Dear Gov.-elect Hassan and Rep.-elect Kuster:

Congratulations on your successful campaigns, and thank you for your willingness to step up and serve our state and country. It is not an easy road to travel and you are to be commended for putting yourselves out there, and entering the arena of public service.

In the weeks that remain before taking office, we hope you will come up and visit the northernmost reaches of the state that you now represent.

We did not see either of you here during the campaign season - although Ms. Kuster did come as far north as Groveton - but certainly understand the logic of concentrating your efforts on areas where the largest number of voters can be reached.

New Hampshire is a diverse state and each area has its own challenges. Lest our southern neighbors accuse us of whining, suffice it to say that Coos County tops every percentage in the miasma of socioeconomic issues facing the state, from unemployment to mental and physical health to substance abuse. Yet we generate more than our fair share of rooms and meals taxes, well-educated kids, snowmobiling industry dollars and wood products. It isn't all bad, by any means.

We have perhaps been spoiled in recent years by having state and national elected leaders who know us, and understand this region, its challenges and successes, pretty well. So you can see why it's a little scary to find ourselves represented by someone we've never met, and whose level of familiarity with the North Country is unknown to us.

But this is easily remedied, and we're happy to sit down and talk whenever you'd like to come up and say hello. We look forward to that opportunity, and in the meantime, all the best in your new endeavors in Concord and Washington.

- Karen Ladd,
The News and Sentinel, Colebrook