Your Letters From the April 2017 Issue

Send letters to Editor Rick Broussard, New Hampshire Magazine, 150 Dow St. Manchester, NH 03101 or e-mail him at editor@nhmagazine.com.

Furniture Tip
Great article on the state prison retail store and associated program [“Crafting a Future,” February 2017]. My wife and I went yesterday, and we could not believe the number of products the inmates make for sale. We purchased a cherry coffee table for our living room and some salad bowls made from walnut and ash. The quality was great, and the prices are more than fair. They use a lot of hardwood in their cabinets and tables. If you went out and purchased the wood and made these items yourself, it would cost you more than half the asking price. They are asking about a third of the price that furniture stores are for the same item, and the quality is equal or better. Next time you are in the market for an item for your home or a gift for a friend or family member, go here and compare.

Bill McDuff
Peterborough

Thanks for the Story
As the current board chair of American Furniture Masters Institute and on behalf of the New Hampshire Furniture Masters, we wish to thank you for the well-written and beautifully photographed article that was published in your February issue about our Prison Outreach Program [“Crafting a Future”]. In the 15 years that we have been running the program at the NH State Prison in Concord and more recently in the Maine State Prison, we are proud of the positive impact we have made on the lives of inmates who have participated. Those who have completed their sentences and been released have been able to reenter the world with a skill that gives them a sense of pride and that can afford them a livable wage.

As Furniture Master Terry Moore so aptly commented in the article, “Of all the people who have taken our woodworking program, no one has gone back to prison.” We are quite proud of this accomplishment, particularly in an environment where the recidivism rate in New Hampshire for men released from prison is 42 percent.

Our Prison Outreach Program is supported solely through private donations and is provided as a service to the NH State Prison at no cost. Our goal is to continue to expand the program in other locations, including the Women’s State Prison in Concord.

Thank you again for your sincere interest in our Prison Outreach Program and for giving your readers the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the importance of programs such as this.

Mary W. McLaughlin
Board chair
American Furniture Masters Institute
Manchester

Hail to the King
Thank you for the January 2017 article “The King of the North” by Anders Morley. Bruce Luetters’ photographs made the article come to life. John Harrigan was my lifeline to becoming a true New Hampshirite when I moved to Sullivan County in late 1988. His weekly article in the Union Leader changed my feelings about the necessity of culling herds and flocks of wildlife. I now feel proud of the hunter in the truck in front of me with her or his deer heading to the weigh station.  

John Harrigan and Stacey Cole gave me an appreciation for the wonders of the woods.  I went from a city gal to what I am today by reading the words of these two men. 

Char Delabar
Cornish

Out of the Park
You hit it out of the park featuring John Harrigan as your cover story. You are doing yourself a disservice if you miss having a conversation with Harrigan. Being the chef at our Bungy hunting camp, the greatest memories are staying up until 3 a.m. listening to the lore of the North Country from the man himself, with Millie always sitting in his lap by the wood stove. It’s an honor to know this living legend and being able to spend time with him. A great and well-deserved article.

Chris “Koz” Kozlowski
Chef/owner
Flat Iron Catering Company

More Gluten-free, Please
Thank you so much for the gluten-free Irish soda bread muffin recipe [“Local Flavor,” March 2017]! As I was reading about all the great pizza places [“Round Meals”], I was thinking, “I wish they would do a piece on gluten-free food around the state,” and — boom! — there it was. P.S. It would still be super cool if you did a story on gluten-free food around the state.

A happy gluten-free Irish-American girl.

Mariann Murphy
Wolfeboro

Happy for a Friend

Keep up the great magazine. Was really happy to see our friend and fellow artisan, Gigi Laberge, featured in the magazine this month [“Artisan,” February 2017]. Glad the article mentioned the Crafts at the Capitol that Gigi started because my husband, Gary LaRose, is one of the artisans who is in that show with Gigi and all the other great artisans. Gary is an artisan blacksmith.

Bonnie LaRose
Hillsboro

Help with Downsizing

Terrific article on downsizing while preparing to move into smaller accommodations [“Seniority,” March 2017]. With a new lifecare facility soon to be built in Keene, those who have purchased units have the same issue: getting rid of all we have accumulated. All conversations lead to a common problem — many are very attached to things that no longer have value and that children may not want. Getting started is difficult but is cathartic! We have already downsized and it is a huge relief to us and our family.

Jean Nelson
Keene