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Pittsfield NH News

July 2, 2008

 


Celebrating Birthdays are: July 3, Kellen Giuda, Patricia Freeman, Andrew Dunne; July 4, Linda Fife, Joyce Brewster; July 5, Jim Adams, Paul Colby, Betty Sweet; July 7, Dave Sweet, July 8, Stephanie Hetu, Kerianne Hast, Michael Bailey.

A Very Happy Birthday to one and all.


Celebrating Anniversaries are: July 6, Joe & Deb Collins; July 8, Bev & Rene Drolet.

Best Wishes.


Emmanuel College in Boston recently announced recipients of Dean's List awards for the spring 2008 semester, which included Ian Pike of Pittsfield.


The Pittsfield Fire Department Explorer Post #330 would like to thank those who contributed to our car wash and yard sale on Saturday, June 7th, 2008. We are well on our way to our fundraising goal to purchase 10 new fire helmets for our Explorer Post members. Thank you again for all your help and support.


lia sophia recently announced top honors for its Excellent Beginnings Program Achievers for their outstanding sales accomplishments and professionalism. Having just joined the fashion jewelry business, Mary Cote, Pittsfield, has earned this prestigious accomplishment in her first 15 weeks by attaining certain sales levels and by sharing lia sophia with other new Advisor.


Fourteen members of the Congregational Church Choir of Pittsfield and Choral Director and Organist, Ashley Morgan, enjoyed their annual banquet recently held at the Red Blazer Restaurant in Concord.

Delicious food and fellowship were enjoyed.


Letter To The Editor

I recently read the nice article about Memorial Day written by Merrill Vaughan. I wondered if anyone happened to notice the 70 flags put along our streets by my daughter, Carol and her husband, Paul Richardson on that day?

These are sponsored by our Beautification Committee. They have been put out faithfully by them seven times a year for the past eight years.

Ernestine Fife


American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75 To Hold Monthly Meeting

The American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75 will hold their monthly meeting at the Post Home, 3 Loudon Rd. on July 7, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. All members who can are urged to attend this important meeting as plans are being made to observe Veteran's Day on November 11, 2008 at 11:00 p.m. at the Veteran's Memorial.

This year's date is important as it is the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I. Volunteers are being accepted to regenerate our Post Color Guard and the Rifle Team, but we need more.

Veterans who are not members, and are looking for a place to talk with other veterans, are encouraged to attend this meeting, there is no obligation to join, but come see us at our meeting.


Salsa Cookoff Pittsfield Old Home Day

A Salsa Cookoff will be part of the festivities for Pittsfield Old Home Day. "Pittsfield Goes South of the Border, A Mexican Fiesta!" is the theme of the day. Contestants are asked to bring a batch of your best Salsa creation to Dustin Park (Sat., July 19) by 8:45 a.m. (Chips will be provided). The Victory Workers 4-H Club will be manning the booth again this year. The public will pay $1.00 and receive a bottle of water and a chance to sample each of the entries and then vote for their favorite. Cash prizes of 1st- $50, 2nd - $25, and 3rd - $10 will be awarded at the end of the parade.

Anyone interested in entering the Cookoff should contact Andi Riel at 435-6346 to register. There is no fee to enter and we will accept up to 10 entries. Call now to reserve your spot.


Letter

I attended Pittsfield 's graduation and enjoyed seeing the benefits of freedom in action. These graduates are proud of their interests, passions and convictions. Some of them disagreed with the dress code or the war and were free to lobby for changes; won a few battles, lost a few. Congratulations and God bless you as you enter the next phase of life. We are very proud of you.

I thank God and our troops, past, present and future, for securing my freedom to "agree to disagree" without fear for life, liberty or pursuit of happiness. The guest speaker at graduation, director of a peace activist group, presented a few points I could agree with regarding conflict. As a military family, I can assure you that there is no one who hates war more than the troops and their families, but freedom has a cost and I disagree with her one-size fits all method. The Afghani and Iraqi women have had no such freedom and to demand it cost them their lives. Restricted PMHS dress codes of spaghetti straps and short shorts are not an alternative to burquas and robes in 121° temperatures. Education and free speech were not allowed. Our troops are building schools and seeing girls attend without fear. Purple fingers symbolize their right to vote. As a woman, I cannot understand why we lobby hard for human/women's rights in Darfur, Sudan , and not have the same compassion for women in the Middle East .

Send our troops what they need to finish the job. We are winning the war. Our troops are discouraged by what they see at home. The money spent over there will not go to education and the needy here any more than it did in the years before the war. How soon we forget.

In support of our troops,

Lea Adams

 


Letter

As President of the Greater Pittsfield Citizens Scholarship Foundation for the past 12 years, it has been my privilege to assist in awarding dozens of scholarship loans to deserving students from Pittsfield Middle High School. As each scholarship application is reviewed, you get to know a little bit about each applicant and their individual characteristics. The whole process is a very rewarding experience.

Over the past 18 months I have had the pleasure of working with Lois and Richard Foss as they considered and ultimately decided to invest in the "human capital of Pittsfield by donating funds to be used as scholarships for Pittsfield students. This also was a gratifying experience.

As one member of the Foss Scholarship committee, I had the honor to review the dozens of applications for these exciting new scholarships. This application process was more vigorous and included an essay which asks each applicant how they might contribute to the Pittsfield community after their education.

I cannot express in words how these applications and essays made me proud to say that I am from Pittsfield and I am friends and neighbors with these young people and their families. The essays were especially inspiring as these students expressed their appreciation to the school and to the many people who touched their lives in the community. Many spoke of coming back to Pittsfield to become involved in our small town.

Many negative things have been said about our town and school system over the years, too often from our own residents. I want to tell you that from my experiences on the above committees, 25 years as a parent of three children in the school system and from my 12 years as a member of your school board, our students are competing with the best.

Please join me in being proud of students and community members.

Regards,

Scott Brown

 


FB Argue Recreation Area Updates

The FB Argue Recreation Area is open and all is running smoothly. The hours for the area are Monday, Wednesday, Friday Saturday, and Sunday from 12:00 to 5:00 and Tuesday and Thursday 12:00 to 7:00. The cost is 75 cents per day for children and $1.00 for adults and non-residents. Children under 5 are admitted free with a paid adult. A Season Family Pass can be purchased at the area for $40.00. Concessions can be purchased at the gate house.

Red Cross swimming lessons will again be offered this summer. The dates have been changed a little to the following; Session 1 will begin the week of July 7th, there will be a week off the week of July 14th, then lessons will resume the week of July 21st. The second session will begin on July 28th and will run for two consecutive weeks. This year, we are offering a third session for evening lessons. Those lessons will run from July 14th through August 1st from 5:30- 7:00. Registration for swimming lessons can be completed at the recreation area. The cost for swimming lessons is $20 per child for residents and $25 for non-residents. If you have any questions, please call the area at 435-7457 and leave a message and Minni will get back to you.

The week of June 30th, we will begin some afternoon activities. On Tuesday from 3:00 to 4:00 we will have Bingo. On Thursday at 3:00 we will have the Duck Hunt. And on Thursday, we will hold the weekly sand castle contest.

We would like anyone interested in joining an adult Tuesday Night Bocce Ball League to contact Minni at the recreation area by July 15th. If there is enough interest, the league will begin on July 22nd and will run for 4 weeks. Ther will be signup sheet at the area for anyone interested.

As part of the Old Home Day festivities, there will be an outdoor family movie night at the area on July18th. The movie will be ET. The gates will open at 7:00 and the movie will begin at dusk. Admission will be free, but the concession stand will be open for snacks including hot dogs and pop corn and our other snack items.

Please come down and check us out. The recreation area is there for all age groups to enjoy and relax. You can contact Minni at the pool with any concerns, questions, and comments. If she is not there leave a message. She will get back to you.


Pittsfield Area Senior Center Activities

Thurs., July 3

10:00 a.m. - Bingo

12:30 p.m. - Embroidery Lessons

* Pot Roast

 

Fri., July 4

Happy Holiday

Closed

 

Mon., July 7

10:00 a.m. - Bingo

* Salad Plate

 

Tues., July 8

10:00 a.m. - Easy Bridge Lessons!

10:00 a.m. - Crafts

10:00 a.m. - Smoking Cessation

* Meatloaf and Gravy

 

Wed., July 9

10:00 a.m. - Chair Exercise

10:30 a.m. - Chair Dancing

Mystery Dinner

* Veal Parmesan Sandwich

Grilling With Liz

Not Just For Women

On July 16th at 10:00 a.m. Liz Martin from the UNH Co-Op Extension is going to show us a couple of recipes done on the grill. Cooking will take place in our parking lot. Make a reservation, roll up your sleeves, get ready to cut, chop, season and grill. Lunch size servings of this workshop may be purchased for $3.00 each serving. 435-8482.


 

Where Can You Drive For A Suggested

Donation of $2.00?

The Rural Transportation Service located at the Pittsfield AREA Senior Center travels to Concord four times each week. This service is for those "Wisdomful" folks that are 60 and over. John, our driver travels to Wal-Mart, and the malls on the Heights, as well as Fort Eddy Road, downtown Concord and all around the Concord Hospital Campus. Service is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from approximately 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 24-hour reservations are required.

We also go on Mystery Dinners and local sight-seeing trips. Please call 435-8482 to reserve your seat or leave a message and we will return your call.


 

Smoking Cessation

Tuesday, July 8th

Only a few seniors have chosen to participate in this program. The common response is "it's too late for me." Wrong!! It is never too late. Research has shown that after a week of not smoking, your blood circulation has increased therefore increasing the flow of oxygen to all body parts and bones. Think about it, aren't you worth it? We think so, that's why we offer the program.

This program is designed to help you make decisions and support you in the process. There is discussion about why you smoke and what benefit you receive from smoking. Often when the urge to smoke is identified it becomes more likely that you may quit. Especially with the tools, peer support, telephone support, online support, meetings and information you receive through participation of this program offered by Breath NH. It is Not Too Late. The next session is Tuesday, July 8th at 10:00 a.m. and again on July 22nd at 10:00 a.m.


 
What Is Long-Term Care?

Submitted By David L. Munroe, CLU, ChFC

You probably know someone who has needed long-term care. Maybe you have witnessed a family member, friend or colleague struggle with the emotional and financial issues that can come with a long-term care experience. The truth is, no matter when the need arises, because of age, disability, or because of an unexpected illness or accident, long-term care can affect any age group, any social strata, and any geographic location. But what is it and how can you plan for it?

What Is Long-Term Care?

Long-term care is help you may need due to a lengthy illness, an unexpected injury or accident, or a severe cognitive disorder such as Alzheimer's disease. It's assistance with the everyday tasks, or the activities of daily living (bathing, eating, dressing, toileting, transferring, and continence). Long-term care may be provided in a variety of locations, from nursing homes and assisted living facilities to adult day care centers and even your own home.

Who Needs Long-Term Care?

Most of us strive to live active, healthy lives well into our later years, and indeed as a society, Americans are living longer than ever before. This extended longevity is one of the things that drives the growing need for long-term care - the longer we live, the better the odds that we may need long-term care services. [It is predicted that in the year 2020, some 12 million older Americans are expected to need long-term care¹.]

While the majority of long-term care services is provided for seniors, a surprising amount of long-term care services are provided to younger people. [In fact, the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates that 40% of the 13 million people receiving long-term care services are between ages 18 and 64².]

Who Pays For Long-Term Care?

Long-term care can be expensive, financially and emotionally. An unexpected need for long-term care can have a significant impact on a family's assets and lifestyle. [Close to one-fourth of all nursing home costs are paid out-of pocket by individuals and their families³.]

Many people mistakenly believe their health insurance will cover the cost of long-term care. Others believe that Medicare or Medicaid will cover long-term care expenses. While Medicare does provide health coverage for seniors, it is limited in the coverage it provides for long-term care. Medicaid will pay for the cost of long-term care, but you must qualify by meeting strict income and asset eligibility requirements.

Long-Term Care Insurance Could Be A Solution

Long-term care insurance can be a very smart way to address the challenges from a long-term care need. Long-term care insurance can help pay for nursing home care, as well as, a variety of home and community based care services. Long-term care insurance may not be for everybody, so if you are considering a policy, read it carefully and be sure to work with an insurance agent who understands long-term care issues.

With long life comes long-term planning. Make a plan for your and your family today. For more information on long-term care insurance, please contact David L. Munroe, Agent, New York Life Insurance Company at 603-859-6381.

¹[Health Insurance Association of America. A Guide To Long-Term Care Insurance. 2007. Page 2]

²[Health Insurance Association of America. A Guide To Long-Term Care Insurance. 2007. Page 2]

³[Health Insurance Association of America. A Guide To Long-Term Care Insurance. 2007. Page 4]


If you have not been by Pittsfield Youth Athletic Park on Tilton Hill recently you should take a look. Jim Parker of J. Parker and Daughters has done a huge amount of work. Most of the stumps have been removed and the loam is being piled up for future use. Contributions have slowed since the economic down turn. All those who have made pledges are urged to make their donations now. This will facilitate planning for the big push this fall. Anyone who has not contributed is urged to do so. Let's make Pittsfield a great place for our youth to live and play. Donations can be sent to Pittsfield Youth Baseball, P. O. Box 112, Pittsfield, New Hampshire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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