Julie Cavacco: Many reasons to appreciate the Gazette

Many reasons toappreciate the Gazette I am always happy to get the Daily Hampshire Gazette delivered.I’m getting used to the two-section format. I was even expecting it to be two sections July 25, a Tuesday. It felt good to see the four sections.And...

Editorial: Hadley, Amherst face choices on library projects

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners’ ruling earlier this month on projects in Hadley and Amherst left each town facing a decision.The state awarded Hadley a $3.9 million construction grant to help pay for replacing the Goodwin Memorial...

Ira Brezinsky: Recommends FallsFest Music and Arts Festival

Recommends FallsFestMusic and Arts Festival Looking for something fun and exciting to do this Saturday? Why not come to the FallsFest Music and Arts Festival in South Hadley.In it’s fourth year, this free family-friendly festival of music, crafts,...

David Hernández: Criticizes ‘political stunt’ in withholding federal grants

Criticizes ‘political stunt’ in withholding federal grants Attorney General Jeff Sessions couldn’t be further from the truth on sanctuary cities, crime, and public safety (“Feds threaten to strip police grants,” July 27).Local enforcement in federal...

George R. Bowers: Concludes President Trump poor role model for Scouts

Concludes Trump poor role model for ScoutsPresident Donald Trump this week addressed the Boy Scouts of America in a speech in which, instead of providing moral direction and an ethical compass to the youth of our nation, he lashed out at Hillary...

Editorial: Legislature achieves reasonable compromise on pot law

The Legislature reached a reasonable compromise on the law regulating recreational marijuana in Massachusetts, and we urge Gov. Charlie Baker to sign the measure.The compromise bill approved by the Legislature this week leaves intact much of Question...

Michael Abbate: Suggests Neal jumps on political bandwagon

Suggests Neal jumps on political bandwagonI read with extreme dismay that Congressman Richard Neal is co-sponsoring the “Israeli Anti-Boycott Act” in part drafted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.However you feel about the...

Peter Souther Lincoln: In the heat, be considerate of dogs

In the heat,be considerate of dogs Wednesday evening while I was out walking along the bike path, a bicyclist passed by me with a dog tied to the handlebars. The dog was forced to run to keep up with the bicycle.I wonder how the cyclist would like to...

Editorial: Bill aimed at curbing distracted driving worth careful consideration

Both hands on the wheel, with attention fully on the driving is a good idea. Distracted driving? Dangerous idea.Distracted driving resulted in some 3,500 deaths in 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That same year,...

Editorial: PVTA, Five Colleges must preserve bus routes

The potential scaling back of Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus routes serving the Five Colleges is troubling because hundreds of people would lose public transportation vital to their studies and livelihoods.We urge the PVTA advisory board, which...

Editorial: Be the Match, save a life 

Learning to share with one another is one of the first hurdles siblings encounter in building their lifelong relationship. It can be a hard lesson, and some never really get it.But Ashli Stempel, a Town Council member in Greenfield, does. She allowed...

Editorial: All aboard for commuter rail study

Got a business meeting in Boston Monday morning and want to avoid the traffic jam, time crunch and environmental damage of driving your car solo along the Mass Pike? Wouldn’t it be great to just hop on a high speed train, enjoy a cup of coffee and...

Editorial: Deporting Iraqi an affront to American values

Anyone looking for evidence of the random cruelty of President Donald Trump’s campaign to deport immigrants need look no further than the case of Niberd Alezendi Abdalla.Abdalla, 57, joined his family in fleeing their native Iraq four decades ago and...

Editorial: Firefighters deserve a fighting chance

Fighting fires has long been recognized as one of the most important and dangerous jobs in a community. The smoke, the raging flames and the stress of trying to save structures and lives all take their toll on professional and volunteer firefighters...

Editorial: Program cuts could leave many out in the cold

President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating heating aid for low-income Americans, claiming the federal fuel aid program is no longer necessary and rife with fraud. People needn’t worry about being left in the cold, he says, because utilities...

Columnist Stanley Maron: Focus on negotiated peace settlements

By STANLEY MARON

As residents of the United States, we wake up each morning to a reasonably safe environment and follow the course needed to assure our survival.Unfortunately we weren’t given any specific details on how our course would play out with the exception of...

Mark Renaud: Backs Nicole LaChapelle for Easthampton mayor

I served on the Easthampton Zoning Board of Appeals with Nicole LaChapelle for nine years, and in that time I got to know her as smart, practical and diligent.Nicole is now running for mayor of Easthampton, and I hope that over the next five months...

Henry Rosenberg: Concerned with air pollution and bronchitis

Last year, an important study at the University of Southern California looked at the relationship between air pollution and bronchitis in children. As pollution levels decreased there were significant decreases in the numbers of children with symptoms...

Jonathan Levin: Claims false balance in voter fraud reporting

“The body [Mr. Trump’s election commission] has drawn criticism from election officials and Democratic lawmakers, who say there is little evidence of voter fraud in United States….” With this passage the Gazette sadly contributes to the reduction of...

Jonathan Goldman: Calls for basic human rights

Some people argue that human rights are not innate, but they are given by governments, cultures, societies, or by oneself. However, this begs the question; what reason is there to fight for the rights of LGBTQIA+ in Russia, women in Saudi Arabia, or...