Opinion
Nan Clark: Cinner for Chesterfield Select Board
I am writing in support of Dee Cinner for the Chesterfield Select Board. In my 94 years here I’ve seen various select boards, some better than others. Often there has been room for improvement, new ideas, a new voice. Now again is that time. Cinner’s...
Marianne Preger: Ode to harmony
From the river to the seaThere could be peace and harmonyTwo small countries hand in handCould make a rich and happy landFrom the river to the seaThat’s the way it ought to beBut local leaders must be soughtWhose goals cannot be boughtFor whom the...
Becca King: Tax fund for elderly, disabled a good idea
As an elder on a modest and fixed income who falls through many benefits cracks, I appreciate the efforts of Greenfield City Councilors Minhas and Mastrototaro in seeking new ways to support our elders and individuals with disabilities with a property...
My Turn: The truth about time spent on MCAS testing
By DOUG SELWYN
Many people have an image of students taking the MCAS exams: They receive a booklet, fill in bubbles for an hour or so and then go about their day. Those of us who have worked in schools know the real truth. The actual amount of time spent on testing...
Phillip Tedesco: Golf course in good hands with new owners
In response to the article “New owners look to build on golf course’s strengths” [Recorder, April 19], I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Snow family on their acquisition of the Thomas Memorial Golf & Country Club. I am familiar...
My Turn: Call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza
By PATRICIA CROSBY
As Friends (Quakers), we respect the humanity of all people, which is why we have sought nonviolent responses to conflict anywhere. Our experience teaches us that violence only creates hatred, fear, hopelessness, and endless new cycles of war and...
My Turn: To become a Climate Leader
By ELLEN LEUE
When I was a working stiff, the company I worked for (for 39 years!) had a motto: “Never sacrifice the long term for the short term.” This successfully carried the family-owned horticultural company into its fourth generation of leadership. I took it...
As I See It: What if we could think like 10-year-olds?
By JON HUER
My wife, who is my severest critic, says I think like a 10-year old, which I interpret as a compliment. True, I tend to be simple-minded and linear as a 10-year-old child would be. After nearly half a century of working as a sociologist, writing a...
Connecting the Dots: In what world do you want to live?
By JOHN BOS
I find myself acutely aware of living in three worlds right now. The biggest one is the Universe that is large beyond my comprehension. My awareness was sharpened by watching the eclipse with my sister from two camp chairs in my driveway. Watching the...
$50K allocated for Poet’s Seat Tower sandblasting as officials mull vandalism prevention
By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI
GREENFIELD — Following an affirmative vote by City Council this week, $50,000 will go toward sandblasting graffiti off of Poet’s Seat Tower, where vandalism has proven to be a persistent problem.Department of Public Works Director Marlo Warner II said...
Jessica Zhang: Weigh your choices — Solar power a better alternative
In his recent letter [“‘No’ means higher energy prices,” Recorder, March 26] Jim Bates is right that fossil fuels have powered societies across the globe — nobody disputes that. It’s the reality of pollution and carbon buildup in the atmosphere that...
My Turn: Saving planet Greenfield
By BRAM MOREINIS
Anthropologist Margaret Mead wrote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” If such a group were Greenfielders responding to the climate crisis, what would...
Gary Seldon: Solar Roller Earth Day River Ride
The Solar Roller Earth Day River Ride, a protest of Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage (NMPS), will gather April 20 at 9 a.m. on the Greenfield Common. Join our bicycling, walking, (paddling anyone?) protest and rallies. Details at...
Mitch Speight and Joan Marie Jackson: City should follow constitutional ruling on property takings
On April 13, the Greenfield tax collector bought a full-page advertisement in this newspaper announcing the city’s intention to “take” 35 parcels of land on May 3 for “non-payment after demand, of the taxes due thereon.” The list of properties for...
Columnist Johanna Neumann: Reaping the rewards of rooftop solar
By JOHANNA NEUMANN
This week my boys and I are visiting my mom and stepdad for April break. Shortly after we arrived, they proudly gave us a tour of their new PV solar array, which they had installed on the south face of their home earlier this year. My stepdad, Rick,...
My Turn: Let’s leave miracle of trees well enough alone
By JUDY WAGNER
At the moment, most trees are still biding their time, shyly staying curled and safe in bud wraps for now. A few days ago that seemed very wise as we woke to a landscape whitened by an April snowstorm. But in just days we will witness the wonderful...
Ben Tobin: Another educational song and dance
As a kid growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s in western Massachusetts, watching Malcolm in the Middle — the saga of a fourth-wall busting child prodigy and his family — was a staple of post-school hours. Jumping forward to present times, and my...
Pushback: Tax fund option helps keep elders in homes
By AL NORMAN
There are elderly and disabled individuals in Greenfield who are struggling to pay their property tax bills. At-large City Councilor Wahab Minhas wants to keep them out of the foreclosure pipeline, and in their homes.When property owners fall behind...
Pat Hynes: Nuclear weapons bills need action
Two companion nuclear weapons bills presented by Senator Jo Comerford are sitting in the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, co-chaired by Senator Timilty and Representative Gonzalez. They are S.1488 for the creation of a Nuclear...
Maggie Baumer: Access to prosthetics and orthotics for physical activity a right, not a privilege
As one of the 5.6 million Americans living with limb loss and limb difference (LL/LD), I’m passionate about advocating for access to prosthetic and orthotic devices for physical activity, which are not typically covered by commercial insurance or...
