Friends
Church in South Pittsfield will be open for services on August 7th
with Henry Frost speaking. Service starts at 1:00 pm.
Those Celebrating Birthdays are: August 3, Sarah Laro, Ed
Huggins, Scott Drouin; August 4, Betty Hartford; August 6, Jonathan
Desmarais, Fred Mayhew; August 7, Brandon Giuda, Michael Tuttle,
Keith Snedeker, Andrew Fries, JoAnne Ward; August 8, Fred Hast, I;
August 9, Jess Hillsgrove.
A Very Happy Birthday To One and All!
Celebrating Anniversaries are: August 5, Mark and Sylvia
Wallace; August 6, Harold and Debbie Darrah; August 9, Bruce and
Barbara Smith.
Edna Sherburne of Washburn, Maine has
returned to the home of her son, Raymond, and family after spending
two weeks in Pittsfield with her daughter, Pat Ordway, at her home
on Leavitt Road. While here, she enjoyed visits with
grandchildren and a special visit with all three of her daughters:
Pat, Gail of Dade City, Florida and Susan of White River Junction,
Vermont.
Josiah
Carpenter Library Teen Book Discussion Rescheduled
The regular
August meeting of Josiah Carpenter Library’s Josiah Book Worms Teen
Book Discussion Group has been rescheduled to Friday, August 12th
from 3:30 to 5:00 pm. Title: “Around the World in 80 Days.” by
Jules Verne.
There will be no September meeting. Regularly
scheduled meetings resume Thursday, October 6th at 7:00 pm.
The
Josiah Book Worms Teen Book Discussion Group meets at the Josiah
Carpenter Library, 41 Main Street, Pittsfield, ten times per year on
the first Thursday of each month, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The
group does not meet in September or December. Pre-registration is
required.
Please call 435-8406 for more information.
Sponsored in part by Mike Suliman of The Village Pizza, and a grant
from The Sanderson Fund.
Letter
The recent Old Home Days fireworks were great, and definitely worth
braving the very warm, muggy weather, and mosquitoes (we forgot to
bring bug spray or lotion).
Sometimes in the past we have
skipped them, knowing there would be much bigger, flashier, and
certainly Louder fireworks in a couple of weeks, for the Balloon
Rally. But, knowing those had been halted by a few black-hearted and
community-hating souls, we knew we couldn’t miss these.
I didn’t
miss the loud, blaring music blasted through what sounds like tin
cans, my one and only criticism of the Balloon Rally fireworks.
There was also a free-flowing, even bubbly nature to these
fireworks. If there was a theme it was simply “wild and crazy.”
Still, it is saddening that a few Grinches decided to do what they
did, simply because they could, and because it was legal. Sometimes
the line between what is legal and what is moral or ethical is a
fine one.
Those who vandalize the cemetery are clearly both
morally and legally wrong. But, in a very real sense, those who
decided to take something from the community which added a great
deal, and which thousands enjoyed immensely are also vandals in a
moral and ethical sense. They will need to live with that.
Bruce
Cobb
Josiah
Carpenter Library Family Movie Night Special Double Feature
On
Thursday, August 12th, Josiah Carpenter Library offers a Special
Double-Feature Family Movie Night! In keeping with our Summer
Reading theme “One World, Many Stories” we will be showing the
following movies:
• 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm, “Around the World in 80
Days” (Animated) Starring Simon Callow, Philip Jackson, Joe Mills
and John Sessions (2003). Movie length: 47 minutes.
• 6:00 pm to
9:00 pm, “Around the World in 80 Days” (Academy Award and Golden
Globe Award) Starring David Niven, Cantinflas and Robert Newton
(2004, remastered from 1956). Movie length: 182 minutes.
The
movies will be shown in the Josiah Carpenter Library Children’s Room
(enter by side door). Call 435-8406 for more information.
Made possible by a generous grant from the Sanderson Fund, Family
Movie Night is a new program at Josiah Carpenter Library.
Josiah Carpenter Library has purchased an MPLC Umbrella License to
provide copyright coverage to allow the public showing of movies.
Movies will now be shown regularly on our quarterly, Family Movie
Night event, and in conjunction with our Josiah Book Worms Teen Book
Group, and our Read-Meet-Talk Book Group for Grown-ups.
Audio video equipment to provide for public viewing, has been
purchased through the Sanderson Fund Grant. This equipment
will be used for movies, and other special programs and guest
speakers.
Letter
To The Editor
Having attended the Grand Reopening of Pittsfield’s
Youth Athletic Park, I came away with the following thoughts.
When you have a leader, in this case my good friend Larry Berkson,
who is willing to work harder than anyone else, armed with an idea
to greatly improve our community, and with the support of the
community, almost anything is possible.
I am so happy inside to
be a part of the over 200 citizens who made this project happen.
I have always liked big projects. That way I see other skills,
equipment, and jobs being done.
Another way I get my kicks, is
working alongside the Beautification Committee on the traffic
islands. Look at the stone around the flower bed on the island
at the beginning of Tilton Hill Road.
This is a fairly
uniform granite block weathered stone, available from Swenson’s
Granite. I haven’t asked yet where it’s from originally.
Anyway, we mix that with Pennsylvania flat rock and voilŕ,
Pittsfield is beautiful.
So here’s the challenge: if the
community buys the rock, the stonemen will work with the
Beautification Committee to lay it up.
Maybe over a couple of
years, we could stone in Pittsfield. Anyway, if you are able,
send a donation to the Beautification Committee c/o Tina Fife, 1394
Upper City Road, Pittsfield, or find a donation box in our local
businesses.
I kind of have my sights set on the Washington House
lot, to replace the wood surrounding the flower bed with the rock I
described, that I don’t have. Respectfully,
Dan Schroth
Piermarocchi
Letter
Don’t believe for a minute that one will live under a bridge unless
we raise the debt ceiling. Mr. Obama is using Social Security
and Medicare as a bargaining chip to keep spending out of control.
We do not have a revenue problem; we have a spending problem.
When families have a debt problem, they start the correction process
by cutting up their credit cards and reining in expenditures.
Reports have shown that if we default, not only would there be money
enough to pay Social Security, Medicare, active duty military pay,
and veterans’ affairs programs, there would still be $39 billion
remaining each month for other essential services.
Let’s be
clear. President Obama has both the legal authority and the
financial resources to ensure that our seniors and our military
heroes receive the benefits they are owed, yet he is using scare
tactics, threatening those we cherish and respect. These unwarranted
scare tactics only set us up for more political posturing on both
sides.
Representatives in Washington still have an opportunity to
cut the debt and prioritize spending. Billions could be saved
by cutting funding for Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry,
the terrorist-led Palestinian Authority and other despotic
governments that oppose us at every turn.
While Mr. Guinta is not
my district’s Congressman, he, like many freshman representatives,
is trying to hold to the mandate for which he was elected, to Cut,
Cap, and Balance the budget that the prior Democratic Congress has
not tried to tackle in the last 820+ days. One sided rhetoric and
slanted letters-to-the-editor serve no useful purpose in putting
this country’s financial house in order.
Home of the Free,
Because of the Brave Lea Adams Pittsfield
Andrew
Pinard’s Alejandro’s Olde Tyme Magik Showe
The Josiah Carpenter
Library 2011 Summer Reading Program: “One World, Many
countries,” presents “Andrew Pinard’s Alejandro’s Olde Tyme Magik
Showe.”
This gala event will be held at the Pittsfield Community
Center Thursday, August 18th, at 1:00 pm. The program is
free and the public is invited to attend.
Josiah Carpenter
Library 2011 Summer Reading Program is supported by two grants,
a “Kids, Books & the Arts” grant from NH State Library and CHILIS,
and a grant from Pittsfield’s E.P. Sanderson Trust, as well as a
generous donation of special books and craft supplies from the
Friends of Josiah Carpenter Library and private donations.
“What’s
Cooking” Luncheon
You and your friends are invited to a luncheon
sponsored by the Concord Christian Women’s Club and Stonecroft
Ministries on Thursday, August 11th, from 11:30 to 1:30, at The Red
Blazer Restaurant & Pub, 72 Manchester Street, Concord, NH.
The
cost of the luncheon is $15.00 inclusive. The feature is Sue
Moulton of Pampered Chef and Georgia Basko speaking on “Coping,
Changes, and Challenges.”
Reservations are required by August
5th, cancellations are also required. Call Wendy at 485-7446
or Barbara at 798-5976.
Stonecroft Ministries is a non-profit
ministry. For more information visit
www.Stonecroft.org.
VA
Launches New Prevention Initiative To Serve 22,000
Veteran Families
At Risk Of Homelessness Submitted By Merrill A. Vaughan
Vice
Commander American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75
Pittsfield, NH 03263
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today the
award of nearly $60 million in homeless prevention grants that will
serve approximately 22,000 homeless and at-risk Veteran families as
part of the new Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF)
program. This initial $60 million award will serve Veteran families
at 85 non-profit community agencies in 40 states and the District of
Columbia under VA’s new homeless prevention initiative.
“This
new homeless prevention program will provide additional
comprehensive support to Veterans who have served honorably, and now
find themselves in a downward spiral toward despair and
homelessness,” said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. “This
program expands our capacity to act before a Veteran becomes
homeless and to target the problem of family homelessness. These
grants would not have been possible without the extraordinary
partnerships forged with community organizers who are firmly
committed to making a positive difference in lives of Veterans and
their families.”
The SSVF Program, a critical
element of VA’s plan to prevent and end homelessness among Veterans,
will promote housing stability among homeless and at-risk Veterans
and their families. Under the SSVF program, VA awards grants
to private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives that
can provide a range of supportive services to eligible very
low-income Veteran families. Supportive services include
outreach, case management, assistance in obtaining VA benefits, and
assistance in obtaining and coordinating other public benefits.
Grantees will also have the ability to make time-limited temporary
financial assistance payments on behalf of Veterans for purposes
such as rent payments, utility payments, security deposits and
moving costs.
More information about VA’s homeless programs is
available online at
http://www.va.gov/homeless. A list of award recipients and
details about the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program
are available online at
http://www1.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp.
Letter
To The Editor
I have been working with the PYW and NH Listens to
get a Pittsfield Listens group started. Pittsfield Listens is
working on a project Strong Schools Strong Community which is to
bring members of the community together to talk about what could
make our schools and community a better place to learn. Pittsfield
Listens has the hope that the whole community will come together to
have their voices heard. My voice is important and so is yours. The
Strong Schools Strong Community will be holding small discussion
groups to give the community a chance to have their voices heard.
On July 28th Pittsfield listens had a kick off meeting where we
came together as a large group to start the process. This meeting
included PYW, NH Listens, facilitators, and members of the community
who will take part in the discussion groups. I attended the meeting
as a youth facilitator and was disappointed on how many people
showed up to be a part of the discussion group. I would like to see
more people register for the project and be involved in the
discussion groups. It does not take a lot of your time but it is
important to hear your voice. If you have interest in helping to fix
our school system and community it is not too late to be a part of
the discussion groups. If you want your voice heard as much as I
want my voice heard please contact Zach or Paula at the PYW
(435-8272) to register. Remember your Voice is important and will be
Heard.
Julia Cole Student Facilitator
What
You Need To Know A Guide To Understanding The Pittsfield School
District Redesign Submitted By Ross Morse, Community Advisory
Council Member
So far we have visited what student-centered
learning is and how it will improve the opportunity for all students
to succeed. This article will delve deeper into the support system
of student-centered learning, more specifically Advisory.
Advisory Advisories provide time for students and staff to
connect through shared experiences encouraging personal, social and
academic growth often incorporating college and career readiness
work.
• Personal Learning Plans – each student with adult support
develops a learning plan to guide his or her personal, social, and
academic growth and school experience. A foundational component of
this plan is based on the students’ personal interests and strengths
which leads to goal setting activities and is constantly revisited
and revised. It becomes a road map, benchmarking and reflection tool
for students to chart their own progress and identify challenge
areas as they consider their short and long term futures.
•
Student led Conferences – a conference where the student and his or
her advisor plans a presentation that articulates the students’
academic, personal and social growth as outlined in their
Personal Learning Plan, which is contained in their portfolio.
During the presentation the students are in the lead role regarding
this conversation about their learning.
• Portfolios - students
create a collection of work, reflections and assorted evidence that
represent mastery of their course competencies . It becomes a
personalized method of archiving their educational experience and
documents their growth over time. It can be used as a communication
tool regarding their learning.
• Collaborative Grouping –
students work together to increase the success of the group by
achieving shared goals, while learning and building consensus.
Students collaborate while learning leadership and communication
skills.
In our next article, we will introduce the Multiple
Pathways approach supporting Student-Centered Learning.
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