Blog

Sep 25, 2023

Restaurant's amplified music ruining Market Square ambiance: Letters

May 31 — To the Editor: The beautiful weather we have been longing for has

May 31 — To the Editor:

The beautiful weather we have been longing for has arrived. In Market Square the information kiosk is open and tourists are already gathering around seeking a recommended restaurant or shopping experience. The familiar shiny motorcycles are parked nearby and their riders are basking in the sunshine chatting with one another. Smiles light up the faces of people as they sit with friends and enjoy a cup of coffee. The buskers are out entertaining us with myriad musical offerings. Portsmouth as it should be! But, wait, what is that dissonant sound? It is music blaring from speakers at a restaurant in the Square. Now the lovely melodies of the accordionist, which created the atmosphere of a Parisian sidewalk café, are drowned out by the speakers at the restaurant. I would beg the owner to keep the music inside. Please. Why disrupt the perfect ambiance of this iconic spot?

Katie Jarvis

Rye

May 30 — To the Editor:

My name is David Holt, I have been a Somersworth resident, homeowner and voter for 23 years. I was born and have lived in New Hampshire almost my entire life. In addition I have served on the city of Somersworth Democratic committee as a chair and vice chair, as well as just being an active member. I also ran for City Council and only lost by 55 votes. This shows how important every vote is and what I am writing about is asking our state courts to protect our voting rights from partisan power grabs and influence from big money.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Moore v. Harper and this case is coming up. Moore V. Harper is trying to overturn how elections have been run in our country for 200 years and could upend our elections system. It would give lawmakers unchecked powers to gerrymander our voting districts beyond recognition. We need to ensure that the majority rules, that every vote, including yours counts! The Supreme Court needs to protect voters by keeping state judicial oversight of our election process in place.

To be clear, it is not the interest of average Americans that will be served by this but corporate interests and the interests of the very wealthy. It will lead to deregulation that will cause societal and environmental damage, leading to issues for all of us, especially working and poor Americans.

Don't act against your interests, we need to ensure that Government is protecting the interests of all, not just the few wealthy among us. Please reach out to your legislators, friends and community and talk to them about the importance of protecting the integrity of our votes, our voices in our government.

David Holt

Somersworth

June 1 — To the Editor:

Ed Smith and his family have a very nice house. He has two sons, both in their mid-teens, close to finishing high school. He has a very good job with a very successful company.

But the house has a crack in the foundation and part of the roof is showing wear and tear, and it's clear that a repair job is overdue. The family car is pretty old and soon the brakes and other parts — maybe the whole car — will need replacement. One son has been diagnosed with a congenital heart condition, and while not immediately life-threatening, surgery has been recommended. The possibility of college for one or both of the boys is right around the corner. And in general, the costs of every-day living … food, gas, electricity, taxes, insurance, etc … will .continue to increase in the future. It's clear that in order to maintain the structure of his house, provide adequate and safe transportation, and guarantee the health of his family, Ed will be facing some serious expenses in the coming years.

Ed receives notice from his employer that company profits have increased substantially, and as a result, all employees can expect a hefty raise in pay. Ed's response is to turn down the increase, and in fact asks for a reduction. His thinking is this: if I have more money I'm only going to spend it. Even though the deteriorating house foundation and questionable state of the brakes might jeopardize the safety of my family, we'll just have to chance it. I can save money by postponing my son's surgery, and in the meantime look around for some kind of cheaper health insurance. There are always student loans if my sons go to college, and they can deal with that on their own later on. But my decision regarding my salary will put my employer in a better financial position and that's really what is more important in the long run.

Does all of this sound a little crazy? Would anyone seriously turn down a readily available source of money that could be used for badly needed building repairs (infrastructure), auto replacement (transportation), and medical care (mental health, maternal care, drug and alcohol recovery) and other well-defined and desperately needed services and programs? The answer is obvious.

But this is exactly the intent of Republicans in Congress, in state legislatures and, so far as we have seen, the Party's potential candidates for President. They propose that existing programs designed to meet the needs of the disabled, the elderly, the homeless and other disadvantaged citizens, single parents, the unemployed, the mentally ill, and millions of other blameless American citizens and immigrants who have come here seeking a better life, be curtailed or eliminated. At the same time the proposal is to cut corporate taxes and to remove any additional financial burdens on the very wealthy. So Ed Smith's thinking is not very different from hundreds of politicians all across our country. Let's hope his house, his car, and especially his son will survive.

Anthony McManus

Dover

June 1 — To the Editor:

I write today to show my support of the Twin States Clean Energy Link project being developed by National Grid in New Hampshire.

Developing new electric transmission infrastructure in New England is needed now more than ever as we add hydro and wind to our energy portfolio to pursue an all-the-above energy policy. Twin States would provide our region with a 1,200 MW line running along state roads and existing transmission right of way in Vermont and New Hampshire.

In addition to providing our communities with access to renewable energy, Twin States has the ability to move power in both directions – importing hydropower from Canada to New England and exporting excess renewable power from New England to Canada. This component of the project will allow for a much-needed balancing of the New England power grid.

Access to low-cost hydropower will significantly benefit ratepayers in my district and throughout the state, by helping to alleviate the rising costs of electricity, something many families throughout the region have been struggling with. Affordable energy resources will be welcome in New Hampshire's growing economy and the potential for billions in energy savings is a win-win for every granite stater.

The project's developers, National Grid and Citizens Energy Corporation have made it a priority to assemble community benefits packages aimed at satisfying economic and community needs identified by local leaders and organizations. These benefits will have a lasting impact on route communities and our state as a whole.

Twin States represents an excellent opportunity for New Hampshire and is an excellent candidate for development. I urge you to support the Twin States Clean Energy Link.

NH Sen. Bill Gannon

New Hampshire Senate - 23rd District