To the sporting enthusiasts, this time of year might be characterized as Super Bowl season. But to a huge group of other people, it's FIRST robotics season.

Those other people, we'll admit, are often thought of as geeks and nerds, but it's the geeks who rule the world. Just look at Bill Gates. And it's the students who become interested in science and technology who will rule the future. What better way to get kids who've been trained to look at math and science as the icky stuff they're forced to do at school in a new way? FIRST actually makes math and science cool!

Think about what these high school and college students are asked to do: in a mere six weeks, design and build a robot that can pick up balls and shoot them into a goal – and do it both with and without human control!

And they'll do it! Six weeks from now, we'll be cheering on John Stark High School Trinity High School and 24 other teams at the regional FIRST competition at the Verizon Arena. The games are as exciting as any Super Bowl, and celebrate the brain power and creativity of our kids. What could be better?

— Editorials published by Neighborhood News Inc. are written by an editorial board. The board is composed of Publisher and President Amy J. Vellucci, Executive Editor Ginger Kozlowski, Managing Editor Christine Heiser and News Editor Susan Clark.

To the Editor:
I am writing this letter to voice my support for the proposed integration of the Police Department with the Fire Department.

In any discussion of such a proposal we have to stop the name calling, put personalities aside and focus what is being proposed. As Goffstown enters into the 21st century in a post 9/11 world, we have to ask ourselves, is it time to make a change in the way our public safety agencies interact with each other and how they deliver services to us?

As was seen in the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, many dedicated firemen, police officers, EMTs and other safety officials who were doing their jobs as well as they could lost their lives because of a lack of an integrated public safety system.

Hurricane Katrina also stands as an example of what can happen when there is not a locally coordinated effort by first responders to a natural disaster.

I have lived in Goffstown for 49 years, and during that time the police and fire departments have done their jobs well. But 2006 is not 1976 and the needs of the residents, especially in light of the ongoing war on terror, has changed. We need an integrated approach to delivering emergency and safety services to our residents. The biggest benefit to the proposed merger will not be potential money savings, although that may occur. The biggest benefit will be in having a unified organization and command structure.

When an emergency situation occurs, be it big or small, there will be a unified command structure in place. This will help the speed of delivery of fire, EMT and police services for not only the types of emergency situations that have occurred regularly over time but also with wide spread catastrophic situations, including terrorist attacks and natural disasters such as wide spread flooding or flu epidemic.

I think the residents of Goffstown have to look at the bigger picture when deciding whether to vote for the integration of departments.

Before the integration, Chief French was in charge of the police department and he was and is the emergency management director. Having him in charge of an integrated public safety department is a logical extension of his previous duties because now he or anyone in his position as head of a public safety department, has the organizational capability of fully integrating all emergency and safety services.

In all of the attacks on having an integrated public safety department, I have yet to hear any fact-based answers to the questions, how is the new department less effective than what was in existence before and in the long term interest of the citizens of Goffstown, what has been lost by an integration of the fire and police departments?

My answer to that question is that nothing has been lost and much will be gained.

Michael J. Ryan
Goffstown

To the Editor:
It is my assumption that most people in the town of Weare are against the idea of taking Justice Souter's home in Weare by eminent domain.

On the off chance that some have been swayed by the oversimplification of the eminent domain issue by most of the media, I would like to clarify, as well as make a point or two.

First, let me start by saying I am against the taking of someone's private property by eminent domain for economic development purposes. Also, I have actually read the Supreme Court's decision as well as the majority and dissenting opinions on the Kelo v. New London case, and side with the dissenting opinion.

However, I am against the idea of taking it out on a public servant who was doing his job.

There is a reason we have an odd number of Supreme Court Justices: so they don't have a tie when there is a close vote.

Obviously this was a close vote at 5-4. Also, the decisions were based on the individual Justice's interpretation of the Constitution, prevailing law and past similar decisions that have set precedents. It is a much more complicated case than what you may think when you read anything about it in the press.

The Supreme Court hears cases that have been appealed from lower courts. They are the final stop on appeals, and their decision is based on their interpretation of the law as it stands.

It is congress that makes the laws, not the Supreme Court. It is also Congress that can change the law, not the Supreme Court. If there is to be a law change or clarification, it will come from Congress, and the Supreme Court will have to rule accordingly.

Now, with that in mind, we have a radical from California pushing the idea of seizing a home of a justice whom he doesn't agree with. And, he wants to "rally" the citizens of Weare to get behind his idea.

Even if it were to succeed, what would it prove? Would any law change? When it doesn't succeed, what will it prove? What are his true motives anyways?

This Californian should stop wasting everyone's time, including his own. If he truly believes in getting the law changed, he should be spending his energies on Congress, which can actually make a difference.

There were less than a handful of supporters that came out to wish him well the last time he was here. This time he wants to come and get the issue on the ballot. And that will happen, as it only takes 25 signatures on a petition to get an article on the ballot. If that was all, I wouldn't even bother writing, because I believe the voters of Weare are going to vote this whole thing away anyways.

However, it is also rumored that some of his supporters may be running for selectman on this platform. A platform of using vengeance and retribution as a tool against public servants who they don't agree with. Think of that for just a minute. Is this the type of selectman you want?

I know I won't be voting for any candidate who runs on this platform.

And I won't be signing any petitions either, thank you very much.

Jim Thompson,
Weare

To the Editor:
I cannot believe the town of Goffstown would consider combining the police and fire departments.

I currently live in a small Arizona city where the have tried the combo departments in the past. This did not work; when there is an accident or a citizen who has ingested an illegal substance this person might not want to give a police/EMT the info so he would not have to go to jail. Have the select persons thought this through? I would think not ... could many other communities that have tried this move in the past be wrong?

Could all the chiefs who see this as a bad move be wrong? No fire chief? What is wrong with this town? One of the highest tax rates around and they're worried about this little amount in such a large budget. What is next, one principal for all Goffstown schools? Maybe the townspeople should go to a mayoral situation to eliminate the little pay that the selectman make. Does not seem like a good idea does it ... neither does a town with no fire chief.

Chris Connor
Kingman, Ariz.

To the Editor:
I have submitted four petitions for the Goffstown warrant for voting in March. Three of them were in the proposed charter, which failed to pass last March, one somewhat modified to meet more recent situations.

The fourth was developed to address the latest action of the selectmen relative to the fire and police department merger.

That latter petition is: "To see if the Town will vote to continue the Police and Fire Departments as the separate entities they have been for many years, and return to office any personnel who may have been removed from said office, if reorganization has begun before this vote."

The latter part of this item is to tell the selectmen that their quite obvious ploy to remove the fire chief is against the wishes of the voters. From the enthusiasm with which this petition was received by very nearly all approached to sign, I would say this article stands to receive an overwhelming vote. The action in this matter by the selectmen is contrary to all logic and reasoning in a democracy. Dictatorial leadership is not welcome here.

If the selectmen had formed a committee to look into such a merger, and had included some members of both fire and police departments, and a reasonable number of the general public, and that committee had come up with a comprehensive plan and recommendation, it might have passed. However, pasing the buck to Police Chief French and Town Administrator Desruisseux to come up with something, leaving themselves "not responsible," is not the way such action should be taken.

They must be given the word, loud and clear, come March. Another item, expanded from the failed charter, is: "To see if the Town will vote to require that, in order to be elected or to serve as a selectman, one must physically reside in the Town of Goffstown." This adds the word "physically," since the wording of the RSA requiring residence does not seem to require more than maintaining a legal residence here. Two of our selectmen have lived for a time out of town, while holding legal residence here. A complaint to the state Attorney General's office was probably not made on that basis. With this ordinance, there would be grounds for such a complaint in the future.

My third proposed article is:

"To see if the Town will vote, in accordance with RSA 32:15, to reduce the number of members of the Budget Committee from 16 to 13 members, of which nine members are to be elected at large, three each year for three-year overlapping terms. Four representatives shall be selected for one-year terms, one each from the selectmen, the school board, the Goffstown Water Precinct and the Grasmere Water Precinct."

This move is to reduce the large and cumbersome committee so that meetings may be somewhat shortened, but more important, to reduce the number of times we are likely to elect a member or two with very few write-in votes. Such "drafted" members tend to have poor attendance and performance records.

My fourth proposal for the warrant is: "To see if the Town will vote to adopt the provisions of RSA 40:14 to delegate the determination of the Goffstown Town default budget to the municipal budget committee."

Such default determination is currently done by the selectmen. While there is little leeway built into the law as to default budgets, the selectmen, as witnessed in their recent actions, would take every advantage of provisions of the law. The budget committee, on the other hand, looks only at budgets and with an eye toward the good of the taxpayer. There must be some reason why the State Legislature enacted this RSA 40:14.

Let's use it.

One popular proposal from the charter presented last year was an increase in the number of selectmen to seven. However, that requires a new charter and a change from selectmen to council, which is why it was proposed in that charter. If you want that, the charter vote is being offered again this year.

Charles W. Carr
Goffstown

To the Editor:
Who Is Fred Plett?

He was Bob Wheeler's first nomination to fill the vacant selectmen's position in 2004.

Is he part of the "good ole boy" network in Goffstown?

His statement was not accurate. There were no public hearings for Shirley Park Sidewalk.

March 15, 2004, selectmen minutes, Carl Quiram stated, "We have received numerous complaints about the sidewalk on Shirley Park Road." Carl would send out letters to residents informing them of what will be done. The board voted 5-0-0 to remove the sidewalk. Carl also stated " East and West Union Street sidewalks are in bad shape."

April 1, 2004: The Goffstown News reported "after years of neglect followed by several residents ' complaints the town has decided to do away with the sidewalk once and for all," Quiram stated "at the rate we are going (repairing other sidewalks) it would be years and years."

"It's not like it would be two years from now – who knows when? But it's off the horizon." Resident Stafford stated, "they have not done one darn thing." Resident Calvo stated, "Leave it there because it's better than not having one at all." "I don't know if the town is aware of how many people come down here and walk," "It's become quite a walking neighborhood and children riding their bikes," "It's disconcerting that the town can just go in to take a sidewalk up without replacing it."

She was concerned about the process by which the sidewalk was approved for removal. Other neighbors wanted it to stay.

Jan. 3, 2006, selectmen's meeting, Desruisseaux recently said there has to be a public hearing (to put East and West Union Street sidewalk on an exceptions list).

Are East and West Union street sidewalks next to be removed?

Spring Street sidewalk was put on an exceptions list without a public hearing as retaliation for filing a complaint.

My neighbors, from children to seniors, have to walk in the street most of the time.

Is Spring Street sidewalk scheduled to be removed? Where are the budgeted tax dollars for sidewalk maintenance going?

My pictures help prove DPW's violations of ADA Title ll, our agreement, and the town noise ordinance. Remember the Department of Justice/U.S. Attorney's Office investigated the town for violations of the American with Disabilities Act?

Fred does not have all the facts on my ADA issue, I would be willing to share them with him if he is willing to be open minded and has the authority to help me. Fred are you willing to help me?

Should a consulting firm be hired to study DPW and recommend ways to save tax dollars?

Large private companies do. Why not our large DPW department? A smaller more efficient DPW means a smaller tax bill.

Wayne Perreault
Goffstown