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As the city of Northampton moves forward on plans to form a commission to study reparations for African Americans in our community, I have found myself being asked to speak publicly about reparations — first on a well-attended local webinar, then on a...

This month I want to look at a very personal topic that we all encounter daily — food. What we eat, and don’t eat, impacts climate change. The diets of people around the world affect climate change.Increasing numbers of people in the U.S. are eating...

By THE REV. PETER KAKOS

As the death toll on the borders of Turkey and Syria surpasses 40,000, millions more reel from the shock, as they are made aware of their loved ones suddenly gone before awaking. Addressing this kind of heartbreaking loss, a geologist once commented...

Here’s why Massachusetts should commit to powering our state with 100% clean and renewable energy.Our nation is continuing a remarkable transition to clean, renewable energy. Last year, solar, wind and other renewable energy sources provided nearly...

My friends frequently give too much credence to the aging process, undermining themselves. Saying “senior moment” if they forget a name or recent history is to surrender mid-battle.Joe Biden has a teleprompter. You don’t!Typing takes longer as I redo...

By ANDREA BATTLE and JEFF GOLD

Key components of a healthy democracy require a commitment to equality of basic rights and justice, the rule of law, and free and fair elections for all citizens. But for these principles to be realized, a strong democracy also demands trust built on...

By JEFF LEE

The state Division of Local Services (DLS) maintains a wealth of economic data on Massachusetts cities and towns. In particular, the DLS tracks the average value of a single-family home in each community, and the average annual property tax levied on...

By HIND MARI

In her poem “Kindness,” Naomi Shihab Nye says that before we know kindness, we must know sorrow. Her poem reminds me of a question a friend asked me upon returning from a visit to Palestine: “Growing up under the Israeli occupation, how can you be so...

By RAY AHEARN

Many Dems have more than a little anxiety about Joe Biden running again. I certainly do given his age, stumbles and classified documents baggage. But if he runs again, he will have international trade as an unexpected winning issue in the fight to...

By PELLE LOWE

In an act of legislative negligence, the 117th Congress didn’t raise the debt ceiling when Democrats controlled the House and Senate.If they had done their duty, Republican extremists wouldn’t be able to use the debt ceiling threat to force...

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...

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...

By Gene Stamell

My mother was a big advocate for guilt. “Guilt builds character,” she would say. “If you feel some guilt, you will become a better person.”I’m not sure her opinion influenced my choice of spouse, but my wife of 43 years once told me that she has...

By Michael Weiler

Since the COVID pandemic began, UMass’s 1,400 service staff workers have done extraordinary, even heroic work. To recognize them, an anonymous donor has pledged $7 million dollars to construct a pavilion on UMass land, dedicated to service staff....

By MARIEL E. ADDIS

Unless you’ve being living under a rock, you are probably well aware that Prince Harry has a new book called “Spare.” While I don’t intend to purchase or read the book, by all accounts, it is a written version of what Seinfeld character Frank Costanza...

By KARL MEYER

On Jan. 12,Vince Yearick, director of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Division of Hydropower Licensing, gave a new fat gift to FirstLight Power for its Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Station in Massachusetts. Parent-owned by...

By Jonathan Kahane

Grüezi mitenand. After a three-year hiatus, I find myself back in Switzerland again visiting family and friends. Before Covid, I would come here to enjoy camaraderie, alpine vistas, skiing, hiking, chocolate, watches, cheese, it’s touted “purist...

This column marks the beginning my sixth year of writing for the Daily Hampshire Gazette. That first January I wrote about the scarcity of snow. As I weighed what to write this month, idea after idea presented itself. I tossed them because the near...

By MICHAEL SEWARD

The town of Hadley has contributed to the housing shortage with its prohibition of more than one housing unit on a single lot. The Gazette recently reported that planners in Hadley may tweak their “inclusionary bylaw,” because it hasn’t resulted in...

By Cynthia Loring MacBain

The report of the time at which the Doomsday Clock is currently set was announced Tuesday (Jan. 24). Anticipating what that “time” will be brings back memories of the Cuban Missile Crisis. My baby was just four months old.I had seen the movie “On the...