BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI ARTS EDITOR’S NOTE — THE PLANET presents what we hope will be the first of periodic theater and art reviews. For the 2021 inaugural effort, we are pleased to announce the signing of the world famous critic, the Max Factor of the footlights, the Poobah of Paragraphs. We speak of […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY EDITOR’S NOTE: Before we begin, we would like to pass along news of Jonathan Levine’s death. For 30 years, Jonathan published the Pittsfield Gazette, essentially as a one-man operation running on fumes. For those 30 years, readers received an alternative view of city politics and happenings. Jonathan […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JUNE 21, 2021) — It’s time for the next Round Up, a smorgasbord of this ‘n’ that. Writer Wanted — Beginning this week (Thursday) we hope to be presenting reviews of area plays. We did this a few years ago as an experiment, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JUNE 18-20, 2021) — “Voter suppression” or “Safeguarding elections?” THE PLANET speaks of efforts to tighten security at ballot boxes in state legislatures. In the Democratically controlled federal government, the House has been crafting a measure that would expand voter participation, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Part Two of Two (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JUNE 16, 2021) — The legally contentious matter of District Attorney Andrea Harrington’s letter to Judge Paul Dalwey, Chief Justice of the District Court System, asking that Judge Jennifer Tyne be removed from the case, continues to reverberate within the […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Part One of a two-part series This story has been updated with new information. (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JUNE 14, 2021) — For news hawks, Berkshire County D.A. Andrea Harrington is the gift that keeps giving. Daily she makes another headline to a story that erodes faith […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JUNE 11-13, 2021) — Scraping off the barnacles of items left in port for the overhaul. It’s one of the regular duties of maintaining THE PLANET, with far more stories than there are photons in the type case. MACD CALLS OUT […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JUNE 9, 2021) — THE PLANET received a copy of what appears to be a letter written by Pittsfield attorney Robert D. Sullivan Jr. calling for the resignation of Berkshire County D.A. Andrea Harrington. THE PLANET contacted Sullilvan’s office for comments on and […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021) — In Minneapolis, the denizens of the deep are at it again, rioting, burning, and looting. The latest occurred when U.S. Marshals tried to served an arrest warrant on Winston Boogie Smith on federal weapons violations. Boogie was parked in […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JUNE 4-6) — Not counting Pocket Pool, invented in Pittsfield during the Year of Our Lord 1791, Pittsfield’s favorite sport is political nepotism. Scratch many public employees or contractors, and you get “someone who knows someone.” After the usual nationwide search, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JUNE 2, 2021) — THE PLANET presents two unedited releases from Andrea Harrington, Berkshire County district attorney. She’s taking “a quick minute to check in.” Her “quick minute” Consists of 29 seconds of primping, 17 seconds of posing, and 14 seconds of photo-ops. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, Memorial Day 2021) — On this day of remembrance, THE PLANET respectfully asks its readers and especially its commentators and respondents to honor the tenor and tone of today. Those of us who had loved ones that served, those of us who had loved […]
BY DANVALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MAY 28-30, 2021) — Allow THE PLANET to paraphrase the late, great Tip O’Neill: All news is local. John Donne told us no man is an island. The great Buddhist monk Thich Nat Hahn shared his notion of Interbeing, which refers to […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MAY 26, 2021) — THE PLANET presents the following announcement from Mayor Linda Tyer: PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield has added a holiday, Juneteenth, to its roster of municipal holidays. As Juneteenth, which is celebrated on June 19, falls on a […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MAY 24, 2021) — At a time when the city of Pittsfield needs to cut spending as well as taxes, once again it will boost both. Alas, the city has fallen for a social trend that shall prove little more than a fad. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, DATE, 2021) — Do you remember along with THE PLANET with kids’ show on “educational TV” back in the ’70s? The theme song went: C’mon and Zoom. C’mon and Zoom. C’mon and Zoom-zoom-zooma-zoom. It’s not exactly “A Day in the Life.” And yeah, the […]
