A man.s home is his castle, right? Unless that castle sits on land that's taken by eminent domain, is ruled by a homeowner's association, or, in the case of Medford Farms and Village of Glens Falls, is owned by a corporation that would rather sell that land to one of its fellow park managers than the people who actually live there.

It would be one matter if the residents of these manufactured home parks were trying to get J.M. Kilmartin & Sons, Inc. and Medford Farms Realty Trust to come down on the price so they could own their homes and property outright, but they've met the asking price even when it was hiked on them to $1.7 million. We'd bet the current owners were surprised by that turn of events, but had likely told Home America that they had a deal. Now they don't want to play fair, and are fighting the residents on their right to buy the property before anyone else can do so.

It seems the Goffstown residents have the law on their side. We hope the hearing results in the sale going through for their side and these homeowners get to own the land their houses sit on soon.

Editorials published by Neighborhood News Inc. are written by an editorial board. The board is composed of Publisher and President Amy J. Vellucci, Executive Editor Ginger Kozlowski and Managing Editor Christine Heiser.

The well-attended event provided many families with a memorable night out, some swimming and picnicking before settling down on a blanket in the grass to watch a good movie amid fireflies and cool breezes.

Thanks especially to Dan LaRochelle for his hard work on the project and his desire to provide a free event for families. A lot of effort went into the Free Family Movie Night, and most of it came from Dan.

We sincerely appreciate the efforts of Robbie and Kevin Grady, who helped put the whole thing together, and the Pinardville Optimists and Goffstown Public Library, who's generosity helped make it possible. Because of their efforts, many children and parents will long remember the evening.

It is a pleasure be part of a community that works together to meet the needs of our young people. We look forward to another free movie night again!
Laurie Hambleton
Executive Director
Crispin's House Inc.
Goffstown

The proposed site (Elm Street, opposite the boat launch) is not necessarily a good choice for that kindergarten. In order for our school system to be successful; i.e., to serve our children well for years to come, we need to make good choices.

Two huge questions about the suitability of the site have yet to be addressed.

1) Buildable land is only a small part of this wetland parcel. Is there enough buildable land here (without irresponsible filling and dredging) to house a kindergarten and the elementary school which has been intended, eventually, to share its lot? This is a crucial question because if the kindergarten is placed on a site that will not also house the needed elementary grades, Goffstown and her citizens will have to go through all of this frustration and confrontation again in just a few years when another site (for the elementary school) is needed.

2) Placing a school on the proposed lot will cause traffic changes on Elm Street. Nearly centered between Tibbetts Hill Road (Mountain View Middle School) and the village (Maple Avenue School), this would be the third school to add and draw traffic from this very busy route over a very short distance! On at least two occasions, Superintendent Lockwood's response to this concern has been that "traffic in Goffstown is already failed." While this is succinct, I do not believe it is a productive approach. I am sure that responsible community leaders will wish to review the impact of another school on such an important commuter and commercial thoroughfare before making any decision on the appropriateness of the proposed school site.

I hope that the voters of Goffstown will thoughtfully consider the above issues, and that they encourage our elected leaders to do so, too.

Thank you for your time and attention,
Catherine Gorman
Goffstown

One, my son, I put the flowers on just before Memorial Day; the flowers were gone within three weeks.

How desperate that person must be.
Jane LeBlanc
Goffstown

1. At least six real estaterelated people have recently told me "Goffstown is the next big housing boom." Wetlands, forests and wild life habitats are targeted for development.

2. One Saturday morning 3 developers parked in my rightof- way to "have a look" at a 100 acre tract of land abutting my property. Representing the owner (from Bedford), they showed me a plan for 100 high-density houses on that land which is zoned agricultural, contains prime wetland and is a well-known hunting and trapping area.

3. A newspaper article reported the town of Bedford is 90 percent developed and will be closed to new housing within a few years. Land is finite and the "No Vacancy" sign may go up in Goffstown in our lifetimes.

4. After 20 years here, I asked, "What would I want Goffstown to look like if I lived here another 20 years? And would I want my children to live here?"

The land "gold rush" in Goffstown has begun. We need an open-space plan, a committee to implement the plan and funding for land conservation. We need smart, controlled growth, planned by the people who live here. And we need to move the political process faster than the developers are moving. I urge you to go to meetings, speak to selectmen and planning board members. Read the open-space plan when it goes public. Together we can make Goffstown a safe, healthy, scenic and financially sound place to live.
Jackie Gagnon Perra
Goffstown