Remember to include your name, hometown and daytime phone number (we won't publish your phone number). We reserve the right to edit for length and legal considerations. Send a letter.

It’s heartwarming to see a community come together in the face of tragedy. While friends and acquaintances can reach out to a family in time of sorrow, there are no words to diminish the pain they are enduring.

But, sometimes a smile or an outreached hand can let them know people care.

Recently, Bow and Concord have been hit by the loss of their children – Ally Hinck, 12, and Emily Hill, 11, of Bow, who died in a car accident along with parent Katie Hinck on Oct. 2; and Clifford Rich Nyquist of Concord, who died while swimming on Nov. 7.

Also, in August 2003, we lost Bow High School graduate John Queenan, 18, in a car accident.

Through the dark cloud created by the loss of these young people is the shining light of hope and love. Grief-stricken communities join hands to create memorials that will help others, thus perpetuating the memories of their loved ones forever.

In Queenan’s honor, a scholarship fund was set up. On Saturday, Dec. 4, Bow will come together for the Bow Benefit Bash to raise money for the Hinck and Hill memorial funds. And, we have no doubt that Nyquist will someday be remembered in a similar way. Those we have lost will live on in the hearts of their communities.
-Susan Clark, Editor
The Bow Times

---

DUNBARTON – On Saturday, Nov. 6, the Heritage Home-Schoolers of Dunbarton gathered together for a historical fair.

MAKING HISTORY– The Heritage Home-Schoolers of Dunbarton entertained guests with their knowledge of famous historical figures. Students and their characters are (from left) Eden McInturff, 7, as Will Rogers; Moriah McInturff, 6, as Elizabeth Fry; Olivia Dodd, 7, as Ludwig Von Beethoven; Erin Davies, 4, as Helen Keller; Amy Davies, 7, as Harriet Tubman; Emma Soucy, 5, as Orville Wright; Cassie Conover, 7, as Thomas Edison; and Morgyn Soucy, 8, as Sally Ride. (Courtesy Photo)

Armed with empty timelines, they set out on a journey beginning in the 1700s.

Eight home-schooled students from ages 4 to 8 displayed their knowledge of a specific historical figure through costume, visual presentation and food.

With their guests, they stamped their timelines with information on each individual and learned about the valuable character traits that enabled these historical figures to be worthy role models.

They started by meeting Ludwig Von Beethoven, presented by Olivia Dodd. The audience was enchanted with his music by a performance on the keyboard and hearing the history of his life of giving.

Elizabeth Fry visited next. Moriah McInturff was dressed as this prison reformer from England. She taught about the value of kindness through a short skit of the most recognized moment in Elizabeth Fry’s life, and telling the audience of her own visit of kindness to the local women’s prison.

The group enjoyed meeting Harriet Tubman next, presented by Amy Davies. Amy enthralled the audience with her detailed account of Harriet’s life, complete with hand drawings. She fulfilled Harriet’s dream of passing out apples to others instead of just picking them as a slave.

Cassie Conover entertained us next as Thomas Edison. Giving us detailed accounts of his inventions and even lighting up her own homemade light bulb. The value of creativity was demonstrated to all of us as we took a journey within his life through Cassie’s research.

Emma Soucy flew in on her own homemade cardboard Wright Flyer as Orville Wright. She presented a visual presentation of her own drawings detailing the steps the Wright Brothers took that enabled us to be where we are today. Emma encouraged the crowd in patience as they learned that value through the Wright Brother’s life.

Will Rogers captivated us with his humor next. Eden McInturff starred in a short movie that the audience found entertaining and comical, learning that there is real value in humor.

The group was pleased to be visited by Helen Keller as they learned how she persevered through so much adversity in her life. Four-year-old Erin Davies displayed her knowledge of this historical figure through posing as Helen throughout a question and answer session.

Morgyn Soucy, as Sally Ride, hosted a question and answer session at her mock planetarium show.

The group was delighted to be joined by the first American female in space. She shared a snack of freeze-dried ice cream sandwiches with the crowd. Morgyn’s presentation brought them right up to date on the timelines to the 21st century.

The kids could visually see where their place will fall in the frontier of tomorrows. After having been filled with role models to shape their own character, the home-schoolers were given character-building kinetic awards as a token of their efforts.

Our journey came to a close with the bounty of delicious refreshments pertinent to the historical presentation.

The children and guests left with a sense of wonder about the next century, where they will find their place and what character trait they might be remembered for, as they walk along this line of time.
By Tiffany McInturff, Contributing Writer
[Editor’s note: Tiffany McInturff of Dunbarton is a Heritage Home-School mother.]

---

To the Editor:
Kindness makes such a difference.

The daylight hours are fewer and the air is definitely getting colder. And we know that it is time to say goodbye to our family cat Mickey. But it fills my heart with such sadness, that I have yet to be able to utter those words out loud.

We thought it would be great to bring Mickey to camp on Lake Jo Sylvia this summer! He took a walk on July 3, and didn’t find his way back.

We have walked the woods around Lake JoSylvia and Rolfe Pond so many times over the past several months calling his name and shaking a cat food container.

He was a big boy and used to come running at the sound of food! Mickey has not come running back.

My children grew up with Mickey and he was part of our family for 12 years.

As sad as this loss is proving to be, the experience has also taught us a lot about people. We have been amazed at the incredible kindness shown by the people of Contoocook and Hopkinton.

The animal control officer, Fred, and his wife, Pat, have gone above and beyond in searching for Mickey. And as importantly, they have communicated their concern and demonstrated such compassion for our feelings.

I placed posters throughout Contoocook and people I do not know called me to check in and say that they hope we find Mickey. We were amazed!

I have received at least a dozen calls from people in town who believe that they have seen him and have called to him without success, but they wanted to let me know the location, just in case.

Though we have come up short each time, strangers have come up to us and expressed their concern and offered encouragement that we may still find our pet.

Mickey may be gone forever, but there were many, many people in Contoocook and Hopkinton who gave Mickey and our family a second thought, and took a moment out of their day to try to find him and to hope for a happy ending.

We have discussed this on more than one occasion as we sit at home here in Dover.

There are some very kind and wonderful people in our communities and we don’t always hear about it. We hear about the bad things that people do.

There really are good people – people that will lend a hand, that will reach out and help others even when the issue is not “critical.”

It is kindness. My children know first-hand how comforting it feels to know that there are caring people. And these caring people make a difference in our lives.

I truly believe that this has had a lasting impact on my family.

Though we would like nothing more than to find Mickey, we would sincerely like to express our gratitude and our appreciation to the people of Contoocook and Hopkinton.

This is not just about a lost cat; it is about people taking the time to help others.

The communities of Contoocook and Hopkinton should be proud – you definitely have some wonderful people among you!

Thank you so much for making a difference in our lives.
The Barnard-Mitchell family, Dover

To the Editor:
In the Nov. 11 Bow Times Chief Jaran stated “He’s (Bryan Milazzo) going to be treated like any other citizen in town.”

Chief Jaran, don’t you mean that every citizen will now be treated like Bryan Milazzo? After all, you and Town Manger James Pitts have (so far) successfully implemented the town of Bow’s new police policy on speeding – sue citizens not to report it.

With this new policy, you and the Bow town manager, along with the public support of selectman Mr. Judd, can continue to do nothing to address speeding on Bow roads.

What is the new standard for reporting speeding? Once a day? Once a week? Once a lifetime?

Will the town of Bow sue every citizen to establish the number of times a citizen can call to report crime?

Mr. Judd, if you had been subjected to the same harassment and stalking that your neighbor practiced on my family, I doubt you would have allowed yourself or your family to become members of the Bow Citizens Sued into Silence for Reporting Crime Club of which I am an unwilling charter member.

Your statement, “I believe that the court has enforced the parties’agreement that provides Mr. Milazzo with an appropriate way for him to share information and expresses his concerns to the police,” continues the absurd policy of the administrators of public policy in Bow that waiting 30 days to report crime is good for public safety.

Nice try Chief Jaran: “He (Bryan Milazzo) needs to understand he’s not the only person in town on the only road in town.” I can see through the smoke of the flawed police administration and so can other Bow citizens. And it is a lame attempt to shift to me the failure of you, Town Manger Jim Pitts, and selectman Judd to rationally addressing the speeding problem.

The problem of not having enough officers existed before Chief Jaran was hired and is a carry over from resigned former chief Forey’s tenure.

Mark my words, town managers and police chiefs walk away to better jobs leaving a mess for the taxpayers to clean up with budget proposals for more officers, more vehicles, new electronic locks for the police department, ATVs to chase terrorists (well, that’s what the Homeland Security money is suppose to do) and a host of other questionable expenditures, but nothing to realistically fix the problem.

The town of Bow now spends in excess of $1 million annually on police services and this behemoth keeps growing.

Be prepared. The town of Bow administrators will surely present more budget proposals for more taxpayer money to fund more failed policies supported by scare arguments, i.e., “this is bare bones” or “how much money do you place on your safety?”

I have continued to ask Town Manager Pitts and the selectmen how many Bow taxpayer dollars have been spent to sue me. And they have continued to refuse to answer this question.

I have also asked Mr. Pitts if it is true that Chief Jaran has been advised by the town’s legal counsel not to have any contact with me. And Mr. Pitts has also not answered this question. Chief Jaran has not answered one of my letters to his office.

Bow citizens, speak up. Don’t wait until another person is injured or worst, or more dollars are removed from your pocketbook because those who supposedly represent you have failed to represent you.
Bryan Milazzo, Bow

To the Editor:
I am writing in response to the frequent articles Mr. Bryan Milazzo from Bow has written to both the Concord Monitor and The Bow Times.

For over a year now, the newspapers have been inundated by letters to the editor from this resident (too numerous to quote in this forum).

I am dismayed and quite frankly, offended by the criticism he so casually places on the members of our law enforcement community. In case you have not followed this ongoing saga, Mr. Milazzo feels that the Bow Police Department is not following through with their commitments to the town.

One article states that Mr. Milazzo has been a resident for five years. About four years ago, he became concerned of the “speeding issue” on Page Road when his daughter almost got hit by a car. He has since become a sort of public spokesperson for these alleged motor vehicle violations and has taken it upon himself to assist by purchasing two radar guns.

He stands on his property aiming the radar gun at the oncoming vehicles obtaining a reading and subsequently reports the scofflaws to the police department. My concern with the onset of this pursuit is that if his daughter was almost hit by a car, then she would have had to be physically out on the road itself for that to occur. Surely the cars are not driving up on his property.

My question to this would be – Who was watching the child in the first place? Why was the child so close to the road to have this even be a possibility?

Mr. Milazzo called the police department with the above mentioned concerns on 150 different occasions within a period of 18 months in 2003. I am not sure about other citizens, however, I am in my 40s and cannot recall phoning any police department more than a handful of times. In my humble opinion, this seems to be excessive.

I have been a resident of Bow for over a decade and have often joked to friends that if you have the key in the ignition in this town, you are speeding.

I find the police department to be extremely diligent in their efforts to curb speeding. As a matter of fact, I often set my cruise control to avoid any question about the speed of my vehicle.

Mr. Milazzo claims that his actions are “preventive” when he holds out the radar gun to vehicles driving by his residence. My interpretation is that his actions are down right dangerous. There are many residents (as well as nonresidents) who drive by, and their first thought is that a weapon is being pointed at them. This would certainly be a cause for a car to drive off the road out of sheer fear or worse yet hit another car head-on.

To date, there have not been any accidents in front of Mr. Milazzo’s residence as he continues his crusade.

Mr. Milazzo tells us that the town manager (whom he feels “should be fired”) and the police department have put up a “smokescreen to the fact that the police have not changed their approach to dealing with speed on Bow roads.”

Chief Jaran has set up directed patrols as did former Chief Forey. They have also looked into purchasing a speed trailer.

I would call that a concerted effort.

He also quotes, “I rarely see any police presence and when I do it is the same random, sit by the road and hope to catch someone approach which fails after the first car passes.”

What does this man want? On one hand, he claims no one is responding and on the other he says they are, but apparently not to his civilian approval. The police are trained in this type of work, Mr. Milazzo, let them do their job.

I recall reading yet another article from you around the same time there was a fatal car accident at the end of Route 89. The Bow Police Department was fishing out a dead body out of the Merrimack River (resulting in officer injury) and you are at your home documenting vehicles you feel are in violation – where are your priorities?

I certainly would hope that if I were ever in need of emergency police assistance at my residence that the unit is not tied up at your home reviewing your “Schindler’s List.”

Your complaints go beyond the smokescreen of speeders when you attack the integrity of our town officials. You have quoted that Jim Pitts should be fired, and you have also written a letter to the editor about the deployment of former Chief Forey and how he seems to have time to sell real estate during his leave.

What does that have to do with your issue of speeders? What does any aspect of his personal life have to do with your grave concerns?

You say that our town should be a democracy. I feel that you are asking for it to be totalitarian – it seems to be all about you. You also interestingly tell readers that you do not know “what an emergency versus a non-emergency issue is.”

I walk my dog often in town and there are more times than not that cars drive by so close to me that you could ignite a match with the friction.

I make choices, Mr. Milazzo. I either walk the less-traveled road or I choose to bring my pet to an open field and let him run. I would never entertain the idea of calling the police every time it happens where drivers are not respecting pedestrians, let alone writing down the license plates of the violators.

Life is too short, Mr. Milazzo. Why don’t you redirect your misplaced anger and try to do something that will benefit the community?

The attention you are getting is not going to serve justice to anyone. Perhaps you could donate some of your time to the elderly, take a walk with a child, help animals in need or better yet, perhaps you could volunteer to assist with driver ed classes.
Cheri Coughlin, Bow

To the Editor:
I am deeply disturbed by the way the police treated Dover’s Foster’s Daily Democrat photographer, arrested for taking a picture of a police dog biting a student who was just standing there. It reminds me of the way the government treated the peaceful protesters and reporters who got caught up in the “sweeps” during the Republican National Convention. They were arrested without cause, held for a couple of days, and released without charges. Scary stuff, but sadly, I don’t remember Foster’s raising its voice in protest of the abuse.

It also reminds me of the way I was treated at the Barbara Bush event in Exeter. I had no political pins or signs, and I never opened my mouth to debate or discuss anything. I just went there as a totally silent witness for peace. My shirt said “The Pope said ‘No war’ in Iraq,” and “Peace on Earth, and this includes Iraq.” Mighty dangerous stuff. For this, and this alone, I was reported. The “powers” swooped down on me, tried to throw me out, then sent men to stand in front of me and behind me, and the two behind me told me they were there to make sure I behaved. They escorted me out at the end, and when one of the organizers saw my shirt, she recoiled in disgust, saying they must be getting liberal. I told her I thought the word was “American.” More scary stuff.

Now we have a candidate for Attorney General who believes that torture doesn’t violate the Geneva Convention. We also have a government agency approving an implant under the skin, ostensibly to provide medical information only. But I heard the CEO of the company say that this had other “applications.”

Pay attention, Americans. The government, full of conservative right-wing Republicans who are linked with powerful corporations, is thrilled that they have successfully diverted your anger and attention to the “Michael Moores” of America, instead of towards their liberty-snatching plans. But Michael Moore can’t steal your rights away. Pay attention to who can, and support any victim, anywhere, or, as Foster’s has learned, you could be next.
Carol Shea-Porter, Durham

To the Editor:
I would like to thank all the voters of Bow and Dunbarton who came out to vote on Election Day. No matter who you voted for, it was great to see such a large voter turnout in both towns.

I truly appreciate the opportunity to again represent both towns at the State House.

Holding signs on election day is always the highlight of a campaign. If only the legislature in Concord and Washington could be as amiable as the polls.

You have conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats and everyone in-between talking politics for 11 or 12 hours. People are disagreeing, but they are not disagreeable; the give and take of political views without the high pitched anger that happens at the national level.

We have very important issues this session: School funding, health insurance (SB110), Medicaid reform and, as always, local control issues. Hopefully, the discussions on these issues will be as respectful as they were at the polls.

It was great seeing everyone on Election Day, and I know my wife and daughters appreciate all your support as much as I do. Again, thank you for reelecting me to the General Court.
Stephen T. DeStefano, Bow

To the Editor:
Nice try, Bill.

Mr. (William) Dell’Orfano would love to divide his opposition into: (1) a “small but vocal group” of opponents –radical doctors and lawyers every one, I’m sure, in his mind; and (2) the rest of us sensible, complacent residents of Hopkinton and all the surrounding towns – the vast majority, right Bill? – who, by his logic, should be happy to accept his tax dollars in return for his dumping tons of toxins into our air and water.

He would love to divide us from the Environmental Protection Agency. Divide us from the Department of Environmental Services. Even divide us from our Attorney General.

Divide, divide, divide in order to line his pockets.

We’re sorry Public Service of New Hampshire bought out your contract, Bill. Didn’t see that one coming?

Now what will you do with your big, empty facility, you say? Think, think, think. I know! Burn the most toxic stuff you can, the stuff no one else wants, and charge big money to do it!

You can even truck it in from out of state! Burn around the clock, at maximum capacity! Eureka!

I do think it’s nice, now, that he wants to modify his operation to include Maximum Achievable Control Technology.

Out of the goodness of his heart. I’m sure this was something he was planning to do, all on his own, one of these days. Just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Good neighbor and all.

He keeps calling his operation, and others like his, clean. Three times, in his letter “clean alternative energy, clean, alternative energy (again),” and “safe, clean.”

Bill, solar power is clean. Wind and geothermal energy are clean. Burning construction debris? Not clean.

Now he wants to be constructive. While he sues us, mind. Work together, find a reasonable solution. Doctors and lawyers? Radical bunch. Wants to work with the rest of us, the sensible ones in town.

Not in our back yard? Nope. Not in our state.

This is the opening shot in a battle for our state’s clean air and water.

No issue is more important to every citizen of this state than ensuring that no one pollutes our air and water with toxins purely for the sake of money. (Oh yeah, PSNH is already doing that ... another battle.)

No amount is too much to pay to ensure that this unbelievably bad idea never gets off the ground. We are all – every one of us – united and willing to fight and fight for this incredibly important issue.

You, Bill, you are the one who is alone. By the way, we have a beautiful house on a nice piece of land, very near to the facility, just down river and down wind. Easy commute. You and your family can move right in.
Jeff Eitreim, Hopkinton

To the Editor:
As I read Mr. Dell’Orfano’s recent letter to The Bow Times, it all falls into place for me –why his company and his plans make me concerned.

It’s about my priorities, my values. His very point, his first opening shot, Mr. Dell’-Orfano’s wants us to know that it’s not worth our money to fight him. That’s what it all boils down to for him. Money, money, money.

It’s like he’s speaking to me from another planet. How do I assign a value, a figure, a monetary sticker, when you get right down to it – a price on my family, my unborn children, my health, my community?

Mr. Dell’Orfano might have been one of the town’s single largest taxpayers over the years, but what about the rest of us?

The lot of us whose taxes combined add up to a heck of a lot more than he’s paid. We don’t get a say? The only say that counts is money, his money, and he gets to make it the expense of our families, health and community?

The town officials he goes on to criticize are people who are elected and work for us. Don’t think I didn’t pay attention to who on the ballot this Nov. 2 had supported my values and who didn’t.

He also takes pains to criticize these folks at REACH and CFNH.

He points out that REACH is nothing but a small group of doctors and lawyers.

Really, what would they know about health or the legal implications of what Mr. Dell’Orfano’s business really means?

He implies these people are a fringe group and that the rest of us don’t share their values.

Well, I don’t belong to REACH or CFNH. I’m a secretary. My husband and I work hard for a living. There’s not a lot of time for other things. I’ve never attended one of their meetings.

Sure, I sign a petition once in a while and leave a few dollars in a jug but, the funny thing is, I did something different not too long ago. Different for me anyway.

I took a half-day off work of my hard-earned vacation time and went to the rally on the Covered Bridge.

I didn’t know a single soul there. I just thought it was important that I stand and be counted with my community.

Guess I’m going to have to keep doing that, and I wouldn’t be too surprised if there are others like me who share the same values, doing the same thing.

I find it insulting that Mr. Dell’Orfano would think that the only reason I am against his plans is because I was frightened by some fancy scientific language that I obviously couldn’t understand.

I don’t need a college degree to tell me that his business plans will hurt me and mine. And I sure don’t need a college degree to have found that his company and his associates have broken laws and promises in the past.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

The plain truth is I care about my family, my health and my community.

I don’t trust you and, frankly, the best public relations firm your money can buy is not going to change that.
Linda Ruest, Contoocook

To the Editor:
It’s back, bigger than before. You know, that huge bill that always comes this time of year ruining the holiday spirit – your property tax bill.

If you are the vast majority of Bow residents who don’t have tens of thousands of dollars of disposable income to throw around, you may want to know why your property tax bill has ballooned so much and what you can do about it.

Simply put, the drop in our town tax was offset by an increase in our county tax, and even though our state property taxes went down 31 percent, the huge (42.5 percent) increase in our school taxes stands out as the primary culprit for our tax increase.

What does this means to you? It means the average Bow homeowner will be paying approximately $1,000 more per year for school taxes.

Unfortunately to the less informed taxpayer, the $2.54 per $1,000 overall tax increase will mask the $4.39 per $1,000 increase attributed to school.

Granted some of that increase went to fund the well-deserved raises for Bow teachers, but the $1.25 million increase in the school budget is another story altogether.

How do we stop these increases?

We challenge our elected officials to justify large increases in school taxes when our student population is dropping.

Contact our members of the budget committee and tell them how you feel.

Better yet, attend budget committee meetings, (most Wednesday nights through February at 7 p.m. at the Bow Municipal Building on Grandview Road) and tell them in person.

Bow Taxpayers need to unite and get organized.

Last year, approximately 94 percent of registered Bow voters did not go to the Bow School District Meeting.

It is hard to believe that many people don’t care if their property taxes increase a $1,000.

If you care, e-mail me at BowTaxpayersU@aol.com or call me at 228-5483.
Van Mosher, Bow

To the Editor:
This letter is in response to Mr. Dell’Orfano’s question regarding whether it was worth spending Hopkinton’s money in the fight against his incinerator.

Mr. Dell'Orfano, I would not call the number of people signing the petitions against the Bio Energy plant a small but vocal few.

There are a large number of residents from Hopkinton who are deeply concerned about the emissions from the incinerator.

The particulate matter that your incinerator will release must come down somewhere, and the air quality studies done for your incinerator did not adequately take into account the effects of the fallout on surrounding bodies of water, including the Contoocook River.

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services had to go by the regulations on the books, which did not require taking these factors fully into account.

In reference to you calling the incinerator a power plant, it is a fact that PSNH bought out your rate orders a few years ago and the operation was shut down.

Mr. Dell’Orfano, it is one thing for your business to pay taxes in the town of Hopkinton. It is another thing altogether to live here.

Buy a home in the neighborhood that is directly in the path of the fallout from your incinerator and let your children breathe the air you have polluted with lead, mercury and other toxins.

Then, Hopkinton might be willing to listen to you.

In answer to your question, the answer is an emphatic YES.
Carrie Thompson

To the Editor:
This is really a very simple story.

Bio Energy wants to make a lot of money by polluting the state of New Hampshire.

The people who live in the state of New Hampshire do not want the state poisoned by Bio Energy.

End of story.
Brian Morgan, age 9
Hopkinton