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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...

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 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 DENNIS HELMUS

‘Wanted: More liquor licenses” was a headline in the Feb. 7 Gazette regarding Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra’s request to the Legislature for additional all-alcohol licenses to “strengthen the recovery of the city’s downtown dining and...

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...

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 Richard Szlosek

For the past three years, the Standing Committee of the Calvin Coolidge Museum and Forbes Library have been sponsoring a monthly presidential book club. The next president to be discussed is Jimmy Carter and the book that has been chosen is the 2021...

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...

By Ezra Parzybok

Florence cannabis prohibitionists succeeded in blocking a pot shop in their backyards — making the mayor defy the ordinance on by-right retail cannabis, a progressive policy of ‘normalization’ in response to an irrational and failed drug war....

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...

By Stephen T. Smith

It’s not uncommon to consider a visit to the emergency room an experience best avoided. They are often incredibly busy places and the emergencies are often very real. This is especially so during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Throw in...

By ELLEN S. DICKINSON

On Dec. 27, 2021, my cousin Peg took death-with-dignity in New Mexico after a seven-year struggle with ovarian cancer. Peg’s story illustrates how important it is to have assisted dying legislation available.Because she and I grew up and settled...

By ELLEN S. DICKINSON

On Dec. 27, 2021, my cousin Peg took death-with-dignity in New Mexico after a 7-year struggle with ovarian cancer. Peg’s story illustrates how important it is to have assisted dying legislation available.Because she and I grew up and settled almost a...

By Gene Stamell

In December, Andrea Ayvazian wrote a lovely column about the miracle of the human body. Her thoughtful piece reminded me of discussions I used to have with several third grade classes (I taught elementary school for over 35 years). I would pose the...