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By CHRIS LARABEE

GREENFIELD — While Community Action Pioneer Valley’s annual breakfast always serves as a way to highlight its programs and honor awardees each year, Friday morning’s event was also just as much about a call to action, as federal funding cuts threaten the wide swath of programs the agency offers.

By ALEX CHAISSON

GREENFIELD — Taking inspiration from a Home and Craft Show held by different organizers more than a decade ago, the Franklin County Agricultural Society is bringing the event back to the Franklin County Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday.

By STEVE PFARRER

Several years ago, Mattea Kramer, an Amherst writer and researcher who’s studied and written about the federal budget as well as drug policies at state and federal levels, spent time interviewing a number of women in the Greenfield jail who were part of a recovery program for substance use.

By CHRIS LARABEE

The Greenfield Garden Cinemas is rolling out a red-carpet premiere of its own on April 16, as it welcomes the public to a free screening of a locally-produced short film with a question-and-answer session to follow.

By DOUG SELWYN

I read a children’s book that featured a man whose bed was too short. No matter how he squirmed or twisted, some part of him was off the bed. I thought of this when observing the tensions and struggles of our mayor, City Council, School Committee and school administration to fully fund our schools and the many departments in the city. No matter how we twist and turn, there is not enough money in Greenfield and we can’t fix that by ourselves. Our local money supply is too short.

Hats off to the members of the Northfield Volunteer Fire Department. The display of honor, respect and friendship shown for the sad and unfortunate loss of former members David Quinn Sr. and David Quinn Jr. is commendable. If you have never witnessed the firefighter’s funeral ceremony of the “Last Alarm/Call,” “The Tolling of the Bell” or seen Old Glory flying from an extended ladder truck it is very emotional and heartbreaking. The men and women of small town volunteer fire departments support a long and honored tradition of protection of life and property with service and dedication to their communities.

It doesn’t take much of a push to get unhinged segments of the population to commit physical or psychological acts of violence. Create an enemy and foot soldiers will follow. We see these well-organized behaviors playing out in blue cities across America once again. Vandalism, arson, and property damage are widespread. The organizers are calling it, the “Tesla Takedown” movement. Owners of these sporty electric cars are under attack. Drivers are being harassed, intimidated and at least one woman assaulted. Tough guy Tim Walz actually cheered the Tesla stock tumble, that negatively affected Minnesota’s state employees’ pensions.

By EVELINE MACDOUGALL

What can you get at a local library that you aren’t required to return? The answer can be found at Greenfield Community College. Now in its 10th year, their seed library has a new logo and new name honoring longtime librarian Hope Schneider, now retired, who helped launch the college library’s program in 2015. Hope’s Seed Library now contains expanded offerings, including seeds collected from GCC gardens. While library patrons aren’t required to return seeds, growers are encouraged to consider bringing seeds saved from resulting plants, thereby helping the program to thrive.

By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI

GREENFIELD — City councilors serving on the city’s Economic Development Committee and Planning Board members expressed partial support for a package of proposed zoning amendments regulating accessory dwelling units (ADUs) after a joint public hearing this week.

By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI

GREENFIELD — As Viridi Wireless’ application for a 170-foot AT&T cell tower near 112 Newton St. enters its fourth month before the Zoning Board of Appeals, Fire Chief Robert Strahan, in his role as emergency management director, spoke to first responders’ need for enhanced cell service at the board’s Wednesday night hearing.

By PAUL JABLON

The working folks who voted for Trump are beginning to figure out that he is hurting each and every one of them with his policies. If they, and the rest of us, are ever going to stop these actions and have viable alternative candidates in the future, we need to carefully look at how the Democratic Party let down all of us working folks in the first place. Though somewhat simplistic, I’d describe the vast majority of Democratic candidates as basically “Republican Lites.”

Mark Twain said, “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” There is always much to support and love about our country. At the same time we have the most dishonest, ignorant, corrupt, and incompetent president that our nation has ever seen. This point doesn’t need to be argued as POTUS supplies proof of this every single day. Feeble attempts to justify his actions rely on distraction, denial and what-about-isms. Some of the more extravagant explanations of why Donald Trump behaves in such strange ways describes him as a genius playing four dimensional chess. Other pundits have more correctly observed that it is closer to the truth to describe him as putting the chess pieces in his mouth.

I am sick of the far left’s antics. This crowd has really gone off the deep end. They swear all the time and think burning Teslas is cool. I thought they cared about the environment (guess not). Real Americans support President Donald Trump since he is actually saving this country from ruin; he’s a busy man and works very hard. When President Barack Obama played golf, liberals didn’t care, but when President Trump unwinds on the golf course, the left flies into a rage. These people are outta their minds.

By ANTHONY CAMMALLERI

GREENFIELD — Economic Development Committee members have described a proposal to create a Parking Benefit District, which would allocate a portion of funds generated by parking meters and paid parking spots to improvements in the Central Commercial District, as a “no-brainer.”

GREENFIELD — Children can meet and spend time with certified therapy dogs in the Greenfield Public Library’s Children’s Room on Thursday, April 17, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The program is free and intended for ages 3 to 12.

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

GREENFIELD — The community is invited to peruse handcrafted goods created by local artists while supporting the creation of a new community clay studio at this year’s Artspace Market.

Dear Readers,

By SUSAN WORGAFTIK

In Al Norman’s April 2 column [”The growing crowd next door”], the politics of fear were in full display. His discussion of the changes in zoning to accommodate the state’s ADU law, presented some truly alarming statements and assumptions.

To my fellow working people of Franklin County who voted for and have been supporting President Donald Trump — please take a moment and reflect on what is happening to our country. Trump just enacted a massive tax increase on working Americans. Tariffs are not paid by countries, they are paid by consumers with the money going directly to the U.S. Treasury. At the same time, the president is allowing a billionaire to make equally massive and destructive cuts to programs that we all rely on. I’m talking about farms, schools, health care, necessities for a functioning society that are available to all Americans, not just the wealthy, because of our tax dollars.