With Memorial Day in the rearview mirror, summer is officially here in New Hampshire! Summer is a big deal for our state and, consequently, the legislature spends quite a bit of time each session thinking about and planning for all that it brings--the many forms of outdoor recreation, the in…
Most Recent Editorial
Cormac McCarthy wrote
City Manager Yoshi Manale presented the 2024 budget to the city council at the end of April. This process is outlined in city ordinances, which allows two months to review individual budgets and pass the overall budget. If the council fails to pass the budget by June 30, the proposed budget …
‘It’s not FAIR!” This cry came from the Newbury Zoning Board. The statement came in response to a request that an applicant adhere to the standards and intent of the Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act. “How could the board tell this applicant ‘no’ when they had granted variances to so ma…
MORE THAN 160,000 students attend New Hampshire public schools, representing more than 90% of families with school age children. On average, these students perform among the best in the country, which says a lot when state funding of public schools is the lowest in the country. It also says …
In the first installment of this two-part explanation of the nation’s current banking crisis, Claremont resident Mark Chamberlain answers the questions he raised at the end of Tuesday’s article: How did the banks get into trouble and what caused their collapse? To read Part 1 of The Current …
Many veterans become addicted to drugs and alcohol or struggle with co-occurring disorders. Addictions can develop while serving in the military or when they retire and are discharged. Numerous causative factors contribute to these problems.
As lifelong residents of Claremont, we’ve all witnessed the ongoing tug-of-war between school funding and property tax burdens here. With educators trying to do more with less, it’s frustrating to see inaction and inadequate approaches from the State, instead of meaningful education funding …
Every seven to ten years or so, a banking crisis of one nature or another unfolds here in the United States. Sometimes, it bleeds over into other countries, as it did in 2007-09. To be fair, such crises sometimes originate overseas and make their way to our shores, as happened with Latin Ame…
Our schools have not been immune to our state’s workforce shortage and solving this problem has become a priority issue for our state. Last year, I cosponsored a bi-partisan bill – SB 236 – which established a study committee to investigate the teacher shortage and propose potential incentiv…
My friend Ben who works at a landscaping company dropped off a mountain laurel bush that looked like a stick covered in crisp brown leaves.
Community is what makes schools work. Outside of the dedicated teachers and school staff, volunteers and PTA members run school events, help to put on practices, games and plays. These volunteers are exactly that—people who expect nothing in return but show up when their community needs them…
By Andy Lafreniere
By John Lunn
The dystopia that we are now living screams “how can we do things differently?” Here in New Hampshire, we have been successful in electing local legislators who work for justice, and it is comforting to know they are there in Concord and that there are so many individuals and groups working …
One of the most hotly debated issues in Concord over the past few years has been providing parents with more choices on where to send their child to school.
When we consider the things that really matter, most people would say that people and relationships are what mean the most to them, not things. That’s why when tornadoes, tsunamis or raging wildfires destroy buildings and towns, survivors often say, “At least we survived!” And, when we see s…
As leaders in New Hampshire’s mental health and corrections fields, we are writing to convey to policy makers the strong case for permanently reauthorizing Medicaid Expansion, and to highlight its critical impact on both the health care and the criminal justice systems in our state. The conn…
Drug companies see a chance to cripple 340B, a program they once championed.
“I’m not from here.”
Wildlife conservation is complicated. In Vermont, that complexity is front and center in recent conversations around regulated trapping. Although this topic deserves Vermonters’ careful consideration, I worry that some are losing sight of the conservation benefits that regulated trapping provides.
Recent school and library censorship actions and state legislative actions appear to place parents or state governors in control school curricula. Education is not in the Constitution and therefore, by the Tenth Amendment, is a state right. Each state controls their school districts and sets…
The New Hampshire Senate has had an exciting start to the 2023 session. With a focus on New Hampshire families, we strove to pass legislation that increased the opportunity and well-being of Granite Staters. Already halfway through this legislative session, the State Senate has thoroughly de…
Springtime has arrived in New England (finally) and for many families this means vacation time. Statistically, more families with school age children vacation in April than in February. Sadly, this means that there will be an increase in the number of travel scams. The Federal Trade Commissi…
After an odd winter bird wise, it is comforting to see spring unfold in a pedestrian way. Early migrants are returning when they are “supposed to,” and some of the usual winter denizens, like dark-eyed juncos, are once again roaming around my property. On March 30 I heard my first barred owl…
Regular readers of this column know, we live in an age of constant scams and con-artists reaching into our homes and lives. Threats are real; the potential for losses, great. Combatting on-line and phone call criminals is constant and often requires an extra set of eyes and ears; frequently …
Is a happy worker truly a productive worker? In recent years, a staggering number of employees across the nation have reported feeling high levels of “burnout” in the workplace, regardless of industry and experience. “Work-Life Balance” is something of a buzz phrase nowadays, but there is a …
Everything hurts.
Spring is here. Not only are the days getting a little warmer and the grass starting to poke out between the dead-brown leaves of last fall, but the sap flow is now a sporadic trickle in maple tubing and town meetings have begun.
One thing I know for sure, talking about sexual abuse will never be easy. It is about time I did.
Spring break is an opportunity for families to escape their monotonous daily routine and indulge in relaxation. And whether your family is jetting off for spring break or has a staycation planned close to home, spending some quality time together is likely high on your list.
