Letters to the Editor

Fitting Piece
Thank you so much for the puzzle [Community Puzzle contest, December 2006]. It was a wonderful surprise and I will be sharing it with the “puzzle ladies.” We’ll have a great time working it together. There was so much more I wanted to write about our building, Marion Philips Apartments, which I consider a community. I am the vice president of the tenants association and, although this close type of living is not for everyone, it is one that I thrive on. Thank you once again. Our director, Andrew Fennelly, was pleased also to have our building positively recognized.

Janice Richmond
Claremont

Community Puzzle
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Community Puzzle could be a metaphor for the world to follow, bringing to it peace and unity? The working of a healthy productive community involves people of differing skills, ages, values, races, personalities, time constraints, and more, coming together despite their differences to discuss, negotiate and make important, necessary decisions. New England continues to have towns which hold yearly town meetings, where decisions are made or begun by people talking, discussing and negotiating. The enigma is how does it all come together? In short, the answer lies in the willingness of people in a community to give their time, their thoughts and their skills toward reaching agreements, no matter how difficult, for the betterment of the community. A small-town community cares. A large-town community cares. Understanding the workings brings solution to the puzzle, as well as an atmosphere of camaraderie and success. The world could do the same if willing to incorporate and accept different cultural belief and value systems.

Elizabeth Bunce
Nelson

Puzzled Clerk
I went out and bought a half dozen copies right after I received my issue. The counter clerk said, “You must be in this one (to buy that many). I told her “Yes.” She replied, “What do you do?” I said, “I make puzzles.” She thought a bit and said, “What was the largest puzzle you’ve made?” I replied, “I’m working on a 1,000-piece puzzle now.” She added, “I once made a 2,000-piece Hallmark puzzle …” At that point I knew I hadn’t explained myself that well and mentioned to her that I actually “make/hand cut” the puzzles. She looked at me, mouth dropped, and said,”Oh my!””

Cracked me up!

Anyway, I thank you again for the opportunity to work with NH Magazine. Always up for a project like that.

A question for you. Would you be the person to ask for permission to put a link on my foolsgoldpuzzles.com site to NH Magazine? I have a section called Follow the Fool, and would like to reference this magazine article. Thanks!

Dave Beffa-Negrini
Harrisville

Editor’s Note: It’s never a problem for anyone to link to any of our sites for a legitimate use — we encourage it.

Ink for Ink
When you do your Best of NH contest, why don’t you include tattoo shops? Have you ever done an article for your magazine on tattooing? We are a profession just like anyone else. In the month of October our shop did free breast cancer pink ribbons on 16 women and one man who were breast cancer survivors. And these survivors might of been Chefs, Lawyers, Dentist or anyone else in the professions that you chose for your Best of NH. So think about that when you do your Best of NH contest. Stop leaving us out in the cold.

P.S. I read your magazine all the time. And I love it!

Hollie Hesse
Derry

Concord Gripe
As a subscriber to your magazine, I have some comments I would like to make. You do an excellent job, covering many areas of interest. In your restaurant guide, there is not one Concord-area restaurant listed. Living in the area, I can attest to the excellence of some in Concord, such as the Red Blazer Restaurant and Pub, Veano’s Italian Kitchen, Cheers, In a Pinch Café, Centennial Inn and, in Boscawen, Alan’s. I hope you will consider listing Concord-area restaurants in the future.

I am enclosing a poem I wrote about New Hampshire that may be of interest to you.

A state that stands apart
From all the other 49
Takes pride in its independence
And doesn’t always “hold the line.”

Our ancestors came to live here
With a determination to succeed.
They fought for independence
As freedom was their need.

The purpose of those before us
Is an example we must follow.
If we walk in their footsteps,
They’ll lead us to a bright tomorrow.

We’ve lived through the hard times
When many were needy and poor.
And through too many war years
When our hearts were torn and sore.

But we led the way together
Through the good times and bad.
It wasn’t always easy,
But purpose was a virtue we had.

We’re proud to be American
And to live in a country so great,
And we’re proud to be a part of
The dear old Granite State.

Marilyn Ross
Pembroke

Small Minds
Massholes! Flatlanders! I expect better from this magazine than this sort of small-minded arrogance. Mr. Kenny might want to examine what makes him feel so small, so inferior that he feels a need to insult those outside of his tiny circle.
K. Kelley
Manchester

Potpourri
Picked up your December 2006 magazine while shopping. Really enjoyed it! Keep up the good work. We like history — our state is filled with it. Independence Museum and, of course, Strawbery Banke, Daniel Webster, Franklin Pierce, anything in Portsmouth, etc.

How about some old house interiors — lots of them, too. Loved your restaurant guide. Looking forward to the magazine, which I could not find this month on the newsstand. But friends have theirs by subscription. Please rush through — I’m eager to receive it.

Franklin and Alice Dutton
Merrimack

Pleased and Disappointed
I was surprised, and pleased, to see my painting in the January issue of your magazine. Your feature “Street Smarts (a quickie guide to the Milford Oval)” illustrated the Frame Shop listing with my original (copyrighted) work, which is on consignment there and available as limited edition prints. I was disappointed that you did not identify the painting as “Smith Farm, Sap House.”

More of my original art and New Hampshire scenes may be viewed at the Milford Frame Shop and online at www.smithartstudio.com.

Bonny W. Smith
Brookline