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By PEMA LATSHANG

Over the past three years, it’s become clear just how essential teachers are to the everyday lives of the western Massachusetts community. In remote and hybrid settings they were there for us throughout the pandemic, with many stepping up to do this...

By TARA JACOBS

It has been a great honor, privilege and pleasure to serve my district on the Governor’s Council, and I look forward to continuing to do this work for a long time to come. My campaign for reelection is underway, and I hope to earn my seat once again...

By JEFFREY FISHMAN

As someone who has struggled continuously to find understanding and respect for those Republican voters who ardently support the ex-president, being informed and educated about scientific evidence and widely accepted facts is critical to garnering...

By DOUG SELWYN

We are now a month away from MCAS season, and I urge readers to learn more about the Thrive Act, which would end the MCAS as a graduation requirement, would end district receivership, and would establish a commission to develop an assessment system...

Imagine that in a U.S. elementary school, several teachers were accused of committing a felony, though evidence was not yet public and no prosecution had yet occurred. Would anyone demand defunding the whole school and depriving students of their...

By BILL NEWMAN

This past week Alabama continued our country’s experiment with different ways to kill people. It executed Kenneth Smith.A brief history. In the American colonies, death sentences, imported from Great Britain, were by hanging. Hanging could be...

We raised our family in the Leeds section of Northampton. It was just a short walk to Look Park, where there was a large swimming pool, a small train, swings and slides. Our children could pack a lunch and spend the day in the park. They knew that if...

President Joe Biden still fails to effectively communicate regarding America’s existing immigration goals and policies. It may cost him dearly during the election despite the fact he cannot prevent Central and South American societies from...

Despite the fact that numerous studies and extensive evidence have shown that voter fraud is vanishingly small, we have been hearing about it for years. Even before the 2016 elections, concerns regarding voter fraud flooded the internet. We’ve had two...

MCI-Concord, a medium security men’s prison, is closing in June. This is great news. There will be substantial savings, including nearly $16 million in operating costs. Repairs to this prison would have cost $190 million.MCI-Cedar Junction closed...

I thoroughly enjoyed Jack Hornor’s Feb. 1 letter to the editor, “Trump backers aren’t somehow ‘less than.’” It would have been easier for him to simply stay silent, especially in the deep blue valley. In the letter, the writer talks about tolerance...

Jon Huer’s recent column predicted a choice between “capitalist democracy” and “fascist democracy” [“Ignorance, stupidity completely different,” Recorder, Jan. 27]. Dictionaries define fascism as authoritarian or dictatorial — i.e., not democracies....

I agree with Aubrey Menard’s Jan. 30 guest column [“They paved paradise and put up a storage facilty”]. I moved here in April and the first thing I did was get out my bike and ride the stunning rail trail. I enjoyed sitting on the benches at that...

I wanted to voice my agreement with the column written by Aubrey Menard regarding the storage facility being built next to the rail trail in Hadley [“They paved paradise and put up storage facility,” Gazette, Jan. 30]. This is a huge loss for everyone...

Regarding safe drug use sites [“Families of OD victims press for safe sites,” Gazette, Jan. 26]: In 1977, my older brother, Allan, overdosed at age 33 in a trailer near Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee. I cannot help but think that if there had...

By JUSTIN PELLAND

In a recent column, “They paved paradise and put up a storage facility,” [Gazette, Jan. 30], Aubrey Menard highlighted what is arguably one of Hadley’s most embarrassing truths: The town has no regard for the intrinsic value of land and the importance...

Instead of spending millions on bike lanes that maybe 1% of the population will use, how about hiring a few more teachers?Peter LincolnFlorence

Gazette sports writer Garrett Cote did a great job relating to a serious problem with kids sports [“Officials face fan criticism,” Gazette, Jan. 25]. I think the schools should consider a “code of conduct” for everyone at school games. A suggestion: A...

A recent front-page article, “Spicing up breakfast,” [Gazette, Jan. 23] explained how Smith College Dining Services is attempting to make 50% of breakfast and brunch offerings plant-based. While this effort is to be applauded, there is a downside to...

Many neighboring residents attended and spoke at the Jan. 25 public hearing on the Nu-Way Homes proposal for 14 Garfield St. in Florence. We unanimously opposed this project because its density, appearance, and safety are completely inappropriate for...