Pelham - Windham News December 23, 2010 - 11


Thumbs Up? Thumbs Down?


Comments expressed in this column are the sole views of those callers and do not reflect the views of the Pelham~Windham News or its advertisers. Town and school officials encourage readers to seek out assistance directly to resolve any problems or issues. The Pelham~Windham News editorial staff holds the right to refuse any comment deemed inappropriate.


“Thumbs up…Way up, to Julio at the Hardware


Store. I had no idea that you spent 8 years in the military and time in Afghanistan. You are my Hero for sure! Thank you for your service…Home of the Free, Because of the Brave!”


“Thumbs down: When you say happy holidays,


what are you saying? December has two recognized Holidays - Christmas (which for those that are not aware is the birth of Christ not Santa Claus) and Hanukkah. So if you do not believe or support either of these…what are you celebrating? Why are you taking the day off of work? The


Balduccispizza.com “Thumbs down. I’d like to address the person 603-890-3344


who is offended by the St. Pat’s students on her child’s bus. Their parents pay taxes; AND get no educational services for those tax dollars, except for the bus ride and perhaps lunch. You should be shaking those parents’ hands and thanking them for the extra dollars available for your child’s education. My guess is that the reason your child’s friend can’t be dropped at your house is a safety issue. Imagine the chaos that would ensue if children were allowed to simply get off at any stop that felt good to them that day. Imagine the frantic calls of parents who hadn’t authorized a child to go home with a friend? Take a minute and stop and think before you post. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. (And less exclamation points would lend a bit more credence to your post.)”


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definition of Holiday is the celebration of an event, what event does Santa belong to? Why buy presents? What do office parties have to do with a religious Holiday? If you partake in any of this, ask yourself why. Mean what you say and say what you mean. For those that don’t believe, we don’t tell you that you can’t hang Happy Birthday signs at a public park picnic (yet) or on your garage (yet). So the next time you indulge in the festivities of Christmas or Hanukkah, ask yourself why you are not at work like it is just another day.”


“Thumbs up and way up if the U.S. postal Service would keep one window at the Post Office open just for people that want to buy stamps only. That would save some folks from a long, long wait in line. Then if it wasn’t busy they could help folks with packages or other needs.”


Winter and Pets


submitted by Animal Control Officer Jana McMillan, Hudson Police Department Consider your pet’s age and health when deciding to leave them outdoors in below- freezing temperatures with ice or snow present. The New Hampshire State Law requires shelter for dogs kept outside, and there are guidelines on acceptable structures. A doghouse should be used that is close to the dog’s size so they can generate their own body heat. Straw should line the house as an added insulator (camper shells, vari kennels, cars, and sheds are just a few unacceptable shelters). If you know of a dog being left outside with no shelter or questionable shelter, contact your local Animal Control Officer or police department to check on its welfare. The following are some guidelines for pets in cold weather: • Most dogs and cats are safer indoors, except when taken out for exercise. Regardless of the season, shorthaired, very young, or old dogs and all cats should never be left outside without supervision. (Pets that are acclimated to the weather are different, but common sense should prevail).


• Pets that spend a lot of time outdoors need more food because in the winter, keeping warm takes more energy. Pets drink more during winter, so always keep fresh, unfrozen water available. (Use plastic rather than metal dishes!)


• Salt and other chemicals used to melt snow and ice can irritate paws. Also, wipe them with a damp towel before your pet licks them, causing irritation to the mouth.


• Always have a winter disaster plan in place for you, your family, and your pets. For more information or to report pets outside, call the Hudson Police Department at 886-6011.


“Thumbs up to Jared


Cassedy!! We are so lucky to have him in Windham as an incredible Band Director at the High School and Director of the Windham Community Band. The high school bands


all sound great at the holiday concert and the tree lighting concert was an absolute joy!! Jared is a true professional that proves at every concert how he is able to bring the best out of any group he works with.”


“Thumbs up to the Windham Community Band!


The tree lighting concert was amazing. We didn’t want it to end. What a beautiful, rich sound. Thank you for being a great asset to our town!!”


“Thumbs down to the Dracut builder who crossed into Pelham and cut 40 acres of Pelham forest. ‘Thumbs up’ to town officials for going after him, he shouldn’t profit from our trees.”


“Thumbs up you are right, school is about academia. You forgot to say that Razorback


football is not affiliated with a school. Having dyslexia does not mean one is mediocre. It actually means the opposite. Being dyslexic means one is highly creative, inspirational, passionate and empathetic because they are wired to be right brain thinkers. Great people with dyslexia were: Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Thomas Jefferson, John F Kennedy, George Pattern, and Henry Ford. Current dyslexics are: the founders of Virgin Airlines, Hewlett Packard, IKEA, and Kinko’s; the CEO of Cisco Systems, Ted Turner and the president of Coca Cola.”


“Thumbs up to Mr. Edward Bemish in


Windham. His enthusiasm for the piano is contagious and we are blown away by the progress that our son has achieved. Thank you, Mr. Bemish, for continuously challenging our seven year old to learn theory and technique with your subtle humor and patience. We feel so fortunate to have found such an outstanding teacher for our son, he looks forward to every class! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Sincerely, Steve & Lynne”


“Thumbs down to the Pelham Selectmen. At your December 14th


meeting, you appropriated


additional money to the design of a new fire station that has been repeatedly voted down in the past. Which word don’t you understand? Your efforts to force a new fire station on the taxpayers by ruining our town center with a rotary is highly transparent. You should be working to keep our taxes low in this tough economic environment. Hopefully the voters will remember your renegade actions of not listening to us at the next selectmen’s elections and act accordingly.”


“Thumbs down to the ‘Scrooge’ against the flute ensemble at WHS. The teachers in the music department motivate their students to use their recourses from what they learned at school and expand their talents by working collaboratively together. By putting the ensemble in the concert, the music department was only showing support and giving an opportunity to students who take


Statewide Video Contest will Promote Energy Savings


submitted by Bill Burtis The New England Carbon Challenge (NECC) and its partners have announced the My Energy Plan (MEP) Video Challenge 2010 for New Hampshire residents. Between January 3 and February 28, the NECC


invites individuals age 13 and above and groups from across New Hampshire to submit one- to four-minute videos about their energy plans. This unique short-video contest is the centerpiece of MEP, a new suite of Web tools designed to help households reduce their energy consumption. Created by the NECC, with the NH Sustainable Energy Association and the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension and housed at myenergyplan.net, these Web tools help individuals make a plan to increase energy and cost savings over time. MEP helps individuals act on the power they have to make changes in their life. The NECC is a joint initiative of the University of New Hampshire and Clean Air-Cool Planet, a non-profit dedicated solely to delivering solutions to global warming.


Videos entered in the My Energy Plan Video Challenge, outlining your energy plan, can be


compilations of actions, for example, by members of a school class or an energy committee. The videos will be judged in seven categories: Individuals: • Youth (13 – 17) • Students of Colleges/Post-Secondary Educational Institutions


• Individuals (18 years and older)


Groups • Households • Not for Profit Groups – (local energy committees, community groups, faith groups, etc).


• Businesses • Experienced Video Creators (professionals, film students, etc.) Visit http://myenergyplan.net/videos for the latest contest details and to see members of the judging panel, prizes, and sponsors. Media sponsorship for the Video Challenge is


provided by New Hampshire Public Television and New Hampshire Public Radio. My Energy Plan is made possible by the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission through the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Fund (RGGI) and through support from Stonyfield Farm.


Driver Trapped in Submerged Car Dies


submitted by Pelham Police Department On Saturday, December 18, at approximately 5:43 a.m. officers of the Pelham Police Department


discovered a vehicle in the area of Heath Street and Bridge Street off the roadway and on its roof in a ravine. A lone male occupant was discovered in the vehicle, submerged in the water. The Pelham Fire Department responded to the scene and extricated the male. A witness to the crash revealed that the Toyota Camry was traveling south on Bridge Street in the area of Heath Street. The vehicle then traveled across the northbound lane of travel, making contact with a guard rail and traveled down an embankment, causing it to roll over on to its roof where it came to rest. The operator of the Camry, Richard Beauchesne, 76, of Lowell, MA, was transported to Saints Memorial Medical Center in Lowell. It is believed that Beauchesne suffered a medical condition at the time of the crash that he later succumbed to.


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initiative to strive beyond the classroom. I hope to see more classical and jazz student-lead ensembles from WHS at various school events. Congratulations to all of the students from the WHS Music Department for a successful concert!”


“Thumbs up to ‘The Burner Man’ & his Wife,


Mr. & Mrs. Carrier who brought classroom supplies to 43 Pelham Elementary School teachers. Thank you for your generosity!”


“Thumbs down to the ‘thumbs down’ last week


to Anthony DiFruscia, those signs were taken down.”


“Thumbs down to whoever it was that said the town center looks better and better every year.


I


want some of what they are smoking, it hasn’t changed in 15 years. Same old snowman, same plywood cutouts, LAMO.”


“Thumbs down to tuitioning Pelham students


to Windham all because the triplets don’t want anything but a 40 million plus delusion. If and when the triplets need home improvement or more living space, why don’t they send their money to ship their kids to another home and abandon their own properties. Pelham don’t listen to their manic madness.”


“Thumbs up for the ‘Journey to Bethlehem’ at


the Windham Baptist church. What a wonderful event! Thank you so much, it was wonderful to meet Pastor Jeff and see all the hard work and planning that went into that event. It was very well-organized. Thanks again.”


Tank you for your submissions. All comments, thumbs up or down, are anonymous and not written by the Pelham~Windham News staff. Tumbs comments can be sent via telephone, 880-1516 or emailed to us at thumbs@areanewsgroup.com. When submitting a Tumbs comment, please specify that you would like it printed in the Pelham~Windham News. No names are necessary. Please keep negative comments to the issue. Comments should be kept to 100 words or less.


American Legion


submitted by Donald A. Moskowitz, Vice Commander, American Legion, Department of New Hampshire Oration is prepared and must be an original effort of each contestant from memory and must not take up less than eight minutes or more than ten minutes for delivery and must be delivered in the English language.


Oratorical Contest, Open to Students in Grades 9-12


Subject to be used for the prepared oration must be on one aspect of the Constitution of the United States with emphasis on the duties and obligations of a citizen to our government. Assigned Topic is to test the speaker’s knowledge of the subject; the extent of his or her research, and the ability to discuss the topic as related to the principles of government under the Constitution. The topic will be on some phase of the Constitution of the United States. The assigned topic must take no less than three minutes and must not exceed five minutes for time of delivery, and be delivered from memory. Each year a list of assigned topics will be made available prior to the contest and posted on the Legion Website at www. legion.org. District Four Judging will occur on January 22, at 9 a.m., and be held at Londonderry High School. Judges for the contest are carefully chosen and three to five judges are used in the process. The district winner will be chosen and participate in the State ‘finals’ on February 19, at 9 a.m., at St. Anselm’s College. There are eight ‘districts’ in the state of New Hampshire. “Winners” continue in the national competition. District Four communities are Bedford, Candia,


Chester, Danville, Derry, Goffstown, Hooksett, Londonderry, Manchester, Pelham, Plaistow, Raymond, Salem, and Windham. The other seven districts in the state will be holding their oratorical contests at various locations around the state. District and State scholarships are


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available. State of NH: First prize: $1,000 Second prize: $750 Third prize: $500 Fourth prize: $250 Fifth-eighth prize: $100 each National Awards: First prize: $18,000 Second prize: $16,000 Third prize: $14,000 State Champion receives $1,500 upon competing in the first round and another $1,500 upon competing in the second round of the National Contest, plus an expense paid trip for the contestant and one chaperone to the National Finals in Indianapolis, IN. To pursue the American Legion


Oratorical Contest, individuals should contact their guidance department and/or e-mail the American Legion, Department of New Hampshire headquarters office in Concord, NH at nhsect@amlegion.state.nh.us or adjutantnh@amlegion.state.nh.us.


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