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Opinion- Page 8

Generations: Calm and Purpose Among the Benton Stacks

June 29, 2026
On a recent Saturday, I was finally able to resume my favorite volunteer activity: working at the E.C. Benton Library. People may wonder why I would spend three precious hours of my Saturday afternoon doing volunteer work, but I honestly can’t imagine…

From The Stacks: Here Comes the Sunflower Challenge

May 15, 2025
As we welcome a new season, we’re excited to share some important updates and opportunities at the library. First, we extend our heartfelt thanks to two long-serving members of our Board of Trustees, Mary Stearns and Mark Carthy, who recently completed their…

Generations: Let Them Eat Popcorn!

May 12, 2025
Family dinner. As parents, we were told it was the solution to everything. Our kids required it to grow up well-adjusted and become adventurous eaters. Meaningful conversation would flow freely as we cemented close and lasting bonds over Brussels sprouts and sushi.…

Ask Lisa: Comparison is the Thief of Joy – Social Media Edition

April 30, 2025
A parent of a 20-something reached out to me recently with this concern: “My 27-year-old daughter has changed jobs, apartments, and partners with dizzying regularity since she graduated from college. Why? Apparently, the jobs, apartments, and partners just aren’t good enough.’ When…

Generations: Climbing to New Heights

April 30, 2025
For years, the elevator in my doctor’s Cambridge office building carried patients safely up and down six floors. When COVID arrived, it was no longer safe. Every stranger’s breath was filled with fearful possibility, and even wearing masks, we stood too closely…

Garden Gems: Container Gardening With Native Plants

April 28, 2025
Using native plants in containers brings a bit of nature to your doorstep. The mini-habitat you create will benefit pollinating insects seeking food and shelter. Native plants are relatively pest-free, they can live for years, and the planting process is no different…

Generations: Starting a New Chapter

April 13, 2025
Somewhere up in my 12-year-old daughter’s bedroom, buried within the piles of stuff that tend to accumulate in a preteen’s personal space, is a copy of Terry Pratchett’s young adult novel, “The Shepherd’s Crown.” There’s a bookmark in it, about two-thirds of…

Garden Gems: Be Gone, Garlic Mustard

April 11, 2025
Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) was introduced to North America from Europe in the mid-1800s for erosion control and as an edible herb. The leaves release a tell-tale garlicky aroma when crushed. Why is it a problem? Most of the dozens of insect…

Generations: What Lies Behind Library Walls?

April 3, 2025
Day after day after day, the new library rises with exemplary efficiency. All those who put this massive project together—on budget and on time—need a medal and a bonus in a world that usually awards neither. Watching it go up, I feel…
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