Rock On with Joan Axelrod-Contrada: I’m still getting by — with a little help from my friends

Guest columnist Mariel E. Addis: Yet another pedophile scandal

Now, I am no fan of JK Rowling, the British author of the Harry Potter series. She has spent the last decade and a whole bunch of money vilifying transgender women and claiming that they are a threat to cisgender women in women-only spaces. There is, however, no evidence to back up Rowling’s claims. What […]

My Turn: Trump’s attack on voting rights — A path to dictatorship

Donald Trump is looking a bit desperate. He’s now zeroed in on the Constitution’s voting rights with his Save America Act. He’s again calling into question our record of free and fair elections — long the envy of the world. Yet his rumor-laced lies seem to have a nation of would-be voters where he wants […]

‘This is my way of giving back’: Easthampton breast cancer survivor knits comfort and dignity for fellow fighters

About two years ago, Marthe Young was shopping online. Instead of filling her cart with the typical clothes, toiletries and household staples, the Easthampton resident was searching for a prosthetic. Young was recovering from a mastectomy following a breast cancer diagnosis that had hit as a “total surprise.” “When I went back to work, I […]

Columnist Dr. David Gottsegen: Do you like lettuce? Better shop local!

The belief that the American food system is safe has been sorely tested this summer, with the epidemic spread of the infection of a bubbly disc shaped parasite called Cyclospora cayetanensis. Of course, there are outbreaks all the time from contaminated food — traced back to farms, restaurants, or picnic baskets. But with over 22,000 […]

Town officials clash over East Amherst historic district proposal

AMHERST — In an era when many young families may be challenged in finding homes to buy or rent, placing various restrictions on existing properties to protect their historic value may limit future housing opportunities. That’s a view offered by Planning Board member Jerah Smith at a meeting with the Local Historic District Commission last […]