My family and members of our community are concerned that the return of students to Dartmouth College coincides with the return of Hanover students to our public schools (“Students’ upcoming return in pandemic elicits worries in Hanover,” Aug. 1). As you know, students will be coming from all over the United States to Hanover, including likely from COVID-19 hotspots. Although we are aware that Dartmouth College has instituted a plan to quarantine newly arriving students, we feel that there is a high risk this will be unsuccessful, as we live near off-campus housing where there was obvious partying throughout the summer.
Many Hanover parents work at the college. Therefore, if there is a COVID-19 outbreak at Dartmouth, it will directly affect the safety of Hanover students and families. We are worried that this is not an easily mitigated risk. Any plan that hinges on college freshmen physically distancing from one another does not seem to me to be grounded in reality. The risk is not limited to the kind of loud parties that are already going on; mask-wearing and physical distancing are not strong enough cultural norms for us to count on adherence behind closed doors. We therefore do not feel that college students from COVID-19 hotspots should be allowed to travel to Hanover at this time. It is simply not worth the risks to our students, teachers and community.
AMY E. PARIS
Hanover
Here are some questions for every high school leader in America:
How many face masks do you have ready to distribute? Will teachers receive them free? Daily? Will students receive them free? Daily? Will wearing masks be mandatory?
How will you keep students 6 feet apart? Will students be kept in one class for the entire school day? Will hallway passing be abolished to reduce aerosol and droplet spread? Will drinking fountains be turned off? Will classrooms be provided with bottled water? Daily?
Will every room in the school have hand sanitizer available? Will it be checked for the recalled brands recently deemed unsafe by the FDA? Will bathrooms be cleaned with electrostatic chlorine spray machines every hour? Will all windows and doors be opened for 5 minutes at the beginning of every hour? Even in winter?
Will school days be abbreviated to morning sessions and afternoon sessions to reduce population density? Will gatherings be limited to no more than 10 individuals?
Would you send your own child to school this fall?
PAUL KEANE
Hartford Village
I am writing in support of Liza Draper, who is running to represent the Sullivan 5 district (Claremont Ward 3) in the New Hampshire House.
I have known Draper and her family for the last 20 years as a friend and neighbor. She is a very intelligent and energetic person who has expressed her interest in, and cares for, the Claremont community through her many volunteer and vocational activities here in our community. She is very well networked into the county at many levels. I believe she will do an excellent job of representing our interests in the New Hampshire House.
Please consider voting for Liza Draper when you go to vote in November. Thank you for your consideration.
ROBERT H. PORTER
Claremont
The writer is the former mayor and city manager for the city of Claremont.
I could not disagree more with David Greenfield’s Forum letter (“Probably a good time for Fauci to step down,” Aug. 3). The last thing we need is for one of the few trustworthy voices around President Donald Trump to step down.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has persisted in telling the truth about the novel coronavirus and how to deal with it, against much opposition. When the data and understanding about COVID-19 has changed, he has been there to provide updates, enabling the best response in a very dynamic situation. If only more people would heed the message. The man deserves a medal, not to be sidelined by anybody for any reason.
The voters need to get this president out of the White House in November, so let’s do that. But please, don’t wish away our best hope in the pandemic crisis just to make Trump look bad. He’s doing that all by himself.
GRETCHEN GRANER
South Strafford
I don’t live in Hanover or close by, but I understand why folks who do are very worried about the return of heedless Dartmouth College students. Even with the best efforts of the college, it will be very hard for Hanover or towns in the region to know an outbreak of COVID-19 has started in time to respond effectively.
It might be wise for Hanover and surrounding communities to contract with laboratories that can analyze sewage for the DNA of the virus. According to CNN, researchers in the U.S. and around the world are testing wastewater as a way to measure the prevalence of coronavirus and provide communities with a valuable early warning of accelerating infections.
RICHARD ANDREWS
Springfield, Vt.
The Valley News of Aug. 1 featured the story of a Boston Marathon bomber whose death sentence was overturned. You also give him the distinction of not just one but two headshots.
Why do you, and other newspapers, seem to exalt the perpetrators of a crime, rather than the victims? In this publicity-hungry nation of ours, why fan the fame flame?
PATRICIA HENDERSON
Fairlee