Derry does a great job with recycling, which has proven to be a money maker for the community.
But town leaders should think carefully before going ahead with an expansion of the transfer facility that could cost $3 million. That price tag seems excessive.
Public Works Director Michael Fowler and Recycling Coordinator Joanie Cornetta came before the Town Council recently to make a pitch for expanding and updating the transfer station, which admittedly is in poor shape.
The main building dates back to 1980 and is undersized for Derry's current population, Fowler told the council. Items are stolen, materials blow around in the wind and the traffic flow plan makes drop-off more difficult than it should be.
An expanded, covered transfer station could improve Derry's recycling rate, Fowler said. The town's recycling rate already is 38 percent, well above the state average of about 24 percent, he said.
An improved facility could add about $200,000 a year to the town's recycling earnings, Fowler said.
That's a worthy goal. But the $3 million cost of the improvements should put a damper on such enthusiasm. Even hitting the target of $200,000 in additional recycling revenues means it would take 15 years to recover the cost of the improved facility.
In better economic times, this might be an easier decision to make. But with the economy in the doldrums, Derry's leaders need to watch every penny in public spending.
End the crusade against same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage has been legal in New Hampshire since Jan. 1, 2010.
The people of New Hampshire, through their elected representatives in both houses of the Legislature, approved of this measure in 2009 and it was duly signed into law by Gov. John Lynch.
Now, the state's Republican-led House and Senate may be on the verge of repealing same-sex marriage and throwing the lives of thousands of New Hampshire citizens into turmoil.
And for what? There are no better reasons to repeal this law than bigotry and a misguided quest for ideological purity. It is time for the Legislature's Republicans to look into their hearts and see if anything other than spite resides there.
Gov. Lynch has promised to veto any bill repealing same-sex marriage. It is unclear whether Republicans would have enough votes to override a Lynch veto.
In the past two years, the presence of legally married same-sex couples in the Granite State has in no way diminished the sanctity of traditional marriage. It has had no effect whatsoever on the lives of heterosexual couples. It has merely served to provide a measure of happiness and economic security to our fellow citizens who happen to be gay.
There is no public outcry in New Hampshire for a repeal of same-sex marriage. The latest WMUR Granite State Poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center in October, found that 50 percent of residents "strongly oppose" a repeal of the law, with another 12 percent "somewhat opposed."
Republicans fail to understand that a big part of Yankee conservatism is a desire to be left alone, not be hectored continually by those who wrongly believe they know how the rest of us should live.
Upon recapturing the Legislature from the Democrats, these Republicans embarked on a crusade for a social conservative agenda that means little to Granite Staters mired in a recession. As with their restoration of the right to carry guns in the State House chambers, it is difficult to see how repealing same-sex marriage will in any way improve the lives of New Hampshire residents.
If New Hampshire Republicans continue on this path, they will deservedly find themselves on the short end of vote counts come the next election. And what then if a future Democratic Legislature repeals the Republican repeals? Must we fight these ideological battles every two years?
A proper vote was taken and same-sex marriage passed into law. The right thing to do now is leave it alone.
