Opinions on Portsmouth Police Station, Market Square and more: Letters

This is a terrible place for the Portsmouth Police Station extension

May 23 − To the Editor:

While I am all for finding a way to provide our police with adequate new facilities, I find the proposed location along the waterfront below and northwest of City Hall to be hideously ugly. I’m not talking about building design, but rather location and massing. Not only would this destroy currently highly desirable open space, but it would also block the view of Portsmouth Cottage Hospital, which is on the U.S. Register of Historic Places. Conversely, it would also block the view of that building’s residents of South Mill Pond. What’s wrong with building a new police facility where there is currently a parking lot at the south end of the City Hall complex grounds?

Robert Graham

Portsmouth

Burlington is not a model for Portsmouth’s market place

May 23 − To the Editor:

There has been a lot of talk about making the market square a pedestrian zone. We just need to take a look at neighboring Burlington, Vermont. Not so fast.

Last weekend we had the pleasure of attending a family graduation party at UVM. The weather was perfect. The campus was beautiful. We had time to visit downtown Burlington, the famous pedestrian mall also known as Church Street. That was our experience.

As we got closer, our 21-year-old nephew, who sees the good and the worst of the city while attending Northeastern and living in Boston’s Mission Hill, warned us about homeless people. But don’t worry. We have homeless people in Portsmouth and I have seen panhandling when I was often in Northampton, MA. But then…

We entered the garage, which is as close to Burlington’s pedestrian mall as High-Hanover is to Market Square. As we drove into the garage, there were too many homeless and/or drug addicts on the first level to count. We parked at the top and walked down the stairs. On each level, small groups huddled together with bags of candy. They paid us no attention, and we did the same. But the visual impact remained.

Then we made the short walk to Church Street. I didn’t know what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. The pedestrian area looked deserted. There were luxury shops on an old seafront promenade. There were people there, but not many, and it was the closing weekend. On this day with perfect weather, there was a lack of liveliness. The pedestrian area seemed to be a contrast between expensive shops and poverty.

It’s time we abandoned Burlington as a role model and learned from its decline instead. Economy, weather, both?

Whatever we do, despite the traffic chaos, our current market place puts Burlington to shame. Consider whether we would rather have signs of life when driving through the market place, or whether we would like a paved sidewalk that sometimes just looks deserted?

Patricia Bagley

Portsmouth

Please do not change the marketplace

May 23 − To the Editor:

Good morning!

I can’t believe these charming changes, like closing downtown streets and creating more brick sidewalks in and around Market Square, haven’t happened yet!

Seriously, who does our city want to serve, who comes first? Businesses and tourists? Or locals?

Please do not change the marketplace.

I thought we wanted to make Portsmouth a place of inclusivity and diversity. A place where our residents from all walks of life want to come and feel welcome, and that benefits those of us who live here.

And ultimately it makes Portsmouth more attractive for everyone.

Please do not close streets to traffic. We need accessibility. Do not make the streets even more exclusive.

Portsmouth is already a great city to walk around!

Thank you for your consideration.

Richard Smith (“Cuzin Richard”))

Portsmouth

The author’s attacks on the arms industry are misleading

May 23 − To the Editor:

The esteemed Bill Kingston’s letter to the editor on May 18 was perhaps his most far-reaching letter in recent memory.

Mr. Kingston is once again sensationalizing gun violence in this country, a problem I agree with him on and one that can be fixed without limiting Second Amendment rights if our lawmakers work hard. Bill cites all sorts of ridiculous theories and makes a statement (see below) claiming that the gun industry itself promotes some very offensive theories about why people buy or own a gun. In truth, nothing could be further from the truth.

The gun industry today promotes safety, education and compliance in everything it says and does. Legal gun owners are perhaps the most responsible and law-abiding members of society.

Kingston says: “Is it because the gun industry itself promotes the idea that firearms are a kind of penis extension and that you have to buy a gun to be a real man and defend yourself and your family? Against what?”

I find Mr Kingston’s above idea ridiculous and insulting. He has no idea what the arms industry is promoting and it is highly doubtful that they would consider his wild Freudian allusion.

Applying the logic that Mr. Kingston suggests will never solve the problem of violence. It will only make it worse.

T. Stephen McCarthy

Portsmouth

Today’s Democrats are pushing extreme policies

22 May − To the Editor:

This is a response to a letter from Jim Fieseher titled “A Group of Clowns is Called ‘Congress'” dated May 15, 2024.

While Dr. Fieseher praises the supposed newfound bipartisanship in the House of Representatives, it is important to address the real issues. Blaming Republicans for investigating serious allegations against people like Hunter Biden and Alejandro Mayorkas distracts from the obstructionist tactics and extreme policies being pushed by today’s Democrats.

Chairman Mike Johnson’s attempts to work with Democrats have not been pragmatic but inevitable, as the opposition has continually thrown up roadblocks at him. Their refusal to negotiate in good faith has forced Republicans to compromise in ways that do not reflect the will of the majority that elected a Republican majority.

Despite claims to be bipartisan, Democrats in the House consistently pursue radical policies that ignore the concerns of conservatives. From excessive spending that fuels inflation to policies that undermine border security, the Democratic agenda focuses on advancing ideological goals rather than fostering cooperation.

In addition, the investigations into Hunter Biden and Alejandro Mayorkas are necessary investigations into possible corruption and mismanagement with serious national security implications. Ignoring these issues in the name of bipartisanship undermines accountability and transparency. Democrats have been attacking Trump for similar reasons since before he took office – one could call him a “man who talks in a glass house.”

The real clown show in Congress has been Democrats’ refusal to engage in meaningful dialogue and their insistence on extreme policies without considering their impact on Americans. Real progress requires putting the needs of the country ahead of partisan politics.

Michael Hunt

Seabrook

Rebate programs make heating homes in NH more affordable

May 23 − To the Editor:

Spring has arrived in New Hampshire and I’m excited for all the warmer weather has to offer. But like many of us, I’m also looking for ways to save money, so I wanted to share with my fellow New Hampshire residents an easy way to lower their energy bills and stay comfortable year-round.

NH has a rebate program that gives homeowners the opportunity to save money when installing high-efficiency heating equipment and/or a new oil tank. Oil heating users can claim a $500 rebate for installing a new oil boiler or furnace and $300 for a new oil tank. Rebates on furnaces, boilers and fuel tanks are available on a first-come, first-served basis from May 1 through August 31, 2024.

In addition to the rebates, there are federal tax credits to reward homeowners for upgrading to high-efficiency heating equipment. This means that New Hampshire residents can get up to $600 back in tax credits on top of the state rebates, for a total of $1,400 in potential savings. Considering the rebates available and the benefits of upgrading to a high-efficiency heating system, this is an incredible program.

Ultra-low sulfur heating oil and over 1,200 high-efficiency heating upgrades have saved 3,240 tons of CO2 emissions in NH. In addition, the use of ultra-low sulfur heating oil in combination with new high-efficiency heating systems leads to fuel savings of up to 30% per year.

For more information about rebate programs for installing high-efficiency heaters and all their benefits, readers can visit CleanOilHeatNH.com.

Joseph Sculley

New Hampshire Energy Marketers Association

This is a terrible place for the Portsmouth Police Station extension

Burlington is not a model for Portsmouth’s market place

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