Those Celebrating Birthdays are: April 18, Brittany Frost; April 19,
Linda Rafeal, Tony Snedeker, Anthony Snedeker; April 20, Peter
Teloian, Sr., Hope Elizabeth Teloian, Brian Ward, Drew Wingate,
Brenden Douillette; April 21, Norman Grandmaison, Brian Grandmaison;
April 22, Kevin Yelle, Jeffrey Feeny; April 23, John Snedeker, Jr.,
Julie Snedeker.
A Very Happy Birthday To One and All!
Teacher Suzanne Loring smiles as she reads the hearts
posted on the wall at the entrance to the Wilton school.
Suzanne (Gray) Loring, A 1976 Graduate Of Pittsfield High School In
Pittsfield NH, Is An Elementary School Teacher In Wilton Maine
With colorful hearts to prove it, there’s a whole lot of kindness
going on at Academy Hill School.
Following the Sandy Hook School massacre in Newtown, Conn. on Dec.
14, 2012, the students and staff at the Wilton School wanted to do
something to honor the victims.
“The students, especially the older, fifth and sixth-grade students
were really upset,” teacher Suzanne Loring remembers following the
news reports. She thought an act of kindness idea of dealing with
the tragedy might help, so she challenged the school’s students to
reach 1,000 acts.
The 200 students in grades 3-6 took the challenge on and got into
the act.
Cutouts of colorful paper hearts were placed next to an “act of
kindness” collection box in the main floor’s hallway. There were
classroom discussions.
“We met and brainstormed on what you can do to be kind,” Loring
said. A poster with a list of kindness suggestions hangs in the
hallway above the box.
Students then would write their kindness on a heart and put it in
the box. Loring started to hang the hearts up, with more and more
hearts coming in as more and more kindness acts were performed.
Loring’s special education students made dog treats and delivered
them to the animal shelter. They made treats for the backyard birds.
They made sunshine cards that brought a special compliment to its
receiver. Snack bags were assembled and given to those students who
didn’t have any. The tissue paper flowers her students made brought
spring a little early to the school.
Students wrote essays using the prompt: “What kindness means to me,”
which were then read aloud by the authors in their classrooms.
Shelly’s Hometown Market in East Wilton helped celebrate the essays
by donating a pizza to each classroom.
Just two months to the day - appropriately enough on Valentine’s Day
- the school reached its 1,000th heart. All 1,000 hearts with little
kindnesses written on them dot the main entrance to the school.
Everything from helping around the house by washing dishes to
letting a lady bug go, is on proud display. Reading them today,
Loring smiled and said, “I was very touched by everyone’s effort.”
“The exercise in kindness awareness fits in neatly with Positive
Behavior Interventions and Supports, a multi-tiered system of
support for behavior, launched in schools across the Mt. Blue school
district, as with much of the state and country,” Loring said.
And it’s something that’s proved so popular, the students have asked
to keep going.
“I’m proud of them all,” she said.
Letter
This is the 18th year that the hanging flower baskets will be
gracing the streets of our fair town of Pittsfield. I will no longer
be collecting for this worthy cause.
Donna Keeley has volunteered to take over. So mail checks to The
Pittsfield Flower Fund, c/o Donna Keeley, 256 True Road, Pittsfield.
For the last 10 years or so most of the work, hanging baskets,
watering, etc. has been done by Don Morse, Trish Gordon, and Don’s
family. Yell a “thank you” when you see them out there this summer.
John Lenaerts
Letter
It’s All For The Collective
Mr. Faiella and Mr. Levesque - you make sense! Less informed voters
do not research facts. Follow the money. Quickly learn state, local
and federal governments waste money. If government frugally spent
monies collected from the producers, perhaps the debates of our day
would be moot. Clearly, the feds are working hard to set up a system
of dependents. What happened to personal responsibility?
Indeed Mr. Faiella, Common Core has been adopted by NH. Our
superintendent agrees with the philosophy of accepting federal cash
and grants to solve all the problems of the Pittsfield’s school
system. Once the money is accepted, we become beholden to the Dept.
of Education. Academics are manipulated and schools must participate
in the data collection of all students and their families. Surveys
are given to students asking private questions. The information is
put into a federal database overseen by Van Jones, Center for
American Progress. The goal: Find the best students to become
“professionals” for the collective and the rest of the students
become “worker bees.” Common Core is nothing short of Social
Engineering.
Common Core truly is Academia for Propaganda. It is a substitute for
exceptionalism, intellectualism and individualism. Enacted through a
portion of the Disadvantage Act of 1965, the idea was conceived to
improve urban schools, which have multicultural road blocks and
language barriers. The goal: Allow minority children in the urban
cities to receive a well-rounded education while the “white”
children remain quashed. All but 5 state have now adopted Commor
Core. Everything is taught through the prism of race; hence,
lowering the expectation of All American children regardless of
color, race, genter, etc...
Research yourself: Dept. of Education, Van Jones, Center for
American Progress, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, GE Foundation,
Jeb Bush, EAGnews.org, Francis Fox Pivon, Tuprty zmutfovk, etc.
Stacey Polizotti
Pittsfield
The Annual Pittsfield Townwide Yard Sale Is Growing!
After 15 years of being a strictly Pittsfield Event, the Yard Sale
is expanding to include all towns Epsom to Alton. The date for the
expanded event is June 1, with advertised hours of 8am-1pm.
Participants will enjoy a no cost event for this
inaugural year of the multi-town event. Listings of locations and
noteworthy items for sale can be found on both The Greater
Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce Facebook page (See Rt 28 Yardsale
Event) and after May 27th at
www.pittsfieldchamber.org.
Participants may submit listings on the Facebook page
by posting to the event, by email to
[email protected]
or by mail received by May 24th to Rt 28 Yardsale/GPCOC, PO Box
234, Pittsfield, NH 03263. Posts with items inappropriate for the
general public or inappropriate language will not be tolerated.
Any address in the towns of Epsom, Chichester, Pittsfield,
Barnstead, and Alton is eligible to participate in listings.
Individuals and non-profits from other communities are welcome to
participate and post listings at one of the several group locations.
Listing and registration fees are waived for 2013.
Group locations will be available along Rt 28 with
the space fee determined by the property owner or non-profit
organization allowed to use the property for a fundraiser. Group
location options will be listed on the Chamber website, www.pittsfieldchamber.org
as well as the Chamber Facebook Event.
Please send us your questions at
[email protected]
or by calling 435-6346.
Laughter Yoga
Presentation At The Pittsfield Circle Of Home And Family Meeting
“No poses, No mats, Just laughter exercises and deep breathing,”
says Marcia Wyman of the New England Center of Laughter. “Many
people wonder if they have to stand on their heads and we definitely
don’t do that!”
Laughter Yoga was begun in 1995 by a Medical Doctor in India who
also did yoga breathing. He found laughter to be similar (deep
exhalations) and named his new holistic movement Laughter Yoga.
There are now 7,000 clubs in over 65 countries. Scientific studies
in the United States have shown that prolonged laughter improves
both the body and the mind. “It’s a great way to feel better and
stay better,” says Wyman, “and no side effects except joy and
feeling renewed and refreshed.”
The Laughter Yoga program is sponsored by the Pittsfield Circle of
Home and Family Group and will take place on Thursday, April 25 at
7pm in the Bicentennial Room of the Pittsfield Community Center. The
program is Free and Open To The Public. The format will include
informational lecture and hands-on experience. The Community Center
is located at 74 Main St.
For more information about the program, please call
Andi Riel at 435-6346 or email at
[email protected].
Zonta Club Of Concord Sponsors Girl Rising Event At Red River
Theatres
Zonta Club of Concord, NH, Inc. is pleased to be a sponsor of the
Concord premier of “Girl Rising” on April 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Red
River Theatres in Concord. From Academy Award-nominated director
Richard E. Robbins, this movie tells the story of nine girls from
across the world, who despite facing seemingly insurmountable
challenges and harrowing injustices, are able to get an education
which enables them to break barriers and create change. Renowned
actors Meryl Streep, Liam Neeson, Cate Blanchette and others
contribute voice performances to the film. Women’s Fund Executive
Director Marianne Jones will moderate a post-film Q&A with Shabana
Basij-Rasikh, Co-Founder and Managing Director, School of Leadership
– Afghanistan (SOLA), Augusta Thomson, Team member, 10×10, and Nancy
Van Sciver, Founder, Education for All Children.
“This film exemplifies the essence of Zonta’s vision for the
world—that every woman is literate and has access to education,
health care, legal and economic resources on an equal basis with
men,” said Sue McCoo, President of Zonta Club of Concord, NH. “We
are thrilled to be able to support this event to help increase
awareness of the gender inequities that still exist in our society
and how education can overcome these disparities and advance the
status of women."
Zonta Club of Concord, NH, Inc. is a member of Zonta International.
Founded in 1919 in Buffalo, New York, Zonta International is a
worldwide organization of executives in business and the professions
working together to advance the status of women. Zonta Club of
Concord provides volunteer and financial support to area
organizations and projects, which includes the award of several
scholarships each year to young women in the Concord area seeking
higher education and leadership opportunities. For more information
about the club or becoming a member, contact Amy Marchildon at (603)
568-4056.
Tickets for the April 23 event are $15.00. For more
information about the event or to purchase tickets, go to
www.redriverheatres.org or
call (603) 224-4600.
Letter
Are You Eating Real Food?
I was talking with a local farmer/food producer recently and she
mentioned her observation of the wide variety of other producers
right in our locale. They include neat, milk, eggs, berries,
vegetables, etc. All these wonderful foods are being produced and
grown organically in our very own buying area. That is something
that gives me a secure feeling. I implore you all to take note and
make efforts starting this growing season to seek out these
wonderful places and infuse our local economy with new vibrancy.
Hopefully, it will grow and encourage more people to produce more
organically raised non-GMO foods.
If you are concerned with the foods you eat and are wanting real
food I encourage you to make the extra effort to buy from these
local organic producers even though you may pay more for it. Real
food has a cost. Cheap food has a cost also but it’s not the same
type. It may be more affordable initially but what does it do to our
health?
Sincerely,
Sharon Matras
Pittsfield Youth Workshop
Submitted By Paula Martel
National Volunteer Appreciation Week is April 21-27.
Volunteering gives you an opportunity to change lives, including
your own. If you’re feeling frustrated or overwhelmed by the news of
a disaster, volunteering to help can be a great way to cope. If
you’d like to support a cause but can’t afford to donate money, you
can donate your time instead.
Helping others in need is such an important part of the American way
of life that many high schools require their students to spend a
certain number of hours volunteering in order to graduate.
Pittsfield students need 37 1/2 hours!
With volunteering you get to pick what really interests you and who
(or what) is most deserving of your time. Need some ideas to get you
started? Here are just a few - help kids learn and grow, give back
over the holidays (we like to serve a Thanksgiving Dinner), help the
environment, support a health-related cause, join a local committee
or play with pets at a local animal shelter. The list is endless
even in our small town. We appreciate and want to thank all our
volunteers no matter how small or large your generosity is. Thank
You!
Think you might want to volunteer? Call the PYW at
435-8272 to explore the opportunities available or go to
www.pittsfieldyouthworkshop.org
and check out the Ways to Help volunteer descriptions. You might
just find a way to help!
R.A.D. Teaching Women To Defend Themselves Against Aggression
The Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with Sage
Wellness Center and The Pittsfield Police Department are offering
R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense), a life skills program, on Sunday,
May 5th, 12th and 19th from 1-6 p.m. at the Sage Wellness Center at
the Locke Associates Building on Barnstead Road, Pittsfield.
“The Rape Aggression Defense System is a program of realistic
self-defense tactics and techniques for women. The R.A.D. System is
a comprehensive, women-only course that begins with awareness,
prevention, risk reduction and risk avoidance, while progressing on
to the basics of hands-on defense training. R.A.D. is not a Martial
Arts program. Our courses are taught by nationally certified R.A.D.
Instructors and provide each student with a workbook/reference
manual. This manual outlines the entire Physical Defense Program for
reference and continuous personal growth, and is key to our free
lifetime return and practice policy for R.A.D.
graduates.”--www.rad-systems.com
1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime…according
to national statistics. For more information please contact:
R.A.D.N.H. State Director Deputy Michelle Clark, Merrimack County
Sheriff’s Office, 333 Daniel Webster Highway, Boscawen, NH 03303.
(603) 796-6638.
“My Daughter Is Missing!”
Submitted By Elizabeth Cadbury
There are no words that can strike terror into a mother’s heart
faster than these.
On Good Friday, my daughter was visiting from Montreal. She decided
to go for a run at 11:00 am. When she didn’t return for lunch, I
began to be concerned, and when she wasn’t back by 2:00 p.m., I went
into full panic mode. She would never leave for such an extended
time without letting me know, particularly if a meal time were
involved. A quick check of her room revealed she had not taken her
cell phone or ID papers with her. Of course, I began to have visions
of my child lying in a ditch with a broken ankle, or worse yet,
being forced into a car or truck by a stranger.
My husband and I drove all the possible routes she might have taken,
and found no sign of her.
“Enough!” I decided. I picked up her graduation protrait from the
table and went straight to the police. Since it was a Friday and
after 2:00 p.m., the police offices were closed. So I used the
telephone beside the door. The dispatcher was calm, took the details
of my call, and told me to stay put, an officer would be there
presently.
Within minutes, Detective Sargent Jeffrey Cain opened the door,
invited me in, and questioned me, writing down my daughter’s
description and the sequence of events. I had fully expected to be
told that since she had not been missing for 24 hours, he could do
nothing for now. But no. He took my anguish and distress seriously,
treated me with great respect, telephoned the Loudon Police
Department with the details, since she was running in their
jurisdiction as well, and within 15 minutes, there were three police
cars out looking for her.
She had gotten lost and had run about 10 miles altogether when
Sargent Cain found her, totally exhausted, and brought her home.
I would like to offer my deepest gratitude to Sargent Cain, not only
for bringing my daughter home, but for the graceful, kind and
thoroughly professional way he handled the case. We are fortunate to
have officers like Sargent Cain keeping us safe in Pittsfield, and I
am most thankful for our excellent Police Department!
Obituaries
Virginia L. Smith
Virginia L. Smith, 92, a resident of the Golden Crest Assisted
Living Facility and formerly of 3 Ledgecroft Place, Laconia, died at
the Franklin Regional Hospital on Friday, March 22, 2013. She was
the widow of Malcolm V. Smith who died in 2006.
Mrs. Smith was born May 12, 1920 in Lynnfield, Mass., the daughter
of the late Hannah Wheeler (Pingree) and George E. Lambert., Jr. She
resided and attended local schools in Lynnfield, Mass. and was a
1942 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Durham, N.H.
In 1994, Mrs. Smith moved to Laconia where she was a member of the
Laconia Congregational Church. She was a founder and member of the
Loon Pond Owners Association and was a member of the University of
New Hampshire Lakes Region Alumni Chapter.
Survivors include a son, Brewster L. Smith, of Manchester; a
daughter, Kathryn L. Smith, of Newbury, Vermont and a
granddaughter, Sarah E. Smith, of Manchester, NH. In addition to
her husband and her parents, Mrs. Smith was predeceased by a sister,
Dorothy L. Robinson.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Malcolm and
Virginia Smith Endowed Prize Fund. Address: UNH Foundation Elliot
Alumni Ctr, 9 Edgewood Rd, Durham, NH. 03824-1934, Attn: Gift and
data management. This fund recognizes graduating seniors in Liberal
Arts for progress and achievement in undergraduate studies.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home &
Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, N.H. is assisting
the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view
an online memorial go to
www.wilkinsonbeane.com.
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