Raid was overdue
To the editor:
Recently, the Grand View Fleamarket was raided by federal authorties, assisted by our local police department. This raid was long overdue.
It has been common knowledge in town for over a year that illegal activities were taken place at the fleamarket, where handbag and sunglasses famous brand "knock-offs" were sold by dozens of vendors; these individuals from out of state actually took up well over 75 percent of available space at the fleamarket.
Questions remain: Why did it take so long for authorities to act? Why did the Derry News not expose this illegal activity before. I did question this as early as April 27, 2008 in a note to the editor of your paper, suggesting that the crack team of journalist of the Derry News look into this.
What is wrong with this picture?
Bo Haugaard Strandnes
Derry
Thank you offered
To the editor:
Dad's Gang has done the Greater Derry/Londonderry Relay For Life with the American Cancer Society for three years in memory of their father Stuart A Trow. They would like to put out a special thanks to Clam Haven and Princess Jewelers for all their help in raising money for their team. A special thanks to all that donated to this cause, in hope for a cure.
Mindy Smith, Dad's Gang
Derry
Questions chief's motives
To the editor:
We have now learned that Fire Chief George Klauber, who maintains an outside job with MRI, where he travels New England representing himself as the Derry Fire Chief to earn extra money consulting to pad his rich Derry salary; who rarely shows up at working fires in Derry, and when he does he prefers to mingle in the crowd in civilian clothes to monitor the actions of his staff, according to a past memo of his, has submitted plans to Gary Stenhouse to grab an enormous chunk of the bailout money to actually construct a new central fire station in a different location than the central fire station that he now plans to replace.
Since he has been chief, he has demanded a "critically needed station" in Shute's Corner, which the council wisely voted down; he has promised us a reduction in stations and costs when he took over the East Derry FD, which never happened and where we've seen the opposite; and now he wants to replace the most up-to-date fire station we have, where we have spent the most monies in upgrades at the most important location in town, with a grand edifice somewhere else without a single study being completed, without a bit of public input, except for his apparent reading of moneyman Matthew Lesko's latest, "Free Government Money" book.
Do we need this albatross? Of course we do, because the money is there and the benighted chief wants a legacy in granite and glass.
Meanwhile, it seems that every home and business fire of any size results in a gutted wreck. Remember the recent fire at 75 Warner Hill Road, the same road connecting two Derry fire stations? We lost it.
Why?
Because it sure appears that Derry possesses the wrong equipment to fight fires outside the hydrant district and because Derry relies on an antiquated policy that requires the first company to get to your home to request water, rather than toning out additional tankers as soon as the call announcing a structure fire is received, just like every rural fire protection district does to save precious time. Since Derry has too few tankers, our additional water must come from volunteer companies in Hampstead, Chester and Auburn, which takes time. This entire process is guaranteed to burn my home to the ground while the DFD waits for water after having expended their on-board water in about five minutes due to the small amount of water the pumpers carry combined with their 1,500 gpm pumps.
Before we go any further with this new station lunacy, it is time for that departmental study that Mr. Stenhouse promised us last November. I know that the wheels of government turn slowly, but the growing senselessness of Chief Klauber's rarefied ideas may be stanched by an open and honest study of his runaway department in both its costs and procedures.
Oh, by the way, just to keep the DFD overtime running smoothly, last Friday I watched a Derry police officer on a detail at Broadway and Birch Street watch a Derry firefighter on a detail watch an electrician in a yellow bucket truck work on a line. Are we now paying firefighters for road details to work with the police officers on road details to watch people work? And I thought it was absolutely crazy having red fire department snow plows operating on overtime to plow out the cisterns, something the DPW is certainly capable of handling on straight time. When will this ruinous idea that nothing can be completed by the DFD without overtime madness stop?
John Burtis
Derry
We need gaming revenues
To the editor:
The New Hampshire House of Representatives recently voted down expanded gaming at existing facilities in New Hampshire.
What a terrible mistake. One reason for the negative vote is the fear of people being too reliant on a so called "vice" for the generation of revenue. This is an unfounded fear. The major concern is the possible increase in crime. Have we seen an increase in crime at or around the existing gaming locations in New Hampshire? Rockingham Park currently has racing, poker, blackjack, craps and roulette. Why would the addition of slot machines at these existing places increase crime? Has there been an increase in crime associated with the two Connecticut casinos?
If we do not allow increased gaming in New Hampshire I am sure Massachusetts will eventually have casinos and will attract people from New Hampshire. In addition, Connecticut, Maine and Rhode Island have major gaming facilities.
The estimated $100 million in annual gaming revenues will solve our budget problems and avoid layoffs and increased taxes.
Donald A. Moskowitz
Londonderry
Tribute to bridges
To the editor:
Our Old Covered Bridges
After many generations of use you've begun to show your wear,
And now your paint is fading as time has tarnished your flair.
Bestowing a vintage of age upon our old covered bridge,
But fear not, old friend, we will watch over you, this we pledge,
As so many generations of both young and old,
Have depended on the strength of their faithful wooden friend,
Who seemed to safely guide them over waters so swift and bold,
You'll always be our treasured beauty from end to end
If our old wooden bridge could speak,
Ahh, what enchanting stories it would tell,
Of sweethearts strolling across its moonlit deck,
And of romancing couples making their lifetime pledge,
With the old bridge seemingly extending its arms across the waters,
As to assure safe passage to all its borders,
Many a craftsmen have sought your safe passage,
Crossing over your structure with heavy loads of lumber and stone,
And farmers delivering produce on their horse drawn carriage,
From the weight of their workload your structure would groan,
But you never complained old wood friend,
Through wind and storm on you we could always depend,
With your mighty structure being so rigid and strong,
Hence your glory and beauty has lasted so long,
But through it all you've stood your ground,
As you made your place amidst the birth of a town,
You never let us down old friend,
For this we will watch over you until the very end,
Although after many a storm your structure has wilted,
But our fond memories of our safe passage could never be altered,
As so as our old friend lends a mighty silhouette against the night sky,
We will bid goodnight to our old covered bridge,
And for now we will say goodbye.
Paul McDonagh
Pelham
Generosity appreciated
To the editor:
Thanks to all of the individuals who generously contributed to Londonderry Dollars for Scholars. It means a lot both financially and emotionally for my son Duncan to have been selected as a scholarship recipient and is a great start to his college career at BC.
With sincere thanks to the entire community and to the teachers and staff at LHS for all you have given. And thanks to the Derry News for the great photo of Duncan smiling from the stage at graduation!
Kathleen Fleming
Londonderry
