Hanover will stay rural

I attended Hanover's Planning Board meeting on April 1, at which zoning amendments allowing infill development in districts with water and sewer were approved to put on the warrant for vote at Town Meeting. I heard several residents express their concern that trees would have to be cut, either to install sidewalks or to tuck in housing, resulting in the loss of Hanover's rural character.

I thought about it when I returned home and it came to me how many in-town places I could walk to that are permanently conserved and where I could experience nature close up. Many are right in our neighborhoods — Nathan's Garden, Dagmar's Place, Balch Hill, Storrs Pond and Mink Brook Preserve to name just a few. How many towns have a tree steward on staff? Hanover's been a designated "Tree City" for more than four decades. Come Town Meeting Day, I plan to vote in favor of the infill housing amendments confident that our town will retain its rural character.

Len Cadwallader

Hanover

Fight for your libraries

I grew up in a relatively small, rural area, and clearly I am back living in one now. Between those times, I lived in cities: Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Detroit. As lovely as my local library is, it cannot come close to matching the resources of large urban libraries without programs like Interlibrary Loan (ILL) and access to eBooks through Libby — services I use on a regular basis.

On the afternoon of March 31, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) placed its entire staff on administrative leave after “a brief meeting between DOGE staff and IMLS leadership.” The question now is funding: what will happen to our current IMLS-funded programs for the remainder of this year and beyond?

Vermont relies on IMLS funding to support our rural populations through services like ILL, access to reading materials for those who are blind, dyslexic, or print disabled, providing workforce development resources, free access to broadband internet and more. These services are not “luxuries” — they are what we have all come to expect and rely on from our libraries, which remain one of the most important public goods in American society. They are radical because they are free for all of us, with the help of 0.0046% of the federal budget.

Think about your local library. The people who work there. The programs they run. The smiles on children’s faces as they walk around. Are you going to let that go without a fight?

Emily Simpson

South Royalton

An inside look at Sunapee

I am writing in response to the article about Sunapee’s rejection of the proposed town operating budget (“Officials attempt to cut town budget”; March 27). I don’t think it gives a completely accurate picture of the situation.

It is unfortunate that the reporter spoke to only two residents, both of whom were leaders in opposing the budget. She did not speak to any of the roughly 50% of the voters who supported the budget.

Even more unfortunate is that the reporter quotes one of the two she spoke to: “the culture of our town government is not fully transparent or honest.” I disagree strongly with this characterization of our town government. And I am joined by three-quarters of the town, who voted in favor of Article 36, which read: “Shall the people of the Town of Sunapee vote to confirm our support for the current substantial policies and procedures, both within the Town of Sunapee and the State of New Hampshire, with regard to ethics, transparency, conflict of interest, and Right to Know request?”

Full disclosure: I am an elected trustee of the Sunapee library and, as such, I am responsible for a small part of the town’s budget. In this capacity I have had the privilege of working with the town’s administrative team and the heads of all town departments in coming up with a budget we felt was our best shot at delivering the services the town has come to expect at a cost that was fair to our employees and to our taxpayers. My observation from this experience is that our department heads and their employees are an extraordinary group of dedicated professionals who are very good at what they do and are dedicated to serving the town. It is my continuing pleasure and privilege to work with all of them. I am sorry that the whole town cannot have this inside view.

Tim Eliassen

Sunapee

Shocking imagery on page one

I was shocked and dismayed by your front page photo depicting a man accelerating a burn pile with a gas-powered leaf blower. Not only is this an unnecessary and inappropriate use of this equipment, but according to Environment America Research and Policy Center, “In 2020, fossil fuel-powered lawn equipment emitted more than 30 million tons of carbon dioxide, the leading driver of climate change.” They also emit high levels of smog-forming pollutants like hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, alongside carbon monoxide and particulate matter, which can harm human health and contribute to climate change. Not to mention the noise pollution.

Shame on you for publishing this photo on the front page.

Robin Hall

Woodstock