Guantanamo — Still open, still wrong

Many people may be surprised to know that Guantanamo Bay Prison in Cuba is still open and will mark its 21st unhappy anniversary on Jan. 11. Of the 780 prisoners whom the Bush Administration assured us were the “worst of the worst,” that same...

Councilors must take deeper look at rezoning French King Highway

Over 10 years ago, I was a city councilor who eagerly voted to change zoning on the French King Highway to allow for commercial development. More than a decade has passed and this area has seen zero new commercial development. This despite the fact...

Appreciates efforts to amend cannabis zoning regulations

As a resident of Factory Hollow Road in Greenfield, I was one of the interested parties attending an informal meeting there sponsored by “Greenfield Grows LLC” on Aug. 22.The meeting was to outline a preliminary proposal for a major cannabis growing...

Seize the opportunity to rezone French King Highway 

I want to add my voice to those who are asking the City Council to reconsider their vote taken last month prohibiting the industrial rezoning along the French King Highway. Manufacturing is how we thrived historically and precision manufacturing is...

New election needed after Santos controversy

The truth about U.S. Rep.-elect George Santos should bring about a new election for that seat. He presented himself as someone that does not exist. This is voting fraud and the people should not have to accept it. He did not tell little white lies but...

My Turn: Resistance to reality

By J.M. Sorrell

Humans have a tremendous capacity to deny and ridicule reality. Wisdom comes from seeing things as they are whereas foolishness rules when we engage in willful ignorance. Our fears or arrogance regarding tough truths are counter to evolution; yet we...

End war and famine in 2023

By WILLIAM LAMBERS

In 2023, everyone can be a voice for peace and support humanitarian aid for war victims in Ukraine, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and many nations in desperate need. Lives depend on it as hunger has escalated because of the violence.Many...

SoulFest not appropriate for Northfield

I am writing this letter to join my voice with those who oppose granting a special permit to SoulFest to have their event this summer in the town of Northfield. Many have written fact-based letters about why this is not a good fit for the town....

Thankful for Sawmill River 10K Run support

On Saturday, Dec. 31, Montague Parks & Recreation held their Annual Sawmill River 10K Run in Montague Center. Approximately 93 runners from throughout the entire region participated in this major fundraising event that supports our Sponsor-A-Child...

My Turn: The spring of justice 

By JUDY WAGNER

The first measurable snow of this winter gently and persistently covered the landscape in a soft blanket of white for two days. Trees were flocked and decorated. Grasses were smoothed; hardly any drifts marked the surfaces. It was a peaceful scene,...

My Turn: Small miracles do happen

By JOANNA BUONICONTI

As we enter into this fresh new year, I cannot help but be in a deeply reflective state as I find myself pondering what the year 2022 brought into my life — the good along with the bad. It is a tradition I adopted years ago, but recently, I have begun...

My Turn: Northfield unsuitable location for SoulFest event

By SUSAN WRIGHT and BERHARD PORADA

We are writing to express our opposition to the permit requested by the D.L. Moody Center for the SoulFest 2023 concert. We are opposed to this event taking place in our community primarily because of the size of the proposed event, the lack of...

Flummoxed by council vote on French King Highway rezoning

I am completely flummoxed by the Greenfield City Council’s vote not to rezone the French King Highway property for industrial use. Don’t the councilors who voted “no” know that manufacturing — in particular, high-precision metalwork — is part of...

Correcting the record on Farmers Market letter 

Life is full of surprises. One surprising thing is when you open the Recorder and find a letter to the editor with your name under it but which you never signed.This was recently the case (“Farmers Market musicians stipend,” Dec. 29). Clearly, there...

Greenfield City Council must ‘do the right thing’

Thank you, Councilor Ricketts, for filing your motion for reconsideration of the City Council’s Dec. 21 vote to not approve the proposed amendment to rezone the land along French King Highway from General Commercial to Planned Industrial. It is very...

Why people flee Massachusetts

It is no secret that people are moving out of Massachusetts. Recent articles on Masslive and in the Wall Street Journal articulate the blue state exodus across our country.Why are reasonable people fleeing this state?Over regulation for businesses and...

Farmers Market musicians stipend

Lost in the shuffle of post-COVID adjustments was the decision by the Greenfield Farmers Market to stop paying its musicians a modest stipend ($50) for two hours of performance.While less egregious than the mayor’s refusal to pay Paul Buchanan his...

New zoning regs a story of the year

One of the biggest front-page Greenfield Recorder news stories of 2022 was the upswell of community activism that led to a significant rewriting of zoning regulations that placed new, clear limits on outdoor marijuana cultivation, and defined the...

My Turn: Gov. Healey’s plan will accelerate the decline of our forests

By MIKE LEONARD

During her campaign, Maura Healey said she had a “forest management plan” but it had nothing to do with forest management. Instead, her plan is to undermine what’s left of the forestry sector here in Massachusetts which will accelerate the decline of...

My Turn: Barbara Walters — Matriarch of the news media

By STEVE E. KRAMER

Talented, dogged, determined, a leader. These labels are typically reserved for male figures in sports and other professions. Too infrequently, the descriptions are assigned to prominent women in their fields.This past weekend, however, a notable...