I recently contacted “Dartmouth Health” (formerly Dartmouth Hitchcock) to obtain medical help from a specialist only to be shut out and turned away by their schedulers because my primary care physician was not directly affiliated with the DH system. My doctor (who is part of a well established practice in the Upper Valley) has never had a problem with DH referrals in the past.
This is unacceptable and pretty alarming. Dartmouth Hitchcock has always been here as one of the cornerstones our community health resource. Until today, I have never had second thoughts about the decision we made years ago to establish our roots here in this community. I truly feel abandoned by them.
I hope that “Dartmouth Health” leadership reconsiders this policy and approach, especially as they attempt to manipulate us into thinking that their continued approach to affiliate with other health systems is best for our communities. Is it worth it? Do we want Dartmouth Health to have a monopoly over our healthcare?
Dale Shriver
Grantham
Prentiss supports families
District 5 voters have a clear choice for their New Hampshire State Senate candidate on Nov. 8, and that is Sue Prentiss. I have known Sue since she was the chief of EMS for the state. As far back as I can remember, Sue has been working with communities impacted by the closure of their local hospital’s maternity care unit. Sue’s passion and compassion in this one area translated into working with the affected local emergency department and EMS teams to best prepare them to handle the obstetrical care situations, including complications that may arise.
As Sue moved in the Legislature, she has continued to work on protecting women and their families by giving a voice within the Statehouse to the shortage of obstetrical care providers. This situation is a true threat to New Hampshire families.
As a resident of the Upper Valley, I have also observed the kindness and skill that she brought to her work as a city councilor and the mayor of Lebanon. I have always known that she was watching out for all of us.
Please join me in giving your vote to Sue Prentiss for State Senate on Nov. 8.
Emily Baker, MD
Enfield
Keep the GOP
out of medical decisions
Are you really willing to let Republican politicians make your medical choices for you? Are you willing to let them intrude into your most private decisions?
If politicians federally and here in New Hampshire create further restrictions on abortion and family planning access, where else will they intrude? Would drinking alcohol or smoking during pregnancy be outlawed because it’s child abuse? What’s to stop them banning — or requiring — vasectomies?
New Hampshire’s Republican Executive Councilors continue to bar funding from family planning agencies and sex education programs, because they falsely believe such programs encourage sex. In fact, both knowledge and good health care prevent unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
We will never answer the question of when life begins, because there is no one right answer. People of good faith will have differing views about this, as well as about abortion and birth control. Everyone should be free to make choices about their own lives according to their own beliefs, not according to someone else’s.
Please vote for individual freedoms by voting for Democrats on November 8. Every vote — yours! — makes a difference.
Becky Powell
Enfield
What were they thinking?
Sometimes, politicians provide explanations for their actions that can leave people wondering “What were you thinking?”
Retired General Bolduc said with no uncertainty that he signed a letter with 120 other generals and admirals insisting that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump and that Joseph Biden was the illegal and illegitimate occupier of the Oval Office. This conspiracy theory has been thoroughly debunked through multiple lawsuits and vote recounts and is known as The Big Lie. Now, he is trying to backpedal from this nonsense by saying he has since done a lot of research on the subject and admits that Joseph Biden is the legitimately elected president.
What were you thinking? Here is someone trying to show he is worthy of being a United States senator while admitting he acts before he researches issues. Personally, I am glad he has retired from the armed forces because military leaders who make decisions without considering the facts of the situation put our servicemen and servicewomen into harm’s way.
In addition, now he states he wants to impeach President Biden for his crimes. He has given absolutely no background on his research to explain why the president deserves to be impeached. What kind of rational policymaking can we expect of him as a senator? What were you thinking?
Three Republican Executive Council members, Joseph Kenney, David Wheeler and Ted Gatsas, who voted against funds for sex education programs were asked why they were voting against such funding that they had previously approved. Their excuse is that they do not remember voting in favor of this program. What were you three thinking? If you can’t remember how you voted in the past and the reasons for your votes at those times, then you are no longer qualified to be in such positions of power as the Executive Council.
Paul Etkind
Grantham
Predecessor endorses
his successor
It is honorable that Judge Michael Ricci is running for Windsor County Assistant Judge as an Independent. He is the incumbent, and his constituents need him back on the job. He has done outstanding work for the county and the judiciary and deserves to be elected.
Michael stepped forward when I announced that I was retiring and moving back to my native State of Maine in September 2021. He agreed not only to finish my term, but to run again in 2022 and be open to yet another one.
Over the past year, Judge Ricci has shown commitment and dedication to his work. He is a compassionate jurist and has mastered the latest technology and platforms used by the judiciary. With his vast business experience, is a very able county administrator. He is collegial and respected by his peers.
COVID has profoundly transformed the courts and how they now operate. The changes are institutional and technological. Nothing is the same as it was four years ago, let alone eight years ago when Judge Ellen Terie took office.
With Judge Terie’s retirement next February, after he is hopefully elected, Judge Ricci will become the senior judge and will hopefully partner with the newly elected junior judge, Allison Johannensen, the winner of the three-way Democratic primary. This mentoring will ensure continuity in the office, which is crucial for both the county and judiciary. Johannensen shows much promise. As a paralegal for many years, she is already versed in the judiciary’s case management system.
The interests of Windsor County and the judiciary will be best served by judges Ricci and Johannensen. The torch has been passed to two proven and promising candidates who will continue moving forward.
Jack Anderson
Assistant Judge, Windsor, Retired
The unimaginable life
of Jim Wright
After learning of the passing of Jim Wright, I thought about him late into the night.
He lived a life that was so beyond any dream he must have had as a youth. His personal accomplishments, his profound effect on Dartmouth, his much appreciated excellence as a professor of history, his work on behalf of veterans, his chronicling of wars, his travels around the globe, his magnificent marriage/partnership with Susan Wright — none of this could have possibly been in the mind or heart of that young Marine all those years ago.
And as my friend Michael Salzhauer ’84 noted: “Jim really did set a national agenda with veterans on campuses. That’s a lot because it mostly happened after he lost his bully pulpit.”
A life well and richly lived.
Karen Blum
Grantham
Gratitude for scarecrows
We would like to thank the many families who came to our scarecrow decorating event on Oct. 8. We placed more than 20 of them around Colburn Park. We would also like to thank the LISTEN Center for the colorful clothing we were able to use.
To continue our Halloween activities, we would encourage people to view the scarecrows and take a picture of their favorite and send it to the Lebanon-Upper Valley Lions Club Facebook page.
We would remind folks that the Scarecrow Challenge is still running for the month of October. For a small fee, a $25 prize may be won. Or one may build a scarecrow at their home or place of business without entering the contest.
Let’s show our Lebanon spirit!
Tom McGonis
Secretary, Lebanon-Upper Valley Lions Club