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By JOHN VARNER

Freedom without responsibility is anarchy. Sadly, Amherst has been getting repeated lessons that illustrate this maxim. The most recent incident: The Town Council’s attempt to get involved in global politics by passing a resolution on the horrendous...

By JOHN VARNER

While it is true that racism has been behind some zoning restrictions, racism is not the only reason zoning restrictions exist.Is all zoning racist? This is certainly what some real estate people want you to think, based on nearly a full page of...

By JOHN VARNER

Trying to regulate student housing is a problem faced in many towns hosting large academic institutions. And websites touting the potential of individuals to make money by investing in single-family homes that can be converted to student rentals, and...

By JOHN VARNER

Amherst has never been short on opinionated, vocal people, but lately the tone of debate on issues has gone from spirited to dispiriting. This is a sad reflection of the trajectory of politics nationally, and it is a deeply troubling development for...

By JOHN VARNER

The deal recently announced between UMass and the town of Amherst is a promising start, and the university and the town deserve credit for reaching it [“UMass, town, strike new partnership deal,” Gazette, June 29].However, when viewed in the context...

By JOHN VARNER

Whenever I drive through Hadley, I think of the Colorado River. The river is drying up, and as the water to irrigate the Imperial Valley slows to a trickle, crops and orchards are withering, and toxic dust is stirring as the winds whip across barren,...