Pittsfield Historical Society is pleased to have Kevin Martin with
us on Wednesday, Sept 14th at 7 PM presenting his program on the
“BIG TREES of NEW HAMPSHIRE at the Society’s building at 13 Elm
Street. Kevin will share with us the story and location of the 7
national champion “Big Trees” that are found in our state.
Join us to hear this fascinating program and get ready to make plans
to visit the “Big Trees” this Fall.
Grace Capital Church Youth Group is having an Open House. It
will be a fun night, full dinner, information on the coming school
year, fellowship, games, music, 6:30-8:30 pm on Thursday evening
9/15, 55 Barnstead Road, Pittsfield N. H. Youth from
Pittsfield and surrounding towns are invited to come find out what
we’re all about.
MUM SALE
FUNDRAISER
The Suncook Valley Sno-Riders snowmobile
club is holding it’s annual Fall Mum Sale Fundraiser!
When: Saturday Sept 17 & Sunday Sept 18
(9am - 3pm)
Where: EXIT Reward Realty’s field (Corner of Rte 28 & River Rd) in
Pittsfield.
For more information see the club’s Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/groups/snoriders/
Pittsfield
Players Host Open Auditions!
Marty Williams directs A Dickens Christmas
Carol - A Traveling Tragedy In Two Tumultuous Acts, produced by
Meggin Dail.
Audition dates are set for Sept. 15 & 16
at 7PM at The Scenic Theatre, 6 Depot St.
From the author of Faith County and Faith
County II comes the funniest Christmas Carol ever. The Styckes Upon
Thump Repertory Company embarks on their fifteenth annual tour of
the Dickens classic. When the company’s diva feigns illness, certain
the production will be canceled, this merry troupe of over the hill
and upstart actors carry on without her.
Roles are shuffled and the sweet
understudy suddenly finds herself on stage knowing only one line of
dialogue. She has written her part in and on almost everything,
including the Christmas pudding! Midway through the doomed
performance, the diva rushes in to reclaim her role.
Total mayhem ensues as the company
scrambles to keep the show going while everything goes hilariously
wrong.
Senior Center Week
In celebration of Senor Center week, there
is live music at the Pittsfield Area Senior Center on September 20,
at 10:30 am. The performer is local legend country musician Don
Smith. If you like country music then please join us. The cost is
free and lunch is served after the performance. So come, enjoy a
show and have lunch.
If you want to learn what a senior center
is or what we have to offer, the Pittsfield Area Senior Center
invites you to an open house on September 22, from 11:30 am-1:30 pm.
This will be the time to get all the information about all the
programs that are offered. There will be other seniors to answer
your questions while at the same time some art and a variety of
other items will be displayed. These include but are not limited to
nutrition and cooking classes, exercise classes, presentations by
the Concord Visiting Nurses Association, cribbage, bingo, virtual
bowling, quilting, crafts, and art club. Hope to see you here, lunch
is served at 12:00 pm. If it is your first time eating at the center
you will eat for free. We are located on 74 Main St. in Pittsfield,
it is in the basement of the Community Center. For more information
please call 435-8482.
Letter
To all Citizens of Pittsfield,
The Pittsfield Aqueduct Purchase Committee
said, in a previous letter, that we would be holding Public
Information Meetings in the near future, once we are able to
finalize schedules with our consultant, to explain the reasons for
our decision, the ramifications of the decisions and the process we
will be going through.
We have arrived at a schedule with our
consultant, for those meetings. The first will be Thursday,
September 22 at 7:00 PM at the Town Hall. The second will be at
10:00 AM, Saturday, October 22.
It is our fervent hope that everyone who
may be affected will attend one, or more, of our meetings.
Respectfully,
Fred Okrent, Chair
Pittsfield Aqueduct
Purchase Committee
Statement From VA Secretary Robert A.
McDonald On President Obama’s Final Assessment Of The Commission On
Care
Submitted Via Merrill Vaughan
WASHINGTON – Today, consistent
with the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014,
the President’s formal response to the Commission on Care was
transmitted to Congress. As the President has said, “a sacred
covenant exists between Veterans and this nation: servicemen and
servicewomen take an oath to protect our country, and in turn, our
nation pledges to take care of them when they leave the service. The
Commission’s work to evaluate the Veterans Affairs health care
system is important in ensuring we keep our promise to our
Veterans.”
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A.
McDonald released the following statement on the report:
VA stands firmly behind the President’s
final assessment of the Commission on Care report, and we thank the
Commission for their hard work.
With input from Congress, Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), and
government partners, VA has thoroughly reviewed each and every
recommendation to determine whether they were feasible and advisable
within the scope of the law. The President and VA find 15 of
the 18 recommendations in the Commission’s report feasible and
advisable, and we have already accomplished or have been working on
12 out of the 18 through our ongoing MyVA transformation. The
Department has already started implementing the Commission’s
recommendations that the President and VA found feasible and
advisable.
Transforming VA into a Veteran-Centric
Department Two years ago, the President charged me with transforming
VA into the high-performing, Veteran-centric organization our
Veterans deserve. I am thrilled to see that through our MyVA
transformation initiative. Though there is certainly much more work
to be done, VA has already made irrefutable progress in increasing
Veterans’ access to quality health care and the benefits they have
earned.
Progress Made
This past March, VA set a new record for
completed appointments: 5.3 million inside VA, 730,000 more than in
March 2014. VA increased access to Veterans through an integrated
system of care. VHA staff and Choice contractors created over 3
million authorizations for Veterans to receive care in the private
sector from October 2015 through July 2016. This is a 42 percent
increase in authorizations when compared to the same time period
last year. From FY 2014 to FY 2015, Community Care appointments
increased about 20 percent from 17.7 million in FY14 to 21.3
Million. Clinical workload is up 11 percent in the past two years.
Nearly 97 percent of appointments are now completed within 30 days
of the Veteran’s preferred date; 22 percent are same-day
appointments; average wait times are five days for primary care, six
days for specialty care, and two days for mental health care. Nearly
90 percent of Veterans now say they are “satisfied or completely
satisfied” with the timeliness of their appointments.
On Commission’s Recommendation to Establish VHA Board of Directors
Overall, we found 15 of the 18 recommendations feasible and
advisable, and are working to implement them. However, VA
strongly disagrees with the Commission on its proposed “board of
directors” to oversee the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Such
a board is neither feasible nor advisable for both constitutional
and practical reasons. Most problematically, this proposal would
seem to establish VHA as an independent agency, which would
frustrate ongoing efforts to improve the Veteran’s experience by
integrating Veterans health care and services across VA, making it
more difficult for Veterans to receive the quality care where, when,
and how they need it.
Increasing Access to Health Care is a Shared Goal We do, however,
strongly agree with the idea of external advice and counsel to
ensure the VA operating with the greatest degree of efficiency and
effectiveness for Veterans. VA is already advised by our new
MyVA Advisory Committee, which has been hard at work since March
2015 applying the members’ extensive experience in customer service
and organizational change to our transformational challenge. They
are leaders in business, medicine, government, and in Veteran
advocacy. Among them are eight Veterans like: Major General Joe
Robles who after spending 30 years in the Army became President and
CEO for USAA; Dr. Richard Carmona, a Special Forces Vietnam Veteran
and the 17th Surgeon General of the United States; and Navy Veteran
Dr. Connie Mariano, who was the first military woman to serve as
White House Physician to the President, the first woman Director of
the White House Medical Unit, and the first Filipino American in US
History to become a Navy Rear Admiral. These are innovative,
resourceful, respected leaders who are advising us on
transformation. They know business. They know customer
service. And, they know Veterans.
I strongly support the Commission’s intent
that creating a high-performing, integrated health care system that
encompasses both VA and private care is critical to serving the
needs of Veterans. In fact, VA has outlined our approach to achieve
this same goal in our Plan to Consolidate Community Care, submitted
to Congress in October 2015. This plan would provide Veterans with
the full spectrum of healthcare services and more choice without
sacrificing VA’s foundational health services on which many Veterans
depend.
At the same time, it is critical that we
preserve and continue to improve the VA health care system and
ensure that VA fulfills its mission. Veteran Service Organizations,
having decades of experience advocating for generations of our
Nation’s Veterans, have made it crystal clear that they believe VA
is the best place for Veterans to receive care. Many VSOs fear that
the Commission’s vision would compromise VA’s ability to provide
specialized care for spinal cord injury, prosthetics, traumatic
brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental
health needs, which the private sector is not as equipped to
provide. We share their concern and therefore do not support any
policies or legislation that will lead to privatization, which I am
pleased the Commission did not recommend outright. Privatization is
not transformational. It’s more along the lines of dereliction of
duty.
VA is well on its way towards realizing
the integrated health care network envisioned by the Commission, but
we cannot get there alone. Congress is our board of directors. If
Veterans are to receive the care and services they deserve, Congress
must do its job as our board. Abdicating leadership and
constitutional responsibilities by creating more bureaucracy hurts
Veterans and slows the progress of our MyVA transformation. Congress
must act on key pieces of legislation like our Plan to Consolidate
Community Care, our plan to reform the claims appeals process, and
the President’s budget request for VA.
We, along with VSOs, have worked hard with
Republicans and Democrats in Congress to develop these critical
pieces of legislation. We know that the vast majority in Congress
understand how critical these issues are and are ready to take
action. I call on leadership from both parties to put political
expediency aside and do what is best for our Veterans and for
taxpayers. Only then will we be able to truly transform VA into the
21st century organization Veterans deserve.
September 2 marked the end of 2016 for the Friday Night Kayaking
group. Eleven boats showed up for a final season paddle on
Harvey Lake in Northwood. The group will begin new Friday night
paddling trips on the first Friday of June 2017. Please visit our
website for pictures, information, and to sign up for our email
contact list. Thank you everyone for your support and interest
during this 2016 season.
Pittsfield Middle High School Announces
2016 Hall Of Fame Class
Pittsfield Middle High School (PMHS) will
hold its annual Athletic Hall of Fame induction on Saturday,
September 17, at 5:30 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. The 2016
class includes Ogden Boyd, Jr., Jeff Jones, and Wylie Mousseau.
Ogden Boyd, Jr., Class of 1946, was a two-sport athlete at PMHS. The
only two sports offered at the time. Ogden excelled in basketball,
captaining his high school team his junior and senior years. Ogden
was the team’s leading scorer, once tallying the then school record
of 28 points, which stood for many years. He was selected as a
Southeastern League All-Star in his senior season. In baseball
he was a standout pitcher. He once pitched a perfect game and
tallied many shutouts through his career at PMHS. He was
selected to the Sunset League All-Stars and the highlight of his
career came when he was offered a try-out with the Boston Red Sox.
Jeff Jones, Class of 1973, was a two-sport athlete of PMHS.
During the fall season, Jeff anchored the defense on the soccer
team. Known as a physical player, Jeff played sweeper and
allowed very few uncontested shots on the keeper. In the winter
months, Jeff was a standout on the basketball court. Jeff
averaged 23.7 points his senior season. He ended his career at PMHS
with 1,263 points. A school record that still stands today.
Walter Smith, then president of the NHIAA named Jeff Jones the top
guard in the state in 1973. After graduating from PMHS, Jeff
was a walk on for the men’s basketball team at Division I - West
Texas A&M.
Wylie Mousseau, Class of 1994, was a three-sport athlete at PMHS.
Wylie participated in soccer, cross country, and basketball.
Wylie was a varsity starter all four years on the basketball court
at PMHS and reached the 1,000 point mark early in his senior season.
He helped lead his team to the Class M Final Four in 1993.
Wylie was selected to the Southeastern M League All Star Basketball
Team in 1993 and 1994. He also received the US Army Reserve National
Scholar-Athlete Award and was the first recipient of the Sherman
Mousseau Memorial MVP Award in 1994.
The induction ceremony is open to the
public. A reception with light refreshments will follow in the PMHS
media center.
Drive Out Homelessness Golf Scramble
Rise Again Outreach, a Loudon-based
nonprofit charitable organization serving central New Hampshire,
will hold its 4th Annual “Drive Out Homelessness” Golf Scramble
event starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 17, at the Loudon
Country Club on Rt. 106 in Loudon. Proceeds go to Rise Again
Outreach’s efforts to assist homeless and low-income families in
Concord, Manchester, Laconia, and surrounding towns. Rise Again
Outreach is seeking sponsors and participants for this important
fundraiser.
Golfer registration is $85 per individual or $340 per foursome and
includes 18-holes in scramble format, golf cart, registration
goodies bag, full luncheon, and a raffle ticket for door prizes.
Walk-ons are accepted and registration begins at 8 a.m.
For more information and to sign up as a sponsor or participant,
please contact Bob Pease at 603-731-9423 or
[email protected].
Come out for a fun-filled day and help
support the fight against homelessness in central New Hampshire.
Suicide Prevention Month: #BeThere
VA Highlights Initiatives to Prevent
Veteran and Servicemember Suicide
Submitted Via Merrill Vaughan
WASHINGTON – September 1 marks the start of Suicide Prevention Month
and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is asking for the entire
nation’s help in reducing Veteran suicide. VA is calling on
community leaders, supervisors, colleagues, friends, and family
members to BeThere for Veterans and Service members starting with a
simple act, which can play a pivotal role in preventing suicide.
“You don’t have to be a trained
professional to support someone who may be going through a difficult
time,” said Dr. Caitlin Thompson, Director of the VA Office of
Suicide Prevention. “We want to let people know that things they do
every day, like calling an old friend or checking in with a
neighbor, are strong preventive factors for suicide because they
help people feel less alone. That’s what this campaign is about -
encouraging people to be there for each other.”
The campaign also highlights VA resources
that are available to support Veterans and Servicemembers who are
coping with mental health challenges or are at risk for suicide, and
it encourages everyone to share these resources with someone in
their life.
“We hope our Suicide Prevention Month
efforts help educate people about the VA and community resources
available nationwide,” said VA Under Secretary for Health David J.
Shulkin, M.D. “We’re committed to working with experts and
organizations across the country to identify ways we can help
Veterans and Servicemembers get the care they deserve and to expand
the network of mental health support.”
Veteran suicide data released by the VA
Office of Suicide Prevention in early August 2016 serves as a
foundation for informing and evaluating suicide prevention efforts
inside the VA health care system and for developing lifesaving
collaborations with community-based health care partners.
VA plans to host a series of roundtable
discussions with key stakeholder groups in the coming months as part
of its plan to develop a public health strategy for preventing
Veteran suicide. In August, VA hosted its first roundtable
discussion, “Suicide Prevention is Everyone’s Business,” with
corporate sector partners. In September, VA will host the Veterans
Affairs Suicide Prevention Innovations event, which will bring
together a community of experts from business, industry, academia,
and government agencies to collaboratively identify solutions for
reducing suicide rates among Veterans and Servicemembers. In
addition, new programs such as REACH VET are being launched
nationwide in September to identify Veterans in VHA care who may be
vulnerable, in order to provide the care they need before a crisis
occurs.
For more information about VA’s suicide
prevention efforts:
• Suicide Prevention Month website:
VeteransCrisisLine.net/BeThere
• Suicide Prevention Month toolkit:
VeteransCrisisLine.net/SpreadTheWord
• Suicide Prevention Fact Sheet
• VA’s Veterans Crisis Line: Call
1-800-273-8255 and Press 1; chat online at
VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat or text to 838255 — even if a Veteran is
not registered with VA or enrolled in VA health care.
• Make the Connection website:
http://maketheconnection.net
• VA Mental Health website: http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov
Obituaries
Wilbur S. Maxfield Jr.
Pittsfield: Wilbur S.”Maxie” Maxfield Jr,
79, of Loudon Road, died September 4th , at the Pleasant view Rehab
Center, Concord, following a long illness.
He was born in Concord, the son of Wibur
S. and Mary (Chase) Maxfield. He grew up and lived in Loudon, moving
to Pittsfield in 1972. He was a graduate of Concord High School in
1955 and also attended the NH Police Academy. He was a Concord
Police officer and retired as a Lieutenant in 1982. He then owned
and operated “Wilmax Builders,” in Pittsfield for 20 years. He loved
sports and was a lifelong fan of the Patriots and the Red Sox.
He is survived by his wife of 44 years,
Roberta (Tibbetts) Maxfield, and his blended family of 3 daughters,
Lisa Maxfield of Pittsfield; Laurie Rivet and husband Ray of
Concord; and Denise Plourde and husband Steven of Topsham, ME; 3
sons, Kevin Maxfield and wife Joanna of Yukon, OK; Dana Maxfield of
Birmingham, AL; and Donald Farnham and wife Dawn of Ctr. Barnstead.
He was the proud grandfather of 12 grandchildren, Taylor, Hunter and
Riley Maxfield; Rachel Maxfield; Katelyn and Ellen Maxfield; Jack
and Scott Rivet; Tyler and Danielle Plourde; and Haley and Nathan
Farnham; three great-grandchildren, Althea DeBourke, Theodore and
Adeline Plourde.
He was predeceased by his parents, a
sister, Paula Miller, a brother, Craig Maxfield, and 2 sons, Richard
and Keith Maxfield.
There are no visiting hours. A funeral
Service was held at the Park Street Baptist Church on Saturday,
September 10th. Pastor Jeremy Everson officiated. A burial followed
in the Floral Park Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to; Pleasant View Center
Activities Fund, 239 Pleasant St. Concord, NH 03301 or to Concord
Regional VNA, 30 Pillsbury St., Concord, NH 03301 The Waters Funeral
Home, David Pollard, Director is assisting the family with
arrangements.
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