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By D. DINA FRIEDMAN

When I was 7 and my brother was 4, we were playing in my room. My ballerina tutu was on the floor, and my brother put it on. He pranced out to show my mother, a big grin on his face. “How do I look in a dress?”My mother’s face went to red quicker than...

By BILL NEWMAN

Last year for my birthday my brother, Jeff, gave me “Once More Around the Park,” a collection of stories by Roger Angell, who has been described as “baseball’s finest, fondest chronicler.” Jeffrey, no doubt, came upon the book, published in 1991,...

By SHERIFF PATRICK J. CAHILLANE

It’s no exaggeration to say that crime in the United States is fueled by addiction.According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse and other organizations that monitor the link between crime and addiction, approximately 65% of incarcerated Americans...

By DAN MURPHY

I remember my excited face smushed up against the car window eagerly taking in the big city of Boston. It was finally the day my family and I were going to see the Red Sox. I couldn’t wait! We drove past Fenway Park and I watched in dismay as it got...

Happy Women’s History Month! This year’s theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories” (nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org). Throughout this year, the National Women’s History Alliance is highlighting storytellers, writers, journalists, playwrights...

By ALLISON MCDONALD

We are deep in the budget planning process for next fiscal year and Amherst schools are facing significant and difficult budget cuts. The uncertainty around the multiple contracts that are not yet settled, including that with the Amherst Pelham...

By JONATHAN KLATE

‘Wokeness” is what folks on the political right love to declare themselves as being against these days. But, what is it, really, that they oppose?The term “woke” was derived from African American vernacular English meaning alertness to racial...

By Richard Fein

This column will ask Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian Authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, about their role in perpetuating the Israel/Palestinian conflict.Prime Minister Netanyahu: Are you serious about the “two-state...

By MARC WARNER 

Has anybody else pretty much had it with the Northampton City Council? The context of my question is their resolution calling for city-funded reparations.The council didn’t just vote unanimously for the measure, they absolutely fawned over it. One...

By KARIN WINTER

Our master plan calls for an increase in density in the downtown area, both commercial and residential.But is it possible to increase residential density in downtown Amherst without destroying much of the green space and beautiful ambiance that this...

By MARIEL E. ADDIS

I had the pleasure of seeing former Valley resident Dar Williams perform at the Bellows Falls Opera House last weekend. I have to admit that I was largely unfamiliar with much of Dar’s work, but I felt that, based upon everything I had heard about...

Daisy is an animated woman with a sparkle in her eyes. We met at the Academy of Music, for the premiere of “Finding the Words,” a film about Voices from Inside (VFI), a creative writing program for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women. My...

By ALEX KENT

The phone rang and a Walpole number came up. I shouldn’t answer numbers I don’t recognize — let it go to voicemail. But out of idle curiosity, I picked up the call and it was another wholly unsolicited inquiry from a company wanting to buy my house in...

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...