Planet Valenti

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION AUG. 17-19, 2018) — “Progressive.” Etymologically speaking, it’s the substitute for “liberal,” a term that the left has abandoned after being found guilty of flipping its original meaning (“personal freedom restrained only by personal responsibility”) to something out of a political […]

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 15, 2018) — We can finally put “Picnicgate” to rest. D.A. candidate Andrea Harrington did not, repeat DID NOT, “crash” the sheriff’s picnic. THE PLANET obtained word from Congressman Richie Neal’s office that Harrington attended the event on invitation from Neal. She had […]

  BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, AUG. 11, 2018) — It’s been clear since the race began that the contest for the Democratic nomination for Berkshire County District Attorney would not be about issues. For those just tuning in, this election will be decided in September, since there […]

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Second of Two Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 10-12, 2018) — Before THE PLANET gets into part two of our museum series, let’s confirm two things, each pertaining to the D.A.’s election. First, Andrea Harrington did attend the sheriff’s picnic. Harrington, however, told THE […]

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY First of a Two-Part Series (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 8, 2018) — In Adelson and Company’s recent audit of the Berkshire Mausoleum, you find near the end, buried under a lot of previous numbers and verbiage, the following sentence: “In 2015, the Berkshire Museum Board of […]

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY AUG. 5, 2018) — If you ever had any doubts about the rampant corruption that has become the once-great city of Pittsfield (pop. 38,000 and dropping), the inherent pressures of recent events have forced the slime to the surface and into the sun. […]

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE-ESSEX, THE WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 3-5, 2018) — Welcome to early August, a month where nature begins to prepare for fall and winter. As the month passes, you will see the plants and trees seemingly lose energy. Actually, in their wisdom and efficiency, they are […]

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 1, 2018) — An example of our previous column on the shortcomings of the local daily newspaper could be found over the past weekend, when The Boring Broadsheet had on page one, above the fold, a puff piece with a headline blaring that […]

BY DN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JULY 30, 2018) — And as the glorious summer takes the clubhouse turn, THE PLANET has to laugh at the “story” in The Boring Broadsheet polling readers about the Berkshire Mall. While it ignores significant news and presents such nonsensical fluff, The BB actually presents […]

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE-ESSEX, THE WEEKEND EDITION, JULY 27-29, 2018) — Late July on the farm delivers the fruits of labor, both literally and figuratively. For the first, we list the raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, honey, tomatoes, lemon balm, feeding plantains to the goats … ah, THE PLANET could go […]

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JULY 25, 2018) — Once of anything is a fluke. Two is a pattern. Three a trend. When the proverbial “They,” in this case the board of that erstwhile great institution formerly known at the Berkshire Museum, brought in a new executive director, […]

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JULY 23, 2018) — Andrea Harrington, who with Judith Knight is challenging heir-apparent Paul Caccaviello for Berkshire County District Attorney, has to decide, not soon but now, because time is running out: Does she want to be the next DA? If that answer […]

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JULY 20-22, 2018) — When you operate a site such as this one, after a while the news comes to you. Each happening, civic joy or shame, crime, or subterfuge possesses a cast of characters. No matter how hidden, someone always […]

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JULY 18, 2018) — Making sense of the stillborn race for District Attorney is rather like explaining Russia: No matter what you say about it is true. Even if it’s false, it will somehow be true. THE PLANET calls the race “stillborn” because it […]

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JULY 16, 2018) — The events may be a cuppla-three weeks old, with Wifegate deserving of more attention on THE PLANET, but duty bids comment on an annual duo of delight that its perpetuators insist on continuing. Recently, the Dalton Lions Club hosted […]

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE-ESSEX, THURSDAY AND THE WEEKEND, JULY 12-15, 2018) — The blueberries on the farm are the biggest and sweetest they’ve been in years. It’s the pollination from the hives. The plantain and mint have been superb, and the first tomato tasted — in the words […]