Search Results

Keyword search: Florence MA

We are already witnessing an assault on our democracy from Washington, now we find another attempt here at home. It came to our attention just a week or so ago that Gov. Maura Healey seeks to override “Chapter 503 of the Acts of 1982. Chapter 503, approved by 67.5% of voters in the state in 1982, [that] requires the Legislature to issue a report on a proposed nuclear power plant or low-level radioactive waste storage or disposal facility and the approval of voters at a statewide election before construction could begin.” (Recorder, July 5) The Healey administration is taking a page from MAGA’s anti-democratic playbook in an ill-conceived attempt to revive nuclear power here in the commonwealth and in the heart of the No Nukes movement. By ignoring the will of the people, the governor risks her reputation and, perhaps kicks the hornet’s nest.

Pat Hynes ends her July 7 column (“Human-made problems can and must be unmade”), which advocates stopping the use of all fossil fuels, with the question, “Why aren’t we doing it?” The answer is provided in a recent Vaclav Smil report: “To eliminate carbon emissions by 2050, governments face unprecedented technical, economic, and political challenges, making rapid and inexpensive transition impossible.”

Picture this: you’re in the grocery store, a few years in the future. The shelves in the produce section are sparse — wilted lettuce, knobby potatoes, and withered corn look like the best options. Apples, oranges, and bananas have disappeared entirely. And your cherished coffee beans? You’d have to take out a second mortgage to afford them.

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.

I’m writing to express my deep concern about HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s recommendation to stop giving Covid vaccines to pregnant women and babies. His policy is not just unkind — it’s dangerous.

By JOHN PARADIS

President Trump and his MAGA movement don’t own patriotism or the American flag. Both belong to all of us.

I’m deeply disappointed, angry, and sad about what recently happened with the U.S. government funding bill — instead of blocking the Republicans’ terrible budget bill, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer helped them pass it. This gives the Trump/Musk administration free rein to continue dismantling our federal government for another six months without getting anything in return. Sen. Schumer should step aside as leader. And every Democrat in the Senate should tell him to step down now while they make plans for new leadership. I’m seeing our democracy slipping through our fingers, and want the Democratic Party to fight harder before it’s too late. So I’m calling on Senate Democrats to elect a leader who will stand firm to stop the Trump/Musk takeover.

While I appreciated U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern's time and many thoughtful responses to questions from constituents inside the First Churches of Northampton on Saturday, I was disappointed that he did not call out the crowd members who booed the man who exercised his First Amendment right to free speech and spoke his mind about Obamacare and the Inflation Reduction Act.

I’ve just read “Law looks to minimize land use concerns,” (Recorder, Dec. 7) and was reminded of our next Enviro Show Quote of the Week by John Paul II: “The Earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say...

Thank you for “Friends remember multi-talented political activist Joshua J. Dostis, aka Waffles T. Clown” (Recorder, Nov. 16). Over the years I had the opportunity to engage in some edgy direct actions with Waffles. Most memorable to me was our...

If I told you that our state runs the only program in the country that targets hunger and health by making fruits and vegetables grown by local farmers accessible to families on SNAP, you might feel proud of that fact. And if I shared that this...

Thank you, Recorder for your coverage of last week’s state Department of Environmental Protection hearing on FirstLight’s application for continued operation of its facilities on our beloved Connecticut River. Naturally there was a lot of concern...

I attended the wonderful Stone Soup Cafe-sponsored Harvest Supper on Aug. 24, and learned that it was initiated by the late Juanita Nelson, an advocate for local foods and farming. While at the event, I also noticed life-size likenesses of Juanita...

A gentle reminder that as we reach for cozy blankets with cooler temperatures, birds start their migration south. Lights on at night can confuse them, making their journey more difficult and dangerous. You can see who and how many are migrating at a...

By RICHARD FEIN

 This column is about Saudi Arabia, a country that is changing domestically and may be important in establishing a degree of peace and security in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is an oil-rich monarchy ruled by the Saud dynasty. Sunni Islam is the...

While reading the State House News Service article “Details emerge in massive climate bill” (Recorder, June 17) it became obvious to me there was way more said between-the-lines than in the actual text. It is understandable that politicians in Boston...

By DOMENIC POLI

CHARLEMONT — Being born into slavery in a place called Libertytown is perhaps the ultimate irony.But that’s a significant part of the life story of Basil C. Dorsey, a self-emancipated man whose remarkable quest for freedom will be detailed by local...

Razvan Sibii’s thoughtful column questioning referring to this country as “America” raised interesting points for me when I read it this morning [“Should ‘America’ be a synonym for USA?” Recorder, May 22]. While viewing the recent biographical film on...

By RICHARD FEIN

This is an update on a column I wrote last year about a threat to our future well-being: the national debt. To summarize, unless the debt crisis is brought under control soon the future will be much more difficult for you, your children, grandchildren...

 Regarding the story “Collections in limbo” [Recorder, March 5], there was at least one previous, somewhat recent effort to start a proper natural history museum at UMass. About 25 years ago then-UMass biology professor Willy Bemis, an ichthyologist,...