Also on today’s menu:
Laconia City Manager Plans To Move On
Germany Opposes Arms To Ukraine
Phil Hanlon, who was a member of Dartmouth College’s Class of 1977 (graduating a year after I did), has served as president of the college since 2013. Yesterday, he announced his intention to leave the position in June 2023.
“As the vision I set forth almost 10 years ago becomes reality, the time is right to pass the torch,” he said in a letter to alumni. “I have informed the Board of Trustees that I will step down as president in June 2023 after a decade at the helm. I want to ensure that the Board has ample time to find Dartmouth’s next president. I am committed to supporting that person through a smooth leadership transition while we continue the important work that lies ahead.
“Between now and then there is still much to achieve. Through the continuation of the campaign, I am committed to meeting our full set of financial aid goals that will position Dartmouth as one of a handful of U.S. universities that is universally need-blind and has eliminated loans from its financial aid packages for all undergraduate students. Furthermore, we will highlight our commitment to the arts through an exciting plan to modernize and expand the Hopkins Center. And crucially, we must continue to expand our efforts to shape a campus community that is more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve Dartmouth, an institution that did so much to transform my life when I was student here in the 1970s. Gail and I are profoundly grateful that you welcomed us both with open arms on my return and that we have forged meaningful friendships with so many of you. We are particularly thankful that we have been able to spend so much time with Dartmouth students. For me, it is a privilege to personally greet every matriculating first year undergraduate student as they begin their college career and to salute every graduate up to and including our PhDs as they set forth into the world strengthened by what they learned and accomplished at Dartmouth. Whether in the classroom, at athletic events, artistic performances, graduate school investitures, or group dinners at the president’s house, Gail and I have been inspired by the undeniable talent and passion of our students. It is, after all, why as faculty, staff, and administrators, we come to Dartmouth.”
Laconia City Manager Plans To Move On
Like Hanlon, Laconia City Manager Scott Myers has announced his plan to move on, come September.
In an interview, he said he is not planning to retire, but he also has no other municipal job lined up. By announcing his plan to leave now (he actually informed the Laconia City Council of his plan last November), he said it will give the city time to advertise and go through the search process for a replacement.
“It gives us a budget that’s wrapped up for July 1 and the new fiscal year. So if somebody new was coming on board, they’re not coming right into a budget situation in maybe a community they’re not as familiar with,” he said. “We’re working on collective bargaining agreements. All four of our union contracts wrap up on June 30 of this year, so I’m hopeful that we’ll have contracts in place.”
Germany Opposes Arms To Ukraine
While the United States and other NATO countries are sending military weapons to Ukraine and increasing troops on standby in Europe, purportedly to defend against a potential attack by Russia, Germany’s government, under its new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has ruled out sending any arms to the country, and it is delaying a shipment of howitzers from Estonia to Ukraine. Observers say Germany also may have kept British planes from using German airspace when sending military supplies to Ukraine.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has downplayed the threat from Russia, saying, “The number of Russian troops amassed along the border of Ukraine and in occupied territories is large, it poses a threat — a direct threat to Ukraine — however, as we speak, this number is insufficient for a full-scale offensive along the entire Ukrainian border. They also lack some important military indicators and systems to conduct such a large full-scale offensive. We can say 100 times a day invasion is imminent, but this doesn't change the situation on the ground.”
The German government has remained vague about whether a Russian invasion would lead to the shutdown of an undersea gas pipeline between Germany and Russia. The United States had opposed the pipeline, known as Nord Stream 2, but it will likely become operational next year, providing a major source of energy for Germany and a major source of revenue for Russia. U.S. opposition was based on the fact that it would solidify ties between Germany and Russia, and it could damage Ukraine’s economy. Much of Russia’s natural gas has flowed through Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has announced that it is working with international partners to ensure NATO allies in Europe would not be crippled if Russia cut off natural gas shipments.
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