It is time to choose the 2015 Pittsfield Citizen of the Year. Please
send the name of the person you are nominating and the reason you
feel they should be considered to:
Citizen of the Year
P O Box 173
Pittsfield N H 03263
Deadline for nominations is June 3.
The Suncook Valley Area Lions Club (serving Pittsfield and
Barnstead) is requesting your gently used donations for the Multi
Town yard sale on June 6 and 7.
We cannot accept televisions or clothing, but please clean out your
closets and garages and call 435-5052 to arrange for a pick up.
“Here’s to America,” the First Congregational Church’s annual
patriotic concert, is set for Friday, June 5, 7-9 p.m. at the
church, 24 Main Street, Pittsfield. It will feature the Chancel
Choir, JuBellation Handbell Choir and the Inextinguishable Brass
Quintet from UNH. Light refreshments will be served.
Be sure to mark your calendar for this exciting event for all ages.
Bring a friend! Parking and wheelchair accessibility at rear
entrance. More information at 435-7471.
Letter To The Editor
It was difficult for me to understand the reasoning behind the BOS
eliminating the Website Committee and not giving us a chance to
institute possible changes to the existing website. Years ago, Jim
Thyng, Selectmen, approached me about getting a website for the
town. It was difficult at first because I had no direction and very
few towns had a website at the time for me to view what others were
doing. I ran the website for a number of years and eventually with
the approval of the BOS, a committee was formed. The committee
established a mission statement, decided what approach we were going
to take in its management, and named Clayton Wood as our Chairman.
I currently serve as an Alternate Member.
I did some research into the vendors and examined three of the
so-called professional websites cited by Mike Williams(TA). I found
them very narrow in scope, centering around Town Government and not
much else. Two didn’t have Town Calendars, none had anything on
service organizations, information on schools was minimal, and very
few town-oriented pictures. I guess if this is what you want, this
is what you’re going to receive.
At the May 5th BOS meeting, I felt it was a railroad job and what
was really upsetting to me is the fact that I was not allowed to
speak. The BOS Chairman stated that any comments would be only
allowed at the end of the meeting. This was a moot point,
considering both votes had already been taken with no chance for
discussion from the floor. I was naïve in believing that the
meetings were conducted above board, how wrong I was. As a result
of this action by the BOS, I am tendering my resignation as an
Alternate Member of the Website Committee.
Bill Provencal
Pittsfield Players Present Suitehearts
The Pittsfield Players will stage the hilarious
comedy Suitehearts at The Scenic Theatre the first week in June on
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 4, 5, 6 and 7. All
shows are at 7:30 pm, except for the matinee on Sunday, June 7,
which will be at 2 pm. Tickets, which are $12 per person, are
available through the Players’ website,
www.pittsfieldplayers.com through
TicketLeap, or call the theater at 435-8852 to reserve tickets.
Written by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore, the play focuses on a
young couple from Pennsylvania who check into a posh New York hotel
to fill their weekend with bliss, only to have it filled with
strangers. Timothy, played by Dan Scheys and his wife Elizabeth,
played by Cassidy Kearns, have inadvertently booked the same
honeymoon suite as Frankie and Wanda (Ernie Bass and Kat
Abdelwahid), an older couple from New Jersey. Thrown into the mix is
a sometimes confused but always hilarious bellhop, played by Jack
Miller. After they scuffle over the accommodations, no one is where
or with whom they should be. Filled with sight gags and one liners,
this play broke the house record at New Jersey’ Dam Site Dinner
Theater. During the course of the play, Timothy grows into a man,
Elizabeth learns about trust, Frankie learns to respect women and
Wanda learns to respect herself.
Mark your calendars for this hilarious comedy and be sure to reserve
your tickets now June for this great show.
Pittsfield Economic Development Committee Sponsors Forum On
Broadband
On Wednesday, May 6th the Economic Development Committee sponsored
another All Board/Committee Forum. This informational meeting
discussed broadband capability in Pittsfield. At the last forum in
February several business owners expressed concern that they were
paying a lot of money for sub service internet access. This forum
addressed their concerns. Town officials present included: Building
Inspector, members of the Planning Board, Zoning Board of
Adjustment, Master Plan Committee, Conservation Commission, Housing
Standards Authority, Budget Committee and the Economic Development
Committee (including the Board of Selectmen representative). The
Suncook Valley Regional Development Corporation was also
represented. Amanda Luce, Metrocast Business Accounts Executive and
Steve Mazzaschi, Metrocast Regional Engineer was there to provide
information and answer questions. Executives from Globe
Manufacturing participated as well.
After welcoming everyone and introducing Carol Miller, Director,
Broadband Technology at the Division of Economic Development, NH
Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED) Carol
presented a power point on the state of broadband statewide and
specifically in Pittsfield (Matt Monahan, Chief Planner, Central NH
Regional Planning Commission assisted). It is interesting to note
that New Hampshire is 1st in the nation (85.7%) of households
using high speed internet and 2nd in the nation (93.2%) of
households owning a computer (1st in New England). The entire
presentation is on the EDC website.
The presentation was followed by a question and answer period during
which the Metrocast representatives shared information, as well.
They noted that there is a network of high speed fiber optic cable
throughout Pittsfield. This was a revelation to almost all present.
That was not known to us. The key to accessing it is being able to
afford the correct Metrocast bundle for the specific need(s) of a
business. Some businesses do not know what is available to meet
their need.
Everyone left the meeting feeling well informed and many are
motivated to figure out a way that businesses can group together to
get the best internet access at the lowest cost.
Carol Miller provided contact information so business
owners can get in touch with her. She is available to assist in
businesses getting the right internet connection. If you are a
business owner who would like her help please contact her at:
271-2341 x 138 or
[email protected]
Amanda Luce, Metrocast Business Accounts Executive would like
business owners to contact her at: Direct: 603-527-3694, Mobile:
603-455-3096, Fax: 603-524-5190, Customer Service: 800-952-1312,
Technical Support: 800-608-6490
Remember: “To Predict The Future, Create The Future” Abraham
Lincoln
Letter To The Editor
Shortly before the March election, an easily defined group of people
used an approved subdivision application as a campaign issue. Some
of these people were on the ballot for election to the planning
board, and some were in the background. My husband, Clayton, won a
decisive victory, despite the tactics of his opponents.
They should have stopped there, but they did not.
Within one month after the election, the town administrator, acting
under the guise of an applicant’s complaint, persuaded the board of
selectmen to authorize a secret investigation whose ultimate purpose
went far beyond the applicant’s complaint and was to remove from
office an official (my husband), that the townspeople had just
decisively re-elected to a third consecutive term.
Next, the town administrator persuaded the board of selectmen to
take control of the town website. Within 24 hours of that takeover,
the town attorney’s investigative report appeared conspicuously on
the home page. The final pages of the report make clear that the
real reason for the investigation was to remove Clayton from the
planning board by any means possible. But the draft minutes of the
Planning Board Meeting (5/7/15) and the Rebuttal Letter sent to the
BOS on 5/11/15 show that this dispute has two sides. Please read
these documents.
This is what dictators do: they please (appease) a chosen few with
satisfying their basic wishes and ruthlessly eliminate their
competition (including anyone or any group who will challenge their
authority).
Perhaps our town administrator doesn’t realize how many voters
recognize his tactics? How unfortunate that we may have to endure
this tyranny until next year’s election. One thing is certain: We
are many residents who know what is happening, and we will not be
silenced.
God Bless Our Troops,
Rachel Wood
Letter To The Editor
In last week’s Sun, Pittsfield town administrator Mike Williams
urged Pittsfield residents to read a report of the town attorney,
which says, among other things, that the planning board had met
without a quorum because, according to the town attorney, 3 members
of the 5-member board met when a quorum required 4 members.
But RSA 673:10, III, says, “A majority of the membership of a local
land use board SHALL constitute the quorum necessary in order to
transact business at ANY meeting of a local land use board.” 3 is a
majority of 5, “shall” means shall, and “any” means any; and the
town attorney was mistaken about the quorum.
It was a mistake that town administrator Williams took out of
context and presented as true when he should have known better.
The town attorney investigated an applicant’s complaint and reported
in sum that the planning board had reached correct results, that the
applicant had suffered no harm, that the chairman should not be
removed, but that the planning board had followed flawed procedure.
On May 7, the planning board carefully reviewed the town attorney’s
procedural objections and found, with reference to NH Supreme Court
case law, that all of the town attorney’s procedural objections were
as mistaken as his understanding of a quorum. The planning board
submitted its written rebuttal to the board of selectmen and the
town administrator on May 11, but, as of May 14, the board of
selectmen or town administrator had not put the planning board’s
rebuttal on the town web site anywhere, let alone on the home page
next to the town attorney’s report. Evidently, the board of
selectmen and the town administrator are not as impartial as the
town administrator’s letter in last week’s Sun claimed.
Jim Pritchard
Drake Field Summer Recreation Program
Are you looking for something fun and educational for your children
to do this summer? If so then we have the answer - the Drake Field
Summer Recreation Program. Come join us for six weeks of fun. We
will begin on June 29 and end on August 6. The program is open
Monday through Thursday and FREE to Pittsfield students in grades
1-8.
The summer program consist of sports activities, arts and crafts,
children’s games, board games, field trips, water games, story time
and many other fun and educational activities. Thanks to the
Sanderson Trust Fund, the Foss Family Foundation, Grappone
Automotive and Irwin Motors the following field trips are now being
planned - Hammond Castle in Gloucester, Ellacoya State Park,
Wentworth State Park, Chuckie E. Cheese, Wallis Sands, Town Pool,
Liquid Water Planet, Conway Railroad, North Conway Weather
Discovery, White Lake State Park, Fort Constitution, U.S. Coast
Guard Station, Great Island Common, Air National Guard Station,
Krazy Kids, roller skating and York Wild Animal Kingdom. Many of the
field trips are free and some have an admittance fee. We are also
planning some historical and educational walking field trips through
the town.
Registration forms and calendars will be sent home through the
school by the end of May. Forms may be returned to the school or you
may register on June 29th at the park.
For more information please contact Mrs. Louise Sawyer at 267-6733.
Obituaries
Joseph L. Merrill
LOUDON - Joseph L. Merrill, 79, died unexpectedly Sunday, May 10,
2015, at his home.
He was born in Loudon at the family farm on July 11, 1935, the son
of Frank Lewis and Lottie C. (Wheeler) Merrill. He attended Loudon
schools.
Joe proudly served in the United States Marine Corp from 1953 to
1956. Returning to the farm, he was employed on several local farms,
logging operations, and construction companies, and was also a
self-employed farmer for many years. Farming was his passion and he
loved and enjoyed animals.
He is survived by one sister, Elsie Fife of Epsom, brothers, Paul
Merrill and wife Barbara, of Loudon and Karl Merrill and wife
Elinor, of Chichester, several nieces, nephews and cousins. He was
predeceased by two brothers, Richard Merrill and David Merrill and
two sisters, Elizabeth Weston and Jennie Brooks. Although Joe never
had any children of his own, he had a very special nephew, Lloyd
Sargent, that was like a son to him.
Joe was an icon in the neighborhood and an unforgettable witty
character, and was respected and loved by all who knew him, a very
hard worker and always ready to lend a hand where needed. He
definitely leaves a void in the area and will be sadly missed by
many.
Joe was a member of the Loudon Center Freewill Baptist Church and
also the Loudon American Legion Post.
Services were held Monday, May 18 with the Reverend Henry Frost
officiating. Interment followed at the N. H. Veteran’s Cemetery in
Boscawen.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Loudon
Center Freewill Baptist Church or Loudon American Legion Post.
The Still Oaks Funeral & Memorial Home, 1217 Suncook Valley Highway,
Epsom, is in charge of the arrangements.
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