Friday, July 25, 2003
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Thanks to the people who donated to Horseshoe League's new look

To the editor:
On May 6th, the neighborhood horseshoe league, had a work detail at our courts to repair bleachers, picnic tables, and extend our footing platforms for our senior players. I was then informed, that Caron Building Center donated all the lumber, and delivered it. We all thank you so very much and apologize for taking so long.
We would also like to thank White Mountain Lumber for the cement, at a very low cost. Thanks also goes out to Henri and Tina Leveille for donating a fridge.
We are a non-profit organization and thanks to you all for all your support. As I'm giving out thanks, I don't want to forget Bin Hood, and the White Mt. Distributors, for their donations of T-shirts and hats, at our annual cook-out. Thanks Bin, for being there all these years.
Thanks to our neighbor, from across the street, with his riding lawn mower, for keeping our area looking good.
Thanks to Mike Gaydo, for all those pictures, and stats throughout the years. And, so as I finish up this thank you letter, there's a man that deserves a lot of credit and thanks, and is the reason this organization is still alive and well. He's a man behind the scenes making schedules, and keeping up on all the stars. This lovely man is called Oscar "OJ" Carrier. "OJ" and his buddy Rene Henry, who also spends a lot of time behind the scenes, as our handy man, repair man, and head cook, deserves so many thanks.

Gerry Harris and the Neighborhood Horseshoe League

Berlin

Get involved; research the Gorham school issue and speak out

To the editor:
After reading the article on the town of Gorham drafting a public survey I needed to express my concerns.
First, why did the town wait 16 years to review the master plan when it should be reviewed every five to ten years? Waiting this long, seems somewhat irresponsible unless you have a specific agenda to address, such as the topic of the future of the Gorham Middle/High school. I know I sound like Mel Gibson in the movie "Conspiracy Theory", but the people of Gorham have to realize that the jurisdiction of school issues lies with the school board, not the town leaders. Yes it would be nice if the two would work together to find a solution and share services, but that is not the history. I was on the school board and observed how both bodies worked, and how even though the desire was there to work together one of those bodies want to control both.
Second, there have been too many coincidental actions too make me comfortable with the "series of questions concerning the future of Gorham Middle/High School". As the old saying goes; "There are liars, $#@ liars and statisticians". So if the entity that authored a $800,000 capital reserve fund with no obvious purpose or even an agent to expend the fund is also the entity formulating the questions I wonder if those questions will be slanted for a specific outcome?
Third, if you go to your computer and the search engine google.com and type in the words "small schools" you will find there is a huge movement away from making schools larger. All across the country researchers are finding the larger schools are creating more problems and are attempting to make smaller schools. There is research that shows that small schools are equal to or superior to larger schools in every category, including cost! So do not think that a cooperative school will necessarily be cheaper. And, if you look at this research you will see there will be a huge sacrifice in other areas, not just for Gorham but for Berlin also.
Finally, I encourage everyone to genuinely look at the advantages and disadvantages for themselves. Do not listen to a few select men (including me) and voice your opinions, often if necessary. I have done my research and stand opposed to a cooperative school. I have established an e-mail address if you would like to give your opinion. I plan to give these e-mails to the Gorham school board. The e-mail address is noco_op@yahoo.com (There is an underscore between co and op!) Oh yeah, Mel Gibson was right...remember?

Joe Rodgers

Gorham

I'd like to correct the error

To the editor:
In last Monday's article on the HHS' move, there was a comment by me that contained a typing error. I didn't pay much attention to it as it was just a typo.
However, my store manager asked me today if I had uttered a profanity during my interview. I'm not immune to that, occasionally dispersing freely a few choice words, but no, I hadn't. Then she referred me to my printed words and, yes, it could appear that I salted my comment. It concerns me because it mistakenly changes the intention of the comment, so therefore this correction.
What I did say was that the HHS move did not serve their clients well. Clients with limited resources will have to travel with their children to the outskirts of town for services. Additionally, the move flies in the face of the state's Smart Growth Policy which says that government offices will remain in downtowns.
As objective as I can be, I believe it departs from policy and common sense, showing little concern for its clients, nor the interest and well being of this city.

Dick Poulin

Berlin

Androscoggin for sale

To the editor:
What would you do if 340,000 acres in your valley was for sale? You fought like hell to save the paper mill, will you fight equally as hard for the land that feeds that paper mill and our sawmills? Will you get involved and fight to assure those lands you have always used as your own, are there for your children and their children?
This valley will not be taken apart piece meal (and slow) like Southern New Hampsachusetts, four landowners (essentially investment companies) own 340,000 acres here, they are all selling and developers are buying. The top of Mount Forist (for the people of Berlin, your backyard) has sold and is being developed right now. The almost 10,000 acres of John Hancock land in Berlin has sold (to a developer from Maine) who intends to rape and subdivide that land (essentially all the land around Jericho Lake and Head Pond). We do not have the luxury of discussing the disposition of that land, this is the last timber harvest there, the snowmobile trail to the summit is gone, the hunting grounds are gone, the trails and redneck campsites are gone, etc. You do have an opportunity to discuss the disposition of the remaining 340,000 acres still on the market.
Don’t believe the dribble that there will be no land left for growth, well over a hundred thousand acres would still remain in the private sector and we have a big, beautiful city here, with countless space, to rebuild. Today we have the option to discuss the disposition of our large forest holdings and there are many different ways to conserve this resource (county, regional, city, town forests, easements, etc). Don’t trust in capitalism to protect our natural resources and plan what our valley should look like, be heard, educate yourself. The leadership in our valley has and is working harder to diversify, strengthen this economy and rebuild this city (valley), more so than any place I have ever lived. They and we have focused so intently on the things that need to change, our challenge, your challenge, is in our collective ability to work equally as hard at protecting those things that need not change. Diversifying our economy can and does include fighting for our existing industries (paper, saw, recreation and tourism industries) and the land, that increasingly, unique natural resource, that supports those industries. We can remain a unique city surrounded by open productive forest lands, rebuild, reinvent or through indifference, shortsightedness or whatever your justification, we can become like those thousands of other American cities that sprawl outwards, never rebuild and leave their city behind.

Robert Brown

Berlin