Opinion
Diversity lacking in judicial branch
I took note of the photo of Franklin County's Superior Court judges in the Recorder’s Feb. 3 edition. A photo of 13 current and former judges, all white, two women. Another white male is joining this group. I hope we can do much better in the future...
Sound discussion needed on public land policy
It’s good to see the debate about logging on state lands due to a promised public forest logging moratorium. However, editorial volleys are not a substitute for a thorough open public discussion of our state land policy. The Department of Conservation...
Columnist Tolley Jones: Good hair
By TOLLEY JONES
‘Look, girls!” my mother whispered to my sister and me, surreptitiously pointing. Ahead of us, a white girl with a long, thick braid of blond hair reaching to her waistline strode briskly through the mall. My sister and I watched wistfully as her...
Greenfield schools
As a parent of a high school student, I would like to share some research that compares the Four Rivers Charter Public School to nearby schools, specifically the Greenfield High School. According to schooldigger.com, as of 2022, there are 342 public...
Developing a ‘don’t care’ attitude
In recent years, I have been developing a “don’t care” attitude about heavy topics, as I have grown to hate such things as politics. There are arguments about which politicians are more evil than others. As for me, I don’t care for any of them at all....
‘80 for Brady’ release
To all who participated in “80 for Brady” from shooting the film, to the movie theaters showing it and customers watching it, I hope you said a prayer for 58,000-plus dead and thousands upon thousands of injured Vietnam Veterans who one of the actress...
Biden sign is ‘pure hate’
There is a large, prominent sign on the front porch of a home on the main highway into Barre with the words “F JOE BIDEN.” In small letters the sign claims to be protected speech under the First Amendment. I disagree.Defining appropriate limits on...
Massachusetts must pass death with dignity legislation
On Jan. 23, 76-year-old Ellen Gilland fatally shot her terminally ill husband while he lay in his hospital bed in Daytona Beach, Florida as part of a murder-suicide pact. Mrs. Gilland was arrested and charged with first degree murder. This tragic and...
Forests, logging and lobbying
A Jan. 28 Recorder article detailed opposition to Gov. Maura Healey’s planned temporary moratorium on the roughly 20% of Massachusetts forest lands that are owned by the public. The purpose of the moratorium is to review forest policy in the light of...
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...
