Naida Osborne’s academic record has qualified her for inclusion
in the Dean’s List at Iowa State University of Science and
Technology where she is pursuing her Doctorate in Veterinary
Medicine.
#38 TOPS NH
Do you think you have had great intentions? Well, that is
the first step of joining TOPS, Take Off Pounds Sensible.
Remember the biggest thing in life is to take the first step. We
meet weekly at St. Stephen’s Church, Main Street, Pittsfield, in
the Undercroft of the church. Weigh-in time is 5:30 p.m. to 6:15
p.m., and the meeting is at 6:30 p.m. We are a nonprofit
organization, and would like to welcome you.
If you have any questions, please call Pat at 435-5333 or
Sandy at 798-5658.
Celebrating Birthdays are: July 22, Steve Adams; July 25,
Brendon Ward; July 26, Corine Miller, Cassandra Keene; July 27,
Tori Volpe, Trisha Cheever; July 28, Royce Elkins, Bill Heath.
A Very Happy Birthday to one and all.
Celebrating Anniversaries are: July 23, John and Pat
Freeman; July 24, Craig and Jennifer Smith.
Best Wishes.
Letter
To the concerned citizen who was questioning if I had a
building permit for the addition to my home on 140 Barnstead
Road. I certainly do, and it cost me $170.00.
If you would like to see the permit, stop in anytime.
Elizabeth A. Hast
Letter
In past weeks, I have written about a problem of the
planning board membership. Briefly, the board has 5 lawful seats
but 7 people sitting. The selectmen, on Town Attorney advice,
have called a special town meeting to create 2 new seats. The
planning board, after analyzing the legal advice, recommended
waiting until next March. The planning board reasoned that (1)
no person now sitting can say that he was lawfully elected and
(2) only the annual town meeting can elect planning board
members. The special town meeting would simply create 2 empty
seats and do nothing more. The selectmen ignored the planning
board’s recommendation.
The inconvenient but obvious truth is that the selectmen
think that they know better than the planning board what is best
for the planning board. Linda Small wrote that the selectmen are
trying “to protect the integrity of decisions made by the
Planning Board” (SVS July 1), but isn’t that first the planning
board’s job? And shouldn’t the selectmen respect the planning
board’s decision to wait until March? In 2007 and 2009, the town
voted to free the planning board from selectmen’s influence. Now
the selectmen are trying to come in the back door.
If they succeed in meddling now, what will keep them from
meddling in the future? Nothing. If a planning board accountable
to only you, the voter, is important to you, then you must tell
the selectmen “NO!” Please defend your democratically elected
planning board. Please attend the special town meeting THIS
SATURDAY, July 25, and vote NO to the selectmen’s proposal. The
March 2010 town meeting ballot will have a proper solution to
the planning board membership problem.
Thank you,
Jim Pritchard
Letter
To the Community:
By now I am sure nearly everyone has
been made aware of recent difficulties at Pittsfield Youth
Athletic Park. I am delighted to report that the concerns have
been resolved and I have been reinstated as Project Manager. We
have a working Advisory Committee of Eric Bahr, Kent Brown,
Scott Brown, Richard Foss, Brenda Pabon, and Jim Parker.
I am especially pleased to report that despite the recent
bad weather we are still on schedule to have the three old
fields ready for hydro seeding during the late summer so that
they will be ready for play next spring. The Babe Ruth field may
be somewhat delayed because of the unexpected ledge that was
found in the outfield area. It has now been blasted and most of
it removed.
Because of the economy, and the resulting slowdown of
contributions, and the paving of the parking lot and the field
lighting are likely to be delayed also. However, the parking lot
will be graveled and ready for pavement and the walkways and
parking lot lighting will be installed. The restrooms continue
to be erected and should also be completed by the fall.
You will not see too much action at the park for the next
couple of weeks because J. Parker and Daughters are on another
job and the electrician, Harry O, is on vacation. By mid August,
however, please ride by and see the tremendous progress that we
are making.
We continue to need funds to make this wonderful project
happen. Please contact Larry Berkson at 798-3984 if you have any
questions or would like to make a contribution.
Respectfully,
Larry Berkson
Suncook Valley 10U Allstars Win District 3 Tournament
Pictured from left to right are: back row - Gordon Bilodeau
(coach), Kolby McKenzie, Brianna Whitcomb, Olivia Langevin,
Alison Brown, Shelby Lindsay, Brad Bachelder (coach).
Middle
row - Allison Bachelder, Cortney Lewis, Avree Carpenter, Ryley
Roberts, Cora Hodgdon.
Front row - Emilee Harlow, Brianna
Burley.
Suncook Valley 10U Allstars won the District 3 tournament this
weekend and will be heading to the State tournament being held
in Plaistow beginning next weekend. Suncook Valley went
undefeated beating teams from Rochester, Farmington,
Somersworth, Dover, and Barrington. The final game was played on
Sunday afternoon against Barrington. Suncook Valley won with a
walk off hit up the middle by Alison Brown, for a final score of
8 to 7, in the bottom of the sixth. Both teams played well with
strong pitching. The Suncook Valley team consists of players
from Chichester, Epsom, Northwood, Barnstead, New Durham and
Alton.
Area Students At Champlain College Earn Top Honors
The following area residents have been named to the 2009
Champlain College Honors list. They are:
Auston Montville, of
Pittsfield, NH, is on the Dean’s list. Montville is majoring in
Electronic Game and Interactive Development at Champlain
College.
Jessica Palmer, of Chichester, NH, is on the Dean’s list.
Palmer is majoring in Applied Psychology at Champlain College
Being named to the Dean’s List requires a semester
grade-point average of 3.5 or more as a full-time student.
President’s List honors are for a grade-point average of 4.0.
Trustees Scholar students are those students on the President’s
List for two consecutive semesters.
The Pittsfield Police Association Needs Your Help
Join McGruff and the Pittsfield Police Association in
Taking a Bite Out of Crime at National Night Out in Pittsfield,
August 4, 6-8PM
The Pittsfield Police Association is in the planning stages
of National Night Out 2009 and needs you to help us out. Last
year National Night Out garnered the interest of over 150
participants and this year the Association is looking to make
this event even bigger, therefore we need YOU to participate.
We are looking for face painting, DJ music, DARE vehicles,
petting animals, clowns, etc. to volunteer for our event. If you
have a talent, equipment, or an entertaining idea that you would
be willing to donate for the evening, we want to hear from you!
We are also looking for non-profit organizations to take
part in this event. In the past we have had PYW, The Pittsfield
Players, The Pittsfield Fire Department, Law Enforcement
organizations and many more participate on this evening. If you
are a non-profit organization who is looking to help keep kids
and adults off drugs and can guide them to participate in
meaningful activities, this is a perfect opportunity to showcase
your organization. Think outside the box, have an activity for
people to do, get handouts ready, invite membership
opportunities, and have eye-catching displays.
National Night Out is Tuesday, August 4, 2009. National
Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention
awareness; generate support for and participation in local
anti-crime activities and strengthen neighborhood spirit and
police-community partnerships. This will be Pittsfield’s third
National Night Out. It is a quickly growing event and an
excellent showcase for non-profit organizations, a
family-friendly night out that is absolutely free, a way to
reach our youth and adults and encourage healthy behaviors as
well as a means to encourage Police/Fire community relations.
For more information on this event and especially to
volunteer your group and/or talent, please contact Meggin Dail
at 736-8073 or email
[email protected].
VA Medical Center
Manchester, NH
Expansion Of Acute Inpatient Care Contract
We are pleased with Secretary Shinseki’s decision to allow
the expansion of acute inpatient contract care at Concord
Hospital. This means that those New Hampshire Veterans served by
VAMC Manchester will now have improved local access to inpatient
hospital care.The expansion of the inpatient contract meets the
intent of the bills submitted by Senator Shaheen, SR 239, and
Representative Shea-Porter, HR 190, to provide New Hampshire
Veterans with the same level of care that the VA provides for
Veterans in other states. Enrolled Veterans requiring inpatient
acute care will be referred to Concord Hospital.Patients will
still be referred to Boston VAMC, a Harvard teaching hospital,
for specialized procedures such as elective orthopedic and
cardiac cases.
In order to utilize the benefits that this decision confers
to veterans, they must:
-be enrolled at VAMC Manchester
-be referred to Concord Hospital by a Manchester VA Clinical
Unit such as Urgent Care. (most referrals will be made through
the Urgent Care Unit which is open 24 hours a day, every day).
-require acute care hospitalization as determined by a VA
healthcare provider. Veterans who elect to be hospitalized
within the Veterans Healthcare System will be referred to Boston
(West Roxbury VAMC) or the White River Junction VAMC.
Veterans who would like to enroll for health care at the
Manchester VAMC have three options to complete their
enrollment:-contact the Eligibility Office by phone at (603)
624-4366 extension 6410 or (800) 892-8384 extension 6410.
-complete the application on line at:
www.1010ez.med.va.gov/sec/vha/1010ez/.
Visit the Manchester
VAMC Eligibility Office to meet with an Eligibility Clerk to
enroll.
For further information regarding this notice,
please contact Ms. Debra Krinsky, Acting Public Affairs Officer
at (603) 624-4366, ext 6419.
On
July 15th, members of American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75
properly disposed of unserviceable flags by burning them at the
transfer station. Flags included those that have flown over the
graves of our departed comrades. Post Members, Dan Ward and
Robert Moulton placed the flag on top of the other flags for
disposal. Photo by Diane Vaughan
Explanation For Special Town Meeting
Submitted By
Pittsfield Board Of Selectmen
REASON - The Board of
Selectmen, based upon advice from the Town Attorney, has
scheduled a Special Town Meeting for Saturday July 25, 2009 at
10:00 A.M. at the Pittsfield Elementary School to allow the
public the opportunity to vote to confirm that the voters
intended that the Planning Board would consist of seven elected
(7) members, which includes one (1) Selectman.
HISTORY - Town
Meeting of 1961 established a five (5) member Planning Board. In
the early 1970’s the Planning Board membership increased to
seven (7) members. At the 1972 Town Meeting the official minutes
noted that the Planning Board would be composed of seven (7)
members.
The increase to seven (7) Planning Board members is
not fully documented.
In 2008 the voters of Pittsfield
elected seven (7) members to the Planning Board, which includes
one (1) Selectman.
CONSEQUENCE OF NOT CONFIRMING SEVEN (7)
MEMBER PLANNING BOARD
The consequence of not confirming seven
(7) members to the Planning Board could put the town at risk of
being legally challenged by any further decisions made by the
Planning Board.
White-Dalphonse
Ariel Dalphonse and Joseph White were united in marriage on
Saturday, July 11, 2009, at the White Mountain Chalet in Berlin,
NH.
Katrina Dalphonse, sister of the bride, was Maid of
Honor.
Nicholas White, brother of the groom, was Best Man.
The bride, daughter of Susan Genna of Florida and Thomas
Dalphonse of Nashua, is a 2007 graduate of Pittsfield High
School. She is employed at Wal-mart.
The groom, son of Dawna
White of Pittsfield and Scott White of Concord is a 2006
graduate of Pittsfield High School. He is a member of the NH
National Guard and is serving at the Concord Armory.
Letter
I want to thank Elsie Morse for last week’s article,
“The Times They A’Changing.” It is news like this that brings
home the reality of this new world we are all living in. We all
have friends, neighbors, and family who are suffering in one way
or another due to the global recession we find ourselves in.
Jobs are lost. Health Insurance is lost. Money and homes are
lost. If we can take anything good from what is happening around
us, let it be that we are all in this together, every last one
of us. Any little kindness we can extend to each other during
these times is not only appreciated by others, but rewarding to
us. If you are lucky enough not to have been directly affected,
then God Bless, but we all need to remember, “there but for the
grace of God go I.” My prayers now are for all the world. I know
these prayers are echoed billions of times over, across this
globe.
Kathy McLoughlin
Obituaries
Stephen R. Mitchell
Stephen R. Mitchell, 64, of Antrim, NH,
died unexpectedly July 8, 2009, while visiting his sister on
Cape Cod.
Born in Concord, NH, June 20, 1945, he was the son
of Edith M. (Jenkins) Mitchell and the late Donald H. Mitchell
of Pittsfield.
Steve was a graduate of Pittsfield High
School. He spent four years in the Army and was stationed at
Fort Dix, N.J. and El Paso, Texas, before serving in Germany.
He held two degrees in Engineering Technology. He enjoyed
nature, the ocean, hiking, fishing and was an avid board game
player. He was passionate about his photography. He was a member
of several photo clubs and had won a number of photo
competitions.
Besides his mother, Edith M. Mitchell in
Pittsfield, he is survived by his son, Eric S. Mitchell of
Florida; his brother, Theodore D. Mitchell of Pittsfield; Ted’s
twin sister, Saundra J. Mitchell and her partner, Brent Valli of
Wellfleet, Mass.; also his sister, Linda C. Rosano and her
husband, Frank of Concord, NH; and Sherry Rosano Bradstreet and
her husband, Jon of Allenstown, NH; 4 uncles; 1 aunt; and
many, many cousins.
Arrangements are under the direction of
Gately and McHaul Funeral Home of Provincetown, Mass.
Memorial contributions may be made to NH Audubon Society, 3 Silk
Farm Road, Concord, NH 03301 or Pittsfield High School Alumni
Association, 23 Oneida Street, Pittsfield, NH 03263.