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By TINKY WEISBLAT

Jonathan Lash of Northampton has had a fascinating life. He has been a Peace Corps volunteer, a practicing attorney, an environmental advocate, and a president of Hampshire College.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — It’s not uncommon to see protesters and activists assembled in front of Northampton City Hall, speaking out in support of social issues and against injustices of the day.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — More housing is planned for the neighborhoods around Hawley Street, with site plan for three condominium buildings containing a total of eight housing units unanimously approved by the Planning Board earlier this month.

By DAVID BALL

Sometimes I’m tempted to think that a fraction of the left gets its views on Ukraine from Vladimir Putin’s cyber-disinformation network. Take John Berkowitz’ guest column on June 15.

By GRACE CHAI

Over 30 years ago, Lucimara Galo immigrated to the United States from Brazil in hopes of a better life. Now, she helps others improve the quality of theirs.

By GARRETT COTE

Under a punishing sun on Tuesday afternoon, the Amherst Hurricanes bested Greenfield 7-1 in a Pioneer Valley Youth Baseball League Sandy Koufax matchup. Game time temperatures sat at 100 degrees, but it didn’t seem to slow down Amherst one bit.

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.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

NORTHAMPTON — Superintendent Portia Bonner plans to leave the position at the end of the 2025-2026 school year, at the end of her third year with Northampton Public Schools.

By CAROLYN BROWN

Northampton author Mike Curato recently released his new graphic novel, “Gaysians,” his first book for adults, which included a local book launch and karaoke party at Bombyx last weekend sponsored by High Five Books.

Visions Video, a nonprofit video store in downtown Northampton, will open to the public on Friday, June 27.

Two things can be true simultaneously— our city and schools are doing wonderful things and there’s still room for improvement. For several years, Northampton’s political conversations have focused heavily on criticizing what’s wrong with our city and schools, with limited discussion of practical solutions beyond increased funding. It’s time to expand the conversation. Three years ago, my family chose to move from Florida to Northampton for its liberal values and excellent schools. As a neurodivergent family with children at JFK, NHS, and HCC, I understand the struggles of advocating for neurodivergent people: from IEP qualification battles to accepting developmental differences while celebrating strengths. I have a master’s in education and classroom experience teaching students with diverse abilities, demographics, and needs. As the leader of an educational advocacy group, I developed innovative solutions for a school facing fiscal constraints — building and maintaining a butterfly garden with an open-air classroom, establishing a school’s first multicultural committee, and providing essential technology during the COVID pandemic.

By GARRETT COTE

A combined no-hitter from Josh Misiaszek and Ryan Gould, and 10 hits on offense propelled the Belchertown Post 239 Senior American Legion baseball team to a dominant 9-1 victory over Aldenville Post 337 in a rematch of last year’s District 3 title game on Monday evening at Belchertown High School. The victory marked Post 239’s third in a row.

By GARRETT COTE

In a rivalry bout with the Western Massachusetts Suburban Baseball League 14U championship on the line, it was Northampton that struck early and never looked back – earning a wire-to-wire 6-1 victory over Amherst on Saturday to claim the title.

By EMILEE KLEIN

NORTHAMPTON — Heat intensifies Evan Rudzik’s traffic enforcement shifts: his muscles get fatigued faster, his breath feels heavier and his sweat causes his florescent uniform to stick to his back and legs.

On June 18, the Supreme Court decided United States v. Skrmetti, one of the most important transgender rights cases to be heard by the court. The court ultimately decided to uphold a decision by the Sixth Circuit banning gender-affirming care (GAC) for minors, regardless of parental consent. Of great consequence was the court’s finding that Tennessee’s law (SB1) does not discriminate on the basis of sex and thus necessitates only a rational basis test (as opposed to heightened or strict scrutiny). The court thereby rejected the Equal Protection argument to protect access to GAC.

We live in perilous times. Immigrant neighbors, upon whom we depend for friendship and community, have been taken from schools, houses of worship, workplaces and homes without due process. They have been “disappeared.” Yet, as Gazette columnist Bill Newman has so clearly articulated, protest is effective! Thus, on June 26, in concert with the National Day of Action for the “Disappeared in America,” we will gather at Northampton City Hall at noon to walk Main Street and bear silent witness to the more than 1,500 people who have been “taken” by ICE in Massachusetts. We invite you to join us without signs, perhaps with a flower! As we walk, we will distribute information to activate and educate. (The Interfaith community will continue calling attention to such actions by ICE with more than 10 local faith groups planning a silent procession in mid-July.) Please join us at Northampton City Hall at noon on June 26.

By DEBORAH PASTRICH-KLEMER

By DEBORAH PASTRICH-KLEMER

By RICHARD FEIN

This column is about our growing and unsustainable national debt. Every year our federal government runs a budget deficit. For this fiscal year it is projected to be about $1.9 trillion. To fund that gap our government needs to borrow money by selling bonds. The sum of all the annual borrowing is our national debt. Currently the debt is about $36 trillion. In 2024, Americans paid $882 billion in interest on that debt. Because our government continues to run annual deficits the national debt will continue to grow and so will interest payments. The Congressional Budget Office projects that the national debt will be $52 trillion in 2035 and that interest payments over the next 10 years will total $13.8 trillion. Moody’s and the other two major credit rating firms have already lowered the credit rating of the U.S.

NORTHAMPTON — Bob Cahillane’s lifelong ties to the United States Navy, including a recently-wrapped 15-year stint as the area’s Blue and Gold Officer, may never have happened were it not for the “pissing match” he got into with his dad, the late “Big” Jim Cahillane, then mayor of Northampton.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra has appointed Katie Deppen, the city’s current superintendent of engineering in the Department of Public Works, as the next Central Services director.