To the Editor:

My series of letters concerning “Catching People Doing it Right” caught the attention of the town hall employees. I went to talk with several of them.

It is important that the town as an entity, and its employees, participate in recycling if we are trying to promote the same to the citizens and I am proud to say that many employees are participating in a big way!

Renee Millson of the tax office says she simply pays attention at home. She has Shaw’s bags in a corner where she separates trash from recyclables. She is the princess of the day for her concern and for contacting the DPW with respect to employee participation.

Gail Lavallee uses a corner of her kitchen counter for food waste, a bag in the corner for trash and a big bucket for recyclables. Jim Bingham maintains a compost pile. Marilyn Hozeny estimates that 80 percent of her waste stream winds up in “big blue.” Cathy Wilmott chimed in that they are very diligent.

I am certain that other town employees I did not contact are also recycling to beat the band!

Thank you to the town employees who are diligently recycling and setting an example for the citizens of Goffstown.

Bruce Lemire
Goffstown Solid Waste Commission

To the Editor:

I’m writing to comment on Thomas Lee’s July 6 letter in the Goffstown News explaining his opposition to the Iraq War and President Bush, and strong belief that pacifism is the answer.

I had difficulty following his thinking, e.g., in one sentence he says the Bush never precisely explained why we are in Iraq, and in the next paragraphs he’s comfortable stating, “We are there to gain military presence and access to the oil.” I believe the point is debatable except perhaps for those on the fringe left.

His compassion for the sacrifices and losses of our brave troops under fire and their patriotism is commendable and appropriate, but seems to conflict with his statement that he believes they are trained “to kill on command.”

These strong stereotypical words are disingenuous and cloud Mr. Lee’s credibility and his case. For example, he ignores the impressive amount of humanitarian and reconstruction work our troops have done and are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan that’s not widely reported. Also, our troops are well trained, dedicated and sworn to carry out only lawful orders.

Mr. Lee goes on to say that President Bush is among those “to whom war is a justifiable solution to conflicts because they lack the will to seek positive nonviolent means of settling disputes,” and that this is an “illegal war.” The polls consistently show mainstream Americans support the Iraq War and our Congress made it legal by overwhelming voting for and continue to support it.

But, whether I agree or not with Mr. Lee’s pacifist agenda doesn’t really matter. The truth is, I do agree with him in theory. My purpose in this letter is to encourage Mr. Lee --- and other thoughtful people who share his views --- to at least be consistent in regard to both sides of the conflict at hand and include terrorism in their protest agenda.

In addition to denouncing our elected government’s steps to protect us from harm, it seems reasonable for him to equally --- perhaps even more strongly --- protest what terrorists do, domestic and abroad, and demand they adopt nonviolence as the best way for them achieve their objectives.

I hope future vigils, protest activities and letters to the editor by Mr. Lee and members of the Neighbors Advancing Nonviolence will include equally strong and passionate statements and signs denouncing terrorism as morally and functionally opposite to their beliefs.

Howard Wheeler
Goffstown

To the Editor:

I want to share my view on a rare and very positive opportunity that the constituents of New Hampshire District 9 have before them.

Mr. Marc Snider deserves their vote on Sept. 12 in the Primary Election for state Senate because of his sense of value and integrity.

Mr. Snider is an intelligent and well-rounded individual with a sense of integrity and honesty at his core.

He has promoted integrity in government and family values in the Nashua area with the Nashua Children’s Home and in Concord with his support of legislation that protects children from the adverse effects of politics and government, for years.

In the face of opposition, Mr. Snider has even exercised the state’s Right To Know laws and videotaped public hearings for the benefit of truth and honesty, and has, as a result, supported integrity, accountability and truth in the legislative process.

Mr. Snider is running against a well-known and powerful opponent in the incumbent.

Here is your chance, residents of District 9, to change the status quo and vote in the change that you and your children, the future leaders of our great state, deserve.

Take a hard look and see if your current senator has supported these same values.

Jeff Oligny
E Hampstead

(Editor’s note: Marc Snider of Merrimack is running against incumbent Sen. Sheila Roberge of Bedford. District 9 includes the town of New Boston.)

To the Editor:

This past legislative session, the Senate tackled many tough issues facing New Hampshire today. We passed quality legislation that will go a long way toward maintaining the New Hampshire advantage.

A few of the issues that I personally worked hard on that concerned the residents of District 9 and New Hampshire are:

Prohibiting Internet Hunting ­ House Bill 1420 prohibits remote control Internet hunting and establishes criminal and civil penalties for violations.

The need for such legislation arose after a man in Texas designed a rifle that was armed and fired by a computer. Since then, most states have banned Internet hunting.

Trust and Modernization Act ­ Senate Bill 394 makes various changes to the law regarding trusts and trust companies in New Hampshire. It also makes revisions to the Uniform Trust Code and adopts the Uniform Principal and Income Act and the Qualified Disposition in Trust Act.

Senate Bill 394 allows for more flexibility and clarity within the trust laws. It also gives more flexibility in setting capital limits. There is greater demand for privacy for trust companies and owners with identity theft on the rise and Senate Bill 394 provides for this.

Keeping our Children Safe ­ House Bill 1692 protects our children from being the victims of the most heinous crimes.

The statistics are horrifying and, as a legislature, we acted decisively before it was too late. The new law states that upon conviction of a sexual crime against a child a 25-year mandatory-minimum sentence will be invoked. This will be the minimum unless a judge warrants that evidence presented warrants less.

Protection against Identity Theft: In the information age, identity theft is a rapidly growing problem. House Bill 1660 requires businesses to notify consumers of any security breach that compromises the confidentiality of their personal information. This legislation will provide that a description of the security breach be given and the measures taken by the business to protect the customer. These procedures will help to assess the total scope of the compromised information, leading to faster customer notification and rectification.

Eminent Domain ­ Senate Bill 287 defines the term “public use” for purposes of taking by eminent domain.

New Hampshire cities and towns should not force landowners to sell their land below market value with threats of eminent domain. The authority for eminent domain must be used prudently and with public comment. The resulting action must achieve a greater public good that benefits the entire community.

Alternative Energy: We have recognized that the time is now to identify an alternative source of energy to help the family budget. New Hampshire’s attention is focused on biodiesel; the alternative is a nontoxic, biodegradable substance made of cooking oil.

House Bill 1758 will classify biodiesel as an alternative fuel that would be licensed in New Hampshire to have small cogeneration facilities capable of producing electrical energy and other forms of useful energy. This will allow for cleaner alternative fuel at a lower cost to be produced and consumed within New Hampshire.

Legislative issues that are an ongoing priority of mine are the following:

• I-93 Widening Project: The widening of the I-93 corridor is much needed and will improve road safety for drivers and limit bottlenecking due to lane reduction. The widening also addresses the safety hazard of more than a dozen bridges on the “red list” in that corridor. The “red list” is a list of bridges that are in desperate need of modernization and rehabilitation.

I have always supported the residents of Merrimack in their quest to remove the tolls from I-93, sponsoring legislation three out of the four previous sessions.

• New Hampshire was voted the “Most Livable” state in the country and enjoys the “lowest tax burden.” Thanks to our steadfast approach to holding the line on taxes, New Hampshire will continue to thrive at the top.

Senator Sheila Roberge
District 9