I wanted to say what a pleasure it has been to serve the people of Bow, Hopkinton, Contoocook, Dunbarton and Concord.

Residents, town, school, police and fire officials have always extended a warm welcome and have been helpful in getting the news to the community.

I have especially enjoyed taking part in your events, most notably Hopkinton's annual triathlon and strawberry festivals, Dunbarton's annual lasagna bake-offs and historical ventures, and Bow's summer concerts and its 275th birthday celebration in 2002.

I will always remember the communities' strength as Hopkinton faced the deaths of Rob Carr and Jake Shumway in 2000, and Bow, which lost Kate and Ally Hinck and Emily Hill in October.

Although, I may not be seen around your towns, rest assured I will be keeping my eye on your issues.

Continue your fight against companies that may cause you harm, and your conservation and historical preservation efforts.

Thank you.
Susan Clark

Fur is being made into coat linings, fur trim dyed a whole rainbow of colors, and cut in a variety of styles and textures to somehow disguise the fact that it came from a once living, breathing creature.

If you are against animal suffering, make a choice - the compassionate one - don't buy real fur of any kind. The fur-bearing animals don't have a choice.

Cruelty to animals is inherent in the entire fur industry, whether it is the wild animal caught in the steel-jaw leghold trap which chews off a limb to escape the excruciating pain or the furbearer forced to live in tiny cages exposed to all weather extremes and types of vermin attracted to the pile of excrement under the cages.

On these fur ranches, their short lives are ended by painful mouth to anal or genital electrocution or unfiltered carbon monoxide gas, which burns their lungs.

Killing on fur farms is not regulated by either the Animal Welfare Act or the Humane Slaughter Act. Many garments originating in Asia don't list the source of the fur - it could actually be dog or cat fur!

There is much you, as an individual, can do to combat the fur industry whose trademark is animal misery.

Speak to the manager of any stores selling real fur, telling him/her that you will not shop in their store until all fur is permanently removed. Do the same by writing a letter to any catalogues selling fur items. Join our statewide protests and help educate the public on the fur issue.

Send for a free fur action kit by phoning 224-1361 or writing to 8 Hutchins St., Concord, NH 03301-3208.

Leave the fur on its real owner - the animal.

No animal willingly gives up its fur coat.
Barbara Bonsignore, Concord

As a father of three young girls, I say it is worth every penny and then some!

Mr. Dell'Orfano claims that there is a " ... small, but vocal group, of lawyers and doctors" who are in opposition of his plan to open the state's first construction and demolition hazardous waste incinerator.

As with all great lies, Mr. Dell'Orfano speaks in halftruths to give his claims some measure of legitimacy.

It is true that there are lawyers and doctors that oppose his incineration plans. What he does not tell you is that there are others that are equally opposed to his plan and they include more than 150 doctors, three of the state's leading medical associations, tens of lawyers and thousands of ordinary citizens who just don't want their children poisoned by Mr. Dell'Orfano's get-rich quick scheme.

Mr. Dell'Orfano claims that his plan to burn construction and demolition waste is good for this state. However, you never see Mr. Dell'Orfano list the 87 hazardous air toxins that he has been given permission by the Environmental Protection Agency and the New Hamsphire Department of Environmental Services to send up his smoke stack, nor does he talk about the 64 tons of very dangerous compounds that will be sent up his smoke stack only to fall all around us in Hopkinton, Bow, Concord and other local communities.

He is silent about all the recent medical studies that show that very low levels of compounds like lead, mercury, dioxins, arsenic and others can dramatically cause our children to have reduced IQ, damaged neurological development, autism, asthma and a whole host of long-term chronic health care issues.

He is equally silent about approximately 13 tons of highly toxic dust, that will contain heavy metals such as lead and mercury that will blow off his trucks as they drive from PetroFiber's open-air wood grinding machine in Henniker across the dam in Hopkinton, blow around as his trucks are dumping this hazardous waste off an elevated loading area into a large uncovered pile of ground up construction and demolition hazardous waste debris and allowed to again, blow around in the swirling winds.

Further, Mr. Dell'Orfano never tells you about how the rain and snow are going to be allowed to soak through his uncovered pile of ground up construction and demolition hazardous waste debris as it sits in Hopkinton.

As the rain and melting snow soak through his pile, the water will be contaminated with lead, mercury and other hazardous compounds simply by coming in contact with the ground-up debris.

This contaminated water will, under Mr. Dell'Orfano's plan, be allowed to simply flow into the Contoocook River to become part of the drinking water supply for several communities including Concord.

Boy that tastes good!

I can't wait to have a glass full of lead-, mercury- or arsenic-flavored water on a hot summer day in Concord.

In addition, Mr. Dell'Orfano did not tell you that the Merrimack County Superior Court recently dismissed his company's lawsuit against Hopkinton because Bio Energy failed to submit its plans for this project to the town of Hopkinton for local review - just as anyone else would have to do.

Further, he must have forgotten to tell you that the town of Hopkinton has decided to file suit against Bio Energy LLC and Regenesis Corporation in federal court for their violations of environmental laws that date back to September of 1995 and continued through 1999, when it appears that Bio Energy burned this very same type of hazardous waste without a permit to do so.

I wonder how all that lead got into your ash over the years, Mr. Dell'Orfano? I am sorry, I remember now, your public relations person told us that it was from bullets that had been shot into the trees that were burned in your plant!

Bio Energy was such a good neighbor that in the 1980s Bio Energy's neighbors sued Bio Energy for damage it was doing to them. That must have been another misguided and illinformed group of unhappy residents.

Mr. Dell'Orfano never tells you about his former Bio Energy partner's conviction for felony witness tampering a year or so ago in the Hillsborough County Superior Court in a case over Bio Energy's failure to pay some of its bills.

Mr. Dell'Orfano further states that Bio Energy will have technology that " ... will further reduce particulate emission from the Bio Energy electric generating facility, making it possibly one of the cleanest bio-mass power facilities in the Northeast."

Again, Mr. Dell'Orfano, mastery of the half-truth shines through in this statement.

The technology that Mr. Dell'Orfano speaks of is a fluidized gravel bed filter that he, and others, designed for this project. Mr. Dell'Orfano has admitted that this new design has never been used before "anywhere in the world." This is why he chose his words carefully when he says that Bio Energy will "possibly" be one of the cleanest facilities in the Northeast. He has no way to know how well or badly this filter will work until he starts using it. As such, he is asking the state to let him operate for up to three years with his untested filter so he can test it at the expense of our children and this state.

Further, it is important to note that he states that his filter will only " ... reduce particulate emissions ..."

Particulate emissions are soot. While I hate soot as much as the next person, the health risk to our children is from the 64 tons of the 87 different air toxins that will flow from the Bio Energy smoke stack each year, not the soot.

The long and short of all of this is that Mr. Dell'Orfano stands to make millions of dollars each year from burning 529 tons of construction and demolition hazardous waste, each day, in the Bio Energy incinerator in Hopkinton should it be permitted to start operation.

The state's own studies show that Bio Energy will emit up to 64 tons each year of 87 very hazardous air toxins and much of this will fall on Hopkinton, Bow, Concord, Weare and Dunbarton.

The 150 doctors from around the state all say the emissions from Bio Energy are dangerous to our health, in general, but to the health of our children, specifically.

You be the judge of everyone's motives in this situation. Join REACH (www.REACH4 HEALTH.ORG) and tell your selectmen, representatives, senators and the governor that you don't want Bio Energy burning construction and demolition hazardous waste in New Hampshire!
Scott W. Flood, Hopkinton

Recently, I held a drive for the Concord SPCA where I collected items that they needed. I had boxes at Bow Elementary, Bow Memorial and Bow High schools for approximately three weeks.

This drive is part of earning my Girl Scout Silver Award. I would like to thank everyone who helped make this part of my project a huge success especially the town of Bow and city of Concord.

Not only did I collect many items needed by the SPCA, I also collected over $150 dollars for them.

I would like to especially thank Mrs. Christy Romano and Mrs. Karen Yout for helping me decorate my boxes for the schools.

I also would like to thank my Mom, my sister Lindsay and friend Madeline Russo for helping me collect and deliver the items to the SPCA.

My next part of my project is a rabies clinic, which will be held in February at the Bow Community Center.

Thank you.
Kaitlin Frank
Bow Cadette Girl Scout
Troop 509

In my opinion, Mr. Milazzo should not be faulted or ridiculed for his simply trying to correct a wrong.

We should applaud him for his courage and willingness to fight for our safety.

After all, wouldn't we all appreciate it if our roads were free from speeders and, therefore, more enjoyable for pedestrians, children and animals to use without fear of serious, potentially deadly accidents?

I don't believe this is asking for too much; and, Mr. Milazzo, you have my support.
Therese C. Saucier, Bow

We also need 100 additional volunteers willing to commit to the life of their case (approximately two years).

Contact Diane Peragine, diane@casanh.org or 800-626- 0622 for additional information or visit www.casanh.org.
Diane V. Peragine
Training & recruitment coordinator
CASA of New Hampshire
PO Box 1327
Manchester, NH 03105
(603) 626-4600, ext. 238

Mary Lamenzo of Warner led students in this celebration that was the culmination of an extended integrated study of Native American culture, song and dance.

During the ceremony, middle school students presented their "medicine wheels" to their ancestors, thanking their parents for their many gifts.

The ceremony closed with an intergenerational circle dance, a form of honoring the earth.

Students and teachers also wish to thank Bud Thompson, director of the Kearsage Indian Museum for his gift of a beautiful "talking stick."

For more information on various programs offered by the Hopkinton Independent School, please call 226-4662.
Lynn A. Brofos
Administrative assistant
Hopkinton Independent School

For most land owners this is good. But for younger, future residents, particularly school teachers and municipal employees, this may be a very great problem.

We also want to keep open space, but rising land values will make longterm land-purchase plans difficult to carry out.

So now is the time to think about new ways of providing reasonably priced homes for our town employees and senior citizens, and also protect some of those aesthetic features of forests and farmland.

Here is one idea used in other places in the U.S.

If, say, a 100-acre farm with some nice pastoral views came on the market, the town - or private group - could buy it. Twenty-acres along the road, or including a view of a pond, could be preserved as open land.

The remaining 80 acres, out of sight behind a tree line, could be divided up into lots, accessed by a road with an "S" bend to block direct view of the subdivision.

The lots would be leased, not sold, to builders or to individuals who would own their homes and lease the land for, say, 60 years.

At the end of the sixty years the houses would be removed and the town would have a large block of land for the then-needed community uses.

Besides "land banking" the 100 acres, the town could waive the monthly land-lease payments for any homeowners employed by the town or school system.

Such a waiver would lower the monthly mortgage payments, perhaps by a third. Any owner could improve and sell his property, but a buyer would then pay the monthly land lease payment if not employed by the town.

Placing homes on smaller lots, and using a community well and wastewater disposal system, would reduce land costs.

The town would collect taxes on the homes, and lease payments on some of the lots, and probably could finance such a project without outlay of tax monies.

With town cooperation such an approach could also be done by a private, non-profit foundation. In fact, a private group could show the way with a demonstration project.

Let's start thinking of how new ideas, or ones successfully used in other places, could be applied here.

Zoning and planning board rules provide some control of development, but may not solve some important issues. If we largely react to development pressure, and buy occasional blocks of land, our towns my be largely filled with homes spread across the countryside, mainly visible from the roads we travel.
Lindley H. Hall, Hopkinton

As a senior advocate, I'm aware of the many problems seniors face, and, at age 83, like many of New Hampshire's seniors, I have tried to ensure that I will have the kind of care I need and want should my health deteriorates.

I have purchased supplemental insurance as well as longterm care insurance, work with my physician to do what I can to prevent serious problems, have rolled up the scatter rugs and have put my savings in an annuity to ensure I can continue to pay the premiums on my health care coverage - which, for long-term care, insurance is $4,000 a year.

I definitely believe that inhome care is not only the preference of seniors but is more cost effective. But will it be available? When I need it?

We need to ensure that there will be sufficently trained personnel to keep seniors at home and that help begins as early as possible. A little bit of help initially is a preventative for more costly care later. We need to take an overall look at what seniors, and especially those living alone, need to keep them at home. Such things as help with home maintenance, the ability to shop and get to the doctor's, and someone to call daily to ensure their safety and afford them, sometimes, their only contact of the day.

Presently, we wait until a person is almost ready for 24-hour care before we step in to help. This is not the way to save on nursing home costs and stretch the time seniors can pay for their own care (which, by the way, they prefer). My savings would almost be gone if I hadn't purchased an annuity. I am willing to live on a lot less to ensure it would last as long as I needed income. But it works only if there will be affordable, reliable, in-home care when needed.

Presently, in order to comply with current regulations, often more help than is actually needed or wanted is required. A review using common sense as to how we evaluate what is needed and/or wanted in the way of help should be done before we commit ourselves to this plan. A little can go a long way if it is the right "little!"

It is the inability to find someone to change the smoke alarm or light bulb that is too high to reach, to get groceries or prescriptions, the necessity of spending a whole day to go to the doctor only a few miles away, to have to make a dozen calls and still find no one to do outside chores, the fear that should you fall no one will know. It is these small things that become overwhelming if you live alone and drains your self-confidence in your ability to care for yourself.

All around the state we see communities are beginning to take a broader view of what their seniors need and how things like home maintenace, daily assurance calls and ways to ensure services can be provided for those who no longer have a means of transportation. We now have Service Link where seniors can call for "information and referral." We need to ensure every senior knows he is not alone and just a phone call away from help. But we also need to ensure that the services needed are available and affordable.

We are making a start, but let's not tie our hands for the next five years. We need the freedom to make our own Granite State decisions as we work toward making the Granite Care program one that really works for our citizens. Making it difficult for seniors to go into nursing homes is not the answer. Making it possible for them to remain in their homes (where they want to be) is!
Helen Zarnowski, Bedford

In many areas of the state there are local foster and adoptive parent associations and support groups. Some of these groups find ways to offer activities for foster children, often with a good bit of staff and community support, particularly in the form of donations and contributions. It is rewarding to watch the children enjoy these activities.

Some examples of activities are holiday parties with visits from Santa, pumpkin carving events - a particularly big occasion in the Monadnock region, summer picnics, and special trips in some cases, to name a few.

You can become a part of this exciting group of foster parents. Find out more about foster care - and adoption, too. Call your Portsmouth DCYF foster care worker at 1-800-821-0326.
Jan Feuer
NH Foster & Adoptive Parent Association

It was a year ago (Nov. 23, 2003) here in Weare that our friends' dog, Zack, didn't come back to the house after attending to his morning duties. Unknown to his family, a hunter was stalking deer in their neighborhood.

While the family was preparing for breakfast they heard three shots. Zack was the family dog, loving and gentle with the young kids. The hunter had shot Zack through his shoulder and left Zack to bleed to death 400 feet from his family's home. This hunter did not go to the nearest home to tell the family. He did not notify the police. Neighbors saw a hunter quickly leaving the woods after they had also hear the gunshots and they helped search for the injured dog. Ultimately, the police were able to track down the hunter. This man was not a novice hunter. This man claimed Zack attacked him and he shot in self defense.

The Weare Animal Control officers, Lorrie and Bruce Benzel, have asked that a bill be entered into law which could follow RSA: 207:39 (a) as RSA:207:39 (b) REPORTING DOMESTIC ANIMAL SHOT WHILE HUNTING

Any person, while actually engaged in hunting or the pursuit of wild animals or wild birds, causing death, injury or damage to domestic animals, ducks or fowl or fires any weapon at any domestic animal, duck or fowl must report the incident immediately to the local police department and/or animal control officer. The person must also report the incident by mail to the director of Fish and Game.

Any identification such as dog tags must be noted and the person responsible must do everything within reason to save the life of the domestic animal that was wounded or damaged or the person shall be guilty of a violation subject to having his license to hunt revoked and he may not be granted a license to hunt for a period not to exceed five years and maybe subject to being charged with animal cruelty.

The current law does not require notification.

Please call or write to your local legislators to ask that this bill be passed into New Hampshire law in the 2005 session. Sheila Roberge, senator from District 9, has offered to introduce this bill.

This young dog was the best friend of the family's 4- and 7- year-old children. The youngest still misses curling up and napping with her buddy.

Please support Zack's Law this year. It requires an individual to notify authorities if a domestic animal is shot. It is the humane thing to do. It is the least that Zack's killer could have done.

(My neighbor called to say my dogs were in her yard playing with her kids.)
Carolyn Sheehan, Weare