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Editorial Girl fights back for mom
When a hardship hits a family, the people affected can
do one of two things: lay down and take it, or get up
and fight it.
Jackie Kuhn is fighting with a vengeance.
The 10-year-old Candia girl has raised $9,000 in
four years to fight multiple sclerosis. The team she put
together - the Candia Crusaders - has raised more than
$36,000.
Jackie is a lot of things. She's a trooper, she's an organizer,
she's a hard worker. But mainly, she's a little girl
who loves her mother. Kathy Kuhn was diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis four years ago. Jackie wanted to do
something to help her.
Most recently, she organized a motorcycle ride to raise
money. She convinced members of Manchester Harley
Owners Group to participate. She faxed businesses,
went door-to-door, and wrote letters to raise money and
get donations for food and other items for the ride.
Hanging on the back of her father's Harley, she joined
the group of 61 motorcycles to enjoy the free-wheeling
fruits of her labor of love.
Next time you think you can't do anything about a
problem and are ready to give up, think about Jackie,
age 10, who will not be giving up anytime 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.
Letters
Is it too much to ask for a cop to direct traffic properly?
To the Editor:
If you are going to Manchester
via Daniel Webster Highway,
you will pass through the synchronized
lights at the Wal-Mart
Plaza intersection in Hooksett,
which work beautifully.
On July 17, I came upon a
puzzling situation. Cars were
coming from the left (from the
bank) obviously against the
lights into my lane. There was
nothing to indicate why this was
happening. No construction, no
accident, no signs nor a police
officer to indicate otherwise.
Although my light was green,
there were cars in my lane, so I
stopped, but not before hitting
the rear of the car turning in
front of me.
At this time, I heard someone
shout, "Stop, stop!" from behind
the cars coming through the left
lane. Officer Bray wasted no
time running over to me claiming
it was my fault. Had he been
in the intersection stopping cars
in my lane while motioning on
the cars from the left, this accident
would have had happened.
The police report cited me
for failure to "obey an officer."
Which one? The one not in my
lane or the one in the left lane
motioning the cars on?
If there is to be a change of
flow in the traffic for whatever
reason (against the lights), is it
too much to ask Officer Bray to
be in the intersection stopping
traffic in the southbound lane
while motioning the cars from
the bank forward?
This would have left no doubt
in anyone's mind what his intent
was. His neglect caused the accident.
Helen Smith
Northwood
State requirement will force inevitable improvements to school
To the Editor:
Dear neighbors,
Although my wife and I are
lifelong New Hampshire residents,
serving 23 years as a
park ranger and then building a
rather large warehouse distribution
business dealing worldwide
but staffed with all New Hampshire
residents and always based
in New Hampshire, we are still
referred to by some of the more
notable residents of the town, as
city transplants.
Six years ago we developed
the property which is now
known as Fieldstone Lane near
the Candia Woods golf course.
Just facing this town's planning
board should prove there is a
lot of Yankee in me. Daily my
wife and I walk our property in
search of stray golf balls which
we carefully clean and package
and resell to supplement our
tax bill.
In May 2004, I transferred
my business to my two sons and
retired. After the recent Town
Meeting, I volunteered to help
the school facilities committee
in their plight for improvements
to the Moore School. My wife,
I feel, is trying to get me out of
the house.
On a more serious note, I have
always supported education,
encouraging all of our employees
and family members to continue
their education. I myself
was deprived a continuing education
as my folks could not
afford to send me. Yet, in 2003,
I received my executive masters
of business degree. Another former
employee who resides in
Candia, quit high school, and
now is going for her master's
as well.
Although I am now retired it
is still our responsibility to help
provide the best possible educational
opportunities that we as
Candia residents can afford to
the next generation.
The school facilities committee,
charged with investigating
viable options, is divided into
three groups, renovations, co-op
possibilities and a new school. I
myself volunteered for the new
school subcommittee.
State requirements will force
the inevitable of improvements
to the school. New standards
just came out the end of May
and we do not meet them.
There is a wealth of talent in
this town, especially in some
of us seniors who I feel owe it
to the youth to give them the
opportunities to bring out the
best in them.
With careful planning and by
your input we can establish a
viable and workable plan instead
of a negative voice expressed
only at the Town Meeting. The
majority of the people I have
talked to understand the need,
but aren't sure how to accomplish
it.
Let's talk and find a way to
leave a legacy to the town of
Candia that we all are a part of.
We are, of course, researching all
the avenues on matching funding
or grants. Whatever the final
option is, it will be decided in
September. Your chance is here,
now, to voice your thoughts.
Feel free to write or to call, so
we can talk to you.
John and Jeanne Cole
Candia
Interpretation is difficult, especially with a source like the Bible
To the Editor:
The week's letter to the
Banner from David Ross got me
thinking about the problem of
interpretation.
He claimed that his earlier
letters had been misinterpreted
(doesn't he say this every
week?) and then announced that
God and Jesus are intolerant and
"vomit" on sinners. He even said
that Jesus never taught tolerance,
never having noticed that
obscure story about not casting
stones at sinners.
No document can explain
itself. Rather, we as individuals
have to do our best to read
the words as they appear, to
give them meaning and to try to
understand any deeper message
they may be contained therein.
Yet interpretation is difficult,
especially with a source as challenging
as the Bible. Religious
colleges and universities assign
whole departments to the job.
While not as tedious perhaps
as the epistles of Mr. Ross, the
Bible is of course full of complex
and contradictory claims,
was written in several different
languages for several different
purposes and presents a number
of challenges to translators. The
Bible, like all sacred books (and
mere letters to the editor) does
not interpret itself.
My own view on Bible interpretation
is that we can learn a
great deal about a person from
how they interpret the Bible, the
Koran,or whatever other sacred
book inspires them.
A nice and generous person
will generally find support for
a kind and generous faith inside
the covers of their holy book.
Equally, an unkind person
will find their shriveled-up faith
in just the same source. What
such differing interpretations
teach us is not about the book,
but the reader.
Nicholas Hunt-Bull
Hooksett
Hooksett can be saved from becoming city of North Manchester
To the Editor:
I guess it takes a while for
our "trustees" to add up all the
hours and money spent on the
items listed in my "questions"
letter. I'll give them more time
to answer, if they will.
I am not holding my breath,
though. I know better than that.
Perhaps, it may take a "Freedom
of Information Act" warrant to
get a response. That wouldn't be
a surprise.
A few folks have expressed
their desire to see me win a
council seat. Two are willing to
volunteer their help, as well! I
am both honored and humbled.
Next week I will lay out my
basic platform. Let there be no
mistake, I am serious and will
strive to be elected. If elected, I
will faithfully execute the duties
entrusted and, as always, be
ready and willing to support and
defend my actions and words.
Many of my positions and
beliefs are well-known, already.
I am confident that the town
of Hooksett can still be saved
from becoming the city of North
Manchester, New Massachusetts.
Oh, by the way, I just lost
another neighbor who couldn't
afford to stay here. A lot more
homes are for sale lately too.
I don't want to be next, do you?
David Ross
Hooksett
Don't support horse slaughtering or horse racing in any way
To the Editor:
It is a national disgrace that
tens of thousands of U's.-bred
horses end up on dinner plates
in Europe and Asia.
Equines are frequently shipped
to slaughterhouses in doubledecker
trailers where they sustain
neck and head injuries since
there are taller than cattle and
cannot stand up for days at a
time during transport.
The top decks of these trailers
have been known to collapse,
crushing the horses on the bottom
level to death.
In the chute to the slaughterhouse,
you will often see former
pleasure horses and ponies
immaculately groomed wait - for
their turn to be killed. Reluctant
horses are beaten with electric
cattle prods into the chute and
are stunned with a captive bolt to
the head and then bled. Because
of improper stunning methods,
many horses have their throats
slit while still fully conscious.
Because racetracks breed
thousands of surplus horses
each year to produce champions,
those unfit to race or with
damaging injuries are sold for
meat.
Because of lax enforcement of
adoption policies by the Federal
Bureau of Land Management,
people purchase wild horses and
burros only later to sell them to
slaughterhouses.
"Killer buyers" respond to
"good home" ads and sell the
pleasure horses advertised for
meat. These horses end up at
auctions where animals of all
ages, conditions and temperaments
are crowded together in
substandard barns.
Premarin farms that produce
estrogen supplements from
pregnant mare urine sell tens
of thousands of unwanted foals
boan from forced pregnancies to
slaughterhouses.
Here's what you can do to
help stop this gruesome industry:
If you are selling a companion
horse, make sure the prospective
buyer signs a legally
binding adoption contract, visit
the person's home, making an
agreement that you can visit any
time unannounced to check up
on the horses.
If you are a woman in menopause,
do not take Prempro,
Prempak of Premarin. Many
natural and humane alternatives
exist. Read the label . don't buy
companion animal food containing
horse meat. Don't support
horse-racing in any way. Adopt
a wild horse, burro or Premarin
foal.
For information on menopause
solutions, horse slaughter,
adoption contracts or horse
adoption, call 224-1361.
Barbara Bonsignore
Concord
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