Gary is a retired journalist. He worked 40 years for the Greenfield (Mass.) Recorder, the final 32 as sports editor. An active member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the New England Outdoor Writers Association for nearly a half-century, he penned a weekly outdoor column, On the Trail, for the Recorder and Holyoke Transcript and has too many freelance credits to mention. Gary grew up in South Deerfield, Mass., a village where his roots reach to the beginning, and now lives with wife Joanne at Old Tavern Farm in Greenfield. Gary is a place- and nature-based writer focused on Connecticut Valley and New England history, genealogy, Americana, and prehistory. He wakes early, diligently researches local history and writes a bi-monthly column, Valley View, for the Montague Reporter — always keeping an eye on issues related to fish, wildlife and habitats. Gary was for many years recognized as a lonely, sharp, early critic of the now-defunct Connecticut River Salmon Restoration Project. He was also an unapologetic early believer in New England cougar sightings, which have by now been substantiated.