Huge Donation From Globe Community Fund
The
Pittsfield Historical Society is very excited to announce that the
Globe Community Fund has made a major contribution to its building
fund for the new Society Headquarters and Museum. This very
generous donation will help sponsor the Museum Room on the main
floor of the new building.
The
Globe Community Fund was established by the Freese Family just prior
to selling The Globe so that it could continue to support important
initiatives in the Town of Pittsfield. The Fund operates under
the auspices of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. The
Society is honored that the Fund recognizes the importance of
preserving Pittsfield’s rich history and promoting on-going
education about our town through its artifacts, archives, and
programs.
This
contribution advances the fundraising efforts of the Society in a
very significant way and insures that ground-breaking will occur in
the early spring of 2019.
Our
very sincere thanks are extended to the former owners of the Globe
Manufacturing Company which established the Fund, and to those who
selected the Society as a recipient of its largess. We are
very grateful for their support.
Local Realtor/Owner, Donna Ward, Named In The Top 100
Exit Realty Corp. International has published their list
of The Top 100 Real Estate Professionals in North America for four
categories. Donna Ward of EXIT Reward Realty was named
#89 of The Top 100 Listers for the period ending June 30, 2018.
This honor distinguishes her in the highly competitive field of Real
Estate as she was the only New Hampshire EXIT Realtor named on the
list. Donna has been in the business of helping our community buy
and sell real estate since 1995 and has owned EXIT Reward Realty
since 2005.
EXIT
Reward Realty is a local Real Estate Brokerage located at 79 High
Street in Pittsfield. They are dedicated to serving Buyers and
Sellers with professional service in the Suncook Valley and Lakes
Region of New Hampshire.
Weaning Calves Can Soothe The Soul
Submitted By Carole Soule
Three Scottish Highlander Steers: Felix, Milo, Pebbles.
Weanlings enjoying a meal of hay.
Author Carole Soule snuggles with Scottish Highlander
steers: Felix, Milo and Pebbles.
Ten
pairs of eyes followed me with friendly interest as I served up
their evening meal with a pitchfork. Vegans now, these calves are
off dairy. During their first six months, they were nursed and
taught by their mothers how to be well-behaved cattle. Now the
calves no longer depend on their mothers; they depend on me.
December is weaning time at Miles Smith Farm. That's when we
separate the spring-born calves from their mothers. Regular readers
with excellent memories might recall a calf named Jazzy who was born
in a ravine behind the farmhouse during a May snowstorm. Another one
called Henry, was born in the same protected spot. Well, they are
the two of the calves being weaned in the Class of 2018.
Calves
are born in the spring by design. A bull is put with the cows from
mid-July to August so that calves will be born nine months later-in
April and May the following year. It's timed so that the nursing
mothers have plenty of delicious (and free) grass to eat all summer.
Providing milk for a 400-pound nursing calf, as well as nutrition
for a fetus, can be stressful for the newly-pregnant cows, so we
wean the 6-month-old calves in December. Mom gets a break, and I get
to know the calves better.
I already know that Allie and Ferdinand like to escape from the
pasture and hang out together in the feed bunker to sleep in the
soft hay. Francesco prefers the company of the older cows. Henry,
another escape artist, can squeeze himself through the narrow space
next to the water trough to get out of the holding pen. But to
achieve rapport with calves, you have to be in among them.
At
first, calves who have never known the touch of a human or the feel
of a halter just want to run away. But once they realize the halter
is sturdy and escape is not possible, curiosity takes over. I put my
head down, and Jazzy, who had been fighting me a minute before,
sniffs my hair. When I do the same with Felix, he pulls my hat off.
Rather than run off in fear, after a few days of handling, the
weanlings let me walk behind and around them; they let me pat and
scratch them. These calves, who were so wild and skittish just days
before, accept me in all my human strangeness as part of the herd.
(I guess it doesn't hurt that I feed them.) The peace that radiates
from them seeps into my soul and calms my spirit.
Weaning
is also the time to scout for talent. Which calves will make
effective oxen? Which heifers will make good mothers? And which
might become one of Miles Smith Farm's famous riding cattle? It's
all part of savoring their personalities as the calves reveal them
to me.
If
you're ever in the neighborhood, why don't you stop by the farm and
meet some of my lively and winsome associates? You'll get some idea
of why December is my favorite month.
Carole
Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm. She can be reached at
[email protected].
Christmas… A Time Of Coming Home
Submitted By Dot Hardy
Wow! I
can't believe how quickly these last few months have gone by!! I
don't know about you, but it seems like we were just enjoying the
warm summer sunshine and now we are only weeks away from Christmas!!
As I started to write this article, I found myself thinking about
Christmas memories. Some were bitter sweet, like the loss of a dear
friend, … others made me smile, like when I think about my 4
grandchildren… another brings a quiet joy as I think about my recent
reconciliation with a close friend whom I hadn’t seen in over 30
years. (How did soooo much time get away?!?)
TIME…
the one thing we can’t recapture … even as I sit here typing,it is
slipping by… Mary and I were the best of friends in high school… She
was my maid of honor… She held my first born daughter… and yet a
breach happened and time drifted away. .. until one day I heard that
quiet voice of God telling me to call her … I was terrified
truthfully… of being rejected … of getting hurt … of hurting her….
You know those feelings. 30 years had gone by… Well, I found
myself one Saturday at a craft fair in Maine where I knew Mary had a
booth. Would I know her? Would she know me? I looked at every
face there, wondering if that was her. Then suddenly, as I walked
into another room, I knew. When I introduced myself to her, it was
suddenly as if no time had passed at all! Mary came flying around
the booth, and we were in each other’s arms … all hurts gone … all
love restored…We are now building a new relationship. Do I wish we
never lost those years … you bet! But there is a whole life ahead of
us to share. All because of that Quiet Voice.
What
about you? Maybe there is someone in your life that needs that phone
call, or conversation.
Maybe,
it’s been a long time since you’ve even heard that quiet voice of
God … or never have. Time is still passing by, but the great thing
about God is that while He knows about all the hurts, all the bad
choices, all the sadness, He’s still there for you. All you have to
do is reach out to Him. Talk to Him. He’s right there, and He has
NEVER stopped loving you. Don’t let time keep you from building a
new relationship with Him. You’ve got a whole life ahead of you,
whether it is days or years. Don’t get caught looking behind and
regretting what was. Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 NIV)
Christmas is a good time to reach out … to God … to others. We here
at the Pittsfield Advent Christian Church would love to meet
you … to maybe build a new friendship. We meet on Sundays at 9:30
for worship, but many of us are at the church at 8:45 for coffee and
chatting. Why not drop in and check us out. (We’re really quite a
friendly group.) The Pittsfield Advent Christian Church is
located at 68 Main St. Pittsfield, NH 603-848-8050. Worship begins
at 9:30. Small groups meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday
of each month.
Until
later ( hopefully sooner) …. love, Dot
REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE LOVED !!!
Letter To The Editor
Thank
you to everyone who attended and served at this years 7th Annual
Thanksgiving Day Dinner at Park Street Baptist Church.
Once
again this year we enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship and giving
thanks celebrating God’s many blessings.
"Give
thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in
Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 18 NIV
Traditionally, on Thanksgiving, many gather with family and friends,
and take the time to think about what we are thankful for.
This
year’s 7th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner is dedicated to those in our
community.
Sharing
a Holiday and food is a wonderful opportunity and blessing to build
relationships with our neighbors.
It was
a privilege to serve a full Thanksgiving meal with all the
trimmings, and many more meals were delivered to those homebound
community members of Pittsfield and Barnstead.
Of
course the efforts of this gathering could not have been
accomplished without the support of the many who contributed.
A
special thank you to Associated Grocers of Pembroke, Mary Winslow of
Barnstead, Edward Winslow of Barnstead, Elisha Winslow of
Barnstead,
Steve
and Lea Adams of Pittsfield, Robin O’Malley of Barnstead, Debbie
Gaspar of Pittsfield, Fred and Laura Okrent of Pittsfield, Elizabeth
Hitchcock of Pittsfield, Park Street Baptist Church, and to The
Suncook Sun.
Sincerely,
Thomas
and Elizabeth Hitchcock
Post-Secondary Certificates?
Submitted By John Freeman, Pittsfield Superintendent of Schools
When
talking about a student’s next-steps after high school, the
conversations often starts with talk of college. For some
students, the talk stops there. For a variety of reasons, many
students are not interested in pursuing a two- or four-year degree
at a college or university.
Instead, many students feel ready to jump into the workforce.
Certainly, the appeal of independence and regular paychecks are
inviting for young people. But, transitioning directly into
the workforce without any additional education or training can be
limiting in the long term.
An
alternative to both a degree program and workforce entry with a high
school diploma is a certificate program. Certificates, the
second most common post-secondary awards, indicate that the holder
has completed a specialized program with a limited number of
focused, career-oriented courses.
Our
Community College System of New Hampshire offers a broad array of
certificate programs to support entry into the workforce with
focused, advanced education beyond high school. I encourage
our Pittsfield students (and their parents) to take some time to
explore the offerings of our community colleges (www.ccsnh.edu).
The
range of offerings is amazing and includes certificates in areas
such as advanced automotive, wedding planning management, massage,
electrical line worker, small business management, library
technology, robotics, hotel and restaurant management, early
childhood education, fire science, mental health support worker,
welding technology, culinary arts, commercial driver training, sign
language, bookkeeping, motor cycle maintenance and repair, personal
training, heating services, and veterinary practice management,
among many, many others (www.ccsnh.edu/academics/programs).
All
told, our Community College System offers more than 200 certificate
and degree programs which 28,000 students (93% of whom are New
Hampshire residents) take advantage of annually.
Recently, I toured Manchester Community College and came away very
impressed with both the facilities and opportunities for students.
For example, their automotive technology programs are offered in
state-of-the-art labs (not yet one year old) and provide internships
at the region’s auto dealerships, as well as competitions that
provide scholarship awards to high-performing students.
It’s
never too early to begin planning for the future. And, it’s a
good idea to plan for the long-term when looking toward high school
graduation. Traditional colleges don’t serve everyone’s
interests or needs; certificate programs at our community colleges
provide young people with focused learning which lead to well-paying
careers.
Letter
To The Editor
Select
Board meeting 12/4/18
December BOS meetings changed to 1st and 3rd Tuesday in order to get
in two meetings without scheduling on Christmas.
Erica
and Ammy collected 86% of real estate taxes by the due date which
might be some kind of record, and the health of town finances gets a
boost as well. Those responsible for keeping the bills paid at
the town hall truly appreciate it and we all thank the taxpayers.
A
resident who had been asked to clean up an illegal junkyard came in
to give us a progress report and ask for an extension due to the
lousy weather we’ve been having that has made it impossible to move
some of the heavier things because of mud. We appreciate the
cooperation residents have shown when we’ve had to enforce town
ordinances. It certainly makes awkward circumstances a lot
easier on everybody.
Two new
cardiac monitors that the fire dept. needs in order to keep the
State certification for the ambulance were approved. We have
the money in the reserve fund so there won’t be a direct tax impact
on the 2019 budget.
Four
Select Board proposed zoning amendments were approved to go on the
ballot next March. A public hearing will be scheduled by the
planning board for input from residents. Zoning amendments can
be proposed by the planning board, the select board or by citizen’s
petition. Amendment details will be available at the town hall for
inspection, in addition to the hearing(s).
Richard
Guild was appointed to the Housing Standards Agency as landlord
representative.
Diana
Westgate’s resignation was accepted, with regret, from the
Conservation Commission after many years of volunteer service.
Thank you Diana.
A real
estate assessment abatement was approved for 87 River Rd. Two
timber tax warrants were approved.
Carl
Anderson
Letter
To The Editor
The
good, the bad, and the untrue.
A lot
has been said about the Pittsfield Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA)
this year, some of it good, some of it bad, and a lot of it just
plain untrue. Some seem to think that zoning laws and the ZBA are
just in place to prevent property owners from doing what they want
with their property.
This
could not be further from the truth. The zoning laws and the ZBA are
in place to protect property values and help property owners work
together to pursue their own versions of “Happiness” without
infringing on someone else’s “Happiness.” This is what the ZBA
attempts to do every time it meets.
Contrary to common opinion, the ZBA is made up of Pittsfield
residents who want to serve their town and its people. They are
extraordinary only because they willingly give up two Thursday
nights a month to help Pittsfield fairly and lawfully resolve zoning
and land use disputes.
If you
are willing to give the time and have a desire to help our town, the
ZBA would welcome your participation as an alternate board member.
Citizenship in the town of Pittsfield, a desire to learn, and an
open mind are the only requirements to serve. We are also looking
for full time board members as well. Anyone interested in serving
please contact us at [email protected]
The
Pittsfield Zoning Board of Adjustment
Candlelight Christmas Eve
Join
your friends and neighbors and bring the whole family to a wonderful
traditional candlelight service Monday, December 24, Christmas Eve,
7 p.m., at the First Congregational Church, 24 Main St., Pittsfield.
The service includes beautiful music by the Chancel Choir and the
JuBellation Handbell Choir, scripture lessons, the story of the
first Christmas, the sanctuary shimmering in real candlelight and
the singing of “Silent Night.”
Include
this lovely evening service in your holiday plans. Parking and
wheelchair accessible entry are available at rear of church at
Chestnut Street. For more information, call the church office at
435-7471.
Old
Views Of Pittsfield Highlight 2019 Calendar
Photographs of Pittsfield dating from c1864 up through a winter
aerial view from the 1940’s or early 1950’s are depicted and
described in the 2019 calendar from the Pittsfield Historical
Society. Also included with the fourteen photos is a current map of
Pittsfield’s Historic Trail. Calendars can be purchased at the
Pittsfield Town offices, the Josiah Carpenter Library and the
Pittsfield Historical Society headquarters on most Tuesday mornings
between 9 am and noon, or by calling Fuzz Freese at 603-435-7777.
Cost is still only $10. Don’t leave 2018 without one.
You're
Invited!
Are you
a parent or family member to a Pittsfield Student? Do you care about
student success and want to deepen your leadership skills to support
school improvements?
Parent
Leaders with the Family and Community Engagement Team (FACE) of
Pittsfield Listens invite you to join for our interest meeting!
Thursday, December 13th at 5:30-7 pm at the Pittsfield Listens
office (74 Main Street in the Community Center).
Learn
more about how we are working to ensure parent and family voice is
authentically incorporated into the Pittsfield Schools and building
a thriving Family-School partnership-- and how you can get involved.
Dinner
provided. Kids are welcome- we’ll have a kids corner and childcare
available. Contact us for a ride. Bring a friend and enter a raffle
for a $20 Gift Certificate.
Pittsfield Listens encourages underrepresented youth, parent,
family, and community voice on issues and policies that directly
affect their educations and lives. Contact
[email protected] or
603-312-6980 for more information.
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