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By OLIN ROSE-BARDAWIL

We live in a society that often tells us to form opinions that neatly conform to one ideological side or the other. Yet when it comes to the most important issues, it can be unhelpful to come to such rigid conclusions. F. Scott Fitzgerald was right...

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...

I am writing in response to MarielAddis’ column “Under seige from all sides,” [Gazette, April 18] where the writer bemoans Pope Francis’ recent remarks questioning gender theory and “sex changes” as “grave threats” to humanity today. Like all...

The Amherst Senior Center is pleased to be the recipient of $2.5 million in ARPA funding, to be used for building renovations. These funds represent more than their dollar amount, they are an investment in the needs of the ever-growing population of...

I am a Northampton public school parent who wants our schools to be funded as robustly as possible. But the arguments made by Northampton Ward 4 School Committee member Michael Stein (“Serving educational needs shouldn’t be ‘aspirational’,” Gazette,...

In response to Nancy Grossman’s guest column [“How to keep right on going in Gaza,” Gazette, May 4], my view is as follows: Not complicated — 1) Cease-fire now 2) Hamas is a terrorist organization 3) Netanyahu is a criminal 4) Oct. 7 was a horrific...

By PHIL WILSON

Here is a way for Northampton, Amherst, or any local town to become the cutting edge of democracy: Do away with elections.People who consciously scheme to obtain power tend to be, well … power hungry. If you don’t want narcissists and psychopaths...

I read with interest the recent guest column by Northampton School Committee member Michael Stein, who used the word “we” on behalf of the School Committee while expressing his individual views and reasons for his vote on the Northampton school budget...

By JOSH SILVER

The debate over Northampton school funding is the latest example of the circular firing squad of the American political left. According to the loudest voices for maximum school funding, anyone who points out that the budget recently approved by the...

By CATHY MCNALLY

 I’ve often appreciated the measured perspective, wry humor, and rich language of Bill Dwight. In his recent column, “How to make sense of Northampton’s school budget dilemma,” however, this cool “city father” turns into a cranky municipal dad whose...

By TERRENCE MCCARTHY

 As my wife, Donna, and I were hauling assorted items out of our house and garage in North Carolina the other day, I couldn’t help but try to recollect if anyone I knew growing up in Easthampton ever did what we were doing: preparing for a yard sale.I...

By NANCY GROSSMAN

 Say, “I don’t believe the numbers.” Insist “It’s complicated.”Say, “There is no alternative. Hamas has called for the destruction of the state of Israel and thus, Hamas must be destroyed.” Disregard the Israeli leaders who have called for the...

By CHRIS EGAN

 I’m writing in response to Katy Eiseman’s recent column, “Must stop subsidizing wood-fired energy,” [Recorder, April 5]. We’re concerned that readers may have walked away with a misunderstanding of the issue, and hope this column will clear things...

By JOE GANNON

 There are not many columns I have read in the Gazette that were as poetic as Jena Schwartz’s,“Things I have not said” [Gazette, April 24]. It is a time when much is being left unsaid, and as she points out, a time when many want much left...

By MARIEL E. ADDIS

 When I came out, and even when I began my male-to-female transition, I couldn’t quite imagine the way my life would turn.Before transitioning, I was very private. I was not a particularly vocal advocate for social justice, although I always...

By DANIEL CANTOR YALOWITZ

Two weeks ago in this space, I wrote about the importance of cultural humility. At that time, I knew that my next column would focus on its twinned counterpart, personal humility. Today, I’ll focus on why maintaining an understanding of ourselves in...

Regarding Mill River Greenway plans in Haydenville [“Residents resist Greenway trail plan,” Gazette, April 26], the proposed bike path would replace the existing sidewalk in our neighborhood and pass mere feet in front of homes on the upper end of the...

If handed images of the college encampment protests and told to mark the antisemitism, many people would circle students wearing keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags. The rise of antisemitism in America is undeniable, but I hear the call from...

By GENE STAMELL

 Columnist’s note: The following contains many parenthetical asides and seemingly unimportant details that somehow, one hopes, lead to a conclusion that the reader finds moderately interesting or entertaining or, at the very least, bearable.  Once...

I am the parent of a Northampton High School student. I have been fortunate enough to have had the capacity and time to be engaged in the schools my son has attended, serving on the PTO since he was at Bridge Street Elementary School. (Pro tip: If you...

The Jones Library in Amherst received only one contractor’s bid for its long-planned renovation and expansion. When supplemental costs are added, that brings the estimated total project cost to at least $54 million. What seemed expensive before is now...