This is in regard to the article about Patch Orchard’s maple sugaring lines crossing the unmaintained Class VI road rights of way in Lebanon (“City, family at odds over Class VI roads,” March 3). The city of Lebanon should do everything in its power to encourage and aid local businesses, especially agricultural businesses that preserve the character of the land, as sugaring does.
Patch Orchards welcomes visitors year-round to the sugar house to learn about this disappearing part of New Hampshire’s agricultural heritage. It’s an asset to our community. The Patches are not asking to clear-cut their land and develop their property.
Surely the city of Lebanon can find a way to accommodate their farm operations by granting a “license to use” the otherwise abandoned rights of way for their sugaring lines. It’s the right thing to do.
NANCIE SEVERS
Lebanon
I read The Washington Post daily so it’s always interesting to see what articles the Valley News decides to pick up. I was a little dismayed that you reprinted the Opinion piece by Donald Sherman, deputy director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (“Worst way to prepare for emerging pandemic,” March 3).
In his piece, Sherman states, “At a campaign rally Friday, (Trump) suggested the coronavirus was a ‘hoax’ manufactured by his political opponents.” That is not a factual statement and it was taken out of context. What Trump did say was, “this is their new hoax,” referring to the Democrats’ criticism of his administration’s response to the new coronavirus outbreak.
This kind of misinformation just adds fuel to his supporters’ already skewed view of the “biased” media. They get plenty of misinformation from other sources. The Valley News doesn’t need to supply it.
LOUISE HARRISON
Newbury, Vt.
Enough from the Democratic establishment warning that a vote for Sen. Bernie Sanders will hurt candidates in the House and Senate races and will not defeat President Donald Trump in the presidential race. If Sanders were running in many European countries — England, Sweden, Denmark — he would be considered a left-of-center candidate.
Which policy is not defensible:
■ Health care is a universal right.
■ Everyone should be able to breathe clean air, drink clean water.
■ Universal free day care.
■ Universal free college education.
■ Addressing climate change as an urgent priority.
From many polls, Sanders is best situated to beat Trump. Hillary Clinton and the party establishment want to keep the status quo. Their wealth is dependent on the status quo. Let’s vote for change. Let’s vote for people who work for their living. Please support Bernie Sanders.
PAUL FOSTER
Norwich
What does a fundraising smash look like? It looks like the spirited March 1 gathering of tennis enthusiasts rallying for Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center at the Boss Tennis Center.
The sixth annual Team Tennis to Smash Cancer, a volunteer-led event organized with the help of the Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center, brought in a smashing $100,000, breaking all previous records. That impressive total represents contributions from individual donors, local businesses and foundations — a true community effort. Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, the Couch Family Foundation, and to the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation, which made a huge difference in our ability to meet and ultimately surpass our goal. As we like to say, Love All!
Events such as Team Tennis to Smash Cancer and the community involvement they inspire are so important because they help boost Norris Cotton, our local cancer center and one of the country’s best. Funds will be used to help support patient services and the research teams working on promising projects that have the potential to lead to medical breakthroughs in the fight against cancer. For more information about NCCC research, go to www.cancer.dartmouth.edu.
Thanks to all who raised their racquets March 1 and to our generous sponsors.
KAREN SELTZER
and JANET SIMMONS
Hanover
The writers are co-chairs of the Team Tennis to Smash Cancer Committee.