Accommodate Unity’s Legislator

Many thanks to Tim Camerato for covering the New Hampshire Legislature’s failure to accommodate Rep. Ernie Bridge’s oxygen tank in the House chambers. Sergeant-at-Arms Walter Sword clearly violated the Americans with Disabilities Act when he told Bridge that he could not bring his concentrator into the House. It is utterly appalling that Jim Rivers, spokesman for Speaker Shawn Jasper, continues to skirt the issue by saying Bridge’s briefcase-sized device could be a hazard from an aisle seat or that he should have asked for a seat in the back instead. Apparently, those aisle seats really are just for committee chairs.

How many of us have given up a seat on an airplane to allow mothers to sit next to their children or, heaven forbid, a closer comparison, to give older individuals easier access to the lavatory? Is changing a seat to accommodate the device someone needs to live more of a hardship than making a committee chairman sit inside the aisle? End this childish game and resign your posts, Messrs. Jasper, Rivers and Sword.

Aaron Brown

Strafford

Clearer Heads in Concord

As a resident of Unity who has gotten to know Ernie Bridge a bit, I read with interest of the rebuff he received when trying to arrange a seat that would allow him to simultaneously draw breath and record votes as a member of the New Hampshire Legislature. His medical condition requires him to have supplementary oxygen around the clock.

I have a suggestion, one which may benefit not only Ernie Bridge and his House colleagues, whose age averages 10 years above the national average — but perhaps all of us affected by laws emerging from our Legislature.

My suggestion is to place a large tank of oxygen in the State House basement and run lines up through the floor to every seat. Legislators could have a choice between one of those nostril insert things or a little breathing mask like those used by winded NFL running backs on the bench. Blood oxygen is essential to brain function, and this individual choice would depend on whether the legislator needed an ongoing improvement in brain function or simply a jolt before a particularly confusing vote.

With the maple sugar season winding down, there should be no lack of hands with experience drilling holes and stringing lines.

Just sayin’. . . . .

Joseph S. Warner

Unity

Unfair Sports Journalism

For those who think journalism is at an all-time low, Josh Weinreb’s April 1 article regarding Hanover baseball should be “Exhibit A” supporting your position. I’m not sure what is worse: Denigrating a coach of 25 years or using a junior in high school as the narrative’s pawn.

I have not been involved with the Hanover baseball program, but I know Coach Jackson as the school’s AD and his reputation through numerous parents and fellow coaches. As with all coaches, not every parent thinks he was the perfect coach, but many I know think he was outstanding. My experience has been the same with former assistants I know. Coach Jackson served as head coach for 25 years, and he has been involved with Hanover High sports for longer than that — he must have done some things right. More importantly, he gave 25 years to many boys at Hanover High. He deserves respect, not a reporter’s decision to dishonor those 25 years.

Equally as bad, the reporter took advantage of an 11th-grade student, apparently outside the presence of any adult, to create a non-story at the student’s (and Coach Jackson’s) expense. It is clear the 11th-grader was excited to talk about his enthusiasm for the new baseball coach, who he has played for in the past, and his expected impact on the upcoming season, which was supposed to be the story based on the headline. Instead, the reporter took what most likely were a few comments and turned what should have been a positive story into a negative story. I know the boy and his family and I have not spoken to them, but they are all positive, respectful leaders in the community and I’m sure they were aghast when they realized what the reporter had done.

It was a shameful, unprofessional article. Coach Jackson, the 11th-grader, and his family all deserve an apology.

Jim Mackall

Norwich

Grant Applications in Norwich

The Norwich Women’s Club is now accepting applications for 2016 Community Projects Grants. The club supports programs and projects that enhance educational, civic and cultural activities in Norwich.

Awards are made to organizations and individuals either located in Norwich or directly benefiting Norwich residents.

Thank you to the committee and volunteers who worked on the 2016 Spring Gala, which honored Lucinda Walker, Norwich Public Library director, and raised more than $35,000 from ticket sales, auction items and donations. For further information and to download an application form, visit our website at norwichwomensclub.org. All applications must be completed and received no later than May 1. Awards will be announced and funds made available after July 1.

Carol Loveland

Norwich Women’s Club

Warnings, but No Advice

Regarding Charles Krauthammer’s recent column, “Rating the Candidates’ Foreign Policy”: Your warning, after presenting the vulnerabilities of each of the presidential candidates you consider viable, reminds me of an incident I experienced many years ago during a canoe trip navigating rapids on the Ossipee River.

A novice paddler, in the bow of a nearby canoe, screamed as we approached the white waters of the rapids, rendering her partner in the stern helpless since she could not give him directions. Fortunately, there were others in accompanying canoes who could advise him how to circumvent the rapids and continue to navigate the river.

I have therefore concluded, after reading your column, that we must look to others for help in assessing the foreign policies of the presidential candidates.

Deborah Metzger

Hanover

A Hopeful Moment in N.H.

As a follow-up to your April 1 photograph: Emily Gray Rice is the first female presidentially appointed as U.S. Attorney for New Hampshire.

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Sen. Kelley Ayotte both spoke glowingly of Emily at her administration of oath ceremony. Emily’s appointment by President Obama was unanimously approved by the Senate.

It gives one hope.

On a local Upper Valley note: Emily mentioned the ongoing memories of three special women who continue to inspire her. One was the late Deborah Jones Cooper, of Lebanon, the 71st female attorney in New Hampshire and an influential mentor for Emily.

Bonnie and Clint Swift

Plainfield

Search for Better Puzzles

It’s time for the Valley News to find a new purveyor of the Sudoku puzzles. Over the past year, the puzzles have gotten progressively easier, so it’s now hard to find any day of the week when they’re a real challenge. I complained a few months ago and was told that the same company was providing the puzzles and I was assured that the puzzles were not getting any easier. Not so. I don’t know if the puzzles are generated by a software program or whether there are a bunch of little old people sitting in a windowless room cranking them out, but most puzzles can be filled in without writing possibilities in the squares. On Monday and Tuesday this week, the entire center column was filled in.

If you don’t believe me, please conduct a survey of your Sudoku fan subscribers.

Pete Bleyler

West Lebanon

Royalton for Bernie

The Royalton Democratic Party caucused on April 2 to choose delegates for the State Democratic Convention in May. Further, a motion was raised, and approved by a unanimous vote, calling for “all Vermont superdelegates to honor the more than 85 percent support for Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Vermont Democratic Primary and, immediately, commit their vote to Sen. Bernie Sanders.”

Randy Leavitt

Royalton

Moment of Grace in a Postal Line

The scene was the Norwich Post Office at 10 on Saturday morning and there was a line for the one person who was serving customers. A woman came in and loudly expressed annoyance with the wait and the lack of staffing. Usually, I would have been right there with her, irritated by the perceived waste in my precious time on a day off. But, uncharacteristically, I said aloud, “We can be annoyed, or we can use the opportunity to talk to a neighbor standing in line with us.” I turned around and introduced myself to the woman behind me, who was waiting patiently. She responded to my outreach with genuine warmth and friendliness.

I learned that she is Jennie Anderson, the new priest at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Norwich. I’m a lifelong Episcopalian and at one time attended seminary and pursued ordination to the priesthood. We had a lovely conversation and as it was my turn to be served at the counter, Jennie handed me an invitation to the celebration of her shared ministry later this month, sure to be the holiest party in Norwich. I left the post office smiling. I hope I can carry this experience with me into my next wait, when I’m tempted to be impatient and I wanted to share it as an example of what can happen when we make the tiniest effort to get to know one of our neighbors.

Robin Rice-Voigt

Norwich