The
Pittsfield Food Pantry will be closed on Monday April 17th and
Thursday April 20th as it moves to its new location at 55 Barnstead
Road in Pittsfield. It will resume its regular hours on Monday,
April 24th.
Pastor’s Corner Submitted By David Stasiak, First Congreagational
Church of Pittsfield
If you watch TV, even occasionally, chances
are that you have seen a commercial about a service called Life
Alert. Like most companies, Life Alert uses a catch phrase to
identify its service or product. When you hear the phrase, “Help!
I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!®” you almost automatically think of
Life Alert. According to some statistics Life Alert saves a life
from a catastrophe every 10 minutes. When our granddaughter Cove
found my mom’s pendant and started playing with it she naturally
pushed the little red button. Within approximately 7 minutes we had
three fire and rescue crew at our door. Naturally we were quite
embarrassed. If it had been a real emergency though, we would have
been quite relieved as it may have saved a life.
The Good News of
Easter is that God has put in place a spiritual Life Alert if you
will, that can save our very lives. We have and will continue to
fall short of being the people that God intends for us to be. We
trip over judgmental thoughts and actions, hypocritical behavior,
prejudice and hate. We stumble when feelings of disappointment,
despair, pain and grief weigh us down. God knew we would have times
when we would fall and not be able to get up. At least not without
help. The help that God provides is not summoned by a pendant or
bracelet but by a person. It is activated not by a red button but by
a voice. God’s Life Alert is even powerful enough to raise us from
death to new life.
Jesus Christ said, “I have come that you may
have life and have it more abundantly.” “I am the way, and the truth
and the life.” “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes
in me even though he dies, yet shall he live and whoever lives and
believes in me will never die.” Those are promising words for when
we fall and can’t get up. The only cost for God’s Life Alert is
belief. The motive is pure unconditional love. Easter is a happy
celebration of God’s alert that he loves us beyond our ability to
understand such love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his
only son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have
eternal life.” Yes, we have fallen, but no matter in what way or how
many times, through Christ the light and life of the world we can
always get up. HAPPY EASTER!
“The Politics of a Stoneman” CHAPTER 8
The Old Post Office Wall at Northwood Narrows By Dan Schroth
Piermarocchi
My wife says I take too many liberties. Well I’m an
American. Isn’t that what I am supposed to do? It’s Friday 3 PM on
October 10th, 2014. I headed down to Rite-Aid to purchase a
disposable 35 mm camera. I needed some pictures of a stone wall I am
about to take apart and if I am lucky, rebuild into a work of art. I
snapped six photos. I figure art helps build communities. Anyway,
thanks to Tim Jandebeur, Selectman in the town of Northwood. We were
able to finish our wall on Northwood Beach. Without Tim’s ability to
find us real good rock we would be hurtin’.
My plan is to wait
until the traffic peters out at the junction of 107 and School
Street. The moon was full a couple of nights ago. I plan to separate
the stone wall into two or four piles. The good builders from the
junk. My wife Nancy says I’m going to get caught.
I told her I
didn’t think I would.
7:00 PM It’s dark now. I’m gonna get some
supper and wait for the moon.
8:00 PM The moon is coming up from
the southeast. I can’t leave my home too early. It’s only about a 10
to 15 minute ride to the narrows in Northwood. The adrenalin is
starting to kick in. I may leave soon and park behind the Community
Center near a wall we built with Steve Bailey and crew three or four
years ago.
9:00 PM At the Narrows. Started taking the wall apart
and separating good rock from junk rock. I have to sit on the Old
Post Office grand step whenever a car drives by. There are three
directions cars can come from. I have about 8 to 10 seconds when I
see lights or hear an automobile to finish my task and dive for the
shadows. The moon is up and there is a street light across the road.
It’s a little too bright.
10:00 PM I’m spending a lot of time
trying to not be seen. It’s gonna be harder than I thought to tear
down this wall.
11:00 PM Traffic starting to lighten up. I am
able to spend more time without any interruption for longer periods.
11:30 PM Cop drove by. Didn’t see me or my car. He headed towards
Northwood Country Market. All clear, but my heart’s racing.
12:00
PM I’m starting to feel the heaviness of the fieldstone. Also, a lot
of rip rap to clean up that was used as filler rock inside the wall.
1:00 AM Less traffic is good. Really able to focus on the wall.
Only cops and riff raff about this time of night.
1:43 AM Another
cop doing his patrol. Didn’t see me or the mess I am making. Headed
up hill towards Jenness Pond. I figured he’d be back and possibly
see the car at the Community Center. I worked 10 minutes and jumped
in the car. Headed for Cumberland Farms for a coffee and a snack.
2:30 AM I got back and parked at the old school in case the cop came
by again.
3:00 AM The coyotes started in. I’m starting to hurt
from handling the stone. I’ll never finish dismantling the wall
tonight.
4:00 AM Roosters next door start to crow. People
starting to leave for work. More traffic now I’m giving up diving
for the shadows. My body can’t handle it anymore. I’m failing fast.
5:00 AM I decided to go home. The wall is about 75% dismantled and
separated into piles. I am tired and don’t want to be around when it
gets light. This late night work is harder than I thought it would
be. I think because I had to be continually on guard. It’s funny
what a Stoneman will do for kicks.
Post
Office Wall Before.
Northwood Town Crew helping out Charlie Pease moving the big ones.
Northwood Narrows, NH Old Post Office Wall finished May 2015
Photograph by Tom Hi tchcock
Autumn
2016 on Whites Pond, Pittsfield. Photo by R Clark
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