A rare few people have what used to be called “a nose for news”; They understand that events don’t “just happen.” But the vast majority of people just read the news. I am afraid that some members of the Valley News staff represent the latter.
Last summer, on a trip to Sam’s Club in Manchester, I discovered that it was to close in days. I spoke to several employees and got a suspiciously uninformed response as to the reason for the closing. So I researched it online and found that these closings were happening all over the country, and not just Sam’s Clubs, but also Walmarts. I subsequently contacted the Valley News with the suggestion that they research and write about it. After all, there are Walmarts in their coverage area, and how would their closings affect readers? Their response was underwhelming.
Now we have this: 63 Sam’s Clubs are closing, and 12 will be converted to “Fulfillment Centers,” which will affect the jobs of 9,450 people, according to CNN Money. But it won’t only affect those nearly 10,000 families that count on those paychecks. Each Sam’s is a major source of goods for hundreds of small businesses and thousands of customers, who have little if any alternative to what Sam’s/Walmart provides. Like them or not, these stores are now an integral part of American life. Just think what would happen if the Walmart in Lebanon or Woodsville closed, not to mention other, more or less hard-to-get-to places?
I suspect that this is a much bigger story than that. On the surface, Walmart is unlike the financially troubled retail businesses that contributed to 8,000 store closings in 2017. Right down the road is the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Ask them what is happening.
I am really disappointed that the Valley News did not pick up the story last summer, but here’s your second chance to forewarn your readers of something that could affect them.
Ralph Epifanio
Canaan
When the Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson was the Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, I always thought his middle name was “Openly Gay,” because that phrase appeared with his first and last name in every newspaper article about him.
Now that the skiing season is in full swing and the Winter Olympics will be upon us soon, I’ve now discovered that Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin’s middle name is “Former Lyme Resident.”
Pete Bleyler
West Lebanon
Regular readers cannot help but notice the complete absence of letters critical of the daily Republican debacle from the usual tribe of local right wing “conservative” boosters.
Can I therefore assume that the president you supported, perhaps even today, and the party that shields him, even today, still in your name, make you proud?
Correct me if I’m wrong.
Michael Schorsch
Orford
We thought we’d heard the worst from the White House, but the latest racist and obscene rants, uttered by the popular vote loser, have us saying again, “enough is enough.”
Our country can no longer accept and protect this vile, vulgar person as its leader, especially in light of its centuries-old history of white supremacy and racism targeting black and brown people. He is morally reprehensible and inexcusable.
Most disturbing are the Republican politicians present during the comments who later stated they had no memory of the words that were heard by others in the same room.
At least Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., had the courage to report the truth and refute the White House’s shameful denials.
America, we have a choice: believe a lying, racist bigot who happens to be our current president, or stand up for the truth and demand his immediate removal. Anything less is complicity in his unbridled racism and white supremacy.
Alix Olson and Martha Popp
Canaan