Thread: English-only signs in Merrimack

English-only signs in Merrimack
By JIM KOZUBEK
New Hampshire Union Leader Correspondent
6 hours, 10 minutes ago
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx ... 8a38b14ba6

MERRIMACK – Latino people remain free and welcome to come swimming at Naticook Lake at Wasserman Park, but they are not going to find any Spanish-language signs to tell them the park rules.

The town council last night voted 5-0-0 to update the park rules only in the English language, ending a two-week debate that captured national attention and hit at such nerves as public access and immigration.

Finlay Rothhaus, whose grandfather immigrated from Germany in 1921, was the councilor who made the initial objection to the Spanish-language signs, and explained his line of thought to the public last night.

â–ºRequest to have park rules in Spanish gets a cool reception from councilors
â–ºIn Merrimack, English wins


"My concern is that multi-lingual nations have a history of problems, and have no mechanism for unification. If you look to the north, Quebec made a move to secede from Canada, and the vote only failed at 49 percent. I don't think we want that."

An identification in the English language enables unity, shared values and public safety, a protective message that was similarly presented by councilor Michael Malzone, and resident Dennis King.

Proponents of English-only signs said that if the town were to adapt Spanish-language signs, the action could develop into a slippery slope with calls for signs in Vietnamese and Portuguese.

Councilor Tim Tenhave argued police retained authority from the law not the language.

Parks director Sherry Kalish brought the debate on Spanish-language signs to a head last month, when she asked for a sign in Spanish per a police department request.

Police say that more than half of the visitors to the park on the weekends are often Latino, and a handful of those visitors do not respect the rules of the park by bringing alcohol, foul language and rough and tumble activity.

Rule-breakers often appeal to language barriers when confronted by police, saying they do not understand the park rules and cannot read the signs. Police, Parks officials and town staff supported an idea of a Spanish-language sign to mitigate those excuses.

The town purchased the Wasserman Park land in 1989 and accepted a package of federal grants and state L-CHIP money for its development, and town officials have had the understanding that the acceptance of those grants ensure that the park remain public.

Town officials yesterday learned the land had been purchased in two separate transactions, and Wasserman beach is not bound to public access. The finding means the town can close the park to out-of-towners, a proposal to be taken up early next year

I was so happy when I heard this on the news this morning. I am just wondering how long before a lawsuit is filed. According to the news, these people are all from Lowell and Lawrence Mass. They drive up to Merrimack NH to go to the park. It kind of sounded like laying the grounds to a lawsuit to me.

I hope they do vote to close the park to out of towners.

It is likely that if someone does not speak any English at all, then they are probably illegally here. If they know some English, they could be citizens and should realize it is their responsibility to learn English even better. The Pool rules do not have to be posted in Spanish. If a latin person wants to go swimming there, then it won't hurt them to find out what the rules mean in English. Some of them would rather ignore the rules, get into trouble and then claim discrimination. Typical behavior of an immature adult.

I would venture to guess that half of them can read the signs in English.

Feigning ignorence is one of their strongest skills.

Originally Posted by Cribster

I would venture to guess that half of them can read the signs in English.

Feigning ignorence is one of their strongest skills.

Yes I am sure they can. I live north of Merrimack and I have never been to this park. However on another board I visit, a person who lives in Merrimack says the park is small and not easy to find. There are no signs from the highway and to get to the park you would have to read English to get there. I think they can read English and I also think they are trying to lay the grounds to sue.

Congradulations !! a town with some common sense, how refreshing


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Not only can most of them read the signs, a lot of them understand and speak English quite well. They just want you to speak in their language.

But, everyone understands signs forbidding something. The red circle with the slash through it.

Also, I am thinking they probably know it is illegal to bring alcohol and such to the parks.

The thing is, many times Americans get punishment even though they are ignorant of the law. We got a ticket in AZ because we made a 'U' turn where there was no sign forbidding - or allowing it - so we assumed it was OK. It evidently wasn't.