Opinion
Gerald Weiss and Jenifer McKenna: U.S. must act to stop killing of children
Killing thousands of children will not make Israel safer. We call on the U.S. government to stop sending Israel the means to continue that killing.Gerald Weiss and Jenifer McKennaAmherst
Jan Norris: Republicans are not ‘out of touch’
A recent letter writer claimed the Republicans are “out of touch.” [”State Republicans out of touch,” Gazette, Dec. 17]. Huh? Has the writer looked at the state of our country over the last three years under Democrat control? Has anything improved for...
Bennett Hazlip: Donated trees a boost for Amherst
If you bought a Christmas tree last year, you know that the price of a tree has risen significantly. Rising prices aren’t limited to Christmas trees, either — the price of trees from nurseries has been steadily rising for years.For municipal tree...
Guest columnist Marietta Pritchard: There’s just a lot of life in the obits
By MARIETTA PRITCHARD
Have I mentioned that I read the obituaries in the Gazette every morning before I start my day? Does this sound depressing? I don’t find it so. It somehow anchors things for me.I can learn about people in my community and about how they or their...
Columnist John Sheirer: Why Trump will lose again
By JOHN SHEIRER
Four years ago, my column in this newspaper predicted that Donald Trump would lose the 2020 presidential election. Readers who opposed Trump told me, “I wish I had your optimism,” or “That’s what you said in 2016,” or “His crazies have gotten worse...
Hollie Kalkstein: No military answers in Gaza
In the Bible story of King Solomon and two women claiming to be the mother of one baby, wisdom shines when Solomon asks for a sword to cut the baby in two. One mother relinquishes her claim so that the baby may live. Solomon knows the baby must belong...
Brian Cooper: Train travel not so great
My eyes rolled a bit when I read about how wonderful and convenient it is that we can take an Amtrak train between Northampton and New York City (“More Aboard!” Gazette, Dec. 27). It certainly is convenient for the city dweller without a family car,...
Philip Carter: Leverett housing column missed details
In a Dec. 29 guest column, writer Michael Seward suggests that opposition to the proposed housing development in Leverett is racist and immoral (“Leverett housing a counter to injustice”). However, he neglects to describe the project being proposed.It...
Guest columnist Michael Seward: Leverett housing a counter to injustice
By MICHAEL SEWARD
After about 100 years of exclusionary zoning, there was bound to be a reckoning. Antiquated and discriminatory housing policies among the towns of the Pioneer Valley resulted in a severe housing shortage. The housing proposal presented at a recent...
Guest columnist Eric Cochrane: Welcome to neighborhood in Leverett
By ERIC COCHRANE
Two years ago, before I moved to Somerville, a neighbor asked my thoughts on development in western Massachusetts. I have pondered the question, and have concluded that mixed-use development, when built densely and with universal design in mind, is a...
Margaret Mastrangelo: ‘No’ vote on ladder truck shortsighted
I was disappointed by the recent vote in Hadley not to fund a much-needed, new ladder firetruck to replace the one which is 23 years old. Our existing ladder truck has a 75-foot ladder that is too short to safely fight fires that occur in buildings...
Sean Valentine: Voter choice does not exist in a vacuum
Recently I have read many an article from many an erudite legal scholar saying that the 14th Amendment should not bar Mr. Trump from running for office. Many argue that the "democratic" thing to do is to allow voters to decide. If we feel he isn't...
Wendi Weinberg: Contemplating what is possible
I happen to be living in a time when now I know what deep fear feels like. It is possible that 2024 could be our last election … if a want-to-be dictator takes over the White House and disassembles the structure of governing I’ve known all my...
Guest columnist Richard S. Bogartz: What threat of dictatorship?
By RICHARD S. BOGARTZ
By RICHARD S. BOGARTZ
Columnist John Sheirer: We all deserve the privilege of normalcy
By JOHN SHEIRER
Nearly 40 years ago, I entered a college classroom as the instructor for the first time. I was a 23-year-old graduate teaching assistant, charged with my very own section of English composition. Twenty-five students silently inspected me as I placed...
John Varner: ‘Leverett is not Florida’
In Florida, it is common for developers to plan and build entire new communities. A few political favors are done, a new exit ramp springs off the closest highway, and regulatory concerns are bulldozed along with the land.Within the span of a few...
Columnist Razvan Sibii: Top five hypocrisies of the American immigration system
By RAZVAN SIBII
Immigration is a complicated issue. It’s difficult to decide which of the millions of people in need of urgent assistance should be welcomed into the country. It’s difficult to figure out what “assimilation” means and to what extent we should ask...
Columnist Johanna Neumann: Environmental progress in 2023
By JOHANNA NEUMANNThinking globally and acting locally has long been a saying in the environmental movement. In the spirit of being grateful for every bit of incremental progress we make to protect our water, our air and our open spaces, here, in...
30% of profs call for Amherst College to divest from firms making money from Gaza campaign
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — A call for Amherst College to divest from companies that could be making money off the Israel-Hamas war is being issued by 60 faculty members, who contend in a letter that Israel’s military response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack violates...
Amherst Council delays decision on rental permit changes until new year
By SCOTT MERZBACH
AMHERST — Revisions to the town’s rental permit bylaw and regulations, along with associated fees for applications and inspections, may not be considered for adoption until sometime in the new year, allowing town officials to address potential legal...
