Home       Monday Group      Spotlight       Useful Sites       Shorelink Yahoo     Henry's Letters From America

Henry Dallimore found true love in Pottsville, Pennsylvania and emigrated there in 2006.

These are his messages back to Shorelink Community Writers.

Henry's First Message

I am quite elderly really I suppose (72 to be exact) and have recently emigrated to Pennsylvania and got married in June this year. I shall be sending "Letters from America" from time to time (in memory of Alistair Cooke), but we have been having a nice summer and fall and I have not got into the rhythm of sitting at the computer and writing. I joined Shorelink in the summer of '03 and write both prose and poetry, I started on my first novel in January 2000 but all I have written is the prologue and first paragraph of chapter one! So I doubt if it will ever get completed. My interests are railways together with most forms of transportation, digital photography and video making (no not that sort Missus!!). Since coming to America I have become a volunteer at our local library giving lessons in computer basics, digital photography and video.

Henry's "LETTER FROM AMERICA"

#27

Friday April 29th 2010

The latest political upset to hit the country happened two days ago when the state of Arizona passed a law permitting the police to check anyone out on the street to see if they are an illegal immigrant. Much to my surprise this has started a major furore with Arizonians picketing the Govenor’s Office to protest. In case anyone didn’t leave school with a knowledge of geography, let me explain that the state of Arizona lies in the south west having a long border with Mexico. There has been a long tale of illegals crossing this somewhat thinly policed border. Not only illegal immigrants but drug smugglers and people traffickers also ply their trades there too. The White House seems reluctant to take any positive action over this problem (no surprise there I suppose!). I have to admit my support for this action, I am now a legal resident as you know, but getting this status cost us $3,000 and took almost nine months to complete. I would have thought the solution was obvious. Hadrian’s Wall kept the Scots out for some 400 years or so; so why not build a similar structure along this border? The laugh is that the Mexican President has objected as well. There is still plenty of space here for them all just so long as they do it legally.

We are hoping for the long awaited visit to England this summer. At the moment it looks something like 60/40 against, but we are hoping that legal matters will soon be settled to release some capital. I’ll let you know more about this topic when I know myself.

Saturday 8th May

The election for the State Representatives continues apace. It has degenerated into a personal slanging match between certain candidates which I don’t think does anything to enhance the political process. Evidently this is considered normal here! The primary elections are due on the 18th, if you are a registered Democrat or Republican you can only vote for the candidates of that party in primary elections; at the final election you can vote for anyone. All very different from our system.

We had a good POW! meeting this morning, it was chaired by Sammi, the second youngest member (14) and a very switched on young lady. We have one more meeting before the summer break, the membership want informal meetings in July and August, so I shall be arranging these. Both our High School students have now led a meeting so it will be down to us older folk for the rest of the year.

Although the worse of the recession is supposed to be over, it has still to reach our local shopping mall which has about 30% of the units unoccupied. It’s a nice mall but seems rather depressing to walk round especially since the last bookstore in Schuylkill County closed in January. Would you believe that the nearest bookshop is now in Reading, about 35 miles away!

Until next time.

BFN
H

First             Previous         Next