Letters to the Editor

Rubbing Salt?

After reading this Q&A [with Ann Miller, director of N.H. Peace Action, March 2007 issue], I almost gagged from a sugar high.

I’ve never read anything more naive than Ms. Miller’s opinion that everything in today’s violent world can be handled by finding “common ground” and using “diplomacy.”

Unfortunately, what Ms. Miller fails to understand is that it’s absolutely impossible to find common ground or a diplomatic solution when we’re dealing with terrorists and others who place absolutely no value on their lives (or anyone else’s, as we Americans do) and are willing to blow themselves up and take innocents with them.

The other side of the story about many of these supposed “peace” groups is this: There are mothers of soldiers currently serving in Iraq who have received “death threats” from “peace” groups; Groups led by Cindy Sheehan, etc. have made it clear that they intend to throw red paint on our sacred war memorials in Washington, D.C., on March 17 at noon, and the Concord High School Peace Club (affiliated with Ms. Miller’s organization) have asked that “old shoes” be donated to “represent Iraqi civilians whose lives have been lost in the war” at their event in Concord on March 17. (See Concord Monitor, Letters to the Editor, 2/25/07.)

Not only is this not an “original” idea, it virtually spits on the graves of the very American soldiers who protect their freedoms by disrespectfully encroaching on a very sacred military tradition of empty combat boots signifying respect and honor for our fallen soldiers.

These groups (in my opinion) are completely insensitive and continue to attempt to rub salt in wounds, re-traumatize and re-victimize the very American soldiers (past and present) who protect them and their cushy way of life!

In my opinion, Ms. Miller is attempting to live in an unrealistic la-la “peace” land and many cowardly people continue to hide behind “peace” agendas while waging their own war against our beloved soldiers and country.

Judy Paris
Bradford

A Slight Detour

That’s a lovely road trip for March. But if your writer had followed her own route she would never have passed The Round Barn in Piermont because it’s two miles or so north on Rte. 10 from the 25C intersection and she instructs travelers to turn south to Orford.

If you’re going to do it, do it right.

Susan Brown
North Haverhill

Ode to the Kanc

I just started receiving my first subscription of New Hampshire Magazine and I enjoy reading it from cover to cover. I have loved New Hampshire very much and I visit it as often as I can. I have family living in New Hampshire and hope to move my family there someday soon.

I look forward to each issue of the magazine and my wife especially likes the spot the newt contest. She would love to win a basket. I have enclosed a copy of a poem that I wrote during one of my trips to the mountains. I hope your readers enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Mark A. Dozois
Fall River, Mass.

Kancamagus

City in my rear view mirror
The rat race furthest from my mind
Mountain peaks becoming clearer
I long to smell the mountain pine

Route 93 laid out before me
Leads me to my favorite place
Forest green over the Kancamagus
Where the old man sadly lost his face

Kancamagus long and tranquil
Many trails for which to roam
How I long to raise my family
Among the moose in my forest home

The snows of winter close the highway
Along the stretch of Bear Notch Road
The scenic beauty closed to traffic
On alternate routes they carry their
load

Kancamagus stretched before me
Leads me where I long to roam
Among the moose so large and free
New Hampshire’s forests, my adopted
home.

Lover of Stones

As a frequent visitor to the Lakes Region, especially the Meredith/Moultonboro area, and a lover of stones, rocks, and particularly, old stone walls, I have noticed the extent to which stone is (and I guess it always was) an integral part of the architectural features of the homes, inns and hotels being built on the lake. (I recently visited the new “Church Landing” in Meredith and loved the facade.)

I would enjoy a feature article in your magazine that might touch on many of the questions that I (and, hopefully, so many of your readers) have on the subject. Questions such as: Where is the stone coming from? Is it brought out of the surrounding woods, or imported from “outside” sources? What kinds of stone are being used? Who are these talented artisans (for whom I have the utmost respect)? How do they receive their training? Is it done by only a few ? Is it an art that is being “passed down”? Are any of these people “self-taught”? Do they necessarily have to have knowledge of geology? How do they get such immovable, huge objects to cooperate?!

I’d love to see a photo spread of some of the more interesting applications — from architectural to landscaping to just natural settings. I have always wanted to approach one of these artists at work to ask a myriad of questions. I am hoping that you might consider this topic in one of your future issues. If, by chance, you have published a similar article, and I have missed it, would you please let me know if the issue is available to purchase?

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to every issue and have given it as gifts to friends and family alike. Thank you for a great publication!

Deborah Rourke
Lowell, Mass.

Newsworthy, but …

You printed erroneous advice about proper planting zones at the end of the last paragraph (page 53) of “Shady Business” in the March 2007 issue of your magazine.
Instead of proposing that zone 6 is what the northern parts of our state have for cold tolerance, the information should be zone 4. (Key West, Fla. is zone 10, while much of northern Canada is zone 2.)

Also, the photo of the river birch on page 54 looks far too much like our white, native canoe birch. Having, arguably, introduced the river birch to the nursery trade and my clientele in the 1960s, I feel this photo fails to indicate the apricot coloration (but rich brown and solid bark when juvenile) of the exfoliating bark. This is a native tree of river banks in Ohio and very tolerant of wet soils. It has a later tendency for its basal bark to become very dark (hence its scientific name of Betula nigra, which translates to “black”), and its appealing loose, bright bark ascends almost out of view with age.
The article is newsworthy for the rest of its practical information.

Joseph Hudak
Stratham

(Hudak is a fellow with the American Society of Landscape Architects.)

Missing the S

First, thank you for the wonderful mention of our cafe on page 20 of the February issue. I hope we can live up to the compliment!

The only correction is that we are Sunflowers Cafe and our Web site is www.sunflowerscatering.com. Is it possible to note that in a future issue?

Carolyn Edwards
Sunflowers Cafe & Catering
Fitzwilliam