Forum for Oct. 9, 2024: Public schools

Published: 10-11-2024 4:14 PM

A vote for public schools

Joyce Craig is the only choice for governor to keep our public schools. She is a very capable, experienced leader and manager. In her position as mayor of Manchester, she also serves as the chair of the school committee. Joyce knows that public education is the foundation of our communities, cities and nation. Public schools offers every child regardless of their ability, race, who they are, who they love or who they worship a chance at a quality education, to become a good citizen, and to become a productive member of our communities. Joyce has pledged on day one she will ask for Frank Edelblut’s resignation as commissioner of education.

Commissioner Edelblut continues to severely damaged the funding of our public schools by initiating and promoting an out of control voucher system that has little financial or academic oversight. He has attacked and demoralized teachers by working with extremist groups like Moms for Liberty, which sets bounties on teachers heads and spread lies and innuendoes about the public schools. He has supported and introduced legislative rules to break down the academic foundation of our public schools.

Kelly Ayotte supports Edelblut, supports the radical group, Moms for Liberty, supports dismantling and privatizing our schools. These actions will cost parents and taxpayers more while dividing and taking away opportunity from many children who are deemed not a good fit in private schools. Ayotte supports continuing the chaos and destruction that is attacking and dismantling our public schools. Joyce Craig is the only choice for governor if you want to save your public schools.

Rep. Linda Tanner

D-Georges Mills

Hiring a new
Grafton County sheriff

Unlike a lot of political races, the sheriff office really is meant to have the most experienced law enforcement individual elected. It is not a position for an inexperienced individual who belongs to either the Republican or Democratic party.

Keeping that in mind, I did a lot of research on the candidates. My background, I feel, prepared me for this. I served 23 years with the Metropolitan Police DC in a number of positions. Over 25 years as a chief in two departments in New Hampshire, headed the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police, the New England Association of Chiefs of Police and was a working part of The International Association of Chiefs of Police. During this time I have seen my share of good and bad leaders.

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I therefore did my research on both candidates and after a careful study, I decided to interview the best one to see if my educated opinion was accurate. I interviewed Jill Myers for over an hour, during which time she went over her background, her vision for the sheriff’s department and why she was the most qualified candidate. I was extremely impressed with the presentation she made on why she should be the next sheriff of Grafton County.

I feel confident in her ideas on upgrading the quality of the Grafton sheriff’s office, including the fairness she intends to bring to employees, the ability to work with local police agencies, the interest in helping the local agencies with their duties and investigations, the ability to liaison with state and federal agencies, the upgrading of department internal orders to reflect national best practices and to provide the best services to the people of Grafton County,

I therefore decided that I intend to vote to hire Jill Myers as Grafton County Sheriff and I look forward to seeing her turn the department into one we can all be proud of and reflects our beliefs as residents of Grafton County.

Theodore P. Smith

Chief of Police (Retired)

Thornton, N.H.