Suncook Valley
Snoriders Mum Sale
September 16, 9a-5p
&
September 17, 9a-3p
@ EXIT
Realty
(corner
River Rd. & Rte. 28)
Mums,
corn stalks, & pumpkins!
PMHS Announces The 2017 Athletic Hall Of Fame Class
Pittsfield Middle High School (PMHS) will hold its annual Athletic
Hall of Fame induction on Saturday, September 16, at 6:00 p.m. in
the high school gymnasium.
The
2017 class includes Krista (Hast) FitzGerald (Student-Athlete) –
Class of 1980, and Rick Anthony (Coach/Contributor) – Class of 1982.
The
induction ceremony is open to the public and we invite all to
attend.
Incredible Wild Edibles!
Pittsfield Senior Center 12:30pm September 19th
The
1,2,3 Living Well group will host Hannah Park, a Merrimack Area
Environmental Interpretive Ranger will share about wild edible
plants in New Hampshire.
After
this educational program you will know which plants are safe to eat,
how to prepare them, and which plants are incredibly dangerous if
misidentified. Recipes will be provided! The environmental ranger
program is a collaboration of NH State Parks, the Student
Conservation Association and Americorps.
Please
come and enjoy this informative program, and gain confidence to
gather some delicious edibles!
Upcoming Joy Church Events
9/16
Beth Moore Simulcast 9:30 a.m.
9/17
Joy Church Grand Opening Celebration! 9:30 a.m.
9/21
Youth Group Family Dinner Night 6:00 – 8:30
9/30
Movie Night outside 7:00 p.m.
Our
regular weekly schedule includes:
Sunday
Service 9:30 a.m.
Thursday night Youth Group – Students in grades 6 – 12, 6:30 – 8:30
Joy
Church is located at 55 Barnstead Road, Pittsfield.
Pittsfield Area Senior Center Open House
The
Pittsfield Area Senior Center has an Open House, September 21,
11:00AM to 1:00PM. The center is located at 74 Main St. Pittsfield,
NH.
We are
celebrating the “Masters of Aging.” The open house is a great way of
getting information about the center, talking to other seniors who
participate in the activities the center offers, while celebrating
the wisdom, talent, and experience of our community’s senior
citizens. Please RSVP if planning to stay for the meal that is
served at 12:00PM.
For new
people who have not eaten at the center before, they can eat free.
There is nothing to lose, come in get some information, and then
stay for lunch. For more information or to RSVP for lunch please
call 435-8482.
News From American Legion Post 88
Submitted By Junior Vice-Commander Michael Hartt
The newly elected American Legion National Commander, Denise Rohan,
will be visiting American Legion Post #88 here in Loudon, New
Hampshire on September 10th at 1:30 p.m. Commander Denise Rohan is
the first, ever, female American Legion National Commander! We
invite anyone who wishes to attend and meet her to be at our post on
Sunday, September 10th at 1:30 p.m. Refreshments (coffee, soda,
water and some pastries) will be served afterwards.
At our
August meeting held at Post #88, we had seven officers present, and
eight members.
Commander’s Fund winners for August were: Francis Munjun $50,
Jennifer Graham $25, Buzz Foster $10, Kay Amico $10, and Dot Malkhui
$5.
Eagle
Scout Brady Leonard visited with us, and expressed a desire to
perform a service for American Legion Post #88. He will be making
an official proposal at our next meeting on September 20th! He would
like to paint our connex and make other improvements to the area
around our storage connex on the post property.
The
post parking lot was paved by Young’s Paving on August 15. The post
would like to invite any Loudon resident who would like to help us
defray the cost of this project to send a donation to American
Legion Post #88, 45 South Village Road, Loudon, NH 03307. Anyone
donating will have their name put on a plaque of donors to be hung
on the wall at the post. Donors will also receive a formal Letter
of Appreciation from the post. Donations of any amount will help us
defray the cost of this project.
Post
#88’s membership was 100 percent for 2017. I am encouraging all
present Post #88 members to get their 2018 membership renewals in
early, by December 31, 2017.
Post
#88 will sponsor a yard sale at the post on October 7th and 8th of
this year. Loudon residents who would like to set up a table at the
Post #88 Yard Sale can contact me (Mike Hartt) at 496-2178 to
reserve a spot. A limited number of 10’ x 10’ spaces will be
available. Parking would be behind the post area, or another area
to be determined. Vendors would be expected to bring their own
tables and chairs, arriving early enough on the day of the Yard Sale
to set up, go park their vehicles, and return to their table/s prior
to the start of the yard sale. A limited number of American Legion
tables would be available. Spots would be $15 per day, and American
Legion tables would be an extra $5 each. American Legion tables
would have to be returned at the end of the yard sale. If it rains
on the yard sale dates the yard sale will be postponed until the
following weekend. Money earned from the space and table rentals
would go into programs that will support and/or benefit the Town of
Loudon, and Post #88. Flyers on the yard sale may appear at local
businesses prior to the date/s of the yard sale.
Post
#88 held several raffles for items during Loudon Old Home Day on
August 12th. Items raffled and winners list are as follows:
Terri
Moore - Grey Afgan
Pam
Connor - Brown Afgan
Gerard
and Jane LeDuc - PS3 Disney Infinity Game
Karl
Savage - Set of two antique castings statuary wall hangings made in
1960
Diane
Burr - Zoingo Boingo PoGo Toy
Jill
Foster - Blue Afgan
Emily
Maxfield - Melissa & Doug® Floor Puzzle
Howard
Pearl - Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader game
Winners
can pick up their items by calling me at 496-2178 and arranging a
pick up time, or they can drop by the third Wednesday of any month
at our regularly scheduled 7 p.m. meeting. I encourage Loudon
residents to participate in next years raffles at the American
Legion booth at Loudon Old Home Days. All proceeds benefit the town
of Loudon, and American Legion Post #88.
Karl Savage accepts the Antique Statuary Castings Set he
won at the American Legion booth at Loudon Old Home Day.
The
Loudon Ledger will feature one of our post’s members each month
beginning with the Ledger’s October issue.
The
American Legion of New Hampshire District 5 Commander Todd Connor
will be visiting Post #88 on September 20, 2017.
The
post gets a limited number of Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine
Corps Times newspapers each month. These are available at no charge
to area veterans who would like to stop by the post during our
regularly scheduled post meeting the third Wednesday of each month
at 7 p.m. The newspapers are on a first come, first served basis.
Due to
“old age” and my inherently forgetful nature I missed the deadline
for the August Loudon Ledger. The Loudon Village Country Store
graciously gave me permission to publish our post activities, and
upcoming events in this format for this month, and put it in their
store for distribution. Thank you Loudon Village Country Store!
Post
#88 wants to wish everyone in Loudon a wonderful summer. We invite
any veteran who wants to see what we are all about to drop by our
regularly scheduled meeting the third Wednesday of each month at 7
p.m. We’ll be happy to talk to you. You can also contact me at
496-2178.
Pittsfield Circle of Home & Family 2017 Raffle Winners
The
Pittsfield Circle of Home & Family group would like to thank
everyone who purchased tickets for their 2017 Raffle. This is our
biggest fundraiser of the year and we thank people for their
generosity.
The
winners are: “Full Bloom” pattern Quilt- Constance Ouellette; Large
Hand Woven Basket – Harriet Hutchins; Hot Air Balloon Pillow- Ava
Foster; Quilted Angel Wall Hanging- Stephanie Pike; Baby Quilt- Ali
Szabo; Quart Maple Syrup- Paula Martel; Set of Anna Lee Dolls- Robin
Davis; Set of Quilted Star Hot Pads – Beth Kiley; 4 Matted
Photographs – Gail Davis; Herbal Flax Wrap- Carolyn Davis; Necklace
& Earring Set – Linda Gray; Cross Stitched Pillowcase Set – Faith
Whittier.
The
Pittsfield Circle of Home and Family group is a women’s group that
meets once per month on the 4th Thursday at 7pm at the Community
Center. Our meetings typically consist of an educational program
such as a guest speaker, making a craft or cooking
demonstrations………and we always have refreshments! Many of the
program topics are geared towards women’s health, finances,
community outreach, history and heritage arts. New members are
always welcome. We have a great time and it’s a fun bunch of ladies
–come join us! Please call Andi Riel at 435-6346 or email at
[email protected]
if you’d like more information.
Sunday School Begins
The
First Congregational Church, 24 Main Street, Pittsfield, will begin
their children’s Sunday School year with Rally Day Sunday, September
17.
Classes
will begin the following Sunday, September 24 at 9:45 a.m. and end
at 11 a.m. Worship services begin at 10 a.m. with Fellowship Hour
following. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information,
contact the church office at 435-7471 or consult the church’s
website:
pittsfieldcc.com.
Letter To The Editor
Support
Local
It
seems that the support local or buy local term has become
commonplace or has become a cliché, but now more than ever it’s
vital to the sustainability and continuation of the way of life we
enjoy here in NH. One of the reasons so many are attracted to this
state is the rural character it possesses. Once a state or region
becomes suburban, it never returns to quiet rural. (It’s too late
for eastern Massachusetts, for example.) If we want that to continue
we must be serious about supporting agriculture in our communities.
Farms,
especially dairy farms, are vital to that continuation of open
space. We cannot continue to allow these local food producers to
shut down. I can think of at least a dozen dairy farms in NH alone
that went out of business in the last ten years, and that’s not
including the 19 who shut their doors just last year largely due to
the drought. Farming can definitely be a satisfying way of life, but
it sure helps when you get paid for all the work. So we need to take
proactive steps to ensure our agricultural community, and thus our
open space, continues for future generations. We must keep the
demand strong. Stock up on dairy products, stop at the farm stands,
and show your support. Teach the next generation that farming is
cool. Show them what it takes to make a beautiful field and that
they’re not made to build houses on, but to feed cows. We MUST do
our part, and pass this on.
Willie
Matras
Pittsfield
Letter To The Editor
VOTE ON
SEPTEMBER 19
On
Tuesday, September 19 from 7AM-7PM, Pittsfield voters will decide at
the Town Hall on a proposed 1-year teacher collective bargaining
agreement. Now that the School District is under SB2, we have a full
12 hours to fit this confidential vote into our busy schedules and
absentee ballots are even possible. Please take the opportunity to
vote on this important issue. SB2 allows more people (i.e. every
registered voter) to weigh in on this special election!
I have
many concerns with the school budget and its future. The school
budget has already cost us $2.47/thousand more than 2016. If this
agreement is approved, it will increase by another $.25 per thousand
of accessed property evaluation. At the deliberative session, I
reminded the school board that the problem is not with the taxpayer.
They need to understand that the problem is the budget.
Every
year, the taxpayer has given the school board everything they
wanted. Last year, the budget increase was almost defeated and the
teacher’s contract was defeated. Whether this 1-year agreement
passes or fails, next year’s budget will still have all the same
issues - teacher’s health insurance and pension increases, lost
revenue from the state allocation, and a 3-year teacher contract.
Unless
something changes in the thinking, the town taxes will continue to
rise at an unsustainable rate. Let’s hope that the school board has
some new solutions for the next budget. If the teachers are a
priority, they need to make that the issue and learn to do with less
in other areas. After all, the school budget is over $10 million and
our cost per student is already one of the highest in the state. The
problem is the budget and not the taxpayer.
Clayton
Wood
Concord Regional VNA Offers “A Matter Of Balance” In Pittsfield
Concord
Regional VNA is offering an eight-week falls prevention program “A
Matter of Balance” that helps adults view falls and the fear of
falling as controllable, change the environment to reduce fall risk
factors, and exercise to increase strength and balance. The program
takes place on Tuesdays beginning October 3 from 10 a.m. to Noon at
Pittsfield Senior Center, 74 Main Street in Pittsfield.
There
is no fee to attend this program and space is limited.
Pre-registration is required. To register, call (603) 224-4093 or
(800) 924-8620, ext. 5815 or visit www.crvna.org.
A
Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls/Volunteer Lay
Leader Model © 2006. This program is based on “Fear of Falling: A
Matter of Balance” Copyright © 1995 Trustees of Boston University:
All rights reserved. Used and adapted by permission of Boston
University.
Thank You
The
Pittsfield Food Pantry would like to thank the people who donated
food for the Food Pantry at the Recycled Percussion show on Friday,
August 25th.
School District Collective Bargaining Agreement
Submitted By The Pittsfield School Board
Mike
Wolfe, Chair; Bea Douglas, Vice-Chair; Linda Freese, Ted Mitchell,
Ralph Odell
We
strongly encourage all Pittsfield voters to cast your ballot in
favor of our proposed new teacher contract. This important vote
will be held from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 19,
at Town Hall.
The
proposed contract is a one-year agreement that maintains the same
salary schedule and benefits offered that were agreed-to in the
now-expired agreement in place last school year. No changes to the
salary schedule or benefits offered are part of the new agreement.
Because
teachers are facing increases in their required contributions to the
New Hampshire Retirement System and health insurance, take-home pay
is being decreased unless the new agreement is accepted by voters.
With a yes vote, experienced teachers will advance a step on the
salary schedule, resulting in modest salary increases.
If
accepted, the estimated cost of this new contract is $66,486; this
represents an increase of $.25/thousand on the tax rate. In other
words, a property valued at $100,000 will be assessed an additional
$25.00 for the next tax year.
At this
point, the district’s fund balance from the 2016-2017 school year is
estimated to be about $85,000. However, because bills are still
coming in for services provided or authorized prior to July and
because the district’s revenues have not been finalized, the tax
impact of this estimated fund balance is not yet known.
For
more information, please visit the school district website –
pittsfieldnhschools.org – and see articles printed in The Suncook
Valley Sun over the past three issues. Please also feel free to
contact our superintendent of schools, John Freeman (435-5526 or
[email protected]),
with your questions.
Both
the Pittsfield School Board and the Pittsfield Budget Committee
recommend that you vote yes on this proposed contract. Your vote is
important to our students, our schools, and our teachers. Please
vote yes on Tuesday, September 19, at Town Hall.
Obituaries
Kathleen Ann (McGravey) Bergeron
Kathleen Ann (McGravey) Bergeron, 73, passed away on Wednesday,
September 6, after a long battle with cancer.
Born to
Vincent and Gloria (Sicard) McGravey on November 4, 1943, she was
raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and went on to live throughout
the U.S., with careers in banking & finance and real estate. Most
recently, she was the administrative assistant for Our Lady of
Lourdes Parish in Pittsfield, NH, near to Loudon, where she has
lived with her husband of 28 years, Harvey J. Bergeron. She was
predeceased by her younger sister JoAnn M. McGravey in 2008.
In
addition to her loving husband Harvey, she is survived by her
brother Robert Vincent McGravey and his wife Joyce (Trovato)
McGravey of Fremont, NH; her son Stephen Pimpare and his husband
Taylor Hooper of Deering, NH; her daughter Marybeth Kathleen Pimpare
of Covina, CA; and six grandchildren. She is also survived by
stepchildren Tomi Sue (Bergeron) and husband Paul Chorlian of
Newton, MA; Tamara Lee (Bergeron) and husband Russell Sargent of
Holderness, NH; William Bergeron of Whitefield, NH; James Bergeron
of Barnstead, NH; Rebekah (Bergeron) and husband Michael Young of
North Haverhill, NH; Herve Bergeron and wife Brenda of Barnstead,
NH; sixteen step-grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
At her
request there will be no calling hours. A funeral mass will be held
at Our Lady of Lourdes on Thursday, September 14 at 10AM. In lieu of
flowers, please send donations in her name to Hospice House of the
Concord Regional Visiting Nurses Association.
Gilbert
Seward Paige
Gilbert
S. Paige, 90, of Misty Oak Drive, East Concord, passed away
peacefully at The Concord Hospice House September 4th, 2017.
He was
born in Concord, December 19, 1926, the son of the late Carroll M.
and Grace E. (Seward) Paige. He was a proud Navy Hospital Corpsman,
serving in both WWII and the Korean Conflict and discharged in 1954,
and a 73 year member of the Peterson-Cram American Legion Post #75
of Pittsfield. He was a graduate of Pittsfield High School in 1942
and attended UNH for 2 years when he assumed responsibility for the
operation of The Paige Agency in Pittsfield, specializing in both
insurance and real estate. He ran this business until his retirement
in 1987.
He was
a member of the Corinthian Lodge F&AM, Bektash Temple and The
Shriners Drum Corps. He spent numerous hours in leadership positions
supporting civic organizations, including the Pittsfield Historical
Society, the Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the Cemetery
Association, the Area Arts Council, and the Pittsfield Players. He
served Pittsfield as a Selectman, a Trustee of Trust Funds, and a
member of Community Development Commission and the Concord Board of
Realtors. He also passed out fire hats to many children, during fire
prevention week, throughout the community for many years. He was
very proud of having received the Pittsfield High School Moody-Kent
Award, a Pittsfield Rotary Club Paul Harris Award, and he was voted
Pittsfield’s Citizen of the Year in 1975. He also received the VFW
Outstanding Citizen Award. In his spare time he worked in
photography and presented many shows he put together on
Pittsfield’s history. He was well known for designing and
handcrafting miniature Shaker furniture.
He is
survived by his wife of 70 years, June (Remington) Paige; daughters
Cynthia Cook and Husband Michael, Valerie Paige, Susan Paige Morgan
and Husband Charles, and Daphne Paige; a son Carroll “Pete” Paige;
numerous Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren and Great Great
Grandchildren.
A
private Committal Service with Military Honors will be held in the
Floral Park Cemetery. A celebration of his life will be held at the
First Congregational Church, Main St., Pittsfield on Saturday,
September 16 from 2:30 to 4:30 PM
In lieu
of flowers donations may be made to CRVNA – Hospice Program, 33
Pillsbury St. Concord, NH 03301 ; A Shriners Hospital in either
Boston or Springfield , MA; or The Pittsfield Historical Society,
Elm St. Pittsfield, NH 03263.
The
Waters Funeral Home, David Pollard, Director, is assisting the
family with arrangements.
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