Letters to the Editor

Officially Wrong

With candidates announcing and the 2008 New Hampshire Primary beginning in earnest, I write to call attention to the fact that it is the N.H. Secretary of State, Bill Gardner, and not Governor Lynch, who will determine the date of the N.H. Primary. Your item on page 21 of the February issue is in need of correction in this regard.

As a member of the board of the N.H. Political Library I would like to thank New Hampshire Magazine for continuing to keep the focus on our N.H. Primary tradition. We hope every Granite Stater will become involved and do everything they can to make sure we continue to have a high level of civic engagement and the highest turnout in the presidential nominating calendar. With its low filing fee and level playing field, it is New Hampshire that keeps alive the American dream that anyone can run for president.

Terry Shumaker
Bow

Oops, It’s Taxable

I believe some information about 529 Plans [“Senior Life,” February 2007] may be incorrect.

The author states that: “The IRS allows an annual gift of $12,000 to be made and deducted from the giver’s taxable income.” I believe that contributions to a 529 Plan are not deductible from one’s income.

D. Reade
Merrimack

Editor’s Note: The letter writer is correct. You can put $12,000 (or more) into the 529, but the gift is not deducted from the giver’s taxable income. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Offended by Capitol Offenses

As much as I enjoy perusing your magazine, I’m inclined to cancel my subscription after reading your recent article entitled “Everybody’s Mardi Gras.” It was entirely too partisan for me. Regardless of which side of the political fence one is on, your magazine is usually full of interesting articles that are not usually so biased, therefore enjoyable. To me, you just jumped on the bandwagon like everyone else in your blatant support of Ms. Shea-Porter. She’s not a politician, she’s a whiner and complainer who, in my best estimation, won’t get a thing done because she doesn’t know how to “play nicely with others.” I’m not sure why it is that Mr. Arnesen thinks it’s a good thing that Ms. Shea-Porter is more concerned about Louisiana than New Hampshire. Aren’t there poor and struggling people here, too?

Please think twice before publishing something of this nature again or you will lose one subscriber.

A Concerned Reader

Same Here

We are new to New Hampshire. My wife wanted to consider New Hampshire Magazine. Looked like a go until we read the Capitol Offenses piece by Arnie Arnesen in your Feb. issue. We would not buy a magazine like yours to read such things. We don’t believe liberal or conservative political “darlings” are your mission. We have many other publications for that.

Also, [to take exception to her point] we elect representatives from states and defined districts within those states to worry about things in those areas. Sometimes things can all come together but “charity” should still start at home. If not, why don’t we just elect 100 senators from anywhere in the country and several hundred members of Congress the same way.

Maybe this “save the world” attitude is one of the reasons Arnie Arnesen never made it past nominee and candidate Arnesen. Thankfully, because there are enough problems right here to more than take the time of our elected officials.

Joe Dion
Walpole

Editor’s Note (regarding the above two letters): Our policy is not to publish letters that come unsigned and without a town of residence, but we chose to print the one from “A Concerned Reader” for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s a reasonable point of view that merits being heard. The opinions are strong, but not outrageous or libelous. In fact, we have to wonder why the writer of this note felt it necessary to remain anonymous. We will gladly withhold a name from someone who prefers to avoid publicity, but to not even sign a letter is just bad form. Both letters give us a chance to explain how the Capitol Offense page works. New Hampshire Magazine takes no editorial position on partisan politics. In stories that touch upon political matters we make every attempt to sustain balance of points of view. But a political column like Capitol Offenses would not be very interesting without a point of view, so here we encourage strong opinions. And to be fair, we seek such opinions from people of all political stripes and colors. Arnie Arnesen (a Ms., not a Mr., by the way) is a popular multi-media commentator with well-established liberal credentials. Just a month prior, we published a piece by well-known conservative commentator Dean Dexter. The fact is we love getting well-written letters to the editor, no matter what prompts them.

Disappointed in Sutton

My husband and I read an article several months ago in New Hampshire Magazine about new restaurants [February 2007]. The article mentioned Carpaccio Ristorante in Hanover. After reading the short review, we decided to try it. We were prepared to celebrate my birthday and enjoy a meal that was better than our everyday fare. Joe Cote promotes the restaurant again in your February issue. I’d like to share our disappointing experience at Carpaccio.

After requesting recommendations by our waitress, we ordered appetizers and I ordered the evening’s special of a stuffed boar chop. The chop was one of the smallest (it had to be less than 8 ounces) and toughest cuts of meat that I have ever eaten and hadn’t been cooked through. The vegetable was a small portion of steamed summer squash — not the kind of vegetable to stand up to pork. My husband’s dinner of duck was also disappointing.

Joe Cote gives the restaurant excellent reviews and incorrectly states, “Entrées range from $18 to $30.” When our bill arrived we were quite surprised that the special entrée cost $35 when, at the time, there was nothing on the menu over $26. Chef Leopardi invests more in the decoration on the plate and out-of-the-ordinary ingredients than on the quality of the food. Has anyone on your staff eaten there?

Dr. Chrys Bouvier
Sutton

Editor’s Note: Sorry about your experience. A single bad dining experience, while a compelling event, is often not a good measure of a restaurant. Our food editor has dined at Carpaccio a number of times and rates it highly.

Thanks, Mom

I love your New Hampshire magazine. My daughter gave me this subscription for Christmas. It’s very informative: shopping, traveling, medical, food, just everything. I love it.

Florence Pepin
Merrimack

The Library Link

Thank you for highlighting the wonderful work that our state’s libraries provide to their communities [Feb. 07 issue]. I visited Laconia during and after the library’s renovation. The new building is breathtaking. As a young person trying to make a living in New Hampshire, this is a town with its priorities in line and one I’d like to be part of.

I’d like to add, however, another group of New Hampshire libraries that are serving the emerging, but just as vital and relevant, communities of the Internet. Madison Public Library writes a terrific blog and posts town photos online. In addition to their blog, Dover Public Library provides two “wikis” for residents to share local history and thoughts on their latest reads. There’s a powerful movement happening online that’s resulting in remote collections of like minds, shared interests, and neighborly support — isn’t that, after all, what our towns are all about? There’s a charming photo of a pair of brothers and their new kitten on Freedom Library’s blog. Read the links to discover a bit of family history provided by the boys’ grandparents from Florida and their cousin in Massachusetts — they’re part of us, too. I can think of nothing more appropriate than our libraries sharing the richness of our state with communities around the world.

Lichen Rancourt
Dover

Old Yankee at Heart

I love the New Hampshire Magazine and I also have given it to my brothers as a Christmas Gift this last Christmas. I’m also sending one in for my son. He’s always looking for new restaurants to try and what better way than New Hampshire Magazine. My husband and I have also tried a few of the restaurants. I read all the stories and find them very fulfilling and enjoyable. I would like to see more crafters in the state in your articles. Artists, quilters, and Colonial type articles. I’m an old Yankee at heart.

Great magazine, keep up the good work. I really had fun looking for the four newts. I had to use a magnifying glass to do it, but it was fun.

Ruth Marden
Salem

A Chuckling Husband

You have featured our kitchen on this month’s issue of your magazine [January 2007]. The photos are lovely and so is the article, except my husband is Dan Lloyd, not Dan Walsh, as it was written.

He is chuckling at it although a correction would be appropriate.

Kathy Walsh
Newport

Editor’s Note: We regret the error.

Correction: In the “Who Makes What?” story in the February issue, we mistakenly said Durham town manager Todd Selig worked for the town of Exeter.