Valley News – Forum, October 17: Sununu celebrates destruction of part of western Lebanon’s history

0


Posted: 10/16/2021 22:00:10 PM

Modified: 10/16/2021 22:00:11

Sununu celebrates the destruction of part of western Lebanon’s history

When we moved to Lebanon in the summer of 2000 and joined the Lebanese Historical Society soon after, the members of the society, led by city historian Robert Leavitt, were trying to save the sand house at the Westboro Rail Yard. , the last example of a sand house in New England.

The structure needed new siding and new shingles, but it was strong and stable. But all efforts to preserve the sand house failed due to state resistance.

The property was under the control of the state Department of Transportation and leased to one or the other railway company. The state and businesses have refused to allow affected citizens to enter the property to carry out preservation and restoration work on the sandhouse.

The dormitory, where generations of railway workers slept, was accidentally burned down by a group of teenagers decades earlier and has remained in ruins. The rotunda adjacent to the sand house was significantly altered as a storage facility for the marshalling yard, and apart from the footprint, virtually nothing historically significant of this structure remained, allowing to store the wagons in covered bays.

Now we read that New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu applauded as the last remnants of the old rail yard were demolished (“Yard Reaches Tipping Point,” October 13). He and his father’s administrations refused to allow any work to preserve the structure, and now they are celebrating the demise of this last remaining example of part of western Lebanon’s history.

Many of us who appreciate the history of Lebanon and West Lebanon wanted to preserve the sandhouse as the centerpiece around which the marshalling yard could be redeveloped into a park and recreation complex. But Sununu and the DOT wanted to destroy this unique piece of history. They finally succeeded.

While it is best that the dangerous structure that the sand house had become has been removed for safety reasons, Sununu and his ilk are the reason why the structure has deteriorated so much over the past two decades.

ROBERT L. WELSCH

Lebanon

The writer is the former president of the Lebanese Heritage Commission (2006-2020) and the former curator of the Lebanese Historical Society.

Hide mandates motivated by fear

I want to discuss the issue of mandatory masking here in the Haute Vallée. In my opinion, no matter how loud the public health experts scream, the masking does more harm than good. My observation of people on the street is that they are more afraid when they wear a mask. I believe these mask mandates are motivated by one thing: irrational fear. Many people fear that they will die if they get this disease.

This is no way for us to live, even in the event of a pandemic. While mandatory masking might have made sense at the start of the pandemic, we now have effective vaccines and drugs to treat the sick.

In addition, there is no consideration for people in the Upper Valley who have medical conditions that make it difficult to walk briskly or speak with a mask. Worse yet, some people find that masks make other health problems worse.

And yet Lebanon’s municipal council and Hanover Selectboard deny us the right to say “no” for legitimate medical reasons.

It’s time to act. From the start of these coercive warrants, I decided that my best course of action was to refuse to buy anything from Lebanon, no matter how small, as long as the mask warrant remained in place. If you live in Lebanon, you can do something else: vote. Tell your city councilors that if they don’t repeal the mask mandate, you will reject them.

Money and power are the only languages ​​politicians understand.

OLD HANNAH

White river junction

A new season is underway

Warm, golden fog weighs heavily on the Vermont landscape in October. The emerald shades of summer have mellowed into a mossy green. The ridge line highlights the leaves in hues of yellow ocher, burnt orange and alizarin kissed with raspberry during morning runs. The sky a clear cobalt blue as the morning gives way to the new day.

One recent Wednesday in Woodstock, I found myself visiting the market on the green. Majestic brick and stone buildings surround the common area. Tents presented in organic uniformity. Local products, spirits, jewelry and art punctuate each tent. A taste of Vermont life. Couples walk around with cups and cones of ice cream and maple creams sold just a block away. The Middle Bridge is crossed by visitors busy photographing what they imagine to be Vermont.

Tourist buses, leaf guards, and out-of-state license plates fill all available parking spaces. Local residents mingle, but with a more defined mission.

The soft green grass provides the perfect blanket to sit on while I watch and listen to the buzz of activity. White cowboy boots glisten to my right as they catch the subtly declining sunlight. Three performers with matching white Stetsons approach the microphones. A local music director is at the keyboard. The Honky Tonk Angels show will open at the Grange Theater in the coming days. Songs by Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn began to fill the festive air. A couple’s dance – a spontaneously exposed quickstep. A woman stops to record the events, but her feet keep moving.

I took my time to get back to the car. Stroll instead of rushing. Relaxed instead of worried. My eyes tired from the pandemic felt refreshed. Renewed. My mind too.

As Henry David Thoreau wrote: “Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.

ELIZABETH RICKETSON

Southern Pomfret


Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.