Friends
Church in South Pittsfield will be open for services on July 24th
with Harold Muzzey speaking. Service starts at 1 pm.
Those Celebrating Birthdays this week are: July 21, Brett
Brown, Brian Brown, Robert Moulton; July 22, Steve Adams; July 23,
Jean Steward; July 25, Brendon Ward; July 26, Corine Miller,
Cassandra Keene.
A Very Happy Birthday To One and All!
Celebrating Anniversaries this week are: July 23, John and Pat
Freeman; July 24, Craig and Jennifer Smith.
Best Wishes!
Pittsfield Church of God on 43 Watson Street, invites you
Friday and Saturday evenings, July 22nd and 23rd at 7 pm, to a
special dramatic presentation of “From Mafia to Christ.” The
stirring story of dynamic evangelist Frankie Palermo. You
don’t want to miss this! Pastor Bill Smith welcomes you.
For directions, call 520-4633.
What
You Need To Know A Guide To Understanding The Pittsfield School
District Redesign By Ross Morse, Community Advisory Council
Member
In an effort to better understand the Pittsfield School
District Redesign process, there will be a series of articles to
inform and answer the frequently asked questions from the community
concerning this initiative. This is the first of those such
articles. During the course of these articles your questions are
welcomed.
How Did This Come About? In January of 2009 the
Pittsfield School District invited recent graduates of Pittsfield
Middle High School to meet with administrators to help develop a
vision of what PMHS students should be able to do upon graduation.
The activity was part of the Pittsfield School District’s
reconsideration of its mission as the school board and staff began
work to create stronger continuity across all grades.
A
Pittsfield School District Community Forum for parents and community
members was also held. Participants in this Community Forum were
asked (1) to reconsider the district’s mission statement and (2) to
develop a vision for the school district’s future. In the process,
participants described what Pittsfield’s schools will look like in
the future, and what graduates will know and be able to do when they
receive their diplomas. The thoughts of faculty, staff, recent
graduates and community members formed the basis of mission and
vision statements that were completed by that spring.
Through
this process a Community Advisory Council (CAC) was formed. The CAC
is comprised of students, faculty, administration, the
superintendent of schools, School Board members, Pittsfield
community members and greater Pittsfield community members. Its
purpose as an advisory board is to recommend to the school board, a
plan to satisfy the academic goals set by the district while
including input from community members.
A common thread
throughout the community forums in January of 2009 was that while
the educational system had not changed dramatically over the years;
what is expected of a 21st century graduate has. By allowing our
students to continue in the traditional setting of learning we were
alienating students from the ability to be able to succeed in a
world that requires much more from a graduate today than it did in
even more recent history.
Recognizing the need for the remodeling
of our current system was the first step taken in building a system
that recognizes diversity in the way students are taught and learn
and promotes it through “competency-based” learning. Students are
allowed to show what they know and can do through means other than
pencil and paper assessments. They are able to choose and
participate in performance exhibitions that provide multiple ways to
demonstrate their learning. This puts the student at the center of
learning.
Our next article will address Student Centered
Learning; what it is and what it looks like.
Future articles will
address: Personal Learning Plans, Student-Led Conferences,
Portfolios, Extended Learning Opportunities, Active Learning,
Teachers as Facilitators, Dual Credit Opportunities, Whole Child
Focus, College and Career Readiness, Professional Development and
what role the Community will take in improving the path to success
for all our students.
Encore!
2011 In Concert For Pittsfield’s Old Home Days
The Pittsfield
Players’ will be presenting their Encore! 2011 show, which performs
every Tuesday night in dinner theater at Steele Hill Resort in
Sanbornton, in concert at the Scenic Theatre, 6 Depot Street,
Pittsfield, NH on Friday, July 22 at 7:30 pm. Tickets, which are $12
per person, are now on sale and can be purchased by going to the
Players’ website,
www.pittsfieldplayers.com, and going to the TicketLeap button,
or they can be reserved by calling 435-8852.
Once again this year
the very talented Encore! cast will be singing and dancing up a
storm and will be joined by guests The Jubellation Hand Bell
Choir and Bruce Cobb, fiddler, with Dave Pollard on Guitar and
harmonica. You’ll hear some fabulous harmonized numbers, including
songs from the Broadway sensation Jersey Boys, a great medley of
Beatles’ songs, a swinging 50s number, and a salute to the rock
group Queen. There will also be some hilarious specialty songs
guaranteed to make you laugh. The show is certain to keep your toes
tapping and have you singing along.
This years’ Encore! cast
includes Bea Pzsonowsky Douglas, Lena Luongo, Louise Maheux, Jean
Gentile, Dee Dee Pitcher, Angelo Gentile, Angel Douglas, Nathan
Strong, Jen Kearns, Mike Hayes, Cassidy Kearns, Kate Belanger and
Mark Ward, a group of really talented singers and performers. Keith
Belanger is the accompanist, who also sings with the group in some
numbers. The show is directed and choreographed by Dee Dee Pitcher.
Get your tickets now for this great Old Home Days Concert and join
in the fun at the Scenic Theater on July 22!
On
Thursday, July 21st, during the Summer Reading Program hour at 1 pm,
at the Josiah Carpenter Library Children’s Room, there will be a
special visit from Nanny Rosebud, Storyteller, (www.nannyrosebud.com)
for a program of “European Tales and Lore.” All are welcome.
The
Pittsfield Players Announce Auditions For Man Of La Mancha
The
Pittsfield Players, the community theater group that brought you
great shows like Annie, Hot Bed Hotel, Play it Again Sam, and last
year’s Hello Dolly and Lie, Cheat and Genuflect, are holding open
auditions for their upcoming production of the musical Man of
LaMancha on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 7 pm, Sunday, August 14,
2011 at 5 pm and Monday, August 15, 2011 at 7 pm.
The Pittsfield
Players first brought Man of LaMancha to the stage in November 1976,
directed by Roland Charron. After 35 years, the Players are
bringing back the winning musical, which tells the tale of author
Miguel de Cervantes who, imprisoned and awaiting trial before the
Spanish Inquisition joins with his fellow prisoners to perform a
play about Don Quixote de la Mancha, the mad knight who quests for
justice and tilts at windmills. This is an inspiring story with a
soaring score which reminds us all to dream the impossible dream.
This production will be presented at the Scenic Theater, 6 Depot
Street, Pittsfield, NH in November. The show will include 20
speaking and singing roles and will be directed by John Charron and
choreographed by Carole Neveux. John Charron is directing this show
in honor of his father, Roland, a founder of the Pittsfield Players,
as this was Roland’s favorite show.
The show will feature classic
songs such as “I, Don Quixote”, “Knight of the Woeful Countenance”,
“The Impossible Dream”, and lots more. So don’t miss out on a chance
to be a part of this classic musical.
For an audition packet,
complete with listed parts, suggested monologues for auditions,
performance dates and other information, visit the Players’ website
at
www.pittsfieldplayers.com., or call John Charron at 765-5280.
Pittsfield High Graduate Competes Nationally Submitted By Sharon
Patterson
Brandon Patterson, son of Glen and Sharon Patterson,
and a 2011 graduate of Pittsfield Middle High School and the Concord
Regional Technical Center, recently participated in the SkillsUSA
National Competition held in Kansas City, MO. SkillsUSA is a
national nonprofit organization serving teachers, high school and
college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical
and skilled service occupations.
Brandon participated in the
statewide New Hampshire SkillsUSA Computer Maintenance competition
held at Great Bay Community College in the spring of 2011. He
competed against twelve other high school juniors and seniors from
five high schools throughout the State. Brandon was selected
by his instructor, Mr. Gary Hendley of CRTC to compete in the
contest. At the awards ceremony, hosted by Dover Regional
Career Technical Center, he won the Gold medal for Computer
Maintenance Technology for the second year in a row!
Brandon’s
success at the state level earned him the right to compete in the
nationals where he placed 17th overall. At the national
competition the students are treated to opening and closing
ceremonies at the huge Kemper Arena in Kansas City, MO. Their
actual competition takes place in Bartle Hall, a convention center
that spans the size of eight football fields of column free space.
When not competing, the students are able to participate in viewing
other exhibits and testing their many skills by all types of
vendors. The students at this competition are celebrated as
the best of the best and are treated very well with dinner
certificates, T-Shirts, tools of the trade, and other fun give-aways.
Having won the statewide competition two years in a row, Brandon
will remember these trips as fantastic experiences of his high
school years. Brandon also has the distinction of being the
only student ever, from the CRTC Information Technology Program to
pass the Comp TIA A+ certification test, not once, but twice,
once at each national convention he attended. Brandon will be
attending NHTI in the fall as an Information Technology major.
Josiah
Carpenter Library August Events 2011 Summer Reading Program “One
World Many Stories”
Josiah Carpenter Library is now taking
registrations for enrollment in our 2011 Summer Reading Program
scheduled to start on Thursday, July 7, at 1:00 pm. We will follow
the National Summer Reading Program theme “One World Many Stories,”
adopted by the NH Summer Reading Program and CHILIS (Children’s
Librarians of New Hampshire). The program will be conducted on
Thursdays from 1:00-2:00 pm in the Children’s Room for the first
seven weeks, with a special final event on the eighth week at the
Community Center. Preschool through sixth grade children
enrolled in Summer Reading will discover “One World, Many Stories,”
using their “passports” to visit a different continent each week,
read stories from that culture, participate in crafts and activities
and enjoy snacks from a selected country on the continent.
In
addition to the weekly scheduled program, there will be reading
contests, puzzles, challenges, and prizes for all ages, from
children to teens and adults. Theme-related “grab-and-go” craft
packets and activities will be available in the Children’s Room for
kids who are unable to attend during the Thursday time slot.
On
Thursday, July 21, during the Summer Reading hour, there will be
special visit from Nanny Rosebud, Storyteller, (www.nannyrosebud.com)
for a program of “European Tales and Lore.”
Our quarterly Family
Movie Night on Friday, August 12, will offer a Jules Verne’s “Around
the World in 80 Days” Double Feature with two different family
films:
• 2:00-3:00 pm animated version (47 minutes) and • 6:00
- 9:00 pm Academy Award and Golden Globe Award version (182 minutes)
Movies are shown in the Josiah Carpenter Library Children’s Room
(enter by side door). Made possible by a generous grant from the
Sanderson Fund, Family Movie Night is a new program at Josiah
Carpenter Library. Josiah Carpenter Library has purchased an
MPLC Umbrella License to provide copyright coverage to allow the
public showing of movies. Movies will now be shown
regularly on our quarterly, Family Movie Night event, and in
conjunction with our Josiah Book Worms Teen Book Group, and our
Read-Meet-Talk Book Group for Grown-ups. Audiovideo
equipment to provide for public viewing, has been purchased through
the Sanderson Fund Grant. This equipment will be used
for movies, and other special programs and guest speakers. We
have saved the best for last with the grand finale. 1:00 to 2:00 pm,
Thursday, August 18th will be a gala event at the Pittsfield
Community Center featuring Andrew Pinard’s Alejandro’s Olde Tyme
Magik Showe
(http://www.absomagic.com/absofamily.html)
.
Josiah Carpenter Library 2011 Summer Reading Program is
supported by two grants, a “Kids, Books & the Arts” grant from NH
State Library and CHILIS, and a grant from Pittsfield’s E.P.
Sanderson Trust, as well as a generous donation of special books and
craft supplies from the Friends of Josiah Carpenter Library and
private donations. This promises to be a special summer, so don’t
miss out on the fun, enroll today! Hurry on in to the Josiah
Carpenter Library and check it out.
The regular August meeting of
Josiah Book Worms Teen Book Discussion Group has been rescheduled
(August Only) to Friday, August 12th from 3:30 to 5:00 pm. Title :
Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules Verne.
Program
Revealed That Certain Exercises May Hurt Not Help Runners
A
program recently presented at Professional Physical Therapy Services
revealed that certain exercises that runners commonly perform to
improve their performance and reduce injuries may, in fact, have the
opposite effect. Physical Therapist Peter Minnehan discussed studies
that reveal various static stretches commonly utilized in pre-run
warm-ups increase the risk of running related injuries and decrease
running performance. He stressed that warming-up is important but
that dynamic stretches which involve the muscles and movements of
running are much more effective at preparing the body for a good run
or race.
Minnehan also pointed out that many strength exercises
runners commonly perform are in fact counter productive. Strength
exercises performed using weight machines, particularly those with
the feet off the ground can add bulk but not improve running
ability. Runners can improve performance with “closed chain”
exercises (feet on the ground), specialized techniques called
plyometrics, and specific strengthening of the core, or trunk,
muscles.
Physical therapist, Minnehan, has offered to perform a
free strength/flexibility screening for any interested runner. He
can be contacted at Professional Physical Therapy Services phone
226-3500.
Letter
It occurred to me that Balloon Festival website traffic might reveal
some valuable information. I made some specific inquiries and
was very surprised with the results. In full disclosure, my
husband helps maintain the town’s website, but this information is
certainly available to any inquiring resident of Pittsfield.
The
annual daily ‘hits’ to the town’s website averages 150-250/day.
There’s a small spike prior to the town elections, roughly 350/day.
During the week of the Balloon Festival, the hits steadily increase
to a daily range of 500-1000. By Friday, 2060 hits and by
Saturday, 2715 hits. These numbers reflect 2010, but a 3 year
analysis proves that website traffic has increased annually.
Also
interesting, is the breakdown of those who search our website
specifically for the Balloon Festival. Surprisingly, even on
our normal traffic days of 150-250, 17-20% of those hits are
specifically for the Balloon Festival. As July 4th approaches,
when most people are looking for fireworks, and all the way into the
first week of August, Balloon Festival traffic increases to over 57%
of all searches on our town’s website.
Clearly the Balloon
Festival has put Pittsfield ‘on-the-map’. Some might say this
proves its success with or without the best fireworks in New
Hampshire. I disagree. The highest website traffic is
clearly just prior to the fireworks event, as is the highest
attendance to the festival itself. I’m convinced that future
attendance numbers will bear this out in the absence of the same
quality fireworks display.
Why anyone would have the audacity to
take away Pittsfield’s single modern claim to fame is beyond me.
One thing that is certain, we must All fight to reinstate the most
important commercial event Pittsfield has to offer.
God Bless Our
Troops, Rachel Wood Pittsfield
The
2011 Minor League Championship was won by Pittsfield’s Gosse Septic.
Pictured front row left to right: Alex Cooper, Tyler Deveau, Matt
St. George, Josiah Utter, and Tyler Prentice. Pictured back
row left to right: Coach Jay Darrah, Kegan Vincent, Cam Darrah, Nick
Fletcher, Tyler Darrah, Jacob Whittier, Quinn Bissonnette, Kyle
Stockman, and Coach Rob Stockman.
The
2011 Major League Championship was won by Pittsfield’s Metcalf
Realty.
Letter
To The Editor
Dear Neighbor: In the Book of I Kings, Elijah
was so discouraged he went into the wilderness and prayed that he
might die. Then the Lord spoke to him… “And behold, the Lord passed
by, and a great strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the
rocks to pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind;
and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the
earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in
the fire; and after the fire a small still voice” (19:11, 12). The
Lord refreshed and encouraged Elijah before sending him back on his
way to Damascus.
How easy it is living in an age of such turmoil
and chaos, to become weary and fainthearted like Elijah. However, we
do not have to go it alone. Jesus is speaking in the same still
voice today... “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Won’t you heed His “still
small voice?” He is our only and all Hope!
Faithfully His,
Linda Small
Pittsfield Listens: Strong Schools, Strong Community
How can all
of us make Pittsfield a great place for everyone to learn and live?
Please join a series of community conversations about the future of
education in Pittsfield. Your voice matters - we can’t move forward
without input from community members, parents, and students! Groups
of people will be meeting throughout August; there are day, evening
and weekend sessions so you can pick a time that works for you. If
you are would like to join your friends and neighbors in this
conversation, please contact Zach at the Pittsfield Youth Workshop
435-8272 or
[email protected].
Pittsfield Cemetery Association Holds Annual Meeting
The
Pittsfield Cemetery Association held its 2011 Annual Meeting Monday
evening at the Perkins & Pollard Memorial Home. The meeting was
opened at 6:00 pm by President David Pollard. Present were Vice
President Royce Elkins; Treasurer Cara Marston; Trustees Henry
Stapleton, Robert Moulton, John Kost, Louis Houle III, Mike Towle,
Frances Marston, Stanley Bailey and Superintendent Donald Fife.
The minutes of the previous meeting were approved. The Treasurer’s
Report was complete, concise and approved.
A discussion of
vandalism in Floral Park Cemetery and in Mount Calvary Cemetery was
disturbing. Over ten handles were stolen off the water faucets in
Floral Park and had to be replaced at a cost of over $600.
Last
year all the Veteran’s Flags and flag holders were stolen from Mt.
Calvary Cemetery. The American Legion Post raised funds and
purchased new flag holders and the holders and flags were
distributed before Memorial Day. Every flag was stolen soon after
from Mt Calvary. We would ask the public to keep an eye on things at
both these cemeteries and report any suspicious behavior
immediately.
The Association members are very aware of all the
controversy regarding the set up and ignition of the fireworks show
during the Rotary Club’s Annual Hot Air Balloon Rally. We want to
clear up a few misconceptions. The Association has allowed this to
occur for the past 4 years. As everyone knows, letters to the editor
have followed and many people were disturbed that this was allowed,
even though, everything was cleaned up by Rotary.
Well these
folks started a petition, secured 45 names, and retained legal
council to submit them to the Association.
The
Association’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws clearly state
the following; “provision of suitable grounds and other conveniences
for the burial of the dead”. No other uses are permitted. The
Association had no choice but to concede to these folks and
discontinue the allowed use.
Another misconception is that the
Town of Pittsfield has anything to do with the Cemetery. They Do
Not! This is a private association. The actual owners are those who
own burial lots within the cemetery.
Sunrise
Farmers Market
We at the Sunrise Farmers Market in Pittsfield
want to thank all who have visited us in our new location. We
have been quite pleased with the response thus far and would like to
let everyone know what we have to offer.
Full Circle Farm
brings you fresh produce, berries, and honey. Chapman Family
Farm bring you jams and jelly, fresh eggs, and produce. Potter
Farm brings you fresh produce including their sweet corn, when in
season. The Matras Family brings maple syrup made right here
in Pittsfield along with organic eggs. Kelly Corner Farm
brings lamb, chicken, turkey, eggs, and yarn. We are also
lucky to have Route 28 Bakery with us to accommodate all your sweet
tooth needs.
We are located along River Road on the
grounds of Exit Reward Realty every Friday from 3-6. We also
are still looking for vendors, specifically someone with apples,
peaches and that sort of product. If you think you have
something to offer and would like to join us, please contact the
Chapmans at 435-5570 or
[email protected]
Kryptonite Kookie Cookoff
There is still time to register for the
Kryptonite Kookie Cookoff for Old Home Day on Sat, July 23.
Bake your best batch of ANY kind of cookie, break them into bite
sized pieces (keeping a few whole for display purposes), bring a
list of ingredients, noting if any nuts are in the cookie, and drop
them off on Sat. July 23 at Dustin Park. The public will taste
and vote on the 3 top cookies. Cash prizes will be awarded to
the winners. Call Andi Riel at 435-6346 to register.
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