To the editor,
Lately there has been a lot of talk of towns running out of their road maintenance budgets. Laconia has been on the news because the winter budget is used up. I have been in Laconia many times after they have received a dusting of snow, and the entire road crew is plowing and salting every road and sidewalk.
Voters should start paying more attention at the Town Meetings and budget votes. Every year it seems more and more equipment and materials (salt and sand) is needed, yet the winters of late have been on the average more mild. It seems these days that the mangers and road agents are sending the crews out at the first sign of a snow flake, and they remain out until well after the storm is over, plowing, sanding and salting multiple times for every storm. How many times do we see the State Highway trucks and local town trucks plowing dry roads and salting barely wet roads and sidewalks when the sun is already out melting everything?
These guys doing the work are just being told what to do by the bosses, and they do a good job, but whatever happened to having some common sense with taxpayer money? If we get an inch of snow on a day when the forecast calls for sunshine, why not let nature do it's thing and save some money? Or better yet, let people learn how to drive on a little bit of snow. Our road agent had guys come in on Christmas Day to clean up barely a quarter inch of snow. This kind of thing would not have happened a decade ago, taxpayers and selectman would have spoken up. These days it seems that everyone is scared to say something because it's all in the name of "safety". Well, too much "safety" is going to break our budgets.
Martin Carney
Sandwich

To the editor,
There are 27 warrant articles on the Belmont Town Meeting ballot. All are worth citizen time before voting at the Belmont High School today. Articles #2 and #25 are cornerstones for building the kind of community citizens have continually endorsed with voices, energy and support for more than 10 years.
Article #2 proposes Belmont's major entries — our front doors — on Route 106 and Route 140, add another, more or expanded trash facilities. Vote no if you value water, the still-farmed land on Depot Street, or wonder how it would complement the $1.7M+ taxpayer investment in the village.
Article #25 seeks $,5000 for a Heritage Commission fund to match grant and other opportunities. In the past five years the volunteer commission has delivered $100,000+ in direct funds, and about $50,000 in equipment and services — both from other than local taxpayer sources. I'm privileged to serve on the Commission and ask for a yes vote.
Yes on #25 and no on #2 are votes for dollars and sense. Both reflect the 2002 Master Plan vision, in part "...The Town recognizes its potential for growth and is committed to the protection of its unique natural resources, history and recreational opportunities ..." Thank you.
Linda Frawley
Belmont

To the editor,
A few weeks ago, I encouraged you to contact your senators and representative and ask them to support the president on a number of issues and I still feel that it is important. It is also important to protect Social Security and Medicare.
In part, the sequester occurred because the president did not hand over Social Security and Medicare to be hacked and slashed. Paul Ryan is back to his divide and conquer tactics. He wants to weaken these programs for future generations. Seniors need to stand up for the next generation.
There are some very good reasons to believe that the next generation will need Social Security and Medicare even more than this generation of seniors. Both public and private sector retirement plans continue to get weaker and weaker and the job market leaves a lot to be desired.
Social Security is not in immediate danger and is not the cause of the deficit. It should not be on the chopping block. The "chained CPI" is a move in the wrong direction.
Medicare is tied to the increase cost of health care and needs help. The president is right when he asks for a balanced approach. We should not just cut benefits.
Please call or e-mail your senators and representative. They need to understand what we want them to do. Keep Social Security and Medicare as strong as possible for all generations.
Paul Bonneville
Lochmere (Tilton)

To the editor,
Great thinker and writer, Stephane Hessel, has died at age 95. Mr. Hessel co-wrote The Declaration of Human Rights. In 2010 he wrote Time for Outrage. Underlying both writings — "We still live in a world where the possessors are entitled to all the benefits and where the dispossessed do not yet know how to resist sufficiently." Sufficient resistance would result in great change, the way (my image) sufficient cleansing of a wound would prevent lethal infection.
The same night-time reading of my e-mail that brings news of astute and good Mr. Hessel's death tells me about international oil interests making sure to have access to their raw product in a small and beautiful country like Malaysia. Poor Nigeria, for what oil-taking has done there to the environment and human rights. Shell is probably only temporarily withdrawing from oil drilling in the Arctic. Utter "the Arctic" now, and melting glaciers, crumbling permafrost, stranded polar bears are the imagery to conjure, with Shell in that scene caring only for production and bottom-line money.
In VT, NH, Maine we need to keep shoddy shale-oil pipelines from crossing over us, through our natural beauty, or that trashing will be our sadness. Same with the Northern Pass powerline project. More-southern cities, conserve your electricity before sucking never-ending more through our irreplaceable treasure, our mountains and valleys.
Stephane Hessle left with thoughts for "viable human life," giving our planet "fifty or a hundred years," if we "do not all work together to put forward ecological solutions." The grandchildren among us now — get them outdoors to feel reverence for life. Teach them "thank you, mountains; thank you, ocean." Stephane Hessel's heart and voice need replicating. Help the next Stephane Hessels to grow up among us. Take those kids to farmers' markets, getting good, locally-grown food into them, also introducing them to farmers. Our planet's life depends upon it.
Lynn Rudmin Chong
Sanbornton