I recently contacted Dartmouth Health (formerly Dartmouth Hitchcock) for specialist medical help, but was ruled out and turned down by their planners because my primary care physician was not directly affiliated with the DH system. My doctor (who is part of a well established practice in the Upper Valley) has never had a problem with DH referrals in the past.
This is unacceptable and quite alarming. Dartmouth Hitchcock has always been here as one of the cornerstones of our community health resource. Until today, I had never thought about the decision we made years ago to establish our roots here in this community. I really feel abandoned by them.
I hope the leaders of ‘Dartmouth Health’ will reconsider this policy and this approach, especially as they attempt to manipulate us into thinking that their approach of continuing to affiliate with other health systems is the best for our communities. Is it worth it? Do we want Dartmouth Health to have a monopoly on our healthcare?
Dale Shriver
Grantham
Prentiss supports families
Voters in District 5 have a clear choice for their candidate for the New Hampshire State Senate on Nov. 8, and that’s Sue Prentiss. I’ve known Sue since she was chief of state emergency medical services. For as long as I can remember, Sue has worked with communities affected by the closure of their local hospital’s maternity care unit. Sue’s passion and compassion in this area has resulted in working with relevant local emergency services and EMS teams to best prepare them to handle obstetric care situations, including complications that may arise. .
As Sue moved into the Legislature, she continued to work to protect women and their families by giving a voice within the Statehouse to the shortage of obstetric care providers. This situation is a real threat to families in New Hampshire.
As a resident of the Upper Valley, I also observed the kindness and skill she brought to her work as a municipal councilor and mayor of Lebanon. I always knew she was watching over us all.
Please join me in casting your vote for Sue Prentiss for State Senate on November 8th.
Emily Baker, MD
Enfield
Keep the GOP
on medical decisions
Are you really ready to let Republican politicians make your medical choices for you? Are you ready to let them interfere in your most private decisions?
If politicians at the federal level and here in New Hampshire create new restrictions on access to abortion and family planning, where else are they going to interfere? Would drinking alcohol or smoking during pregnancy be prohibited because it is child abuse? What stops them from banning or requiring vasectomies?
New Hampshire’s Republican executive advisers continue to ban funding for family planning agencies and sex education programs because they mistakenly believe these programs encourage sex. In fact, knowledge and good health care prevent unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
We will never answer the question of when life begins, because there is no one right answer. People of good faith will have different opinions on this, as well as on abortion and birth control. Everyone should be free to make choices about their own life based on their own beliefs, not someone else’s.
Please vote for individual freedoms by voting for Democrats on November 8. Every vote — yours! – makes the difference.
Becky Powell
Enfield
What were they thinking?
Sometimes politicians provide explanations for their actions that can make people wonder, “What were you thinking?” »
Retired General Bolduc said unequivocally that he signed a letter with 120 other generals and admirals insisting that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump and that Joseph Biden was the illegal occupier and illegitimate from the Oval Office. This conspiracy theory has been thoroughly debunked through multiple lawsuits and vote recounts and is known as The Big Lie. Now he’s trying to backtrack on that nonsense saying he’s since done a lot of research on the subject and admits that Joseph Biden is the rightfully elected president.
But what did you have in mind? Here’s someone trying to show he’s worthy of being a United States Senator while admitting he acts before he studies the issues. Personally, I’m glad he retired from the armed forces because military leaders who make decisions without considering the facts of the situation put our military and military at risk.
Moreover, he now declares that he wants to impeach President Biden for his crimes. He gave absolutely no information on his research as to why the president deserves to be impeached. What kind of rational policy-making can we expect from him as a senator? But what did you have in mind?
Three Republican Executive Council members, Joseph Kenney, David Wheeler and Ted Gatsas, who voted against funding for sex ed programs, were asked why they were voting against such funding they had previously approved . Their excuse is that they do not remember voting for this program. What were you three thinking? If you cannot remember how you voted in the past and the reasons for your votes at those times, then you are no longer qualified to hold positions of power such as the Executive Council.
Paul Etkind
Grantham
The predecessor approves
his successor
It is honorable that Judge Michael Ricci is running for Associate Judge of Windsor County as an Independent. He’s the incumbent, and his constituents need him back to work. He has done an outstanding job for the county and the judiciary and deserves to be elected.
Michael came forward when I announced that I was retiring and returning to my home state of Maine in September 2021. He agreed to not only complete my term, but to run again in 2022 and to be open to another.
Over the past year, Judge Ricci has shown commitment and dedication to his work. He is a compassionate jurist and masters the latest technologies and platforms used by the judiciary. With his extensive business experience, is a very capable county administrator. He is collegial and respected by his peers.
COVID has profoundly transformed the courts and their current functioning. The changes are institutional and technological. Nothing is like four years ago, let alone eight years ago, when Justice Ellen Terie took office.
With Justice Terie retiring next February, hopefully after his election, Justice Ricci will become the lead judge and hopefully partner with newly elected junior judge Allison Johannensen, the winner of the Democratic primary. at three. This mentorship will ensure continuity in the office, which is crucial for both the county and the judiciary. Johannensen is very promising. A paralegal for many years, she is already familiar with the judicial case management system.
The interests of Windsor County and the judiciary will be best served by Justices Ricci and Johannensen. The torch has been passed to two confirmed and promising candidates who will continue to move forward.
jack anderson
Associate Judge, Windsor, retired
The unimaginable life
by Jim Wright
After learning of Jim Wright’s passing, I thought of him late at night.
He lived a life that was so beyond any dream he should have had in his youth. His personal accomplishments, his profound effect on Dartmouth, his much-appreciated excellence as a teacher of history, his work on behalf of veterans, his chronicling of wars, his travels around the world, his wonderful marriage/partnership with Susan Wright – none of this could have been on that young Marine’s mind or heart all those years ago.
And as my friend Michael Salzhauer ’84 noted, “Jim really established a national program with veterans on campus. It’s a lot because it mostly happened after he lost his bully chair.
A life well and richly lived.
Karen Blum
Grantham
Gratitude for Scarecrows
We would like to thank the many families who came to our scarecrow decorating event on October 8th. We’ve placed over 20 around Colburn Park. We would also like to thank the LISTEN Center for the colorful clothes we were able to use.
To continue our Halloween activities, we encourage people to view the scarecrows and take a photo of their favorite and send it to the Lebanon-Upper Valley Lions Club Facebook page.
We remind people that the Scarecrow Challenge is still ongoing for the month of October. For a small fee, a $25 prize can be won. Or one can build a scarecrow at home or at work without entering the contest.
Let’s show our Lebanese spirit!
Tom McGonis
Secretary, Lebanon-Upper Valley Lions Club
