The
Merrimack County Stamp Collectors will hold its monthly meeting at
the Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 South St., Bow, on
February 20, beginning at 1 pm. We invite all who are
interested in stamp collecting to attend, share their interest, buy,
sell and trade. Meet other collectors and learn more about
their hobby and enjoy the fellowship of others with varied interests
in Philatelic resources and issues. Gain new insight and
knowledge, sharing news articles and stories abut stamp collecting.
Learn of the latest cutting edge information on stamp collecting.
For more information call Dan Day at 603-228-1154.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest In Rehearsal
Dale
Wasserman’s dramatic play based on Ken Kesey’s book generously
sponsored by The Iron Dragon of Pittsfield, NH and produced by The
Pittsfield Players, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is currently in
rehearsal for their limited engagement in March on the Scenic
Stage.
Eighteen years ago Meggin Dail embarked on her first adventure as a
director within the Pittsfield Players community. She was pregnant
with her first child and determined to do the job of directing all
by herself. Little did she realize that nobody lets a pregnant women
do anything by themselves and she soon found out she was grateful
for all the help she got. Mo Demers designed and built the set (with
some help) as well as acted in and produced the show. Vicki Peixinho
(known then as Vicki Skoog) stage managed and gave much meaningful
advice to the the novice director, having directed more than a few
shows herself. Elsie Morse, Meggin’s mom, took on costuming for the
show, making the 15 sets of scrubs the men were to wear as inmates
of the ward for the mentally unstable, and the two nurses caps and
uniforms for famed Nurse Ratched and shy Nurse Flinn plus two
straight jackets with the assistance of Jan Pinard.
Meggin
was lucky enough to have such Players’ stage legends as Mike
Chagnon, Ernie Bass, Steve Barnes, Dr. Robert Murray, Kate Crary,
John Genest, and Carol Light audition for the parts. Newbies to the
Players, Brian Moreau, John Marden, Gale Call, George Southwick, Ed
Bauer, and Nathan Strong also auditioned and landed roles. Some
needed more urging and recent star of Guys and Dolls, Nathan Ruggles
was cast in a smaller role along with Jeremey Gadoury, a kids’
theater workshop veteran, Angel Douglas, also known for his musical
talent, and Art Morse, Meggin’s dad, were all cast after some
convincing. The Players always have difficulty getting men to
audition, much less fourteen men in a non-musical. Some things never
change.
Eighteen years later, after two auditions, many texts, emails,
Facebook messages and phone calls were made, Cuckoo’s Nest is once
again getting ready for production. Chief Bromden will be played by
John Chinn; Aide Warren by Bob Tuttle; Aide Williams by Joel Dail;
Aide Turkle by Dick Colman; Dale Harding by newbie Ken Berry; Billy
Bibbit by previously musicals -only, Coy McCarty;
Scanlon by newbie Kiefer Archambault; Cheswick by Marty Williams;
Martini by previously musicals-only, Jared Griffin; Ruckly by
Mike Towle; Nurse Ratched by Vicki Watson; Nurse Flinn by
Cathy Williams; Candy Starr by Elisha Griffin; Sandra by newbie,
Beth Champagne Joshua Spaulding and Jim Adams playing Chronics and,
just because some things really never change Randle P. McMurphy will
be reprised by Ernie Bass while Dr. Spivey will be played by also
original cast member Nathan Strong, after which he plans to retire,
making Cuckoo’s Nest his first and last performance with the
Pittsfield Players for which Meggin is deeply honored.
Directed by Meggin Dail, produced by Carole Neveaux, costumed by
Cathy Williams, set design by Joel Dail, light design by Jim Hart,
poster design by Mike Hobson, and cast member Elisha Griffin also
acting as stage manager; mark your calendars for this Pittsfield
Players 50th anniversary celebration of the past and present, One
Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, sponsored by The Iron Dragon of
Pittsfield, NH, March 9, 10 and 16 & 17, 2018.
Letter To The Editor
Pittsfield School District Deliberative Session
I have
heard many comments from citizens on the proposed school operating
budget and the SB2 process. Regardless of your position, I am urging
all of you to go to the school district deliberative session on
Thursday, February 8 at 7:00 PM at the Pittsfield Elementary School.
The
deliberative session, in general, is identical to the traditional
town meeting with the exception of the final vote by ballot on March
13 at the town hall. The deliberative session is an important part
of the SB2 process. It is a chance for the voters to make sure that
what is voted on is in the best interest of the town, not the lesser
of two evils.
Voters
on February 8th will determine the budget that will be on the ballot
on March 13th. Please attend the deliberative session and be part of
the process.
I have
always found the following words from an article by the NHMA that
first appeared in 1990 empowering: “State law refers to the town
meeting as the “legislative body” (RSA 21:47). The town meeting is
to the town what the Legislature is to the State, or the Congress is
to the United States: the town meeting has all the basic power.
There is no higher authority in town.”
Clayton
Wood
Pittsfield Players’ Kids’ Theater Workshop Presents Thoroughly
Modern Millie, Jr.
Tickets
are now on sale for this season’s Kids’ Theater Workshop
presentation of Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jr. The show will run at
the Scenic Theatre on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, February 22, 23
and 24, at 7:30 pm each evening. In addition, there will be two
matinee performances on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 20 and 21,
at 12:30 pm for local schools and home schoolers, so that kids might
see their peers on stage and develop an interest in theater.
Participants in the Kids’ Theater Workshop range in age from 8 to
18, and they learn all aspects of theater both on stage and behind
the scenes. Tickets for the evening shows are $8 for kids under 12
and $12 for adults and can be reserved by calling 435-8852. If you
are interested in bringing a class or group of kids to the matinees,
at a reduced price, contact director Maye Hart at
[email protected].
The
show is set in the 1920’s, the jazz age, when modern women raised
their hemlines and bobbed their hair, and Millie Dillmount has
arrived in New York to seek her fortune by marrying her boss. The
trouble is, she has to find a boss first. Along the way to finding
her true love, Millie lands a job, meets her new boss and intended
fiance, as well as a neer-do-well sweet guy, a Chinese villainess in
the white slave trade, and a whole host of characters. With
toe-tapping music and wonderful dance scenes, Thoroughly Modern
Millie, Jr. is just the show to chase away the winter blues.
The
cast includes Emma Molloy as the irrepressible Millie, Christopher
Dudley as Jimmy, the basically broke man-about-town, and Joe Garcia
as Trevor Graydon, Millie’s new boss who she’s determined to marry.
Alex Keyes plays Mrs. Meers, the proprietress of the Priscilla
Hotel, who also runs a very shady business on the side. Cecily
Schultz plays Miss Dorothy Brown, who actually wants to be poor, and
Spencer Griffin and Benjamin Marcotte play Mrs. Meers’ Chinese
henchmen, Bun Foo and Ching Ho. The girls at the Priscilla Hotel are
played by Wanda Anderson (Gloria), April Keyes (Alice), Faith
Griffin (Rita), Trinity Morse (Ruth), Kaylyn John-Zensky (Cora),
Annelissa Marcotte (Lucille) and Camryn Melvin (Ethel Peas).
Ensemble members include Ethan Smith, Christopher Tedcastle, Joe
Molloy, Abraham Marcotte, Johnny Anderson, Carly Griffin, Mabel
Johnson, Michaela St. George, Izabelle Cote, Anna Vyce, Lexie
Booker, Sydney Provencal, Alivia Duffy, Addy Shonyo, Lillian Mooney,
Addison Clark, and Damonica and Olivia Charles.
Call
now to make your reservations for this wonderful kid’s presentation!
Why Is Plastic Recycling So Confusing?
Recycling is a system. Recyclable wastes go into the system,
are processed into a marketable material, and are shipped to market
for reuse. Recyclables wastes have to be prepared to enter the
system; they need to be sorted and collected, contamination (i.e.
non-recyclable items) has to be removed, and the recyclables need to
be containerized for the processing facility. Processing
facilities further sort the recyclables: changing the physical
properties of the materials, such as reducing plastics to pellets,
and or containerizing the material for market. At the end of
the process, a market for the material has to exist, otherwise,
recycling is not economically viable and the whole system falls
apart.
Product
packaging comprises a significant portion of the recycling stream.
However, companies that make consumer goods are primarily concerned
with safely getting a product from point A to point B; the actual
recyclability of the packaging is a secondary concern. This is
evident in the wide variety of plastics used in modern packaging.
If you look on the bottom of most plastic bottles or containers,
you’ll see a “chasing arrows” symbol with a number. Although
you might assume that this means the item is recyclable, this is not
always the case.
The
#1-#7 plastics numbering system located inside the chasing arrows
only indicates the type of resin used to make the plastic item, but
it does not guarantee that there are recycling systems in your area
that can process that type of plastic or packaging. Recyclability of
most materials is subject to whether local infrastructure is capable
of handling them, and whether there are reliable resale markets for
the material. This can vary regionally.
Excerpt
of Article Reprinted with permission from NHDES
Complete article can be read at
bcepsolidwaste.com
Letter
Dear
Pittsfield Flower Lovers,
The
time for placing the advanced order for flowers that will beautify
the Town Hall and Police Station has come. The problem is that due
to unusual expenses I don’t have the funds this year for these
flowers.
Therefore, in order to provide flowers, I am forced to ask you for
donations. If you want to help please send your contribution to: Ted
Mitchell, 77 Dowboro Road, Pittsfield, NH 03263-3901 and note in the
check’s memo line “For Town Hall Flowers.” I will be documenting all
monies received and keep all purchase receipts. At any time you want
to review my records, please contact me.
Appreciatively,
Ted
Letter
Hello
Suncook Valley Sun Readers,
Bikers
Against Child Abuse, Inc. (B.A.C.A.) exists with the intent to
create a safer environment for abused children. We exist as a body
of Bikers to empower children to not feel afraid of the world in
which they live. We stand ready to lend support to our wounded
friends by involving them with an established, united organization.
We work in conjunction with local and state officials who are
already in place to protect children. We desire to send a clear
message to all involved with the abused child that this child is
part of our organization, and that we are prepared to lend our
physical and emotional support to them by affiliation, and our
physical presence. We stand at the ready to shield these children
from further abuse. We do not condone the use of violence or
physical force in any manner, however, if circumstances arise such
that we are the only obstacle preventing a child from further abuse,
we stand ready to be that obstacle.
The New
Hampshire Chapter of B.A.C.A. is hosting our 4th Annual Spaghetti
Dinner to be held on February 24, 2018 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at
Bektash Shriners in Concord. Tickets are $15 per person at the door
or $10 per person before event. For tickets call our hotline at
(603) 986-4480 or e-mail at
[email protected].
All
proceeds benefit the support of our children.
Please
come join us in a fun filled night out.
Thank
You,
Shutter
Bug/Melissa
From
The Farm - A Down Cow
Submitted By Carole Soule
Betty,
after she was rescued from the pasture.
Just
after feeding, I saw a white belly and kicking legs in the back
pasture. Two yearlings were staring at the form on the ground.
Something was wrong and I had to investigate.
Twice a
day, after each feeding, I always take a quick check of the
yearlings. If any are not at the feed bunker eating hay, I want to
know why. There could be a problem, like the time Lou, a Highlander
steer, got his head stuck in a gate. This time Betty, a yearling
Hereford heifer, was in trouble.
Betty
is short with a round body, so round she looks bloated. Bloat is
caused by an increase in gas pressure in the stomach and if not
treated can cause death. Betty was not bloated but she was lying
sideways in a slight depression and could not roll over to get up.
Her eyes were white, she was alive, but moaning softly and kicking
one rear leg as two other yearlings looked on. She was down and
could not get up. A down cow is a dead cow so we had to get her
upright and standing.
With
the help of ropes, Bruce and I rolled her over but every time she
tried to stand, she stumbled to the ground. She eventually recovered
enough to stand and then walk, shivering, to the barn where we put
her in a stall with hay, water, and a propane heater to warm her up.
Within minutes she started eating, and the vet, Christina Murdock,
pronounced her healthy but shivering with shock.
Cows
need to be upright to survive. If they lie down for too long, their
systems shut down. Poor Betty chose to lie down in the wrong place
and partly because of her round body, couldn’t get up. She’s alive
because we found her in time. Maybe she should go on a diet to slim
down a bit, and next time she should definitely pick a better place
to lie down.
It’s
hard to tell what the next farm drama will be, but it does seem the
yearlings get in the most trouble, just like children, I suppose.
Carole
Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, in Loudon, NH, where she
raises and sells beef, pork, lamb, eggs and other local products.
She can be reached at [email protected].
Letter
To The Editor
Thanks
to James Cobern for helping bring “Screenagers, Growing Up in the
Digital Age,” to the PMHS lecture hall.
My
worst fears were realized. We are losing human contact.
Through
all our lives we are influenced by the people who cross our path.
How can you replace human contact with a screen?
Thanks
to Stand Up Pittsfield for supporting this informative film and the
conversation that followed.
Thanks
to the teenagers who came and shared their views.
Thanks
to the school cleaning crew. Whenever I go into Pittsfield schools,
they are well maintained, clean, and bright. That doesn’t happen by
itself.
I hope
people realize that our schools are looking at an uncertain future,
due to voters blaming the school for their financial difficulties.
This was evident last year.
Our
school has done well to adapt to their decrease in revenue from the
State. The schools and teachers need our help in March. I hope we
will support them.
Dan the
Stoneman
UNH
Manchester Names Fall 2017 Dean’s List
The
University of New Hampshire at Manchester has named 276 students to
the Dean’s List for superior scholastic performance during the fall
semester of the 2017-2018 academic year. Students named to the
Dean’s List at the University of New Hampshire have earned a
semester grade point average of 3.5 or greater on a possible 4.0
scale in a minimum of eight graded course credits.
Congratulations to all the fall 2017 Dean’s List students, listed
below.
Center
Barnstead
Nathan
Hall, Electrical Engineering Technology
Bethany
Shaw, Homeland Security
Pittsfield
Sarah
Adams, ASL/English Interpreting
Obituaries
Wilson
K. Smith
Wilson
K. Smith, 81, a lifelong Loudon resident, passed away on Tuesday,
January 30, 2018 at his residence following a period of declining
health.
Born on
September 1, 1936 at the Farmhouse in Loudon, he was the son of
Gerald and Marjorie (Lowe) Smith. Wilson was educated in the local
schools and during high school, started working at the family farm.
He also served his country in the United States Army National Guard.
Wilson
was known as the “Eggman.” He owned and operated Smith’s Egg & Dairy
Farm with his late wife Sandra on Clough Hill Road for over 60
years. He loved antique cars and his dog, Sadie who went everywhere
he went. He was a hard worker, who showed his family how to be
strong and what it meant to work hard.
Besides
his parents, Wilson was predeceased by his wife Sandra (Curtis)
Smith in 2010; a brother, Archer Smith; and a son Paul Gardner.
He is
survived by his daughters, Marjorie Smith-Schofield of Loudon and
Evelyn Smith of Loudon; grandchildren, Jessika Martin and her
husband Nicholas and Tyler Smith; three great grandchildren, Troy,
Alayiah and Scarlett Martin, aunts, Rita Swain and Clara Volpe;
sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Pauline Smith, Linda and Rolfe
Swain, Sharon and Kerry O’Dougherty; two nieces, Roberta Coffey and
Donna Forst and her husband Brian.
A
Funeral Service will was on Tuesday, February 6th at the Loudon
Center Freewill Baptist Church, Loudon. Interment will take place in
the spring at Loudon Ridge Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations
may be made in his memory to the Concord Regional Visiting Nurses
Association, 30 Pillsbury Street, Concord, NH 03301. To share
a memory or offer a condolence, please visit
www.stilloaks.com
Helen
M. Flanders
PITTSFIELD – Helen M. Flanders of Loudon Road passed away peacefully
at Merrimack County Nursing Home on Sun., Jan. 21, 2018.
Born in
Pittsfield, the daughter of the late John L. and Delena M. (Picard)
Miller.
Helen
worked for the Department of Safety for the State of NH for over 15
years before retiring in 1995. She was a parishioner of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church where she volunteered as a
Eucharistic Minister and was a member of the choir. She also
volunteered at Concord Hospital helping out with Spiritual Care. She
was a member of Consolers of Two Hearts at Sacred Heart Church in
Manchester, and sang country music for many years.
She is
survived by her son, Floyd Flanders, Jr. of Concord; her daughters,
Delena Leonard of Loudon and Barbara Leduc of LeHigh Acres, Fla.;
Nine grandchildren, many great grandchildren; two great-great
grandsons; her sister, Ethel Cochran of Pittsfield, and brother Leon
Miller and his wife, Corine of Pittsfield.
She was
predeceased by two great grandchildren, Mason and Macie Leonard; her
sister, Edith Pelillo; and two brothers, John L. Miller Jr., and
Norman Miller.
A Mass
of Christian Burial was celebrated on Fri., Jan. 26, 2018 at
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Concord.
Burial
will be in the spring at Floral Park Cemetery in Pittsfield.
In lieu
of flowers donations may be made to the Merrimack County Nursing
Home Activity Fund, 325 DW Highway, Boscawen, N.H. 03303 or to a
charity of ones choice.
Victor
L. Drouin
Manchester– Victor L. Drouin, 79, passed January 25, 2018 at Elliot
Hospital following a brief illness.
Born in
Laconia on September 13, 1938 the son of Raoul and Yvonne (Morin)
Drouin.
He
served his country in the U. S. Navy.
Prior
to his retirement he was a Security Service Representative for
Hertz.
Family
members include one son, Victor R. Drouin and his wife, Catherine of
Wolfeboro, two grandsons, Nathan Drouin of Charlestown, MA., Kyle
Drouin of East Boston, two sisters, Therese D. Riel of Pittsfield
and Claire Wentworth of Derry.
He was
predeceased by one sister, Joan Fernandez of Nevada and two brothers
Paul and Robert Drouin.
A
memorial gathering will be held on Tuesday, February 6, 2018 from 4
to 6 pm at Phaneuf Funeral Home and Crematorium, 243 Hanover Street,
Manchester.
To view
Victor’s online Tribute, send condolences to the family, or for more
information, visit
phaneuf.net | Phaneuf Funeral
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