NH’s uniqueness on display

Thinking about recent events while sitting at home after shoulder surgery remind me of the uniqueness of New Hampshire.

The dedication of the Military and Veterans Campus in Franklin was a spectacular event showcasing the transformance of the historic Daniel Webster farm, formerly a substance abuse rehabilitation facility, into a facility for veterans and conference space for military and other organizations.

Backed by a $23 million grant from the state and other contributed funds, Easterseals NH & Vt. has created a facility for other states to copy. Military veterans can find a home, recreation and other rehabilitation facilities and have a chance for readjustment and reentry into society.

PROCON did a remarkable job transforming old, deteriorating buildings into modern, state-of-the-art residences, hotel and meeting spaces. Other organizations, such as Swim With a Mission, contributed greatly to the development of the facility. Anyone who has a chance to visit this spot on Route 3 just north of the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery will be impressed.

Next, in late September, in Concord, friends of the late Justice David Souter met at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage to remember and celebrate the life of this remarkable man. What was remarkable about the speeches at the memorial was how consistent they were about his kindness and remarkable intelligence.

Friends, colleagues from the attorney general’s office, the courts and his schooling all told touching anecdotes about the late justice. One of the themes noted by many was how time passes quickly. It was noted that Warren Redman was named attorney general in 1970, and that was 55 years ago. Souter became attorney general in 1976. Rudman was elected in 1980 to the U.S. Senate, which was instrumental in Souter’s being named to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Oct. 1 marked the first day that New Hampshire Public Radio, NHPBS and other public broadcasting entities around the country had no federal funding. In New Hampshire, both public broadcasting entities engaged in fundraising activities designed to fill the gap.

In the case of NHPR, the loss was $702,400; NHPBS needed to close a gap of $1.3 million. While in no way conceding that future public funding was impossible, and efforts already exist to restore it in part or in whole, the fundraising efforts indicate that the New Hampshire entities would continue to exist and operate as in the past.

It was impressive how supporters stepped up to the plate and supported these sources of public information, in a time when the number of newspapers has declined and much of the so-called “news” is slanted by the opinion of the source.

Access to facts on which to base opinions and chart action is more important today than ever, and public broadcasting is vital to that need. Those reading this column who are so inclined should join other supporters in continuing or increasing support.

Anyone who uses these services and has not been a supporter in the past should consider becoming one and comparing the value received from them to other media sources for which we all pay and that supply less value.

The subject of news sources and sources of information about what is going on in the Granite State came up several times in a recent tour this writer gave to a new college president recently arrived in New Hampshire. Traveling to Concord to visit the statehouse and then meeting with leaders of state educational institutions provided an explanation of government, politics and history.

When meeting with the chancellor of the Community College System of New Hampshire, the new college president asked what news sources he should consult daily or weekly in order to be informed about what was going on here.

Both public broadcasting entities were mentioned as was this publication (NHBR), the New Hampshire Union Leader, along with several private blogs. Had such a tour been given a decade ago, the answer probably would have included more newspapers, one or two AM radio stations, and certainly no blogs.

Times certainly change quickly in some respects and not for the better. It was a credit to the new college president that he wanted to be informed about what was going on in the state in which he was now to preside over an educational institution.

By the time you read this, the new college president, Dean McCurdy, will have been inaugurated as president of Colby Sawyer College, and Lisa Ryerson installed at Southern New Hampshire University.

As at any other time, there was a lot going on in New Hampshire, much of which points out our uniqueness, and some of which shows how we are in the same situation as other parts of the country.

Brad Cook is a Manchester attorney. The views expressed in this column are his own. He can be reached at bradfordcook01@gmail.com.