The Barnstead-Alton-Gilmanton Republican Committee (BARC’G) has arranged to have recently appointed Belknap County Commissioner Hunter Taylor of Alton to be the guest speaker at their next monthly meeting.  The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14 at 6:30 pm at J.J. Goodwin’s Restaurant (upstairs dining room), 769 Suncook Valley Highway (Rt 28), in Center Barnstead. 

Commissioner Taylor will share his motivations to apply for the position that opened up when former Commissioner Steve Nedeau resigned effective this past January 1.  In addition, the Commissioner will discuss some of the current county concerns including the need for county jail improvements, and economic efforts to create more jobs and draw young people back to Belknap County.

BARC’G meetings are open to Republicans and like-minded Independents from Alton, Barnstead, and Gilmanton, and any other towns in New Hampshire. 

Per their usual meeting format, if you’re interested in having dinner (at your option) or wish to socialize before the meeting, plan to arrive as early as 5:30pm. 

The Committee reminds you to bring a non-perishable food item (cans of soup, tuna fish, etc.) to the meeting for distribution to local food pantries.   

For more information, please send an email to [email protected] or [email protected].

Letter To The Editor

I am writing this letter concerning a matter of great concern to me. It is the exorbitant costs of veterinary care. I realize that it costs a lot to maintain a practice, but I feel that the costs of keeping our pets healthy is out of control.

My husband and I have been married for 50 years. We love animals, and from the beginning of our marriage we have had pets. We started with a couple of kittens, from there we had dogs .

Over the course of our marriage we have had a total of 8 dogs, cats, and 3 horses. We raised pigs, bred and raised goats, chickens, ducks, and geese.

We moved to Barnstead 10 years ago. At that time we had 2 dogs and a parrot . We are retired and on a fixed income and can no longer afford to have pets, because we can’t afford the high cost of keeping them healthy. We had our last dog put to sleep in 2011 - it cost around $135 to put that dear little dog out of his misery. My husband said, “No more animals.”

Do you readers see something wrong with this picture???

Last month, my sister, who is 62 years old, had to have her dog put to sleep because she couldn’ t afford to pay for the medical care that the dog needed. The cost to have her put to sleep was around $200! Which my sister didn’t have. Fortunately, several friends and family members were able to loan her the money.

I would love to be able to have a dog or a cat or some pet to care for. What, if anything, can be done about this matter?

Sincerely,