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Editorial Eat it, it's good for you
School lunches have never been known for their quality
or appeal to the student palate. Mystery meat has
long been the punchline to jokes because so many of us
had to contend with cafeteria food that is less than appetizing.
Now it's healthy food kids turn up noses at.
Hooksett has tried to satisfy a wide range of needs
and requirements with its contract with Cafe Services
Inc., and the school board has agreed to renew that
contract for next year. What those in charge apparently
didn't anticipate is that children, being children, will
spend more than what is in their account for food, and
will not always make the best choices. As the grownups
in this mix, parents and school officials do need to make
sure children are not spending all their lunch money on
ice cream and that they don't overspend their accounts.
It's just not reasonable to expect young children to keep
track of the money.
We would also like to see children offered more than
just "healthy" food though. One parent notified us of a
problem that happened with her daughter, who has an
eating disorder. She was eating nothing at all when daily
pizza was removed from the menu. Not all children's
tastes are the same, and many are picky eaters. Better
that they eat pizza or hot dogs every day than eat nothing
at all. No one should be forced into anyone else's
eating habits, no matter how "good" it is for them.
(Editor's Note: Editorials in all of the Neighborhood
News publications are now being written by an editorial
board.)
Letters
The taxpayer revolt is coming
To the Editor:
Into what stinking rat hole
does our school tax money disappear?
It is absolute insanity that
half of the tax rate goes to the
schools. This needs to change.
It is definitely time for privatization,
as I am sick of lunatic
school budgets and bellyaching
parents who want to bankrupt
me to pay for their child's education.
It started with the spoiled little
boomers and has infected the
next generation as well. Here's
a clue: Find a private school,
pay for your own progeny; get
a second job so I don't have to.
If you can't afford to raise them,
don't have them; birth control
is cheap. You have no right to
tax people out of their homes to
fund your child's education.
The taxpayer revolt is coming
and is long overdue. Let's do it.
A. Frank Amato
Hooksett
What's illegal immigrant policy?
To the Editor:
In light of what has recently
transpired in New Ipswich and
Hudson on the illegal immigrant
issue, I called the Hooksett
Police Department the other day
to ask what their policy is on the
handling of a similar situation.
A woman identifying herself
as a prosecutor called me back
and said it's a federal issue and
local authorities would turn such
a situation over to them.
Well, as I understand it, the
New Ipswich chief tried to do
just that and was told the Feds
were too busy (or some other
lame excuse) to handle illegals.
There is no gray here - illegal
is illegal. I would think in the
public's best interest of safety,
etc., that Hooksett would adopt
a better policy ASAP. before
they too are told the Feds are
too busy.
Hey, Hooksett Police Commissioners,
what you say? Does
our chief have the authority to
arrest and/or detain an illegal
immigrant? If so, super. If not,
then when? Or are we on the eve
of being forced to form our own
version of minutemen?
Ed Groves Sr.
Hooksett
I am disgusted Candia School Board would violate free speech
To the Editor:
A front-page article in the
June 16 edition of the Banner is
very disturbing.
I am disgusted that an educational
association would even
consider such a blatant violation
of free speech as described
in the proposed school district
code of conduct.
An elected official, as a representative
of the public, is obligated
to be fully accountable
for decisions made and views
expressed. Those who serve in
government are not disenfranchised.
The citizens have every
right to know why and how
these officials reach the conclusions
that govern their actions.
As for the code's support
of "policies that recognize the
rights and dignity of all people"?
. apparently this would
apply only to those with whom
the board agrees.
I applaud the editorial position
as expressed in the same issue of
The Hooksett Banner.
Barbara Bowman
Candia
What I learned this year about the Hooksett School Board
To the Editor:
I have spent a lot of time in
the Hooksett schools this year
as a volunteer, and have started
attending the school board meetings
regularly.
The first thing I learned was
all of the volunteers, faculty
and school board members are
dedicated to providing the best
education for our kids, however
they see it. Even though at one
time or another, I have disagreed
with at least one person in each
of these groups, I have always
found them honest and respectful.
My contact with administration
has not been so positive.
Our past Superintendent Bob
Supernant left in July 2004. Our
Assistant Superintendent Mr.
Wigode who had served for four
years, acted as temporary superintendent.
Armand LaSelva was
hired and Mr. Wigode returned
to his position of assistant superintendent.
In December 2004, Mr.
Wigode disappeared. Although
his name appeared on the district
Web site and e-mail list as
assistant superintendent, he was
not reporting to work.
When I asked Superintendent
LaSelva about the status of the
assistant superintendent, I was
told he was on personal leave,
that he would be paid through
July 2005 and that it was a
personal matter and would not
be discussed. When I asked the
school board at the board meeting
I was told the decision was
made by the SAU board.
Hooksett School District is
part of SAU 15 with Candia
and Auburn. In March 2005, I
went to the SAU Administration
Building to ask for all the SAU
board meeting minutes for that
time frame. There are only three
SAU meetings a year. None of
the minutes reflected any reference
to the assistant superintendent.
I called back to ask if there
were any other minutes sealed
or otherwise unavailable to me.
I was told there were no other
minutes.
I contacted the chairman of
SAU 15 by phone. I asked him
about the status of the assistant
superintendent. He told me it
was a nonpublic session, therefore
the minutes were not public.
I asked him if the minutes
should reflect that they were
sealed. He said they should and
didn't understand why they
didn't. He promised to call me
back.
After two weeks I left a message
and never heard from him
again. I asked the Hooksett board
to inquire to the SAU board as to
the status of the minutes. They
agreed. After the SAU board
meeting the Hooksett board
told me the minutes had been
amended and sealed at the June
2005 meeting. Superintendent
LaSelva re-asserted that it was
a personal matter and would not
be discussed.
I also had a bad e-mail experience.
The superintendent forwarded
one of my e-mails containing
a technology question to
a school principal with a comment
added, despite claiming
never to have received e-mail
from me.
The assistant superintendent
has an $80,000 contract ending
in July 2005. The math tells me
that's about $46,666 plus benefits
we paid out for no services
rendered. Why was the contract
paid off? The SAU board now
must decide whether to renew
the superintendent's contract
which is $102,000. I decided
to research Mr. La Salva, and
ended up at fostersdaily.com,
the Web site for a Dover newspaper.
Mr. LaSelva served there
as superintendent.
So, as school winds down
and my summer vacation is
just ahead, I am left with some
questions. Do we need to be
part of the SAU? Should we be
told about the assistant superintendent?
Should we renew the
superintendent's contract? Is it
better to be a volunteer or go
to board meetings? Should we
listen more to those volunteers
who come forward? Are we
spending more time analyzing
our kids than teaching them?
Well, maybe I will get my
answers next school year. We
can always use more people volunteering
and attending school
board meetings. It's one place
that the class size is small, so
come on down.
David Pearl
Hooksett
Lynch is trying to take money away from successful towns
To the Editor:
I sat here in this very chair
months ago, flabbergasted by
an idea floated around by our
new governor, John Lynch. I
was taken back based on what
I heard. I then expressed my
frustrations in this paper.
It's now quite evident that
these feelings have found their
way to numerous Hooksett residents
and also to the staff writers
at the Hooksett Banner. I'll
say it again, the residents of
Hooksett should be outraged at
Lynch as we're dealing with
town-related financial issues of
our own.
Hooksett has long been one
of the more fiscally and socially
conservative towns in this state.
That's all changing.
Take a look at Gov. Lynch's
proposals. You won't have to
dig too deep as the numbers are
right in the May 19 Hooksett
Banner. If he gets his way,
Lynch will be forcing us (the
Hooksett taxpayers) to cope
with a lower sum of money in
order to fund our education. He
is sending a message to the successful
towns that they need to
"penny pinch" and tighten their
collective fiscal belts. He's taking
money from successful and
thriving towns (Bow, Hooksett,
Bedford, Auburn, New Boston,
etc.) and funneling it into towns
that are not.
His motto: See a problem,
throw money at it. This is the
result of ignorance and liberalism
in action. It's the same problem
creeping into our own town.
My family and I had a house
built in Hooksett in the fall of
2003. Our taxes have increased
by more than 20 percent in less
than 18 months. I'm sure this
number is actually low as our
tax bills are being sent to us in
the next few weeks.
The residents of Hooksett
voted this month on a multitude
of articles. These same people
will have to live with the results.
If you want to fill in that "yes"
oval for every request to dig
deeper in your wallet, be my
guest. If liberal Lynch can force
towns like Hooksett to deal with
less money from the state, we
can do it at the town level as
well.
I'm sick of hearing about the
town offices "being too small"
or the Village School "needing"
$1.5 million. Take a look at your
own families. I'm sure most
of us have dealt with financial
hardships. I certainly have.
But these woes can be severely
depressed by cutting spending.
Why can't Hooksett apply this
simplest of methods instead of
constantly throwing article after
article in our faces?
I really believe our town is
at a financial crossroads. Do
we want to be the next Derry
and be taxed to the point of
being forced from our town? If
you don't think this is happening,
you're not paying attention.
This is real problem, but a problem
we can fix.
Credit cards offer that instant
gratification of obtaining a material
possession that "will just be
paid for later." It's easy to swipe
that card without much thought.
It's just as easy to check that
"yes" box next to the article asking
for more money.
The residents of Hooksett need
to mature fiscally and start tightening
our town's fiscal belt.
Aaron Gage
Hooksett
Thanks to sponsors, participants
To the Editor:
Hooksett Little League
would like to thank the following
sponsors for their support
in the 2005 Little League Golf
Outing: Granite State Tire &
Battery, Attorneys St. George
& Spenard, Korkosz Appraisal
Services, Porter Athletic Equipment,
RJ Moreau Communities,
Moquin Special Agent, New
Hampshire Stamping Co., RW
Larken Homes, Phoenix Realty
Group, Paragon, Pentucket
Bank, the Orthopedic Center,
Bedford Occupational & Acute
Care, Bailinson & O.Leary PC
and Apple Physical Therapy
and to The Donovan Family and
Corri Wilson for donations of
raffle prizes.
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.
Steve Walls
Golf Tournament Coordinator
Hooksett
Thanks for financial generosity
To the Editor:
Your financial generosity on
behalf of little Carol Shepard
and Canaan Bernier in support
of my 85-mile ride in the Pan-
Mass Challenge on Aug. 6 have
been simply awesome!
To date, I have received from
your donations totaling $1,300
that will go towards cancer
research at the Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute in Carol and
Canaan's name. We are making
a difference in the ongoing fight
against this dreaded disease that
affects each of our families!
A special thanks to Heidi
for silk-screening Carol and
Canaan's picture on the back of
the shirt I will wear during my
ride. Also, I'll carry the names
with me of the people you listed
on my donation form. If anyone
else would like to support my
ride, please fill out the form and
put in an envelope with your
donation. (Make checks payable
to: "PMC-Jimmy Fund")
The "big picture" is the fact
that on Aug. 6, I will be one
of approximately 4,000 cyclists
working together to raise $18
million for the Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute! We are making
a difference.
Roy Dennehy
Candia Moore School
Auburn Scouts say thanks
To the Editor:
Auburn Troop 127 would
like to thank the townspeople
for their continuing support of
Scouting. A special thank you
to Carl and Nancy Mayland of
Viking Oil for their generous
donation toward the Troop's
new trailer. We couldn't do all
of our activities without you!
Please keep in mind the Boy
Scouts will be conducting a flag
retirement at their June Court of
Honor ceremony. Contact The
McCarthys at 483-8951 if you
have a worn or tattered flag to
be disposed of.
Mike McCarthy
Auburn Troop 127
We are proud of Builders Club
To the Editor:
Thank you for printing the
story "Builders Club raises
money for Hooksett Kids
Kaboose" (June 16, p. A-5).
The beach party was a wonderful
event that provided service
and fellowship, allowed many
students to become involved in
the new Builders Club and to
take on leadership roles.
I commend graduating eighthgrader
Chelsea Cahill who took
on the assignment of authoring
the article.
The Kiwanis Club of Hooksett
is pleased to be sponsoring this
newly-organized club at Cawley
Middle School and we are proud
of their many accomplishments
in the short time since they.ve
started meeting and working
together.
We look forward to sharing
more with the Hooksett community
as these remarkable students
celebrate the the club's official
charter in the fall and they continue
their efforts on behalf of
the school and community.
Thank you.
Corri Wilson
Kiwanis Advisor
Cawley Middle School
Builders Club
Thank you from post office
To the Editor:
To the residents of Pembroke
and Allenstown:
The employees of the Suncook
Post Office would like to
thank everyone who contributed
to the 2005 food drive.
Your generosity in donating
food items allowed us to send
nearly 7,000 pounds of food
items to our local food banks
here in the Suncook area.
Special thanks goes to the
Pembroke Women's Club,
Famous Village Pizza, Curves,
Suncook Family Dentistry and
VFW Post 2860 for sponsoring
the drive.
We would also like to thank
our volunteers who worked the
food drive and the students of
Pembroke Academy for their
community service hours.
Jo-Ann Dupuis and
Jeannie Woolf
Pembroke
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