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Editorial
Lots of parking possible?
High school parking is a problem in just about every
community it seems. Long gone are the days when it
was rare for high schoolers to have a car and drive it to
school. We can't turn time back; teenagers driving to
school and needing a place to park are things we're
going to have to deal with.
But how?
The residents who live around Goffstown High
School have a legitimate beef. Wallace Road, on any
given school day, is clogged with cars parking on both
sides. In the morning, as students arrive, doors are opening
into the roadway, children are walking anywhere
they can find a path. The situation is literally an accident
waiting to happen.
So neighbors and the Goffstown police are asking for
a parking ban for a half-mile radius around the school.
Seems simple enough. A parking ban seems like it
would solve a lot of safety problems.
But would it really? Or will it just move the problem
somewhere else? Where are the students going go?
Goffstown High has more parking than a lot of area
schools do. Ever see the parking situation at West High?
But it's never enough. Do we just continue to build lots
to accomodate everyone who wants to drive to school?
That's not economically feasible or even possible,
according to school officials. A parking garage is one
solution, albeit an expensive one. Off-site parking with
perhaps a shuttle is another. And is it really a bad idea
to let students park on the side streets off the main
roads?
Nobody wants to turn the area around the high school
into a mini-Manchester Airport parking lot. And the
neighbors seem to not want students parking anywhere
near their homes. But the problem is only going to get
worse. It's time to speed up some of the long-discussed
long-range solutions and get them in the pipeline.
-Christine Heiser
Letters
Remembering Chris Cotton, a fine example of a volunteer
To the Editor:
When it comes to volunteer
work it is often heard, "they"
will do this or "they" will do
that. Those faceless volunteers
work hard and ask no recognition
for their effort.
One of "they" left us this
week. Chris Cotton passed
away this week, although you
may have never met him if you
went to a trophy night at Center
Woods in the late '90s, or
attended a fundraising dinner
for a family, you enjoyed the
cooking from Chris. He would
start the process early in the
morning, transfer the job to
Center Woods and orchestrate a
kitchen like he was Arthur
Fielder.
We never really thanked him
or his wife Bev properly. Maybe
the next time you attend one of
these dinners, or stop at the concession
stand an a Little League
field, you could stick your head
out back and say thank you, for
Chris.
Bob Nelson, Weare
Voters should take advantage of information for middle school
To the Editor:
One of the most difficult
things that a community does
together is to make decisions
involving town money. Since
we all have to live with the consequences
of these decisions -
how much we pay in taxes and
what sort of services we have
available to our citizens, these
decisions are often fraught with
emotion.
There has been a lot of discussion
in Weare about how we
deal with a failing middle
school building and a growing
population. Do we abandon the
existing buildings in the middle
of town or do we fix them up?
Do we build a new building on
the property across from Center
Woods or is there other property
available at a comparable
price that would be better suited?
Do we live with what we
have for another year or do we
make a decision now to move
forward?
In anticipation to these questions,
the school board has
looked at anticipated growth in
Weare to make sure that whatever
decision we make provides
Weare with a long-term answer
to our children's educational
needs.
They have researched costs
for various proposals, looked at
what sorts of financial aid are
available to us and what the
requirements are for that aid.
They have held informational
meetings to let people in town
know how they are moving
ahead and to make sure that
everyone has the opportunity to
ask questions in a time frame
that allows for well-researched
and informed answers.
This letter is written with a
two-fold intention. First is to
thank everyone who has contributed
to the incredible
amount of information that has
been gathered to make sure that
the citizens of Weare have the
facts that they need to make an
informed decision.
During the meetings that I
have attended it is clear that the
school board and the building
committee are dedicated to
looking at all of the possibilities
available so that we can move
forward with our eyes wide
open.
The second reason I am writing
is to entreat everyone in
Weare to get the information
that is available and become
familiar with it. Let's make this
decision one that is based on
our knowledge of the facts. We
are worth it.
Gail Hersey, Weare
Winter driving tips will help you get to your destination faster
To the Editor:
With the colder weather upon
us, I would like to offer some
winter driving tips to ensure the
safety of everyone and reduce
the chances of us meeting by
accident.
In law enforcement, many of
the accidents we encounter during
the winter months are not
always related to heavy snow or
a nor'easter. What we often find
is that it's because of driver
error or failing to use the common
sense we have developed
by living with the fickle weather
of New England.
The first part of winter driving
is the equipment in your
vehicle. Prior to the onset of
winter, you need to inspect your
tires, windshield wipers,
antifreeze and washer fluid.
Each of these items will only
increase your chances of getting
home in the coming snowstorm.
We all know how important
well-treaded tires are in the
snow. Without them you lose
not only traction, but also the
ability to control your vehicle
and take emergency accident
avoidance measures. Wipers
and fluid to clean your windshield
are also a necessity.
Without either, it takes little or
no time driving on a salted roadway
before your windshield
resembles a light-block milk
bottle.
A second part is care for your
vehicle prior to driving. Making
sure your windows and windshield
are clean of debris, frost
and snow will allow you to see
where you want to go. It will
also allow you to see hazards in
your way or worse yet, coming
at you.
Shortly before Christmas
vacation, I was patrolling the
school zone in Pinardville.
Officer Culberson, who was in
the area, told me that the vehicle
coming up from behind me had
just a small hole scraped in the
frost on his windshield and the
driver was trying to scrape the
rest of the windshield while
driving. I pulled over, allowed
the vehicle to pass, saw the
small hole scraped in the windshield
and noticed that the rest
of the windows were also covered
with frost. As we left the
lights to turn onto Pinard Street,
I activated my emergency lights
and finally my siren, and
stopped the vehicle. The driver
told me he had not seen me
pulled over on the edge of the
road, when he had gone by me.
The worrisome part is that I was
driving the department's
Expedition, and that there were
children in the area.
Items that should be added to
your vehicle during winter
months should include a shovel,
hat, gloves, blanket or sleeping
bag, flashlight, boots and flares.
By adding these few extra
items, they may make the difference
between comfort and discomfort
or worse, depending
upon the temperature and where
you break down. It is also wise
to keep yourself aware of
weather forecast and plan
accordingly.
If you find yourself stuck in
the snow, clear as much away
from tires and underneath your
vehicle as possible. Make sure
that all snow is clear of the
exhaust pipe so that carbon
monoxide will not build up in
the vehicle. If sand or salt is
available, place it down for
added traction.
While trying to drive out of
being stuck use only a small
amount of acceleration to keep
your wheels from spinning.
Move your steering wheel from
side to side, which will ease the
ability to maneuver the car.
Finally is the operation of
your vehicle while driving in
winter. Water freezes at 32
degrees. If the temperature is
near that mark, know that black
ice is present somewhere on the
roadway. Where snow melts
from snow banks into the road,
on bridges, and poor drainage
areas, black ice waits for the
unsuspecting driver.
Operators of the large SUVs
and other four-wheel drive vehicles
often feel they are exempt
from skidding and black ice.
With this false sense of security,
they increase their speeds and
are usually found farther into
the woods, or farther down the
embankment than their two wheel
drive counterparts.
As a driving instructor, I teach
other police officers that the
only thing that causes a skid is
too much speed for the conditions.
I did not say ice or snow,
it is simply too much speed. Too
much speed may be well below
the posted speed limit.
A safe speed to avoid a skid is
that where the vehicle can be
maneuvered without losing traction
and going into a skid.
By slowing down this winter
you can actually get where you
want to be faster. When you
slow down you will avoid the
accident, not have to wait for
the police, tow truck or ambulance
to arrive. You won't have
to call your insurance agent,
visit with the auto body shop, go
to get a car rental or appear in
court. Working within that system,
reducing our speed will be
faster in the long run and could
probably lower your blood pressure,
too.
Sgt. Pat Sullivan
Goffstown Police
Boy Scout needs help with Eagle project about monument
To the Editor:
A Korean War Memorial in
the Pinardville section of
Goffstown needs respect and
attention. Located next to Cote's
Restaurant, it was dedicated to
the memory of Sgt. Lionel
Favreau by the Catholic War
Veterans of St. Edmonds'
Church on Memorial Day in
1955.
Heroic Lionel received
(posthumously) the Bronze Star
with V for "bravery under fire"
and the Purple Heart Medal for
being wounded in action. His
bravery was detailed in a comic
book in 1951. In the book he is
called "The Stubborn Sergeant."
In the vicinity of Pugwon,
Korea, his tank holds the Reds
at bay until Favreau's tank is hit
by an anti-tank gun and is
engulfed in flames. As the
enemy tries to escape Sgt.
Favreau, the gunner, is still at
his post and continues to fire
scoring another direct hit on the
fleeing Reds. His commander
tells him to leave. Despite furnace-
like heat, Sgt. Favreau
remained in his tank taking a
terrific toll on the Red Army.
The "Stubborn Sergeant"
finally follows orders to leave.
The heroic soldier received his
medals later for he was killed in
action a few months later.
Betty Harris included these
words in a letter to me: "So
many citizens from each generation
have made the ultimate
sacrifice, and continue to do so
to this day.
"It is vital that our youngsters
appreciate what freedom has
cost. And for that reason, the
leaders and families of Cub
Pack 102 have been doing their
best to keep the name of
Favreau known and the corner
tended to."
A Boy Scout from Troop 102,
Alexander Kikutis, is interested
in working on this project for
his Eagle badge.
He was originally one of the
Scouts in Pack 102 and has been
involved with this corner over
the years. If you have any history
or other information regarding
this memorial, please call
Betty Harris at 625-8348,
Thomas Maloney at 644-7604
or Doug Gove at 497-4567.
Doug Gove, Goffstown
Thanks for article on hockey
To the Editor:
Once again I wish to express
my thanks on the recent article
in The Goffstown News "GHS
competitive at beginning of
hockey season" (Jan. 6). The
coaching staff and players are
striving to build a solid respected
program and your writing
and reporting only help further
reflect to others in the community
our goal.
With articles such as these we
hope to continue to attract quality
young scholastic athletes
who strive to be the best they
can be in representing GHS and
the surrounding communities of
Goffstown, Dunbarton and New
Boston.
Peter Bedford, Dunbarton
GHS Hockey
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