Opinion: We have a choice, according to Ta-Nehisi Coates (and this stone mason)

By JEAN STIMMELL

Jean Stimmell, retired stone mason and psychotherapist, lives in Northwood and blogs at jeanstimmell.blogspot.com. Waking up in Portsmouth, groggily looking out the third-story window of the Airbnb where we were staying, I couldn’t believe my eyes:...

Opinion: After the fall

By JOHN BUTTRICK

John Buttrick writes from his Vermont Folk Rocker in his Concord home, Minds Crossing. He can be reached at johndbuttrick@gmail.com It is that time of year when the true colors of New Hampshire reveal themselves.Last month I came across this...

Opinion: The ‘E’ stands for ‘entertainment’

By BRIAN ADAMS

Brian Adams of Andover, Mass., is a UNH alumnus originally from Londonderry. He was previously a sketch comedy writing instructor and staff writer at ImprovBoston and a founding contributor to satirical online newspaper Recyculus. He is a father to...

Letter: Our chance to change course

This election is our chance to change America’s course because of how we are being governed on a national level: Uncontrolled illegal immigration where drug trafficking, sexual exploitation of women and children, chaos and violent crime totally...

Letter: Thank you, Karishma Manzur

For your My Turn. It gave me good historical depth and outlined contemporary reality. At this point it appears that the American public is willing to accept moral culpability for the legal and moral crimes being committed in Palestine and Lebanon. The...

Letter: Is it obstruction or failure?

It was great to attend the ribbon cutting and celebration for the opening of the section of the Merrimack River Greenway that heads south from Loudon Road. It is a beautiful stretch and was constructed very well. Regrettably, it doesn’t connect to...

Letter: Ayotte won’t help with mental health

Lately it is a guess as to how low Donald Trump will go. He recently again mocked mental illness and said “Kamala was born that way” and only mentally disabled people would “allow this to happen to our country,” whatever that means. His policy is just...

Letter: Unconventional

The 101st Airborne Division is in Fort Cambell, KY. The 82nd Airborne Division is in North Carolina. The worst damage from Hurricane Helene is around Ashville, NC. These army divisions represent thousands of trained troops and hundreds of helicopters...

Letter: The value of debate

I’ve taken a couple of days to digest the debate between the vice presidential candidates to make my own evaluation of the event. Sen. Vance, young and smooth seemed like a well-oiled, well rehearsed machine. Mechanically reciting his programmed...

Letter: Having hope

This is a time for optimism, not bleak despair. The pundits say it is a razor thin election and they might be right. Somehow though, I believe the country is ready for positive change. We are exhausted with the doomsday predictions. The media likes to...

Letter: Vote for Ruth Heath

I am supporting Ruth Heath who is running to represent Loudon and Canterbury in the NH House of Representatives (Merrimack District 4). She is someone who values hard work, frugality, integrity, respect for all people and being of service. These are...

Letter: Vote for Ed Friedrich

Though it was many years ago that I retired as a public school teacher, I remain very concerned with the loss of adequate state funding for public education. I believe that it is essential to increase public-school funding without adding to the local...

Letter: Dedicated and accessible

I am writing to encourage you to join me in voting for Pamela Walsh for school board. Walsh is a thoughtful, open school board member who has continually put kids and taxpayers first during a difficult time for our public schools. During her time on...

Letter: The balanced leadership our school district needs

I’m writing to share my support for Pamela Walsh for Concord School Board at large. Pamela has lived, worked, and raised her child in our community and schools, giving her a deep understanding of the needs and values that shape our school district. As...

Letter: True Republicans for Harris

I wonder about the statement that there are no “Republicans for Kamala Harris.” It feels like the true, reasonable, willing to work together, truth-telling Republicans might actually be supporting Harris. They might not be supporting the divisive,...

Letter: Kelly Roberts for District 17

I am writing to support Kelly Roberts of Deerfield, the Democratic candidate for NH Senate District 17. This district covers eight towns in Merrimack County (Northfield, Canterbury, Loudon, Pembroke, Allenstown, Chichester, Epsom, Pittsfield) and...

Letter: What do you value as a voter?

Is public education important to you as a way of ensuring that all children have access to a decent education? Then Joyce Craig is your choice for governor. Do you think New Hampshire should strive for more renewable energy at the individual and...

Letter: Vote no on school ballot questions 1 & 2

As a former school board president during the elementary school consolidation building project and as a twice-elected member of the last two Charter Commissions in 2010 and 2021, Bill and I oppose both proposed amendments to the Concord School...

Letter: Zipping kindly along

On a recent excursion to Canada’s maritime provinces I encountered a thought-provoking moment of cultural difference. Approaching some major highway construction, traffic was forced to merge from one lane to two, and given quite a comfortable advance...