Tag Archive for: Senator Sharon Carson

The Evils of Supporting Candidates, Imagination or Reality?

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A recent letter to the Londonderry Times and Hudson-Litchfield News shows exactly what is wrong with today’s party politics. Instead of talking about what WE can do as a community or a nation the letter writer chose to pull imaginary issues from the darkest regions of there anatomy in an attempt portray a candidate as somehow evil for having more people interested in having her represent them in Concord than her opponent. Lets remember that the voters and the taxpayers are one and the same and when there is a friend to the taxpayer, people out side the district, realizing that it takes more than one vote to accomplish a goal, will contribute to candidates in hopes of spreading a message of fiscal responsibility and an understanding of the plight of working men and women.

Senator Sharon Carson has been recently deemed by opposing party political’s as evil in the sense she has a wide range of support from both individuals and business’s who fear for their very survival. In an attempt to dissuade voters from looking at the facts the writer notes contributions coming from all over and deems contributions from those in business to be an evil deed that the public should use as a reason to support the oppositions candidate. Said candidate who by the way cannot find enough people to agree with her positions to fund any furtherance or dissemination of her ideas to the general public.

The idea of a free election system includes allowing for those who support a message to also support that messages ability to reach all the people. A bad message, a bad plan for the state of NH, gets little if any attention and little if any financial support to broadcast that bad idea.

Sharon Carson has worked hard as a legislator in the House and even harder as a Senator for the district. She has asked local constituents to donate to a local charity rather than her campaign on many occasions and the local community has done just that. For Senator Sharon Carson its about the issues, about the people, and about doing what is right for NH. People who believe she is fair , open and honest have contributed to her campaign. They believe integrity is as important to the process as the ideas that will be debated. Sharon has the highest level of integrity one could ask for. You may not always agree but you can never deny she is open and honest making her decisions in the light of day. Her work on behalf of the people she serves both locally and statewide is well known and very much appreciated.

No person running for a voluntary job paying $100 a year should ever have to be subjected to the party politics that seem to creep into every election at the last minute. Sharon Carson deserves to be respected for her record as a veteran of our armed forces, a mother of two wonderful daughters, a teacher of our youth at the college level a phenomenal wife according to her husband and a member of her community who over the years has given hundreds of hours with no expectations other than to hope to have assisted others in their time of need.

Sharon Carson deserves our support and she deserves our thanks as someone we have been able to count on to serve with honor and distinction whenever the call for volunteers has been made. I will be voting for Sharon Carson for Senate. She demonstrates the kind of leadership we need to work together to find our way. I hope you will look at what Sharon Carson has done over the years and join me in asking her to serve by voting for Sharon Carson for Senate in November.

Sen Bob Clegg
Hudson NH

Senator Bob Clegg represented Londonderry, Auburn and Hudson prior to Sen Sharon Carson’s election two years ago.

Purchase of Four Lots on brookview set Poor Precedent

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This story was originally published in the Union Leader Tuesday Morning and was not available online. It is reprinted here with the written permission of the author.

By Alec O’Meara

Residents of Brookview Drive asked the Conservation Commission to help finance the destruction of their homes for the greater good last night.

However, reaction to the proposal was mixed from the handful of Commissioners present for the discussion.

Brookview Drive Flooding“It (Brookview Drive) has been mentioned a few times in the past, but no one is sure what to do about it,” Conservation Commission Chair Deb Lievens said.

Three separate times this spring, the four properties at the end of the south Londonderry cul-de-sac have found their homes surrounded by at least foot of water due to the heavy rains that have soaked the state. Neither flooding event was considered a surprise for residents or the town’s public safety officials, as Brookview has now flooded five times since 2006. Altogether, 30 separate flooding events have been recorded on the street over the last 36 years.

On the eve of the third storm, residents met with State Senator Sharon Carson, Town Manager Dave Caron and State House Representative Al Baldasaro to discuss potential options to find a permanent solution to the flooding issue. General consensus during the meeting was the best solution would be to raze the four homes at the end of the street and create a larger drainage area. Caron said one possible option would be to secure funding for the purchase of the four lots through open space money used by the Conservation Commission to buy conservation easements. Conservation purchases are made though funding from the town’s land use change tax, a different revenue source than the rest of the municipal budget.

The cost of purchasing the four lots has been tentatively estimated at $800,000-$900,000, by Caron.

Last night, Brookview Drive resident Carmen Zavorotny met with the commission to suggest such a purchase. Only three commissioners were present: Lievens, Gene Harrington and Ben Lebrecque.

“It is a beautiful, beautiful area. I just wish it was three feet higher,” Zavorotny said.

Carmen Wessel-Zavorotny sent in this photo from March 31st at 8am

Lievens said the Commission would consider the request when the full board was present at a future meeting. However, Lievens said she was unsure whether the board had the funding currently to cover the cost. Other commissioners not present for the meeting had expressed a concern the purchase of the four lots would set a poor precedent for the community, she added.

“Those are the two issues we will have to mull over,” Lievens said.

Harrington said on top of the cost, more studies may be needed to see whether razing the four properties would make a significant difference to the flood plain.

“Looking at that area, it may make an inch difference, if that,” Harrington said.

Without a quorum present, no vote was taken by the Commission. Lievens said the issue would likely be brought up again at the board’s next meeting, which is currently scheduled for Tuesday, May 11.

Sen. Carson Participates in Rivier College Panel on Women in Politics

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Concord, NH – Saying she is always ready to share her experience in politics and encourage others to consider public service, Sen. Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, participated in a panel discussion on Women in Politics at Rivier College in Nashua on November 16th. She was joined by Sen. Molly Kelly, D-Keene, and Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau, as well as several other former female legislators.

“It’s always a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with other women who are involved in New Hampshire politics,” Carson said. “The Rivier College event gave us the unique opportunity to address a group of young women and men about how they can become involved in the political process. New Hampshire is a place where you can definitely break into politics at any age so long as you have a strong message and are willing to give voters a straight answer when they ask because, in my experience, that is definitely what they expect and deserve.”

Sen. Carson is currently in her second term serving District 14 that includes Londonderry, Hudson and Auburn. For the 2011-2012 legislative session, she sits on the Education and Judiciary Committees, along with Executive Departments & Administration which she chairs.

Michaeline Dellafera, the author of two books, “Women at the Table: 40 Intimate Profiles of Political Women of the Northeast” and “Thirteen Women: Inside New Hampshire’s First Female Majority Senate”, served as the moderator for the event.

Union Leader Endorses Sharon Carson

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Carson: For Senate Districts 14
Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010

In Senate District 14, Republican Sharon Carson has done a good job representing her constituents. She’s also proved to be a Republican willing to listen to the other side and work with Democrats to get things done.

In addition to opposing tax hikes and reckless spending, she’s taken a lead role in pushing for more open government in a nonpartisan way. She’s earned a return trip to Concord.

Politically Difficult Options, Taking Care of Neighbors

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As the Town Manager, Senator Carson and Al Baldasaro met with residents on the Brookview Drive Culdesac Monday night, just about one half an inch of rain had fallen from this weeks storm. This morning, Wednesday March 31st the storm total has reached 5.35 inches in South Londonderry. The children are once again pulled by boat to the parts of the Londonderry Roadway that are not underwater. From there they travel by car, unless it was not relocated from the flood zone in time.

This story was originally published in the Union Leader Tuesday Morning and was not available online. It is reprinted here with the written permission of the author.

By Alec O’Meara

Union Leader Correspondent

The rowboats may no longer be tied to front stoops, but the residents of Brookview Drive have reached out to town and state officials to see if a permanent solution can be found to what has become near annual flooding of the street.

Twice in the last month, the four homes at the end of the South Londonderry cul-du-sac have found their homes surrounded by a foot of water due to the heavy rains that have soaked the state. Neither flooding event was considered a surprise for residents or the town’s public safety officials, as Brookview has now flooded four times since 2006. Altogether, 29 separate flooding events have been recorded on the street over the last 36 years, longtime Brookview resident Bobby Fosmire said.

During both the Feb 27 and March 15 storms, All four homes along the cul-du-sac were inaccessible by car or truck, leaving the residents to use rowboats to come and go from the home. Up the road, several of the other homes on the street saw first-floor flooding, including Fosmire. The residents are so used to the flooding, the response is nearly routine for them. Sandbags protect garages and low doorways. Items likely to get damaged get relocated to higher floors. For Fosmire, attention during storms begins with a side door which opens to the lowest point on his property. Should he lose containment at that door, his first floor will see damage.

It’s a familiar story for residents. Jane McDonald of 19 Brookview Drive said she can’t keep any items in her basement because of annual flooding. There’s a mold issue as well, though resolving the issue is unlikely.

“Every time I try and get around to replacing the sheetrock, it makes no sense because it is just going to flood again,” McDonald said.

The issue, according to a report by the Army Corps of Engineers, is due to the two brooks on either side of the road. The brooks merge just past the end of Brookview, turning the entire region into a floodplain whenever a large spring storm passes through. Dredging the brooks would likely not resolve the issue, according to the report.

Last night, Senator Sharon Carson, State Representative Al Baldasaro and Town manager Dave Caron sat down with resident of the street to go over the possible grant options for solving the flooding on the street. Carson visited the street for the first time following the March 15 storm and said she was appalled at the living conditions the residents on the street were dealing with.

During the meeting, residents talked about reviving interest in a federal grant last looked at by residents in 2008. If approved, the Federal Emergency Management Agency would purchase the four homes at the end of the street at market value by the federal government, then destroy them. The land opened up by the purchase could then be used as an additional drainage area for the nearby brooks, giving added relief to the rest of the street.

Interest in the grant dried up at the town level, however, with the Londonderry Town Council voting against pursuing the grant because the town would be required to cover 20 percent of the cost to buy and raze the homes. The town portion was estimated at $215,000.

All four of the homeowners that would have to sell remain on board with the move, Caron said, adding the other viable options were to seek a purchase from the Conservation Commission or at Town Meeting. Both would be likely be politically difficult, Caron said.

“I don’t mean to be the skunk at the party, but these are two options as I see them from the town perspective, and they are both long shots,” Caron said.

“Those homes should have never been built, should never have been approved, if you ask me,” Fosmire said.

The two flooding events suggested it was time for the town to revisit that decision, Carson said, adding she has been in contact with U.S. Senator Judd Gregg’s office to see if there are any other grant opportunities or alternative options for the residents of Brookview to pursue.

After hearing from residents, Carson said the purpose of the meeting was to get all residents of the street together to find a permanent solution.

“This is a quality of life issue for these people, and it has been an issue for a number of years now,” Carson said. “Taking care of our neighbors is what we do here in Londonderry, even when it isn’t easy.”