Opinion

Andrea Davulis: The northern spotlights

On Saturday, May 11, my husband and I (we live in Worcester) drove to the North Quabbin region in hopes of finding an open, dark area where we could hopefully see the northern lights. We were wandering around New Salem looking for the lake, which we...

Crystal Smith: Disappointed with the town of Heath

I am writing to express my disappointment with the town of Heath regarding the recent election of a new Selectboard member. We had a chance to bring in a native, Mike Smith, who not only has broad, extensive experience in town politics, but also the...

Michele Craig: Deerfield church should follow pope’s lead

I’m writing in response to the article “Senior Center opts not to renew lease with church,” [Recorder, May 8]. The Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in South Deerfield requested that the Senior Center avoid advertising it’s Rainbow Elders luncheon...

My Turn: Laurels and the laureate

By BILL NEWMAN

This column is about my daughter Jo, her daughters Kobin and Ramona, a horse named Lady and U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón. And it also isn’t.Kobin is 5, almost 6. Ramona is 3, close to 4. Jo, the girls and their dad, Jo’s husband Dean, live in...

My Turn: Choosing wisely for ourselves, next generation

By ALAN HARRIS

 In the larger picture, we’re not that much different from the rest of the animal kingdom, except that we can build within or outside the laws of nature.Follow what are observable truths or jump down rabbit holes, jump off cliffs, ignore the weather,...

Karl Meyer: A fool’s errand

I’ve literally written millions of words trying to uplift a broken river’s voice. Overall, it’s been a fool’s errand, but I intend to see it into the future rather than leave any of it unsaid. However, no words I’ve written have been as good, concise...

Bruce Kahn: Principle vs. pragmatism

President Joe Biden is already facing a tough re-election, even before Gaza. Now he's in a no-win situation. Supporting Israel has already cost him votes. He said if Netanyahu attacks Rafah, which has now happened, he would suspend offensive aid. If...

Guest columnist Daniel Cantor Yalowitz: Being accountable a marker for maturity

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

“A body of people holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” — Thomas PaineOne thing that distinguishes grown-up mature adults from others not in this cohort is the ability to “own” and be accountable and responsible...

My Turn: Quabbin region will never see any benefits from reservoir

By MIKE MAGEE

 Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Never again should the residents of the Quabbin region be fooled into believing that they will see any benefits from the Quabbin Reservoir.In the 1930s, the state took the entire towns of...

Dennis Merritt: Would we support a Sanders power grab?

All of us liberals are outraged at Donald Trump’s 2025 plan, to put loyalists in charge of civil service jobs, weaponize the Department of Justice, give more power to the executive, etc. etc. It’s frightening. How can so many people support that?But...

Jonathan Oltman: Thank you Carolyn Shores Ness

On Monday, May 6, Carolyn Shores Ness lost her bid for re-election to the Deerfield Select Board. Her opponent Mark Gilmore and his supporters mounted an energetic campaign, winning by over 40 votes. The voter turnout was said to have been more than...

MaryDiane Baker: The souls of war

When I worked at a major airport, I learned to refer to people on airplanes as “souls on board.” If, for example, a 747 was having landing gear problems as they approached the airport, you could be talking about at least 400 souls on board. Or upwards...

From Global to Local: Mother’s Day and peace, 2024

​​​​​By H. PATRICIA HYNES

Ambassador Vanessa Frazier, the state of Malta’s permanent representative to the United Nation, spearheaded the November 2023 resolution for a temporary cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, given that 70% of those killed in Gaza were children and...

My Turn: Valuing the grave work of funeral service providers

By BARRY ADAMS

 When my parents died unexpectedly 30 days apart, I never questioned if the funeral professionals caring for my father realized that they had also cared for my mother only weeks before. Are any of us, when in the vise grip of loss and grief, engulfed...

Martha Jorz: Stop supporting UMass and Raytheon

To those protesting the war and genocide in Gaza, refusing to support those institutions with monetary gifts is also an option. If we stop financially supporting and investing in those institutions that make the production of weapons of war possible...

Erik Hoffner: Solar panels not a good use of farmland

As an environmental journalist covering energy and agriculture issues for years now for news outlets ranging from Grist to The Guardian and Mongabay.com, I can assure Recorder readers that the assertion by the UMass engineering professor about siting...

My Turn: No good answers with utilities in control

By PAUL FENN

 Al Norman’s recent column on the proposed Wendell megabattery is spot on [“Your home’s power plant could save our energy grid,” Recorder, May 1]. Investing in more centralized grids in an era of technological miniaturization is building backward.Gov....

My Turn: Blame Hamas for the suffering of Palestinians

By RHONDA WAINSHILBAUM

In medieval Europe, Jews were often permitted only to pursue work that involved money lending and tax collecting. They were forced into this unwanted profession by kings who used them as middlemen, and then they were despised and massacred for...

Ahmad Esfahani: Democratic lagging

Who should be making the decisions? Take a few hours out of your week and observe a local committee or board, and you may quickly see how the ball of accountability rolls downhill. In an age of liability and risk aversion, decision-makers have become...