In today's paper.

To the Editor:

It has often been said that Newmarket is a town that seems to have almost everything — a vibrant community with a quaint downtown, full of interesting restaurants and shops. It really is a gem.

Now we have an opportunity to end a decade or more of debate and solve our school facility situation. And this is at a time when interest rates are low and rates and construction costs will only continue to climb.

A new school will benefit Newmarket in many ways.

Home values will increase and more young families will move to Newmarket. We're currently talking about adding 52 new homes on the golf course and it would be beneficial for everyone if home values are positive when that project goes through.

I've heard people say that they don't care if their property values increase — they never plan to sell their homes. Maybe not, but putting a child through college or putting on a new roof or caring for an elderly parent are all reasons you may want to have added equity in your home.

More new homes at a higher value will translate to more revenue for the town. This will assist in growing our tax base, and also bring in revenue through new vehicle registrations and building permits. And not just new construction, but people who have been waiting for this very issue to be resolved before renovating or making long overdue improvements in their own homes will be pulling permits too.

And finally it's good for business. More families in Newmarket mean more traffic in local restaurants. It means more people frequenting local shops. It means more businesses wanting to locate here.

As our town continues to grow we will add to our community as we celebrate Olde Home Day, the tree lighting, our Memorial Day parade, the heritage festival and the Halloween Haunt to name a few.

We need to look toward the future of Newmarket and we have an opportunity to approve a solution that will not just benefit our community today, but for generations to come.

Toni Weinstein

Newmarket

Where you need to be on Saturday.

People have asked why they should attend the Deliberative Session on Saturday. Here's why:

The deliberative session is more than just another town meeting. It is a vote. And it's not just a matter of ratifying what the budget committee has recommended. The people in the room can drastically change the outcome of our March vote. Here's how:

Any person can get up and make a motion to change the dollar amount of any warrant article. That motion, if supported, then goes to a vote by a show of hands. That means that someone could make a motion to change the dollar amount of a warrant article to $0 and if that goes to a vote, and there aren't enough people in the room to vote against it, the article is, essentially, GONE. 

The system may seem a little cumbersome to some people, but this is each resident's opportunity to have a voice and a direct impact. 

Your vote matters.

The Deliberative Session is on Saturday Feb. 8th at the HS gym with the School meeting starting at 10am and the Town meeting starting at 1pm. Childcare will be provided starting at 9:30.