Board of Aldermen 05-25-2021 Page 10
President Wilshire
Aaron Penkacik
Aaron Penkacik — Thank you Madam Chairman. My name is Aaron Penkacik, | live on Dow Road in Hollis,
New Hampshire. | am asking that this mask mandate which in and of itself violates State Law be lifted. | am
going to read a State Law here, it is a real short one, it is Section 354-A:16 which deals with public
accommodations. It says, equal access to public accommodations is a Civil Right. The opportunity for every
individual to have equal access to places of public accommodation without discrimination because of age, sex,
gender identity, race, creed, color, marital status, physical or mental disability or national origin is hereby
recognized and declared to be a Civil Right. That is existing State Law. I’ll say it again it is Section 354-A:16.
The ADA defines places of public accommodation as a private entity that owns, operates, leases or leases to a
place of public accommodation. Those places include a wide range of entities such as restaurants, hotels,
theaters, doctor’s offices, pharmacies, retail stores, museums, libraries, and the list goes on. You can look it
up, go look at the ADA web site. The key word in RSA 354-A:16 is creed. Creed means any system or
codification of belief or opinion. You can look that up as well, right? So if someone believes for religious
reasons, for any reason whatsoever, for health reasons as the previous woman just described, that they don’t
need to wear a mask, then they don’t have to according to the State Law which supersedes Nashua Board of
Aldermen’s authority, right. So you need to lift this illegal mandate now. And that’s all | have to say, thank you.
Alex Granok, MD Alright | live in Manchester, 290 North Street. | am the medical director for the Division of
Public Health and | work at both hospitals in Nashua as an infectious disease expert. From my Public Health
perspective | am going to respectfully ask that the mandate be left in place for public transportation, for medical
facilities where vulnerable people do not have the choice as to whether they may be sitting next to or in a room
with someone who is deciding not to mask for their own protection and to help the public. This is what we do |
think to keep each other safe and | think businesses should have the right to decide if people who are going to
patronize their business or work in their business should wear a mask to keep the rest of their patrons and
employees safe. Thank you.
President Wilshire
AJ Todd.
AJ Todd Yes hi. | am going to keep it simple. | support the lifting of the mask mandate effective immediately
and | want to state something straight from our Constitutions Article 34 Martial Law limited. No person can in
any case by subjected to Marshal Law or to any pains or penalties by virtue of that law except those employed
by the Army or Navy and except militia and acting service but by authority of the Legislature. And | mention
this specifically right here it says or to any pains or penalties. The fact of the matter is that | know for a fact
that there’s people on the Board itself that suffered pains and penalties from all the restrictions we have put on
this COVID-19 and our own children are suffering from having pains and penalties from COVID-19 restrictions
and | don’t support the wearing of these masks anymore. | support those that want to wear them on their own,
but | don’t think it is ethical and | think it’s highly unconstitutional for us to keep up this mask mandate. And
that’s all | have to say.
President Wilshire
Kara Cantwell?
Kara Cantwell Hi my name is Kara Cantwell, | live on Chatham Street in Nashua and | just want to add my
voice to the others tonight and ask you to please remove the mask mandate. | fully support those who need to
wear them for medical reasons or what not but it needs to be a choice and especially for our children in the
schools. They need to be able to make that choice to not wear them, again what the other lady had mentioned,
those who have health issues and of that nature, we need to be able to make this a choice. That is all | have to
say. Thank you so much.
