March 25, 2017 •
Saved under
Op Ed
By Mary Anne Broshek and David Karrick
Given that this is Town meeting month and a major concern of residents is increasing property taxes, we are focusing on the ways that the State Legislature can bring back past funding to reduce property taxes and 2017 State legislation that will reduce or increase property taxes. Also included is how area legislators voted on […]
February 21, 2017 •
Saved under
Op Ed
By Mary Anne Broshek and David Karrick
Once again we bring you Notes from Concord, a brief review of what’s happening in the New Hampshire Legislature. Many bills have come out of committees and are now making their way to the House floor for a vote up (OTP) or down (ITL). The Legislature met both Wednesday February 15 and Thursday February 16 […]
State Legislative Updates
February 21, 2017 •
Saved under
Op Ed
By Natalie Wells, State Representative
Anne Copp, Merrimack 1: Andover, Danbury, Salisbury Natalie Wells, Merrimack 25: Andover, Danbury, Salisbury, Warner & Webster On February 9, 2017, Governor Sununu presented the state’s budget address. He states it will be “a true balanced budget without an income or sales tax, and without increasing fees or other taxes of any kind”. He addressed […]
January 28, 2017 •
Saved under
Op Ed
By Mary Anne Broshek and David Karrick
When we were out campaigning this past year, one of the things we heard was how much people liked the “Report from Concord.” Mario Ratzki began this monthly feature to keep area residents informed about what is going on in the New Hampshire Legislature. We will use newspaper articles, newsletters, legislative calendars and radio reports […]
December 6, 2016 •
Saved under
Op Ed
Mario's final report from Concord
November 28, 2016 •
Saved under
Op Ed
By Mario Ratzki, New Hampshire Representative
The county delegation met on November 4 and voted unanimously to approve of the latest county courthouse contract proposal to the state. The contract, as of this writing, has not yet been approved by the state. To say that I am disappointed in the recent election results would be an understatement. I am particularly puzzled […]
November 18, 2016 •
Saved under
Op Ed
By Mary Anne Broshek, Former NH Director of Family Assistance
I am writing as a follow-up to Mario Ratzki’s comments on page 14 of the September Beacon about getting help when you need it. There is a lot of misinformation out there on welfare programs. Most of what you see in the media is someone trying to game the system and, yes, some people do that, but […]
"...try to leave it better than I found it..."
October 25, 2016 •
Saved under
Op Ed
By Ken Wells
It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, with clear blue skies, blustery winds and delightful fall colors on the hillsides around Andover, so my wife, daughter, and I decided to take a walk up on Tucker Mountain to enjoy the day. We were crestfallen to discover that since the last time we went up there, somebody […]
October 24, 2016 •
Saved under
Op Ed
In New Hampshire, we’ve shown that it’s possible to work across party lines to get things done. We balanced the budget without a sales or income tax. We’re taking a comprehensive, hands-on approach to our heroin and opioid crisis. We froze in-state tuition at our universities and lowered it at community colleges. I’m running for […]
On the work of keeping communities together
October 23, 2016 •
Saved under
Op Ed
By Mike Henriques, Proctor Academy Head of School
Perhaps it was serendipity that Robert Azzi, a Muslim American, came to speak on Monday night. His arrival at the invitation of the Andover Library and Proctor also coincided with the first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Mr. Azzi spoke in the Wilkins Meeting House, sharing his reflections about being a Muslim […]