With the dawn of each New Year, it's common for people to look back and judge whether their lives are better or worse than they were 12 months ago.
While residents of Londonderry, Derry and Chester may have differing opinions based on their particular circumstances, it's clear to see that, on the whole, much has changed in the past year. In our annual year-end retrospective, the Derry News takes a look at the events and people that made news in 2009.
There was change in Londonderry, where Shawn O'Keefe took his place as the newest member of the Town Council. Early in the year, Bill Hart was named interim chief of police, and was later named to the position permanently, following the retirement of Joe Ryan. As for the Londonderry High Marching Band, the only change was the location of their latest road trip. In 2009 the destination was Washington D.C. for the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
Derry saw change with the creation of Charter Commission, though members of the committee failed to recommend any radical changes to town government. The position of economic development coordinator was eliminated, but Derry officials took several steps to spur economic development, including the hiring of a firm to market downtown properties and the decision to widen Route 28 to five lanes. In addition, the Frost Farm may be getting some new industrial neighbors.
We said goodbye to several well-known community figures, including Wilfred Bernier, Bernie Resnick, Leigh Buckley, Gerry Cox, Bill Etter and Army Specialist Adam Kuligowski of Derry, who died serving his nation in Afghanistan.
Will 2010 bring a more stable economy? A return to power for Granite State Republicans? Large-scale commercial development? Increased unemployment?
Strap yourselves in. 2010 promises to be an E-ticket ride.
Learner's permit alone won't save lives
A bill before the New Hampshire Legislature would require novice drivers to obtain a formal learner's permit from the state before taking to the road with their parents to learn to drive.
Supporters of the measure say the permit will save lives. But there is little evidence that a permit alone will achieve that worthwhile end.
Right now, the law says that young people who reach the age of 15 1/2 can begin to drive under adult supervision. They must wait until reaching age 16 to apply for their licenses. All other states require a learner's permit for new drivers, which usually requires the passage of a written test on the rules of the road.
District 11 Rep. Kim Casey of East Kingston is cosponsoring a bill that would require anyone in New Hampshire under 18 to obtain a learner's permit before learning how to drive.
The bill is up for debate in January. It would require teenagers who are at least 15 1/2 years old to pass a written test and pay a $20 fee before beginning to drive with an adult.
A similar measure from 2007 died in the state Senate.
Supporters cite a National Highway Transportation Safety Administration study that recommends "graduated driver licensing" to help reduce fatalities among teen drivers.
But graduated licensing goes far beyond the simple issuance of a learner's permit. Such measures issue licenses in stages — first the learner's permit, then a provisional license that limits hours of operation and number of passengers until the driver is at least 18, then a full license at a minimum age of 18.
Any violation — failing to wear seat belts, speeding — extends by six months the time the new driver must wait to advance to the next license stage.
It's clear that those tough restrictions are what's delivering the improvement in teen accident and injury rates.
Simply handing out official pieces of paper in exchange for a $20 fee and passage of a road rules quiz isn't going to achieve much of anything.
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