You can help tell the history of Portsmouth to celebrate 400th anniversary: Letters

Help tell the history of Portsmouth to celebrate 400th anniversary

Aug. 26 – To the Editor:

Greetings good people of Portsmouth (and beyond),

Dust off your photo albums and dig deep for any and all glimmers of nostalgia — it’s time to share you stories.

From memorable moments while visiting Market Square to legends of life living on Islington Street, your recollections are needed to help tell this city’s great history, particularly tales that have taken place within the last 50 years.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a lifelong resident with plenty to say or someone who once worked here or visited here — your fables of former Portsmouth are welcome.

I’m excited to bring this opportunity to you on behalf of the Portsmouth NH 400th Committee and the team we’ve assembled to create the Commemorative Book for the big anniversary. It’s a real opportunity to share some memories and potentially see your story in publication.

But Chuck, what if I’m not a very good writer? That’s OK. My role as a volunteer in this endeavor is to help you tell your stories. I will help edit and arrange your story so it’s ready to publish.

What if you’re not computer savvy and can’t submit something? Not a problem. Let’s meet at Ceres Street Bakery, or give me a call anytime and we can chat. I’m happy to help you put your stories on paper.

As a reporter for Seacoast Media Group, I spent nearly a decade of my life covering this great community and getting to know a lot of you and hearing your stories.

I look forward to doing it again. I hope you will consider sharing your memories.

Stories of 400 words or less, as a Word document or link, can be submitted by November 1, 2022, in an email to Stories.PNH400@gmail.com. Submissions will be reviewed for accuracy and edited for length and content.

Chuck McMahon

Portsmouth

Portsmouth wrong to reject proposal to move Peirce Island pool

Aug. 26 – To the Editor:

In a stunning triumph of sentimentality over rational thought, the Portsmouth City Council has chosen to “restore” the current Pierce Island pool rather than relocate it. (Peirce Island pool proposal rejected, August 26, Fosters Daily Democrat).

Preserving something because you want your children to enjoy it is lovely, but surely planning for their actual future should be more compelling.

Kudos to Councilor Josh Denton for seeking to read the Conservation Commission’s report, even though he voted against it in the session.

Although he identified himself as a non-climate scientist, Denton conceded that damage from climate change will worsen, even in the coming decade. “The pool is going to be at risk,” he said, “and someone is going have to pay for the mitigation. It’s going to be really expensive.”

That burden will fall on those very children for whom Councilors want to save the pool.

Spending money on the existing site will be at best a temporary fix. Moving the pool offered the City an opportunity to create a more sustainable site for what is a clearly powerful attraction to residents and visitors alike. Rejecting the Conservation Commission’s proposal appears wrong-headed and regrettable.

Elizabeth Goldman

Dover

Republicans must work together to repudiate authoritarian Trumpism

Aug. 25 – To the Editor:

Given the enormous amount of media space on how the former president is successfully supporting candidates across the states as well as considering another run for the White House, I think it is important to reflect on the Grand Old Party today.

The Lincoln Project has said: “this is the end of the Republican Party.  What exists today is an authoritarian nationalist cult dedicated only to Donald Trump."

Edward Luce of the Financial Times said “I’ve covered extremism and violent ideologies around the world over my career.  I have never come across a political force more nihilistic, dangerous and contemptible than today’s Republicans. Nothing close.”

There are Republicans all across the country who are working to restore the party of Lincoln. One is the Lincoln Project, a PAC formed in 2019 by Republicans to prevent the re-election of Trump. They are currently still addressing issues in the media although I do not see much coverage in the mainstream.

Another is REPAIR: Republican Alliance for Integrity and Reform established August 2020. It was founded by Miles Taylor and members of former Republican administrations.  Their mission is to "return to principle-based governing.”

They are affiliated with Defending Democracy Together whose principle initiative is Republicans for Rule of Law.  This is primarily Republican lawyers who are running ads on programs that attract Republicans (like Fox News).

I do not claim this list to be inclusive and encourage others to come forward with other efforts to reclaim a principled Republican Party. I also call on these and other organizations to come together, join forces, collaborate and thereby become more influential.

I am writing in the hopes that more Republicans will join the effort to repudiate “Trumpism” and work together to restore the principles that have served our democracy for so long.  We need a strong two party system that works. It is the basis for preserving our democracy and the freedom we cherish.  We cannot allow authoritarianism to destroy the best example of a government of the people, by the people and for the people to vanish from the world. (Recalling Abraham Lincoln.)

This issue far transcends any aspect of the so called “culture wars."  We can continue to differ on many policies - but we must remain united in preserving our democracy.  We really do not have any other choice as we are an integral part of a rapidly changing world facing several possible kinds of destruction (war, famine, nuclear proliferation, as well as devastating climate changes).  We must unite to preserve our democracy. Please help in every way you can.  Learn facts, support voting rights, get active in your party for starters.

Linda Cunningham

Portsmouth

Student loans, PPP loans and Gov. Sununu

Aug. 26 – To the Editor:

Once again, Gov. Chris Sununu has made an uninformed and misleading public statement, this time about President Biden’s student loan relief plan. His opening statement that Biden, “transferred it on to the backs of millions of hardworking Americans who chose not to go to college for expensive degrees,” is insulting to two groups of hard-working Americans: those who are saddled with student debt and those who chose not to go to expensive colleges. He gives the example of truck drivers, again using stereotypes. Some of those with student debt are truck drivers. Our son who went to college, had student debt, and is now an EMT/FF, was a truck driver. And while the rising price of diesel, which has more to do with Russia’s war against Ukraine and the decisions made by oil executives than anything done in Washington, is an issue, it is the high cost of commercial trucking insurance that is “whacking” New Hampshire’s truckers. There is just one company in New Hampshire that provides that insurance.

On top of all that, I do not recall Sununu or any Republicans complaining when $742 billion dollars in Payment Protection Plan loans were forgiven. In fact Sununu signed a bill, SB 3, to make forgiven PPP loans exempt from NH’s business profits tax. Additionally, the Sununus' consulting firm received a $23,600 PPP loan which potentially protected two jobs (US Treasury), and Waterville Valley (Sununu maintains an ownership interest in Sununu Holdings, which owns Waterville Valley Holdings) got two whopping PPP loans ($1.43 million and $1.71 million), among the first 100 loans dished out, loans which were foregiven.

Patricia L Frisella

Farmington

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Help tell the history of Portsmouth NH to celebrate 400th anniversary