As soon as we can  we should approve a tattoo parlor for the Szanton Block. That art gallery smacks of elitism. You should take a moment to read  a few comments from the Union Leader. I especially  enjoy the Academy digs.

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?articleId=89c72fb1-ce9a-4bee-8402-f4211d137d65&headline=Vendor%2C+farmers+market+not+getting+along

There was one comment from a guy  in Grantham NH, which is near Lake Sunapee.  If not for the  “elitists” that take care of the lake, I can  only imagine the shoreline and water quality of  the lake.

If the vendor  wants to continue  selling hot dogs , he should make every effort to comply with the licensing authority. The “little guy” argument does not wash with me.

Now  am I going to  hear  about your tattoo?

This  is purely a case of absolutely no code enforcement in Exeter. Codes are established and enforced to keep  the lid on. It would seem to me that in NH absent the few codes we enforce  the landscape would be decidedly different. It’s right there, beneath a very   thin veneer of civility and “quaintness”. I find it very troubling.

I met a guy recently that told me he wanted  to moor a houseboat  off the Parkway. “What will you do with that ? “oh just sit on it, relax”.

His idea was shot down.

The other evening I was chatting with  a woman  down at Stewart Park , it was a nice evening. She  was so mad. She forgot her book. She lives down on Linden Street and it’s heavily treed, so she loves to come down to the River to read. It’s open, your mind can wander there.

The Swasey is our community front porch.

The Swasey and  Stewart are  much  like the Emerald Necklace system in Boston. The  Swasey was  designed by the same firm, Olmstead.

The Emerald Necklace was designed to take advantage of mere slivers of green to provide a respite for residents. It doesn’t take an entire forest to take you away someplace.   It also means that  these  tiny  parks  need to be  cherished and preserved. An occasional community event is wonderful.  A strip of vendors( someone  wants to sell cookies) will detract from our  shared experience.

Mike

PS

Letters  to the Editor

I don’t bother with  them . The letter today   was an email to Rick Fabrizio an editor that I send notes  to now and then. I also have easy quick email exchanges with Liz Dinan  and Lara Bricker, both reporters. I feel the paper weighing in  on the” poor” hot dog guy was beyond the pale. I send the paper emails regularly. I am a  subscriber to the News Letter.   I wish they would bring back reader  responses  on their web site. Then we could all easily respond to their latest crusade.