On short short-tailed weasels and overpriced police stations: Letters

Susan Pike's Nature News column is a great gift

Dec. 8 − To the Editor:

Did you know the short-tailed weasel retains a black tip at the end of its tail when the rest of its coat turns white for winter?  Neither did I until I read Susan Pike’s column in today’s Herald.  (If you want to know why, you’ll have to read it yourself.)

And Ms. Pike entertains us with similar observations each week.  Writing with passion, wit, and joy, she educates us without condescension or indoctrination.  The best part is, the flora and fauna she describes have no agenda, no cause to flog, no position to uphold or skewer. The weasel, for instance, has no opinion on the McIntyre Building or the new police station, uses up no parking spaces downtown, and, best of all, isn’t running for President - or even city council. The weasel, however, is aware of us, and Ms. Pike is attempting to make us aware of it.  Her lesson is pretty simple: open your eyes and look around, there’s an amazing world out there, often right under our noses.

Hers is a great gift, and like the best gifts, the gift improves as it’s passed around.  Do yourself a favor and accept the gift that is Susan Pike’s weekly column.

Thomas Griffin

Portsmouth

Larger cities are building smaller, less expensive police stations

Dec. 8 − To the Editor:

As the facts and figures emerge about the new police station proposal, I looked at the towns mentioned in the article today - three cities in Massachusetts that are all larger than Portsmouth - who have built new facilities in the last two years. I looked at population, size of police department and square footage of the new facility in all three cities, all of whom have larger populations than Portsmouth.

Beverly, Massachusetts stood out for me:  Its population is 42,400+, almost double ours. They have 145 sworn officers and 98 full-time non sworn personnel. Their new station is 32,000 square feet and the price lower than any of our quotes as noted in the article.

Our police force is 62 sworn officers and 33 non sworn employees. The proposal for the new station is 57,000 square feet. Why?

Why do we need so large a facility when none of the larger cities do?

Leominster has 125 employees and 45,000 square feet.  Shrewsbury’s building is 38,000 square feet ( but I don’t know the size of their department).

It’s hard for me to believe that restaurants and Prescott Park cause the need for so much space - and we all agree we don’t have a high crime rate.

I know about the mold issue - and that certainly is a health priority that must be corrected.  I don’t know why all the efforts to correct it failed but I would hope someone does so we don’t repeat what caused it in a new building.

I hope the Council and our staff will do more research and answer the above questions.Linda Cunningham

Portsmouth

I am writing to comment Granite United Way

Dec. 7 − To the Editor:

I am writing to commend Granite United Way for its proactive approach in adapting to the changing landscape of charitable giving and volunteerism. In a time where responsiveness is paramount, their commitment to evolving alongside donors, nonprofit partners and volunteers is what sets them apart.

Balancing immediate needs with a long-term approach to underlying challenges is crucial for the success of any organization, particularly one with the rich history of United Way. Local grantmaking, funding collaborations, and innovative programming at scale result in community betterment.

They play a pivotal role in connecting donors with nonprofits, reinforcing the social fabric of our community in areas of financial empowerment, housing, childcare, substance use and mental health. I am particularly excited about the announcement that Granite United Way will now offer three opportunities annually for nonprofits to seek support through a simplified process. Their ability to adapt quickly, lifting grassroots organizations addressing immediate needs and equity gaps while finding new ways to engage long-time partners, is one of their most impressive attributes.

With the decline in overall volunteerism following the pandemic, their plan to engage 10,000 volunteers by 2026 is both ambitious and necessary. They understand the changing dynamics of how people work and their availability to support local nonprofits. By rebuilding volunteer opportunities Granite United Way will do more than increase numbers, they will strengthen our community.

Granite United Way's initiatives in 2024 are a beacon of adaptability and foresight in the nonprofit sector. I am proud to support this work and witness Granite United Way’s impact.

Charles Lloyd, Ed.D.

Vice Chancellor, Community College System of New Hampshire

Board Chair, Granite United Way

Republican talking points on economy not based in facts

Dec. 7 − To the Editor:

The Republican playbook orders their minions to knock the economy at every turn, usually intoning things like “At times like these…,” or “With the economy in the ditch…”. The biggest problem with their view is that, start to finish, it’s wrong. Of course, being wrong never bothered Republicans, who remain happy as long as we ask no questions and follow orders. Historically, their path has gone nowhere producing the biggest budget deficits under Republicans regimes.

Today they cite no data because they have none to support their gloomanomics (i.e., politically driven gloom and doom economics without reference to data). Since they have abandoned the real world of facts, we must ask for their actual goal? Distraction! Republicans want to distract us from President Biden’s excellent job.

Republican gloomanomics promoters live under dark rocks where they can’t see things like verifiable data and fact-based information. Leaving the muck behind we see clearly that Joe’s on the job and he has the facts on his side. Let’s set the record straight with data driven information of just a few economic items and remember in the primary to Write in for Biden:

Growth: The GDP growth was 5.2 last quarter.

Covid Recovery: Of all the G7 nations the US had the BEST Covid recovery.

Inflation: Last month we had Zero inflation. That’s Zero with a capital Z.

Wage Growth: Wage growth (where we feel it most) has been a robust 5%, outpacing inflation for many months.

Wealth for all: Median wealth rose by 37% from 2020-2022; for the same period.

Median wealth for 18-34 year-olds has doubled.

Jobs: We have more jobs than at any time since the 1960s.

Insured Population: We have the lowest uninsured rate in history.

J. Michael Atherton

Dover

This is not a drill; our democracy is at grave risk

Dec. 7 -- To the Editor:

In an interview this week with Donald Trump regarding his plans if he were reelected president, Sean Hannity asked him "You are promising America tonight you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?"  Trump's response was, "Except for Day One."

So, Mr. Trump has publicly stated that he would abuse his power, violate his oath and go after all those he considers his enemy's. on the first day of his second term.

Unfortunately, Trump would only need one day to put his authoritarian plan into action. 

Just consider the immense damage he could do in just one day.  For starters he could sign a slew of executive orders that had been prepared before taking office.  These executive orders could involve all sorts of illegal and/or unconstitutional actions to solidify his power and control.  He could declare martial law or even invoke the insurrectionist act to begin a purge of the government and to take control of the entire executive branch. He could appoint his zealot friends as acting cabinet secretaries of all executive departments who would follow his illegal orders. No need to wait for Senate confirmation. God knows what else he has planned. This is what other dictators have done to secure unlimited power throughout history, and it can happen here.

One day is all that Trump would need to fulfill what he and his fellow conspirators have already stated publicly.  Failure to take his promises and threats seriously would be a grave mistake.  Unfortunately, most Republicans are still too fearful of Trump to speak out and he still remains the leading potential Republican Presidential candidate.  If we fail to stop Trump now or in November, we may never get another chance. This is not a drill; our democracy is at grave risk.

Rich DiPentima

Portsmouth

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: On short short-tailed weasels and overpriced police stations: Letters