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I had the pleasure of attending Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra’s re-election campaign kickoff at the Iron Horse. The energy in the packed room was palpable — supportive, energized, and hopeful about Northampton’s future. There’s no denying that Northampton is currently in an extraordinarily difficult financial reality. Among other challenges, and similar to many other communities, we are dealing with the long-term impacts of municipal funding challenges brought by Proposition 2½, the broken state level school funding formula that leaves communities like Northampton behind, and the millions of dollars we pay in sending tuition to charter schools each year.

Dear Readers,

By SCOTT MERZBACH

HATFIELD — Framed prints from Godey’s Ladies Fashion magazine hanging on the wall, what-not shelves with novels and books of poetry, a table with dishes, vases and other fine china and a sewing chest next to an upholstered chair, reflect what Sophia Smith’s 19th century parlor might have looked like.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — The city may soon again ask the state Legislature for permission to prohibit landlords and real estate brokers from charging prospective tenants a broker’s fee to move into a residential unit.

I hate war. I mean, who doesn’t hate war? It’s basically young healthy people fighting to the death over causes and political positions they don’t know much about. And they die. And the people they are sent to fight against also die. And all of the innocents, they die, too. Since the brutal attacks of October 7th, survivors occupy my mind daily. First, as a Jew, I cried for the brutal killings of innocents, in the name of holiness. Now, every day has been a new barrage of news with all its perspectives and positions, and more innocents dying.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — A week after nomination papers became available in the city clerk’s office, several candidates have already thrown their hat in the ring for Northampton’s municipal election this fall.

By RABBI ARIELLA ROSEN

The following guest column is adapted from testimony Rabbi Ariella Rosen gave to the state’s Special Commission on Combatting Antisemitism on March 11.

By BILL NEWMAN

On March 15, the Trump administration deported over 200 Venezuelans to a notoriously violent prison in El Salvador. Trump has claimed that the Alien Enemies Act of 1789, which allows deportation of citizens of a nation at war with the United States, gives him that unilateral power and that the U.S. today is at war with (you might have missed this — I did) Venezuela.

We are so taken up with bad news, I’d like to share some happy news with you instead.

By ALEXA LEWIS

NORTHAMPTON — With the closure of Ten Thousand Villages in Northampton this month, longtime employee and beloved community member Jane Hertz, 88, doesn’t plan to simply give up the community connections and meaningful work she found through the store.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — For Sarah Ahearn, the movement to legalize overdose prevention centers in Massachusetts is a deeply personal one.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

NORTHAMPTON — Farms across western Massachusetts losing important grants, such as those that support produce getting from fields to schools and those that help protect the environment. The University of Massachusetts having National Institutes of Health grants stripped, as colleges and universities seeing their academic freedom impeded.

By DR. SHELLEY BERKOWITZ

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — After more than five years of sitting vacant, the site of the old Faces store at 175 Main St. will finally have a new occupant, one that’s already established itself as a downtown mainstay of downtown.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Downtown Northampton is about to get a whole lot sweeter.

By EMILY QUINTANA, KATE KRUCKEMEYER and STEPHANIE BAIRD

The Gazette chose divisive headlines when presenting Northampton school budget issues: “Showdown looms for school budget” and “Budget battle likely” [March 29].

By J.M. SORRELL

On March 1, the person once again impersonating the president signed an executive order declaring that English is the official language of the United States. The order stated, “A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language.” Given that over 350 languages are spoken here, it is challenging to grasp the “free” part of the order.

The lead headline in the Saturday, March 29 Gazette, “USDA yanks $3.4M in aid to food banks,” calls to mind a recent book review in The New Yorker [March 17] about the Irish Potato Famine, which explained that the famine was “the product … of a particularly virulent form of exploitative capitalism that left millions of people utterly exposed” to a political/economic system that was stacked against them.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Schools Superintendent Portia Bonner confirmed an investigation is underway amid a determination by the state’s Department of Education and Secondary Education that the city school district failed to comply with state special education laws.