Reminder
Pittsfield Old Home Day Scarecrow Contest
The Pittsfield Old Home Day committee will sponsor a
scarecrow contest on Old Home Day, July 18. Just bring your
scarecrow to Dustin Park by 9:00 am.
For information or questions, please contact Linda Rafeal at
435-6366.
NH#38 TOPS
Mountains, or realistic hills, and road. What do these have
to do with TOPS, you ask. Well, all it is Take Off Pounds
Sensible. You cannot lose weight without starting to do so. We
meet on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Church,
Pittsfield. Weigh in is at 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. We are a non profit
organization. For further information, please contact Pat at
435-5333 or Sandy at 798-5658.
Celebrating Birthdays are: July 16, Arlene Brown, John
Rogers, Larry Williams, Jr.; July 19, Almanzor Rathbun; July 21,
Brett Brown, Brian Brown, Robert Moulton.
A Very Happy Birthday to one and all.
Best Wishes to Paul and Bev Murdough who will celebrate
their Wedding Anniversary on July 17.
Ryan Prescott of Pittsfield, NH, was named to the Dean’s
List at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine for the spring semester.
To be eligible for Dean’s list, a student must attain an
average of 3.5 or better.
Come join The Greater Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce as we
enjoy our monthly Business After Hours. The event will be held
at Blake’s Brook Campground on Tuesday, July 21st from 6 p.m. to
8 p.m. This event is located at 76 Mountain Road in Epsom, NH.
There will be light refreshments served. A tour will be given to
all who participate in this event. This is a networking
opportunity for your business, so remember to bring your
business cards. Everyone is welcome to come. If you are not a
member and are interested in becoming one, this is a great
opportunity to learn what The Greater Pittsfield Chamber of
Commerce is involved in and how it could benefit your business.
Find out more information about this and upcoming events at
www.pittsfieldchamber.org.
Dave and Mary Jo Powelson and sons, Colby and Tabor have
returned to their home on Pittsfield Road after spending 12 days
in Honolulu, Hawaii with their son and brother, Nathan, who is
living there for two years as a graduate student in the Master’s
Program at the University of Hawaii, studying Engineering. He is
also a research student at the University working on a bridge
project on the Big Island of Hawaii.
While there, they all
spent four days on the Big Island, where they went snorkeling,
went hiking in Volcano National Park, toured the Macadamia Nut
Factory, went sight-seeing and viewed their many beautiful
waterfalls. The remainder of their trip was spent on Oahu, where
they attended a luau in Honolua and celebrated the twins’ 22nd
birthday, snorkeled with sea turtles, climbed Diamond Head and
enjoyed more sight-seeing. A great trip!
Don’t
forget to visit St. Stephen’s Church this Old Home Day for
Silent Auction and Raffle with winners drawn by 2 p.m. Come at
Breakfast for Apple Slab pies, scones or a variety of baked
goods. Come back at lunch for pulled pork, hot dogs or chili.
St. Stephen’s - a great place to see the parade.
Pittsfield Area Community Center
Submitted By: Lynne E.
Joyce, Director
A VNA Health Clinic is held at the Pittsfield
Community Center the 4th Monday of each month. July 27th
is the next clinic day. Call 224-4093 to make an appointment.
This is an amazing service provided by the VNA. They will check
your blood pressure, sugar levels, clean your ears and snip your
toenails. Just a few minutes of pampering to help keep you
comfortable and healthy and you’re on your way.
Seniors
Everywhere!
Improve Your Posture For FREE!
When you were a
child, chances are you balanced a book on your head so you would
learn to “stand up straight.”
This is a great exercise to
help you straighten up even now! From a chair, standing still or
walking about, balance a PAPER plate on your head. With
the plate balanced on your head notice how your posture feels.
This exercise will reinforce what optimal posture feels like,
which will promote better body alignment, which will promote
your overall health!
SPCC (South Pittsfield Community Center)
Submitted By Mary
Cote
It’s hard to believe spring has come and gone and summer
is here (at least that’s what the calendar tells us!) Our season
at the SPCC was off to a great start with our spring meeting
held at the home of Helen Schoppmeyer. We discussed some old
business that needed some attention and then it was on to new
business.
First the members discussed on a date for spring
cleaning on the inside and looking for volunteers for the
outside. Spring cleaning took place on May 2nd from 8-12. Many
members came with gloves and buckets in hand. Thanks to Jen
Massey’s nieces, who volunteered, the debris was racked and
cleaned up from around the grounds.
Next, the dates of the
ham and bean suppers and rotary suppers were discussed and
decided on.
The exciting news of the meeting was Old Home
Day! Members voted on having a supper at the schoolhouse on that
day. We are all thrilled to be part of the Old Home Day
festivities.
Our annual meeting/cookout will be taking place
at the home of Nancy Talbott. Thank you Nancy in advance.
All
members of the SPCC would like to thank everyone who helped make
our ham and bean suppers a great success.
We are all looking
forward to a wonderful Old Home Day, don’t forget to come up and
see us.
Our thoughts and prayers are still with the Barton
family, Polly Barton will be greatly missed by many.
South Pittsfield Church
During the Old Home Day Walking Tour
in South Pittsfield, the Friends Church will be open for
viewing.
We will be conducting summer services there on July
19, July 26, and August 2. All beginning at 1 p.m.
On July 19
there will be special music and information on the church and
the Quakers who lived in the area.
Pittsfield Players’ Announce Auditions For Fall Musical Big
River
The Pittsfield Players will hold auditions for their
fall musical production of Big River: The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn at the Scenic Theatre on Depot St. in
Pittsfield, NH, on Sunday, August 23 at 6 p.m. and again on
Monday, August 24 at 7 p.m. Big River is a musical with a
book by William Hauptman and music and lyrics by Roger Miller,
best known for his pop hit King of the Road. Based on Mark
Twain’s classic 1884 novel, the show features music in the
bluegrass and country styles in keeping with the setting of the
novel.
The cast is diverse and includes adults and teenagers
of all ethnic backgrounds. Auditioners will be asked to read
from the script, sing a song from the show, and do a few basic
dance steps. The show also includes an onstage musical trio
including banjo, fiddle and harmonica, and if you wish to
audition for those parts, please come to either of the sessions.
If you wish to audition for the show and are not available on
the audition dates, you may arrange to audition at another time.
The show will run November 6, 7, and 8 and November 13 and 14.
For more information, call Maye Hart at 736-9563.
Letter
Dearest Citizen,
In times of such uncertainty, to
whom do we turn for hope? Listen to the profound words of Dale
Evans Rogers, who eloquently gives us the answer…
“I have
studied many religions, many different persuasions of thought in
Christian belief, and I have come, in this experience, to this:
the most important question in anyone’s life is the question
asked by poor Pilate in Matthew 27:22: ‘What shall I do, then,
with Jesus who is called Christ?’ No other question in the whole
sweep of human experience is as important as this. It is the
choice between life and death, between meaningless existence and
life abundant. What will you do with Christ? Accept Him and
live, or reject Him and die? What else is there?”
If ever
there was a time to trust in Jesus, the time is now. “Whoever
calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
Linda Small
PMHS Students: Summer Reading!
All students in grades 7-12 at
Pittsfield Middle High School are expected to read over the
summer. Each teacher has different requirements, so all students
should go to the school website at
http://www.pittsfield.k12.nh.us/pmhs and then click on the
“Summer Reading” link to find out more information. If you have
difficulty going on the internet link, please call the school at
603/435-6701 to find out about your summer reading assignment.
Students will need to have completed their summer reading
homework BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS in AUGUST! Enjoy your summer
vacation and happy reading!
Letter
To The Citizens of Pittsfield:
The Select Board is
proud to announce Carol Grainger as May’s Employee of the Month.
Carol is currently Assistant Librarian of Josiah Carpenter
Library. Carol is a long time resident of the town, a
retired Pittsfield school teacher and has worked at the library
for over twenty years.
As the Summer Program Coordinator, Carol
will be organizing many of the summer reading
programs. “Summertime… And the Reading is Easy!”
Is a program that is designed to encourage
parents and children to read in a relaxed
environment. Readers of all ages can also enroll
in exciting programs such as The Young Saver
Account Program and Hit the Books program along
with other reading challenges. Throughout the
summer there will be activities, crafts and
special projects that Carol will be directing. Carol’s
knowledge, dedication and innovative thinking have made
children’s programming fun.
Carol supervises new volunteers at the
Library training and mentoring them to be future
librarians. Carols initiative, creativity
and expertise have positively impacted the
Library throughout the years. Carol is
pleasant, helpful and professional in her job
and a great support to all the staff.
Carol is flexible in her time, her job
description and open minded to trying new ideas.
Carol is eager to offer patrons the latest
resources and research materials which have
provide a valuable service to our community.
The Select Board would like to recognize
Carol for her long term commitment to the community and
acknowledge her contributions which have enhanced the quality of
life in Pittsfield for everyone.
Respectfully submitted by
Denise Morin
Sit
Up!
Submitted by Peter Minnehan, Physical Therapist
Sit
up! Who hasn’t heard that from a parent or teacher? The lessons
of good sitting posture taught in childhood, often get
forgotten. Good posture allows our muscles and joints to
function most efficiently, and with the least chance of
developing aches and pains. Bad posture can play a role in the
development of headaches, back, neck, shoulder, and hip pains.
In addition, even when we don’t feel discomfort, we tend to be
less productive and function less efficiently when maintaining a
poor sitting position.
When we sit, our ears, shoulders and
hips should all be lined up. Our chair or seat (even a car seat)
should provide support for the forward curve of our low back; a
small pillow or rolled towel may be used if needed to provide
adequate support in some chairs. . Our hips and knees should be
positioned at about right angles, with feet resting on the
floor. When at a desk or workbench of some kind, the work
surface (desktop, benchtop, or computer keyboard) should be
roughly at the same height as our elbows. If the chair height
needs to be raised to achieve this, a foot rest of some kind may
be needed to keep your legs supported in the position mentioned
above. A computer monitor, for most, should be positioned
directly in front of you with the top of the screen at eye
level. No matter how perfect our posture is however, we should
take frequent brief “posture breaks”, changing positions to give
your muscles and joints a rest. The guidelines for good posture
apply at work and leisure because the forces on our body the
same in all sitting activities. So, listen to what your mother
said and “sit up!
Letter
In the July 1 SVS, Linda Small presented the
selectmen’s only reason for calling a special town meeting for
the planning board membership matter: the Town Attorney told
them to. This is the same Town Attorney who wrote the 4 warrant
articles for the planning board zoning proposal last March. No
one, including the selectmen, could explain what adopting each
of those articles would do, which no doubt helped to defeat each
article by at least 3 to 1.
Also, Linda misstated my
involvement. I learned by accident that the planning board has 5
legal seats, and I reported this discovery to the planning board
chair, not the selectmen. Contrary to Linda’s assertion, I did
not approach the selectmen and question the legitimacy of the
planning board. I oppose the selectmen’s interference, and they
have ignored my opinions and those of the planning board.
Unlike the selectmen, the planning board did not follow the Town
Attorney blindly. The planning board legally analyzed the
problem and the potential solutions and concluded that only the
annual town meeting can solve this problem. Why? Because (1) the
planning board members, to their credit, realize that 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 new empty seats and
do nothing more.
Please consider carefully the planning
board’s reasons. Please attend the special town meeting on
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
Fall Soccer Season Signups
If you have not signed your child
up for the fall soccer season, you have two more chances.
The
final fall soccer sign-up dates:
Wed. July 29th, 6:00
p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at Pittsfield Middle High School; Sunday,
August 9th, 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. at Pittsfield Middle High
School.
After these sign-up dates, players will only be added
to a team if there is room. If a team is full, a player will not
be added to the roster.
The SVSC has teams for youth ages 5
to 12.
For more information email us at:
[email protected]
The
Suncook Valley Soccer Club
The Suncook Valley Soccer Club
will be hosting Sunday Soccer for Girls and Boys, ages 7- 13
starting on Sunday, July 19th 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at Drake
Field. This is an informal setting where the players will be
able to work on their skills and start to get ready for the Fall
season. For more information check out the club website
www.suncookvallyesoccerclub.synthasite.com or email us at
[email protected]
FB
Argue Recreation Area News
Beginning on Tuesday, July 21st,
the recreation area will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00
noon on Tuesday and Friday mornings for adult/senior swim time.
All adults and seniors welcome.
Afternoon activities will
begin that week also. Activities will take place from 2:00- 3:15
p.m
On Tuesday, there will be Airhead Bingo; on Wednesday,
Yahtzee tournaments will be held; Thursday will be Duck Hunt
Day; and Friday we will have sand castle building contests.
Prizes will be awarded from the concession stand for each of
these activities.
The recreation area will be open on Old
Home Day, July 18, 2009, from 2:00 until 5:00 p.m. (after the
parade).
One more session of swimming lessons will be offered
beginning on July 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Each class
will last for ˝ hour. Registration can be completed at the
recreation area during regular business hours.
Come down and
join us for some summer fun!
How
The Renovations Of Tilton Hill Facility Came To Take Place
Submitted By: Larry Williams, Jr.
Resigned Co-Chair
Several years ago P.Y.B.A. was approached with the offer to
purchase the property adjacent to our ball fields. This
purchase would give the association enough land to expand with a
Babe Ruth Field. In purchasing this land, Mr. Larry Berkson
offered his expertise in contracts, deed filing and other
aspects of the purchase in order to help P.Y.B.A. from making
any bad moves. When the final payment was made, Larry also filed
the appropriate papers with the State and (paid out of his own
pocket) to help get things going quicker. After this purchase
was complete the association looked forward and planning for the
Babe Ruth Field started.
Mr. Berkson had spent time in the
association as a parent, volunteer, and served in many other
capacities over the years. He raised money for the New Historic
Sign out at the front of the property and continued to inquire
about the new field.
A tragedy in Larry and Sue’s life, the
death of their only son, left them wondering how they could
honor their son in a way that expressed his joys in life. Their
thoughts went to the Babe Ruth Project as Quintin played for
P.Y.B.A. for many years. He was honored as player of the Year
and continued to play into High School and College years. This
would be a perfect place to invest time and energy and honor
their son. In 2007, Larry and Sue approached a board member and
asked if they could sit down and discuss an idea they had. The
meeting took place and the “Ultimate Facility” at the Tilton
Hill fields was discussed. Larry asked “IF you had a million
dollars what would you build?” Quickly adding, “we don’t have a
million dollars but design a new facility as if you did and
let’s see where it takes us!” The idea was brought back to the
board and the brainstorming began to design the “Ultimate
Field.” Several weeks later Larry, Sue and the board of P.Y.B.A.
met to discuss the entire ideal. Because it was such a big
project and the P.Y.B.A. board had a season to run, they made it
clear that they could not handle this from the board’s aspect,
and a committee would have to be formed to get this project off
the ground. At this time the board appointed 2 co-chairs to get
the committee started.
With some ideas jotted down, Larry and
Sue asked permission to take these ideas to an engineer and see
if they could put it to paper.
As the project heated up, the
board agreed to let Larry (who agreed that no cost would be put
on P.Y.B.A. shoulders) bring back a design for approval. The
committee loved the new plan, made some suggestions and agreed
to move forward with the new plan. At this point the committee
was put in charge of this project. Larry brought this plan to
every department of the town, looking for approval and testing
the waters on how a project of this size would be accepted by
the town. A smashing hit! Some concerns were raised and Larry
made sure that they were addressed and that the project would
not create problems for the town.
With local support in place
the committee gave their blessing and gave Larry Berkson the
power to act on behalf of the committee and raise funds, secure
permits, meet with State and Local officials to acquire Wet Land
Permit, and beg for physical, financial and advisory support for
this project. The board signed contracts with electricians and
contractors to put in the new septic system. The project was
taking flight. As Larry asked to break ground, the board
questioned the length of “shut down time.” The answer was that
in one full year, from ground breaking the committee would have
the existing fields ready for play. The Babe Ruth Field would be
finished as soon as possible after the original three were back
up and running. At this time the board of P.Y.B.A. was going
through a change in new officers.
As projects began, the new
board started to question the decisions of the committee that
had been made by the members of the committee that were making
the meetings. With many decisions made and funds being raised
for the financial proposals, the members of the committee who
did not participate in several of the prior accepted meetings
started showing up and taking the committee backwards. They
slowed the progress down considerably. This began the Political
Power Struggle referred to in the Concord Monitor. At this point
the controversy and personal attacks forced the co-chair person
and treasurer of the Renovation committee to resign their
positions.
When you raise monies for a project you need to
have flexibility on the projects as some projects may not be as
vital as others are (dugouts Vs grass).
Estimates need to be
gotten for every item, and you raise money for the most
important things first. When you start a project you cannot
foresee all the problems in advance. The funds for these
projects need to come from somewhere. It seems you would focus
on the original fields and get them finished first. Good idea in
theory, bad idea in the financial picture. All the
projects have steps, and to skip a step usually costs big. If
they were not to blast out the ledge where the Babe Ruth Field
is expected to be, before laying loam and seed on the original
fields, they may have created damage and spend foolish money to
repair something that could have waited. When you spend
“$70,000.00” unexpectedly on a very tight budget, you have two
choices. 1. Raise the $70,000.00 again or 2. Cut something, or
some things that are not as important. You DO NOT have an EMAIL
vote to the board members to spend $28,000.00, on new dugouts
when the old ones could be upgraded for several hundred dollars.
In closing, I would like to reiterate to you some points:
Larry Berkson offered his help
He secured town support
He
secured State and Town Permits
He single handedly raised
$250,000.00 and priceless behind the scene support
He never
hid any decisions
Larry still guarantees to finish this
project to the fullest of its potential with the funds
available.
P.Y.B.A. board Do NOT be foolish. Back off, give
him your support and allow this project to finish with the man
who has the knowledge and heart to see it through.
Obituaries
Clayton E. Weeks
Concord - Clayton E. Weeks, 86, of Heritage
Heights, died July 8th at the Concord Hospital following a long
illness.
He was born in South Pittsfield, the son of J.
Harold and Elsie Weeks.
He had lived in Chichester for over
50 years, moving to Concord 3 years ago.
He was a machinist
at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for many years and he also was
a self-employed trucker. He was a US Army Veteran of WW II
having served with the 10th Mountain Division in Alaska and the
2nd Army in Germany. He had been a member of the Peterson Cram
American Legion Post # 75 in Pittsfield since 1944. He was a
long time member of the 1st Congregational Church of Pittsfield.
Members of his family include his wife of 63 years, Arlene
(Bailey) Weeks of Concord; a son, Thomas C. Weeks and his wife
Jeannette, of New Boston; a daughter, Kathleen Joan Weeks
Welch and her husband Garry of Walpole; 6 grandchildren; 8
great- grandchildren; a brother, Richard Weeks of Dover; and
many nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by a son, Robert
Weeks in 1967, and a sister, Frances Weeks.
A Funeral Service
was held on Monday, July 13, 2009, at the 1st
Congregational Church of Pittsfield.
The Rev. David Stasiak,
Pastor, officiated.
Burial followed in the Pineground
Cemetery, Chichester.
Donations in his memory may be made to
the 1st Congregational Church Building Fund Main St. Pittsfield,
NH 03263 or to the CRVNA Hospice Program, 250 Pleasant St.,
Concord, NH 03301.
