To the Editor:

I want to thank the over 100 law enforcement officials, friends and family, elected officials and supporters for attending my Merrimack County sheriff’s campaign kick-off announcement.

Your energy and determination are inspirational to me and I look forward to working with you in the next few moths to deliver our message of change to the citizens of Merrimack County.

With my fresh new approach of bringing financial efficiency and a coordinated effort to address the real issues concerning our communities, I am excited about the many opportunities this campaign will afford me.

Thank you once again for the faith and trust you have put in me.

Scott Hilliard
Candidate for Merrimack County sheriff

To the Editor:

Bradley and Bass, two peas in a pod, seem to have entirely lost touch with New Hampshire’s working middle class. A review of their votes on issues that affect our pocketbooks clearly earns them a grade of F.

Makes one wonder if they ended up at the head of the class as our representatives in Congress simply because their last names begin with B. If so, then shame on us the voters for being so superficial.

Monica Smith
Durham

To the Editor:

Summer time ­ at last!

I hope you have a wonderful summer experience. However, I urge you to remember that there are children out there who could use your help.

If you love parenting, miss having kids around the house, have love to give and room in your heart, call us. You will be glad you did.

There may be a foster child or a child who has been waiting for an adoptive family ­ just like yours. What do you say?

Call your local Manchester DCYF foster care worker at (800) 852-7493.

Jan Feuer
Intake Specialist
New Hampshire Foster and Adoptive Parent Association

To the Editor:

I have been a dedicated mathematics teacher in the Manchester school system for 25 years.

“Education excellence starts in the classroom,” and I was a first line of offense in providing a quality education for my students. Every year I sent approximately 50 senior finite math students on to college. Every year I sent approximately 80 undergraduate students on to their next math course.

We are at a crisis. This current year, our math department at West High had to absorb 185 extra students without addition to teaching staff. We all felt this. I personally had two classes of more than 30 students (with only 29 desks in the room). Next year, we are being asked to absorb an additional 35 students (that is a total of 220 students) and no addition to our teaching staff!

• 2004-05 school year ­ 1,759 math students, 15.4 math teachers

• 2005-06 school year ­ 1,944 math students, 15.4 math teachers

• 2006-07 school year ­ 1,979 math students, 15.4 math teachers

The recommended number of students in Level 1 is 20 students, in level 2 the recommended number is 24, and 30 students are recommended in the level 3 and 4 classes. Most of our classes for next year are now filled up to the max of 30 students. There is no room for movement, and no room for additional summer registrations.

Our department needs two additional teachers ­ we work hard and our students need help! Please!

Susan G. Hayden
Manchester West High School
Math Department

To the Editor:

It is clear that an organized effort is underway to sink the Exit 11 TIF ... but Jason Hyde is not part of it!

Unfortunately, Jason has become the latest victim of one councilor’s treachery. When he responded to a provocative e-mail sent to him by the ringleader of the anti-Cabela’s cabal, he had specifically requested that his comments not be forwarded to others. Instead, she betrayed his clear wishes. What followed is now public knowledge. I do not expect that he will again make the mistake of placing his trust in her.

Jason is a good man. He is an honest man. He is also a forceful advocate for his beliefs. Often times, his positions do not prevail in council chambers, yet not once have I ever known him to act in an underhanded or treacherous manner. It is just not his way; he prefers to come at you head on.

Jason has promised to work hard and to honor the voters’ wishes. His word is good enough for me. I will vouch for it ... and for him.

Respectfully,
Mike DiBitetto
Hooksett

DiBitetto is chairman of the Hooksett Town Council.

To the Editor:

I would like to thank the people of Pembroke for all of the wonderful donations to the Pembroke Town Library book sale. Though the sale has been canceled twice, the event will be held on July 22 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The donations are all reviewed for possible inclusion to the collection and many have been added. This is the way we can continue to improve the library’s collection within the means given. Your generosity has been fantastic.

The library will again be accepting donations after the book sale on July 22. Though the library is closed on Saturdays through July and August, the book sale will go on ­ weather permitting.

Again, thank you for thinking of the Pembroke Town Library and sharing your great books with your neighbors.

Cynthia Stosse
Director
Pembroke Town Library

To the Editor:

It’s sad to say, but the officials in the Hooksett Police Department made it as difficult as possible to enforce a law that would make life easier for people with disabilities in their city. I’m referring to the Access Aisle Law, making it illegal for any vehicle to park in, or overlap into a handicap access aisle, which is the diagonally striped area adjacent to HP parking spaces.

Simply put, the law allows any person to photograph a violating vehicle with its licence plate clearly visible, sign a written statement as to its location, date and time, and submit the documentation to the police department in the city or New Hampshire town in which the violation occurred. The police department must then issue a citation to said vehicle. But in Hooksett, it seems that anyone can park in access aisles, preventing people with disabilities to gain access to their vehicles and not worry about the consequences.

I documented many vehicles illegally parked in New Hampshire since the creation of the law, and Hooksett was the only town that made it difficult to enforce. That sends a clear message that Hooksett doesn’t care about the people with disabilities that live, work and do business there.

Imagine, if you will, that you come out to your vehicle after shopping at your local grocery store, only to find that people have parked their vehicles so close to both sides of your vehicle that you can’t get in. Now imagine that it’s a hot summer day and you have a cart full of frozen food that you just bought at the grocery store. You have to go back into the store and have them announce the plate numbers of the vehicles, and hope they come out and move before your ice cream is a pool of liquid at the bottom of your bag and your frozen pizza looks like a crumpled dish rag.

Or what if those blocking vehicles prevent you from picking up your child at school for an hour or so until the owners have finished their shopping and decided to leave. How would you feel knowing your young child was waiting and you can’t get to them?

That’s what people in wheelchairs have to go through when someone parks over the line of an access aisle. These aisles are just wide enough to allow a person using a wheelchair to roll on and off the end of their vehicle’s lift. Park too close and we can’t get in.

I’m in a chair because I can’t walk. Squeezing in through an open door isn’t an option for me. If you park in, or overlap into the access aisle next to my van, you’ve made me a prisoner. How would you feel?

Imagine how I, and so many like me felt when a law was passed that would penalize violators. Maybe that would help people understand. Then imagine how we felt when officials in the Hooksett Police Department all but refused to honor and enforce that law!

All I can say is that I hope people don’t block their vehicles when they have to go somewhere in a hurry to help a friend or loved one. That’s why I stopped doing business in Hooksett.

C. Sartori
Former Manchester resident now living in Greeneville, Tenn.

To the Editor:

The residents of Epsom have been given a wonderful opportunity. We have a chance to create a new Town Office Complex/Community Center, and I believe we have it within our power to do this with very little cost to the taxpayers.

The property formerly known as the Epsom Baptist Church is in the process of being sold to Cumberland Farms, who, in turn, has offered the structure to the town of Epsom as a gift, along with $10,000 toward its relocation.

To date, more than $40,000 has been pledged or donated, these pledges taking the form of cash, labor, equipment use and services. In addition to these pledges is an offer of $50,000 toward the future maintenance of the structure, should the town accept the gift of the meeting house.

The meeting house, built in 1861, has been determined eligible for both the state and National Registers of Historic Places. The historic nature of the building has made it qualify for Preservation Alliance grant money, and the potential future use of it qualifies it for grant money designated for municipalities.

With these possibilities, combined with all the skills, talent and goodwill throughout the town, I see no reason for Epsom not to have a new town office complex/community center up and running with little or no increase in taxes. All we need to do is band together and make it happen. We can do this !

Bruce Graham
Epsom

To the Editor:

The residents of Epsom have been given a wonderful opportunity. We have a chance to create a new Town Office Complex/Community Center, and I believe we have it within our power to do this with very little cost to the taxpayers.

The property formerly known as the Epsom Baptist Church is in the process of being sold to Cumberland Farms, who, in turn, has offered the structure to the town of Epsom as a gift, along with $10,000 toward its relocation.

To date, more than $40,000 has been pledged or donated, these pledges taking the form of cash, labor, equipment use and services. In addition to these pledges is an offer of $50,000 toward the future maintenance of the structure, should the town accept the gift of the meeting house.

The meeting house, built in 1861, has been determined eligible for both the state and National Registers of Historic Places. The historic nature of the building has made it qualify for Preservation Alliance grant money, and the potential future use of it qualifies it for grant money designated for municipalities.

With these possibilities, combined with all the skills, talent and goodwill throughout the town, I see no reason for Epsom not to have a new town office complex/community center up and running with little or no increase in taxes. All we need to do is band together and make it happen. We can do this !

Bruce Graham
Epsom

To the Editor:

I urge all thinking and open-minded people to see Al Gore’s documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth,” during its limited run in the local theaters. It is undoubtedly, in my opinion, one of the most important films of our time.

If even half of what he so scientifically details about the effects of global warming is accurate, the world as we know it is in for some mighty big changes!

We need to wake up! And awaken others while there’s still time to make a difference. This is something we should all be talking about … with our family, our neighbors, our community, and our politicians.

Find out about the facts on global warming. Then make a thoughtful change in the way your lifestyle and actions impact this planet and the future of mankind.

Judith Lindsey
Candia