It is with deep concern that we have learned that the Hartford Selectboard is considering a 10 percent reduction in funding levels to three of the town’s libraries.
Libraries are the hubs of the communities they serve. Certainly this is true in Quechee, where we are residents. Not only is the Quechee Library the receptacle for books and periodicals, available to all free of charge, it is also a center of activity, including weekly children’s story times, holiday programs, monthly adult book discussion groups, a summer discussion series, programs on topics of interest, authors’ visits and ongoing exhibits.
The library also offers reference and inter-library loan services, book deliveries to homebound patrons and passes to state and local attractions. It sponsors two used book sales each year. Recently, the annual Children’s Ornament Workshop was held in both Quechee and Wilder, where over 100 children enjoyed ornament making with Friends of the Quechee Library volunteers. Walk into the library, and you’ll see people checking out books, using one of the computers, reading a newspaper, perhaps helping a child choose a book in the children’s room. This indispensable place is undeniably the core of our community.
And all of this is offered on a restricted budget. Thanks to an amazing library director with indefatigable energy, an endless source of ideas and the ability to make ends meet, and to a dedicated staff and a committed group of volunteers who donate countless hours each week, the library is able to sustain its services and programs. But it cannot afford a reduction in town appropriations. Because its fixed expenses, such as insurance, utilities and repairs, cannot be altered, proposed cuts would adversely affect the services and programs that define our exceptional library.
We encourage the Hartford Selectboard to reconsider the proposed reduction in funding to the town’s libraries. At a time when so much divides us, our community libraries bring us together, offering a place to gather, to read, to participate. It is our sincere hope that this is never jeopardized.
Margaret and James Schmidt
Quechee
The recent Valley News article on the closure of River Road in Lyme was misleading, and one statement actually erroneous (“Officials Say River Road Plans on Hold: Lyme Remediation Effort Heads to Superior Court,” Dec. 2).
In the article, Arend Tensen said, “I didn’t ask for this fight.” This is factually incorrect. Mr. Tensen is a lawyer and was fully aware of the town’s plans when he bought the property from David Roby, one day prior to the previous eminent domain order taking effect.
The article’s statement, “While the road is closed, residents have been forced to take long detours — sometimes driving to Hanover — to get home” is misleading, because in fact, residents must drive to Hanover every time they wish to get to their town or home.
Mr. Roby stated, “River Road functions perfectly well as a dead-end road.” The dead-end on River Road causes great inconvenience and expense for residents, Lyme’s post office, school bus, emergency vehicles and businesses. For two years, all traffic has detoured south. And, should another already-compromised section of River Road fail, south of the current closure, about 40 residents would be completely cut off from vehicular travel. The article should have made the reader aware that neither Tensen nor Roby lives on River Road. Roby’s opinion that River Road should remain a dead-end road simply reveals a disregard for the common good.
Tensen and Roby’s arguments for road closure, cited in the article, were the same ones they made at our Town Meeting. Tensen and Roby were voted down, and the Selectboard was allocated the money to go ahead with the bypass. Rather than accept the clear preferences of the town as a whole, Tensen has chosen to sue our town.
Extensive soil studies and several engineering teams agree that the planned diversion is the most stable, cost-effective and environmentally sound solution to the absolute need of residents for vehicular access to their homes and their town. Please in the future make every effort to discover and publish all the facts and facets of this important issue.
Pam Jenkins
David Kotz
Margaret Johnston
Phillip Kinsler
Steve Rich
John Stadler
Nomi Stadler
Lyme
Recently, I have become aware of how deadly Christmas tree farms are to humans, animals and the environment. I searched and searched for a sustainably grown Christmas tree, only to be told by growers, time and again, that they use glyphosates on their plots so they don’t have to mow. Glyphosates — Roundup, for example — not only kill weeds, but harm insects, including pollinators — bees and butterflies — and animals, too.
Finally, I found a Christmas tree farm where the owner says they stopped using glyphosates. Please do not purchase Christmas trees and greens from growers who willingly harm our planet to make a profit.
Margaret Hurley
Claremont
We all struggle with consequences of decisions made long ago. In reference to Jim Kenyon’s column “Uprooted in Norwich (Dec. 6),” which describes the town’s efforts to plant trees in a state right-of-way, Norwich officials were working to improve the Route 10A approach from the Hanover side. That’s admirable. It’s also a bit risky in terms of future maintenance.
The Vermont Agency of Transportation takes what they view as a low-risk approach and as Kenyon reports, “has good reason for wanting trees out of the median.” Operating on that perspective may appear to be low risk, however, it has a consequence in terms of lower property values, less shade, less storm water mitigation, less greenhouse gas sequestration, etc.
These observations aren’t anything new, but here’s something I’d like to add: The trees in question are Ulmus americana‘Princeton’ aka Princeton Elm. While it’s resistant to Dutch Elm Disease, this tree also requires a specialized up-front pruning schedule over successive years in its youth and even then, unlike the native elms that form high canopies, this cultivar often forms a low crown and a weak branching structure that results in major limb failures. In this case, the town was wrong for the right reason and the state was right for the wrong reason.
My point being that researching the legality of the planting and choosing the right tree could achieve both the goals of the town and the state.
Brad Goedkoop
Wilder
Following a recent event at The Hop, I discovered that I couldn’t find my car keys in either my purse or my coat pockets. I assumed that they had fallen out of my purse at Candela where we had enjoyed dinner beforehand, and so returned to the restaurant to search. The staff and some customers kindly searched with flashlights while I dumped the entire contents of my pocketbook on a table to no avail.
A mother and her son happened to be leaving the restaurant and offered to retrace our steps from the restaurant to where my car was parked. Still no car keys were found. When they returned, they made an incredibly generous offer. As her husband was out of town on business, the mother offered to loan us his car so we could drive home. I then felt my now supposedly empty purse and felt a lump. Yes! The car key was in a “never used” zipper pocket in the back. Her son beamed at my good fortune. It was also his good fortune to witness his mother being so very kind, generous and trusting. This thought especially makes me smile broadly each time I think of it.
Debbie Chrisman
Sunapee
What a shame that the Valley News dropped the ball and didn’t review Shaker Bridge Theatre’s brilliant production of Dancing Lessons. This funny, often very poignant and certainly timely play about the relationship that develops between a professor with Asberger’s Syndrome and a dancer with a life-altering injury has played to standing ovations and critical acclaim. There is no doubt that when a play is reviewed, audience numbers go up. While this affects the bottom line, in this case it also has deprived many in the Upper Valley from a wonderful evening of great theater. It still runs Dec. 14 to 17.
Aline Ordman
White River Junction