North County Notebook: Nov. 11, 2026

Speaking of Nature: A bitter rivalry: American vs. Asiatic Bittersweet

As the deciduous trees slowly lose their leaves, they start to reveal long-held secrets. At first the most obvious secrets are the nests of birds that you may have spent the summer looking for. Skillfully placed in areas that are thick with summer foliage, the nests become obvious once the veil is dropped, and it […]

Clean power won. Now comes the hard part

Sometimes, change comes at you so fast that you forget to congratulate yourself on what you’ve achieved. Take the switch of the world’s electricity grids from fossil fuels to clean power. The transition to renewables will “require generations of perseverance” and be harder than previous shifts between wood, coal, oil and gas, which took half […]

Guest columnist John Paradis: Hegseth unfit to lead and must go

By Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s definition, I’m a weirdo. I have Taylor Swift friendship bracelets, I dance to Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” and I embrace and openly celebrate my LGBTQ+ family members and dear friends.  I’m often eccentric, quirky, and can be unconventional at times.  I also wear dog tags that indicate my Unitarian […]

John Neal Burns

<html><head></head><body>John "Jock" Neal Burns<br /><br />Bailey Island, ME - John "Jock" Neal Burns passed away on Monday, November 2, 2026, in Maine. His wife of 52 years, Kitty, was by his side.<br /><br />Aside from Kitty, he ...

MIAA boys soccer: Frontier offense comes alive in second half in 3-0 shutout against Excel Academy Charter in Div. 4

SOUTH DEERFIELD — A year ago, the Frontier Regional boys soccer team endured an early exit from the state tournament. South Hadley upset the Redhawks in the Round of 32, ousting them unexpectedly and ending their season abruptly. Flash forward to this season, and the specter of that loss might have crept into the first [&hellip;]