BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JUNE 3, 2019) — The rest of the world might have moved on from him, but for THE PLANET, the Passion of Julian Assange gets more troubling. Assange was arrested by British authorities and sentenced to a year for jumping bail, a set-up serving […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MAY 31-JUNE 2, 2019) — If a fire fighter hooks a hose to a hydrant and nothing comes out, does it make a noise? Answer: No. It means the hydrant is located in Pittsfield. On Thursday last, fire consumed a home […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MAY 29, 2019) — The deviled details of America’s current trade war with China may be difficult to understand, given the byzantine nature of tariff application, their varying rates, and a number of other factors. The beauty of the issue for THE PLANET, however, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MEMORIAL DAY, MAY 27, 2019) — Nothing long or ponderous today, just a remembrance of all veterans who died in service to the country. THE PLANET offers our respects and honors for their sacrifices, for which we shall ever be grateful. Probably few if […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MAY 24-26, 2019) — You missed it. You missed it because Downtown Pittsfield Inc. — that useless, vampiric drain of public money — has for Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski all the relevance of Shandoff’s, the Bridge Street Lunch, England’s, Rosenfeld’s, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MAY 22, 2019) — One of THE PLANET‘s favorite writing gigs was a stint with comedian Henny Youngman. We helped the “King of the One Liners” with books, produced one of his shows, and even wrote a few jokes. We cannot claim credit for […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MAY 20, 2019) — Progressives in Berkshire County have infected the criminal justice system with a notion euphemistically called “restorative justice.” It might better be called, “Give the minority criminal carte blanche.” Today we reprint an item first published in The Hartford Courant […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MAY 17-9, 2019) — What’s going on at Reid and Herberg Middle Schools, Reid especially? The school has 546 students and 54 teachers for a 10:1 ratio. Average teacher’s salary in Pittsfield is $76,981 plus bennies, putting it third in the […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MAY 15, 2019) — What makes for a viable mayoral candidate in Pittsfield. It’s an interesting question, given that each cycle produces two types of contenders: legitimate and disingenuous. It makes the selection easy. THE LEGITIMATE There are two legitimate candidates in this […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MAY 13, 2019) — “I can’t stay away from this.” That’s how Sen. Corey Booker, D-N.J., justified his recent call for draconian new anti-gun legislation. As if words on paper — “laws” in their most elemental sense — can affect the human heart. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MAY 10-12, 2019) — News that Covanta, which operates the city’s trash facility on Hubbard Avenue, plans to sell out has raised eyebrows, especially given that the firm received $562,000 of GE settlement money for capital repairs. Three years ago Covanta […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MAY 8, 2019) — THE PLANET presents a guest column by a media colleague. Besides the practicality of giving us a “day off,” the column also presents a pragmatic look at the 2020 presidential election. We welcome your comments. ———- ooo ———- BY HUGH HEWITT Special […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Third of a Series (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MAY 6, 2019) — On the Pittsfield School Department website, you’ll find the city’s fictional anti-bullying statement. Words. Lying words. That Mean Nothing. Verbal halitosis. You’ve likely never actually read this document. Now’s your chance to put the dipstick into […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Part Two of Three in a Series (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MAY 3-5, 2019) — THE PLANET can tell you the only reason The Boring Broadsheet ran a story about the out-of-control violence at Reid Middle School and Springside Park is the testimony of outrage published here […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY First in a Series (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MAY 1, 2019) — The root of the recent uptick in violence in the middle schools, particularly activities at Reid and Springside Park, can in part be traced to the passage of the little-known and misunderstood Criminal Justice Reform […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY APRIL 29, 2019) — Thank heaven for supermajorities. Otherwise, another dubious giveaway of taxpayer money would be in the works. You can thank the city council. You can blame the city council. On Tuesday last, THE PLANET‘s Right Honorable Good Friends defeated mayor Linda […]
