My Turn: Somerville gets it wrong on battery storage

By MICHAEL DECHIARA

In his June 18 column on battery energy storage systems (BESS), Joe Curtatone seeks to establish his community credibility, claiming that he understands local needs since he was mayor of Somerville [“Renewable energy and battery storage is the affordable choice for families. How do we get it right?”]. Unfortunately, the author misses the mark because he doesn’t know western Massachusetts communities and what underlies our concerns about the siting of energy storage systems. Further, some of his claims are inaccurate and insulting to those of us working for the best future for our communities.

My Turn: Resignation, Juneteenth departure explained

By MPRESS BENNU NEMBHARD

To the wonderful citizens of Greenfield: Greetings! My name is Mpress Bennu Nembhard, and I would like to clarify the events that occurred on Saturday, which led me to resign from the Human Rights Commission and discontinue my involvement with Juneteenth (under Moving Mountains Media). As most of the community knows, I am the president/CEO, marketer, producer, facilitator, and sole brain power behind the Greenfield Juneteenth Celebration, which has taken place for the past four years. What started as an idea has grown into a community event that isn’t only recognized in Franklin County but now throughout the Pioneer Valley. In the four years we have had entertainers and vendors from Hampden and Hampshire counties, Vermont, New York, and New Jersey. But most importantly, Greenfield Juneteenth gained attention throughout the Pioneer Valley because it showed who we are as a community and how we have evolved by being the only Juneteenth celebration in Franklin County.

My Turn: ‘A republic, if you can keep it’

By DANIEL A. BROWN

(The Scene: Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 4, 1776)

My Turn: Feeding the hungry a sacred obligation

By RABBI JAMES GREENE

“Breadline Blues” — one of the haunting anthems of the Great Depression — tells the story of a man who saw all of his fellow “good folks” in distress at the changing economic collapse. The person in the story is an everyman; a worker looking for a better life who even after all his efforts is still stuck in a breadline. His story echoes from our past to this moment, as Congress considers deep cuts to food-assistance programs that millions of Americans rely on today.

My Turn: It’s time for reusable take-out containers

By DARCY DUMONT

Though much could be said about the Trump administration’s retreat from climate action and the disappearance of funding to state and local governments, there is still a lot we can do on a local level without needing any government action or funding.

Henry Morgan: How Trump's ‘One, Big Beautiful Bill’ threatens educational opportunity for working-class Americans

The Republican “One, Big Beautiful Bill” that has stormed through Congress is an omnibus bill that would adversely impact the lives of working-class Americans. Among the ways this legislation will impact Americans is in higher education access. In a misguided effort to slash government spending to address some very real issues of fiscal responsibility, Republicans have proposed changes to financial aid eligibility and Pell Grant allocations that would make it even harder for working students to pursue a bachelor’s degree. The bill proposes increasing the threshold for students to be recognized as full-time and thus receive adequate aid, this would be disastrous for working students who need to constantly scramble with limited time to meet credit requirements.

As I See It: Jefferson, Jesus and Marx — America’s founding fathers and ‘socialists’ all!

By JON HUER

With our Independence Day coming up, let’s take stock: Indeed, what kind of America are we celebrating?

My Turn: Our generation’s ‘rendezvous with destiny’

By CARRIE N. BAKER

Americans today face an existential threat to our democracy and our rights, but not for the first time. In the past, Americans have transformed similar threats into opportunities to realize bold and ambitious new visions for America. We must now do the same.

Kathe Geist: Foreign students

As we watch President Donald Trump make war on academia, foreign students in particular, be aware that during the 1920s, because U.S. immigration laws at the time barred Asians, the majority of Japanese students who studied abroad studied in Germany. Take a moment to let that sink in.

Tom Tolg: Regime change

I am all for regime change! The megalomaniac, terrorist, must be replaced. Hopefully Vance will do better.

Tom Peabody: Trump fulfilling promises

As we read the daily barrage of anti-Trump rhetoric in the Recorder, the question is often asked why anyone would vote for him. Thought I would share a few of my reasons. It took him just days to secure the disastrous mess at our border that Joe Biden repeatedly said couldn’t be done without an act of Congress. The record inflation from the Biden years is declining monthly. The savings for our country from DOGE continues to increase into hundreds of billions. He is preserving the tax cuts he initiated in his first term and will be adding to them. He attacked the unfair tariff agreements we had and we’re already seeing billions coming back to the U.S. He is deporting thousands of the worst illegals and will continue to make America safer — how many murders, rapes and crimes have already been avoided due to his efforts? He is reducing the size of government and the waste and fraud involved. I could go on and he’s just getting started. It’s time to give thanks that the left couldn’t jail him or assassinate him and we can now enjoy our country getting back on track.

Katherine Hinderliter: Help us in the fight to save right whales

Did you know that one of the most vital parts of our planet is ecosystem engineers? These species are vital to their environments because they help modify and cycle nutrients in a way that promotes growth and biodiversity for all. Without them our planet would be much sparser and out of control, such as what happens when beavers disappear from certain areas. So, what if I told you that one of these important ecosystem engineers is on the verge of extinction, with only 372 individuals remaining in the whole world. The right whale is a baleen whale that migrates throughout our oceans in search of plankton and to have their babies. These whales help the environment by way of nutrient cycling and supporting plankton growth. Throughout their life and beyond they provide nutrients and support for many organisms in our oceans. However, these whales are under massive pressure because of us, they get caught in nets and hit by boats, which has drastically reduced their numbers. But hope isn’t lost, we can still save this beautiful species! Everyone can make a difference in this fight, and we hope that you’ll help us make that difference. Call politicians about this issue and show your support for policies protecting whales, everything helps. With you on our side we can fight for this species and secure their future alongside us for centuries to come.

Priscilla Caouette: In defense of public libraries

Rarely have I read such an uninformed letter in the Greenfield Recorder as the one I read today “Library funding cuts ‘not the end of the world,’” [Recorder, Jan. 25]. Especially the writer’s assertion that libraries are “fine for people too stingy to buy their own books ...”

Norman Schell: Democratic Party’s ‘soulless drive’ for hegemony

The current Democratic Party has become what our Founding Fathers warned us against: a political party so “party” driven that it becomes antithetical to the liberties which we enjoy as Americans. The Democratic Party’s soulless drive for complete political hegemony is exemplified by its silent approval and culpability in every act of violence and disruption in our streets by Antifa, and BLM.

David C. Kempf: Democratic Party ‘rudderless’

In Ben Clarke’s June 17 column, he asks, “Any regrets?” in voting for Donald J. Trump. I say none whatsoever. Trump derangement syndrome has been ongoing since Trump descended the golden escalator, and it’s getting worse by the day. The Democratic Party was hijacked by the far left, is rudderless, and lacking leadership, while President Trump is gaining momentum. The writer should be more concerned about the Democratic Party rather than bashing his former one.

My Turn: Troubled waters

By DOROTHEA MELNICOFF

One of the treasures of the Connecticut River, as we learned there are many, is Annette Spaulding, master diver and water world explorer. Affectionately known to Connecticut River Defenders as the “little mermaid” of especially this heritage river, as designated in 1998.

Juliet Seaver: Remembering our common humanity

An old lady in Italy sits on her porch or inside her apartment with the porch door open. There’s another one in Tunisia, Morocco, Paris, and Vienna. There’s one right here in Heath. One or two more down the road — more in the hilltowns, others in the Falls. There are young mothers watching their children in Wuhan province, Berlin, Baghdad, and Miami.

Eveline MacDougall: News article provided realistic confusion, nuance

I nearly skipped reading a full-page story in the June 23 Recorder because the gigantic all-caps header, “MAGA AND THE SINGLE GIRL,” followed by the subheader, “Conservative women attend conference to discuss careers, marriage, children” initially put me off. I figured the article was replete with tropes and tiresome, divisive rhetoric, none of which I personally need more of these days. I forced myself to read it, though, because I’m trying to broaden my perspectives and better understand our struggling human family.

My Turn: Keeping families intact takes advocacy, resources

By KAYLA BAILLARGEON

Last year, I joined local non-profit Community Legal Aid as a parent advocate for the organization’s Family Preservation Project, an innovative initiative which provides legal support to families who are involved with the Department of Children & Families (DCF) for poverty-related reasons rather than issues of abuse or neglect.

My Turn: The image of Emily Dickinson

By SKIAN MCGUIRE

Even though I have lived in the Pioneer Valley for almost 40 years and have long been a student of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, yesterday was my first visit to the Dickinson Homestead in Amherst. It’s a wonderful resource, and the museum has done a great job of restoration to give us an idea of the environment from which Dickinson drew much of her inspiration. The tour guides were excellent, and I especially enjoyed the tour of The Evergreens, where our guide Thackeray’s encyclopedic knowledge and deep love for the place made the tour the highlight of my visit.