRITICS BE SATISFIED? PLUS: GAZETTE PREVIEW — COUNCIL AND COLONIALS

BY DAN VALENTI This Week in Jonathan Levine’s Pittsfield Gazette Check out Jonathan Levine’s Pittsfield Gazette this week for the best and most complete coverage on the marathon City Council meeting last night (Tuesday, May 10). At the meeting, Melissa Mazzeo done whipped the boys on the issue of “acting appointments.” Kevin Sherman got in […]

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ROCHE WINS IN LENOX; PLANET REFUTES ‘KINGMAKER’ CHARGE, plus, “Hi, I’m STEROIDsGATE. Remember Me?” and a guest column on “The Art of Forgetting.”

BY DAN VALENTI The Planet is NOT in the business of Kingmaking (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, May 10, 2011) — The e-mail came in late last night, thanking The Planet for our endorsement of Dave Roche and citing that as a strong “contributing factor” in his decisive win in the Lenox select board race. The Planet […]

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LENOX VOTES TODAY, PLANET COHOSTS “COLONIALS CORNER” on WTBR 89.7 FM TODAY; plus “THE DISCONNECT,” or “Erin, Go Braless.”

BY DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, May 9, 2011) — Decision Day in Lenox today, as voters go to the polls. Incumbents Kim Flynn and John McNinch are facing challengers David Roche and Eric Vincelette for two seats on the select board. The Planet has endorsed Roche and Vincelette. We will point out that endorsements […]

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PLANET ENDORSES ROCHE, VINCELETTE IN LENOX, plus, MORE ON BCC’s PIT ACCIDENT, BASEBALL AT BELOVED WAHCONAH PARK, & OBAMA TRUMPS TRUMP

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET ISSUES ENDORSEMENTS IN LENOX (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, May 7, 2011) — Thinking ahead to Monday’s town election in Lenox, The Planet issues our endorsements. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Two incumbents — Kim Flynn and John McNinch — are competing against two challengers — Eric Vincelette […]

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LENOX SELECT BOARD INCUMBENTS FLYNN, McNINCH SELL TAXPAYERS DOWN RIVER ON ‘LENOXOLOGY’ VOTE, plus PLANET SHARES SCOOP ON TV DEBATE, SPICE CLOSING, AND COLONIALS TRYOUTS

BY DAN VALENTI ADD ONE, 5/6/11 TOXICOLOGY IN LENOXOLOGY; BOARD INCUMBENTS FLYNN, McNINCH SUPPORT COLOSSAL WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY The town of Lenox, in a 4-to-1 vote by the select board, approved the horrendous marketing slogan developed for the town at a reported cost of anywhere between $58,000 and $300,000 by a Big, Important, NYC […]

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CAMPAIGN CAPERS: LENOX CANDIDATES WILT UNDER PRESSURE (AT LEAST SOME DO), MARCHETTI DECLARES, & OTHER NOTES ALONG THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS

BY DAN VALENTI Campaign Capers (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MAY 4, 2011) — With each new year and each new campaign season, The Planet notes more urgency and edge. The electorate bears more anger. Candidates seems more pressed — for time, for money, for differentiation, for a lot of things. The zeitgeist, not to get all […]

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PLANET HOSTS DEBATE TONIGHT, OSAMA AS COL. SANDERS of KFC, & SUPRANOWICZ and RUFFER HED CEDS Flop

BY DAN VALENTI Candidates Grilled, Well Done, Tonight at 7 (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MAY 3, 2011) — Come one, come all, to The Planet’s Amazing Beer Hall Chat, held in the guise of a debate, at 7 p.m. at the Lenox Public Library tonight. Produced and sponsored by the recently formed political action committee, Berkshire […]

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ANGELO MAKES A SALE, FOUR MORE COPS ON STEROIDsGATE, & IS OBAMA TO BLAME FOR $4-A-GALLON GAS?

BY DAN VALENTI Angelo Makes a Sale (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, May 2, 2011) — Hear ye, Hear ye, be advised, all present, that late last week, disgraced ex-CEO Angelo Stracuzzi sold his house on Stonehedge Road. His wife, Rosanne, is listed on the sale document as a co-seller or grantor. The purchasers are listed as […]

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TOUCHDOWN, GOALPOST, AND RED DOG — THREE PPD OFFICERS — BRING BACK STEROIDsGATE IN A BIG WAY; IN MEETINGS, EACH SHARES HIS/HER PIECE OF THE STORY

BY DAN VALENTI More Testimony from Three Cops, from the Inside The ugly head of SteroidsGate has broken the surface again in Pittsfield choppy law enforcement and public safety waters. And just when you thought it was safe again to wade in up to your navel. The Planet is just removed from our latest face-to-faces […]

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!!PLANET EXCLUSIVE!! SHOULD COLUMBUS AVENUE BE RENAMED FOR REV. SAMUEL HARRISON? RUBERTO WANTS IT, BUT DO CITIZENS? LONG-OVERDUE HONOR OR A BOW AND SCRAPE TO POLITICAL CORRECTNESS? THE PLANET RAISES THE QUESTIONS

BY DAN VALENTI ‘He Gone Find Ray Charles’ (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, APRIL 29, 2011) — The great comic Flip Wilson used to have a routine about Christopher Columbus’ journey to America in 1492. As Flip relates it, Columbus got on that boat not in search of continents but in search of soul. As Flip put […]

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