Analee Wulfkuhle: Vote ‘yes’ for Deerfield

Our town officials work on a shoestring. They rely heavily on the expertise and hard work of dedicated volunteers. Crumbling infrastructure isn’t just in Deerfield; it’s a national problem. Our Public Works staff is stretched beyond reason, trying to...

Byron Coley: Move Deerfield forward on Jan. 16

The torrential storms last summer wreaked havoc on Deerfield’s roads and culverts, leading to millions in repair costs.At the public information session on Jan. 9, Select Board Chairwoman Carolyn Shores Ness and Police Chief John Paciorek highlighted...

My Turn: Name That President

By KAREN GARDNER

It’s the “Name That President” game show! And you, our contestants, are here to show your mettle and knowledge by matching the correct president to his statements and accomplishments. What fun!In today’s game, you have a choice between President X and...

Sia Stewart: The benefits of heat pumps

The benefits of heat pumpsI read with interest the article about the challenges facing widespread adoption of heat pumps in Massachusetts (“Heat pumps slow to gain traction,” Recorder, Jan 8). Misinformation about heat-pump technology and flaws in the...

Annette Pfannebecker: Vote ‘yes’ for Deerfield on Jan. 16

Looking at the year ahead in South County, a Recorder article on Dec. 31 pointed out that "much like the weather, the plans for at least two of those towns have changed following July's torrential rainstorms, as Deerfield and Conway are looking toward...

Wendy Robinson: A tale of two letters

In the Jan. 6 Recorder there are two letters side by side. I vote for the one by Karl Meyer! The other refers to the “stop Trump at all cost” movement being “fueled by hate.” Ummm ... it seems to me that reality shows what’s fueled by hate is actually...

Norah Dooley: State must shed influence of fossil fuel industry

State must shed influence of fossil fuel industryLet’s not bury the lede in this story “Public slow to warm to heat pumps, ” [Recorder, Athol Daily News, Jan. 8]. The headline might prompt skimming readers to think there could be something wrong with...

Jon Dobosz: Sawmill River Run a community success

On Monday, Jan. 1, Montague Parks & Recreation held their Annual Sawmill River 10K Run in Montague Center.  Approximately 108 runners from throughout the entire region participated in this major fundraising event that supports our Sponsor-A-Child...

Pat Hynes: Why feminists are silent about Oct. 7 

Daniel Brown’s My Turn “Why are feminists silent about Oct. 7?” [Recorder, Jan. 4] accuses feminist activists, including those who stand for peace on the Greenfield Common and publish editorials in the Recorder, for not speaking out against the...

Paul R. Olszewski: Fiscal responsibility needed in Deerfield 

The second special election vote in Deerfield scheduled for Jan. 16 seeking approval to borrow up to $5 million through debt exclusion has caused these comments. The first vote on Dec. 5 did not approve the borrowing request. Not pleased with the...

Bill Beckett: Massachusetts should follow Maine on heat pumps

The analysis of some of the glitches Massachusetts is currently encountering in our drive to cut greenhouse gas emissions by switching to heat pumps illustrates the complexities of installing a new home heating and air conditioning system (“Public...

Eve Brown-Waite: Trashing feminists doesn’t help stop violence against women

A few questions after reading the recent My Turn disparaging Valley feminists [“Why are feminists silent about Oct. 7?” Recorder, Jan. 4]. First to the writer of that particular piece: Were you hoping to contribute anything useful to the conversation...

Judy Bennett: Consider Fresh Air Fund this summer

As far away as it seems, the summer sun will be here before we know it, and so will an incredible opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life. The Fresh Air Fund, an esteemed nonprofit organization founded in 1877, provides this opportunity by...

Randy Kehler: Leading with love

Until I’d read Sara Schley’s Jan. 2 column in the Recorder, “Planting Dates,” nothing I’d previously read or heard about the horrendous, ongoing Israel/Hamas all-out war in Gaza gave me any real hope of a possible near-term — or even longer-term — end...

Noel Gomez: Christmas dinner much appreciated

I would like to thank the South Deerfield Senior Center for the delicious Christmas dinner Chet Sokolosky delivered to me and my wife. My Christmas birthday was so much better when people like these step up. To everyone who cooked or packaged these...

Guest columnist William Lambers: Basketball can save lives from hunger again

By WILLIAM LAMBERS

Both the college and pro basketball seasons are heating up now with games every day. I was watching my alma mater Mount St. Joseph University play Bluffton University of Ohio and wondering if basketball could draw attention to global hunger. There are...

My Turn: Shaped by the stories we tell

By MARGOT FLECK

There is much talk today about “toxic masculinity,” but I wonder, is it inevitable in this competitive culture that many boys grow up emulating the most aggressive, non-empathetic men among us?Salmon Rushdie wrote: “I have always been inspired by...

My Turn: Who doesn’t want to use a walker?

By RUTH CHARNEY

Granddaughter on phone: “She’s really mad.” Daughter: “I hear her. She’s yelling.”Son on phone to sister: “What a jerk.”Grandma J: “I hate it … It’s … red. I hate it red. Send it back.”Grandma Judy is older than me and I am old. She has survived...

Louise Amyot: Time to get involved

With a new city government team newly inaugurated, hope is in the air so it seemed a good time to check out the city’s opportunities for us to get involved. A quick look at the greenfield-ma.gov website showed an impressive list of openings for...

Theodore Moser: Fear and humanity

In 1933, in his first inaugural address, Franklin Delano Roosevelt asserted, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself …” Fear can paralyze and radicalize. George Creel and Edward Bernays used the Committee on Public Information to prove this...