Guest columnist Ann Darling: Gov. Healey makes an undemocratic wrong turn

By ANN DARLING

I’ve gotta hand it to Gov. Maura Healey. She’s running a sharp strategy to get nuclear power back in the mix of Massachusetts power sources. Last legislative session, it was sneaking a provision that redefined nuclear power as “clean” into a high-stakes, last-minute bill that was also chock full of good things that lots of people wanted. In fact, nuclear power is filthy; the radioactive waste it creates contaminates and kills for generations.

My Turn: A year after UMass’ mass arrests, the damage lingers

By NANCY E. GROSSMAN

In the end, the dispute came down to about 15 tents and a fence loosely constructed of wooden pallets that had collectively been up for less than a day. But this small encampment was enough to trigger an ill-considered decision by first-year UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier Reyes that cost taxpayers more than half a million dollars and drove a likely permanent wedge between the administration and some of the UMass community.

Kelsey Flynn: Heartily endorse Laurie Loisel for Ward 3 city councilor

I am writing to heartily endorse Laurie Loisel as a candidate for Ward 3 city councilor. I’m a fan of Laurie’s work from her days as a Daily Hampshire Gazette reporter. Her stories were thoroughly researched, covering all angles of a particular issue and asking questions of multiple sources to get to the heart of the matter. Ward 3 will gain a lot with this kind of dedication to seeking the truth and understanding of an issue; now more than ever, we need this kind of effective representation. I’m excited to vote for her this fall and hope my Ward 3 neighbors will join me!

Cynthia Chamberland: Comprehensive health care in Massachusetts

The recent letter, ”Medicare hooey” [Gazette, May 6] is correct about Medicare’s woefully inadequate coverage, however is mistaken about Medicare for All. Medicare for All is very different. It is comprehensive health care coverage for everyone in Massachusetts, including employees, unemployed, employers, government workers, poor individuals, families, and anyone living in the state. There would be no premiums, deductibles, co-payments, and denials of coverage; Medicare for All would cover primary care, hospitalization, specialists, dental, behavioral health, addiction, hearing, and eye care. It will eliminate the insurance companies which not only profit substantially but add 30% percent in administrative costs for their role of middleman.

Steve Gigliotti: There is still kindness around

Thursday evening a small crowd of mostly senior music fans were waiting for the doors to open at the Parlor Room for singer-songwriter John Gorka. The forecast had said no rain. So, of course it decided to rain. Light, then heavy. Some had brought their umbrellas, many had not. My wife was trying to stay a little bit dry under the scant cover of a tree. A gentleman came walking by, with his umbrella. He paused, then walked over and handed his umbrella to my wife. And then walked away on down the street. Simply donating his umbrella to my wife. After the show, I left his umbrella on the front porch of the Parlor Room, hoping he might walk by and see it. Thank you sir. Your act fit perfectly with Gorka’s music.

Columnist Johanna Neumann: Let Americans choose clean energy

It makes no sense to dial back clean energy tax credits for solar and energy-saving tech

Guest columnist Jillian Duclos: Northampton must strengthen foundation, invest in tomorrow — together

By JILLIAN DUCLOS

Dear Northampton: My life here began at 19 working the counter at Sylvester’s, where I got to know the people that bring this city to life. It was there that, over at least a million cups of coffee, I learned about Northampton through the eyes of the people who live here, where I learned that Northampton is a community where people take care of one another, because this community took care of me.

Greg Saulmon: Local radio matters more than ever

This morning I turned on the radio and a familiar thing happened: I heard the voice of someone I know singing a song they wrote, and feelings of comfort and wonder washed over me. In this case the voice belonged to my friend and bandmate Brandi Ediss, singing a song from her excellent solo record “Bees and Bees and Bees.” It’s an experience that has played out over and over as I’ve cooked meals and run errands and driven to work and explored the back roads and odd corners of this place we call home. While the voices have been many, the source is always the same: radio station WRSI FM, The River.

Alexander Leger-Small: Rainy spring can't stop community food drive

There’s a saying here in New England that if you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes. On May 10, the staff and volunteers at the Northampton Survival Center were crossing our fingers and hoping that a week of downpours wouldn’t hinder the flow of food arriving at the center through the Annual Post Office Food Drive. The letter carriers and community of the greater Northampton area didn’t let us down. By noon or so the sun was high and the donations were rolling in. The postal trucks delivered bag after bag of grocery items that will excite and delight our clients. Volunteers arrived with smiles and ready hands. Excitement, dedication, and community flowed through our pantry on the 10th as people worked together to bring what good they could into the world.

Columnist Sara Weinberger: Giving up is not an option

By SARA WEINBERGER

Many of us are navigating a daunting landscape. Since Jan. 20, barraged by a deluge of disastrous news that threatens to undo us, some have devised their own exit strategy, leaving for other countries, in search of a new home. Others try to adjust by turning the unthinkable into a new normal. Some, however, remain undaunted, refusing to be ruled by fear or to give in to cynicism. Their numbers are growing. I am, of course, referring to the ever-growing lines of protesters winding their way past Tesla dealerships, showing up at town squares, parks, and city halls. Their voices demand, “Hands off” of a laundry list of everything that matters. They make their way to bridges over highways, unfurling upside down American flags to signal distress. An enormous quilt of humanity spreads itself across the country, reaching out to others who join them along the way. This intrepid band of nonviolent protesters knows that giving up is not an option.

Guest columnist Justin Taylor: Amherst in The Revolution

By JUSTIN TAYLOR

The recent commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord begins the celebration of the nation’s Semiquincentennial. At first glance, the struggle of eighteenth-century America may seem unrelated to the issues we face today and for many, the American Revolution can seem like a distant event, completely removed from the modern American, and therefore easy to ignore. This is a mistake: the American Revolution should not be treated like a relic or merely a holiday to be celebrated. It is an ongoing experiment, and the people of Amherst and of the United States today are as much a part of it as the early patriots of 1776.

Scott Brown: Time to flouridate the water

Like many towns in Massachusetts, we don’t fluoridate our water in Northampton. This policy (or lack-of-policy, really) is a holdover from the charming crankdom of yesteryear and naive misunderstandings (as well as willful misunderstandings) of the health science behind fluoridation dating from the 1940s. Every polity has its quirks, of course, and for decades, the resulting damage from fluoride inaction has been limited by the availability of prescription fluoride pills for children.

Luke Jaeger: Column on antisemitism ‘misguided’

I was touched by Gazette columnist J.M. Sorrell’s most recent declaration of concern for American Jews facing rising anti-semitism [“Tribe of Radical Allies Against Hate (TORAAH),” May 7]. Actually, that’s not true: I found it simplistic and misguided. The writer’s willingness to take Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS) talking points at face value suggests a profound ignorance about the perilous political landscape in which American Jews find ourselves. FCAS is bankrolled by billionaire Patriots owner Robert Kraft, the richest man in Massachusetts. Leave aside for now Kraft’s history of fundraising for AIPAC and the Israeli Defense Force. How Kraft spends his own money is his business, but this is a guy who can’t even form a coherent opinion about Donald Trump. Forgive me if I find his motives, and his foundation’s “survey results,” questionable.

Cathleen Mitchell: Town’s budget does not meet needs of schools, students

Despite the Gazette’s somewhat misleading recent headline stating that the FY26 budget submitted for the town of Amherst “nearly meets school requests,” the town manager’s budget does not grant what the schools actually need.

Guest columnist Judson Brown: Paths to advocate for just and humane treatment of immigrants

By JUDSON BROWN

The Trump administration’s aggressive and highly publicized campaign to deport “undocumented criminal aliens” has swept up non-criminals and fully vetted refugees and documented temporary residents in its dragnet.

Columnist The Rev. Andrea Ayvazian: Quelling anger through the power of song

By THE REV. ANDREA AYVAZIAN

In recent weeks, I have asked friends and colleagues how they are feeling — probing beyond the perfunctory “fine” that people say when you connect momentarily in the grocery store. The list of feelings people have shared often include “angry.” Other emotions people commonly report are: scared, anxious, discouraged, motivated, stunned, and restless.

Jon Weissman: More on ‘Medicare for All’

The writer of the May 6 letter to (“Medicare hooey”) has apparently not read the “Medicare for All” proposals introduced in Congress and state Legislatures across the U.S. to establish single-payer health care financing.

Columnist Russ Vernon-Jones: We must resist Trump, but also advocate for transformative change

By RUSS VERNON-JONES

Donald Trump and his minions are deliberately destroying our federal government and the economy, giving control to billionaires and far-right extremists, enriching themselves, waging war on workers, immigrants, and marginalized populations, worsening the climate crisis, stealing our private data, and eliminating government services that have protected our health, safety, and security.

Lilly Gaev: Northampton lucky to have Bill Newman

Bill Newman’s latest column ”A stroke of good luck” [Gazette, May 10] was a gift to his readers. It gave us an opportunity to extend him all of our well wishes. It also offered a wake up call to the importance of learning the sudden medical signs that signal a time for us and our loved ones to act quickly. Bill, we’re glad you shared!