To the Editor:

Dear Hooksett residents,

To our Friends at Candia Summer Rec:

When you don’t see Megan and Ashley on your first day of Summer Rec this year, we’d like to explain why, as best we can.

When we were interviewed this year by Selectman Brennan, our fourth interview with him since we began this job in 2003, we were asked individually: Hypothetically, if someone “better qualified” were found and we could only hire one of you, would you come back without the other one? While both of us found this to be an odd question, because who would be better qualified than either of us with our three years of experience, knowing the routine inside and out, not to mention having counseled the campers for three years now? We each answered that we would.

This week, when we got the calls that neither one of us was going to be rehired for a fourth year, one of us was told that new blood was going to be brought to the program and the other was told it was nothing personal, just politics.

Politics, Mr. Brennan? Please explain what that means.

Both of us gave Candia Rec our all for three years. We were never late and did not call in sick. The kids and parents liked both of us so much that we got calls to baby-sit outside the program. Oh, and we are both honor students and play a varsity sport at Trinity High School.

While we understand that change happens, we were both looking forward to being counselors for what would have been our fourth and final year. We are both headed off to colleges in different states in September, and this summer would have been our farewell to you.

We would like to say to all of our camp buddies that we truly enjoyed the friendships we made with you, the laughter we shared and watching you grow and change from summer to summer. It was the best job while it lasted, and we are going to miss each and every one of you. Have a great summer and know that we would have enjoyed being there with you one last year.

And thanks, Mr. Brennan, for putting two innocent young women in the ugly, ugly crosshairs of Candia’s politics.

Megan Cowette, Candia
Ashley Rahill, Manchester

To the Editor:

I am very troubled with the news that the United States Senate is considering a constitutional amendment that defines marriage between one man and one woman.

Up unto this point, marriage regulations have been defined by the states, and now the federal government wants to enact legislation disrupting this power of each state.

One argument that I have heard since this debate has begun is the destruction of family and marriage. How can we say this when we live in a society where our celebrities get married and divorced on a whim?

What are we saying to people who have love for each other when they are of the same sex by enacting legislation banning gay marriage? We are saying to them that they have no rights, that they are not the same as anyone else. All people are equal and deserve the same rights as everyone else.

To the people making religious arguments, you quote the sections of the Bible that relate to your argument but ignore the rest. How much of the Bible do we not follow? Many of us do not keep kosher homes, we work on the Sabbath, we do not kill our children when they disagree with us, and we prohibited slavery. You should not pick and choose what you want.

If this amendment is brought forth for election, I will vote against a constitutional amendment defining marriage and ask others to do so.

James Barber
Allenstown

To the Editor:

I would like to express by many thanks to the Hooksett Lions Club for making me the Hooksett Citizen of the Year for 2006.

The evening held at the Puritan Conference Center is one that will remain with me forever.

I am also very thankful for all who attended ­ family, friends and all the dignitaries. Also receiving congratulations from Germany.

The presentation of the pictures and the Hooksett Entertainers made it a perfect evening.

Leo Belisle
Hooksett

To the Editor:

The planning board of the town of Hooksett will hold a public hearing on Monday, June 12, for the purpose of taking testimony on a proposed Growth Management Ordinance (GMO). The hearing will begin at 7 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers of the Hooksett Municipal Building at 16 Main St.

A growth management ordinance can be a complex document as it strives to balance the landowners’ rights to develop his/her land and the ability of the town to provide needed services for all the development in the community. This can be further complicated during periods of rapid growth.

Since well before the court decision to negate Hooksett’s first GMO, that came into being in May 2005 by petition and by vote of the citizens, the planning board has been struggling to craft a document that will be fair to all parties and that will have a strong likelihood of surviving a court challenge.

The planning board therefore urges all interested citizens and landowners in Hooksett to come to this public hearing and give the planning board the benefit of your thoughts.

Charles Watson
Town Planner
Hooksett

To the Editor:

Here we are, summer is approaching and the drivers are speeding up. I’ve been pleased by the extra police presence on the highways and happily waving as I pass the speeders being ticketed.

The local radio station was having people call to weigh-in on whether it is safer to drive the speed limit, or go-with-the-flow of traffic. Some of the calls were so idiotic, as to cause head-shaking laughter. The flow of traffic should be at the speed limit! Furthermore, if someone rear-ends you, it’s always their fault in the eyes of the law and the insurance companies. So, go ahead, make my day, (I drive a pick-up). Unfortunately many folks ferry kids in a mini van, which offers no protection against rear-enders, and some of the tailgaters are downright violent in their behavior.

My frustration is only kept in check by Jesus. Otherwise, there would be a lot of walkers and happy insurance-claim lawyers. As for my neighbors who continue to speed and roll right through the stop signs, there is nothing in the Bible, nor the local laws, prohibiting videotaping of their lawlessness and swearing out complaints to the police and the New Hampshire Department of Safety. I’ve given the warnings often enough that they apparently think I won’t. I’m certain one particular neighbor is reading this right now, (I’m still not using your name, yet). Two stop signs in a row, cornering on the wrong side of the road and speeding, are more than enough to add up to “driving so as to endanger, reckless endangerment, and habitual offender” charges, beside the originals. Your insurance will go way up and your license might be suspended. This is your last warning, and pass it on. I’m all done. I will see you all in court, and at licensing hearings at Hazen Drive if you don’t slow down and stop at the signs.

Yes, folks; even if the town won’t post your neighborhood with signs, it doesn’t matter. You don’t need them to prove reckless driving. You just need a camcorder and the will to do something about it. I have both.

David Ross
Hooksett

To the Editor:

On behalf of the Manchester West High Destination ImagiNation team, I want the thank the many supporters who helped us get to the Global Finals in Knoxville, Tennessee from May 24 to May 27. We were thrilled to be one of the teams representing New Hampshire. Our “On Safari” improv. team ranked 27th out of 55 national and international teams showing their solution to the challenge.

Generous financial support was given by GL&V Corporation, DHB Company and Shorty’s Fair Share. A very special thanks goes to M&S Logistics Company of Candia, with Dave Plante, who donated the profits of trucking props for many New Hampshire teams down to the competition site in Tennessee.

Our team coordinator Marcus Hann helped to coordinate this, and was a great support of the program and our efforts. We appreciate the help from Ron Miller, biology teacher from West for being a volunteer appraiser for DI. And of course, thanks to the team parents for all their support.

I‘d like to take this opportunity to encourage other parents and students to consider getting involved in Destination ImagiNation next school year. The organization emphasizes creative problem solving and teambuilding, which are truly life long useful skills in any profession. Though we did the improv. solution, there are other types of problems that can be done.

These can include skills such as writing and performing a short play with costumes and sets, all done by the team. There are also structural, technical or scientific challenges as options. It’s a fun learning experience for both the kids and the parents involved. Please visit the Web sites www.nh-di.org or www.globalfinals.org for further information.

Barbara O’Dea
West DI team manager
Team members Kristin Johnson, Brianna Levenstein, Laura O’Dea, Kay Penney, Senem Sezgi and Samantha Werner

To the Editor:

I want to take the opportunity to offer my highest praise and thanks to the people of New Hampshire who have again demonstrated we truly live in a very special state.

As our state has battled some of the worst flooding in our history, neighbors, first responders, town, state and federal officials have all joined together to help. As flood waters rose day by day threatening homes and communities all across New Hampshire, the people of New Hampshire also rose to meet the challenge.

The demands required of emergency workers, first responders and law enforcement personnel are neither easy nor predictable. They all deserve our appreciation and recognition for their tireless efforts and for meeting the crisis head on. Whether it was wading through flood waters to help stranded families or battling to control the flood waters spilling over the top of dams, people across our state were working around the clock to help all those in need.

While the flood waters are beginning to recede, there is still much work to be done to help those in our communities who lost so much. I look forward to continuing to work with Gov. Lynch and those on the federal, state and local level to get the assistance needed to the people who have been so devastated by the flooding.

The citizens of New Hampshire can take pride in their efforts. Whenever they face a challenge, they always react the same way. They roll up their sleeves, and in this case put on their boots, and face it together.

U.S. Sen.Judd Gregg, R-NH