Durham wise to keep close watch on Wagon Hill Farm during Portsmouth project: Letters
Durham wise to keep close watch on Wagon Hill Farm
Dec. 15 — To the Editor:
As Durham’s designated steward for Wagon Hill Farm, I’m pleased our town administrator, Todd Selig, is giving the Portsmouth water project his full attention. Todd, who now leads the New Hampshire Municipal Association, deserves great credit for his performance over the years under Durham’s only one in the state municipal structure. My nine years on the Durham Town Council, four legislative terms and decade on the Strafford Regional Planning Commission lead me to this assessment of his distinguished service to our town.
With regard to the Portsmouth project, when I approached a group of Portsmouth officials in the Wagon Hill Farm parking lot inquiring with regard to what they were doing there a few months ago, I was waved off and told not to worry. I worried.
When a Seacoastonline news piece reported that some Portsmouth officials cavalierly suggested the city take by eminent domain a chunk of the neighboring private property though Portsmouth had not settled on a plan, my hackles went up again.
Now with the area they will use for laydown off limits to people and pets due to its sensitivity (see nearby sign), I do worry about the long term impact on our precious farm.
More:Here's how Durham is working with Portsmouth to limit impact on Wagon Hill Farm
That Durham mowed the adjacent field before the impact of the project was assessed by the watershed study concerns me also. The consulting engineer mentioned that the lack of full grown plantings made a proper assessment difficult when I spoke to him the morning he was out there.
It now appears that cooler heads are prevailing. But we in Durham, who fought Onassis and his refinery, and who questioned Eversource’s jet plow trench across the bay into a much safer project, do not take threats to our precious resources lightly.
Intruder beware.
Wayne BurtonWagon Hill Farm stewardDurham
Connecting Granite State veterans with the help they deserve
Dec. 14 — To the Editor:
In November, I attended a virtual community event hosted by Swim With A Mission (SWAM) to discuss veterans’ mental health in New Hampshire. As a Navy veteran, I was encouraged to hear the work being done to improve mental healthcare services for veterans from state leaders in the mental health community such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Easterseals Veterans Count, Hero Pups, and HCA Healthcare hospitals in New Hampshire – Portsmouth Regional Hospital, Parkland Medical Center and Frisbie Memorial Hospital.
I’m so proud of the Union Leader for publishing (Seacoast Media Group Executive Editor) Howard Altschiller’s piece on veterans’ mental health in the Granite State. While the piece detailed the very personal challenges of a few veterans, the message echoed the sentiments shared by the panelists who participated in the virtual event: “there is help, and there is hope,” thanks to the work of dedicated organizations working in coordination to serve a common good.
More:New Hampshire's veterans share how they asked for help.
As chairman of the New Hampshire State Veterans Advisory Committee, and New Hampshire District 4 commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, I have seen many fellow service members struggle to adjust to their lives back home. Together, veterans’ organizations across New Hampshire are working to support our military men and women in all possible ways. I encourage everyone to visit the Swim With A Mission website to watch the recorded event. If you are a veteran in crisis or are concerned about one, please dial 988 and then press 1 to access the Veterans Crisis Line.
Paul Lloyd
Chairman of the New Hampshire State Veterans Advisory Committee and New Hampshire District 4 Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
McIntyre news is getting worse in Portsmouth
Dec. 13 — To the Editor:
The news about the McIntyre building redevelopment project in Portsmouth keeps coming and most of it is bad.
The previous City Council canceled the contract with Redgate/Kane with due reason, a move the current council overturned shortly after taking office. In light of the recent articles describing the disarray regarding the McIntyre project, the decision to cut ties and start over in 2021 was the correct one.
When was the last time we got an update on the status of McIntyre? Now that estimates look like the cost to implement the conversion will exceed $147 million, it’s time for some serious accountability and transparency to the people of Portsmouth. At the very least, the council needs to bring back the sub-committee that used to oversee the project, or give regular updates followed by public comments.
No one should be surprised if the National Park Service were to deny the application extension sought by the city, in which case, what’s the plan? Most people are so wearied by the project, they just want to pull the plug on the whole thing. The only thing most people want to see in that area is our old post office.
Sue Polidura
Portsmouth
UNH sports should get more coverage
Dec. 13 — To the Editor:
I’ve been a loyal subscriber of the Portsmouth Herald/Foster’s Daily Democrat for many years. It seems to me that over the last few years the coverage of local sports has greatly diminished. This fall/winter there has also been very minimal coverage of UNH football and hockey, but multiple articles about Georgia football instead. If I wanted to subscribe to USA Today instead I would. Please, please, please increase your coverage of local high school sports teams and the UNH teams. On a positive note, I greatly enjoyed the recent skiing articles about Killington and Attitash/ Wildcat. Skiing is after all our state sport.
Thank you for your time.
Mike Sinkewich
Dover
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Durham wise to keep close watch on Wagon Hill Farm
