YourNeighborhoodNews.com: The Hooksett Banner

We find it pretty scary to see the new members of the Epsom School Board making proposals to test students on what they know without, apparently, doing any research on what testing is already done. Anyone interested in being on the school board, or any governing body, ought to come to meetings armed with research and knowledge, not simply the desire to turn things upside down.

While the intentions may have been good ones, it is silly to expect students to spend more days taking tests they consider to be meaningless, giving the testers meaningless results. It is ridiculous to add more tests when there are already several administered to find out what students know. Have the Epsom School Board members heard of No Child Left Behind or the New Hampshire Education and Improvement Assessment Program (NHEIAP) tests? It would seem not.

As a matter of fact, they seem not to care much for meeting protocol. Andrew Turnbull had his hands full at the last meeting keeping the new members in line and following standard procedure.

It's good to see citizens get involved in civic affairs, but it should be done with care for the work done before they arrived. Go ahead and present your ideas, but think them through and make sure they make sense before simply demanding action.

With a whopping 55-vote mandate - hmmm. Things might be different if the sun had been out!

Oops, sorry. Forgot we only have revotes when the town "leaders" (snicker) don't get their way.

First, it is my understanding that the $1.5 million cost would be to renovate and to improve the building for municipal use only. To reuse the existing building as a school would apparently cost in the neighborhood of $13 million. It is my understanding that the huge disparity in cost is due to the difference between bringing the building up to code for municipal use versus school use. I have been led to believe that many costly improvements would need to be made for school use, simply because there are so many deficiencies in the building as it presently sits.

For Mr. Ross to continue to expound that it would be appropriate for Village School to be leased to Mount Zion without an explanation of the significance of the cost to renovate and repair the building, in my opinion, fails to give the people of Hooksett all the information necessary to properly consider this matter.

Finally, a word of caution to the town council: Should the council seriously consider leasing the exisiting town-owned building to Mount Zion School as proposed by Mr. Ross, it should secure a legal opinion as to the constitutionality of such a use. It is my belief that leasing public property for strictly religious uses would violate the establishment clause of the United States Constitution, leaving the town open to suit for violating the clear principle of separation of church and state.

Special thanks to Joe Kilburg of the Nashua Pride who came out to play in support of the league and to the Nashua Pride for their donations of several pieces of autographed memorabilia for raffle prizes. And thanks to all the players who came out to play a round of golf.

With everyone's support, more than $5,200 was raised to support the Little League baseball and softball programs in Hooksett.

Thirteen years ago, the elected and appointed officials and citizens of Auburn drafted a master plan with laws and ordinances which would protect Auburn from urban sprawl. Today, however, there seems to be a trend toward revising those mandates. There is a move afoot to revise wetland buffers and building envelopes, and approve waivers which will allow more houses in cluster developments than would be built on conventional lots.

Cluster housing is replacing the conventional method of developing land. Which means that land previously unsuited for development can now be built on. However, cluster housing does not mean more houses can be built than in the conventional method. Houses are built on one acre, and additional acreage is supposed to be set aside as open space. Open space is meant to be a combination of forest, steep slope and wetlands. Houses are supposed to be on quiet cul-desacs surrounded by forest and wetlands. There are some questions that need answers about our current method of allowing cluster housing projects. Are we allowing more houses in a cluster than the acreage mandates? Is the open space in our clusters just wetlands? Is the open space being logged off and excavated, changing the character of the land for decades to come?

Surveys show that citizens of Auburn favor maintaining a rural character. When was the last time you found “a road less traveled” in Auburn? Class IV roads are being upgraded to thoroughfares connected to state highways. More houses mean more roads, services, a larger school and higher taxes to support it all. We have to accommodate growth, but we should not be allowing more building than our ordinances mandate just to accommodate developers. Auburn is acquiring a reputation for being “builder- friendly.” With the present trend toward development, we should all be thankful for the Manchester Water Works watershed protection. Think of what we would look like without it!

I hope more people will try to become educated as to what is going on in our town. I know it is difficult to find time to attend meetings regularly, but the minutes of all meetings are public knowledge and may be obtained at the town hall. Read them over – you may be surprised.

Hooksett parents who send their children to West High should know, for example, that West High School is home to a Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps unit, Manchester's only JROTC program. Other school districts in New Hampshire also expend some of their scarce dollars on military indoctrination. Incidentally, we are very much aware of West's high academic reputation, its good acts as a community-ofcaring school that assists annually the soup kitchen and senior citizens. Their music program is top notch as is their experienced faculty.

On the other hand, are we being too critical in pointing out that there is a separate section in West's school library that is devoted to books, magazines and brochures that relate to war and to JROTC and recruiting? Recruiting posters, as last year, are displayed prominently on walls in school hallways. In fact, one recent wall poster by the New Hampshire Army National Guard advertised "Mini Basic Training." The poster said "Experience Military Training! - Weapon Simulators; Drill & Ceremony; Obstacle Course; Land Navigation; Map Reading ... and more!" (No cost to participants - lodging and meals included!)

As citizens and taxpayers, do you object to having your tax dollars help pay for this "free camp" which is scheduled for late June? Moreover, do citizens know that the military recruiting budget last year was about $3 billion?

Recently, we also observed a recruiting sign on West High School property (corner of South Main and Hecker streets) that said "National Guard . Defend Freedom," then below, it lists the Web site for recruiters. NH VFP is wondering, must our schools serve as local branches of military recruiting offices? Just raising a few questions. Who will supply the answers?

As for Fred, I commend him for discerning my humor. Only regular readers could be as adept. Of course, his questions are irrelevant. Instead of "wondering," he could have asked me why I was at the polls. That's why I wore a name tag. I am always willing to discuss and defend my statements and positions with anyone daring to intellectually joust. Send out your champion to face the little shepherd boy. No screaming, violence or personal attacks. I do allow silent nodding and such, unlike our town council.

I could address each misappropriated quote and go over the 350-word limit but will continue to comply with the rules. Besides, everyone who knows me knows the truth. I mostly "rail against" irresponsible spending of tax money. I "rail against" blatant balderdash being fed to us by people who assume we are ignorant. Most of all, I "rail against" people who haven't even read the Bible and claim to know what it says. They are blind followers of the blind.

I criticize oversized government in general, as our Christian forefathers told us to. Yes, they were predominantly Christians and did shoot people. As for Christian teaching, read the book, the Bible. Do you remember Jesus. visit to the temple? Overturning the money changers - tables and beating them out with a hastily made whip? He referred to the church leaders as a "generation of vipers." He told his disciples "If any man has two coats, let him sell one and buy a sword." Again, too many examples for a 350-word letter. Don't trust others, read it yourself.

I was in the gymnasium at Cawley when the results were announced and was immediately troubled that 73 blank ballots were apparently cast while the margin of victory for the article was only 55 votes. I found myself wondering why anyone would take the time to go to Cawley, sign in, take a ballot and simply send it through the machine with no opinion.

This might have been more easily explained if several issues were on the ballot - perhaps then someone would have voted on most articles and simply had no opinion on this one. But there was only one issue on the ballot, and I believe that there was enough publicity in the papers and signage around town to make that clear.

Don't get me wrong. I supported the school district's budget request. I hope that the results continue to support its passage, and I am certain that the vote was conducted professionally.

I do support the call for a recount, however. The results of the vote have to be absolutely credible and voter intent must be determined to the best of our ability, especially given the closeness of the vote, the number of blank ballots and that the vote was held a second time to allow more meaningful participation. There is a great deal at stake here - many people have significant concerns about their children's education and/or their tax burden.

I believe, however, that the far more important long-term issue is the credibility of the vote and the degree to which we are willing to demonstrate the integrity of the voting process. If we win the battle for the vote without also winning trust in the credibility and integrity of the results, we will ultimately lose the war for positive civic engagement.