BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MEMORIAL DAY, 2002) — THE PLANET offers no large quantity of words today, Memorial Day not Veteran’s Day. It startles to learn how many don’t know or appreciate the difference. Today we remember the war dead. All wars. As the years go by, we […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MAY 27-9, 2022) — For The Weekend Edition, THE PLANET had promised our latest findings on Scootergate, which may be yet Flat Tyer’s political undoing, but when the slaughter of the innocents in Uvalde, TX, slammed in descending gloom, we reconsidered. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MAY 25, 2022) — Hark! What light through yonder porthole breaks? ‘Tis another edition of THE PLANET‘s Quick Hitz and Hot Lix. This also marks our 2,400th edition, good for about 2.4 million words, all for free. Enjoy it while it’ lasts. FORECAST: […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1 5/23/22 EARLY AFTERNOON — Here are the details on Pittsfield’s latest gun play, from the Pittsfield Police Department: On 05/21/2022 at approximately 10:45 PM, Pittsfield Police Patrol Units responded to the a residence on Congress Street for a reported shooting victim. Arriving units located a […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MAY 19-21, 2002) — Gathering a few loose apple blossoms that have carpeted the Lower-40 lawn: Good Citizens — Thursday morning, THE PLANET reported to Berkshire Superior Court for jury duty, good citizen doing his civic duty. We ran into several […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2022) — Hump day. Isn’t that what it’s called, that day named after the lass in the Adams Family? THE PLANET seems sure — as sure as we are that, here on the verge of “hot time, summer in the city” […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MAY 16, 2022) — Stop the Presses! Press the Stoppers! Mayor Linda “Flat” Tyer did the expected, presenting a corpulent, stout, overweight, fat, adipose, gross, hefty, porcine, paunchy, bloated, puffy, blowzy, distended, swollen, pursy, plump FY23 budget. It greases The Suits and Special […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MAY 13-5, 2022) — THE PLANET recently ran into an avid supporter of Berkshire County D.A. Andrea Harrington. Zealots, for all their inability to comprehend, reason, do possess a certain piquant innocence. After telling THE PLANET every little thing we’re doing […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2022) — Despite Pittsfield’s attempts to hide the paperwork associated with its disastrous rollout of the e-scooter program, THE PLANET‘s Z-Agents managed to get a key piece of the paper trail. We obtained the “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOA) between the city […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MAY 9, 2022) — With the Tucker Case, the Estrella shooting, abortion, scooters, and the war in Ukraine, there has no shortage of topics on THE PLANET. For whatever reason, people are amped and angry. From April 30 to May 7, THE PLANET […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1 May 6, Early Afternoon — This just in from the Pittsfield Police Department. On Thursday May 5th 2022 at approximately 7:03pm members of the Pittsfield Police Department (PPD) Anti-Crime Unit (ACU) observed a suspicious party on Francis Avenue. The party was wearing a black ski-mask […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MAY 4, 2022) — Today, THE PLANET breaks from the madness and mysteries of the streets. On Friday, Pittsfield registers its inaugural First Friday ArtsWalk. Tops among the several venues, according to our biased review, is the gathering at the Universal Unitarian building […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1, MAY 3, early evening: Bob Sullivan has ended his bid for Berkshire County district attorney and has endorsed Democrat Tim Shugrue, who will face D.A. Andrea Harrington in September. Here is the full test of Sullivan’s statement: ROBERT D. SULLIVAN, JR. CANDIDATE FOR BERKSHIRE DISTRICT […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION APRIL 29-MAY 1, 2022) — Now that we have put the topic of moral, morbid obesity behind us, THE PLANET turns to another topic. The topic is on of welcome. We found our inspiration on Elm Street. In front of the […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1, 4/27/22 AFTERNOON — THE PLANET has two items of interest involving public safety. The first is from the Pittsfield Police Department. It is their official, preliminary internal investigation of the fatal shooting of Miguel Estrella on March 25. The officer who fired the fatal round […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY APRIL 25, 2022) — THE PLANET knew going in that the story of 10-month-old Kristoff Zanopoulas while in the foster control (we won’t say “care”) of Cassanda Barlow-Tucker and Matt Tucker would hit an ethical nerve, a judicial cranial, and a political funny […]
