To the Editor:

The Solid Waste Commission’s next candidate for doing it right with respect to recycling with big blue are Linwood “Lenny” and Sandra Rowe of 90 Moose Club Park.

Sandra estimates that two-thirds of their waste stream winds up in big blue, and less than a third gets tossed as trash.

Linwood and Sandra have two grown up offspring at home, a 23-year-old who is moving out to get married and an 18-year- old.

In the trash winds up meat waste, old wet pool shoes, broken toys and broken drinking glasses. Vegetable waste winds up in the backyard in a gully.

Lenny and Sandra recycle old coffee filters (the grounds wind up as fertilizer and they rinse the filters), cardboard, food packaging, napkins, paper plates and plastic cups, and everything else that is recyclable. They continue to use the old 14-gallon open faced tote that the town used to use.

It is just outside the door for an easy interim toss for recyclables. For company not used to this procedure, or for really cold weather, they supplement this with a grocery bag hanging on the inside back door knob.

To save room, they crush empty milk cartons and then put the top back on so they stay squashed. They do this with old coffee creamers as well. Often they get a year’s use out of the milk jugs first, filled with water and used to weight down the pool cover, than squashed and tossed.

Linwood, Sandra and family, thank you very much for “doing it right” with respect to recycling.

Fred Plett, Chairman
Goffstown Solid Waste Commission

To the Editor:

It was with disappointment that I read your article concerning the Henry Bridge Road roundabout. The article quoted me as saying, “It was selectmen who approved the Henry Bridge roundabout.” What your reporter failed to include in that quote was the part where I stated, “It was the prior board of selectmen that approved the Henry Bridge roundabout.”

I am, personally, against the roundabout. Although it may have been an unintentional editorial omission, I do not appreciate being made to look like I approved that project. I would ask that, in the future, when you quote an individual, you make every effort to place their statement in the context in which it was made.

Before I was elected, I attended the roundabout public hearings and listened to the town residents voice their disapproval of that proposal. Unfortunately, the public comments, as so often is the case, were ignored and the project chugged along. I did not have an opportunity as a new selectman to do anything about it, as the project had already been approved by the board, prior to my election.

There are a growing number of residents in Goffstown who are frustrated by the fact that public hearings seem to have become meaningless. As I stated at the Sept. 21st master plan public hearing, it feels, at times, that public hearings have become a “required nuisance” in the eyes of officials. Elected bodies grudgingly endure the public comments, only to then continue on with their business, doing as they please.

Our Town Meeting form of government is not a representative form of government. It is a pure democracy. As a selectman, I can not decide to do what I think the best thing to do is. I must do what the townspeople direct me to do. In some cases, state statute allows for that direct input to the board. It’s called a public hearing. When the public comes in and voices their desires, I, for one, listen. I heard the public voice their concerns about a master plan that, according to several planning board members themselves, contained errors and flaws. That is why I voted against adoption. There was no reason why the planning board could not have put off adopting the plan. They could have worked with those concerned residents to make corrections and then adopt it at a later date.

There will be those who will look at the small number of people who attend public hearings and complain that a few individuals should not suggest changes for everyone. Unfortunately, in this day and age, only a small segment of people turn out for these meetings. We see a similar occurrence on election day. However, we should not ignore the concerns of these motivated and engaged residents simply because their neighbors didn’t show up.

I commend those residents for taking the time to come to meetings and speaking out. It is their efforts that make Goffstown the special place that it is.

Nick Campasano
Goffstown

To the Editor:

In response to the two letters by Tricia Wynne and Diane Rand, I have to agree that these roundabouts are a mistake.

What about traffic lights or four-way stop signs? I think these roundabouts are going to take the true historic value away from Grasmere and cause plenty of traffic problems.

I also think that something this major should be voted on by the town residents and not just by the board of selectmen and DPW. Maybe it is time that these department heads are voted in by the town residents and not by the selectmen.

Why is the DPW not finishing all the road repairs and washouts that are still all over town?

There is plenty of work that needs to be done other than these roundabouts.

Wallace Road would work better with a traffic light, but I guess this part of town can’t have them. The town’s residents voted a few years ago for a traffic light at Elm, Main, North Mast and High streets and ended up getting bumpouts instead.

It seems that whatever the town’s residents vote on, the board of selectmen and DPW do whatever they want. I suppose that the extra land that will be needed for these roundabouts will be taken by eminent domain with no consideration for the landowners.

Where have the rights of the town residents gone? I think it is time that the residents of Goffstown get to vote on what is going to be done and bought in this town.

A lot of residents don’t realize that a lot of equipment and job items are hid in the operating budget.

Russ Lauriat
Goffstown

To the Editor:

At a cost to the taxpayers of $35,000, the poorly written and outdated master plan sponsored by the Economic Development Council was passed Thursday evening (Sept. 14) by the planning board and is now the official plan for our town. Why was it passed? The planning board was given little choice by the residents of Goffstown who now will find confusion in the processes of obtaining variances, special exceptions, permits for home improvements, etc.

Why? Because the planning board gave the people of Goffstown all the opportunities they could to respond, to attend and voice opinions that would influence their votes.

Time ran out -- and the planning board did what they had to do: pass the plan before them.

The contracting of the preparation of this plan was a $35,000 cost to the town and to Goffstown taxpayers.

The debate is how relevant and correct may be the information contained within the plan, the statistics (or lack of) upon which it is based ­ some dating from 1999 when 2005 figures could be utilized, and how it blatantly endorses density and cluster developments. Ten people showed at this final meeting and debated the plan’s merits with the board. But 10 is not a representative number and costs, schedules, other items needing attention prevailed.

The planning board held several meetings, one fairly well attended, one very late in the evening after the regular busy planning board session and advertised the final meeting with articles and paid advertisements in The Union Leader and The Goffstown News.

Many of us have daily commutes of an hour or more each way to work. Many have kids in activities that take our time in the evenings. Many are able to free up an hour to attend other meetings. Even local residents at the earliest part of the planning board meeting, who were there for the CIP update, did not read or pay attention to the announcement of the master plan session! Are we all so practiced with tunnel vision and lack of participation that we are apathetic to our town goverment processes?

The planning board did their part. The people of Goffstown did not.

Linda A. Gelfand
Goffstown

To the Editor:

On behalf of the students, staff and parents/guardians we would like to thank The Goffstown News for the recent article and pictures of the new members at Maple Avenue Elementary School.

The children are extremely excited about seeing their teachers in the newspaper.

The Maple Avenue Elementary School has a wonderful relationship with The Goffstown News and this is just one example of this positive relationship.

Marc A. Boyd
Principal, Maple Avenue Elementary School