The adoption of the Bears, the new mascot of Hanover High School, is not simply a chance to graphically rebrand our school: It is an opportunity to create a mascot that all feel represented by, proud of, and comfortable with.
With a new name, we now turn to you, the members of our community, to help us in designing a visual representation for Hanover High School’s new mascot.
You can submit a mascot design by going to linktr.ee/hhsmascot. The submission period closes on March 29. There, you can also find documents related to the entire selection process and a document about why Hanover had previously decided to change our mascot.
We look forward to seeing what you design!
Kavi Patel
Hanover
Joshua Stearns
Norwich
The writers are co-chairs of the New Mascot Selection and Implementation Committee at Hanover High School.
I’ve spent the majority of my 46 earthly years in Grafton County, and in the last decade I’ve learned to appreciate the power and reward of volunteerism. I’m currently winding down my tenure as both a member and the chair of the UNH Cooperative Extension Grafton County Advisory Council. I would like to take a moment to shine a light on a few of the treasures that mean the most to me.
I have personally benefited from Extension-driven forestry plans that fostered timber stand quality and sustainability while enhancing the habitat for wildlife. My wife and I have also enrolled in several farm plans that prevent erosion and preserve soil integrity on our property. But as I reflect on the various passions that connect me to Extension, the thoughts that transcend today are memories of 4-H summer camps:
■Playing cards and telling stories at the Haverhill Fair on tables and chairs constructed entirely of second-cut hay.
■Reciting and debating oral reasons with dairy judging coach Mr. Fabrizio, hoping to win the trophy that bore the name of my late Uncle Tim.
■Washing my junior yearling Holstein in the early morning and both of us cringing at the cold spray.
■Napping in the curl of the neck of that same calf in the afternoon heat.
These are the interactions that shape our lives. The special part is that the leadership and outreach for youth programs is as strong as ever. There is no bigger responsibility than granting opportunities and giving voice to today’s children.
I’m confident that the byproducts of these 4-H camps, clubs and experiences will shape the leaders that our communities need. Take a minute to find out what clubs or 4-H camps are in your area by contacting Kris Vaughan or Donna Lee at the UNH Extension Grafton County office in North Haverhill at 603-787-6944 or visit www.extension.unh.edu. While you’re at it, find out how you can volunteer and be part of the memories of one of those kids!
Neil Robie
Piermont
As a former resident of New Hampshire currently living in Vermont, I’d like to thank the Vermont Legislature for looking out for the financial health of New Hampshire. The latest proposals for higher petroleum taxes, doubling the return fee on bottles and cans, and widening the deposit to include water bottles and other containers are a godsend to New Hampshire merchants in the border region.
I remember when Gov. Deane Davis (R-Vt.) pushed through a sales tax. “It’s only 3% and will stabilize the economy.”
Now it’s 6% and more widely applied, but the state’s economy is still not fully stabilized.
In the 1960s and ’70s, there was a husband-and-wife team of economists at Dartmouth who issued an annual comparison between Vermont and New Hampshire. Generally Vermont did not fare well; although services in the two states were comparable, the costs were not.
Vermonters were hit with a large and growing variety of taxes; New Hampshire residents were not.
Actions have consequences. Last year Massachusetts outlawed menthol cigarettes. Convenience stores on the state border are closing while stores in New Hampshire are having a good year. If someone comes up to buy a couple of cartons of Salem or Newport cigarettes, he (or she) might well also buy a 12-pack of soda or beer, some snacks and maybe a couple of lottery tickets. The same thing will happen if Vermont goes ahead with expanded deposits.
So New Hampshire thanks the Vermont Legislature for their failure to see the whole picture when creating even more taxes.
Patrick O’Connor
Weathersfield