Letters to the editor for Aug. 15, 2007

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August 15, 2007

Summer reading

To the editor:

I just wanted to drop a quick note thanking Kendall Ann Curtis for her summer reading recommendation "Austenland." It came in on the very day I saw "Becoming Jane" at the movies. The movie was very good and the book was a great read afterward, as "Pride and Prejudice" is my all-time favorite. Thanks again for the recommendation.

I just finished reading "Cloud 9" by Luanne Rice | what a tear jerker! I haven't cried like that since Love Story! Wonderful book and the characters/place came across so believable and real.

Wendy Dorval

Derry

Only time will tell

To the editor:

I would appreciate it if you would allow me the opportunity to respond to a letter to the editor submitted by Paul Dionne of the Derry Conservation Commission, which was printed in the Aug. 8 edition of the Derry News.

In the past few weeks, I have read Paul Dionne's repeated claim that I said that he was "dishonest" and "could not be trusted." It is true that Paul and I had a discussion in regard to his reappointment to the Derry Conservation Commission, and I informed Paul as to why I would not vote for his reappointment. The words "dishonest and untrustworthy" were never uttered by me. I did tell Paul that I felt that he and the Conservation Commission were responsible for the disparity that existed in regard to the lack of open space between East Derry and West Derry.

Also, I have never "checked out" the Derry Conservation Commission's reputation within New Hampshire conservation circles, therefore, Paul and I did not discuss his board being thought of "quite highly" for their hard work by their peers.

In his letter, Mr. Dionne refers to a resident of Derry District One having contacted the state of New Hampshire nearly two years ago, misrepresenting himself or herself as a town of Derry official. I challenge Mr. Dionne to tell the citizens of Derry as to who this individual is and to provide proof of his accusation. I can rest assured knowing without a doubt that the citizen he refers to is not me.

Mr. Dionne is correct in stating that I did contact the Derry Conservation Commission to solicit their assistance to try to save the 17 acres of meadow land, which was located on Fordway Street and at the end of Rose Avenue. Mr. Dionne is incorrect in stating that I thought the 17-acre parcel would make for good recreational fields. I thought that the land was worth saving just as it was. The only drawback was that the parcel was located on the wrong side of town.

Time will tell if it would have behooved the town of Derry to purchase the acreage when it had the chance, rather than allow it to become 115 units for those who are 55 and older.

Janet Fairbanks

Town Councilor

Derry

More of the same from Shea-Porter

To the editor:

In 2006, I refused to vote for Congressman Jeb Bradley because of his poor record on controlling spending. I now see that things can get worse, much worse.

Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter was just given a miserable score of 2 (out of 100) on her voting record regarding “pork” (wasteful and often corrupt) spending. Of 50 votes tracked, our new congresswoman voted in favor of the wasteful spending 49 times.

Examples of the bills tracked in this study were funding of $129,000 for the Mitchell County Development Foundation for the home of the "perfect Christmas tree" project, $100,000 for the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters to renovate some hall in Ohio, $140,000 for the Wetzel County Courthouse in West Virginia, $150,000 for the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, S.C., $50,000 for the National Mule and Packers Museum in Woodlake, Calif., $100,000 for the Kansas Regional Prisons Museum in Lansing, Kansas.

Would the congresswoman please explain why $1 of New Hampshire taxpayer dollars should fund a mule museum? Or for that matter any of these other local projects?

Would the congresswoman please reread the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution she swore to defend. It limits the role of the federal government. By my reading of that document, funding mule museums is not an obligation of the federal government.

Unfortunately, despite our hopes for improvement, Congresswoman Shea-Porter has become just another part of the problem. Would someone please run against her? Someone who will not be an accomplice in the mugging of the American taxpayer, please step forward.

Doug Newell

Derry

Saving the Met

To the editor:

If ever there was a cause to bring our community together, certainly the “Save The Met” campaign has to be it.

As many people know, the Children’s Metamorphosis museum, better known as The Met, will close its doors on Aug. 31 unless our community can come together to raise the money it needs to survive. There is precious little time and a daunting fundraising goal of $50,000. But this is the stuff great things are made of.

Our town has a unique opportunity. The Met originally announced it was simply going to close its doors at the end of August due to declining sponsorships and ongoing financial difficulties, but after an outcry of support and encouragement from its members and the community, it became clear that people were ready to pull together to save this jewel of our downtown. While we have watched helplessly as other downtown businesses have come and gone, our community will get to have a voice in whether or not The Met survives.

Are we up to the challenge? We have to be. Saving an invaluable resource like The Met is not something we’ll get a second shot at folks, and losing them will be a major blow not only to our downtown and the economic opportunities it represents, but it will be a blow to our children, and thereby, our future as well.

Conversely, a successful “Save The Met” campaign could go a long way in restoring faith and pride in our own community and in the future of Derry. It also represents an opportunity for the strength of our community, which are its people, to really come together and shine.

At a recent community meeting of volunteers at The Met, it was inspiring to see the wide range of ideas and the diversity of the people involved in trying to make this effort a success. People and groups from seemingly opposite ends of the spectrum, all came together for the greater good of our community.

The success of the “Save The Met” campaign is something we can all be a part of, and ultimately, its success or failure will reflect on our town as well as our community as a whole.

Let’s all try to put our best foot forward for this effort. Let’s all try to show what Derry is really made of. There are some great minds and big hearts in this town. This is an opportunity to really show everything good about our town and show a real sense of community spirit, let’s not let it pass us by.

A few weeks ago, before the “Save The Met” campaign had even started, Community for A Better Derry and Steve Falconer and I personally were challenged to get involved to do something about The Met’s impending closure. We have responded to that challenge with a $1,000 pledge, as well as offering whatever help our group might be able to provide in this effort.

Now it’s time for everyone in this town, groups, businesses and individuals, who care about The Met to pledge, volunteer, or just help spread the word. It’s time to step up to the plate and do something, no matter how big or small it may seem, to make our community a better place for our children and for ourselves. Together, we can all make the difference.

I implore everyone to visit www.savethemet.org or call The Met at 425-2560 to find out what you can do to help to keep The Met alive.

Neil Wetherbee

Community for A Better Derry

Derry

Mack's signs should come down

To the editor:

Anybody riding along Mammoth Road in Londonderry in the past year could not help but notice several large billboards expressing political sentiments on the property of Mack's Apple Orchards.

I will not discuss the merits of the messages written on the billboards in this letter. However, I and many others find these signs to be an eyesore.

Over the years, the taxpayers of Londonderry have been very generous in spending their hard-earned dollars in order to guarantee that many of the apple orchards would not be developed. This was done to ensure that Londonderry kept its bucolic New England atmosphere. Instead, these billboards unfortunately conjure up images of graffiti covered subway cars in New York.

To paraphrase Ronald Reagan: Mr. Mack, take down these signs.

Howard Bookman

Londonderry

A historic commendation

To the editor:

Thank you Derry News and staff writer Terry Date for your article in the Aug. 1, 2007, edition, “Safeguarding Londonderry’s Past.”

Growing up in Londonderry, living there and/or just visiting over the years, I have seen, as everyone has, extraordinary growth that can both deplete our natural resources and demolish our historic heritage. I am so pleased that people like Marilyn and Chet Ham, Andy Mack, the Heritage Commission, the Demolition Delay Committee, the Historic Properties Preservation Task Force, the Historical Society, the Conservation Fund, and the town of Londonderry are there to protect the character and charm of this community.

I am grateful to these people who have fought so hard to save the beauty and historic character of Londonderry, for they've given me the great fortune of coming home to what I remember growing up with | historic farmhouses, barns, stone walls, fields of apple orchards and even “Grace,” my favorite of the many extraordinarily beautiful trees.

Keep up the great work and do let everyone know when you need help and support, for without Londonderry's historic heritage, we would not be here today with hopes of flourishing tomorrow, as the apples do, for our future generations to hold and to cherish.

Dianne Rennard

Londonderry and Southampton, N.Y.