The Merrimack County Stamp Collectors will hold its monthly meeting
at the Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 South St., Bow, on
October 18 beginning at 1 pm. All who are interested in
stamp collecting are welcome to attend Meet other
collectors and learn more about their hobby and varied
interests in Philatelic resources and issues. For more
information call Dan Day at 603-228-1154.
Pittsfield
Middle High School Collegeboard Testing Day
Date: October 19, 2016
Location: PMHS
Time: Students must
arrive by 7:50 AM
Students: All students in grades 8 through
12 will be taking the examination Grade 8 & 9: PSAT 8/9 Grade 10:
PSAT Grade 11: PSAT/NMSQT Grade 12: SAT Please contact the Office of
College and Career Readiness if families would like their
homeschooled child to take the exam. Families must call 435-6701
ext. 1107 to register their child by Wednesday, October 5th.
VA Awards $6.8 Billion For Medical Disability Examinations
Submitted Via Merrill Vaughan
WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) today announced the awarding of 12 contracts between 5 firms
totaling $6.8 billion to improve the Medical Disability Examination
process (Compensation and Pension or Comp and Pen Examinations) for
Veterans. The awards are intended to reduce Veterans’ wait
times for examinations for service-connected benefits, thereby
providing faster claims decisions in a more efficient and
streamlined way.
“This is good news for Veterans who are
waiting for VA to determine whether a condition can be considered
service-connected,” said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald. “For
these Veterans, we want the process to be smoother – from beginning
to end. When we announced the MyVA initiative in 2014 to
improve Veterans’ experience with VA, that meant looking at every
process and every product. These awards represent a way for us
to improve a significant process for Veterans.”
Contracts were awarded to the following
firms:
• VetFed Resources, Inc., Alexandria,
Virginia;
• Logistics Health, Inc., La Crosse,
Wisconsin;
• Medical Support Los Angeles, A Medical
Corporation, Pasadena, CA;
• QTC Medical Services, Inc., Diamond Bar,
California; and
• Veterans Evaluation Services, Inc.,
Houston, Texas.
The contracts are being awarded for a period of 12 months with (4)
12-month options, with an aggregate ceiling of $6.8 billion.
The contracts will be managed by VA’s Strategic Acquisition Center
based in Frederick, MD.
TOPS News
Now that summer is over, you may be thinking of getting back to a
regular routine. Are you thinking of losing some pounds you
may have gained over the summer? Fall is a good time for new
beginnings. Our TOPS group is a weight loss program to help
you reach your weight loss goals. We share information on
nutritional foods, healthy exercise and habits, as well as give
support to one another.
Several meetings this summer featured a taste test of veggies and
fruit for each letter of the alphabet. Members brought in
small samples they had prepared. Everyone enjoyed sampling
these foods and learned new ways to prepare them. Last week
Jon presented good information on Healthy Snack tips. Other members
shared their snack ideas as well.
We would love to have you join us. We meet on Tuesday nights
6:30 at Berakah, Fairview Ave. Pittsfield. If you have
questions, call Pat at 435-5333 or Beth 435-7397.
The
Sign Has Arrived
Pictured are Ray Webber III, Joey Darrah, David Harper, and
Paul Provencal who helped put the sign in place. Not pictured is
Larry Berkson.
The sign for the Steam Pump display in
front of where the old Cotton Mill was located has been put in
place. It states:
COTTON MILL STEAM PUMP
In 1869 a steam pump was purchased by the Cotton Mill, formerly
located here. It was capable of drawing 600 gallons of water per
minute from the river for fire suppression. The company generously
offered its use to fight town fires on condition that the community
provide the hose. This was before water was brought from Berry Pond
and made available through fire hydrants by the Pittsfield Aqueduct
Company.
This steam pump was purchased sometime
after 1916 to be used exclusively by the mill. It was manufactured
by the Worthington Pump and Machinery Cooperation of East Cambridge,
Massachusetts and could throw 750 gallons of water per minute.
This completes the project. The Pittsfield
Historical Society would once again thank Rick Bellanger for
donating the pump to the Society and the committee that worked so
hard to have it sand blasted, painted and put in place: Larry
Berkson, Thomas “Fuzz” Freese, David Harper, Bill Miskoe, Mark Riel,
Edward Vien, and Ray Webber, III.
Letter To The
Editor
Dear Editor,
It’s been years since I have written. I
recently read about the passing of Lucas Manion and I found myself
with tears streaming down my face despite all the years.
I remember him flying around with a cape
on the soccer field the day he scored the championship goal to win
the region’s soccer finals. His wing men were Kyle Melvin and Will
Zahn.
Today, many people have come and gone. We
have all aged and those kids are now adults. Recently, I had a
triple by-pass and my nurse was Will. The last time I saw him he was
in third grade on the soccer field.
My passion as a mother was always the kids
of Pittsfield. When we moved there in 1993 the schools weren’t
accredited and there was an overall lack of respect from neighboring
towns, both of which hit us like a ton of bricks. We watched over
the years as Pittsfield grew with new residents that saw its
potential. Everyone chipped in a little and collectively a new form
of pride welled up and with the hard work from the school board, our
school became accredited.
People from other towns were sure our
children would not amount to much, yet many have gone on to be
highly respected college graduates and business people. Indeed those
you thought that were least likely to succeed turned out being some
of the most successful even without a college education.
My daughter, a graduate of Pittsfield
Middle High School, recently became a finalist for the NH Young
Professional of the Year. We will find out next month if she has
been chosen.
It is my hope, that after the past 20
years, that Pittsfield students realize former graduates had nothing
special, but a community that believed in them and a passion to be
successful.
Sincerely,
Theresa Gadoury
We’re getting closer! The lobby is under construction and
rehearsals are in full swing for Oklahoma! The pipes are in
and we’re expecting concrete this week. This grand dame will
be getting much needed improvements. Thanks everyone for your
support.
Loudon Civil War Soldier Finally Receives Headstone
Wearing 19th century garb for the Sept.
17th headstone dedication ceremony for Civil War veteran Tristram
Stevens at Loudon’s Mt. Hope Cemetery were Loudon’s Chris Wittenberg
along with Civil War re-enactors Chris Benedetto and Steve Morin.
Attending the Sept. 17 headstone placement
ceremony for Civil War veteran Tristram Stevens at Loudon’s Mt. Hope
Cemetery were Loudon Post #88 Legionnaires Al Dwyer, Stan Prescott,
Jim Timmins, Mike Moffett, Ken Ward, Scott Newton, Gary Tasker, Dave
Zarges, and Post Commander Shawn Jones.
Fittingly, Saturday, Sept. 17 was a
particularly beautiful day at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Loudon,
where locals gathered for a special ceremony honoring Tristram
Stevens, a Civil War soldier.
Private Stevens survived the war—which
lasted from 1861-65—and died in 1903. A military headstone was
ordered but was misplaced and was never positioned at the gravesite.
Eventually Bob Laquerre of Cole Growers discovered the headstone in
a crate on company property. This started a chain of events
involving numerous people that eventually led to the Sept. 17
ceremony.
Stan Prescott, an officer with the Union
Cemetery Association—and a member of Loudon’s American Legion Post
#88—took the lead and created some energy for doing right by Private
Stevens’ memory. Eventually historian Chris Benedetto got involved
and did some research that shed more light on Stevens’ story.
A Civil War re-enactor for New Hampshire’s
famous Fighting Fifth Regiment, Benedetto showed up in Civil War-era
uniform, along with fellow re-enactor Steve Morin. The two men
brought muskets and fired a three-round volley as part of the
ceremony.
Following an opening prayer by associate
pastor and Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Pat Testerman, Legionnaire
fifer Dave Zarges offered a musical presentation. Then Benedetto
shared lengthy remarks detailing Stevens’ life journey, to include
the fact that Stevens was shot in the thigh while serving with the
3rd New Hampshire Regiment.
Legion Post #88 historian Mike Moffett
followed with further remarks. Moffett pointed out that around 5000
Granite Stater soldiers died during the Civil War—approximately the
same number the entire country lost during the seven year war in
Iraq. He added that thousands of service-people simply disappeared
during our past wars—Missing-in-Action. Their families never
received closure. But on Sept. 17 a measure of closure was achieved
in Loudon with the placement of Private Stevens’ headstone.
Zarges followed by playing “The Battle
Hymn of the Republic” and then Lynn Santosuosso closing things out
with a moving bugle presentation of Taps, bringing a poignant ending
to a memorable ceremony.
American Legion Loudon Post 88 News
Submitted By Commander Shawn Jones
Post 88 encouraging members and the public
to vote on September 13th by displaying a sign at its new location
in Loudon village.
American Legion’s Vote It’s Your Duty
sign.
At our September meeting we will have met
at our new building at 45 South Village Road for the first time
since we purchased the property over a year ago. We have come a long
way since then. Myself and many other volunteers have worked
tirelessly getting the building ready to move into since the
contractors finished their work. Thanks to all of you who helped to
make this happen. You know who you are and I would probably leave a
name out if I named all the members who stepped up at different
times. I would like to thank Joan Beldin of the Loudon Lions Club
for helping to clean the inside of the building up. We have a
beautiful building that we can be proud to call home. There is still
some work to be done but it is getting there. Most of the work to be
finished is with the exterior of building and grounds.
Our current membership coming in for 2017
is at 75 percent. We are on track to be at 100 percent by year’s end
if all of our members send in their dues payment for next year. We
are currently first in the district! We only need 17 more members to
send in their payment for 2017. Renew early and forget about whether
you remembered to renew or not. We all know how busy we get come the
holiday season. I would like to see us make the 100% Gold award. So
far three other posts in the state have attained this level of 100%
renewal. We can do it!
On Saturday September 17th your post took
part in remembering a local Civil War Veteran. Please see the
separate article written by our post Historian Michael Moffett. It
was an honor and a privilege to have been part of this headstone
dedication. You can be proud of your Post and all the other
individuals who helped to give final honors to Private Tristram
Stevens.
I hope that members took it upon
themselves to vote in our past primary election cycle. With the
general election being soon upon us in November. Its our civic
responsibility to vote for our leaders and a right that our fallen
comrades fought to protect in past wars.
I’ll have more to write about after the
September meeting so please come back and read about what your post
is doing. Better yet come to a meeting at your new post. We’d love
to meet you and are always looking for new members. We meet on the
third Wednesdays of the month at 1900 hours. You can find us across
the street from the Loudon Village Store. While your in the area
don’t forgot to patronize the store. Its a gem in the village and
Post 88 hopes to continue the tradition of having a place for local
veterans to gather since 1946.
Selectman’s Overview
Submitted By Carl Anderson
Select Board Meeting 9/20/16
Lots of paperwork and forms needing
updating and signing were addressed.
Cyndi Hetu’s resignation as Board minutes
taker was accepted. Cyndi has taken full-time employment elsewhere.
Police Chief Cain requested that the Board
appoint Sgt. Walters to a part time position on the force since he
is retiring from his full time position as of Oct. 1. He also asked
for permission to begin the process of hiring a replacement for the
position that Sgt. Walters will be vacating. Both requests were
unanimously tabled until after Chief Cain comes before us with his
previously requested communication-information discussion.
Two bids were considered for completing
the video surveillance network which will replace 4 inoperative
cameras and add interior cameras at the PD and place interior and
exterior cameras at the Town Hall which can be monitored by the
Police Dept. and Merrimack County. Vandalism has taken place at the
PD, observation of booking areas etc. is expected to insure safety
inside and the same investment was made last year - this addition
brings it up to a useful purpose. A bid was accepted in a split vote
3-2 During public input the Select Board was accused of
“disrespecting” Sgt. Walters by tabling his appointment as part-time
officer instead of immediately accepting the Police Dept. request.
We were also accused of having a personal agenda against the PD in
general for not immediately approving their request to advertise for
a full-time replacement for Sgt. Walters vacated position. I
responded that there is nothing personal in our handling of these
matters, nor has there been so much as one disrespectful word used
in reference to Sgt. Walters - that we are making thoughtful
decisions with the majority of taxpayers in mind and that our
constituency is made up of many more residents than the vocal few
who attend the meetings with their own agenda. We were given a job
to do by the majority and we intend to see it through to the best of
our ability despite the disrespect shown toward us by a handful of
individuals. All our other town employees are well and competitively
rewarded for their efforts in both pay and benefits. For anyone to
expect the BOS to grant a request or demand by any department or
employee before carefully considering the expectations of the
majority would be a dereliction of our duty to the town and they’ll
be sadly disappointed.
Once again, this overview is my exercise
of free speech and is neither reviewed nor sanctioned by the full
board of selectmen.
Obituaries
David E. Powelson
David E. Powelson, 59, passed away
unexpectedly of a pulmonary embolism on Saturday September 17, 2016.
He was born on September 24, 1956 to
Richard and Alta Powelson in New Haven, Connecticut. He grew up in
Branford, CT until leaving for college. He graduated from Clarkson
University in 1978 and promptly started working for the New
Hampshire Department of Transportation and worked his way up to the
position of Chief of Existing Bridges.
Dave loved spending time in the woods and
canoeing around Sterling Pond in upstate New York.
Dave was very active in the community,
chairing the Zoning board in Loudon. He was active in his church,
the First Congregational Church of Pittsfield, serving on the
Diaconate board and most recently as a Trustee.
He is predeceased by his parents Alta and
Richard and his sister Virginia.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years,
Mary Jo Powelson and three sons Nathan (Sarah) of Raymond, ME, Tabor
of Poughkeepsie, NY, and Colby of Loudon, NH; siblings Anne (Mark)
of Hamden, ME, and Raymond (Kirsten) of Penacook, NH; a father- and
mother-in-law, Gene and Audrey Groebler (Parishville, NY); a sister-
and brother-in-law, Stephanie and Jack Keener (Eliot, ME) as well as
multiple nieces and nephews.
A memorial celebration of life was held at
the First Congregational Church in Pittsfield NH on his 60th
birthday, Saturday September 24.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the First
Congregational Church/Building Fund,24 Main St. Pittsfield NH,
03263.
The Waters Funeral Home, Concord, David
Pollard, Director, assisted the family with arrangements.
|