BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JULY 16, 2025) — You’ll sleep much safer to know that, with an avalanche of immediate and pressing problems plaguing the city (homelessness, drug trafficking, shooting and stabbings, punishing taxes, a moribund economy, shaky finances, OPEB anvil, and more), THE PLANET‘s Right Honorable […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JULY 14, 2025) — The recent North Street stabbing, the regular sound of West Side gun play, the whitewash of a huge school department scandal that shows signs of still continuing, the disappearance of the mayor, the ineffectualness of the council, the corruption […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY / THE ARTS WHAT: Out of Character, Berkshire Theatre Group, written and performed by Ariel Stachel WHERE: The Unicorn Theater, Stockbridge, MA WHEN: Through July 26 (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JULY 11-3, 2025) — Who are you? That’s the question Ari’el Stachel confronts in this bravado, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JULY 9, 2025) — In the recent debate that has official Pittsfield tied in donned knots, THE PLANET has noticed how so many referr to the “houseless.” Perhaps it’s part of Peter White syntactical delusion of “houselessness.” When you have more than one […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1: THE PLANET has added Gary Munn’s legal response to the city’s charges, which he submitted on May 5. The document can be found in the presentation on Munn’s position. ADD 2: We received this from Danielle Munn on Wednesday afternoon. THE PLANET shares this […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JUNE 30, 2025) — Random thoughts whilst brook zenning: Munn and Done: What’s up with the sudden firing of Gary Munn, an IT guy with eight years seving the Pittsfield Police Department? And is there a connection between the axing and the reported […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD-1 FRIDAY 6 p.m.–THE PLANET spoke to D.A. Tim Shugrue’s office today with some questions. We received the following: The investigation was certainly extensive and took great care (as all do). In response to your questions: Ms. Whitacre was very cooperative throughout the entire process. I am […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JUNE 22, 2025) — In this land of No Kings, THE PLANET celebrates nonetheless Royalty’s visit last week to Bitchfield. We refer to the Commonwealth’s senior senator Elizabeth Warren. The “grandma with a plan” at least know where the Berkshires are. There’s that. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JUNE 20-2, 2025) — First, THE PLANET wishes to thank all those who turned out at The Stationery Factory Wednesday evening for the book launch of Stanley Kubrick’s Full Mental Straight Jacket: The Siege of Gunnery Sgt. Hartman. We went in […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY IT’S TONIGHT! COME JOIN US AND SEE DAN VALENTI IN PERSON! BUY A BOOK FOR HIM TO SIGN! ENJOY FREE FOOD FROM MAZZEO’S RESTAURANT & GET FEELING GOOD AT THE BAR. (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JUNE 16, 2025) — Well, well. So we see that Alison Shepherd, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JUNE 11, 2025) — THE PLANET may soon be sending a copy of Dan Valenti’s best-selling textbook Taming the Terror of Talk: Becoming a Confident Speaker to Bitchfield Mayor Lumpy. He could use it. Recently, Lumpy issued a proposal–now being endlessly nitpicked by subcommittees, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JUNE 9, 2025) — Today, in a blessed break from the mystery and madness of politics, THE PLANET presents a play review for which the Comment Line is closed. BERKSHIRE THEATRE FESTIVAL PLAY REVIEW THE ELEPHANT MAN BY BERNARD POMERANCE DIRECTED BY ERIC […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JUNE 6-8, 2025) — From the wires: A nationwide coordinated crackdown on retail crime — what authorities are calling the first of its kind — led to hundreds of arrests in 28 states last week. The blitz, led by Illinois’ Cook […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JUNE 2, 2025)–Why do you think Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem was in the Berkshires over the weekend? Is the dining room at Wheatleigh–oops, we mean the Hampton Terrace Inn–her new command post? On second thought, no, absolutely not, for […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MAY 30-JUNE 1, 2025 — Today THE PLANET yields the Talking Stick to the most important persons on this board: You and them, as in We The People. Feel free bring up what ever’s on your mind. Up, down, over under, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MAY 28, 2025) — Take a good look at this iBerkshire photo taken by reporter Brittany Polito. We see four recognizable people in the picture: Kristen “Tex” Behnke, director of finance, school department; Jumpin’ Joe Curtis, school superintendent (not for long); in the […]
