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By JOHN SHEIRER

‘Old people need to take a driving test to keep their license!” That’s a topic young students sometimes propose during the persuasion unit of a composition or public speaking course.One fortunate aspect of teaching at a community college is that I...

By JUSTIN SILVERMAN

During the early months of COVID-19, governors in New England states issued executive orders allowing municipalities to meet online so long as the public could attend remotely. The democratic benefits of this arrangement quickly became evident....

By RAZVAN SIBII

 When Trump kicked off his presidential campaign in 2015 by talking about how Mexico is “sending” us immigrants who are cold-blooded criminals, I shook my head and thought, “Wow, he went straight to the oldest trick in the populist book: ‘The bad guys...

By TOLLEY M. JONES

One recent blustery February afternoon, my partner and I took a walk through the Common Burying Ground in Newport, Rhode Island. Established in 1640, it contains 31 acres of Colonial headstones.We walked, leaning into the sharp ocean gusts that...

By MICKEY RATHBUN

One of the many casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic was the series of annual spring gardening symposiums hosted by the Western Massachusetts Master Gardeners Association (WMMGA). These popular events helped gardeners of all abilities expand their...

By JOAN AXELROD-CONTRADA

When I first heard the song “We Are Family” in 1979, I desperately wanted to morph into one of the four Sledge sisters.The band Sister Sledge made sisterhood look absolutely exuberant. In their sparkly red disco garb, they sang about being birds of a...

By JAMES LOWENTHAL

Stephen Donnelly’s opinion piece about the Manhan Rail Trail [“Light on the Manhan Rail Trail,” March 6] rightly points out how important the trail is in helping Easthampton encourage active lifestyles and economic growth. It also helps the city...

By JONATHAN KLEIN

John Olver was a complicated guy. Like a rare gem, he had many sparkling facets. Providing a full portrait of John with any degree of brevity is impossible. He was sui generis, one of a kind.Much has been written since his passing about his...

By THOMAS DOURMASHKIN

The issue of “reparations” is about as confusing as it can be. Many issues are raised but few really have bearing on the problem.To be clear from the start, I am for reparations, but not on a local level. There is a debt, but attempts to pay it on a...

Dear EarthTalk: Is it really bad for the planet to upgrade my phone every two years? – A.J., Darien, ConnecticutSmartphones have certainly become ubiquitous, with some 85% of Americans and 67% of adults worldwide possessing one. Manufacturers sell...

By BILL DANIELSON

We’ve reached that point in the school year when my biology students have learned about Gregor Mendel, his experiments with pea plants and the general concepts of genes and heredity. We’ve also taken a look at the structures and basic functions of DNA...

By WILLIAM LAMBERS

On International Women’s Day (March 8) step back in time to London, England in the year 1919. At Trafalgar Square in Central London you will see a woman handing out flyers to whomever passes by.She wants to tell everyone about children starving to...

By KAREN GARDNER

Last month I celebrated my 75th birthday. And I have to say it’s been a difficult one. I’ve been wondering why this birthday has been so much harder than all my others. Perhaps it has something to do with my oldest brother saying this birthday marks...

By BRUCE MILLER

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is openly threatening to force a default on our nation’s debts unless President Biden agrees to a so far unspecified list of spending cuts to federal programs. But the president has a formidable constitutional argument...

By Joanna Buoniconti

I am 23 years old, a graduate student at wit 4.0 GPA — while maintaining multiple internships and jobs — in a prestigious program at one of the top liberal arts universities in the country. I have been on one date, but I have yet to be kissed.I wrote...

By STEPHEN DONNELLY

The citizens of Easthampton have embraced the Manhan Rail Trail since its inception well over 20 years ago. Many changes and improvements to the trail have occurred during this time frame. Some of the most notable changes include connecting to the...

By HOWARD R. WOLF

I’ve never seen a chatbot, but I’ll take the word of reliable newspaper coverage and accept the fact that a computer program can generate a text on “The Wonders of Buffalo” that is more professional than most first-year university composition...

By TOM GARDNER

‘I, Robot” has arrived. Its name is Sydney, and it wants you to leave your spouse, because it loves you. Really!AI (artificial intelligence) stepped over the line last month. Fortunately, a brave cyberspace explorer detected the alien creature and...

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,...