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By RAZVAN SIBII

A little more than a year ago, after I published a column about the most toxic myths surrounding the issue of immigration, I received an email from a reader that took me to task about my use of the word “America” to refer to the United States of...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Jones Library trustees are appealing to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners to extend the deadline for awarding a general contractor bid for the $46.1 million renovation and expansion of the 43 Amity St. building.Trustees on...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A New Orleans educator will be the new head of school at The Common School following a national search by the school’s trustees.Emily Waterfield, who most recently was administratively supporting a network of schools serving 6,800 students,...

We want to address the issue of income inequality because it impacts a lot of people. Many people who only get paid the minimum wage have to work multiple jobs at a time and often can’t spend as much time with their families as they want. Inflation...

The recent Gazette article on the difficulties immigrant doctors face in getting licensed to practice, reminded me of our national confusion about immigration. There’s a serious shortage of doctors and nurses in the U.S., yet when qualified people...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Soft musical sounds emanate from a red oil barrel, perched on the hillside high above the playground at Wildwood School, as children at recess strike it with the attached drumsticks — and even climb atop it on occasion.“I like that you get...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Continued worries about single-family homes being turned into student rentals in Amherst is prompting a Planning Board member to draft a letter to University of Massachusetts Chancellor Javier Reyes appealing for creation of a committee,...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Town Council is likely to determine the scope of renovations to the Amherst Regional High School track and its interior field after the Regional School Committee this week deferred the final decision on the project to Amherst’s elected...

By STEVE PFARRER

When Chris Smither found his live gigs shut down during the worst months of COVID-19, he figured it might at least be a good opportunity to write some new songs — something the veteran folk/blues singer and guitarist admits is not the easiest process...

The Peace Development was founded in Amherst in 1981 by anti-war activists as a means for supporting the peace movement. As an organization rooted in support of grassroots organizing we are deeply troubled by the mass arrest of peaceful protesters at...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Members of Sunrise Amherst recently uncovered a $2 million discrepancy in the fiscal year 2025 municipal budget when it was released on May 1, showing how the same vehicles for various departments were listed for purchase two years in a row...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A new three-story building that will add nine apartments and two office spaces is being proposed as part of the Amherst Office Park in the Pomeroy village center.The Zoning Board of Appeals is set to hold a hearing on May 23 at 6 p.m. on the...

By RUSS VERNON-JONES

There has been some discussion of carrots and sticks in our nation’s climate policy. Why? What’s at stake here and why does it matter?The metaphor apparently goes back more than a century to a cartoon that portrayed a race between two donkey riders —...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — One-on-one attention for a resident with hoarding issues was recently offered by members of the Community Responders for Equity, Safety and Service department to illustrate the focus they can bring for someone experiencing a crisis.“We can...

By STEVE PFARRER

Not long after 20 years of war finally ended in Vietnam in 1975, another wave of horrendous violence erupted just to the west.The Khmer Rouge, the Communist party of Cambodia, seized control of the country and began a brutal “reeducation” campaign...

By JOHANNA NEUMANN

The North Atlantic right whale is one of the rarest whale species in the world. Will we drive them to extinction or save them?Those of us lucky enough to have taken a whale-watching trip in the Gulf of Maine may have glimpsed the majesty of humpback...

A recent letter writer complains about “today’s snowflake generation pleading for subsidies to support their lifestyle choices,” insisting that young people suck it up and pay for their own college education [“Don’t cancel student debt,” May 13].The...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Trustees for the Jones Library are recommending that the lone bid for renovating and expanding the Jones Library, which is at least $6.5 million above projected costs, should be rejected.In 6-0 vote, the elected trustees advised Town Manager...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Eight college-age people are facing criminal charges for violating the town’s noise bylaw after police responded to two large and loud parties over the weekend, the last before University of Massachusetts commencement on May 18.At a Pelham...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — The possible conversion of a home at 180 North Whitney St. into a non-owner-occupied duplex is prompting residents who live near the circa 1900 farmhouse to oppose granting a special permit to renovate the existing building and add a second...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A preliminary vision for breathing new life into the 2-acre area around the War Memorial Pool shows a new bathhouse building anchoring the site, along with play areas, a spray park, walking paths and a memorial area.While Kuth Ranieri...