Opinion
Author appreciation
Once again, the opinion page of the Recorder was suffused with the thought-provoking insights of the Maven of Northfield, Judy Wagner. Whenever I see her name below an an opinion piece, I know it is time for me to focus, read and learn. Thank you,...
Trump cult?
Trump cult?David Kempf’s Jan. 10 letter is interesting for he states he sees his cult leader’s faults but I doubt he would/could care to enumerate them. How about misogynist, narcissist, infantile calling of names to anyone who questions him,...
More on cancer survivors’ stories
Missing from the great article in the Feb. 4 Recorder about the “Cancer Survivors: Stories of Hope and Resilience” event on Feb. 11 at the Academy of Music, are the names of all seven storytellers.Two of those participants are important benefactors to...
Gun violence
Everyone in this county will know someone effected by gun violence. It’s coming. It’ll happen. Our national scourge will come to affect us all. All who radically support the Second Amendment will say all their rights must be maintained. All the while,...
My Turn: The voice that I earned
By Joanna Buoniconti
The smell of harsh antiseptic stings my nostrils — even through my mask. Every six months it’s the same routine for the physical therapy re-evaluation, which is a requirement for me to receive insurance authorization approval for the treatment of my...
My Turn: Paying too much for energy? We agree
By SEN. JO COMERFORD and REP. NATALIE BLAIS
On any given week, our email inboxes reflect the concerns of our constituents. For years, emails have poured in about COVID-19, education, climate change, infrastructure, and more. This winter, a top concern is the price of energy. We share this...
My Turn: A murder in Memphis
By BILL NEWMAN
I keep thinking about Tyre Nichols. And the depravity of the five Memphis cops who killed him. The videos show that this 29 year-old Black man, the father of a four year-old son and a Fed-Ex employee, did nothing wrong, and yet the cops pulled him...
Hold violent police accountable
What can be done? Can’t Congress pass legislation that would stop the violence by police officers against people who use violence without cause?The recent case in Memphis, Tennessee, shows that there is something that can be done. The five officers...
Unbiased views needed to assess forest management
Reporter Chris Larabee’s recent article, “Foresters, conservationists oppose Healey logging moratorium,” (Recorder, Jan. 28) quotes state and local experts who believe that “Harvesting timber from forests, for both environmental and commercial...
Relay for Life event ramping up
Relay For Life Greater Gardner is celebrating 30 years of walking to find a cure for cancer. We are so very proud of what the Greater Gardner area has accomplished during this time, including two years of a pandemic where everything was virtual, and...
The World Keeps Turning: Me and the Luddites
By ALLEN WOODS
I wrote most of this column in July 2021, but never submitted it, fearing I would be quickly pigeonholed as just another old-man-grouch. But a group of Brooklyn teenagers, recently featured in The New York Times, have given me the strength and...
My Turn: And now they want to arm our children?
By ROB OKUN
Days in January: 31. Number of mass shootings in the United States as of Jan. 31: 52. (I pray the number hasn’t gone up by the time you read this.)From cries of madness to tears of rage; from citizen fury to congressional prayers, we careen toward a...
My Turn: When TV stokes the fires of racism
By STEVEN E. KRAMER
The brutal killing of Tyre Nichols by five Memphis police officers resulted in their prompt dismissal and initiation of murder prosecutions against them. Anyone who witnessed footage of the officers’ actions has to be saddened and...
Charlemont Historical Commission wants say in Indigenous statue’s future
By BELLA LEVAVI
CHARLEMONT — After not meeting for many years, the Historical Commission came together this week to request to be part of the discussion about altering the Native American statue outside the Native and Himalayan Views souvenir shop on Route 2.“I...
Property taxes
Often I am asked about Greenfield’s property tax rate and why it is one of the highest in Massachusetts. Here is a quick explanation. Tax rate and tax bill are not the same thing. As we have seen this year, the rate dropped. One big reason for this...
As I See It: Leaving ‘only ten million dollars’
By JON HUER
On May 18, 2021, while processing their divorce, Bill Gates and his wife Melinda confirmed their decision to leave “only 10 million dollars” for each of their three children, a pledge they had made earlier (the oldest being 17 at the time). Indeed,...
My Turn: Early detection = better outcomes
By JIM and LISA MCGOVERN
You have cancer. Words nobody ever wants to hear — but each year, nearly two million of our fellow Americans hear them. More than 600,000 die annually after battling these diseases, including over 12,000 people in Massachusetts alone.But it does not...
My Turn: The costs of transportation
By RICHARD WITTY
There are amazing transportation assets and services locally, most prominently the free Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) and its inexpensive driving services for seniors.Still, the majority of transportation needs in Franklin County are met...
Climate activists irksome
Please! Climate activists stop telling me how to live my life. We are all well aware liberals, especially activists would rather pass a law to control your life. They loath debate or compromise.The latest “the sky is falling” mantra? Activists want to...
Police violence
I watched the videos of the “arrest” of Tyre Nichols released by the Memphis Police Department. Holy Crap. The beating I saw should never have happened. Mr. Nichols died. Police officers are charged with murder. No one stepped in to stop it. I saw at...
