In his 1967 speech to the American Psychological Association, Martin Luther King addressed the concept of being well-adjusted. Part of his conclusion caught my eye:
“I am sure that we will recognize that there are some things in our society, some things in our world, to which we should never be adjusted. There are some things concerning which we must always be maladjusted if we are to be people of good will. We must never adjust ourselves to racial discrimination and racial segregation. We must never adjust ourselves to religious bigotry. We must never adjust ourselves to economic conditions that take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few.”
That sounds like good post-election advice to me. I think refusing to adjust to discrimination, bigotry and economic inequality means we support inclusion, we welcome other religions and we tax the over-affluent in proportion to their share.
I’m in.
Robert SpottswoodNorwich
I want to express my concerns about the proposed Dartmouth indoor practice facility, which will have an irreversible, negative impact on the character of the adjacent residential neighborhood, as well as on the town of Hanover. Per Hanover’s site plan regulations, article 9.A.2, the Planning Board needs to consider the likely impact of the building on abutters, the neighborhood and others.
The Planning Board is Hanover’s last line of defense against ill-conceived buildings that will permanently and extremely harm our town’s character.
The board’s decision needs to reflect the basic values of Hanover’s site plan regulations. The project is proposed in the institutional zone, but that should not give carte blanche to what is proposed. The facility will cast shadows on nearby homes during the winter. Property values will fall.
I ask the planning board to respect the value of the neighbors’ quality of life and the value of their properties close to the proposed indoor practice facility.
The quality of the neighbors’ environment, as it has been for over 50 years, should be a priority. The Planning Board should protect the economic value and social viability of the neighborhood, so that the project does not impinge upon the quiet enjoyment, natural light and character of the Tyler and Chase roads residential environs.
In addition, I want to comment on the college’s sound evaluation presented at a Planning Board meeting a while ago. The college’s sound expert played white noise over a set of speakers to demonstrate how a small increase in sound is barely perceptible. However, it did not represent the actual noise that will be generated well into the midnight hours within the proposed practice facility: Students coming and going, music pulsing and student cheers were missing from the quiet buzz of the sound demonstration. The presentation did not reflect what the reality of the noise will be for the neighbors. It has now been determined that the sounds emitted from an existing adjacent sports facility is loud beyond what was permitted.
Dartmouth gyms should not receive permission to infringe upon the character of the adjacent neighborhood, as happened on South Park Street.
Carol Perera WeingeistHanover
Thanks, Claremont
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people of Claremont for allowing me to serve as your city manager for the past 15 years. It has been a period that has been challenging and rewarding. Your cooperation and understanding will always be remembered by me and I will forever be grateful for your support.
In addition, I want to express my deep gratitude to an outstanding staff that, over the years, performed way above the expected level. Their hard work and continuing contributions within their departments keep this city running smoothly.
The reception that the staff recently held in honor of my retirement is something that I will always be thankful for. As expressed by many of the residents who attended, it was a “night to be remembered.”
As I close this chapter of my life, I do so with the confidence that the city is prepared well for the future. There is no doubt in my mind that the best years for Claremont lie ahead. I will follow with deep interest the progress which I know is imminent. Once again, thank you for all your support over the years.
Guy SantagateClaremontMark Israel’s Contributions
We were privileged to have watched Mark Israel serve as director of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center for the past 15 years. Israel was an exemplary leader and a transformative figure, building the cancer center, dramatically expanding the scope and quality of clinical care delivery, and performing tireless fundraising, most notably through the Prouty, which he grew almost 20-fold into a multimillion-dollar vehicle for supporting cancer research as well as a popular community event.
We write to say that he has not only helped to transform clinical care and to build “translational research” at the cancer center, but has also been a passionate advocate for basic life sciences research both at the medical center and at Dartmouth, building bridges and nurturing creative research programs.
For all these reasons, we join the distress in the Upper Valley at the loss of his leadership, and we question the wisdom of the actions that elicited this as well as the policy changes that brought about his separation.
We call for Dr. Israel to be made whole, restoring the community’s confidence.
William T. WicknerProfessor of biochemistry and cell biologyJay C. Dunlap Chairman, Department of Molecular and Systems BiologyGeisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth