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Editorial
Missing Gus
This week, longtime contributor to The Hooksett Banner, Gus Schunemann, died at the age of 80. His health never quite recovered after his heart attack last year, but he still made the effort to keep writing the Hooksettites column when he felt up to it.
 Sgt. Major Gustave Schunemann of the U.S. Army was lucky to have lived this long. He was taken prisoner in World War II in Italy, and escaped from a train taking him to Germany. He spent six months hiding in a small Italian village, part of that time in a cave, and was finally rescued after finding some British soldiers. He won many medals for service during that war. He told his tale in “Memoirs of a Ranger,” a self-published book he wrote a few years ago. It’s a compelling story, and one we here at the Banner are honored he shared it with us.
Gus was truly one of the good guys. He was welcoming to this new employee of the newspaper when I first began working at Neighborhood News 10 years ago, insisting that I join the Hooksett-ites for their Over 80s celebration, their Christmas parties and other meetings. He always had a smile, a twinkle in his eye and a positive outlook. He used to bring his Hooksett-ites column to us in person, nicely typed, giving me the chance to get to know him. Recently he learned how to use e-mail and digital photos, a big step for a man of his age, always concerned about making things easier for the paper.
Gus Schunemann is one of those people you never forget. I’ll miss you, Gus.
Ginger Kozlowski
Letters
The Bachelder family sends thanks for all the support
To the Editor:
The Bachelder family wishes to thank everyone who donated labor, time, food, machinery, hay, gravel, money and donations after our recent fire.
We are very grateful to the Yeaton Farm for allowing us to move all our animals to their farm and the truckers who delivered them. We would like to give them a special thank you along with the Epsom Fire Department and all other departments for working so hard to save our milk room, cows, home and furnishings.
Words can never express the feeling of gratitude for everyone’s help. It is a pleasure to have so many thoughtful and caring relatives, friends, neighbors and community members from all over.
We are currently rebuilding and would love to see everyone at our open house when the barn is rebuilt.
The Bachelder Family
Epsom
Please attend Auburn special school meeting on Oct. 27
To the Editor:
On Wednesday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m., in the AVS gym, the Auburn School District is having a Special School District Meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to ask the voters to appropriate $549,726 of unanticipated Adequacy Education Grant funds into the school district budget. The school board would like to set this money aside in anticipation of purchasing land for a second school site.
In order to set the money aside, we first have to get the approval of the voters. Then in order to actually expend the money for land, we would have to get voter approval again, hopefully at the March School District Meeting.
It is very important to come and vote on this issue. The purchase of land is forthcoming and it would be prudent of us to have the money ready for our use. Again, it is money that we did not anticipate receiving. If the voters decide not to set this money aside it would go back into the town’s general fund.
Please feel free to contact the SAU at 622-3731 if you have any questions.
Hope to see you at the meeting.
Elaine Hobbs
Robert Collins
Kathleen Porter
Robert Hayes
Nancy Pelton
Auburn School Board
As your candidate in District 8, here’s what I stand for:
To the Editor:
In this age of the 21st century, what seems to be important to most people is the freedom to make choices. Personal responsibility and maturity prompts us to make decisions based on what would be right or wrong and to act accordingly. Parents want to instill in their children the character to wisely make the choice for right instead of wrong.
Political campaigns would have us think that having choices is the best hope for an ordered society. As a candidate for state rep. in District 8 (Allenstown, Epsom, Pittsfield), I ask you, as prospective constituents, to consider choice first and foremost
in this next legislative session in
the following ways.
The choice for parents to
choose where and how their
child would be educated necessitates the need for school
vouchers. This would ensure a
lower cost for both taxpayers
and towns and provide more
accountability and competition
for our education dollars. This
action I believe would be a step
in the right direction in the
importance of promoting higher
test scores with healthy competition.
Next is the choice of taxpayers to decide whether they want to fund more government with higher taxes or have less government with lower taxes.
Under the Second
Amendment, an individual
should also have the choice to
own and safely operate a
firearm in a law-abiding manner
or the choice not to own a
firearm.
A worker should have a
choice whether he or she wants
to join a labor union or not.
Last, but not least, I affirm the
guarantee in the Declaration of
Independence that all citizens,
including the unborn, have the
right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” whereby
without this protection none of
us would even be here to make
any choices at all.
As a parent, citizen, and taxpayer, I believe that the best way
to preserve liberty is to have the
choice to exercise that liberty by
voting. I hope to earn your vote
on Nov. 2. I thank those of you
who voted for me in the
September primary. For more
information you can visit me on
the Web at http://www.geocities.
com/lang_for_nh_house/. I look
forward to being “your say” in
Concord.
Tom Langlais
Epsom
I’m begging and praying that you vote for George Bush
To the Editor:
These are scary times we live in. Lies are being told and retold, even after being exposed as such. Personal attacks and rumor-mongering have replaced rational discourse. It’s like a blend of the “Twilight Zone” and 1939 Germany (read the history).
Tolerance is only afforded to oddballs and radicals, not to the reasonable and religious. Good manners and love have disappeared. The letters from Rose Raedy were a good example. She exposed her ignorance of the issues by simply repeating the mantras offered by the pundits and her lack of manners by referring to our president as G.W. This divisive rhetoric has been coming from the liberals for too many years. How can we have legitimate elections when honesty and decency are discarded and the lawyers undermine the process?
The president never said Iraq was “an imminent threat,” though I believe it was. The U.N. weapons inspectors listed the chemicals and equipment existing in Iraq before the war. “WMDs” were used against whole villages of innocents. The U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Administration listed the nuclear material that was there. The reasons our president stated were true. Saddam did not comply with the terms of the “ceasefire” for over 10 years, thumbing his nose at the world. He was promoting terrorism by rewarding the families of the suicide murderers. Unlike Kosovo, mass graves have been found in Iraq, filled with thousands of women and children with bullet holes in their heads.
The unemployment rate is at 5.4 percent, the lowest in 30 years. The help-wanted sections are as large as ever. Ask anyone in the trades – you can’t find good help! (Could this be partly due to the 44 million surgical abortions?) Home ownership is at the highest percentage in our nation’s history, despite the astronomical increase in prices. The alleged budget surplus in the ’90s was never actual, only “projected.” There was never any money in the bank.
Health care costs more because it is more complex and comprehensive than ever before and people overuse it. It’s a “benefit,” so they have three or four sets of glasses, and waste multiple tests and visits for things like pimples and warts. Another major factor has been the ridiculously massive lawsuits won by lawyers like Edwards.
These facts are indisputable and verifiable. Don’t let the liberals goad us into acting as they do. Remain calm, but determined. Every vote is needed. Do your part for America and get others to vote also. I’m begging and praying.
D. Ross
Hooksett
P.S. Rose, proper sentences
contain nouns and verbs. They
shouldn’t start with the words
and, yet nor but. Fortunately,
President Bush was able to unite
Congress to help this generation
learn proper English.
War phobia will leave future presidents with few options
To the Editor:
The president must be reelected. The stakes could be no higher – the security of our nation.
Should we choose Madrid’s response, will an American president again dare to commit our troops to war? The lesson, thus having been learned, will pave the way to 20 years of post-Vietnam-type paralysis.
Many will view that as a compelling reason to defeat this president. Those who believe that “war is not the answer” to any situation are hoping to handcuff the U.S. military again. That school of thought would relegate our army to a support role for the U.N. in its peacekeeping efforts. Of course, we have seen that peacekeeping in the U.N. sense equates to a mopping-up operation. Its primary role has been not to prevent atrocities, but to unearth the mass graves that were filled to capacity over its protestations.
The president was a very popular figure in the days after the 9-11 attacks. Coming on the heels of such a close and contentious election, how was that possible? Simply, a great majority of us (Republicans and Democrats) realized that President Bush was the right man for the situation that had been thrust upon us. That great majority knew that President Bush would respond to the attack in a way that Al Gore would not have. For eight years, President Clinton had responded to repeated Al Qaeda attacks with a series of missile attacks, launched from offshore. He calculated (most likely correctly) that Americans would not have supported ground action.
A rejection of this president would clearly reinforce that dangerous calculation with future presidents. Any group intending to affect U.S. policy through attacks on Americans at home or abroad will rest assured in the knowledge that U.S. troops will not venture into their safe havens. War phobia will leave future presidents with fewer arrows in their quiver, leaving us to suffer a death by a thousand cuts.
Ironically, the fear of using our military could ultimately result in the deployment of the most devastating of those arrows – fired from well offshore!
Mike DiBitetto
Hooksett
I’m upset Candia FD wouldn’t have me back as paramedic
To the Editor:
To the citizens of Candia,
I am writing this letter
because I am upset and saddened by what has recently
occured involving myself and
the fire department. I am a certified firefighter/paramedic and up until last year I was a member of the fire department. I moved out of town and therefor had to resign. I recently applied to rejoin the department and I wasn’t voted back in. There is no valid reason for this except there are members that think the process is a popularity contest.
I am upset because the citizens of the town of Candia are losing out on a volunteer paramedic that is around four days a week. A paramedic is the highest level of prehospital provider, and Candia Fire only currently has two.
I hope that it is not one of your loved ones that may suffer due to the department’s politics.
Vicki Beckett
Candia
Pass Question 1 on November ballot, make judges accountable
To the Editor:
Associate Supreme Court Justice Joseph Nadeau is quoted on Page A-20 of the Oct. 7, 2004, edition of the Manchester Union Leader: “The beauty of our jobs is that no judge has to ask himeself or herself, “If I make a decision, what is the impact on me?”
Many students of the Constitution would understand Justice Nadeau’s assertion as judicial arrogance and a violation of his oath of office to support the Constitution.
What is it that these appointed officers of governmnet do not comprehend in the plain language of Article 8, New Hampshire Bill of Rights? The words are clear: “All magistrates and officers of government are their (the people) substitutes and agents, and at all
times accountable to them.”
Pretty clear. The people are the
principle and the judge is their
agent.
It should be pointed out to all
members of the judiciary the
word “accountable” means what
it says and says what it means.
Currently, there is no accountability by judges!
These arrogant tyrants have
created a fiction they call judicial immunity. This fiction was
to insulate themselves from
being accountable to those
whom they serve. Well, an
enlightened citizenry is now putting errant judges behind
bars for violating citizens’
Constitutional rights, which are
protected by the United States
Code, Title 18, Section 241 and
242.
It is time for Question 1 on the
November ballot to gain 66-2/3
of the vote and thus restore the
balance of power our
Constitution delegates to each
branch of our government.
Since the 1978 fraud, perpetrated by the judiciary in inserting language into Article 73-A, which was not ratified by the people on the ballot, we have had legislation by that arrogant branch of our government in total violation of Constitutional restraints. Pass Question 1!
Dick Marple
Representative, District 9
Candia
Please re-elect Chet Jordan sheriff in Merrimack County
To the Editor:
I urge the citizens of Merrimack County to re-elect Sheriff Chet Jordan.
Under Sheriff Jordan’s leadership the sheriff’s office has saved taxpayers several thousand dollars. His support and assistance to local police departments is a model for other sheriff offices throughout the state.
During his tenure his deputies have transported prisoners to court hearings for local municipalities on a daily basis.
His deputies have taught DARE programs in several area towns. He instituted a sexual assault investigation unit that assists towns and cities with the investigation of sexual assaults, particularly child sexual assaults.
His deputies assist with traffic direction at accident scenes and back up area officers when they respond to dangerous calls. His office conducts background investigations for area departments who are seeking to employ new officers.
He regularly testifies before the New Hampshire state legislature on issues that are important to each of us. His agency provides these services and many more, while still serving civil paperwork that needs to be done on a daily basis.
He is a past president of the New Hampshire Sheriff’s Association and a past president of the New Hampshire Association of Chief’s of Police.
His opponent – Clark Karolian – started and ended his career as a 20, plus, year patrol officer. He has never been the head of, or served in any supervisory capacity of any law enforcement agency, nor has ever prepared or present a municipal budget.
He does not possess the credentials, experience or leadership skills that are necessary to hold the office of sheriff.
We need to elect the person who can best protect and serve our families, communities and our county. Clearly the person best suited for that job is Sheriff Jordan.
Timothy Russell
chief of police
Henniker
Ballot question would make judges answerable
To the Editor:
Vote yes on the Constitutional question on your Nov. 2 ballot. It restores power to the people to make courts answerable to them.
A few years ago I had to be in court and observed a very arrogant judge who acted like she was flirting with the town’s attorney and was hostile to us.
Well, we asked, by motion, to have a video camera in the courtroom in order to show this judge’s arrogance and tantrums. She said no and, by the present court rules, that is how it works.
But if we pass the Constitutional question by a two-thirds vote Nov. 2, then we give the power back to the lawmakers our legislators to make a law that all courtrooms are the property of the people and the people have the right to have a camera in the courtroom as a watchdog against judges like the one we encountered.
The Constitutional question is in the lower right-hand corner of the ballot in Deerfield and I advise everyone to look for it and vote yes.
This restores the power back to our legislators to make laws for the courts and takes some of the court’s isolation away from being answerable to the people.
Chester B. Cady
Deerfield
Sheriff Jordan is saving county money by raising salaries?
To the Editor:
Regarding Sheriff Jordan’s accounting practices, I can only comment: “Are you kidding me?”
He claims that he is saving Merrimack County money by raising his secretary’s salary to $56,451. I’m sure that his deputies who put their lives on the line daily at current salary levels below $40,000 would like to “save the county money” in the same way too! He raised his captain’s salary to $68,452 sighting the same reason that he was “saving the county money.” I’d like to know how many hours of overtime they worked before the sheriff started “saving the county money.” I doubt it was much since his captain (sheriff plate#2) has been seen leaving the office parking lot at or before 5 p.m. almost daily. Actually, I may be wrong since there’s that mandatory campaigning for the sheriff and his son, who recently lost his bid for county attorney.
The last time I checked, freedom of speech was a constitutional right. Clark Karolian is campaigning for an elected office. Isn’t part of the process to discuss how you might improve the efficiency of the office you seek?
As a recently retired police
officer and a patrol commander
in charge of a department three
times the size of Chief Russell’s
of Henniker, I take interest in
the letter that Chief Russell
wrote indicating that Clark
Karolian does not have the
experience. Tell me how 21
years of service with the
Manchester Police Department
doesn’t qualify as experience?
How do you ignore that Clark
Karolian was a homicide detective and major crime investigator in the largest city in the
state? Perhaps Chief Russell
should spend more time on the
streets of Henniker and less time traveling, promoting the Chiefs of Police Associations and the “good ol’boy network.”
Please take notice that most of the letters of support for the current sheriff are written by the people on his payroll, their spouses, and his close personal friend Chief Russell. I like Clark Karolian’s slogan: “Law Enforcement – Not Politics.” It gets right to the point.
I urge you to support and elect Clark Karolian as sheriff of Merrimack County.
Thomas Burke
Manchester
I endorse Clark Karolian for sheriff in Merrimack County
To the Editor:
To the voters of Merrimack County:
I have worked years in law enforcement, specifically 22 out of 25 years in Merrimack County.
Like many police administrators I am struggling with budgets, restrictions and the need for additional resources.
There is a significant increase in drugs and drug related crimes within our county. As a result, there is an increase in calls for service and arrests. Our communities are growing both in population and calls for service. Because of this, there is an increased demand on our personnel.
I oversee the executive board
of a 22-town membership of a
regional Special Operations
Unit.
By pooling our resources and
taking a regional approach to
some of our problems, we can
relieve some of the burden that
is being placed on each of us.
This approach was recognized
by the governor’s office, as well
as the United States attorney’s
office in Concord.
We, in Merrimack County, are
unique in that we have a good
working relationship between
our departments. In my opinion,
the sheriff should be the one
who is the catalyst in polarizing
us to work together.
In the 10 years that I have been a police chief, that has not been the case. In fact, I believe that his actions have caused just the opposite. That is one of the many reasons why I have decided to endorse another candidate for sheriff.
I endorse Clark Karolian for sheriff because he recognizes the problems that we face in our county and is willing to address them by utilizing a group approach. He is of the mentality that working together, requesting input from all departments, is how the sheriff’s office can better serve the county. He insists that maintaining interagency cooperation is vital.
I am asking you to join me in supporting Clark Karolian for sheriff because I believe that he can, and will, bring a level of cooperation which we have not seen before. I believe he will be an asset to our law enforcement community.
I have requested the Merrimack County Chief’s Association sponsor a debate between the two candidates.
Clark Karolian has readily agreed to such a debate and is glad to present the position on how he will assist us with our issues.
Please vote Clark Karolian for sheriff on Nov. 2.
Scott Hilliard
chief of police
Northfield
Give Toni Soltani fourth term
To the Editor:
Tony Soltani has been an effective legislator, and I will vote to send him back to the New Hampshire Legislature to continue representing the towns of Allenstown, Epsom and Pittsfield. Tony has applied his considerable talents to many legislative issues, most notably serving on the Judiciary Committee that increased the fiscal accountability of the courts. He is a strong and independent voice within the leadership of the New Hampshire legislature, as well as a fair and sensible spokesman to the media.
Please join me as I vote for Tony Soltani for a fourth term.
Gary Matteson
Epsom
I commend Karolian, but...
To the Editor:
I commend Mr. Karolian, the Democratic candidate for sheriff, for his 20 years of public service as a Manchester patrolman, as well as the past two years that he has worked as a part-time contracted security officer (bailiff) at the federal building in Concord.
However, his career path lacks the management and leadership experience required to be the chief law enforcement officer of Merrimack County.
By his own admission, this candidate has never balanced a budget other than for “milk and bread” in his own home.
It is indeed laudable to strive for personal advancement, but to boast qualifications that will not meet the needs of the people when seeking public office is wrong.
Elizabeth Ann Robillard
Hooksett
Please vote for Joe Stone on Rockingham District 1 ballot
To the Editor:
I would like to introduce and recommend my friend, Rep. Joe Stone of Deerfield, who is running for re-election in Rockingham District 1, comprised of Candia, Nottingham, Northwood and Deerfield. Joe, who has served for six terms in the House, presently is the vice chairman of the House Finance Committee, chairman of
Division One Finance, and is
also a member of the Legislative
Fiscal Committee.
Joe is a respected and experienced legislator who works on
behalf of his constituents. I have
worked with him on the state
budget and also on several
House and Senate bills, and during this time have found him to be a very dedicated and hard worker. Joe has lived in Deerfield for 36 years and has been a member of the board of selectmen for the past six years. He has served on the school board, municipal budget committee and the Parks and Recreation Commission. He also coached in the Little League and Babe Ruth programs for many years.
I wholeheartedly support Joe
Stone and urge the voters to
return Joe to the House, where
he will represent Candia with
the same dedicated service he
has given Deerfield over the
past decade. Please check off
Joe’s name on the ballot.
Sen. Ted Gatsas
Senate District 16
Nord, Snow and Johnson are great choices for state reps
To the Editor:
Those of us who live in Candia, Deerfield, Nottingham and Northwood are lucky this campaign season. While most of the incumbent state representatives are Benson followers, we vote for five and, fortunately, we have real choices this year. Three of my votes will go to Susi Nord of Candia, a hardworking newcomer; Dick Snow, also of Candia, who has been an active volunteer in Candia committees and boards for many years; and Robert Johnson, a seasoned, well-respected legislator.
Susi conveys a genuine respect for voters and, at every opportunity asks citizens what issues are important to them. She is pro-choice and believes the education funding debate should start with an accurate accounting of the cost of an adequate education.
Dick is a moderate, pro-choice, gun owner and Robert Johnson is pro-choice, supports fair taxation and received an 80 percent rating from the Children’s Alliance. Susi Nord, Dick Snow and Robert Johnson are great choices for Candia, Deerfield, Northwood and Nottingham.
Rebecca Hutchinson,
Deerfield
It’s a privilege and your right, get out and vote on Nov. 2
To the Editor:
In November of 2004 we will
be voting for president of the
United States.
It is every person’s duty to
vote if you are of voting age.
Most everyone has heard on
radio, television and through the
mail the good and the bad of the
two opponents, George W. Bush
and John Kerry.
Vote for whoever you feel will
do the best job for our country.
As the saying goes, “you can’t complain if you don’t vote.”
Some college students will voting for the first time. They too have listened to the pros cons of both opponents. They are the future of our country, most are eager to vote.
Do your duty and get out vote on Nov. 2 if of voting age It’s your privilege and right, take advantage of it.
Jean Talford
Pembroke
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