Beaver Lake residents seek new rules
To the editor:
According to the law: "No person shall operate a motorboat at a speed exceeding 10 mph on Beaver Lake in Derry. However, this restriction shall not apply between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays inclusive, holidays excepted, and during unrestricted hours, no boat shall exceed 30 mph at any time on this body of water. All water skiing on Beaver Lake shall be in a counter-clockwise direction at all times."
I am in the process of going forward with a petition to the State of New Hampshire Department of Safety regarding the changing this above mentioned SAF-C 402.04 rule.
As far as researching and coming up with a date that it was enacted, nobody seems to know, even at the state level. It probably was petitioned by a group of Derry residents 50-60 years ago. Times have changed drastically since then, and it is time to see if the residents of Beaver Lake want to change the present rules.
I did preliminary research on Friday, July 9, with a "walk around" the lake explaining my petition endeavor to see if there would be enough support. From that research and this past week's information from various residents of the lake and Derry residents, I have decided to pursue the petition.
The petition procedure is a pretty simple one: Draw up the petition language as you would want the present rules changed, amended or rescinded, then get 25 signatures from Derry residents or Derry taxpayers. Send this paperwork to the Department of Safety in Concord.
After the necessary paperwork is processed, a public hearing will be scheduled prior to Sept. 30, 2010, to hear the petition — probably at the Derry Municipal building. A hearing examiner from the Department of Safety will then rule on the petition.
Many Beaver Lake residents have concerns about the lack of unrestricted hours on the weekends and holidays. As is the case now, the majority of Beaver Lake residents are year-round compared to 50-60 years ago being the exact opposite. People work all week, pay enormous taxes for their properties, and find the only time to enjoy boating on the lake to be on the weekends and holidays, when the lake is restricted to a 10 mph speed limit.
Right now we are "passing the word around" and gathering information regarding the petition. There will be a very important brainstorming, information and discussion meeting to be held at First Parish Church, across from the East Derry Store and post office on Tuesday, July 27, at 7 p.m.. With the information gathered at this meeting, I expect that the petition language be finalized and the paperwork sent to the state with a public hearing date to follow.
There is strength in numbers. I am looking for as many residents of Beaver Lake and the Town of Derry as possible to seriously consider a petition of this nature. It is our lake, the town's lake, and I look for the people to come together and decide how best to make the rules of Beaver Lake more user friendly for everyone.
Any other information that you may need, please call me at 603-490-3911 or e-mail me at chepnh@myfairpoint.net.
Carl Hepworth
Derry
Lying is at heart of our problems
To the editor:
It has always amazed me how successful Republicans have been in getting so many of my fellow citizens to vote for them!
I recently remarked to a Democratic strategist, "It seems for my whole life, all they have done to get votes is lie!" "Yes," he replied, "they're better at it than we are." And a light bulb went off in my head!
Lying is one of the biggest problems in our society today. Not just in politics either. The art of deception pollutes our culture at every level, from insurance and investment companies to ads and commercials and even to religion, where fear is added to lying for the purpose of gaining power and profit and minds!
A sad commentary on our values and culture is the push for three gambling casinos in Massachusetts, and more gambling in New Hampshire. The fact that our two states depend on that industry for a great deal or most of their revenue to operate, shows a lack of will and creativity and patience to create jobs that serve the public good and create dignity. Gambling does neither. It, too, relies on practicing the art of deception because "the house never loses"!
Anyone studying factual history, I believe, would also not understand how people earning less than $200,000 a year could believe that Republicans really had their best interests at heart. The sad consequence of the crash is that union employees, public and private, are being scapegoated. Isn't it "terrible" that people earning a living wage should do so when there is so much unemployment? And isn't it telling that those still earning $200,000 a year and far, far more are not saying a word? (Unless they are running for office.)
The old "divide and conquer" game is back again. Only this time it is neighbor against neighbor. I say we need to see further than that, further than ideologues would wish us to look. And for every new good job that is created, we need to reopen the old debate and ask, "How much is a man/woman worth?" Because the skimming of the cream has once again gone too far.
Eleanor White
Derry
