“Thumbs down to the obviously biased writer who has a fire axe to grind with the Litchfield Fire Chief.  It is obvious that these postings emanate from one party.  Since the LFD chief works just over the border in Hudson, his use of the command vehicle makes perfect sense since it saves time in responding to an incident.  I wonder why the police chief drives his car home to Weare every day.”

“Thumbs down to Litchfield’s ‘enrollment authority’ for once again convincing voters that first grade enrollments would decline and that they should vote against school expansion.  Well, you are wrong (again) and enrollments will be at least 19 percent higher than projected.”

“Thumbs up to the moms who ran the cast party at H.O. for the fourth grade play this year.  It is a huge commitment and a lot of work for these busy moms.  I know because I have been one of those parents in the past.  What is asked of families are just guidelines and some parents are not able to give what is suggested and others are able to give more.  As coordinators that is understood when sending out the information and nobody is passing judgment on anyone as everyone’s circumstances are different especially in these difficult economic times.  The teachers and staff do this huge undertaking on their own free time and as you know there are lots of hours involved.” 

“Thumbs up to the moms who ran the H.O. fourth grade cast party.”

“Thumbs up to the neighbor on Sheffield Street who called the town Assessor’s office to report a supposed illegal addition being put on our home.  We have never done anything without contacting the town to see if a permit was needed and then pulling a permit, if needed.  The Assessor wasn’t too happy to have his time wasted but he did find something.  He found that in his records there was a clerical error and by coming out to our home discovered that error which was in our favor.” 

“Thumbs up to Kevin Rauseau and the Assistant Coaches of the Rangers AAA Baseball Team for their dedication and fairness to all of the players.  The team may have come in second place but because of you they are all winners.  Thank you.”

“Thumbs down to the people who smashed and knocked over mailboxes on Boyd Road the night of July 1.  Stealing the sign on top of my mailbox that displayed my last name was really over the line.  I’m a newly wed, and that is our first home.  The sign you stole was a gift.  Grow up, and find something more productive to do with your time.  Someday you will own a home and know what it feels like when someone destroys your property and steals things that mean something to you.”

“Thumbs up to Washington Mutual (WaMu).  Thanks so much for my get well soon wish, delivered to us by my Sheriff, today, July 3.  You wanted to make sure I got it in time for Independence Day.  I am happy for you WaMU.  I understand I am not alone.  You must have made enough on your ‘arm loans’ that you can mercilessly evict families, and leave the homes we called our ‘safe havens’ abandoned.  Just wanted to let you know that we will survive with the support of friends and family.  How about you?”

“Thumbs up to the warehouse club in Hudson for having the CHS music students sell hot dogs on June 29.  Thank you for your support.”

“Thumbs up to the patrons at the Hudson warehouse club who generously donated to the CHS music students for their upcoming European trip.  Your kindness and generosity is greatly appreciated!”

“Thumbs down to the Hudson residents complaining about Dr. Ebeed’s new office, do you remember when it was a gas station?  Even worse, when it was a deserted building?!  What an eye-sore!  He is a great dentist and a wonderful person and his staff is the best!  My son has been his patient for six years up in Londonderry and he was kind enough to allow us to switch to his Hudson office, which we can walk to.  Our property abuts his and we think it is a beautiful building and will add to the value of our home.  Thumbs way up to Dr. Ebeed!

“Thumbs down to the local fashion store for bugging me for a $25 renewal fee 10 months after my wife passed away.  I called to cancel the account, but now they are going after her estate for $25.  Corporate greed at its finest!”

“Thumbs up to Coach Carl of the T-Ball Spinners and your helpers.  You gave our kids a wonderful season.  Thanks for your time and your great sense of humor.  The kids enjoyed themselves and the parents did too!”

“Thumbs down to the ill-informed who complained about the Litchfield Fire Chief taking the company car to work.  Last I knew, he also responded to calls from work.  Get a life and get informed!”

“Thumbs down to the person next to Kenyon Street who called the cops on the fireworks for the celebration of the fourth.  How do you explain to children why we cannot do the finale because of a grump in the neighborhood?  I realize that fireworks are loud, but on the celebration of our country’s birthday maybe you should go on vacation to another country!”

“Thumbs down to breaking into your neighbor’s house in Litchfield on July 3.  You know who you are and you should be ashamed of yourself.  Do you need the name of a good Realtor?”

“Thumbs up to the Mighty Marvelous Maroon U-8 softball team!  They all worked hard and improved a great deal over the season.  Sammy W., Sam M., Jess, Olivia, Hannah, Jocelyn, Brittany, Madison C., Alexandra, Madison S. and Danielle!  We had a great time with you and hope you all come back next year.”

“Thumbs up to the Litchfield Cougar U-11 soccer team!  Brian, Christian, Ryan, Amy, Connor, Tom, Dan, Hunter, Austin, Jake, Gia and Kevin!  A special thanks to all of our guest players also who helped us along the way.  Emily, John, Andrew S., Andrew P., Nick, Casey and Justin.  You all worked hard and made it a very enjoyable season.  Hope to see you all at Summer Soccer!”

“Thumbs up to Hudson for being such a great town for all my years being here.  Thank you.”  Joseph Gilbert

“Thumbs up to my boyfriend Brian.  You’ve always been there for me and I thank the world for you.”  Love, Your Queen

“Thumbs up to Coach Donnie.  Thank you for being such a great coach for the Cougars soccer team.  You are a wonderful coach.  We love you very much.  Both of my children are on the team and you are a great coach.  You do a lot for the children in our community and our community is very lucky to have you.  Keep up the great work.  You have two wonderful children and we see where it comes from, it comes from you.  We love you Coach Donnie.”

“Thumbs down.  I received a phone call Sunday on behalf of the Hudson Fire Department by professional telemarketers using their name for fundraising.  When asked, they would not disclose what percentage of the funds is actually returned to the town of Hudson.  I resent the name of our town’s Fire Department being used by deceptive fundraisers, and it should be stopped unless full credible disclosure is made to the citizens who are being solicited.”

“Thumbs down to marriage.  50 percent divorce rate, yes, and of the 50 percent who remain, half are miserable.  I thought that was funny, until I saw this statistic.  Amount couples who pray together aloud daily, the divorce rate is 1/10 of 1 percent.  Are we missing something?”

“Thumbs down to my neighbors who live on Glenn Drive who put a pool in their backyard and think it’s okay for their children and their friends to stay outside all day and make noise.  Could you please keep the noise down?  It’s inconsiderate to neighbors.  Please have some common courtesy.”

“Thumbs up to Andy Collins for helping the St. Frances of Assisi school get ready for the talent show.  Andy was instrumental in cleaning up Talent Hall and he worked very hard, and he doesn’t even have children in the school any longer.  Thank you, Andy, you did a fantastic job and we could not have had a successful talent show without you.”

“Thumbs down to the ‘thumbs down’ about the Litchfield Fire Chief keeping the fire car at his place of business.  Doesn’t he leave his business and go to fire calls during the day?  I believe that is a yes.  How about the Police Chief?  He takes his car home to Weare every night!  At $4.00 per gallon for gas at the town’s expense, why are we paying for that perk?!”

“Thumbs up to Bus 14 kids in Hudson; they’re the best kids in Hudson.  I want to thank you for a wonderful year and for all the wonderful gifts.  See you in September.”  Your bus driver, Barbara

“Thumbs up to Dean Gordon for shooting a hole in one on the 17th hole at Hickory Hill Golf Course in Methuen.”

“Thumbs up to the crew that fixed the drains on Pilgrim Dr. in Litchfield.  Thumbs down to the people who complained about the inconvenience.  It made you slow down didn’t it?”

“Thumbs up to Kailee for being nominated and accepted into the ‘People to People Leadership Program’ in Washington, DC for 2009.  You’ve been given an opportunity to learn more about American history, to make some new friends and to create a lifetime of memories.  Also, thumbs way up to Mrs. Liakos for nominating you.  This will be an amazing experience!”  Love, Mom

“Thumbs up to Kailee and Cassie for both getting excellent grades on your report card and for having perfect attendance this year.  I’m so proud of both of you!”  Love, Mom

“Thumbs up to Chantel for starting Kindergarten this year.  You’ll have so much fun learning new things and making new friends.  You’re such a big girl now!”  Love, Mom

“Thumbs up to my boyfriend Brien!  I love you with all my heart.  You have always been there for me, and even though we are a thousand miles apart I know there isn’t anything that you wouldn’t do for me.  I’m so glad we get to spend the summer together.  Thank you for always being there for me.  I love you so much.”

“Thumbs up to First Place Car Care of Hudson.  They just opened their Hudson location recently.  They have a variety of packages at very reasonable prices.  And they did great job!”

“Thumbs up to the girls at the library.  Thanks for helping me find the information I needed for my Lit. Paper.  I never would have been able to find it without you!”

“Thumbs up to summer!”

“Thumbs up to Break N Go on Lowell Road in Hudson!  They are so honest, friendly and they always do a good job!”

“Thumbs up to a wonderful graduation ceremony for the Alvirne Class of 2008.  It was a wonderful, dignified ceremony.  The students were not ‘threatened with death if they showed any joyful emotion’.  Funny sunglasses, silly string, and beach balls would have been so out of place.  Thanks to Mr. Lane who made the day a memorable one for parents and students alike.”

“Thumbs up to teachers being recognized at AHS graduation ceremony for their retirement.  How many hours have they spent over the years with your children?  A few minutes of your time is hardly compensation for all that.  How many of those graduates would have been there if not for teachers?”

“Thumbs up to Jen LaFrance, a real Class Act.”

“Thumbs up to the teachers who took time on a Saturday morning to come and cheer on their students at Alvirne’s graduation.  They could have been home with their families rather than standing there clapping for each and every student.  And for the record, teachers stayed to take pictures with the graduates afterward; they did not rush out the door.”

“Thumbs up to Sara.  We are so proud of you for all you have accomplished.  And so excited to see what comes next in Philadelphia for you.”

“Thumbs up to teenagers doing Shakespeare over the summer.  Voluntarily.”

“Thumbs up to Alvirne’s Class Act and Zach, Chris, Mikey, Sara and Becky for a great showing in Nebraska at the International Thespian Festival.”

“Thumbs up to Tabernacle Christian School on 102 and all the teachers from K-12th grade.  You teach truth with love by example.  The academics taught put together with hard work got our son a $61k academic scholarship to Daniel Webster College - half his tuition!  Thank you!  We’ve always said, ‘TCS is well worth the tuition’ and here is the proof!”

“Thumbs down to the Litchfield Police, it’s illegal for me to drive down a street in reverse but I witnessed two officers in cruisers purchased by the tax payers riding down my street in reverse.  Just because you have lights above your car doesn’t make you above the law.”

“Thumbs down to the Litchfield Police, ‘to serve and protect’ is the motto on the door of your police cruisers, that doesn’t translate to, ‘to vandalize and bully’.  I’ve had enough of all your keystone-copping.”

“Thumbs down to the so-called team parents of the softball team in Litchfield that lets their daughter have a team pool party and leave one or two of the girls out.  Not showing much teamwork there are we?”

“Thumbs up to Roo who graduated early and still earned the Diploma of Distinction at Campbell High School, and for being a good sport about the oversight by CHS.”

“Thumbs down to the need to isolate the Litchfield Fire Chief for driving his vehicle to work.  Apparently you need to be reminded that other department heads drive their vehicles home at night, some of which are significantly further away than where the chief is parked during the day.”

“Thumbs up for the comment last week about the Litchfield Baseball Minor ‘All-Star’ selection process.  It’s about time someone had the nerve to mention this ‘joke of a selection’.  I recently found out that one of the coaches had both of his sons selected.  If they both deserved to be on this All-Star Team I would be one of the first to congratulate them.  As the father of these boys, I would be just a little embarrassed.  Coaches, or should I say ‘fathers’ be honest and true.  Set a good example for your players and your own children.”

“Thumbs down to the Hudson Fire Department for hiring an outside firm to collect donations from Hudson citizens.  I am tired of the ‘Hi Buddy’ telephone calls and the visits of cars with Massachusetts plates to collect ‘the envelope’.  What percentage of the money we give ends up going where it is intended?  10 percent?  When you have to hire someone to collect it isn’t charity it is a business.”

“Thumbs down to the Chairman for not listening to the voters.  I, along with an overwhelming majority of the Hudson voters, carefully read my ballot and voted for the Non-Union employee raises.  Now you propose to not give those employees their raises.  Once again, your personal opinion gets in the way of what is best for the Town of Hudson.  I promise to make my next vote count against you, when you are up for re-election.”

“Thumbs down to flip-flopping Chairman.  First you change your opinion on the seniors, and now on the Non-Union Employees raises.  You initially supported the raises but now that they passed during the last town election, you propose to not give those raises out.  The ballot vote represents the voice of the Hudson residents and you have no right to change it.  You should have learned from the message that the voters sent you during the last election.”

“Thumbs down to doctor’s offices and day cares for constantly letting their good employees go.  We like continuity as well as our children do.  If you care so little for your employees, how do you really feel about your patients/customers?  Is it really all about the money? 

“Thumbs down to the narrator of the Cabaret Cruise.  During your narration of Ireland, you spoke about many prisoners getting sentenced to death by hanging and what a slow death that was.  Unfortunately, teenage suicide is on the rise and boys especially use this brutal method.  There are some families right here in town who have had to deal with this terrible tragedy.  Please think before you speak.  Can’t we have any entertainment without mention of death or violence anymore?  We need to remember when children are present.”

“Thumbs up to Ms. Lynn!  The school year has come to a close, but we wanted to tell you a few things.  We know you had other obligations, but you were a great teacher.  You were patient, kind, fun, and creative.  You are also a great person.  You are sincere and a joy to talk to.  We just want to thank you for all you’ve done for our children over the years.  We miss you and our kids have not been the same since you left.  Good luck with your new grandson and your nursing career.  We love you!”

“Thumbs down to the two women riding quads through the woods with toddlers in their laps and no helmets on themselves or their children.  Kindly stay off my property and on your own if you can’t put helmets on your kids.  This is not the first time I have seen you do this.”

“Thumbs down:  Coaches (or should I say fathers), do you really think your son belongs on the All-Star Team?  Do you think the community is blind to the ‘selection process’ of picking our team?  Do you think your own child is good enough to have made this team?  What are you instilling in your child?  What about that player that did not make the team and is honestly much better than your son?  Make no mistake, the town sees all and you are not the town’s choice of a fair team.  You are making Litchfield’s All-Star team look like a joke!”

“Thumbs up: To someone finally getting the courage to tell it like it is with the ‘selection’ of our Minor League All-Star team.  What a joke this selection was.  The poor kids are the ones who suffer from this whole mess.  The ones who truly belong on the team are looked over by ‘who’s your daddy’.”

“Thumbs down to the person who, with bolt cutter in hand, entered the woods behind the Litchfield Middle School and stole the wildlife camera chained to a tree.  You didn’t see the other camera, did you?  I don’t know your name but I (accompanied by the police chief) will find you unless the camera is left at the door of the Stage Crossing Clubhouse (behind the library) within three days.”

“Thumbs up to the Litchfield Fire Department emergency services and the Hudson Ambulance service for their prompt response to my wife’s recent emergency call and for getting her to Southern NH Hospital safely.  We owe those involved a debt of gratitude that we can’t repay.”

“Thumbs down to the Hudson Police Sgt. who made traffic stop at the corner of Rt. 102 and 3A, an already dangerous intersection made even more dangerous by the Sgt. making a routine traffic stop on this corner.  Common sense would have been for the motorist and Sgt. to pull into the hardware store making it safe for everyone.”

“Thumbs down to the owners of outside cats in the Rocky Hill/Shirley Way area of Litchfield.  These poor cats are getting attacked by other animals.  I often see them come through my yard covered with ticks and bleeding from cuts and scratches.  They need to be kept indoors at night when animal attacks are more prevalent.  Please care for your cat or find someone that will.  There are many organizations that will help you find a safe home for your cat.  Cats deserve a safe, warm, and loving home just as all pets do.”

“Thumbs up to the residents of Flying Rock Road for wanting to enhance the appearance of the entrance to the neighborhood.  By all means - beautify the neighborhood – it’s a great idea!  Too bad that you will ruin it by placing an engraved stone there as well.  How pretentious is that?  I live in Hudson in part because it doesn’t project the image of an elite community.  How many other neighborhood entrances in Hudson send this same message?  All you are doing is drawing unwanted attention to the neighborhood and inviting vandalism and crime.”

“Thumbs down to the 15 percent per year increase in the federal money supply.  Now my money buys half as much as it used to.  The Town of Pelham is having the same problem.  They must buy gasoline, heating oil and pay the monthly bills that are out of control.  Unfortunately, it is time for my family to go without TV, Internet, fast food or children’s activities in order to keep an unalterable house.  Pelham must also start cutting each department through layoffs and equipment liquidation.  Freezing the budget will not be enough for the coming crisis.”

“Thumbs down to parents who allowed their children to climb the trees during Pelham Memorial’s graduation.  These trees have been planted in memory of deceased students and teachers and have been planted with respect.  Your kids acted inappropriately and broke branches on these trees.  Why didn’t you leave them home to watch the ceremony on TV?”

“Thumbs up to the Pelham Memorial Graduation but thumbs down to even having an eighth grade graduation.  Our students travel up the street to high school!  Why spend money on this ceremony when you could be buying textbooks?  Come on Pelham School Board...make this decision.... no more grade eight graduation.  Save it for high school.  The time has come.”

“Thumbs up to the dance instructors and dancers at Dance Concepts Studio of Pelham.  You put on yet another outstanding show at Westford Academy on June 21.  The performances were very entertaining.  Dancers, be proud of all you have accomplished over the last year!  Have a wonderful summer!”

“Thumbs up to Miss Hohenberger of Pelham Elementary.  Your style of teaching is very much appreciated.  The guidance, leadership and direction you provided allowed your students to grow to the best of their ability last year.  We are very fortunate to have you teach our child in the upcoming year.  Have a wonderful summer!”

“Thumbs up to the young lady that works at the Windham Town Hall.  She is always pleasant, polite and happy to be of assistance.”

“Thumbs up to Yia Yia for your message.  I love you!  Thanks so much for coming to my competition.  I know it was a long day.  You’re the best!  Happy summer.”  Love, Rachel

“Thumbs up and thank you Mrs. Bronstein for a wonderful year!  You are an outstanding teacher and my daughter will truly miss you.  Thank you for all you did to make her year educational as well as fun!  I wish you could teach her every year!”

“Thumbs up to Mr. Savaras and Mr. Costa.  Great story!  As part of the class of 1979 I remember both Mr. Costa and Mr. Savaras very fondly.  Still think of Mr. Savaras when I check out the stars at night as he taught ninth grade astronomy.  And Mr. Costa taught us all to drive (that man had nerves of steel).  They were two of the best teachers I have ever had and I hope they both enjoy a happy and healthy retirement.”

“Thumbs up to Pelham’s new and innovative ways of cutting our budget.  While our family’s money is running out, it’s nice to know the people we hire to run Pelham will cut back their budgets.  Proposals like bidding out various departments for privatization i.e. transfer station as well as increasing our business zones are great long term ways of the private sector coming to our rescue.  As for school vouchers: this family saving mix of government and private schools would be nice, but there is no way the government will give up socialization of your children.”

“Thumbs down to all the thumbs down about the Pelham Memorial School eighth grade graduation.  Thumbs up to Mrs. P and all her staff for putting on a wonderful celebration for the kids, not the adults.  It moved right along and all the kids had a great time.  My child informed me to bring chairs because there wouldn’t be enough seating.  So don’t blame the school because your child doesn’t tell you what’s going on and don’t blame the school for what you consider to be a long ceremony because your child didn’t get any of the awards.”

“Thumbs up to Mrs. Henderson’s first graders at St. Patrick School for raising $870 through Heifer Project’s Read to Feed read-a-thon!  Your money earned, along with the corporate matching grant, means you will be helping 15 needy families.  Thumbs up to the school newspaper staff as well, for organizing the entire student body to raise $777.53 for Heifer Project!  Way to give!”

“Thumbs up to Dorothy.  The buzz going around Pelham is the Planning Board will help Pelham’s tax base by increasing Pelham’s business district.  Don’t hold your breath folks, not only would the no voters have to vote yes, but the Planning Board would first have to actually do something good for its voters.  First, they would have to put the new business district on the 2009 Spring Ballot.  You would be more likely to see the Wizard of Oz than any proposed tax relief.  Are you a dreamer or a believer?  I do believe. I do believe.”

“Thumbs up to Rhonda on Bus 377!  Thank you for everything.  Your kindness and caring for my daughter as well as the others goes above and beyond.  How lucky all of us parents are to have you. I don’t think some understand the responsibility you have for all the children.  My husband and I trust you and never had to think twice if our daughter was safe.  Hope you have a wonderful summer!  You’re the best!”

“Thumbs up to Pelham Memorial School for keeping eighth grade students and parents informed regarding end of year activities.  My son brought home paperwork which I read, signed and returned to the school with information about the dinner dance, graduation, field trip, finals etc.  If your child doesn’t bring paperwork home maybe parents should be checking the school’s Website not the town message board.”

“Thumbs up! to Fr Bob.  You are a wonderful priest and we will miss you!  God Bless you always!”

“Thumbs down to Bishop McCormack for taking Fr Bob from St Patrick’s Church.”

“Thumbs up to Brianna C.  You had a great school year.  Here comes second grade!”  Love, Mom and Dad

“Thumbs up to Mrs. Carr, the best third grade teacher at PES.  I had a wonderful year and learned a lot.” 

“Thumbs up to the Pelham selectmen.  I like the story about the lights at Lions Park, and the decision of the selectmen to save electricity and money.  Now, how about Pelham Elementary School?  There are over 60 lights on all night.  At least 40 of them could be turned off after 10 p.m. to save a lot more money for the tax payers.”  Thank you, Bobby-doll

“Thumbs down.  I’m just curious as to who gave this person a permit to sell secondhand junk from an abandoned house in the town center every weekend.  Every time I go by I have to slow down, and it’s an eyesore.”

“Thumbs up to Kevin Python on Currier Road in Pelham.  Thanks a lot; it was another wonderful show.  The kids had a wonderful day there with the ice cream and rides and everything you could provide.  The fireworks were absolutely amazing.  Thank you for all your effort everybody should be grateful.”

“Thumbs up to Dean Gordon for shooting a hole in one on the 17th hole at Hickory Hill Golf Course in Methuen.  Great shot, Dean.  Congratulations!”

“Thumbs up to the Pike Family for another spectacular fireworks display on Saturday evening.  From your Loretta Avenue neighbors.”

“Thumbs up to the Pelham Community Spirit Group for their hard work in providing this town with the annual Independence Celebration.  You are a small group but wonderful.  Thank you.  We had a great time.”

“Thumbs up again to the Pike family for hosting a wonderful Fourth of July celebration!  Each year it gets better.  It is a great family day with lots for the kids to do and a chance to catch up with family and friends.  The fireworks were spectacular.  Thanks for all your hard work and true hospitality.”

“Thumbs down to selectman and all the foolish voters that put him back in power.  He and his cronies are destroying Windham.  They want big changes to bring them big tax revenues.  It’s about them, not you, not Windham.  Surely these elitists want to lighten their own tax burden on their multi-million dollar homes.  We will all pay in the long run.  When I look around at the dramatic and rapid changes, I feel like the Indian in the old litter commercial with a tear in my eye.”

“Thumbs down to the plans for a mega amphitheater at Griffin Park.  Do we not have enough trouble with the skate park, parking, dogs, noise, litter and overcrowding?  Have you not ruined the beautiful landscape enough?  What’s next- a public swimming pool or better yet a wave pool?  We can’t leave out surfers; they need a spot to hang too like the skate rats.  Spoiled rotten, that’s what this town has become!”

“Thumbs up again to the Pike’s.  I didn’t think you could outdo last year’s Fourth of July party but you did.  I think the Town of Pelham should take a page on how to put on a fireworks show.  Thanks for an awesome time.”

“Thumbs up to the Wizard of Oz helping Pelham get a larger business district.  After the wizard gives the Pelham Planning Board some brains, courage and a heart, maybe they will actually give Pelham some tax relief.  If the Wizard can’t help the Board, maybe Dorothy will put the new business district on Pelham’s ballot by voter petition.  Then we will have to convince the no voters to join us in bringing Pelham some much needed revenue.  Support your town.  Vote yes on a new tax base.”

“Thumbs up to Pelham’s school voucher program.  If you won’t give us the rest of the new schools we were promised, I will shamefully accept your vouchers and send my son to private school.  Does anyone know if the program will be 2009 or 2010?”

“Thumbs up, keep driving by and slowing down to catch me doing...nothing.  Go after the people that actually have marks against their records.  Stop wasting the taxpayers’ money by stalking me; you are wasting your time.  I think it is funny how pathetic you are trying to prove something to validate your position and report, every time you drive by I get a chuckle at how pathetic you are.”

“Thumbs up to the Pelham Police and Highway departments for their very prompt response to remove the lovely used green bathtub that someone felt it appropriate to dump in the road in front of my house.  Thumbs down to the person that considers the road their personal garbage dump.  Are you still hoping no one saw you speed off in your truck at 11:36 p.m.?”

“Thumbs up and a bigger thank you to Fr. Bob Guillemette of St. Patrick’s Church.  Your departure has left us overwhelmed with gratitude and sadness.  You made everything more meaningful.  Your Masses were Masses we looked forward to attending.  You have a gift – a gift you have shared with us for five years (lucky us).  A gift that now you will share in Nashua (lucky them).  We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  We will miss your homilies, your jokes, and your ‘ways’.  You have made a difference in all of our lives.  Know you leave with our love.”

“Thumbs down to the Windham Blue-Gold-Jaguar frauds.  If the kids are the real voters, let them vote on the secondary access road for their school.  Even though we are paying for it, I thought it was the community of Windham’s high school.  Make sure you put two ‘no’ options versus one ‘yes’ choice for road on the kid’s ballot so you get your $1.2 million cut through road with no problem. Sound familiar?  It’s the ‘Win-Dum’ way of accomplishing your personal agendas in the 21st century.”

“Thumbs up to Jason Bedrick for his great column.  No it’s not the New Hampshire way, it’s the Massachusetts way now.”

“Thumbs down to all those that support an elaborate amphitheater at Griffin Park.  What are you people thinking, putting in more ostentatious attractions before you solve the parking shortage?  You make the problems worse and worse, not better.”

“Thumbs down to all the sanctimonious do-gooders who continually beg for donations. Times are tough for everyone right now, but what really turns me off from donating is the audacity people have to ask not only for new items, but gift receipts as well!  We are not all millionaires in Windham and beggars can’t be choosers.  I would gladly give gently used clothes that my kids may have worn once or twice but that’s not good enough for you liberals though.  The people you most want to help you end up hurting in the long run with your fascistic rules and unrealistic expectations.”

“Thumbs down to all those that wrote in support of Jean Shaheen.  This woman was a complete failure as a governor and you want to give her a Senate seat?  First Lynch then Hodes and Porter Shea- if we lose Sununu to her, not only will it be catastrophic for New Hampshire, but America as well.  Securing our borders and our national security are of the utmost importance, not ‘clean energy initiatives’ and more taxes for failed liberal programs.”

“Thumbs up to Manchester, Milford and Portsmouth Police Departments, they are now writing tickets to all loud vehicles, loud stereos in cars and loud motorcycles.  Thumbs down to Pelham Police as they refuse to write out tickets for these low life noisy people.”

“Thumbs down to the player on the 10 year district team for his temper tantrum – yelling at his teammates!  The catcher was playing excellent baseball!  That catcher is probably the best 10-year-old player in the entire league and didn’t deserve your outburst.  Yell at yourself for your horrible baseball playing lately!  Take a lesson from the catcher on how to play great baseball and how to be a great person!  Double Thumbs Down to his father – the coach – for keeping him in the game!  We’ve all seen that this is not the first time he has acted like this!”

“Thumbs up to Pelham-Windham News for your in-depth reporting regarding the Route 111 construction project, the Gas Pipeline project, and the I-93 conduit voting.  It’s great to get specifics on the ‘newsy news’.” 

“Thumbs down to the supervisors at Canobie Lake Park for not honoring incorrect info given out by employees on the phone the previous day, neglecting to tell residents from Salem/Windham to bring proof of residency for children as well as adults to the day they hosted for residents of these towns.  I can see a need for having to see the paperwork but if people were incorrectly informed they should have given good customer service and waived the requirement for those who were misinformed!  This lack of customer service caused many people additional financial burden which in this economy is a shame.”

“Thumbs down to the barking dog on Armand Drive in Pelham.  On Tuesday, your dog began barking well before 8:30 a.m. and continued almost non-stop until well after 9 a.m.  I don’t know if you were home and allowed this to go on or if you came home after a complaint.  Dogs should not be left out as barking lawn ornaments.  What if the reported bear in the area had come into your yard?”

“Thumbs up to Mrs. Zube at the Pelham Elementary School!  Thank you for all you have done with our children.  First grade can be a worrisome time for a child (not to mention parents!) but you have done a tremendous job helping to ease this first step in our education.  You made the year both fun and rewarding; that’s a special gift.  We are truly lucky to continue with you next year.  Have a great summer, and we will see you in the fall.  Thanks!”

“Thumbs up to the PHS class of 2008 and for finally being able to speak out on how you feel about the building.  For those of you who did not see the sign they put up on senior prank day it said:  ‘For Sale, 2008 Portables not Included.’  I think they are trying to tell the voters in this town to wake up and look at the whole picture!”

“Thumbs down to losing two police officers, and possibly more, in Pelham.  Read the police log each week.  We now have drunks driving all over our town, drugs galore, vandalism and fights at the middle school.  What more?  I’m afraid to see.  Did I move to Lawrence and nobody told me?”

“Thumbs up to the kind gentleman in the Windham Town Clerk’s office on 6/17 around noon.  I didn’t have the appropriate method of payment with me and you generously paid for my document.  My daughter and I couldn’t stop thanking you!  You even refused repayment.  Thanks for restoring my faith in people!”

“Thumbs up to Emily and Abby for having a great school year!  Keep up the great work next year.”  Love, Mom and Dad 

“Thumbs down to the Windham Baseball League for not keeping their Website updated.  Most of the game results are not listed and the playoff results/brackets have not been kept up-to-date.”

“Thumbs up to Samantha Poirier on your hair donation to Locks for Love.  For such a young person to make a plan for a long term commitment to help others, follow through with that plan, and then do it again is quite an accomplishment.  Yes, Samantha, people do notice when you do the right thing!  Keep up the good work, and your new haircut looks great too!”

“Thumbs down to the Pelham Memorial School.  I made a call to your office approximately three weeks prior to graduation, regarding appropriate attire for the event, etc.  You still never posted anything on the Pelham message board, as you said you would, so that parents would know.  Graduation is today!  You also stated that each student would only be allowed two tickets for graduation if rain required the event to be held indoors.  Did you tell the public?  No!  It stinks that not even siblings can attend if it’s indoors.”

“Thumbs down to the Pelham Memorial School.  My child came home from school today, 6/18, and told me there was no school for him on Thursday or Friday.  What gives?  How come parents weren’t notified about this?  Why didn’t you post a notice on the Pelham message board or at least send a notice home so parents could plan accordingly?  Shape up, PMS!”

“Thumbs up to Tom and Bren for a great school year!  You are both growing up so fast.  We’re proud of you!”

“Thumbs up to the Pelham Elementary School staff.  My child is moving on to PMS, and I’m sure going to miss your school, and especially the staff.  Too bad the Pelham Memorial School isn’t as friendly and as informative as your school.  They don’t send home notices or post upcoming events on their Website or Pelham message board.  Thank you, PES!  You will be missed.”

“Thumbs up to Pelham school vouchers, but not elementary school.  Kindergarten should get full payments so our children will not be influenced by the tax and spenders at such a young age.  This would stop the need for new town employees and benefits.  The interest payment on a $60,000,000 new school divided by 600 students is $3,000 each.  Grades 7-12 could mean 100 students less per grade if parents were unhappy enough to pull their children, but the payments would come from the current budget of around $8,000 per student.  The above mentioned interest was for illustration only.”

“Thumbs up to Chief Gerry Lewis for reading at the recreation department’s ‘Tot Time,’ and also a thanks for showing all the tots the police car!  The kids loved it!”

“Thumbs up to Justin, Gregg, Sarah, Jane, Daniel, and Patrick.  Good luck in your future!  We will miss you.”  Bus 377

“Thumbs up, Have an awesome and safe summer, everyone!”  Bus 377

“Thumbs down, I think it stinks that the Pelham Minor Softball coaches did not announce to their whole teams when the all-star game was and which teammates were chosen!  Next season it should be made known to all the girls!  Also, there should be a skill reason for the chosen girls, not just because their mom or dad coached the team.”

“Thumbs up for the sports coverage in the Salem area.  We have not had coverage like this in a good two or three years, so we are very appreciative.  We’ve got a lot of fans here who, for a while, were pretty much in the dark about what was happening in the sports scene, but we certainly aren’t now.  Tommy Gates is doing a great job.  Thumbs up to him!”

“Thumbs up, congratulations to our son, Kyle, on his acceptance to the United States Naval Academy’s Summer Seminar program.  This is the first step to achieving your dream of entering the Academy and serving your country as a member of the United States Marine Corps.  Dad, Mom, Laura, and Sparky are so proud of you!”

“Thumbs down to adults not having any vehicle insurance.  You should at least carry liability.  What are we supposed to do now?  You caused major damage and injury with your speed and immaturity.  Why should I have to pay for your lack of responsibility and over-abundance of carelessness?  Do the right thing.”

“Thumbs up to Mrs. Klessens’ letters to the editor of the Salem Community Patriot.  He has a knack of explaining complex issues clearly when he sees the calamitous road upon which the Bush administration and its sycophants have taken this wonderful country.  Let’s hope the nation will be able to recover from eight years of self-indulgent, arrogant, and disastrous domestic and foreign policies.”

“Thumbs up to Transmedic in Salem for their inspirational side of the road signs.  I drive by the store every day and love to read the quotes!”

“Thumbs down to people who complain about gas prices, then drive their SUV’s like a racecar.  Don’t accelerate like a drag racer, and on highways slow down from 70-75 and save gas.  But if your going to drive as fast as you can all the time, stop complaining about gas prices.”

“Thumbs up to my husband Stephen!  Logan is so lucky to have a daddy like you.  Every day we anxiously wait for you to come home from work.  You make us smile!  We love you!”

“Thumbs down to the foster couple whose first question when a newborn baby is placed with them is, ‘When will we be financially supplemented?’  Thumbs down when the foster couple puts the child in daycare for the state to pay for, yet babysits other children in their home.  Thumbs down to the court for considering this couple for adoption and not giving the child to family.”

“Thumbs up to the Salem Lions Club.  They do so much for the community.  We are truly a better place because of them.  Thank you, Lions!”

“Thumbs down to the small-minded genius in Concord selling New Hampshire as the first primary state; telephone polls, door polls, unread junk mail, money pouring into the state.  It’s the New Hampshire way silly.”

“Thumbs up to the Salem Community Patriot for finally doing the justice that the boys on the Salem Gymnastics Team so deserve by featuring an article about their season opening.  You are the only local paper to take the time to cover this hard-working sport of these fine young men.  Thank you very much Salem Community Patriot and I hope you continue to do great work and great coverage for the Salem Blue Devils Boys Varsity Gymnastics Team.”

“Thumbs down to the staff working at the Mexican Restaurant.  To the server, hostess and manager: your policies on how you treat customers need to be reviewed and your people skills need to be refined.  I personally know a party of 10 that’ll never dine there again.”

“Thumbs down.  This is a very disappointing newspaper.  You have SHS Battle of the Bands with an incorrect picture.  That is not Mark Graziani and if you’d taken the time to report it, you ought to report it right.”

“Thumbs down to daycare providers who are allowed to stay open who have corporal punishment or child welfare endangerment violations against them.  No one is perfect, neither parent nor provider, but really who would send their kid to a daycare that has these types of violations or is being investigated for crimes against children.  Parents need to look into whom they are sending their kids to.  Thumbs down to the town for not shutting down daycare’s that break child ratio numbers and have severe violations, step in and pull their zoning permit, before more kids get hurt or neglected.”

“Thumbs up to Tyler F.  We are so proud of your performance at the State Wrestling Meet.  We knew you could do it!  Love, Mom, Dad, Jayson and Yibby.”

“Thumbs up to Paul-Mark and all the Webelos II for crossing over at the Blue and Gold Ceremonies and becoming Boy Scouts.  I’m very happy!   Thumbs up to Marjie and Karen for all your hard work with the boys for the past 3 years!  Thumbs up to Paul-Mark for a nice report card.  Keep working hard because you are so smart! Thumbs up to Alex for his good report card!  Keep up the great work in school!”

“Thumbs up to the junior girls Celtics team!  You girls worked so hard this season great job, Tori,Alyssa, Brittany, Cassidy, Sam, Olivia, Emily, Madison, Amanda and, Brianna!”

“Thumbs down to people who ask others who they are voting for, and then criticize the response.  I never tell anyone whom I am voting for because people are so rude about shoving their political opinions down others’ throats.  People should ask, “Do you mind if I ask you who you are voting for?” and then ask if people want to discuss it after.”

“Thumbs way up to the best friend ever.  You were right there through my recent hardship and you never left and never complained.  You are a true friend Sharon.”

“Thumbs down to the justice system in this country.  How is it that people can molest, and abuse their kids and only get a year in jail?  Disgusting.  Which presidential candidate will fix this?  The one that does gets my vote, but they never talk about these issues, it just isn’t important enough I guess, pretty sad!”

“Thumbs up to the voters of New Hampshire for not allowing the media to tell them how to vote.  The unreliable campaign polls demonstrate the incompetence of the news media.  What went wrong with the network projections in the New Hampshire primary had nothing to do with the New Hampshire residents being racists or lying to the pollsters.  Statistics tell lies; that’s the first thing you learn in any statistics’ class.”

“Thumbs up to the animal lover who rightfully suggested that you can hunt, but you don’t have to show it in a public forum.  You are awesome.”

“Thumbs down to New Hampshire having no clue on what is happening to our country.  I am ashamed and embarrassed to admit I have lived here all my life.  Both parties have voted for the wrong candidate that are stuck in the past!  We definitely won’t have a future if the rest of the voters follow New Hampshire.  What were you thinking?!”

“Thumbs down to all the women who voted for Hillary just because she is a woman!  I am woman but still believe this is a man’s world.  Not all of us burnt our bras!”

“Thumbs up to our son Ben DiZoglio for an outstanding first semester at college.  You did wonderful on your midterms, and finals, straight As and making the president’s list.  Not to mention that you enjoyed yourself and had fun too.  We are very proud of you and miss you tons. Love, Mom and Dad.”

“Thumbs down!  I usually try to keep my comments to myself, but this really takes the cake.  Thumbs down to the Girl Scout leader wandering the neighborhood, selling Girl Scout cookies without any Girl Scouts in tow.  Since when is this all about you?  Your flyer said cookie sales will help the Girl Scouts go to summer camp and a summer trip.  Shouldn’t the Girl Scouts be working towards this goal?  Where is the sense of satisfaction for the girls if you happen to sell more cookies than they do?  I’m definitely NOT buying cookies this year and I am so glad that I have two sons so I don’t have to deal with this on a more personal level.  Signed, ‘Discrumbled’ Parent.”

“Thumbs down to Windham-Salem public officials appearing in unflattering news articles.  Most recently a state representative was charged with assaulting his wife — the fourth Republican state rep from our district charged with criminal wrongdoing in the past five years.  Isn’t it time to replace the Republicans with Democrats for more positive news coverage of our communities?”

“Thumbs up to the Good Samaritan that took the time to come into our neighborhood and went to our neighbor’s house when we weren’t home to tell them to let us know that our roof was turned over in the back of our house that he saw from the highway.  We were able to get it fixed before all this winter weather came!  We thank you immensely and realize that there really are wonderful people in this world!”

“Thumbs down to all the inconsiderate residents of Zion Hill Road that walk their dogs on Matthew Drive and don’t pick up after they’ve done their duty.  The children who live in this neighborhood shouldn’t have to dodge the landmines left on the side of the road when they are outside playing.”

“Thumbs up to Mr. Gould, the only neighbor considerate enough to pick up after his dog.  Your Matthew Drive neighbors thank you.”

“Thumbs up for Salem Community Patriot for showing the November 12 article on the two boys who were successful deer hunting.”

“Thumbs down for the reader who did a thumbs down in the December 21 version who states that it was wrong for you folks to show that (deer).  Deer hunting in New Hampshire has been a tradition for generations.  Those kids are doing a great service of helping with game management.  If that reader doesn’t like it then they should move over the border to Massachusetts where they probably came from.  I think more parents should show their kids the outdoors and how to enjoy sports like hunting.  I’m sure those kids worked real hard practicing and working to get those deer and were very successful doing so. I think it was awesome, awesome, awesome!”

“Thumbs up.  Sending out our best wishes for a Happy Healthy New Year to you all!  Cheers, the Jutras Family Peter, Elizabeth, Jamie, Melyssa Millett, Nelson Millett, and Grimsby too!”

“Thumbs down to drivers who do not remove snow and ice from the roofs of their vehicles.  As it breaks up, it can fly off and hit the windshield of the car behind and could prove deadly.  It happened to me and I was lucky it only shattered my windshield.”

“Thumbs up to the way cute and very polite guy at the pet store who noticed the lonely girl looking for hermit crabs.  If I was not married, I would have followed you home like a lost puppy!  You made my day!”

“Thumbs down to you tailgater!  Maybe you have never seen what 4,000 pounds of auto crashing into a family can do, but it ‘ain’t’ pretty!  You can’t possibly understand how much I value my life (or you would not threaten me this way.  Please slow down around other autos and residential areas!  If you need to speed, maybe you should look into professional racing.”

“Thumbs up to my neighbor.  I had just arrived home from work and was frustrated to see I had at least an hour or more of shoveling to do!  He came by and used his plow truck, (blue truck yellow plow blade) and cleaned my driveway in just a couple of minutes!  Thank you and bless you!  It was a wonderful gesture of ‘just being neighborly.’ Merry Christmas to you and your family!  I got an early gift, thanks again!”

“Thumbs up to all my newspaper customers that tipped me for Christmas.  I greatly appreciate it.  Stephanie.”

“Thumbs down to global warming nuts and thumbs up to all of the beautiful snow we are having.  Not only does the snow prove my personal theory of severe climatic cycles, but it also adds a touch of magic to the Christmas season.  Happy Holidays to the global warming lobby.  I hope you aren’t cursing too much about Al Gore when you are sitting in traffic for hours, or need to go out and buy a shovel or a new snow blower because you gave the old ones away.”

“Thumbs up to our wonderful neighbors, Lou and Dawn, for helping to clear the driveway during all the storms this year.  Your kindness is very much appreciated!”

“Thumbs down to people who make comments when they only have half the facts!”

“Thumbs up and lots of love to Gina, you are amazing.  End of story.  I hope 2008 makes you profusely happy, and I hope you enjoy your dozen surprises.”

“Thumbs up to the winter wonderland we’re having this year.  I love snow.”

“Thumbs up to Congressman Ron Paul for having the courage to speak out about the many problems we have in this country.  We cannot continue to pretend that they do not exist. We as American citizens need to demand answers and accountability from our leaders.  Ron Paul is running for president, I consider it my duty to vote for him, and I encourage everyone to learn more about this amazing man.”

“Thumbs down to the budget committee, you put us in a hole by ‘saving the taxpayers,’ shortsighted and cheap, now we will have to pay 3 - 4 times for anything because you don’t follow any plan, just cut, cut, cut.”

“Thumbs up to our Grammy and Papa for the best Disney Cruise and Disney World vacation!  We all had a great time!”  Love, Ryan, Amber and Cody

“Thumbs up.  Wayne Brake had a bad cut on his left hand this week.  He cut off the tip of his middle finger at work.  He is doing well, but would love prayers from our church family.  We will be going back to the doctor this Monday to see how things are going and we will learn more about the healing process then.  Thank God it was only the tip of his finger; it could have been so much worse.  God was watching over him and we are very thankful for that.”

“Thumbs down to Comcast for eliminating TV channels.  Same to Verizon for charging extra for not using enough long distance calls.  Is it legal to charge for services not rendered?  Our representatives should take action to stop these rip-offs.”

“Thumbs up I just wanted to say thank you to the Life Free as I had been smoking for 15 years, and never even tried to give up but I really wanted to, and didn’t want to spend money on methods, but then a friend recommended to me this amazing product which she said she had tried and gave up for the last six months.  So I ordered one from the Internet and tried it and have not had a cigarette since.  It hasn’t been long yet, only a month and a half, but it still seems to be working great.  If you use this method and do everything they say it should work for you too.”

“Thumbs down to all the people who don’t bother raking up their own leaves.  Hope you’re having a good laugh watching them blow down to my yard.  I’ll wave to you when I go by you when you need help.”

“Thumbs up to my neighbor for trying to keep their yard raked up. I know it’s hard with you guys being in poor health.  Thank you.”

“Thumbs down to the uneducated person last week who it appears moved to New Hampshire under the assumption it was a liberal state.  I’m sorry the national and local media was blatant enough to make political maps in blue and red but not post them to your door when you were looking for a house but New Hampshire is a conservative state.  Look it up, it’s the most conservative state in the northeast.  Please do us all a favor and move back to Massachusetts and give us your revenue by shopping in our state to keep our taxes lower.  That way you’ll actually have a leg to stand on when you complain about taxes.”

“Thumbs up to ‘The Fall Boys’, Kevin and Steve.  Thank you for a great job cleaning the leaves in our yard.  You were very polite and professional, and worked very hard to complete the job.  Thank you very much!”