Saturday, November 7, 2026

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

HomeViewpoints

Viewpoints

JOHN BREASTED: The Great Barrington Selectboard’s credibility gap

Transparency does not require officials to reveal legal strategy. It does require them to tell voters when the town has been sued.

CONNECTIONS: A spiraling economy will hurt everyone

Americans have rarely been pessimistic about our economy, and we were right. Every generation did better than the last. Until it didn’t—until now.

Let’s build a stronger Lenox together

I believe Lenox thrives when experienced leadership is complemented by fresh perspectives.

Vote ‘YES’ to fund a temporary Brookside Road bridge replacement at Great Barrington’s May 3 Annual Town Meeting

Since the state closed the Brookside Road Bridge in May 2024, the reliable access we once had to emergency services is gone. A drive that once took minutes now takes up to 30. The consequences of such a delay in a medical emergency could be devastating.

A response to Patrick White’s comment on politicians ‘who get stuff done’

A creative mind paired with the wisdom of those who have been in “the room where things happen” could be a winning combination for successful civic evolution.

I offer my strong support for Marybeth Mitts’ re-election to the Lenox Select Board

Marybeth is a standout: Lenox is now bearing the fruit of her incredible work ethic and years of determined leadership on your behalf.

I WITNESS: Time to talk about autism

Over the course of a decades-long career, I had a number of fraught conversations with parents who desperately wanted their children to be identified as having autism spectrum disorders.

A letter of support for Marybeth Mitts’ candidacy for another term on the Select Board

Please vote for the candidate who listens, works hard, and will be fair to all her constituents on May 5, 2025.

Marybeth Mitts has considerably more relevant experience to be on the Lenox Select Board than her opponent

In short, Marybeth Mitts has dedicated decades of her life—always 24/seven—to benefit the Town of Lenox, and she understands not only its multiple current facets but the intricacies of our future needs as well.

Egremont voters should adopt Community Preservation Act

Let’s not leave state dollars on the table. Let’s invest in the things that make Egremont such a special place to live.

CONNECTIONS: Stop talking about what is right and do right

If you think it is melodramatic to decide what is worth dying for, please, on this day if no other, let’s all think again.

An anthem to unify our movement

We could use our voices to sing "Step by Step," along with Pete and each other, making it the anthem of our unifying movement (sing it out loud with Pete below).

Great Barrington voters still want the town to acquire Housatonic Water Works, despite special town meeting vote

My heart goes out to the people of Housatonic who have been suffering with nightmarish water issues. We can all understand their anger and frustration. We all want a remedy. But this plan wasn’t it.

It is time to take our country back

This is now our time to protest.

I WITNESS: The made-for-TV presidency

Attention-hog Trump cannot exist outside of a staged, media-centric bubble of self-aggrandizement.

LEONARD QUART: Reading about the Trump nightmare in The New York Times

While reading, one begins to feel that an American version of fascism is ominously evolving, and the paper is filled with items that carry a frisson of apprehension that clearly can’t be paranoia on the reader’s part.

Please do not bring national anti-Democrat divisiveness to Stockbridge

Just because local Stockbridge Democratic Committee members may have some issues that are not shared by the incumbent Select Board member does not mean that we are radical left-wing Democrats.