Cook on Concord

In Laconia, one of the best of the best turned 104 years old on June 30, and then died on July 7. John E. Gauthier was a special New Hampshire man and a proud American.

In addition to all the changes and potential changes in governmental office holders due to retirements and newly filed candidacies after the filing period in June, New Hampshire’s higher education leadership has seen a number of changes on July 1, the beginning of most institutional fiscal years.

One of the sad realities in the legal system is that it is expensive. Attorneys cost money, court procedures have become increasingly complex and confusing to the average person, and in many cases, it is those least able to afford it who become involved in legal proceedings.

State Sen. Lou D’Allesandro spent 30 years in the State House

For anyone who has been around New Hampshire politics for a while, it is interesting to think back on the leaders who have come on the scene, been active and influential while in office, and then left the stage.

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson and the drafters stated: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” That was in 1776. For the next almost 100 years, that assertion of philosophy was tested, to see whether it meant only white men from Protestant families.

A total eclipse, a major April snowstorm and unexpected political retirements all contributed to an interesting early spring landscape in New Hampshire.

Before anyone gets too enthusiastic because Congress avoided yet another default in the federal budget and claims that somehow that was an indication that bipartisan action works, consider the facts.

One of the themes woven through the government and politics days during the Leadership New Hampshire and Leadership Manchester programs is the unique nature of New Hampshire state government.

In the crazy and complex world we find ourselves inhabiting, it is sometimes valuable to block out the TV, internet and virtual world, and read a book.