John Walter: Why some forests should never be logged

Many letters have discussed outrage at the state logging large tracts of forest in and near the Quabbin and in state forests and elsewhere. This letter is to address one reason why we should select some large tracks of forest to be never logged or managed. The logging of forests keeps the forests young. Old forests, very old forests are required to generate a growth of fairies. People think fairies are mythical creatures but this belief itself is the myth. Fairies are real, but only occur in very, very old forests. The life cycle of a fairy begins in the cracks and crevices of very, very old tree bark in very, very old forests. The fairies emerge and then sprout wings and fly around. But unlike a caterpillar becoming a butterfly or moth, the fairy does not fly to reproduce. The flights of fairies express the joy of the forest itself. Fairies do not have reproduction the way we are used to thinking of it, birds and bees etc. Fairies represent a final step in the life cycle of a mature forest. A forest feels joy when the trees within it feel joy. Once a forest truly feels joy, can these flying tree parts emerge and fly about. And then we can study them properly. But a forest only feels joy if it is left alone for a very, very long time — perhaps 600 years?

John Babits: Democrats and gang members

Funny, Democrats couldn’t stand in memory of women murdered by foreign gang members, but they sure made a lightning-quick trip to El Salvador to aid a foreign gang member.

Cathy Marcum: Greenfield Senior Center vibrant and welcoming

I am writing in response to the April 14 letter titled “Senior Center Concerns.” I was surprised by the letter writer’s claim that the center is underused and uninviting, as that has not been my experience at all.

Rita Detweiler: There is more that unites us than divides us

I have been very troubled that so much of our social and political discourse has become confrontational and hostile. In an effort to set a different tone in the upcoming election in Deerfield, I reached out to Tim Hilchey and Dave Wolfram, the two candidates for the Selectboard in Deerfield, and asked both of them if they would be willing to jointly plan and hold an informational meeting in the spirit that we can have our differences but we can discuss them in a respectful and civil manner. They both agreed and they will hold an informational gathering on Friday, April 25, at the Polish American Citizen’s Club located at 46 South Main St. in South Deerfield.

Pat Ryan: Keep Tim Hilchey on the job!

There’s no job description for DeerfieldSelectboard, but this May 5, there is one candidate whose record makes him the most qualified for the post: Tim Hilchey.

My Turn: Getting at the root of things

By PATRICK MCGREEVY

My Turn: Newspapers still a trustworthy gatekeeper

By PHILIP LUSSIER

Columnist Judy Wagner: April showers of protest

By JUDY WAGNER

It’s not possible to protest the weather. March is officially the unsettled lion/lamb month, so we mostly give it a pass. With April we attempt to gloss over its tendency to be damp (“April showers bring May flowers”); still frustration builds after some number of grey and chill days with only a few bedraggled daffodils brave enough to show their faces. On top of the more familiar seasonal anomalies, we are hearing about many “out of season” events — too much rain, twisters, snow and sleet — all vagaries related to climate disruption. While we may feel like sounding off, we know we won’t find much relief hollering into the wind.

Kathryn Levesque: A gardener’s lesson for the current administration

In July, I typically spend time in the garden, pruning back overgrown shrubs and flowers. They are just at that point where the plant is busting out all over, and becoming huge; but the flower is about to pass by. Kind of like when you know you need your haircut, because it’s starting to annoy you. But when you make the appointment, you feel a pang because it just looks so — perfect right now. It would feel worse to be ruthless if it wasn’t grounded in some real knowledge. And expertise. And yes, it is indeed (you guessed, clever reader) an analogy for many other things in life.

Erica Avery: A safe city for all

Regarding the article, “Greenfield City Council passes ‘sanctuary city’ resolution for trans, gender-diverse people,” [Recorder, April 18], I want Greenfield to be a safe city, where gender-nonconforming kids are free to grow up happy and healthy. The assumption behind “gender-affirming care” is that children who don’t adhere to gender norms need drugs and surgery. A safe city is a place where parents can get accurate information about kids and gender, instead of being told that their children will harm themselves if they don’t undergo irreversible life-altering procedures. They need a way to determine whether gender dysphoria is the cause of a child’s mental distress or a symptom.

Amy Battisti: Hilchey ‘gets things done’

I’m writing to express my support for Tim Hilchey’s candidacy for the Deerfield Select Board.

Ferd Wulkan: FCCPR publicizes new rebates for electric bike purchases

If you’ve ever thought about buying an electric bike, now could be the time. The Massachusetts E-Bike Voucher Program is now in effect. The program assists low-and moderate-income Massachusetts residents by providing a voucher that dramatically reduces the cost of an e-bike. The program will award approximately 500 vouchers each month from April to September. Residents can apply during a two-week period each month.

Douglas Mayo: Goodbye democracy

In just a little over four months we’ve experienced a continuous erosion of our constitutional rights by President Donald Trump and his billionaire cronies. In just four months he has turned countries that were stanch allies for over 70 years, in Europe and Canada. All this as he cozies up and placates countries that are nothing but that authoritarian regimes (thugs).

My Turn: Human kindness radiates from the inside out

By MARILYN MARKS

During these times of political, economic, and climate turbulence, anger and alarm surge and tensions run high. In responding to our poly-crisis situation, we quickly assign blame. However, pointing the finger at Washington, D.C. and shouting “Tyranny!” is ideally balanced with uprooting the tyranny we may unknowingly carry within ourselves.

My Turn: The elephant in the room — nuclear weapons

BY CARRIE KLINE

Changes are coming so quickly these days that it’s hard to address anything that isn’t bleeding and burning. And yet, some issues that are urgent are largely silent, that is, until they explode. We are on the brink of disaster. Nothing can compare with the immediate decimation of life on earth as we know it. With this in mind, and motivated by the passage of resolutions in other cities and towns in our area and throughout our commonwealth, nation and world, I am bringing a Resolution in Favor of a Nuclear Weapons Freeze to the Sunderland Town Meeting on April 25.

Danielle Miller: Will never regret vote for Trump

As Democrats resist President Donald Trump here in Franklin County and throughout the United States, those of us on the right try our best to ignore their hysteria. These activists can’t fathom Trump’s appeal and are hopping mad that he has returned to the White House with “an unprecedented and powerful mandate.” The man is almost 80, but he’s still full of vim and vigour (and you’d swear he’s 20 years younger than Joe Biden). Kamala Harris, on the other hand, was just full of hot air. And, honestly, I will always feel immense joy over the fact that this unintelligible candidate failed to win a single battleground state in her doomed bid for the presidency.

Byron Coley: Tim Hilchey a positive alternative to partisanship

A vision of Deerfield’s future.

Kim George: A heartfelt thank you to our amazing volunteers

We cannot express enough gratitude for our volunteers’ incredible work for Pioneer Valley Hospice & Palliative Care. Their passion, dedication, and unwavering commitment to our cause have left a lasting impact, and we feel truly fortunate to have them as members of our team.

Jeremy Williams: Welcome, brothers and sisters

Walking in others’ shoes should be a lesson taught in all schools. This could teach empathy and compassion for what others might be going through. Sometimes we need to see and feel what others have gone through to understand and have total compassion for them.

Guest columnist Ben Grosscup: Anti-Trump resistance can’t be ‘hands off’ on militarism

By BEN GROSSCUP