TOPS NH #38
It’s calling you, parties, cookie making, pies for the
holiday, goodies, chips, dips, and all other kinds of food. What
shall I wear to that New Year’s event? What can I bake? Oh, what
shall I do? Well, there is a meeting place for you, a support
group for you, Your family, and friends. You ask where, I’ll
tell you, Tuesday evenings at 6:30. We meet at the St. Stephen’s
Church Undercroft. No, it’s not a church affair, it’s called
TOPS, and we would be glad to see you. We are a non-profit
organization. For more info on the meeting feel free to contact
Pat at 435-5333 or Sandy at 708-5658.
Celebrating Birthdays are: December 9, Marj Feeny; December
14, Herb Emerson; December 15, Tim Drew.
A Very Happy Birthday to one and all.
On Saturday, December 19th at 7 p.m., the First
Congregational Church in Pittsfield will be presenting “The
Story of Christmas” through word, song and the handbell choir.
The foretelling of the coming of the Messiah and the celebration
of the Birth of Jesus, will be told in nine Bible readings,
interspersed with carols and hymns.
The public is cordially invited to attend. There is no
admission charge, but all are encouraged to bring a canned good
or non-perishable item for the local food pantry. For more
information, please call the church office at 435-7471.
The PHS All Class Reunion Committee will hold their next
meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 6:15 p.m. at PYW. The All Class
Reunion is being planned for July 17, 2010, in conjunction with
Old Home Day. The Committee will be looking for “key contact”
people from each class to help spread the word to their own
classmates. If you are interested in volunteering to be that
“key contact” person, please call Andi Riel at 435-6346.
Pittsfield Students Visit Museum Of NH History And State
House
Submitted By Tracy Bascom, 4th Grade Teacher
Pittsfield Students made their annual visit to the Museum of
NH History and the State House, as a connection to their study
of New Hampshire government and history.
They enjoyed all the great exhibits that the Museum has
about NH, including a wigwam and a Concord Coach! At the Capitol
building they had a tour of the Hall of Flags, the House of
Representatives, the Senate Chambers, and the Governor’s office,
led by Virginia Drew, the Visitor Center Director and mother of
one of Pittsfield’s 6th Grade teachers. Senator Barnes joined
the group, as he always likes to do as he represents the
citizens of Pittsfield.
The big surprise came when Governor John Lynch himself
showed up and joined the students for a brief question and
answer session, as well a few photos. We don’t always get to
visit with the Governor, depending on his schedule, so this was
a special treat for this year’s 4th graders.
School Lunch Menus
December 14-18, 2009
EPSOM
Monday
- Hot dog with roll, potato wedges, veg.,
fruit, milk or yogurt tray, chicken salad.
Tuesday -
Homemade pizza, tossed salad, fruit, milk or yogurt tray, no
salad.
Wednesday - Spaghetti with meatsauce, garlic bread,
veg., fruit, milk or yogurt tray, Nacho salad.
Thursday -
Chicken pot pie, mashed potato, fruit, milk or yogurt tray, egg
salad.
Friday - Baked macaroni and cheese, bread and butter,
veg., fruit, milk or yogurt tray, cheese salad.
PMHS
Monday
- BLT, cheese sticks, fruit, milk.
Tuesday -
Chicken, fries, veggies, fruit, milk.
Wednesday - Pizza,
corn, fruit, milk.
Thursday - Grilled cheese, tomato soup,
fruit, milk.
Friday - Nachos, cheese, meatsauce, tomato and
lettuce, fruit, milk.
CHICHESTER
Monday
- Mozzarella cheese sticks, marinara
sauce, French fries, veggie, peaches, milk.
Tuesday -
Bologna sandwich, chicken noodle soup, carrot sticks, fruit,
milk.
Wednesday - Christmas Dinner - Roast pork with all
the fixings. No Salad Bar.
Thursday - Chicken nuggets, baked
fries, mixed veggies, fresh fruit, milk.
Friday - Hamburger
with roll, chips, pickles, corn, mandarin oranges, milk.
PES
Monday
- Popcorn chicken, veggie, fruit, milk.
Tuesday - Cheeseburger, veggie, fruit, milk.
Wednesday -
Chicken nuggets, veggie, fruit, milk.
Thursday - Hot dogs,
chips, fruit, milk.
Friday - Pizza, veggie, fruit, milk.
Letter To The Editor
To The Good Citizens Of Pittsfield:
Just got back from a
Selectmen’s meeting. I’m glad I went. If I had to name 5 things
I love about Pittsfield, I’d say it would be our 5 member Board
of Selectmen. They are very experienced and are very capable.
Throughout the year they have made adjustments within the
Town Budget to save money. My guess is they will propose a
reduced Town Budget for 2010. As was the case for 2009 Town
Budget.
They have taken steps to reduce our property tax burden
while providing necessary services and investing in the economic
future of our great town.
People who really care about my town. That’s who I love.
Respectfully,
Dan Schroth
Letter
As Thanksgiving has passed us and Christmas grows near, I
find myself thinking about all the people in our community who
help play an important role with my children. The PYW has
touched my children in so many ways. Paula, Zach, and Jeff have
shown compassion and dedication to their roles at the PYW. Not
only have they been there to provide the youth with a place to
go, they have helped children with homework, worked through
problems that children are having socially, and have just had a
listening ear for parents and youth. I do not know what I would
do without the PYW.
So I just wanted to say THANK YOU to the
three of you for such outstanding dedication to the youth of our
town.
Jen Cole
Signs Of Progress
In the past several weeks, Pittsfield
business leaders have expressed a desire to better advertise
downtown attractions to those passing through the area. One idea
we have heard repeatedly involves signs on major roadway
arteries around the Pittsfield area, such as Routes 28, 107, and
4. Answers are on the horizon! This month, the Pittsfield
Economic Development Committee will host an informational
seminar on signage and advertising with William Lambert, the NH
Department of Transportation Traffic Engineer.
Admittedly, the rules regarding state-approved road signs are a
bit complicated. But Mr. Lambert has agreed to walk all of us
through the process and answer questions. The goal is simple:
help the town point the way to prosperity for our local
businesses. Please join us December 16th at 5:30 p.m. at
Pittsfield Town Hall.
Pittsfield Economic Development
Committee
The
Pittsfield Players Host Open Auditions For Hot Bed Hotel
The Pittsfield Players will host Open Auditions for the farce
comedy Hotbed Hotel by Michael Parker. John Charron, director,
will once again entice audiences into hysterics when this
raucous comedy hits the Scenic Theatre stage on March 26, 27,
28, April 2, and 3, 2010.
On Sunday, December 13 at 6 p.m.
and Monday, December 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Scenic Theatre, 6
Depot Street, Pittsfield, Home of the Pittsfield Players,
Charron will be looking for adult auditioners; 4 males, 5
females to play the parts in this hilarious comedy.
Terri
and Brian Cody are trying to sell their one star (and often one
guest) hotel in the Florida Keys. A prospective buyer is about
to arrive from New York. They decide to have the staff
masquerade as paying guests to convince him that the
establishment is busy and prosperous. Unfortunately, the staff
consists of a bibulous maintenance man and a curvaceous but
somewhat vacant young maid. Add the eccentric retired British
Army Major who resides at the hotel, a wealthy Arab Sheik (who
looks suspiciously like the Major), a nymphomaniac dubbed The
Barracuda during her annual stays, the prospective buyer’s
girlfriend and, unexpectedly, his wife, and you have a laugh a
minute merry go round that leaves audiences screaming with
delight.
If you see yourself in any of these parts, please
come prepared to read from the script either Sunday or Monday
and become a member of The Pittsfield Players, community theatre
group 40 years strong right in the heart of Pittsfield, NH. For
more information call 435-8852.
The following is a detailed
description of the characters;
HOPKINS (Age 50- 60): The
hotel handyman. He is an endearing comic character who
continually surprises the audience by producing, throughout the
play, bottle after bottle of liquor which he has hidden all over
the stage. He guarantees his life-long employment by never
fixing anything permanently and is at the heart of most of the
visual comic sequences.
A natural comic, usually tipsy,
occasionally drunk.
TERRI CODY (Age 30-40): While her
husband Brian calls himself the hotel manager, it is very
apparent that she runs the place. She clearly has to love him
very much to be able to put up with his blunders, inefficiencies
and disasters. While she is the brains behind the Hotbed Hotel
facade, she remains a gentle, loving, loyal wife.
Smart,
efficient, competent yet tender and patient.
BRIAN CODY (age
35-40): The hotel owner and manager, he is one of life’s
hopeless incompetents. Meaning well and trying hard, without a
mean bone in his body, he somehow always manages to end up with
a disaster on his hands. He is not dominated by his wife, but it
is just his great good fortune that she is always there to make
any decision that needs to be made for him. He is one of life’s
dreamers who wanders through every day with little understanding
of what is going on around him.
Kind, helpful,
understanding, naive.
MAJOR PONSENBY (Age 50+): A product of
an almost by-gone age, that of the upper class British military
officer. He is a total eccentric, but nevertheless a real
character who, while changing back and forth into the role of
his twin brother, creates hilarious diversions from the main
plot, culminating in an extraordinary coup-de-theatre at the
final curtain.
As Major Ponsenby: Eccentric (to say the
least) but with a sparkling dry wit and sense of humor.
As
Abdul El Hajj: Serious, dour and taciturn.
MAUREEN (Age 18-
25): The hotel maid. She really doesn’t have a brain in her
head. However, she is always bright and cheery, always tries
very hard and should appear like a ray of sunshine every time
she steps onto the stage.
Young, sexy, pretty, full of
energy.
SAM LEWIS (Age 40-60): A New York business man, full
of flash, bravado and moral judgment. It is not until the
arrival of his wife, late in the play, that we realize he is, in
fact, staying in the hotel with his girlfriend. A different Sam
then emerges, a fawning, henpecked husband, completely dominated
by Mrs. Lewis.
Brash, loud, a moral hypocrite.
ASHLEY
(Age 30-45): Sam Lewis’ girlfriend is glamorous, sexy and a real
“looker.” Through no fault of her own, her clothes keep
disappearing throughout the play. As she wanders in and out
wearing only a towel, she is hardly aware of the bedlam going on
around her.
Gorgeous, but not cheap or tawdry, with a kind,
affectionate nature.
HAYLEY HARRINGTON (Age 30- 45): Also
known as “The Barracuda” for her aggressive attitude towards
men. She is glamorous and sensuous. Her reputation as a predator
has preceded her. Focusing on one male after another, sometimes
in a lighthearted, almost frivolous way, she does not let the
audience down. (If Terri is responsible for the Hotbed of
intrigue in the I Hotel, Hayley is responsible for the literal
Hot Bed.)
Voluptuous, sexy, a determined nymphomaniac.
DOROTHY (Age 45- 60): Although it is late in the play when, to
the total surprise of the audience, she is introduced as Sam’s
real wife, her character of “the old battleaxe” completely
dominates the final twenty minutes. After a loose screw in the
number of her hotel room door, 6, is dislodged causing it to
flip down and become 9 (the Barracuda’s room) and she is visited
by all Hayley’s paramours, she is at the heart of one of the
great comic sequences of the play.
Severe, matronly,
self-opinionated
2009 Tax Form, Pay Statement Availability Schedule
Submitted
By Merrill A. Vaughan, Commander, Peterson-Cram Post 75
Air
Force retirees with a myPay online account can now download
their annual account statements. Annuitant statements will be
available online Dec. 14.
There will not be a cost-of-living
adjustment increase for military retirees or annuitants in 2010.
COLA increases are determined each year based on the rise in
the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index for urban
wage earners and clerical workers. The Department of Labor
calculates the change in the CPI for goods and services from the
third quarter average of the previous year to the third quarter
average for the current year.
Although Congress and the
Administration decide how much to increase federal pay, because
military retirees and annuitants do not receive pay increases
but cost-of-living adjustments, they rely on the final CPI
results.
Internal Revenue Service 1099R forms for retirees
and annuitants will be posted Dec. 14.
Retirees who rely on
the U.S. Postal Service for DFAS correspondence can expect to
see their account statements soon as they are now in the mail,
while tax forms will be mailed Dec. 11.
For annuitants,
account statements and 1099R forms begin mailing Dec. 14.
Statements and forms are mailed to the address on file with
DFAS.
Retirees with questions about account statements or
tax forms should call the DFAS Contact Center at 800-321-1080.
(Courtesy of DFAS)
VA
To Survey Veteran Households
Submitted By Merrill A. Vaughan,
Commander, Peterson-Cram Post 75
Secretary of Veterans
Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) has launched a national survey of Veterans, active
duty service members, activated National Guard and reserve
members, and family members and survivors to learn if they are
aware of VA services.
“By hearing directly from Veterans and
their family members, we gain valuable information to help us
serve them better. We hope those who receive the survey will
respond to it,” Secretary Shinseki said.
In addition to
assessing awareness levels, the National Survey of Veterans will
collect important health care, benefits, employment, and
demographic information that VA will use to inform policy
decisions and improve benefits. Recognizing a broader client
base than just Veterans, this is the first time VA has included
others, such as Veteran family members, in its survey
population.
VA is mailing out survey “screeners” to more
than 130,000 households to identify potential survey
participants. The screener asks if anyone in the household is a
member of one of the identified survey groups - Veterans, family
members and survivors, active duty, Guard or Reserve members.
Eligible survey participants then may be requested to
participate in a full-length survey.
Participants will be
able to select a preferred survey method: through U.S. mail,
telephone or a password-protected Internet address. VA expects
approximately 10,000 Veterans to complete the full-length
survey.
This is the sixth VA National Survey of Veterans since 1978. The
information collected will help VA in its efforts to design and
conduct outreach to Veterans. In addition, it will provide a
clearer picture of the Veteran population’s characteristics to
help evaluate existing programs and policies and measure their
impact.
The data collection is expected to be finished by the
end of February and the final report released by December 2010.
Family Fun Fair
Do you want bonding time with your family?
Well, the Family Fun Fair is the perfect opportunity for
you! Date: December 19, 2009 Time: 12 p.m.-8 p.m. Fee: $2 for
adults, $1 for children 5-under, OR 1 new/used toy for free
admission. Location: PES gym and Field Fair Description:
Activities running all day, Relay races, Sledding (if snow is
available), Bonfire (at dusk), Concession stands all day,
Gingerbread house making competition, 50/50 raffle, Music and
Entertainment. *ALL Money raised will go towards the Make-A-Wish
foundation, and ALL toys collected will be donated to Toys for
Tots!!
For More information, you can contact PMHS at
603-435-6701.
Greater Pittsfield Chamber Of Commerce
Come join The Greater
Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce as we enjoy our monthly Business
After Hours. The event will be held at Lake Shore Farm on
Thursday, December 17th from 6:00-8:00 PM. This event is located
at 275 Jenness Pond Road in Northwood. There will be light
refreshments served; the bar will be open and a brief
explanation of what services are provided at Lake Shore Farm
will be given. We will have a Yankee Swap for all who want to
participate, just bring a gift (no more than $10) with you and
have fun seeing who gets what! This is a networking opportunity
for your business, so remember to bring your business cards.
Everyone is welcome to come. If you are not a member and are
interested in becoming one, this is a great opportunity to learn
what The Greater Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce is involved in
and how it could benefit your business. See our website at
www.pittsfieldchamber.org.
American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75 News
I wish to thank
those who attended our annual Veterans Day observance that was
held on November 11, 2009, a day that will always be remembered.
I wish to also thank Dan Ward for filling in for me as I was not
able to attend; the Pittsfield Middle High School Chorale
under Ms. Susan Hipkiss and Stephanie Joyce who sang the
National Anthem. I also wish to thank Mr. Rob Freese who
played TAPS, Madelyn Winslow who played the echo of TAPS.
I also wish to thank the scouts who attended, along with the
Pittsfield Fire Department Detail, the Pittsfield Police
Department and the one who put the flags up every holiday; THANK
YOU!
Each year, the American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75 has
their only fund raiser. You read it in the paper and see
names who win some money; it is at our monthly meetings that we
hold at the raffle. We have received authorization from
the town to now make it available to all who wish to
participate. There is a $10.00 donation for each ticket,
for your $10.00, you have the chance to win up to $105.00 each
month (times 12 months). Your ticket is good from January
through December 2010. This is what funds our activities.
If you wish to purchase any, contact the Post Commander, Merrill
Vaughan at home phone 435-5207, or his cell phone 344-0264.
Are you a veteran who has served during armed conflicts, not
necessarily in the combat zone; stop by the Post Home at 3
Loudon Rd, Pittsfield, NH, the first Monday night at 7:30 pm.
ALL veterans are welcome to attend.
The men and
women of YOUR American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75 wishes each
and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy
Kwanza and a Happy Holiday season.
Merrill
Vaughan,
Commander
American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75
Pittsfield, NH 03263