Those Celebrating Birthdays are: September 28,
Sadie-Mae Poulan; September 29, Bobby Snedeker, Joan Kimball;
September 30, Pete Pszonowsky, Brad Graeme, Donna Graeme; October 1,
Val Genest; October 2, Bobby Zahn, Ashley Elizabeth Giuda; October
4, Stephannie Hillsgrove, Ian Towle; October 5, Paul Rogers; October
6, Shirley Waters, Morgan Ward.
A Very Happy Birthday To One and All!
Those Celebrating Anniversaries are: September 29,
Stan and Sheila Bailey; September 30, Brad and Donna Graeme; October 3, Doug
and Glenna Stevens.
Mark your calendars for the Turkey Supper on October
8th in South Pittsfield. Watch for more details next week.
Community Action Program will be in Pittsfield on
October 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th for fuel assistance at the
Pittsfield Community Center. You must call for appointment 485-7824.
School District
Luncheon Presentation at Senior Center
At noon on Monday October 3rd Superintendent Dr.
John Freeman, Mrs. Tobi Chassie, Director of Student Services and
PMHS parent Mrs. Stephanie Lamere will visit the Pittsfield Area
Senior Center to discuss current improvements within the Pittsfield
School District. Please come and enjoy a delicious lunch (there’s
carrot cake for dessert), and at the same time learn about the
school’s plans for the current school year!
Pig Butchering Demo, Sunday, November 6, 2011, 9 am
- 4 pm, at a farm in Pittsfield (directions given at time of
registration). The Pig Butchering Demonstration includes a bus ride
to a custom cut shop in Loudon, then to a Smokehouse in Canterbury
and back to the farm in Canterbury. Presenters of the demonstration
are Victor Huse, long-time backyard slaughterer/butcher and Dot
Perkins, of UNH Cooperative Extension. The cost is $25 a person
(space limited to 50 people). Call Mary at 796-2151 to register.
Paul Cody, PhD, attended the 2011 World Professional
Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Biennial Symposium at
Emory University in Atlanta, GA, September 24th - 28th.
WPATH is the international organization of
healthcare professionals providing services to transgender people.
The revised Standards of Care were released at this symposium. Dr.
Cody, who has lived in Pittsfield since 1987, works as a staff
psychologist at the UNH Counseling Center and as an adjunct faculty
member in the UNH Social Work Department. At the UNH Counseling
Center, he works with students with all sorts of concerns, while
maintaining specialties in issues of sexual orientation and gender
identity/expression.
Stroke And Osteoporosis Screenings Coming To
Pittsfield
Residents living in and around the Pittsfield, NH
community can be screened to reduce their risk of having a stroke or
bone fracture. First Congregational Church of Pittsfield will host
Life Line Screening on September 30, 2011. The site is located at 24
Main Street in Pittsfield.
Four key points every person needs to know:
• Stroke is the third leading cause of death and a
leading cause of permanent disability.
• 80% of stroke victims had no apparent warning
signs prior to their stroke.
• Preventive ultrasound screenings can help you
avoid a stroke.
• Screenings are fast, noninvasive, painless,
affordable and convenient.
Screenings identify potential cardiovascular
conditions such as blocked arteries and irregular heart rhythm,
abdominal aortic aneurysms, and hardening of the arteries in the
legs, which is a strong predictor of heart disease. A bone density
screening to assess osteoporosis risk is also offered and is
appropriate for both men and women.
Packages start at $139. All five screenings take
60-90 minutes to complete. For more information regarding the
screenings or to schedule an appointment, call 1-877-237-1287 or
visit our website at
www.lifelinescreening.com. Preregistration is required.
Life Line Screening was established in 1993, and has
since become the nation’s leading provider of preventive screenings.
Osborne-Huntimer
Naida Osborne and Lucas Huntimer were married June
11 in Ames Iowa. The Rev. Bobbi Silvernail performed the double-ring
ceremony.
Chelsea Fogal of Asheville, N. C., was maid of
honor. Bethany Meno of Naperville, Ill., Ariel Fanjoy or Warner and
Ramona Huntimer and Maria Huntimer, both of De Smet, S.D. and sister
of the groom were bridesmaids. Amanda Mahoney of Pittsfield was a
personal attendant. Irlynd Schultz of Sioux Falls, S.D. was the
flower girl.
Adam Huntimer of Watertown, S.D. cousin of the
groom, was best man. Joshua Srstka of Armour, S.D., and Kenneth N.
Osborne Jr. and Joseph Osborne, both of Pittsfield and brothers of
the bride, were groomsmen. T Bart Plocher of Sioux Falls, S.D., and
Ryan Fedeler of Madison, S.D. were ushers.
The bride, daughter of Joan Osborne of Pittsfield
and the late Kenneth Osborne Sr., earned a bachelor’s degree in
animal science from the University of NH and a doctor of Veterinary
Medicine from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
in May. She is a small animal veterinarian at Noah’s Ark Animal
Hospital in Rockford, Ill.
The groom, son of Patricia Muser of Pierre, S.D.,
and Mark Huntimer of De Smet, S.D. earned a bachelor’s degree in
biology from South Dakota State University. He is pursuing a PH.D.
in immunobiology from Iowa State University.
The couple lives in Ames Iowa, and Rockford Ill.
Letter To The Editor
To the good citizens of Pittsfield:
I wanted to write a fun letter; like listing all the
people from Buster Danis to my wife, to everybody in between, that
tried to keep me in short hair. It might have been quite a letter.
However, I just got back from a public input session
requested by the Budget Committee. Everyone agreed the tax rate of
$30.66 per thousand is interfering with people’s ability to keep
their homes and sell their homes.
Ideas and solutions
1. Ask Department Heads to come in with a 10%
reduced budget from last year.
2. Keep in mind the effects this cut might produce.
3. Fire, Ambulance and Police, regionalize.
4. Quit making people drive over the mountain for a
piece of paper that really only the Fire Chief needs.
5. Abolish the Ethics Committee.
6. Ask the Town Employees if they will contribute
more to help save other valuable employees.
7. Put the Current Use Tax Penalty assessed if you
take it out of Current Use back in the General Fund. People losing
their homes should not be converting land.
8. Support the school’s effort to improve, but at
the same time they must contribute to a sustainable budget.
9. When we do our town forest cutting, we need a
volunteer forester. Town is not making enough out of the deal.
10. We are all in this together.
This is my first puzzle: Which number was not really
brought up at the meeting, but thought I’d throw in tonight?
Good night,
Dan Schroth Piermarocchi
Retroactive Traumatic Injury Benefits No Longer Just For OEF/OIF Injuries
Submitted By
Merrill A. Vaughan
Vice Commander
American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is extending
retroactive traumatic injury benefits to Service members who
suffered qualifying injuries during the period Oct. 7, 2001 to Nov.
30, 2005, regardless of the geographic location where the injuries
occurred.
"Now all of our nation’s Service members who
suffered severe traumatic injuries while serving their country can
receive the same traumatic injury benefits, regardless of where
their injury occurred," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki. "We at VA appreciate the efforts of Congress and the
President to improve benefits for our troops."
Effective Oct. 1, the Service members’ Group Life
Insurance (SGLI) Traumatic Injury Protection benefit, known as
TSGLI, will be payable for all qualifying injuries incurred during
this period. This retroactive benefit is payable whether or not the
Servicemember had SGLI coverage at the time of the injury.
The Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2010,
passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in October of 2010,
removes the requirement that injuries during this period be incurred
in Operations Enduring or Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). This is welcome
news for the many Service members who suffered serious traumatic
injuries while serving stateside or in other areas outside of
OEF/OIF during this time period, but until now have not been
eligible for TSGLI.
TSGLI provides a payment ranging from $25,000 to
$100,000 to Service members sustaining certain severe traumatic
injuries resulting in a range of losses, including amputations; limb
salvage; paralysis; burns; loss of sight, hearing or speech; facial
reconstruction; 15-day continuous hospitalization; coma; and loss of
activities of daily living due to traumatic brain injury or other
traumatic injuries.
National Guard and Reserve members who were injured
during the retroactive period and suffered a qualifying loss are
also eligible for a TSGLI payment, even if the cause was not related
to military service, such as a civilian automobile accident or
severe injury which occurred while working around their home.
National Guard and Reserve members make up more than
40 percent of the total force which has been deployed since 9-11.
Those who are no longer in the National Guard or Reserves can also
apply as long as their injury occurred while they were in service.
"I am extremely pleased that these total force
warriors who defend our freedoms are getting the recognition and
benefits they have rightfully earned in service to our nation,"
added Under Secretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey.
VA is working with the Department of Defense to
publicize this change in the TSGLI law. Additionally, all of the
branches of service are identifying any claims previously denied
because the injury was not incurred in OEF/OIF and reaching out to
those individuals.
Although applications are currently being accepted
by branch of service TSGLI offices, benefits will not be paid until
Oct. 1, 2011, the effective date of the law.
For more information or to apply for a TSGLI
payment, Servicemembers and Veterans should go
to http://www.insurance.va.gov/sgliSite/TSGLI/TSGLI.htm or contact
their branch of service TSGLI Office (contact information available
at above link).
TOPS News
Submitted By
Terrie Azotea
At TOPS this week we announced our contest winners
of the Skinny Island, Kudos to the ladies who won. We have our
Inspiration Workshop coming up that should be a good time for those
that are going. Enjoy.
Guess what time of the year it is. The big Fair
season and we all know what is at the fair. Food and that is why we
go, right? Well, mostly and then comes the animals and crafts and
shows. When you are passing those french fries think to yourself; do
I really want those? I personally love the sausage subs, with the
works. Once again, it’s all about the choices we make. So lets try
to make good ones; and hope that everyone has a good time.
What is TOPS? Well, it is a great support group and
we all try to work together and help each other out. Plus we have a
good time together and we make some good friends. TOPS stands for T
= Take, O = Off, P = Pounds, S = Sensibly.
Come on out and pay us a visit and see what we do.
We meet on Tuesday night at 5:30 for weigh-in and at 6:30 for our
meeting. Any questions, please call Laurel Tiede at 269-8721 or Pat
Smith at 435-5333.
Have a great week and see you all lighter. "There is
always one reason to smile".
Pittsfield Project HOME
Pittsfield Project HOME, a habitat improvement
initiative that aims to develop our schoolyard so it is attractive
to wildlife and people as well as creating an outdoor classroom for
our students, has completed its first project at the Elementary
School. With the help of energetic Kindergarteners, hard working six
graders and enthusiastic volunteers, a beautiful butterfly and
hummingbird garden will now serve as a study area for the
Kindergarten classes.
The Project HOME team would like to give special
thanks to Darcy and Aaron Kendall who championed the effort and
generous donations received from Millican Nurseries and Leach
Perennial Field. To find out more about the program and what you can
do to help, please go to the school website (www.pittsfield-nh.com/pes)
and click on Project HOME or call Clayton Wood at 396-6663.
There was a highly successful grand opening at
Pittsfield Youth Athletic Park on July 23. During the month of
August we took a breather but there is now still more to be done.
Pictured is Mike Brewster who spent several hours placing the
railings on the staircase between the upper and lower fields. Thank
you Mike."
Obama Proposes Tricare Changes
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
Submitted By
Merrill A. Vaughan
Vice Commander
American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75
Pittsfield, NH 03263
Military retirees would pay an annual fee for
TRICARE-for-Life health insurance and TRICARE pharmacy co-payments
would be restructured under the deficit reduction plan President
Barack Obama released Sept. 19.
"If we’re going to meet our responsibilities, we
have to do it together," Obama said during a Rose Garden speech to
announce the President’s Plan for Economic Growth and Deficit
Reduction. The plan reduces $4.4 trillion from the $14.7 trillion
federal deficit over 10 years through a combination of spending cuts
and increased tax revenue.
For the military portion, Obama said the government
will save $1.1 trillion from the drawdown of forces in Iraq and
Afghanistan, which are to be complete at the end of this year and in
2014, respectively.
The plan includes savings of $6.7 billion over 10
years by establishing "modest annual fees" for members of
TRICARE-for-Life, which becomes a second-payer insurance to military
retirees who transition to the federal Medicare program upon turning
age 65. The change would begin with a $200 annual fee in fiscal
2013.
The plan also includes savings of $15.1 billion in
mandatory funds and $5.5 billion in discretionary funds over 10
years by restructuring co-payments for TRICARE pharmacy benefits.
To bring the TRICARE plan more in line with private
and other federal plans, the president’s proposed plan would
eliminate co-pays for generic mail-order drugs, while shifting
retail co-pays from a dollar amount to a percentage co-pay. The
change would apply to military families and retirees, but not
active-duty service members.
These changes will ensure fiscal responsibility
without compromising quality care for service members and their
families, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said in a statement
released Sept. 19.
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta "has consistently
emphasized the need to keep faith with our troops and their
families," Little said.
"That includes maintaining the highest quality
health care for them," he continued. "We will continue to maintain
the highest possible health care, but during this period of fiscal
belt tightening, we may see modest cost increases in TRICARE
enrollment fees and co-pays to sustain the health system."
The changes are necessary to help reduce the deficit
and ensure the long-term strengths of the programs, a White House
news release issued after Obama’s speech said. The changes also
would help to level "a measurable disparity" between military
retirees and private sector workers, it says.
The statement notes that the administration has
expanded GI Bill benefits, job training and veterans’ homeless
prevention programs, and proposed tax credits for employers to hire
veterans.
"Still, as the cost of health care rises and benefit
programs across the public and private sectors are being
restructured to remain solvent," the release says, "it’s important
that programs that serve military retirees and veterans are
modernized to be able to meet the needs of the future."
The plan also would create a commission to
"modernize" military benefits through a process based on that of the
2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission, the White House
release said. Under the proposal, the Defense Department would make
a proposal to the commission, which can alter the proposal before
sending it to the president. The president may not alter the
proposals, but would decide whether or not to send it to Congress.
The Congress would have to approve or disapprove without
modifications.
"The administration believes that any major military
retirement reforms should include grandfathering provisions that
ensure that the country does not break faith with military personnel
now serving," the statement said.
Obama said the proposal to save $4 trillion
"finishes what we started last summer" when he and the Congress
agreed to $1 trillion in cost savings. Under the plan, the deficit
-- the difference between revenue and spending -- would level out in
2017 where spending is no longer adding to the nation’s debt.
While "we are scouring budget for every dime of
waste and inefficiency," Obama said, the proposed plan also closes
corporate tax loopholes, raises taxes on millionaires and makes
changes to Medicaid and Medicare in an effort to help small
businesses and middle class Americans, and protects spending on
education, science and infrastructure such as roads and bridges.
"We’re asking everybody to do their part so no one
has to shoulder too much burden," Obama said.
Letter To Marie Of Pittsfield Garage
Often I have read great stories in the Sun about how
residents of Pittsfield really love this little town. How the
Balloon Festival and the great parks, the lovely church bells and
Winterfest make Pittsfield a wonderful place to live. And I agree.
But the best thing about Pittsfield is truly its people and, Marie,
you were definitely one of the best.
I grew up in a Catholic orphanage and always touted
that I graduated from the University of the Streets, and the School
of Hard Knocks. Growing up poor made me into a strong independent
woman, and I always wondered what made you so strong. You ruled
girl, in a man’s world. And you did it with style and grit, caring
for the people who came into Pittsfield Garage as if they were your
own family. You took care of our vans, trucks and cars and consoled
us when they died. And when it was your turn to die, you did it with
great courage, often comforting the people who were trying to
comfort you.
All of us at the Tan Road Dome will miss you Marie.
You were a great addition to our little town and somehow Pittsfield
will be a little less than what it was before you passed on. I said
the Rosary in your honor (one little Catholic girl to another) and
wanted to publicly thank you for being such a grand gal.
Sharon Gonzales
Tan Road Dome
Pittsfield, NH
What is Rotary?
Rotary is our friends, relatives and neighbors,
volunteering in communities at home and abroad to support education
and job training, provide clean water, combat hunger, improve health
and sanitation, and eradicate polio. Speaking of polio:
In 1988, when the Global Polio Eradication
Initiative began, polio paralyzed more than 1000 children worldwide
every day. Since then, 2.5 billion children have been immunized
against polio thanks to the cooperation of Rotary International, 200
countries, 20 million volunteers, backed by an international
investment of more than $8 billion.
Today, polio has been eliminated from most of the
world and only four countries remain endemic. In 2009, fewer than
2000 cases were reported for the entire year. This would not have
happened without the Rotary Clubs, their members and the money that
was raised through events like the Pittsfield Rotary Balloon Rally!
Money generously donated by YOU!
Speaking of Balloon Rally: The 30th Balloon Rally
has come and gone and while the weather did not cooperate fully, the
event was successful and everyone who attended had a great time! We
are looking forward to the 31st Balloon Rally and have already begun
the planning.
Our next major fund-raiser is the Annual Penny Sale,
Saturday November 5th! If you have never attended this action
packed, fun filled event, please check it out. You won’t be
disappointed!
Stay tuned to the Sun for more info.
Lastly, the Four Way Test of Rotary; Is it the
truth?, Is it fair to all concerned?, Will it build goodwill and
better friendships?, Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
See you at the Penny Sale!
What You Need To Know
A Guide To Understanding The Pittsfield School
District Redesign
Submitted By Ross Morse, Community Advisory Council
Member
Community
Community in the sense of student-centered learning
is about the school community AND the general community supporting
it, that is to say, Pittsfield.
Having the tools in place to help our students
succeed may lay the foundation for a better system, but successful
sustainability comes through community support. Below are a few ways
the school community will support this initiative and how Pittsfield
as a whole can be proactive in its success.
• Student led Conferences – a conference that 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.
• Site Council – a decision making body composed of
students, educators, parents and community members, that will
review, modify and make decisions regarding areas of high interest
including but not limited to procedures, practices, and policies or
structures in order to have a positive impact on the educational
process and school climate.
• Community Advisory Council - A group of community
and greater community individuals brought together to draw on the
diverse perspectives of school, community, and students to help
shape and communicate the student-centered learning redesign that
will lead to maximized student success.
The bottom line is that in order to be the school
district we all expect it to be, producing high-achieving,
successful graduates, the community needs to support the district in
a way that represents its awareness to its responsibilities and
ownership of the common goal.
A better school system produces so much more than
its intentions. It produces a higher value of real estate, a
thriving marketplace and an environment others will want us to
share.
Many of the topics discussed over the summer have
already been implemented in some form at the Middle High School.
Personally, I have had the pleasure of partnering in an ELO
(Extended Learning Opportunity) with students interested in
publishing and graphic design.
I recently heard back from a student who graduated
last June and is now attending college. She was requesting that I
forward her some files we worked on together while she was here at
The Sun. The project she is currently working on required that she
take something she was proud of and produce a Kindle format of it to
sell for a limited time on Amazon. She chose the project we had
worked on during her ELO.
The email also went on to say "I also thought you
would be happy to know I’m putting the skills you taught me to good
use in this class, even though, before I worked with you I thought I
would never need to know about newspapers and such. It seems every
day I learn a new reason to be grateful to you :)"
The work of the Community Advisory Council in
collaboration with the School District has produced many positive
avenues that will engage students, teachers, administrators and
community members. Some of the rewards are already being realized.
Without a committed community like Pittsfield, this
would not be possible.
Obituaries
Ruth Johnsson
Mrs. Ruth (Pettersson) Johnsson, died at the age of
98 on Sunday, September 18, 2011 at the Harris Hill Center in
Concord.
Born in Alster, Sweden, on January 4, 1913, Ruth was
the daughter of Frans and Jenny (Mellqvist) Pettersson. She first
immigrated to the United States at the age of 16. She did child care
and later helped in the kitchen in private homes. After four years
she returned to Sweden, married, and had a daughter. In 1948 the
family moved to the United States and settled in Boston, MA. She
then worked part time as a "waitress," also, in private homes. Ten
years later the family moved to Waltham, MA, where she lived for 25
years.
She loved interior decorating, but her passion was
ballroom dancing. She participated in several amateur dancing
competitions and received first and second prizes at some events.
She was also a member of the Vasa Order of America. Her last work as
a "waitress" was with the Swedish Home in Newton, MA. After she
became a widow, she moved to Nashua and Hollis. During this time of
her life, she moved several times to Sweden and then back to Hollis.
The last few months of her life were spent at Vintage Hill on Berry
Avenue in Pittsfield.
She was the widow of Rolf Johnsson and is survived
by a daughter, Reinie Bittner and her husband Hubert of Northwood; 2
grandchildren; 3 great grandchildren; and a sister, Anita Formark of
Eskilstuna, Sweden.
A memorial service for Mrs. Johnsson will be held
Saturday, October 1st at 3 pm at the First Congregational Church of
Pembroke on Pembroke Street, Pembroke. Rev. Jim Howard will
officiate.
Tom Petit of the Petit Funeral Home is assisting
with arrangements. An on-line guestbook is available at
www.petitfuneralhome.com.
Marie J. Clements
Marie J. (Valley) Clements, 66, a longtime
Pittsfield resident, died Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at CRVNA
Hospice House in Concord after a brief illness.
Marie was born in Rochester on February 3, 1945, and
moved to the Barnstead and Pittsfield area in 1970. For over 30
years she owned & operated AMP Sales, a trucking and freight
business, and for the past 12 years, she has been owner and operator
of the Pittsfield Garage.
Marie loved to read and was good at crafts,
especially crocheting rugs and sweaters.
Marie was the daughter of the late Maurice Valley
and Dorothy (LaFay) Adabahr, and the step-daughter to Louis Adabahr
of Rochester. She was predeceased by her husband, Paul Clements Jr.
in 2005 and her son, David Clements in 2003. She is survived by
sons, Michael Clements of Barnstead and Alan Clements of Pittsfield.
Marie also has 6 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Friends and relatives are invited to share memories
of Marie on Saturday, October 1st at the Still Oaks Funeral &
Memorial Home, 1217 Suncook Valley Hwy. in Epsom. Gathering begins
at 10 AM prior to a memorial service scheduled for 11 AM. Burial
will take place at the convenience of the family at the Pine Grove
Cemetery in Barrington.
Family and friends may sign an on-line guestbook by
visiting
stilloaks.com.
Donald Sala Jones
Donald Sala Jones, 85, of Concord Hill Road, died
September 21st at the Pleasant View Center in Concord, following a
long illness. He was born in Brooklyn, NY, the son of Sala and Anna
(Dwyer) Jones.
His family moved to Pittsfield in 1937 where he
attended school. He lived in Portsmouth briefly, where he graduated
high school and worked briefly at the Naval Ship Yard.
He enlisted in the Navy in 1943. He served on the
USS LSD 937 during the Pacific Campaign. The ship logged over 60,000
nautical miles landing on many islands in the Pacific. Following his
discharge in 1946, he continued to serve in the Naval Reserves.
Throughout his adult life he worked as a machinist
at several shoe companies including, Adams Brothers Shoe, Pittsfield
Shoe and Nike Shoe and retired from Capizzo Ballet Shoe. He was a
member of the VFW Post of Pittsfield and the U.S.LSD Association.
He was described as a humble man with a "stubborn
Irish streak". He enjoyed conversation with friends around town
reminiscing about the old days.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Beatrice
(Stahl) Jones and his daughter Carolyn J. Jones of Pittsfield.
Several cousins and his cat "Hoagie."
Services and burial in the Floral Park Cemetery,
will be private at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the
CRVNA Hospice Program, 30 Pillsbury St. Concord, NH 03301. The
Perkins & Pollard Memorial Home is assisting with arrangements.
|