Joseph H. Driscoll III

To the editor:

As for what it is like to be a citizen and business owner in the Weirs let me share my perspective and experiences over the past 11 years.

We in the Weirs are subjected to at least weekly and often daily mean spirited criticism of everything we are and do. Motorcycle week hysteria dominates our news. All of Laconia's ills are blamed upon it. We are referred to as greedy — only out for the fast buck. We are treated with disdain at every turn, yet we are expected to be grateful for all that the city has done for us (it feels more like done to us). We are criticized for the appearance of our buildings and businesses, yet when one looks around the terms "scruffy" or "shabby" can easily apply to other sections of the city equally if not more so.

Your paper even blames motorcycle week for Laconia's property values being less than Meredith's, Gilford's and Wolfeboro's. Ray Carbone, who can't seem to pass up any chance to express his personal dislike for the Weirs, calls us "scruffy Weirs Beach." We think his reporting is scruffy. This poorly researched and poorly written article insults us all further by suggesting that we are such poor custodians of our properties that we deserve to have them taken away through "eminent domain" acquisition by the city.

Of course it makes perfect sense to compare Laconia's properties to those of Meredith, Gilford and Wolfeboro... or does it? Are we similar communities in any way other than geographic proximity? Do we have similar governmental structures? No. Are our demographics similar? No. Are our average incomes similar? No. Are the sizes and qualities of our waterfront properties equivalent? No. More ridiculous drivel on the front page, but it's okaay — it's only at the expense of us in the Weirs.

Eminent expert Robert Smith has studied this impartially and in detail and has concluded that those "people who built high-rent hotels and those kinds of facilities didn't want motorcyclists tromping all through their lobby during the summer." One phone call by a responsible reporter would have shown that statement to be the baseless bunk that it is. The fact is all lodging establishments in the region enjoy one of the best weeks of business each year during motorcycle week.

Intolerance is the real problem here — intolerance, and its associates — prejudice and bigotry. It seems that bashing motorcyclists is a last refuge for bigots. No longer can they gay-bash, hate Blacks and Hispanics, discriminate against women. All that's left to them as fair game are motorcyclists and the religious.

Smith goes even further into delusional and prejudicial inaccuracies when he states that" we don't have a family reputation there because of motorcycle week, people don't go to Weirs Beach because they think that's where the motorcyclists go." Why do we have such things as arcades, waterslides, go-carts, bumper cars, climbing walls, tour boats, ice cream stands, candy stores and miniature golf courses? Why do we have to set limits on the number of people at the beach? I guess such things only attract the evil motorcyclists. Simply a visit by a responsible reporter actually coming down here to see for him/herself would have cleared up that confused mess.

As for the mayor's statements in this and a similar article by the same "reporter" in the Boston Globe, I can only say that many of us are shocked, deeply hurt and disappointed. Given a chance to promote our city and its tourism businesses, instead he throws rocks. How many potential visitors will choose to go elsewhere because of his comments? Many of us in the lodging business are having abnormally poor bookings this season — thank you mayor.

The statement that "there's nothing new at the Weirs" is as untrue as it is insulting. There is as much that is new as there is that is old, so much so that a list would fill another page. "Not kept up" Mr. Mayor? We at the Cozy Inn, Lakeview House and Cottages have reinvested an average of $30k in our properties each year for the past 11 years, and we are just a small business. Look around — Proctor's has been completely renovated, the Naswa underwent a recent million dollar facelift, the former Dexter plaza is occupied and vibrant, the Half Moon block has a new facade, new housing developments are proceeding all around us — even Thurston Marine is finally renovating its building. These are just a few examples of what is really going on in the Weirs.

If one would bother to properly research an article one would find that in spite of repeated requests it is the city of Laconia that refuses to reinvest in the infrastructure of the Weirs. When asked years ago at a candidates night if the city would reinvest a portion of the approximately $200,000 generated by parking meters and fines on Lakeside Ave. Councilor Luther responded by saying "no, that's our money." (our money?) When asked if a portion of the funds bonded for the so-called "burial of utility wires" could be used to generate a study that would provide hard figures as to the cost of such a project, our then Ward 1 councilor refused to introduce the idea and when it was, voted against it. In the Mayor's controversial budget he siphoned off these funds for other purposes after using this bond as proof of his action on behalf of the Weirs for years.

Russ Thibeault fawns over "Meredith, which has done a great job with its waterfront..." Is it truly the town of Meredith that has done this, or is it really what Hampshire Hospitality Holdings has done with its properties? He goes on to say "the city could step up and say we're losing too much money on this, we have to do something. It (the city) could use eminent domain to take the properties, clear the undeveloped structures and put up new ones." Apparently, we in the Weirs are not the "we" that he refers to. Last time I checked we in the Weirs were part of the city.

Just who is "losing too much money" Mr. Thibeault? The city? The Weirs is by no means the freeloading section of this city. A responsible reporter would have checked into assessments and property taxation citywide as well as expenditures and would have found out that we pay more than our fair share.

This article is so full of inaccuracies that it is almost impossible to end this letter. Your paper owes its public an adherence to at least some standard of journalistic integrity. Front-page reports should present information in a clear and impartial way. Op-ed pieces should be clearly designated as such, as this is the proper forum for slanted, opinion-based articles. Just because your paper is small is no excuse for your unprofessional reporting. Maybe you are just telling those you are in bed with what they want to hear. How sad.

Joseph H. Driscoll III

Weirs Beach