Those
Celebrating Birthdays are: September 27, Dan Drew, Sabra Welch;
September 28, Sadie-Mae Poulan; September 29, Bobby Snedeker, Joan
Kimball; September 30, Pete Pszonowsky, Brad Graeme, Donna Graeme;
October 1, Val Genest; October 2, Bobby Zahn, Ashley Elizabeth Giuda.
A Very Happy Birthday To One and All!
Celebrating
Anniversaries are: September 27, Royce and Roberta Elkins;
September 29, Stan and Sheila Bailey; September 30, Brad and Donna
Graeme
Congratulations!
Winners in the August
drawing at the Peterson Cram Post #75 American Legion were: Mike
Pratt, Lucia Metcalf, Bob Hackney, Dick Weeks, Jill Metcalf.
Winners in the September drawing at the Peterson Cram Post #75
American Legion were: Dick Weeks, Amanda Stewart, F. Chester
Adams, Susan Duffy, Leo Fraser.
Women of Rotary
Women of Rotary met at the home of Sharel Giroux for their September
meeting with 12 members in attendance. A delicious pot luck supper
with a business meeting following was the agenda. Year books were
passed out and committees reviewed.
Thanks to Sharel for opening
her home to us and to committee Florence Freese and June Valentyn.
Merrimack County Youth Celebrate National 4-H Week
October 7-13 is National 4-H Week, and Merrimack County is
celebrating the 4-H youth who have made an impact on the community,
and are stepping up to the challenges of a complex and changing
world.
“4-H is awesome. This is my first year and I loved it...I
was picked this year to be vice president of our club. Being VP, I
had to do a lot of public speaking at the meetings, which I had
never done before. I was kind of nervous, but after I did it the
first time I thought it was okay. Then I got better at it the other
times. I did not mind it so much. I can’t wait to see what projects
our club does next year” said a Merrimack County 4-H Member.
Recent findings from Tufts University’s 4-H Study of Positive Youth
Development indicate that young people in 4-H are three times more
likely to contribute to their communities than youth not
participating in 4-H. Notably, the Tufts research discovered that
the structured learning, encouragement and adult mentoring that
4-H’ers receive play a vital role in helping them actively
contribute to their communities. In Merrimack County, more than 530
4-H members and 390 volunteers are involved in 4-H.
Also during
National 4-H Week, hundreds of thousands of youth from all around
the nation will complete a single, innovative experiment on 4-H
National Youth Science Day, which will be held on Wednesday, October
10, 2012. The 2012 National Science Experiment, 4-H Eco-Bot
Challenge, explores how robots can be used to preserve and protect
the environment, while offering a glimpse into the future of
science, technology, engineering and math.
4-H youth are a living
breathing, culture-changing revolution for doing the right thing,
breaking through obstacles and pushing our country forward by making
a measurable difference right where they live.
Learn how you can
“Join the Revolution of Responsibility” at 4-H.org/revolution, or
contact Michelle Bersaw Program Coordinator, 4-H Youth Development,
at University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, Merrimack
County at 603-796-2151 or
[email protected].
What I Need To Know
Submitted By Ross Morse Pittsfield School District Community
Liaison
Over the course of the last two years many surveys have
been completed, questions have been asked and questions have been
answered around the topic of what improvements should be made in our
schools. One of the recurring themes was the need to improve the
communication between the school district and community.
When the
Pittsfield School District applied for the District Level Systems
Change grant, more commonly referred to as the Nellie Mae grant, it
included a position to facilitate the processes of communicating in
and out of the district. The position was envisioned as a vessel to
get information from the schools to the community and feedback from
the community to the schools. Thus began the effort to include a
community liaison.
The Pittsfield School District was awarded the
Nellie Mae grant and the position of community liaison is funded
solely through it. It is a part-time position and consists of hours
being spent within the schools, attending school assemblies,
meetings, events, etc. and hours being spent in the community,
attending community assemblies, meetings, events, etc.
Last year
you may have read a series of articles entitled “What You Need To
Know” focusing around the move toward student-centered learning
within the Pittsfield School District. The articles were meant to be
an introduction to the vocabulary used and examples of what it might
look like during implementation. If you have not read the articles,
they can be found on the school’s website pittsfield-nh.com/sau
under the District Redesign tab.
This time, it’s about what I
need to know. In order for better communication between the school
district and community, I need to know what method(s) are most
welcomed. What’s easy? What’s hard? Articles in the paper? E-mail?
Phone calls? Texts? Website references?
The help you give by
answering these questions will make it much easier to transfer the
information you have requested.
The best way to reach me is by
e-mail and your help is appreciated. You may reach me at
[email protected]. If e-mail is unavailable to you,
feel free to mail me your preferences to PMHS, 23 Oneida St.,
Pittsfield, NH 03263. Thank you for your help.
That Reminds
Me Of A Story: Yankee Humor And The New England Storytelling
Tradition
Good stories never die, they evolve from teller to
teller. New England has a rich and ongoing storytelling tradition
from folklore to ″Bert and I″ to stories about your family, your
life, or the town you live in.
On Tuesday, October 16th at 1:00
pm, humorist Rebecca Rule will prime the pump with stories she’s
collected at small-town gatherings, often at historical societies
and libraries, over the last ten years, plus a classic or two. Our
″discussion″ will be the stories that listeners offer up, and as one
story leads to another -- humorous, serious, thought-provoking, or
just plain entertaining -- we practice and preserve our stories and
tradition.
Come to the Pittsfield Area Senior Center to enjoy
this fun loving presentation. If you can come early join us at
11:30 am for a delicious luncheon of soup and salad bar, turkey
vegetable wrap, and pears. To reserve a lunch please call 435-8482
by October 9, 2012.
Rebecca Rule is an admired New Hampshire
storyteller, humorist and author. This program is free, and open to
the public, and refreshments will be provided. Funding was
generously provided through a grant from the NH Humanities Council.
The council nurtures the joy of learning and inspires community
engagement by bringing life-enhancing ideas from the humanities to
the people of New Hampshire. Please join us for an afternoon of
stories and laughter!
TOPS News Submitted By Terrie Azotea
Well, it’s that time of the year where we are bringing out our
sweatshirts, long pants and warm pjs. That means we can cover up our
bodies and say “Aww, I made it through another summer.” But really
when you think about it, we all have to change our clothes and look
in the mirror and we want to see what we like. Right?
That’s why
at TOPS we keep you accountable for what you are putting in your
mouth. Plus, stepping on those scales every week really makes you
think about what you are doing.
We had a great loss this past
week at TOPS. Kudos to Janis for being the best loser of the week!
Keep up the good work. Miss Angel is Irene, who is almost to her
goal. Kudos to our KOPS, Pat!
We are still running our contest
and I have to say that the “Green Beans” are ahead.
We had a
good presentation on “Eat a Rainbow of Colors” meaning use colored
foods on your plate. We learned what each colored veggie does for
our bodies and how it helps us. It’s the end of the season for our
gardens and we still have our root veggies, so enjoy them while we
have them.
If anyone is interested in joining us, we would love
to see new faces. We meet on Tuesday nights at the St. Stephen’s
Church on Main Street in Pittsfield at 5:30 for weigh in and at 6:30
for our meeting.
Any questions please call Laurel Tiede at
269-8721 or Pat Smith at 435-5333. They would love to talk with you.
“Never look down on anybody unless your helping him up.” (Jesse
Jackson)
I hope everyone has a great week and we’ll see you
lighter next week!
SAT® School Day Registration Open
Register And Prepare For Free College Entrance Exam
Beginning
this week, high school seniors at Pittsfield High School will start
registering for the district’s first-ever SAT® School Day, a free,
in-school college entrance exam scheduled for Wednesday, October 17.
The SAT School Day helps states and districts foster a college-going
culture and increases access to college, especially among
first-generation college-bound students. The SAT can also be an
important tool for assessing students’ mastery of state standards in
mathematics, reading and writing and evaluating a school or
district’s educational policies and programs to determine how well
they are serving all of their students.
All Pittsfield High
School seniors are being offered the opportunity to take the SAT
free-of-charge through the New Hampshire Department of Education’s
federal College Access Challenge Grant. The NHHEAF Network
Organizations are coordinating this program with Pittsfield High
School. Students can register for SAT School Day online at
http://sat.org/fallsatschoolday
through Wednesday, October 3. Registering is easy. Students only
need four things: an email account, a free College Board online
account, their EDUID (State ID) number and their SAT student
voucher, available from their school counselor. Every SAT
registration includes up to four free score reports that can be sent
to colleges and scholarship services.
Taking the SAT opens doors
to opportunities beyond high school and a wide range of free
resources:
Registrants are given free access to The Official SAT
Online Course™. Additional free and low-cost SAT practice tools and
resources, including a free, full-length practice test and The
Official SAT Question of the Day™ are available at
http://sat.collegeboard.org.
Students will also have access
to Skills Insight™, which is a general guide to help students
determine their current skill level in reading, writing and math —
the areas tested on the SAT.
http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-skills-insight
Students can use their SAT scores to research colleges and
universities on the College Board’s free comprehensive college
planning website, bigfuture.org. The BigFuture site was created with
the Education Conservancy and in consultation with students and
educators to help make the college planning process simpler and more
accessible.
Bigfuture.org walks students through each step of the
college planning process, from finding colleges that fit, to writing
a college essay, to applying for financial aid. At the site,
students can watch videos from real students giving tips on college
planning, such as what do to on a campus visit. Students can also
explore college options, with advice from the schools themselves.
“Ensuring that as many high school students as possible have the
necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in college is more
important now than at any point in our nation’s history,” said
College Board Vice President James Montoya, a former dean of
admission. “College is a major family financial investment, and the
SAT helps students identify the colleges and universities where they
have the highest likelihood of academic success. When used in
combination with high school grades, the SAT is the most valid
predictor of first-year college performance.”
The SAT® Created
by educators to democratize access to higher education, the SAT® is
a highly reliable and valid standardized measure of college
readiness used in the admission process at nearly all four-year
colleges and universities in the United States, including
test-optional institutions. The content on the SAT reflects the
reading, mathematics and writing curricula taught in high school
classrooms. Uniquely the SAT also measures how well students can
apply their knowledge, a factor that is critical to college and
career success. The SAT is a fair and valid predictor of college
success for students of all backgrounds, and SAT performance data
illustrate that success on the SAT is linked to the type and rigor
of course work completed during high school. Studies regularly
demonstrate that the best predictor of college success is the
combination of SAT scores and high school grades. Nearly three
million students take the SAT each academic year via nearly 7,000
test centers in more than 170 countries. For further information,
visit
www.collegeboard.org/SATPress.
About the College Board The
College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that
connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in
1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher
education.
Today, the membership association is made up of over
6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is
dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each
year, the College Board helps more than seven million students
prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and
services in college readiness and college success — including the
SAT® and the Advanced Placement Program®. The organization also
serves the education community through research and advocacy on
behalf of students, educators and schools. For further information,
visit
www.collegeboard.org.
About The NHHEAF Network Organizations
The NHHEAF Network Organizations are comprised of three active
501(c)(3) nonprofit agencies — New Hampshire Higher Education
Assistance Foundation (NHHEAF), Granite State Management and
Resources (GSM&R) and New Hampshire Higher Education Loan
Corporation (NHHELCO) — which provide outstanding college access
programs for New Hampshire students, families and schools.
Located in Concord, New Hampshire, the funds generated by the
Organizations’ loan operation make its charitable mission possible
as earnings are reinvested in programs and services that benefit
citizens of New Hampshire. For further information, visit
www.nhheaf.org.
Letter
To the citizen’s of Pittsfield
and Epsom: I would like to thank the people who voted for me in
the Primary on September 11. This is my hope, to serve both towns if
you elect me on November 6.
Being a Selectman for Pittsfield
helps me see the Town’s needs. It also helps me get to know all my
fellow citizens. Standing outside the polls gave me some ideas I
hadn’t thought about before.
Now for Epsom, being the Commander
of your Legion post for the last four years has given me a great
connection to your town as well. I feel Epsom is a second home to me
and my wife.
I am looking forward to serving both towns if
elected.
Sincerely, Gerard A. LeDuc Pittsfield
Cabaret For A Cure Resounding Success!
Submitted By Meggin
Dail
Cabaret For A Cure held Saturday, September 8 at the Scenic
Theatre in Pittsfield met with down pouring rains and outpouring
support. It was a very hot night indeed at the Scenic Theatre, but
the weather and heat did nothing to stop the crowd and the
enthusiasm of cast and audience.
The doors were set to open at 7
pm but because of the scarcity of the tickets left at the box
office, the rain, and the readiness and excitement of cast and crew
(who had just finished rehearsing) doors opened around 6:30 pm and
the gala began. There were raffles and refreshments and mocktails
and music. It seems the crowd couldn’t donate enough to the cause.
After collecting more than $900 at the box office, over $200 for
the raffles and having $300 in sponsorships; the cast went on to
collect another $150 by passing the hat at intermission after “The
Money Song,” raising over $1600 for the American Cancer Society.
Specifically, the money raised was divided among fund raisers of the
Making Strides teams of Super Friends Fighting Cancer led by Meggin
Dail and Songs for a Cure led by Katelyn Parker. Also, The
Pittsfield Players earned a contribution of over $300 for the
Sprinkler Fund. (for more info on the Fund to help Sprinkle the
Scenic Theatre visit The Pittsfield Players website,
pittsfieldplayers.com) Each team member of Super Friends who helped
out at the event in one way or another received a donation towards
their fundraising efforts. (To learn more about Super Friends
Fighting Cancer or Songs For A Cure, visit the Making Strides
Concord website online).
Huge thanks go to our sponsors Ward
Electric, Aaron Water Systems and Joe Darrah Enterprises for helping
us fund the show whether we needed money for programs, posters,
refreshments, tickets, etc.
Also, sponsor, The Suncook Valley
Sun, generously supported the cause by allowing us numerous press
releases as well as color advertising and Ross Morse personally
manned the lighting booth for us as well as put together our slide
show.
More thanks to our raffle donors; Shayna Boyce, Pampered
Chef consultant with a Pampered Chef gift certificate; Cindy’s Hair
Affair with a product package; Dominick’s Restaurant with a gift
certificate; Jitter’s Café with a gift certificate; Emily Marsh with
a handmade necklace made especially for the Cabaret; Beth Webber
with a handmade fleece pink ribbon blanket and handmade pink ribbon
keychains; Denise Robinson with a pink ribbon Beanie Baby bear; The
Pittsfield Players with a gift certificate; The Village Players with
a gift certificate; and The Majestic Theatre with a gift
certificate.
Thanks go to Heaths Flower Shoppe for providing
flowers for the Cabaret cast and pink carnations for survivors;
Harry and Leslie Vogt for their donation of the projector and
screen; The Pittsfield Players for the use of the Scenic Theatre and
Granite Image for printing our posters.
Thanks to the
ushers/refreshment waiters Priscilla and Jim Adams, Jeanne Barrett
and Beth Webber, Susan Pagano and Brian O’Sullivan; my bakers,
Margie Lank, Celeste Gregory, Susan Pagano, Bobby Mongeon, Lisa
Fries and Megan Rohrbacher; my right-hand woman, Lisa
Fries; light design team, Jim Hart and Ross Morse; my program guru,
Mike Hobson; house manager, Nella Hobson; videographer, Christine
Morse; and line splitter/greeter, Jay Sydow.
Special thanks to
those who contributed time and their stories to help make the
Cabaret the special evening it was; Bea Douglas, Maye Hart, Elsie
Morse, Kathleen Hill, Nella Hobson, Margie Lank, Jeanne Puglisi,
Megan Rohrbacher and Art Morse.
Thanks to our awesome audience
who came out to support this cause over and over with their ticket
purchases, raffle purchases and donations. Thanks also to those who
have continued to send me checks made out to the American Cancer
Society toward my fundraising goal of $2,000. You overwhelm me with
your kindness and generosity.
Last but not least, thanks to the
cast and crew of Cabaret for a Cure; Keith and Katie Belanger,
Angelo and Jean Gentile, Katharine Paiva, Mike Welch, Paul DesMaris,
Jeff Fishwick and Katelyn Parker.
If for some reason you missed
the Cabaret for a Cure 2012, don’t worry, we’re coming back next
year! But there is still time to donate this year to the Making
Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. Go to the Making Strides Concord
website and look up Super Friends Fighting Cancer or Songs for a
Cure and help us reach our goals and help put an end to breast
cancer.
Letter
Pittsfield Secret Santa Program The
Pittsfield Fire Department and Ambulance Service will again be
coordinating the Pittsfield Secret Santa Program. As Christmas is
rapidly approaching, we would like to begin planning for this year’s
program. Last year, this program was able to provide toys and
clothing to 170 children in Pittsfield whose families might have
otherwise had a difficult Christmas, and we are anticipating an
increase in the amount of children again this year.
We are hoping
that you might be able to help us provide gifts for these children.
We are looking for donations of new, unwrapped toys or clothing for
all ages. Monetary donations are appreciated as well. Your efforts
will greatly benefit the children of Pittsfield.
We would like to
have all donations by November 15th to allow us time to determine
what gifts still need to be purchased. If you will be donating toys
or clothing, please contact Kris Ahearn at the fire station at
435-6807 to coordinate a time to drop them off, or arrange for us to
pick them up. Checks may be made payable to:
Pittsfield Secret
Santa PO Box 392 Pittsfield, NH 03263.
Thank you for your
support of this program. All donations are greatly appreciated.
Sincerely, Kris Ahearn Program Coordinator
Victory
Workers 4-H Club Begins 72nd Year Submitted By Pamela
Clattenburg
The first meeting of the Victory Workers 4-H Club for
the 2012 -2013 year will be held on Monday, October 1st. At this
meeting, former and new members will register for the current year,
select projects and elect new officers.
Monthly meetings are
held the first Monday of each month, October through June, at the
Pittsfield Community Center from 6:45-8:15 pm. Each meeting includes
a business meeting followed by an educational program or activity of
general interest. Parents are encouraged to stay at the
meetings.
Members taking part in our Money Management Project,
Clover Cash, remember October is when you re-enroll and set your
goals for the year. In order to collect clover cash you must
attend the meetings. New members are welcome to join this 4-H
savings program at this meeting.
First year project members learn
to save, second year members learn to use a check register, and
older members learn to save, calculate interest, and balance to a
bank statement.
4-H is an organization for boys and girls,
ages 8-18 by January 1, 2013. We also have a Cloverbud program for
ages 5-7 by January 1st. There are no club dues or uniforms
required. It is the youth educational program of UNH
Cooperative Extension.
The 4-H emblem is a four-leaf
clover with an “H” in every leaf. The letters stand for HEAD, HEART,
HANDS and HEALTH, the foundation of all 4-H programs. 4-Her’s
“Learn by Doing”. Projects include sewing, foods, arts and crafts,
heritage arts, photography, woodworking, childcare, dairy, horse,
sheep, dogs, goats, swine, steers, health, safety and many others.
Project work is done under the direction of volunteer 4-H leaders or
individually under the guidance of a parent. Members also have
opportunities to participate in county events such as public
speaking contests, food shows, demonstration day, fashion revues,
poster contests, fair competitions and attend a 4-H camp. 4-H
encourages youth to take responsibility and provides members
opportunities to learn life skills like decision making, goal
setting, time management and record keeping.
The Victory
Workers 4-H Club does several community service / citizenship
projects including planting flowers at the BCEP Recycling Plant,
collecting food for the Food Pantry, serving meals at the Senior
Center during Pittsfield’s Winterfest, serving as Elves for the
Children’s Store and Tree Lighting, Collecting for CHAD, empty ink
cartridges for the Epsom School, Box tops for education for the
Epsom School, Wish upon a Star, collecting items for the local
Children’s Christmas store, and sponsoring the Old Home Day Cook Off
to name a few.
Our main fundraiser, supporting camp scholarships,
club programs and activities is selling 4-H Cookies beginning
October 11th. Other fundraisers include serving meals for the town
elections and reunions/weddings.
4-H members are welcome from
Pittsfield and neighboring towns. We currently have members from
Alton, Barnstead, Chichester, Epsom, Hopkinton, Loudon, Pittsfield,
Strafford, and Manchester.
For further information contact
organizational leaders Pamela Clattenburg, 269-3200, Pauline Wheeler
435-8752 or key leaders Corine Miller 435-8497, Carolyn Davis
736-9003, Mark Riel 435-6346 or Audrey Tarbox 269-3641.
Pittsfield Middle High School NECAP Science Results
Our current
9th and 12th graders took the state Science NECAP assessments last
spring and the results were just released this week. Once again our
students’ and teachers’ hard work is paying off!
Our 9th graders
are 33% proficient in science which is slightly higher than the
state average of 32% proficient and is a 16 point increase over the
current 10th graders who were 17% proficient when they took a
similar assessment in the spring of 2011. Good job freshmen!
Our
seniors are 41% proficient in science which is 8 points higher than
the state average of 33% proficient. This year’s seniors are only
slightly behind last year’s seniors who were 43% proficient in
science. The current seniors improved from 23% proficient in science
in 8th grade to their current 41%, an 18 point increase. Good job
seniors!
Kudos to our science teachers for their continued
efforts to improve their curriculum, instruction and assessments!
Great job everyone!
Obituaries
Maurice E. LaCroix
Maurice E. LaCroix,
age 80, of Main Street in Pittsfield, died September 19, 2012 at
home.
Born February 19, 1932 in Groveton, the son of Joseph and
Delma (Portigue) LaCroix, he was raised in Alton and resided in
Pittsfield for 48 years.
A United States Army Veteran of the
Korean War, he was recipient of a Bronze Star.
Maurice had worked
on road construction with Scott & Williams of Laconia and was a
retired machinist from Heidelberg Harris in Dover.
He loved
hunting and fishing.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years,
Mildred E. (Dodge) LaCroix; a daughter, Brenda and husband Keith
Cochran of Lompoc, CA; a granddaughter Ashley Dalcerri and two great
grandchildren: Gavin and Rylah, of Denver, CO; five siblings, Helen
Glidden of Farmington, Pauline LaCroix of Weare, Nancy Sanders of
Alton, Nancy Green of Groveton and Ernest LaCroix; many cousins,
nieces, nephews and his uncle Francis Portigue of Alton. He
was predeceased by two siblings: Donald “Ducky” LaCroix and Doris
Savage.
Interment will be at New Riverside Cemetery in Alton.
To express condolences, please visit:
www.peasleefuneralhome.com.
Jessica Marie Riel
Jessica
Marie Riel, 35 of Main St., Pittsfield, passed away September 16,
2012, after a heroic battle with cancer.
Born March 19, 1977 in
Alexandria, VA the daughter of Jeffrey Jessie and Janice Marie
(Plante) Riel, she has lived most of her life in Pittsfield.
Jessica enjoyed gardening, mudding, taking trips with family and
friends and most of all spending time with her amazing daughter,
Jaden, whom she loved dearly.
She is survived by her daughter,
Jaden Marie Burt; her mother, Janice M. Riel of Pittsfield; her
father and step mother, Jeffrey and Sonya Riel of Franklin; her
siblings, Lindsay Riel and Jeffrey Riel both of Pittsfield; Hillary
Riel, Michael Butterworth, Jonathan Butterworth, Brandon Butterworth
and Zachary Riel all of Franklin; a niece Jazmyn; three nephews,
Chandler, Zak and Cody and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
In
lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Jaden M. Burt c/o Citizens
Bank 54 Main Street Pittsfield, NH 03263.
The Perkins and
Pollard Memorial Home, 60 Main St., Pittsfield is assisting the
family with the arrangements.
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