To the Editor:

Summer time ­ at last!

I hope you have a wonderful summer experience. However, I urge you to remember that there are children out there who could use your help.

If you love parenting, miss having kids around the house, have love to give and room in your heart, call us. You will be glad you did.

There may be a foster child or a child who has been waiting for an adoptive family ­ just like yours. What do you say?

Call your local Manchester DCYF foster care worker at (800) 852-7493.

Jan Feuer, intake specialist
NH Foster & Adoptive Parent Association
PO Box 2802, Concord, NH 03302
1-877-964-3272
www.nhfapa.org

To the Editor:

Idealism can take you just so far, and often not far enough. Especially, it cannot make things come true when the idealist ignores contrary facts of life. Such is the case with Fred Plett and Goffstown recycling.

There is no way that recycling in Goffstown can be increased considerably by rewarding “the good guys or gals.” For one thing, finding such do-gooders would involve highly intrusive nosing into trash and recycling bins.

Such intruding is probably the main reason why there is now no enforcement and why none is likely. So, how do you find the best recyclers?

If you use the height of the trash and recycling bin lids, you would ignore the fact that some people crush their plastic containers and metal cans and thus fit more under closed lids.

If you go by how often the bins are out for pick-up, you ignore the fact that some people generate less trash and recycling and do not put their containers out every week. Why have such a powerful lifter stop to pick up a container that is not nearly full?

Then, there is the factor of the wear and tear on the bins. The trash truck driver is either inept, or very careless, dropping trash containers into the road, in many cases, where they become endangered and road hazards.

Householders should put their bins so far back from the road that the truck has to reach a long ways to get it and cannot drop it into the road. Recycling bins are handled with greater skill and care, but would need to be put as far back as trash bins.

The rate of recycling depends on the understanding and caring of the people, not on awarding golden bins to a few you imagine do a better job. Also, recycling does take a bit of time and effort and those of us who are retired can fit in better than people who go to work every day.

And, it also takes time, effort and patience on the part of those, like Fred, who are concerned that everybody does not do what you’d like them to do.

Fred and the Public Works Department are doing a good job of informing people as to cost-savings and such, but some people just do not care. In time, and with more prodding, maybe a few more will fall in line, but don’t expect very many to do so.

Instead of a blah reward, is there some way to make it exciting to recycle? Think about it.

Charles Carr
Goffstown

To the Editor:

This is another in a series of letters to the editor to catch people “doing it right” with respect to recycling.

Michael and Lisa Anne Magin, who live in the Pinardville section of town, were pointed out by our recycle driver as another couple who are good citizens trying their best to recycle.

Michael and Lisa Anne have two little children in diapers, so their recycle percentage as a percent of the total waste stream isn’t as high as it could be when households consist just of adults.

Of course, dirty diapers and left over food waste properly belong in the trash, not “big blue,” and that’s why their recycle percentage isn’t as high as they’d like, but the recycle percentage is still 50 percent or better, even under these circumstances!

Michael told me that they separate trash from recyclables with a real high-tech solution ­ brown paper bags from the grocery!

He says nothing could be easier than tossing the recyclables into one paper bag and the trash into another, and then bringing each out to their respective blue and green wheeled totes.

Thank you, Michael and Lisa Anne! You are saving tax dollars and helping the environment.

Fred Plett
Chairman, Goffstown
Solid Waste Commission

To the Editor:

We are writing this letter because we would like to put some recognition where it is well deserved. We volunteered for the Goffstown Salvation Army, during the flood disaster and we were deeply touched by Deb Urella, the representative for the Goffstown Salvation Army.

It really amazed us and caught our attention because not only was she down at the flood site handing out vouchers for food, clothing, cleaning aids and other miscellaneous essentials for these disaster victims, her sympathy and concern for these families was extremely noticeable. You could really tell that Deb really cared.

These families that went through the disaster and lost so much needed the caring and concern, as well as the assistance given to them by Deb Urella. You could tell that it was greatly appreciated by the unfortunate families.

We were only volunteers and we ourselves felt the compassion and sympathy and understanding was deeply conveyed by Deb to these families. We feel that Deb did an exceptional job during this tragic and emotional time which devastated many families.

We really feel that Deb Urella deserves a big round of applause for the outstanding job she did for everyone involved as she is the volunteer rep. for the Salvation Army. Deb spent numerous hours consoling and tending to these families who lost so much, we feel that Deb went above and beyond her call of duty.

Deb did all she could to help these victims and she is really a remarkable person. We all know she has to be a very exceptional woman to volunteer her time, as we all know this is a non-paying job and takes a lot of caring and compassion all the time, not just at times like this most recent disaster.

Deb not only volunteers, she also has to supply utilities and expenses that she needs to in order to keep the food pantry up and running, as well as having to raise money, as the food pantry is a nonprofit organization.

We know what it cost to keep our utilities going, but can you just imagine what it must cost Deb to keep seven freezers running, as well as light and gas to run around to get the food to feed the less fortunate?

We know that this has to be hard and expensive for her and her husband to keep up with the big bill. So we really feel that Deb deserves credit where credit is due and, with all she has done, we want to thank her.

Thank you, Deb, for all the work you have done to help everyone. God bless you, Deb.

Dixie King and Sandra
Goffstown

To the Editor:

The tragedy of the U.S.-led war in Iraq continues to unfold as parents, family and friends of U.S. military members grieve. How many more young men, often still teenagers, must die in this illegal, horrendous war before enough citizens demand that it end?

More than 2,500 soldiers have been killed, more than 18,000 have been wounded and the rate of post-traumatic stress disorder among the returning veterans is reported to be close to 20 percent.

Our president has never answered the question, “Why are we fighting this war?” except with a few vague generalities about fighting terrorism. The number of those who hate America has risen dramatically because of our presence in Iraq.

We are there to gain a military presence in the Middle East and to gain access to the oil under the blood-drenched sands of Iraq. And for this we ask our youth to offer their lives and limbs?

What of the dead? We honor their service, we mourn their painful loss and we regret that our government trains them to kill whoever is determined to be an enemy.

Soldiers are taught by methods honed over the centuries to kill on command only incidentally for motives of patriotism and principally to defend the lives of their comrades, with whom they deeply bond by shared hardships.

Many leave their homes filled with patriotic fervor and a desire to serve their country. The fault lies not in them but in those to whom war is a justifiable solution to conflicts ­ political, economic, religious ­ because they lack the will to seek positive, nonviolent means of settling disputes. The insatiable appetite of war is satisfied only by the blood of a nation’s youth.

As the saying goes, “If you are not outraged, you haven’t been paying attention.”

If you are among the majority of Americans who say they are against continuing this immoral war, feel free to join the members of Goffstown’s “Neighbors Advancing Nonviolence” as we stand in vigil each Wednesday from 5:30 to 6 p.m. on the Village Common.

Our president told the recent West Point graduates “This war began on my watch but it’s gonna end on your watch.”

He has bought in to his vice president’s concept of “endless war,” which both Bush and Cheney plan to follow from their comfortable retirement homes. Help to show them that we will not stand for that.

Thomas Lee
Goffstown

To the Editor:

As the acting director of Liberty House, Manchester’s transitional facility for homeless veterans, I have had the privilege of being in contact with Congressman Bradley and his office a number of times.

I can attest to the fact that Congressman Bradley has always exemplified a deep personal concern for not only the veterans of New Hampshire, but for the general public as well. From the veteran’s perspective, Jeb has fought a tireless battle on all fronts where veterans and their benefits are concerned.

In addition, Congressman Bradley has waged an intense battle to ensure that the best interests of the people of New Hampshire are always being served. Whether it be flood relief, saving jobs at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, securing our nation’s borders, promoting economic growth and tax reduction, health care, deficit reduction, promoting independent energy concerns, the environment, our right to bear arms, or bringing Channel Nine to the communities of northern New Hampshire, Congressman Jeb Bradley has always attempted to serve the people of New Hampshire in a manner that would be most advantageous to them.

I recommend that during the upcoming election, that the supporters of veterans and the general public alike support Congressman Jeb Bradley’s re-election. The people of New Hampshire need Jeb Bradley for one simple reason … he genuinely cares, a rarity in today’s self-serving political environment.

Donald Duhamel
Manchester

To the Editor:

Bradley and Bass, two peas in a pod, seem to have entirely lost touch with New Hampshire’s working middle class. A review of their votes on issues that affect our pocketbooks clearly earns them a grade of F. Makes one wonder if they ended up at the head of the class as our representatives in Congress simply because their last names begin with B. If so, then shame on us the voters for being so superficial.

Monica Smith
Durham