Dartmouth for Clean Water, a group founded by five members of the Class of 2012 that seeks to provide safe drinking water for developing countries, was selected to receive the inaugural Class of 1969 annual Special Projects Grant, Dimitri Gerakaris '69, chairman of the Special Projects Grant committee told The Dartmouth. The $9,000 grant, which was created at the Class of 1969's meeting during Homecoming weekend, was given to the group based on the recommendation of Gerakaris, who said he learned about the organization from its vice president, Pratyaksh Srivastava '12, while sitting in on rush deliberations as house advisor for Beta Theta Pi fraternity. The grant, which was given without an application process, came as an unexpected award for group members, who had raised $200 for the organization through a spaghetti supper and a bake sale. Dartmouth for Clean Water will use the $9,000 grant to purchase six $1,500 water purification units, each of which can filter 40 gallons of water per minute and provide water for a community of about 10,000 people, Gerakaris said.
Employees of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center who are currently living in a domestic partnership must now either marry or obtain a civil union by 2011 to retain domestic partner benefits, as a result of upcoming changes in the hospital's benefits package, WMUR reported Monday. The changes comes after New Hampshire legalized same-sex marriage in June. Of the 236 employees at DHMC, about 3 percent currently receive domestic-partner benefits, DHMC spokesman Jason Aldous told WMUR. These employees will not be covered by the hospital's benefit package after January 2011 unless they alter the status of their partnership, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported. DHMC's domestic eligibility criteria were originally adopted to provide benefits to same-sex couples in committed relationships who were not eligible for the benefits granted to married couples or couples in civil unions, Aldous told WMUR.
Manchester attorney and Republican activist Ovide Lamontagne announced on Sunday that he will run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., according to WMUR. Lamontagne said his campaign will focus on the federal budget and American foreign policy, as opposed to traditional social issues, WMUR reported. Lamontagne said his first priority as senator would be to curtail federal spending, which he said he believes is "out of control," and to reduce the national debt, according to WMUR. A close examination of American foreign policy in Afghanistan and Iraq, including a possible troop increase in Afghanistan, will also be part of Lamontagne's platform, WMUR reported. While Lamontagne said he is opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage, he also said he supports states' right to decide issues relating to marriage, according to WMUR.
