EDITORIAL

Oct. 29, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Most days, the residents of the Greater Derry/Londonderry region go about their daily lives in blissful ignorance. They go to school or work, gather socially and make their plans. After all, these are the suburbs of southern New Hampshire, a slice of classic Americana, where self-made men and women create their own destinies.

Residents go about their business, unaware that life can change in the blink of an eye.

At least they did until about 10 months ago.

This region has been struck by a series of events that have shattered the peaceful, safe mirage that residents chose to live in. It began on last December, when an ice storm, the likes of which had not been seen a century, decimated the region, plunging tens of thousands of homes into darkness and forcing residents to seek refuge with relatives or in community shelters.

Soon after, a Londonderry family went through the unthinkable pain of learning that their six-year-old son had drowned, when he fell into a pool at his grandparents' house in Derry, hidden by ice covering the surface of the water.

Later in the year, a Pinkerton graduate was added to the list of more than 5,000 American heroes killed in the war on terror.

And this past week, Londonderry again was rocked when, according to police Binh Vernet, 48, bludgeoned his wife, 42-year-old Suzanne Vernet, to death in their picturesque home on Fiddlers Ridge Road. The Vernets' four children were home a the time of the attack and called 9-1-1. Police say that after the attack, Binh Vernet fled to Massachusetts, where he committed suicide.

Londonderry School officials have met with parents and have provided counselors for students needing assistance coping with this tragedy, Leaders of some of the youth organizations the Vernet children belonged to and that Suzanne Vernet volunteered with, have likewise met to map strategies for helping their membership cope.

These events, though unique, share common threads. Each is emotionally devastating and each helps pound home a sobering truth -- it can happen here.

While residents of Londonderry, Derry and Chester can take great pride in their communities, it is important for them to remember that living in a "nice town" with "nice people" does not make them immune from the tragedies that so often befall "other people" who live "someplace else."

Even so, the outpouring of love and support shown by neighbors and strangers to the families impacted by these tragedies, have also served to remind residents of why they chose to live in this region.

4A is a mess

The Derry Council, with a 4-3 vote, has elected to pay a consulting group $600,000 to finish a Draft Environmental Impact Statement related to the proposed Exit 4A project.

With the state moving forward with the expansion of I-93, Exit 4A, though voted down by residents less than two years ago, has re-emerged as a potential project. It's purpose would be to ease traffic downtown and provide another route to the retail district around Route 28.

However, anyone with even a cursory knowledge of this project knows that it best resembles a puzzle box. Each time one question is answered, it leads to two or three more. The biggest question seems to be whether or not, much like Londonderry, Derry officials had previously committed the town to pay $5 million toward the project. Those who voted in favor of the $600,000 expenditure on Tuesday feared that if the town does not move ahead, it could be subject to a lawsuit, as Londonderry was.

But this issue is not cut and dry. There are questions about whether or not such an agreement was made and, if so, is the group the arrangement was made with even still in existence.

It may turn out that Derry is on the hook for $5 million and has no choice but to push ahead with the project. It may turn out the project is a wonderful addition to Derry infrastructure and a boon to local business.

Or not.

In either case, there was time to thoroughly research the issue before committing another $600,000.

These are our opinions on these issues. What do you think? To share your views, log onto www.derrynews.com

Newstex ID: KRTB-1048-39286326