Opinion
Columnist Johanna Neumann: Reaping the rewards of rooftop solar
By JOHANNA NEUMANN
This week my boys and I are visiting my mom and stepdad for April break. Shortly after we arrived, they proudly gave us a tour of their new PV solar array, which they had installed on the south face of their home earlier this year. My stepdad, Rick,...
My Turn: Let’s leave miracle of trees well enough alone
By JUDY WAGNER
At the moment, most trees are still biding their time, shyly staying curled and safe in bud wraps for now. A few days ago that seemed very wise as we woke to a landscape whitened by an April snowstorm. But in just days we will witness the wonderful...
Ben Tobin: Another educational song and dance
As a kid growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s in western Massachusetts, watching Malcolm in the Middle — the saga of a fourth-wall busting child prodigy and his family — was a staple of post-school hours. Jumping forward to present times, and my...
Pushback: Tax fund option helps keep elders in homes
By AL NORMAN
There are elderly and disabled individuals in Greenfield who are struggling to pay their property tax bills. At-large City Councilor Wahab Minhas wants to keep them out of the foreclosure pipeline, and in their homes.When property owners fall behind...
Pat Hynes: Nuclear weapons bills need action
Two companion nuclear weapons bills presented by Senator Jo Comerford are sitting in the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, co-chaired by Senator Timilty and Representative Gonzalez. They are S.1488 for the creation of a Nuclear...
Walt Gorman: Fed up
The solar eclipse did not change my life, but I very much enjoyed it. I doubt I’ll be around for the 2044 eclipse, but if I am, I just might travel to North Dakota to see it.According to the US ambassador to France and other US officials, former...
Maggie Baumer: Access to prosthetics and orthotics for physical activity a right, not a privilege
As one of the 5.6 million Americans living with limb loss and limb difference (LL/LD), I’m passionate about advocating for access to prosthetic and orthotic devices for physical activity, which are not typically covered by commercial insurance or...
Nikki Garrett: A joy to join in on Earth Day cleanup
Earth Day is right around the corner, and it’s one of my favorite days of the year. It often serves as a catalyst for community members from all walks of life to come together and do positive things for the environment. In my part of town, I’m proud...
My Turn: The pecking order revolution: Massachusetts’ fight for animal rights
By ROB MOIR and MIKE SALGUERO
Massachusetts residents care about the living conditions of egg-laying hens, veal calves, and pigs. In November 2016, voters passed Ballot Question 3, the Massachusetts Minimum Size Requirements for Farm Animal Containment. With a sweeping majority...
My Turn: How to welcome a refugee family into your community
By RAZVAN SIBII
The loud and shameless politics that surrounds the issue of undocumented immigration makes it easy to miss the moves that the Biden administration has been making in the realm of legal immigration, from rebuilding the refugee program to expediting the...
Brian Prescott: No road closure coordination
Way to go DPW and towns of Greenfield and Montague, for absolutely no coordination at all. Those crossing the White Bridge from Montague to Greenfield on Monday, April 15 were welcomed by Greenfield police officers on the other side, where paving was...
David Kempf: Thankful for quiet on Trump
I would like to personally thank Recorder columnist John Bos for his most recent column, aka Connecting the Dots. It was the first time in what seemed like years that he did not mention Trump.David KempfGreenfield
Columnist Daniel Cantor Yalowitz: Cultural humility means relinquishing ‘superiority’
By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ
“The greatest friend of truth is Time, her greatest enemy is Prejudice, and her constant companion is Humility.” — Charles Caleb ColtonHeadline news everywhere screams of key contemporary themes involving “ego,” “self,” “it’s all about me,”… not to...
Guest columnist William Lambers: Boston Marathon winner inspires action against hunger
By WILLIAM LAMBERS
In 1946, running legend Johnny Kelley, upon finishing second to Stylianos Kyriakides in the Boston Marathon, remarked “How can you beat a guy like that? He wasn’t running for himself. He was doing it for his country.”Stylianos Kyriakides was from...
Carmela Semonelli: Support lacking at GHS
I have had the most unfortunate experience of needing support from the leadership team at Greenfield High School with a challenging, yet nuanced, situation with my child and another student. This has lingered, ebbed, flowed and escalated down the...
The World Keeps Turning: Ending, and restoring, tyranny
By ALLEN WOODS
A mob of angry men, many recently unemployed, gathered in front of an ornate, stately building, the largest in the area and a symbol of government power. Confident, because the government had taken little action after previous mob attacks, and...
Carla Rabinowitz: Trees breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen
The letter “Rural wood heating bolsters rural economy, self-reliance,” [Recorder, March 11] regarding wood heating contains a mischaracterization.Trees breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. The carbon is stored within the tree itself. When...
JJ White: Recorder photo a stunner
Thank you, dear Recorder, for the stunning, festive, and colorful front page solar eclipse photo by star photographer, Paul Franz! We are so lucky to have the Greenfield Recorder — you rock!JJ WhiteGreenfield
Lew LaChance: Why have stop signs?
Many people in Greenfield and elsewhere do not stop at stop signs! The are red, octagon (eight-sided) signs with a white border along the edges. These markers are very visible. I’m sure from early life, we have all heard “STOP.” We all know what that...
My Turn: Gun buyback a worthy effort
By DAVID E. SULLIVAN
As district attorney for 47 towns that make up the Northwestern District, I invite everyone to consider turning in unwanted firearms and ammunition this Saturday, April 13, when our office holds its third Gun Buyback in Greenfield and...
