The Pittsfield Post Office is now
accepting passport applications. Hours aer 8-11 AM and 1-3 PM,
Monday through Friday.
The Greater Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce would like to THANK Mr.
Joe Darrah for changing the Banners that hang from the utility poles
around town. It is a tremendous amount of work to change the
banners and he has VOLUNTEERED his time throughout the year putting
the Holiday banners up in November and now changing them to the
Spring/Summer and Historic Pittsfield Banners. We appreciate
Joe’s support and help with this project! Thank you!!
The internment of Robert Wesson will be
held May 21, 2016 at 11 AM at the family cemetery on 217 Governor’s
Rd., Pittsfield.
Family and friends are invited. A
celebration of life will be held at the Pittsfield Community Center
immediately following.
Save The Bees
Submitted By Lauren
Martin
Lauren Martin is a senior at Pittsfield
Middle High School in Pittsfield. Lauren is earning a Biology credit
based on research and experiments with the bee population through
the Extended Learning Opportunity Program and amateur beekeeper Kate
Dockham.
This is the second in a series of five
articles that will focus on how to combat this problem locally.
Resources used, shared by request.
As discussed in the previous article, CCD
(Colony Collapse Disorder) has a debilitating effect on honey bees.
Scientists, beekeepers, and many others are doing their best to try
to discover the root causes that have created CCD- and for good
reason.
The North American Pollinator Protection
Campaign (NAPPC) is a program run through the Pollinator Partnership
with its own “honeybee task force” in order to work on this cause.
This includes grants, research, and educational resources on honey
bees to raise support for them. Honey bees important role has begun
to be recognized outside of the beekeepers and farmers that work
closely with them for the fact that they impact so much of the food
we eat. Even companies seemingly unrelated to bees entirely, like
the ice cream company Häagen-Dazs, has put forth some effort after
realizing the plants used in their recipes would be jeopardized
without honey bees.
Currently, the fear for the security is
not unfounded. The loss in Ohio of about 2.5 million bees or 25 of
their 75 hives is one an example of many of what could happen to
more beekeepers in the future, and what has been happening already.
In discussing how CCD effects New Hampshire bee populations Chris
Rallis, a N.H. Department of Agriculture entomologist, said,
“Because Colony Collapse Disorder is such a mystery, it’s too hard
to say what exactly will happen,” (Fosters). Though stated about
nine years ago, the sentiment is holding true. Connections between
CCD to common ailments of pesticides, mites, poor practices, and
more has caused caution in New Hampshire beekeepers. Once CCD began
to be a reported problem, rates of 40-60% loss became more widely
spread as well, which includes a number of devastated hives that
have no chance to recover.
Native bees and domestic honey bees have
been affected by CCD. At least, native bees are assumed to be
declining in populations- assessing their numbers is difficult
because in contrast to domestic honey bees, they do not have
beekeepers that monitor them. Native honey bee’s healthiest hives
are often set up in hard to discover locations, far away from easy
human inspection. Many species of bees prefer to stay relatively
local, and do not compete over food sources, so the main issue
presented is having diverse and healthy plants to feed from.
Diversity poses a problem with the increase in single crop planting,
creating entire fields of just one type of plant. Additionally, the
measures taken by beekeepers to help their captive hives survive may
not be enough to help the bees.
Domestic honey bees take time to become
more resilient towards illnesses, and simply waiting it out while
hoping for the best will not speed up the lengthy process. Due to
how vital bees are to the economy, especially to New Hampshire’s
local farmers, a more proactive approach could determine the
difference between recovery and too far gone to recover from. The
next two articles will cover ways to accomplish this.
Pittsfield
Beautification Committee
Submitted By Carol
Lambert, Secretary
You will soon see the Pittsfield Beautification Committee members
tending the gardens around town and also finishing up the design and
planting of the Aranosian Lot (next to Jack’s Pizza). We
would like to address some of the questions we had over the winter
months concerning the pine boughs that were in the garden.
Because the bushes are planted on berms it was important that the
roots were protected from the harsh conditions of winter freezes,
thaws and winds. Pines boughs were placed at the base of the plants,
and some small pine trunks were placed over some of them so they
would not blow away; it is referred to as winter mulch.
Unfortunately, someone took many of the boughs and placed them
within the bushes, which made the garden unsightly. We have
removed the mulch and it does not appear at this time that the
bushes were damaged.
We have had some reports of children
riding their bicycles over the berms at the Aranosian Lot and pet
owners walking their dogs in the Washington House garden at the
intersection of Main/Chestnut/Oak streets.
We would like to gently remind the parents
and childcare providers in town to please ask your children to not
walk through or play in the gardens, and please do not allow your
pets to use the plants/bushes in the gardens.
In anyone would like to make a donation to the Beautification
Committee, please send a check payable The Pittsfield Beautification
Committee, c/o Tina Fife 1394 Upper City Rd, Pittsfield NH 03263.
Collection boxes can also be found at Town Hall, Bell Brothers,
Jack’s Pizza, Town Pizza and Danis Markets.
If you would like to join our Committee,
our next meeting will be on Monday May 2nd at 6:30 pm at Town Hall.
We are anxious and excited about this upcoming gardening season and
as always thank the communit for your help and support.
Happy
Anniversary Paige Agency!
By Meggin Dail
Today, April 27, marks the 146th
anniversary of The Paige Agency. It’s not too hard to believe the
company has been in business for that long when you look at some of
the individuals who have run it, been associated with it and worked
there, all for many years.
While the Paige Insurance Agency has gone
through its number of owners and therefore names, one thing remains,
it is a small town based company with service you can trust. It is a
community oriented company with some deep historical roots.
Longevity of this kind is not a result of merely sticking it out,
it’s about being the best at what you do and doing it with a
knowledge of your customers that compares to none.
A little history of the company gleaned from the pages of “The
Valley Times” and “The Pittsfield News” (predecessors to The
Suncook Valley Sun), reveals The Paige Agency had its own share of
predecessors.
In 1870 S.G. Kelley is credited with
receiving an appointment as agent for the New Hampshire Fire
Insurance Company. Kelley ran the company until George Berry
purchased it around 1880 and ran it until his death in 1897. Known
as the Berry Winslow Agency, Sherburne Winslow operated it until
April 1919 at which point Isaac Harriman took over and changed the
name to Berry and Harriman Agency. At this time Pearl Osgood joined
the ranks, first as a part-time secretary, later to become a much
more valuable member of the firm until her retirement 46 years
later. In August of 1919 George Freese returned from WWI and
partnered up with Harriman, thus the company underwent another name
change to the Harriman and Freese Agency in January of 1922. Carroll
Paige also joined the ranks in 1919 and in December of 1924 the
agency underwent yet another name change of Harriman, Freese and
Paige. 1934 saw Freese selling his interest in the agency and the
company dropped a name, becoming Harriman and Paige.
Upon the death of Isaac Harriman in
November of 1939, Carroll Paige ran the company until his own death
in January, 1944. The business was then owned and operated by his
widow, Grace Paige. In the meanwhile, Courtland Paige, Carroll’s
brother had become affiliated with the agency and operated it as an
assistant manager until his death in February of 1967.
Carroll and Grace’s son, Gilbert Paige,
joined the company in 1948, after returning from his service in WWII
and became a manager in 1950. The Harriman & Paige Agency purchased
the Mayland Foss Insurance Agency of Pittsfield in 1954 and in 1963
they bought the Harry Silvers Agency of Gossville. In 1965, the name
was changed to the company we are now familiar with as The Paige
Agency In 1970 The Pittsfield News dedicated most of its April 23,
Volume 11, No. 29 issue to celebrating The Paige Agency’s century of
service, to Pittsfield and to New Hampshire.
In 1986 Gilbert Paige sold the Agency to Scott Brown and Andy
Chalifour who Brown says helped him learn the insurance ropes.
Gilbert Paige stayed involved in the agency for another 5 or 6
years through the modernization of the company upgrading through the
use of computers. Janice Tuttle joined the firm shortly after this
purchase in 1987 and has remained an important fixture much like
Pearl Osgood with the exception that now everyone who works at Paige
are licensed agents.
So, why the longevity? First of all The
Paige Agency was one of a kind when it first started back in the
late 1800s. There was no such thing as fire insurance yet in the
state of New Hampshire yet there was a desperate need. It used to be
that the insurance man rode the fire engines down the street right
alongside the volunteer firemen. Secondly, right from the start The
Paige Agency, even under different names, gave you the ability to
speak with your agent face to face. There were no long distance
phone calls to make, you just walked up to the corner storefront and
were able to discuss business face to face, with someone you knew.
You still can.
After its run of successors, The Paige
Agency name stuck. Why? Why not Paige, Chalifour and Brown? After
all Gilbert Paige continued on at the agency after it was purchased
by Brown and Chalifour for another five or six years. The answer is;
by then the company had experienced three generations of the Paige
family. The agency was an established name in an established place
with employees, like Mary Davis and Roberta Elkins, who were known
to have worked at Paige “forever.” Relationships had been developed
with its clients and the decision was made to hang onto that trusted
name.
Trust. The word conjures strong feelings for most. Trusted names,
companies, people, are hard to come by but Scott Brown and The Paige
Agency has been working hard to maintain that personal relationship
with their clients. At Paige, Scott Brown, Jan Tuttle, Alice Young
and Sarah Fifield, know your name just as well as you know theirs.
When you call you can speak to the same agent every time. You can
stop by with your payment. You can discuss your particular needs
with them because they know you because you have history with them.
That knowledge is key to maintaining Paige’s small town atmosphere
while providing you with the best coverage available. It ‘s that
knowledge of the policies and the fact that each agent, Scott, Jan,
Alice or Sarah, are licensed insurance counselors and care
about your needs. It’s personalized service that is hard to come by
in the days of automation and internet.
Personalized service means that Paige is
going to give you a fair shake when pairing you with an insurance
plan. It means they’re going to be in your corner as your insurance
liaison when you do have that third accident or decisions are being
made with other companies based on actuarial data and credit scores.
It means a real person answers the phone when you call and that
person knows how to help you. Once again, longevity of a company
goes hand in hand with that company’s customer service and work
ethics. After all, how else do you stay in business for 146 years?
Songs And Stories From The War Years Presented By Richard Kruppa
People of all ages love the music from the World War II era,
1939-1945. On Thursday, April 28th pm the Josiah Carpenter Library
and The Pittsfield Senior Center will host Songs and Stories from
the War Years presented by Richard Kruppa. This entertaining
and informative program, which begins at 1:00 pm, focuses on some of
the most beloved songs from that era. Songs like “Bluebirds over the
White Cliffs of Dover,” “Sentimental Journey,” “Praise the Lord and
Pass the Ammunition” and “ Harbor Lights.” Richard not only sings
the songs, accompanying himself on guitar, 5-string banjo, and
baritone ukulele, but he tells their fascinating and unfamiliar
stories as well; their meaning, how they came to be, and their
significance.
Richard asks interesting and
thought-provoking questions, such as “What popular song was written
in response to the bombing of Pearl Harbor?” “What song was popular
world-wide and thought to be from each country where it was
popular?” and “What WW II-era song was a top hit written and
recorded by a state governor?”
Richard Kruppa, known musically as
“Ramblin’ Richard,” is a member of the New England Foundation for
the Arts, and a retired professor from Bowling Green State
University in Ohio.
The event will be free and open to the public and will be held at
The Pittsfield Community Senior Center at 68 Main Street in
Pittsfield. For more information call Beverly Pietlicki at the
Library at 435-8406 or Carol Schiferle at the Senior Center at 435-
8482
VA Convenes
Leaders In Brain Health To Advance Solutions For mTBI And PTSD At
Brain Trust Summit
Submitted Via Merrill
Vaughan
WASHINGTON – The
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is leading a groundbreaking
two-day event focused on brain health, Brain Trust: Pathways to
InnoVAtion. The first annual public-private partnership event will
take place this week at the National Press Club and the IBM
Institute for Electronic Government in Washington, DC.
Building on the extraordinary leadership
and trailblazing efforts of a number of distinguished VA brain
researchers, VA is convening many of the most influential voices in
the field of brain health – to include the Department of Defense,
the sports industry, private sector, federal government, Veterans
and community partners - to identify and advance solutions for mild
traumatic brain injury (mTBI), and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD).
Issues related to brain health and head trauma transcend the Veteran
and military community, impacting all Americans. By highlighting the
themes of collaborative research, medical technology, and sports
innovation for player safety, Brain Trust participants will discuss
the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and
reintegration of Veterans, athletes, and Americans in general -
suffering from head trauma related injuries. The event will also
serve as a showcase for many of the advancements that VA is
pioneering to improve brain health for Veterans, the military and
for the American public at large.
In addition to many of the world’s most
accomplished brain research scientists, other confirmed participants
in the summit include sports commentator Bob Costas, Gen. Peter
Chiarelli (CEO of One Mind, and the former Vice Chief of Staff of
the Army), Briana Scurry (former U.S. Women’s Soccer Player), Jeanne
Marie Laskas (author of the GQ article that inspired the movie
Concussion), Terry O’Neil (16-time Emmy award winner),
representatives from the NFL Players Association, the NFL, the NCAA,
DARPA, DOD, NIH, CDC, and many more.
During the summit a special announcement will be made by Chris
Nowinski co-founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) and
former WWE professional wrestler. Joining Chris will be a former
Super Bowl champion and an Olympic gold medalist, each of whom will
be using this Summit to announce that they will be donating their
brains to the CLF for the purposes of advancing brain health.
CLF has partnered with VA and Boston University to establish the
VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, directed by VA’s own Dr. Ann McKee, now the
largest sports mTBI and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
repository in the world with over 325 brains donated, and over a
thousand more pledged.
“VA is uniquely positioned to contribute
to the care of Veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI),” said VA
Secretary McDonald. “The work we do produces results and life
changing improvements in care for Veterans — as well as for all
Americans, and for people around the world who suffer from these
brain related injuries.”
The following organizations are teaming up
with VA as event partners: Amazon, Booz Allen Hamilton, Comcast, GE
Healthcare, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Optum Health, and Philips.
To learn more about Brain Trust: Pathways to InnoVAtion, please
visit:
www.va.gov/p3/braintrust.asp #VABrainTrust
VA Secretary And Deputy Secretary Tell
Commission On Care: Transformation Is Underway And Already
Delivering Measurable Results For Veterans
Submitted Via Merrill
Vaughan
WASHINGTON – Today Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A.
McDonald and Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Sloan D. Gibson
updated the Commission on Care laying out the current state of VA
and the transformation that is underway to deliver better customer
service and results for America’s Veterans.
In laying out the key pieces of the
transformation underway – MyVA – Secretary McDonald said, “MyVA is
our framework for modernizing our culture, processes, and
capabilities – combining functions, simplifying operations,
providing Veterans a world-class, customer-focused, Veteran-centered
enterprise. I know transformational change is not easy but it is our
commitment to the Veterans we serve in order to bring them the
customer service and the care and benefits they have earned.”
Secretary McDonald outlined the five MyVA
strategies focused on customer-service excellence: improve the
Veteran experience, improve the employee experience, improve
internal support services, establish a culture of continuous
improvement, and expand strategic partnerships. He also provided
updates on progress made to date of VA’s 12 breakthrough priorities.
“We have challenges in VA and we own them,
but the transformation that Bob talked about is well underway and
already delivering measurable results for improving access to care
and improving the Veterans experience,” said Deputy Secretary
Gibson.
Deputy Secretary Gibson laid out the
roadmap for VA to transform from a loose federation of regional
systems to a highly integrated enterprise and integrated provider
and payer model and presented the following metrics showing that
transformation is underway and having positive impact on Veterans
care.
In a nationwide, one-day Access Stand Down
VHA staff reviewed the records of more than 80,000 Veterans to get
those waiting for urgent care off of wait lists and into clinics.
They identified just over 3,300 patients waiting for more than seven
days on the Electronic Wait List (EWL) for an appointment in a Level
One clinic. By the end of the day, 80 percent were given an
appointment immediately, and 83 percent were given an appointment
within two-and-a-half weeks.
Real-time customer-satisfaction feedback
collected in our medical centers through VetLink—our kiosk-based
software—tells us that about 90 percent of Veterans are either
“completely satisfied” or “satisfied” getting the appointment when
they wanted it.
Annual clinical work has increased among
VA providers seeing Veterans by almost 18 percent in the last three
years; 20 percent when VA and non-VA providers are calculated
together.
With changes already underway to leverage
our scale and build a world class end-to-end supply chain, we have
already redirected $24 million back towards activities providing
better Veteran outcomes.
These results build on the elements of
excellence already in place in VA’s health care system that must be
maintained and, in many cases, expanded upon.
According to the American Customer
Satisfaction Index, VA has outperformed the private sector in
customer service for a decade.
According to a February article in the
Journal of American Medicine, 30-day risk-standardized mortality
rates are lower in VA than those of non-VA hospitals for acute
myocardial infarction and heart failure.
The American Journal of Infection Control
found that in five years methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) infections declined 69 percent in VA acute care facilities
and 81 percent in spinal cord injury units thanks to VA’s aggressive
MRSA prevention plan.
The Independent Assessment found that VA
performed the same or significantly better than non-VA providers on
12 of 14 effectiveness measures in the inpatient setting.
The Independent Assessment also found that
VA performed significantly better on 16 outpatient HEDIS measures
compared with commercial HMOs and significantly better on 15
outpatient HEDIS measures compared with Medicare HMOs.
A 2015 study found that VA mental health
care was better than private-sector care by at least 30 percent on
all seven performance measures, with VA patients with depression
more than twice as likely as private-sector patients to get
effective long-term treatment.
Another 2015 study found that outcomes for
VA patients compared favorably to patients with non-VA health
insurance, with VA patients more likely to receive recommended
evidence-based treatment.
Secretary McDonald and Deputy Secretary
Gibson were joined by VHA’s Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for
Community Care, Dr. Baligh Yehia, who outlined the history and
evolution of VA’s partnering with medical providers in the community
to include the Department of Defense, Indian Health Service, several
academic medical partner hospitals, and a growing number of private
sector providers. He outlined the path forward for the Veterans
Health Administration to become an integrated payer and provider,
much of which depends on a legislative proposal currently working
through Congress.
VA offered demonstrations of three
management tools showcasing new technology to improve the way
Veterans schedule appointments and how VA health care practitioners
can see and interact with patient data, all of which improve
outcomes for Veterans and take into account feedback from Veterans
and employees. This includes a cell phone app currently in
development that will allow Veterans to schedule their own
appointments as well as a program that has existed in all VA medical
centers for a year-and-a-half that allows VA physicians to view a
patient record that integrates information from VA, the Department
of Defense and community health partners in one screen.
Today’s presentation to the Commission on
Care follows a presentation less than a month ago from VA’s Under
Secretary for Health, Dr. David Shulkin who laid out actions already
underway at the Veterans Health Administration and the vision to
move it into the future that embraces an integrated community care
model.
Key Resources:
Readout of Under Secretary for Health
Meeting with the Commission on Care on March 23, 2016 Secretary
McDonald addresses suggestions to “shut down VA health care
altogether” in a speech to the United Veterans Committee of Colorado
last week Under Secretary for Health, Dr. David Shulkin’s vision for
an integrated payer and provider system in the New England Journal
of Medicine: Beyond the VA Crisis — Becoming a High-Performance
Network The announced launch of MyVA Access outlining systemic
improvements and results for Veterans wanting increased access to
care Secretary McDonald makes the case for the importance of VA
health care to American Medicine in the Baltimore Sun
New Members Appointed To VA Advisory Committee On Women Veterans
Submitted Via Merrill Vaughan
WASHINGTON – Five new members were
recently appointed to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Advisory Committee on Women Veterans (Committee), an expert panel
that advises VA’s Secretary on issues and programs impacting women
Veterans. Established in 1983, the Committee makes
recommendations to the Secretary for policy and legislative changes.
“The Committee’s guidance is instrumental
in shaping VA policy for women Veterans, and providing insight on
their diverse needs,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A.
McDonald. “VA anticipates the important contributions and fresh
perspectives the newest members will offer to this invaluable
Committee."
New Members VA Advisory
Committee on Women Veterans Kailyn Bobb, Plumas Lake, CA. A
U.S. Air Force Veteran; currently pursuing a doctoral degree in
clinical psychology from California School of Professional
Psychology, Alliant International University.
Keith Howard-Streicher, Alexandria, VA. A Veteran of the U.S.
Army; currently serves as Assistant Director, Veterans Affairs and
Rehabilitation Division, at The American Legion.
Edna Boyd Jones, Norcross, GA. A retired
U.S. Army Colonel, with service in the Gulf War and Operation Iraqi
Freedom; currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Nursing at
Albany State University.
Leslie N. Smith, King George, VA. A retired U.S. Army Captain;
currently serves as co-founder and spokesperson for Fatigues to
Fabulous, a non-profit women Veterans organization.
Janet M. West, Jacksonville, FL. An active
duty U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, with service in Operation
Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom; currently serves as senior
medical officer at Jacksonville Naval Air Station Branch Health
Clinic.
Mary Westmoreland (Retired U.S. Army Colonel), who has diligently
served on the Committee since 2012, was appointed as the Committee’s
new chair. Committee members Sara McVicker (U.S. Navy Veteran)
Washington, DC, and Tia Christopher (U.S. Navy Veteran), Dallas, TX
were reappointed for an additional term.
For information about VA’s benefits and services for women Veterans,
visit www.va.gov/womenvet or
contact the Women Veterans Call Center at 1-855-829-6636. The
Women Veterans Call Center is available to address concerns of women
Veterans, their families and caregivers, Monday through Friday from
8 a.m. to 10 p.m., ET, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., ET.
2016 Multi-Town Yardsale
The Annual Multi-Town Yardsale will take
place June 3rd, 4th and 5th this year. The now three day event will
have advertised hours of 8am- 2pm for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Participants choose if they participate
one, two or all three days. We do our best to designate this in the
Yardsale listings.
Those wishing to hold yardsales/ barn
sales/ garage sales at their home or business may register the
address of their sale to be included in an online map and printable
address list. Individual registration is a modest $5 to help cover
advertising costs. Group or Multifamily locations pay a $10
registration fee, and have an enhanced listing. As always, the
registration fee is waived for non profits. Donations to the Banner
project (in Pittsfield) are always welcome for those wishing to add
a few dollars to their registration.
New this year is a community yardsale
location at Dustin Park on Saturday June 4th, 8am-2pm. You must
register to set up in Dustin Park, the same $5 registration fee
applies. Anyone may register for the Dustin Park location regardless
of their hometown. Set up will begin at 6:30am, and all items must
be cleared from your designated space by 3pm. Restrooms will be
available for those registered.
Any address in the seven member towns of the Greater Pittsfield
Chamber of Commerce may register to help advertise their yardsale.
These towns are: Barnstead; Chichester; Epsom; Gilmanton; Loudon;
Northwood and Pittsfield. Registration forms will be available in
the Suncook Valley Sun and online at
www.pittsfieldchamber.org and
mailed to the Chamber at GPCOC, PO Box 234, Pittsfield, NH 03234.
Questions can be directed to
[email protected]
Selectman’s Update
Submitted By Carl Anderson
Selectboard Meeting 4/19/2016
This meeting included the second Public
Hearing regarding the sale of three town-owned parcels of land,
which were auctioned last fall without going through the proper
channels.
Public hearings are now behind us, and the
Conservation and Planning Boards have given their input to the BOS
as well. Because this is raw land, requiring no town services, the
Board is taking a long term look at what we do with these lots. When
they’re gone, they’re gone. Once we are assured of where we stand
legally, we will make a decision that has the town’s best interests
at heart.
Proposals and offers continue to be
presented by private individuals as well as the EDC regarding 11
Watson St. Sometimes it seems painfully slow to go through the
‘process,’ but we have no choice, and we don’t want to regret a
decision in hindsight. We spoke with the EDC about their desire to
get a constructive project underway that will be a real benefit to
the town, including their consideration of other town owned ‘high
exposure’ properties that could really showcase what the EDC can do.
We expect more collaborative efforts in that regard.
The Barnstead building inspector was
approved as Pittsfield’s deputy inspector. He has plenty of
credentials and was approved easily.
Both the Fire Dept. command vehicle and
the 2010 police cruiser will be going to auction as their useful
life here is over. The newly donated Fire Command vehicle and Police
canine vehicle are being readied for use.
EDC and Conservation commission
appointments were made.
Town website policies were discussed with
Clayton Wood and it was decided that a website committee would be
established.
A wetlands permit by notification was
reviewed regarding a 6’x20’ dock for canoes and kayaks along the
riverbank east of the Barnstead bridge by a waterfront abutter. No
action was called for, nor did we see any reason to object to it.
State paving projects were reviewed for Rt. 107, South Main St., and
Loudon Rd. Again, these were notifications, not requests, and we had
no reason for action. Residents expressed concern that the paving is
too little and leaves the downtown still untouched, however, our
control over State paving projects is virtually zero.
Next week, April 26, we will hold
interviews with the six selectboard applicants during the public
portion of the meeting.
This week another meeting nearly 4 hr.
with progress made.
Death Café Comes To Pittsfield
Death is a part of life. There is no escaping it.
Yet often people are reluctant to talk about it. They don’t even
want to think about it or prepare for it. A death café
is when people gather together to eat cake, drink tea, and discuss
death.
Death cafés were founded by Jon Underwood based on the work of
Bernard Crettaz. The first Death Café was held in London in 2011.
Lizzy Miles offered the first Death Café in the United States in
2012. Since then, there have been more than 3,000 death cafés in
many different countries. All over the world, people are
coming together, to eat, drink and talk death.
Now you too can meet with strangers to talk about death, right here
in Pittsfield.
The objective of a death café is to
increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the
most of their (finite) lives.
A death café has no agenda; it is an open conversation about death.
There is no religious or business affiliations. There is no fee to
attend. A death café is not for the recently bereaved and is
not an appropriate place for children.
The Pittsfield Death Café is being hosted by Rondi Boyer and
Victoria Marcotte.
For Rondi Boyer, a hospice nursing assistant and former volunteer
coordinator at the Hyder Family Hospice House in Dover, NH, death is
part of life’s natural cycle. She sees death and talks about it
frequently in her line of work. But Boyer knows this is something of
an exception among most people. “We are so removed from death,”
Boyer says. “As a culture, we are afraid to talk about death, and
therefore, lots of us don’t know what to do when we are faced with
death in our own lives.”
[email protected]
Victoria Marcotte is a life and death coach, yoga teacher and
perpetual student of life. She recognizes that those areas of life
that we least want to acknowledge are the areas that can make the
most difference in healing our lives. When we face our fears
we can live more fully. Exploring our thoughts on death is one
way to be find more peace in our everyday lives.
[email protected] The
Pittsfield Death Café is being held at Journey to Peace Yoga and
Wellness at 1 Lyford Hill Rd on May 11 from 6 to 7:30 pm.
There is no fee to attend but donations are accepted to cover the
cost of refreshments. Please call 603-435-0637 or email to let us
know you’re coming as space will be limited.
For more information visit the website at
www.deathcafe.com
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