BY DAN VALENTI The United Educators of Pittsfield agree that their second work-to-rule action of the year isn’t about money. It’s about “respect.” Nonetheless, the UEP has presented a request for a substantial pay raise for part of its membership (school nurses). That’s about money, not respect, irrespective of whether or not you feel the […]
BY DAN VALENTI North Korean ‘Attack’ a U.S. Production, 60 Years in the Making The markets are predictably overreacting to the cap gun fight between North and South Korea. Little more will likely come of it. Western media is uniform in characterizing the exchange as an unprovoked attack by the North justifiably answered by the […]
BY DAN VALENTI Today, 47 years ago, the American government was overthrown when a bullet tore through the head of President John F. Kennedy. That forlorn day was THE PLANET’s 12th birthday. Here the story I wrote about it, published today in the Berkshire Eagle (with edits and info not available on the Eagle version). […]
BY DAN VALENTI * Today, a brief few quick hits, since THE PLANET has given you a lot this week. First, the investigations into the corrupt beyond belief Massachusetts Probation Department will likely continue, as the Inspector General’s office now wants in. THE PLANET wants to know what agency, authority, or board will now do […]
BY DAN VALENTI BTF, Colonial Mix n Match A quick comment on the merger of the Berkshire Theatre Festival of Stockbridge and the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. This combination, essentially made to steady the shaky administrative ship at the latter, has a tremendous upside. This would include shared programming and flexibility in scheduling for both […]
BY DAN VALENTI The Ware Report, 337 pages detailing massive corruption in the State Probation Department (SPD), confirms what has been one of the biggest jokes in the state and here in Berkshire County. Who, for example, is shocked to hear of a “corrupt” and “rigged” hiring system? Who is stunned to hear of “pervasive […]
BY DAN VALENTI Let us venture away from Teapots, Tempests, and “Tamings of the Shrew” to venture into a little Hot Stove League baseball, Pittsfield style. THE PLANET throws out the first pitch. Last year was a year of firsts for the Pittsfield Colonials. It was a year of experimentation and enterprise, of trial and […]
Whither, or should it be “wither,” Pelosi? When THE PLANET is asked about our political affiliation, we reply: not a Democrat and not a Republican. We are Pedestrian. Our political agenda consists solely of getting across the street in one piece. So what makes a good party? Hacking with a dull machete, we would agree […]
Blasting Off? We Shudder Assuming Pam Malumphy holds her promise to blast off from THE PLANET for good —which we hope is not the case since it is rarely good form to storm off with the football because the game didn’t go your way — we shall probably be done with the non-story she created […]
The En Ef El, or, The Stooley Comes Up Big If you’ll recall, on Saturday we posted our picks in three “local” NFL games. We said the New England Patriots would beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, in Pittsburgh, by 10 points. This was a game, by the way, in which nearly all the “experts” picked the […]
Pam Malumphy, the person whom the evidence STRONGLY suggests has filed an ethics complaint against Pittsfield Mayor Jimmy Ruberto and OCD director Deanna Ruffer, sent THE PLANET an frenzied e-mail in response to our repeated attempts to get her to say something, on the record, about our story. We present, unedited, her words: You are […]
First, thanks to everyone who turned out last night for a great night at Chapters Bookstore in downtown Pittsfield. The show of support for great writing and a new publishing company were amazing. For one night, at least, Chapters felt like a metro intellectual and artistic hub, which all downtown bookstores strive to be. Imagine, […]
* !!BULLETIN!! BASED ON THE FIRST COMMENT BELOW TO THIS SITE, THE PLANET IS CHECKING THE VERACITY OF THE CLAIM, TO SEE IF IT IS fact, THAT PAM MALUMPHY HAS TAKEN LEGAL ACTION AGAINST MAYOR JIM RUBERTO AND OFFICE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HEAD DEANNA RUFFER. WE HAVE CONTACTED the three PARTIES INVOLVED. MAYOR RUBERTO’S RESPONSE FOLLOWS. […]
THE PLANET hereby resolves some of the mystery we created in yesterday’s post, where sleep’s tired eyes got the better of scoopery, and we had to retire to the boudoir for Golden Slumbers. A Tribute to All Veterans How does one do this, with all that’s been said and is being said. We share a […]
There is so much to share, but the hour is late and we’ve been going since early morning with an interesting variety of meetings, radio appearances, classes taught, essays written, books edited, and other sundry tasks. If a kaleidoscope could talk, it would spit new colors trying to capture the many hues of THE PLANET’s quilt-patch day. It would […]
The two men exchanged in the clasp, below, appear amiable enough — at least the guy on the left. That’s Eric Mangini, whose Cleveland Browns have just unglued the heavily-favored New England Patriots. Mangini is by far the happier of the two. When The Planet looks at this photo, why do we see Dan Bianchi […]
