Letters to the Editor

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Best Letter of the Month was this thank-you note moose toy, sent by the Toy Chest of North Conway. On the other side was written “Rick, Happy Holidays from Spunky and the Toy Chest.” Spunky is a frog who appeared as one of our celebrity pets in the August issue of New Hampshire Magazine. We invite our clever readers to think outside the envelope and see if they can trump Spunky with a unique letter to the editor.

Need a good reason to spot the newt?

This month's lucky (and fearless) newt spotter will receive a $50 gift certificate to any Fratello's (in Laconia and Manchester) or Homestead Restaurant & Tavern (Merrimack and Bristol) location.

The Spot the Newt contest is sponsored by NH Made (www.nhmade.com), the state's official non-profit booster of locally generated products and services.

(Just for the record, New Hampshire Magazine is a proud member.)

Spot four newts like this one (above) hidden on ads in this issue, tell us where you found them and you might win an assortment of great gifts. To enter our drawing for a free gift basket, send your answers to

Spot the Newt
c/o New Hampshire Magazine
150 Dow St., Manchester, NH 03101

E-mail them to newt@nhmagazine.com, or fax them to (603) 624-1310.

Last month's "Spot the Newt" winner is Margot Byron of Hudson. January issue newts were on pages 23, 36, 71 and 86.

Letters to the Editor

Doggone Wrong
In his article "Weighting for Validation" [January 2011] Darren Garnick uses the phrase "... deliberately misspells 'Judgement' with an extra e." Judgement with two e's is not a misspelling, it is an alternate spelling. In the next sentence Garnick uses the word "pudgeball." He didn't spell it "pudgball" did he? I was taught that the e is necessary to make the g soft.

Many years ago some people in an office I worked in at Boston University got into this same argument, one e or two. Our conclusion, after surveying all six people in the office, was that graduates of parochial grammar or high schools put in two e's and public school graduates and lawyers use one e. We never expanded our survey to see how well it held up. I enjoyed the article.

Don Gillis
Keene

Down with Prohibition
The "gateway theory" ["Up in Smoke," January 2012] is a fallacy. It has been refuted by studies performed by the University of New Hampshire and the University of Pittsburgh. Cannabis does not cause cancer either. The "Tashkin report" performed by a reputable pulmonologist that the government has used in the past refutes the cancer concerns.

The state of New Hampshire will speak out of both sides of its proverbial mouth, selling alcohol, the second leading cause of death, while jailing people for cannabis. According to government studies, tobacco is the leading cause of death, alcohol is second and cannabis (marijuana) is responsible for zero deaths - drugwarfacts.org is a good website to verify this information.

Cannabis has a long history of being used as medicine; the federal government's own judge, Francis Young, admitted that back in 1988 in a ruling. There is also a federal patent issued relative to the medicinal properties of cannabis.

It is past time that prohibitionists should make decisions about what peaceful people will or will not use for medicine or as a safer alternative to alcohol. In a free society government doublespeak should not be tolerated. I publicly challenge any government prohibitionists to a rational and public debate - just name the place.

Robert Constantine
Grafton

Caging Peaceful People?
Thanks to Richard Ager and New Hampshire Magazine for their coverage of this important issue ["Up in Smoke," January 2012]. It's an outrage that the same "Live Free or Die" state that cages peaceful people for consuming one type of drug (cannabis) sells 1/2 a billion dollars worth of another type of drug (liquor). I republished the part on my friend Bob Constantine (on my fr33agents.com blog) while encouraging people to read the article online or to purchase a copy. I'd love to see more reporting like this from NH Magazine and other media outlets. I have many friends who have been victimized by the government's war on drugs so I appreciate you bringing this important issue to the attention of your readers.

Jason Talley
Keene

Not a Peep
Ironic that New Hampshire's overwhelmingly Republican House voted overwhelmingly to legalize medical marijuana, but the Democratic governor threatened to veto it (again). Lynch's retirement bodes well for marijuana decriminalization. I can't believe Tommy Chong knows about the FSP! When I was a kid I had all Cheech & Chong's skits memorized. Makes me all nostalgic. BTW, I just returned from Christmas in San Diego and I didn't hear a peep about marijuana. Clearly medical marijuana didn't make the sky fall.

Stephen Cobb
Keene

Keeping in Touch
I think you have done an outstanding job with the magazine. We live in NH in the summer, in south Utah in the winter and the magazine keeps me in touch with "home" where I'm a Realtor.

Janet Cramer
Center Harbor

Business Boost
Just a note to thank you for the nice write-up about our store and for the great picture ["Shop Talk," October 2011]. There has been some business from your article and we are extremely grateful.

Jack & Kim Wells
Central Square Emporium
Hillsborough

Business Boost II
Here at Robie Farm in Piermont, NH, we have had new customers as a result of an article they said they read in New Hampshire Magazine. We would be very pleased if we could see it and consider a subscription or possible advertising.

Lee & Betty Sue Robie
Piermont