Honoring State’s First Woman Senator
E. Maude Fergusen Of Bristol Gains Recognition For Historic Role
Four years after we reported that the State of New Hampshire would be honoring the state’s first female senator by placing her portrait in the State House, her hometown has given E. Maude Ferguson a historic marker, which will be dedicated this Saturday.
Edna Maude Ferguson came to Bristol NH from Danvers MA when she was 1, following the death of her father, Dr. Edgar O. Fowler. Her mother, Addie, brought her here where Addie’s father, Otis Kilton Bucklin, owned Brown’s Hotel, a carriage factory, and five farms with 2,300 apple trees. E. Maude Fowler married Samuel Ferguson, a highway contractor, after graduating from the Greely School of Elocution and Dramatics in Boston. She worked at the Tilton School, New Hampton Institute, and Maryland College, but in 1926 — six years after the passage of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote — she ran for state representative and served two terms there before deciding to run for the state senate. Winning a three-way race on the Republican primary ticket, she received the endorsement of the Democrats and so won all the votes in the general election, thus becoming the first woman senator. (Two women had preceded her in the House.)
Tragically, she committed suicide after learning that she had cancer.
It was through the efforts of Edward “Ned” Gordon, a former senator and current Bristol representative, that the state came to recognize her. Now, through the efforts of Lucille Keegan and the Bristol Historical Society, as well as Gordon, a historical marker has been placed by the veterans’ memorial in Central Square, and there will be a short celebratory event on Saturday, June 5, at 9 a.m. Rep. Gordon will offer remarks.
Rent Relief Money To Go Toward Affordable Housing
Governor Chris Sununu has asked the federal government for permission to divert money meant for rent relief, along with other housing aid, to create affordable housing units. The lack of affordable housing, more than any other obstacle, has been identified as the biggest reason that many jobs are going unfilled. High-tech industries, in particular, have identified the lack of affordable housing as the main reason they have been unable to attract skilled workers, but tourist businesses also have found it difficult to attract workers who can afford to live in their communities.
The federal government has earmarked $200 million in Emergency Rental Assistance to the Granite State, offering money to cover past-due and future rent, utilities, and other housing-related costs. Sununu is arguing that the list of other housing-related costs is “overly restrictive” and said, “This narrow interpretation … is hindering the State’s ability to use the funds to ensure our more vulnerable populations have access to safe and affordable housing.”
Noting that New Hampshire’s rental vacancy rate is only 1.8 percent, he continued, “While those able to access rental units will benefit from the ERA, absent the ability to increase available rental units, the program will fall short.”
JBS Reopening Beef Plants After Cyberattack
JBS SA announced on Tuesday that it has made “significant progress” in reopening its meat production plants following a cyberattack over the weekend. JBS is the world’s largest meat-producer and its facilities account for almost one-quarter of America’s meat supply.
The JBS cyberattack served as another reminder of the vulnerability of the nation’s supply chain, following last month’s attack on the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies much of the East Coast’s gasoline and diesel fuels.
In terms of food supplies, the attack has focused attention on how few sources exist when large corporations control the industry. Senator John Thune of South Dakota commented, “Attacks like this one highlight the vulnerabilities in our nation’s food supply chain security, and they underscore the importance of diversifying the nation’s meat processing capacity.”
Since methane from large cattle operations has been identified as being a major contributor to climate change, moving away from the huge industrial farms makes sense on more than a food supply chain basis.
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