Those Celebrating Birthdays are: June 20, Charly Zahn; June 21, Rob
Richardson; June 22, Robby Welch, Linda St. Laurent; June 23, June
Teloian, Peter Yelle, Walter Bond, Jr.; June 26, Jamie Munn.
A Very Happy Birthday To One and All!
Celebrating Anniversaries are: June 22, Mark and Tanya Portigue;
June 23, Rob and Debra Richardson.
Best Wishes!
Please remember to send in your nominations for Pittsfield’s Citizen
of the Year to:
Citizen of the Year
PO Box 173
Pittsfield, NH 03263
Nominations have to be received by June 22.
Vic and Flo Huse are celebrating their 52nd Anniversary on June
25th.
Congratulations!
Pittsfield went 16-0-1 this season and captured the 2012 Cal Ripken
Suncook Valley "Major" Baseball Championship defeating Chichester
15-0 in the Championship game. Pictured top row: Casey Clark, Noah
MacGlashing, Josh Whittier, Mike Brown, Derek Boudreau, Nick
Fletcher, Weston Lemay. Bottom Row, Connor Manteau, Cam Darrah,
Kegan Vincent, Matt St. George. Not pictured, Garrett Hoadley.
Dorcas Guild
June 12, 2012
The Dorcas Guild held its final meeting of the season with its
annual banquet at Jitters Café with 19 members attending.
President Nella Hobson welcomed everyone and held a short business
meeting with Joan Riel leading devotions with a reading, "How to
Plant Your Garden," followed by all joining in the Lord’s Prayer.
The secretary gave her minutes of the previous meeting, one item of
correspondence was read and cards were circulated for signing.
Treasurer Reny Boyd reported the Guild’s balance.
Carolyn Davis will bring the food basket in September, which will go
to Elaine Coffey. The apron is on hold until September as is the
mystery package.
The training sessions for the AED (automatic external defibrillator)
will be either of two four-hour sessions on July 5 and 19, beginning
at 6 pm at the church. Anyone interested should sign up, as class
size will be limited. It was voted to have a small plaque added to
the AED case noting it was purchased by the Dorcas Guild.
Wednesday work meetings will continue throughout the summer from 10
am to 2 pm. Evening meetings will resume September 11th, when a
pound auction will be held. Hostesses will be Freda Jones and Audrey
Moore.
Letter
By the time this letter is published, this week will be over. All I
hear is motorcycles, every day this week known as "Bike Week". TV
has said how much money is coming into this state. Question - how
much is coming into Pittsfield?
I see the motorcycles coming into Pittsfield on Route 107, and
continuing to Route 28, either turning right towards Alton, or
continuing north on 107 to Laconia and Weirs. This has been going on
year after year.
Is there even a "Welcome" sign for the bikers, is there an
invitation out there to stop and check things out? Not even a motel
in town - why?
Well, you would have to ask the people who spoke the loudest in the
years past. And that is another reason why our taxes are so high.
Today I received the tax bill. What hurts, is there isn’t any talk
about promotion, doing something to get people in. But the budget,
that is talked about; chopping down the police and fire department
budget. Is there ever going to be any help for Pittsfield?
Diane Vaughan
Pittsfield
Spring 2012 All-Conference Teams
The Granite State Conference, an affiliation of the Division IV High
Schools in the State announces its Spring 2012 All-Conference Teams.
Student athletes are first nominated by their coaches. Area
Coordinators then compile lists of athletes from which coaches vote
for the All-Conference Team as well as Player of the Year in the
following sports: Baseball, Softball, Boys and Girls Tennis, Boys
and Girls Track and Field.
Coaches cannot vote for their own players and must vote for
conference-wide sportsmanship as well.
Jen Tyrell of Pittsfield was named to the All Conference Softball
South team and Rebekah Adams of Pittsfield received Honorable
Mention.
Clifford M. and Robin E. Knippers announce the engagement of their
daughter, Janyssa Faith, to Matthew Kinzler, son of Lonnie and Carol
Kinzler of Leesburg, Ohio. Janyssa F. Knippers graduated from
Trinity Christian School in 2010. She has been studying Elementary
School Education at Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC. Matthew
Kinzler graduated from Fayette Christian School in Washington
Courthouse, OH in 2008. He has been studying Pastoral Counseling at
Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC and is employed at Level One
in Greer, SC. The couple were engaged on Christmas Day 2011 and will
be married on July 21, 2012 in Concord, NH.
VA Announces
Aggressive National
Recruitment Effort
To Hire Mental Health
Professionals
Submitted By
Merrill A. Vaughan
Commander
American Legion
Peterson-Cram Post 75
Pittsfield, NH 03263
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki recently announced
the department would add approximately 1,600 mental health
clinicians as well as nearly 300 support staff to its existing
workforce to help meet the increased demand for mental health
services. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has developed an
aggressive national recruitment program to implement the hiring
process quickly and efficiently.
"The mental health and well-being of our brave men and women who
have served the Nation is the highest priority for this department,"
said Secretary Shinseki. "We must ensure that all Veterans seeking
mental health care have access to timely, responsive and
high-quality care."
VA has developed an aggressive national mental health hiring
initiative to improve recruitment and hiring, marketing, education
and training programs, and retention efforts for mental health
professionals, to include targeted recruitment in rural and
highly-rural markets. This will help VA to meet existing and future
demands of mental health care services in an integrated
collaborative team environment and continue to position VA as an
exemplary workplace for mental health care professionals.
It is critical for VA to proactively engage psychiatrists and other
mental health care providers about the vital mission to deliver
high-quality mental health services, especially for returning combat
Veterans.
"The VA mental health community is aggressively transforming the way
mental health care services are provided to the Veteran population.
As the mental health care workforce continues to increase, VA is
committed to improving Veterans’ access to services, especially for
at-risk Veterans," said VA’s Under Secretary for Health Dr. Robert
Petzel.
The national recruitment program provides VHA with an in-house team
of highly skilled professional recruiters employing private sector
best practices to fill the agency’s most mission critical clinical
and executive positions. The recruitment team consists of 21
national, dedicated health care recruiters targeting physician and
specialty health care occupations. These recruiters also understand
the needs of Veterans because each member is a Veteran.
VHA has also established a hiring and tracking task force to provide
oversight for this initiative to move the process forward
expeditiously in a focused manner to ensure challenges, issues, or
concerns are addressed and resolved. This task force is accountable
for reporting progress in hiring of mental health professionals in
these occupations: psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health
nurses, social workers, mental health technicians, marriage and
family therapists and licensed professional counselors.
VHA anticipates the majority of hires will be selected within
approximately six months and the most "hard-to-fill" positions
filled by the end of the second quarter of FY 2013. VA has an
existing workforce of 20,590 mental health staff that includes
nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers.
Interested mental health care providers can find additional
information about VA careers and apply for jobs online at
www.vacareers.va.gov. To
locate the nearest VA facility or Vet Center for enrollment and to
get scheduled for care, Veterans can visit VA’s website at
www.va.gov. Immediate help is
available at
www.VeteransCrisisLine.net or by calling the Crisis Line at
1-800-273-8255 (push 1) or texting 838255.
Letter
Dear Pittsfield Residents:
This letter has a dual purpose. First of all, the Economic
Development Committee is in need of new members who want to be a
part of the town’s economic future. We usually meet the first and
third Wednesdays of each month. If interested contact me at 435-6573
or email
[email protected].
Secondly, there are initial discussions concerning the development
of a community garden. If you are an avid gardener, want to learn
gardening, have expertise (such as, fencing or plowing) and are
interested in getting involved, please use the above contact
information.
Sincerely,
Ted Mitchell
Tickets Now On Sale For You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown (Sean Bonin) and Linus (Tony Pfaff) contemplate the
vagaries of life in You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown.
The Ann White Northwood Theater Workshop will present You’re A
Good Man Charlie Brown at the Scenic Theatre, 6 Depot St.,
Pittsfield, on Thursday, June 28, Friday, June 29, Saturday, June 30
at 8 pm each evening and on Sunday, July 1, in a matinee performance
at 2 pm. Tickets are $15 per person and can be reserved by calling
435-8852. One dollar of every ticket sold will be donated to the
American Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), which was founded in 1949, is
the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to
funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. The
Society’s mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease
and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and
their families. In addition, any proceeds from refreshments that are
being served during intermission will also go to LLS.
You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown
takes us on a delightful musical journey through the world of
Charles Schultz’s beloved character Charlie Brown, and all of our
favorite Peanuts characters, as they navigate through their routine
daily events. During this series of musical vignettes, Charlie Brown
and crew become a microcosm for the challenges we all face to do the
right thing, overcome obstacles, work together, accept our
differences and ultimately learn to accept and love ourselves and
our neighbors. This revised version of the original show contains a
few new songs and a newer, light rock feel to some of the songs, but
old favorites such as The Book Report, You’re a Good Man Charlie
Brown and Suppertime are still included.
The show features Sean Bonin as Charlie Brown, with Tony Pfaff as
Linus Van Pelt, Emily Lawson as Sally Brown, Kali Mara as Lucy Van
Pelt, Elijah McTigue as Schroeder, Matte Lindsey as Snoopy, Fiona
Mara as the Little Red headed Girl, Sarah Harkness as Violet, Joey
Edmonds as Pig Pen, Zack Davidson as Shermy, Nick Davidson as
Woodstock, and a group of Woodstock’s feathered friends who include
Andrew and Alex Chiavaras, Jack Harkness, Piper Mattice-Collins,
Katie Edmonds and Halah Abdelwahid.
The show is directed by Geraldine Veroneau, who is also the musical
director and accompanist, and is produced by Carole Neveux, who is
also acting as stage manager with help from Zack Davidson, Joey
Edmonds and Fiona Mara. Kate Mara is in charge of costumes, assisted
by Emily Lawson; Ernie Bass is the lighting designer and Justin
Hartley will be in the lighting booth running the lights. The set
design is by Geri Veroneau and Kate Mara, and has been built by
master carpenter Steve Lawson, assisted by Dr. Kevin Mara and Sean
Bonin, Emily Lawson, Matte Lindsay and Kali Mara. Mike Hobson has
designed the poster and the program, and Nella Hobson will act as
House Manager.
Reserve your tickets now and help to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society. Don’t miss this joyful celebration of Charlie Brown and the
gang!
Pittsfield Beautification Committee Summer News
On May 19, 2012 the Beautification Committee met for a beginning of
the season clean up of the five sponsored lots around town. In
addition, each garden received new plantings for the summer. We
appreciate the help and donations we received from Clark’s Grain
Store, Osborne Farm, and Pleasant View Gardens. The Committee would
also like to thank Eric LaRoche, the new owner at 16 Main Street,
for allowing us to use the hose and water for watering the
Washington House lot.
In an effort to keep the gardens looking neat and clean, we ask that
no signs of any kind be placed in the gardens or in the surrounding
rock borders. We thank the following groups for their continued
sponsorship: Barton Lumber, Exit Realty, Globe Manufacturing, Men of
Rotary, and Women of Rotary.
At the end of the summer, shortly after Labor Day, Dan Schroth and
Joe Darrah Enterprises, will begin renovations and construction on
the Washington House lot. The present garden area will be replaced
with a new raised bed garden, including a stone wall border built by
Dan. Granite will be purchased from Swenson Granite of Concord. In
addition to the stone, fill dirt and plants will need to be
purchased.
If you would care to make a contribution, to help defer the cost of
this project, please send your check payable to: Pittsfield
Beautification Committee, to Ernestine Fife, 1394 Upper City Rd,
Pittsfield, NH 03263.
The Committee also has colorful contribution boxes at the following
locations: Bell Brothers, Danis Market, Jack’s Pizza, Jitter’s, and
K-2 Market. We thank the owners of these establishments for their
assistance.
Jim Darrah has been mowing the Washington House and Aranosian lots
for the Committee. Thanks Jim!
The Pittsfield Clothes Closet has made a generous donation to the
Beautification Committee. Thank You!
It has come to our attention that there has been some confusion
regarding two separate organizations in Pittsfield. The Pittsfield
Beautification Committee is responsible for the five sponsored
gardens around town, as well as the gray flower barrels, on the
sidewalks of Pittsfield, and the placing of the American Flags along
the streets on patriotic holidays. They are not responsible for the
hanging flower baskets. Those are part of the Pittsfield Flower Fund
run by John Lenaerts.
Be sure to look for information in an upcoming issue of The Sun
regarding the Beautification Committee’s fund raising plant sale,
later this summer.
Thank you for your support. Enjoy the summer!
Letter From the Desk of the Selectmen
Members of the Board of Selectmen (BOS) remain united in fulfilling
the oath each has taken to impartially serve you, the citizen and
taxpayer of Pittsfield. While the board’s directives over the past
few months may prove some immediate budgetary benefit, our long term
goal remains the same – to maximize the overall efficiency of town
operations. Members are encouraged in and motivated by your on-going
support!
Administrative Plan:
• The TC/TX Collector Assistant position was reduced from FT to 24
hours per week. Erica will inform you if adjustments are necessary
to the current public office hours.
• The BOS implemented a couple of policies that it believes to be
more responsible stewardship of town vehicles: a) Policy for Out of
Town Travel With a Town Vehicle; b) Policy for Vehicles Driven to
Employee’s Residence. Both policies can be reviewed at the town
hall.
• 2013 Budget: The Town Administrator will be creating a budget
timeline to assist in making the budget process more organized. A
meeting with the Budget Committee will soon be scheduled as well as
budget work sessions.
Other Items:
• As you may have read last week, the Board has hired an Interim
Fire Chief. Thank you, Lenny Deane, for your willingness to
temporarily act as Fire Chief until finding a replacement.
• Summer help has been hired by Parks and Recreation. Dredging of
the pool will begin soon, if it hasn’t already, so that the diving
board can be utilized.
• The Police Chief was directed on May 22nd to recruit police
officers in order to ensure the safety of our current police force
members. Two officers are currently out on FMLA, one is on unpaid
administrative leave, and one relocated. A conditional offer for a
PT officer has already been approved by the Board.
• The prior BOS advertised four tax deeded properties with a minimum
bid requirement. After receiving no response, the current Board
re-advertised the four properties requiring no minimum bid, two of
which sold. The BOS will further review town properties to determine
if more can be sold, not only to bring in revenue but, more
importantly, to relieve the town of further financial burden by
holding onto them.
Pittsfield Board of Selectmen
Extended Learning Opportunities In Pittsfield Wouldn’t Happen
Without You!
ELOs are the primary acquisition of knowledge and skills through
instruction or study outside of the traditional classroom
methodology.
PMHS would like to thank the following Community Partners for
volunteering their time, resources, and efforts this year in
providing extraordinary ELO experiences to our students.
Julie Bellerose Cate, CAVES; Ken Desmarais, NH Forestry; Susan
Elliott, Pittsfield Elementary School; Mary Fiset, Pittsfield School
District; Denise Mason, Pittsfield Middle High School; William
Mitchell, Mitchell Serigraphs Prints; Laura Smith, Pittsfield
Elementary School; Kristen Treacy and Zach Powers, Pittsfield Youth
Workshop; Officer John Webber, Pittsfield Police Department.
For more information about Extended Learning Opportunities please
contact Sheila Ward, ELO Coordinator, at (603)435-6701 X1117,
(603)219-3742, or by email at
[email protected]
Teen Movie Night At Josiah Carpenter Library
The next Teen Movie Night at Josiah Carpenter Library will be
Friday, June 22nd at 7:00 pm. Come for a Movie and free Popcorn and
Soda. Enter by the side door.
This event features Jack Black in Gulliver’s Travels, by Twentieth
Century Fox Films. The Action-Comedy-Fantasy is rated PG and runs 85
minutes.
The 2012 schedule for Teen Movie Nights is March 17, 2012, June 22,
2012, September 28, 2012 and December 28, 2012.
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 Nights,
Teen Movie Nights, People’s Choice Movie Nights and occasionally in
conjunction with our JCL’s Teen Game Night, Josiah Book Worms Teen
Book Group, Read-Meet-Talk Book Group for Grown-ups, Jay Cee Ell
Teen Writer’s Group.
Audio-video 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.
Forrest B. Argue Recreation Area Open For Summer Season
The Forrest B. Argue Recreation Area has opened for the season. Pool
hours are 12 – 5 Monday through Saturday. Tuesday and Thursday the
pool will stay open until 7:00 for families and children 11 years of
age and older. Come down and check it out.
Swimming lessons will be offered beginning on June 25th.
Registration can be completed at the recreation area.
The opening picnic scheduled for June 23rd has been cancelled.
Season passes can be bought at the area.
Because of more issues with the permit process, unfortunately, we
will not be able to use the diving board area again this summer.
Letter
To the citizens of Pittsfield:
My last letter suggested a local citizen’s committee to find our
next Fire Chief. Since then, some of you have asked me how I would
set up the search committee and I said I would post it in my next
letter in The Sun (no one from the BOS asked me; but then I am not
surprised).
Before I go into my cost free seeking committee, I have a question
for the BOS to answer and therefore if they do answer, I hope it
will be honest and not a mixed play of words. Who contacted the
incoming interim fire chief? I have my thoughts on this one but I
will remain quiet for now. I do believe the vacancy has to be
published in order that anyone wanting the job can apply for it. How
many did apply?
Here is my suggestion to a cost free committee for our next Fire
Chief. The head of the committee would be a combination of fire
department/ambulance service, the BOS, and the community. The Fire
Department representative should be an individual in the rank of
Lieutenant or higher from our fire department and the lead person
from Ambulance Service. One member from the BOS (not the Chair or
Vice Chair but one who can think on his own and not be influenced by
what the powers that be) and three members from the community. This
will provide the committee all that is required and will not cost
the town any money for the search.
I want businesses to look at us and want to come and feel safe from
crime and be able to depend on our volunteer fire department to
respond quickly and professionally at all times. The same applies to
our police force.
Merrill Vaughan
Pittsfield
Whereas Flag Day was June 14th, the American Legion collected the
flags from town and cemeteries that were worn, torn, and dirty. With
the help of Barnstead Chichester Epsom Pittsfield (BCEP) transfer
station, the flags are properly put on a bier. American Legion
Commander Merrill Vaughan read the program for the proper disposal
of flags and Post Chaplain Bob Moulton gave the invocation and the
benediction after the burning. Photo by Diane Vaughan
TOPS News
Submitted By Terrie Azotea
Well, we finally got the chance to get out and walk this past week
at TOPS. We have been trying to walk for quite a few weeks now. It
seemed that every Tuesday was rainy and we couldn’t go. Hopefully,
our days coming up will be nice and sunny, especially with the
holiday weekend coming up.
It sure is that time of year to get out there and do some outdoor
camping and activities. I, for one, love sitting around the campfire
at night when the weather is warm. Just don’t eat to many s’mores.
We would like to welcome a new member who joined us last week. Good
luck on your weight loss journey. We are here to support you.
We meet at 5:30 pm at the St. Stephen’s Church on Main Street in
Pittsfield for our weigh in and our meeting starts at 6:30 pm. The
days are longer and the sun is still shining so come on out and meet
some new people, have some fun, and see what kind of a support group
we are.
Any questions, please call Laurel Tiede at 269-8721 or Pat Smith at
435-5333. They would love to answer any questions you might have.
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters
compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Hope everyone has a good week and we’ll see you lighter next week!
Obituaries
Richard L. Golden
Richard L. Golden, 78, of Tilton passed away peacefully at the NH
Veterans Home with his loving wife by his side Sunday June 10, 2012.
Richard was born in Sanford, Maine, April 22, 1934, the son of the
late Linwood and Elizabeth (Gray) Golden. He enlisted in the US Army
May 21, 1953 where he served on active duty until May 1, 1956 and
then spent 27 years in the Army Reserves. During that time, he met
his wife and moved to Center Barnstead where they lived for nearly
30 years.
Richard is survived by his wife of 27 years, Elizabeth (Dusavitch)
Golden; 3 children; 3 step-children; 8 grandchildren; 6
step-grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.
A graveside service was held on June 15th at The New Hampshire State
Veteran Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave., 7th fl., New
York, NY 10001 or online at
www.alzfdn.org
The Cremation Society of NH, Boscawen office is assisting the family
with arrangements. To view an online memorial please go to
www.csnh.com
|
