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How sad it is that a place designed to keep kids busy and happy is a victim, apparently, of bored kids.

In Allenstown, the Whitten Street Park recreation center has had windows broken, electricity shut off, fences broken, graffiti on walls, games stolen and shingles torn off the roof. It’s difficult for us to put ourselves in the minds of those who find this a pleasurable activity, but it seems clear there are some people who think vandalism is something worth their time.

Parents need to be aware of where their children are spending their time and question if they show up one day with a Playstation their child could never afford. Police can’t guard the rec center 24 hours a day, so it’s up to all of us to pay attention to what our children are up to.

­ Ginger Kozlowski

To the Editor:
The Hooksett Fire-Rescue would like to take this opportunity to review a few important safety considerations. First, with cold weather and winter heating season upon us, citizens are reminded to exercise great caution when disposing of ashes. Ashes should be wet down and placed in a closed metal container. The container should be placed outside away from any combustible materials such as leaves, stacked or piled wood, etc., and most importantly, the home or building itself.

Secondly, test your alarm for life. Your smoke alarm has the power to save your life. Or does it? If you haven’t tested your smoke alarm lately, it may not be working. And that’s a risk you can’t afford to take. Working smoke alarms give us early warning of a fire, providing extra time to escape safely. But they can’t do their job if we haven’t done ours – monthly testing to make sure they’re working. Test all the smoke alarms in your home, for the life of the alarm and for the lives of your loved ones.

Finally, during this holiday season, use caution with extension cords in outdoor locations. Also use caution not to overload electrical circuits.

Michael L. Hoisington
Deputy Fire
Chief Hooksett Fire Rescue Hooksett

To the Editor:
When I saw the cartoon on the Dec. 2 editorial page of the Hooksett Banner, I was quite taken aback. In my opinion, the wording on the Epsom School sardine can with the caption “WE PACK ’EM IN!” was a low blow to people in Epsom, as well as an unsubstantiated claim.

Much credit is to be given to the school board teachers and parents who have worked to come up with alternatives for space and making due with the limited resources of money available, as well as raising funds to fill in the gaps. However, residents are left wondering as to how close we even are to “packing ’em in,” as the cartoon suggests. Epsom is not growing nearly as fast as other towns in the area. One possible reason for it is due to the selectmen’s efforts to put more land in conservation easements.

I wish to call to mind the Oct. 28, 2004, issue of the Hooksett Banner in which there were these two front page headlines: “Never Enough – Local food pantries see increase in people needing donations” and opposite this, “Taxing bills –Hooksett taxes up 14 percent.” One can only wonder if there is a relationship between these two headlines, even though none was drawn. I believe there are many cases of people on fixed incomes that are greatly affected by increasing taxes. Keeping their homes and accepting assistance or selling their homes and moving are questions they have to deal with.

I feel a balance needs to be struck in how we approach these school budget issues. Many people in Epsom cannot afford the 7, 8, 9 and up to double-digit percent increase proposed with this year’s school bond issue. This increase is only on the school side without even talk of the town budget. Another aspect of this situation is that the impact of the 2005 revaluation has not been felt and will not be felt until the next tax bills go out in mid-2005. Historically, people’s taxes have gone up after revaluation, if you keep up with the headlines.

We need to hear and understand both sides of the issue to be fully informed. If you are as curious as I am, you can attend the budget committee working session tonight, Dec. 9, at the Epsom Town Hall on Black Hall Road at 7 p.m.

Tom Langlais
Epsom

To the Editor:
The Allenstown Historical Society was revitalized in early 2003 and new officers were elected at that time. In the past two years, we have organized several educational events for the community. At Old Home Day and on election days, we have displayed photographs and other items from our collection. Also since 2003, we have created a secure archival system for our growing collection.

Unfortunately, some items that were donated to the Allenstown Historical Society prior to 2003 are missing. If you or anyone you know donated items prior to 2003, please contact me at 485-9720 or bonk@alum.mit.edu. I will verify that your item is in our collection and send you a receipt for it.

Also, if anyone knows the whereabouts of historical maps, video, slides, photos and the town seal, please contact the Allenstown Police Department. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Laura M. Bonk
President Allenstown Historical Society

To the Editor:
To CYAA board and members:
It is difficult to find the right words to express our extreme heartfelt gratitude to you folks but will make a sincere attempt to do so.

We have visited the field house and have seen the granite stone in honor of our Grant. It is absolutely beautiful.

We are so moved that your group wanted to keep his memory alive in such a touching way. And such a great location in front of the awesome field-house!

Now all who pass by will think of Grant and recall how much he is loved and how great is his loss.

We want to express to the CYAA our deep appreciation for this generous gift.

We’ve lived in town for a long time and the CYAA was always such a part of our three chil-drens’lives.

The CYAA provided their first exposure to sports and all three children continued to be very sports-minded as they grew older. They also learned good sportsmanship which is so important and also a fine trait to possess all through ones’life.

The CYAA coaches taught them this.

Roger was a CYAA coach for many years. Big supporters of CYAA we have always been, but never did we imagine that a day would come when the CYAAwould prove to be such a big supporter to us!

Our tragedy has become life’s biggest challenge to us and the CYAA has been there to help our family survive it.

We are profoundly touched by all that you have done for our family. Your mobilization after Grant’s death enabled the hundreds of people to attend the memorial service.

Without the use of the field-house, these friends could not have come together to grieve his loss and support us.

Please accept our heartfelt gratitude for this.

Although a day doesn’t pass that we wish this were all just a bad dream, we are touched and comforted by the thoughtfulness and support from the good folks that make up the CYAA.

Roger, Sandy, Meredith, and Lindsay Leavitt
Candia

To the Editor:
This letter is a follow-up to one I wrote on Thanksgiving Day about the litter problem in Auburn. In that letter, I told you that while walking in our neighborhood on Thanksgiving, my daughter and I had finally decided we could no longer tolerate the litter that had been dumped along the two miles that we were walking. We were particularly struck by a half-mile, unpaved stretch of Raymond Road, and so returned in our pick-up truck and removed a tire and two full 30-gallon bags of trash, barely making a dent in the problem.

The next morning I headed out along the same route that we had taken the day before. This time I was armed with a pocket full of trash bags. I left our house on Dearborn Road and headed towards Chester Turnpike. It is just less than one mile between our house and Raymond Road in that direction, and in that distance I gathered a full bag of trash. Then I headed down Raymond Road and collected another bag in the same area that we had removed two bags the day before. I filled four more bags of trash on the half mile that day for a total of seven bags from that one small part of Raymond Road.

As I collected the trash that morning, I was greeted by a man walking towards me. He said “Hey, I did that in front of my house one day and a week later it was right back to where it was.” I spoke with him for a little while, and he mentioned that he did not think that the dump accepted tires. He also told me about some big fluorescent light bulbs that lay up ahead that had been there for a few weeks. And sure enough I came upon them. A half dozen or so big, 8-foot long light bulbs and the box they came in are in a swampy area, along with a lot of miscellaneous drink containers and another tire. I have not had the opportunity to retrieve them as yet. I don’t happen to own a pair of “mudders.” Anyway, I filled another bag in the half mile between Raymond Road and my house on the other side of Dearborn Road. It took me two hours. Later, my husband went back with the pick-up truck and gathered it up and we took it to the transfer station.

I want to let your readers know that the transfer station in Auburn is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. They accept tires that are separated from the rims, big flores-cent lightbulbs and automobile gasoline tanks.

I truly feel that it is beyond me to complete this job because it is so huge. At one time I thought of it as insurmountable. My husband is a little upset with me because he doesn’t think it is my job to pick up other people’s trash. But I have not done it for them; I have done it for myself, and I think what I have done is noticeable. It looks a whole lot better to me now. I feel hopeful that all the strollers, hikers, bikers, runners and horseback riders that use that road will notice and enjoy. I hope the litterbugs too will notice and maybe get an attack of conscience and reconsider dumping there, or anywhere.

I also want to say to others that might feel the way I do that, even though it is totally unfair, if you are unable to enjoy your neighborhood because of all the trash, then get out there with some trash bags and pick it up. It will make you feel better and give you even more incentive to go out and get some exercise.

Dorothy Brousseau
Auburn

  Barrett's View

Editor’s note: Tom Barrett is a family man, businessperson and longtime Hooksett resident, who, on occasion, resorts to verse to make his point.

To the Editor:
It’s hard to soar with eagles when celebrating with turkeys.

The biggest turkey this Thanksgiving was Wal-Mart’s holiday promotion.

A Jewish friend observed that Christmas giving begat Hanukah giving; now, there’s Kwanzaa. Wonder what’s next?

Hanukah recalls one day’s supply of lamp-oil lasting eight days; these days, high fuel prices shine new light on this event.

Peace on earth will not happen until folks stop scrapping over pieces of earth.

The way we’re going, Christmas lights will soon be replaced by blue-light specials.

A successful Christmas season for retailers should be measured by holiday profits, not gross sales.

A successful Christmas season for the rest of us will occur when we make Christmas spirit more important than Christmas shopping.

Christmas spirit fueled by goodwill trumps Christmas spirit fueled by spirits.

A family gathering imbued with the Christmas spirit –priceless; for everything else, there’s credit cards.

My research indicates that, as a society, we have finally succeeded in removing most religious symbols from our Christmas rituals: angels have become flying reindeer, Santa has replaced the wise guys, and their gifts have been returned for store credits.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

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