Elm Grove Companies - Ribbon Cutting Invite - Veterans Supportive Housing

Elm Grove Companies partners with The Way Home and Department of Veterans Affairs to create Supportive Housing for 9 Homeless Veterans and their families in Manchester, NH

Manchester, NH, December 1, 2011: 

Elm Grove Companies has partnered with The Way Home and the Department of Veterans Affairs to create supportive housing for 9 homeless veterans and their families.  Case management will be provided by The Way Home and clinical services will be provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Elm Grove Companies purchased a 12 unit multifamily building at foreclosure auction and completed a full renovation of the property.  The property had a lead order issued by the Department of Environmental Services which was clear as part of the project.  City of Manchester Community Improvement Project funding was used to fund the lead renovation.

A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at the property at 455 Hanover Street, Manchester, NH on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 1:00pm.

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NHDP - ICYMI Editorial: Baldasaro shows he can't serve all veterans

Past time for O'Brien, Bettencourt, and the NHGOP to remove Baldasaro as Chair of the Veterans Affiars Committee or state if his comments are the official position of New Hampshire Republicans

Concord, NH - In a scathing editorial today, the Derry News echoed the calls of New Hampshire veterans and more than 700 people disgusted by State Representative Al Baldasaro's recent comments about an American soldier serving in Iraq, asking for him to be removed as Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the State House.[10/5/2011; 10/6/2011; Petition].

Last week, Rep. Al Baldasaro remarked that a member of the military "disgusted" him and that he thought it was "great" when the audience boo-ed the soldier because of his question about the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy at the Republican Presidential Debate. [10/3/2011]

"Speaker William O'Brien needs to consider whether Baldasaro is the right person to lead the Veterans Affairs Committee. Clearly, he is not," wrote the Derry News. 

The editorial also repeatedly called Rep. Baldasaro's comments "disgusting," and added that, "It's disgusting that an elected representative would approve of the booing of a soldier - any soldier - serving in a combat zone. It's disgusting that Baldasaro, a Marine veteran, does not honor the military service of a fellow American. Tell us, Al, if - God forbid - Hill takes an al-Qaida bullet for his country, will you still be disgusted by him?"

The Derry News concluded, "It is truly appalling that someone in Baldasaro's position would support the booing of a soldier. Baldasaro should apologize for his ill-considered comments and step down from the chairmanship of the Veterans Affairs Committee."

The more than 700 petition signatures for Rep. Baldasaro's removal can be found here, and the full text of the editorial is below.

US Rep. Frank Guinta introduces Joint Bipartisan Bill calling for National Moment of Silence on Veterans Day

WASHINGTON – A bipartisan group of House and Senate Members today announced legislation to establish a two-minute moment of silence on Veterans Day to commemorate the sacrifice of United States veterans.  The bill was introduced jointly by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), Senator Scott Brown (R-MA), Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (D-MA) and Congressman Frank Guinta (R-NH).

The legislation was crafted in response to a request by Mr. Peter Bendetson, M.D., of Weston, Massachusetts, and his two sons, Michael Bendetson, a junior at Tufts University, and Daniel Bendetson, a senior at Weston High School.  The father and sons got the idea for the bill while visiting Israel, which honors its veterans with a national two-minute moment of silence.  The family found the experience deeply moving, and so after returning to the U.S. they approached Congressman Barney Frank and Senator Scott Brown about instituting a similar observance in the United States.

Frank and Brown agreed to organize efforts in Congress to introduce a bill, and quickly reached out to their colleagues.  They were soon joined by Senator Webb, a Marine combat veteran and former Secretary of the Navy, Senator Lieberman, a Subcommittee Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Congressman Frank Guinta, who represents a large veteran population in New Hampshire.  The six Members of Congress are the core group which will seek further bipartisan support for the bill.

The “Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act” would direct the President to issue a proclamation every year calling on Americans to observe a two-minute moment of silence at exactly 2:11 Eastern time on Veterans Day, which is celebrated on November 11^th. 

Congressman Frank will introduce the bill in the House; Senator Brown will introduce a concurrent, identical companion bill in the Senate.  The six members of Congress hope that it will pass both houses of Congress and be signed by the President before this Veterans Day on 11/11/2011.

“I was very impressed when Peter Bendetson and his sons came to me with this idea, and I’m pleased that there is a bipartisan effort to get the legislation enacted,” said Frank.  “It will add to our observance of Veterans Day in a very profound way.”

“Veterans Day is an opportunity for all Americans to come together to honor the service of those who have answered the call of duty to keep our nation free,” said Senator Brown. “I am pleased to join this bipartisan, bicameral legislation that all began when two kids from Massachusetts were inspired to find a new way to thank the veterans who served our nation.”

“This legislation renews a tradition that began after World War One, when the citizens of many countries would observe a moment of remembrance on the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month -- the moment the Armistice was signed,” said Webb. “It is an appropriate gesture to honor those who serve and have served.”

"A moment of silence and reflection is just one of the many ways we can show our deep gratitude for the countless sacrifices that veterans have made to secure our liberty," Lieberman said. "I am honored to join my colleagues to introduce this bill."

“This simple yet powerful recognition of our service members who have given their lives in defense of our country would be a highly appropriate addition to Veterans Day observances,” said Congresswoman Niki Tsongas.  “I look forward to working with my colleagues in the months ahead on this issue.” 

“America can never repay its debt to the men and women who laid down their lives for our freedom,” said Congressman Guinta. “Pausing for two minutes every November 11^th is an important way of honoring their sacrifice and for keeping their memory alive in our hearts.”

Veterans-For-Change Requests Congress to Hold Hearings Related to These Actions

Garden Grove, CA – June 20, 2011 – As you may have heard or seen in recent news articles from both U.S. and South Korean News Departments, major reports have been reported about toxic herbicides being buried throughout Korea by U.S Army personnel. Searching on the Internet with Google, delivered 58,400 hits under the key words of ‘toxic herbicides being buried throughout Korea by U.S Army personnel,’ including an interesting article at the website, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/05/116_87802.html. In addition, some documents and testimony has been made public which indicates the deployment of the Dioxin contaminated herbicides Agent Orange, Agent Blue and Monuron covered a much wider date range than has historically been reported by the Departments of the Army and Defense at hearings in Congress. For those who have never heard the terminology of Monuron, Monuron is a herbicide “recommended for use in non-crop areas for total control of weeds, and it would be released to the environment as a result of this use. Monuron's registration with EPA for use as a herbicide was cancelled in 1977, and therefore if it is still manufactured, it would be manufactured for export. In soil, monuron is transformed to its metabolites primarily by biodegradation.” http://www.speclab.com/compound/c150685.htm  additionally, the attached document from the Appeals Management Center of the Department of Veterans Affairs -- clearly states that the areas where these toxic herbicides were deployed is far greater than reported - in fact into areas far to the south of the DMZ, Demilitarized Zone.

Veterans-For-Change, respectfully request that both Houses of Congress hold hearings immediately to call the Department of Defense, Department of the Army and the Department of Veterans Affairs to explain the following:

1)       Why was this information, which clearly existed in the files center for Unit Records Research, were not previously reported so that affected former service members would know what is causing their serious health problems today?; and

2)       Why have the records of this deployment of toxic herbicides and the Unit Histories suddenly become unavailable to former Service Members since the cited document was revealed by the Board of Veterans Appeals?; and

3)       How many more Veterans of Korean Service and Korean Civilians must suffer and die from the many diseases associated with and proven to be a result of poisoning carried out by the U.S. Departments of the Army and Defense before the U. S. Government reveals the complete truth?; and finally

4)       Why has this Appeal Case Decision not been posted in the Board of Veterans Appeal on-line files despite the fact that ruling was issued in late 2009?

The time has arrived for a thorough investigation of the items listed above, along with a thorough investigation/hearings to make the Department of Defense, Department of the Army and the Department of Veterans Affairs accountable to all effected parties, including our Veterans. As your constituent, Veterans-For-Change expects actions among the leaders in calling for this hearing. It is time for our United States Congress to be accountable about the issues concerning the United States of America and our military and not dwell so much about the actions, morals, or lack of morals from our representatives.

NH DHHS Employee Receives Distinguished Service Medal

Concord – In a surprise ceremony today, NH National Guard Adjutant General

William Reddel presented The New Hampshire National Guard Distinguished

Service Medal to Jo Moncher, Bureau Chief of Military Community Programs

for the NH Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The

Distinguished Service Medal is the highest military award that a civilian

can receive.


Ms. Moncher has been instrumental in the development of military and

civilian partnerships that have dramatically improved education, outreach

and services. Her position was created in the fall of 2008. Since then,

there has been a significant increase in military and civilian agencies

partnering together to provide services and supports to the 135,000

veterans, service members and their families in New Hampshire. Ms. Moncher

is also a United States Air Force Veteran and served as a Czechoslovakian

Linguist stationed in Augsburg, Germany in the 1980’s.


“Ms. Moncher provides valuable oversight to the NH National Guard

Deployment Cycle Support Program – a unique military/civilian partnership

that provides counseling and service coordination for National Guard

service members, veterans and their families who are engaged in the full

cycle deployment process,” said General Reddel. “Her distinguished service

and genuine caring for the service members of New Hampshire and of the

United States are greatly appreciated and reflect great credit upon

herself, her family, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human

Services, the NH National Guard, and the State of New Hampshire.”


“I am incredibly proud of the work Jo has done on behalf of our Department

to help the men and women and their families that have sacrificed so much,”

said DHHS Commissioner Nicholas Toumpas. “Our Department recognizes the

value of bringing state and civilian resources together to support our

military. The need to serve this unique population is an important one,

and our Department has a responsibility to help leverage our resources.”


DHHS is the only State Health and Human Services agency in the country that

has a position solely focused on military supports.