Chichester Old Home Day Committee Meeting
Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015
6:30pm, Grange Hall
This meeting is important in that it will determine whether or not
Chichester celebrates Old Home Day in 2015! Many volunteers are
needed to pull off this event.
Please come with your thoughts, comments and ideas to share and your
willingness to participate.
Please join us!
RSVP, questions, volunteer:
[email protected] or
603-903-3891.
Chichester Grange will be sponsoring a local Meet the Candidates
Night on Wednesday, February 18, at 7 p.m. in the Grange/Town Hall,
54 Main Street. It will be an opportunity to see local candidates in
person and hear what they have to say about helping the Town of
Chichester function smoothly. For those new to rural living this
meeting is an opportunity to see how government works in a small
town. There will be time for questions from the audience after the
candidates make their introductory remarks.
Suncook Valley Sno-riders Poker Run. Saturday
February 21st, 2015 at Ballfield at 177 Tilton Hill Rd., Pittsfield,
NH. Registration from 10:00am-12. Support your local snowmobile
club, accessible by vehicle. Lots of Fun! More information visit us
on Facebook or
www.suncookvalleysnoriders.com
Chichester School District Meeting
On Saturday, March 7th, the Chichester School Board will be holding
the annual School District meeting beginning at 9 AM at the
Chichester Central School. At this meeting the 2015-2016 Budget
will be presented and will be voted upon by Chichester residents.
To participate in the process, citizens must be registered voters.
To register, please stop by the Chichester Town offices by February
28th, 2015. The proposed 2015-2016 budget along with all warrant
articles has an increase of 2.97% over last year which includes
increases to Pembroke Academy, bus contract, employee insurance,
special education, the SAU budget, and a new teacher contract.
Everyone’s voice and vote is important. Your participation in the
democratic process is appreciated.
Out Of Your Attic Thrift Shop News
Submitted By Carol Hendee
This winter we are so grateful to have a new heating system! The
customers have made comments, too, about how nice it is in the shop.
There is an updated (2015) version of the IRS tax deduction form,
please stop by the shop and pick up some copies.
There is a copy of our Charitable Giving for 2014 on our bulletin
board. Some of the highlights from the year include: delivering
many bags of food, donated by you, to the Chichester Food Pantry. A
program was run for students needing backpacks, we gave out 30 new
backpacks, filled with school supplies. Many donations that were
received for the homeless were brought to the homeless coordinator,
we received a lovely thank you note for participation in the
program.
We continue to send jackets and boots to the refugee program in
Concord (wearing flip flops at this time of year just isn’t
feasible). We try and find a “re-purpose” way for most items donated
to the shop.
Rte 28 in Chichester; next to Parker’s, Mon. 8-12; Tues & Thurs 8-4;
Wed. 11-4; Sat. 10-4; closed due to storm when school is closed.
247-7191.
Journey’s End Maple Farm To Present “Backyard Farming”
Lecture
As part
of the continuing “Backyard Farming” education program the
Chichester Garden Club (CGC) and Chichester Agricultural Commission
(AgCom), are pleased to announce that the Pittsfield based Journey’s
End Maple Farm owners Marty & Anne Boisvert will be presenting
“Maple Sugaring” on Wednesday, February 25, 2015, 7pm, at Grange
Hall, 54 Main Street, Chichester, NH. This event is free and open
to the public.
Learn what is involved in making maple syrup - from selecting trees,
tapping and collecting, to the boiling process, grading, bottling
and labeling. And what about the smooth delicious maple cream…how
do they do it? Attendees are encouraged to ask questions.
As a boy, Marty worked with his father making NH maple products;
now, with a larger sugarhouse, wife Anne and Marty are continuing
the tradition. In June 2011, sap hauler Rebecca joined the team and
is learning the family business. For those of you who live in
Chichester, Rebecca’s grandmother Hannah West also helps during the
frantic spring “boiling.” The family operation collects about 7,000
gallons of sap each year from some 950 taps with tubing and 130
buckets. It takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to make one
gallon of syrup.
Visitors may stop by the 295 Loudon Rd, Pittsfield,
location for tours, syrup samples, maple baked goods and coffee made
from sap. Check out their website
www.journeysendmaplefarm.com.
Since 2015 is the “Year of the Farmer” in Chichester, the Garden
Club and AgCom are offering free Backyard Farming info-workshops, a
series of lectures with something for everyone - whether you are a
first-timer, amateur or veteran gardener/farmer.
To join the Garden Club, please contact
[email protected] or Ann Davis
603-903-3891. General meetings are generally held at 7pm, Town
Library, the fourth Wednesday of the month, January through October;
however, when speakers are scheduled, most lectures are held at the
Chichester Grange Hall, 54 Main St, to better accommodate attendees.
The AgCom meets the third Wednesday of the month, 7pm, Town Library;
all are welcome.
Letter To The Editor
I am concerned when Chichester votes on March 10th they are aware
they will lose the privilege of voting for the Road Agent if they
vote for Warrant Article 12.
If adopted, the authority to appoint the Road Agent will go to the
Selectmen.
Also, I am concerned if Jason Weir, candidate for Selectmen, and
Chris Weir, candidate for Road Agent, are elected they will add to
the existing family relationships within the Town Office. I
encourage you to write-in Richard DeBold as Selectman and re-elect
Jim Plunkett as Road Agent.
Fred Chagnon
Chichester Town Library News
Tonight, February 18th is “Meet the Candidates” night, sponsored by
the Grange. This will be held at the Grange, 54 Main Street, at 7
p.m. (Please see separate article for additional information.)
Pre-school Story and Craft “Hour” will meet tomorrow, February 19th
at 10:30 a.m. You and the little one(s) will appreciate
this special time spent at the Library, designed just for them.
School vacation is scheduled for next week, February 23-27, so the
Library has planned a few extra activities for our school-aged kids.
On Wednesday, February 25th, at 3 p.m., the Lego Group will be
meeting. This is always a fun time for those who attend.
On Saturday, February 28th, from noon to 1 p.m., the
Library will host a tea party for 12 lucky participants.
Registration is required for this event, so please call or e-mail
the Library to reserve a space. Phone: 798-5613; or E-mail:
[email protected].
The Craft Group for adults and teens will be meeting on Monday,
February 23rd, at 6:30 p.m.
The Down Cellar Writers will also be meeting on Monday, February
23rd, but at 7 p.m.
Don’t forget to purchase tickets at 3 for $1.00, for the current
raffle package, a Cold Weather Survival Kit, which
includes a beeswax candle, large soup mug & soup mix, beeswax lip
balm, Kleenex, hand sanitizer & a few other items.
Keep Sunday afternoon, March 8th, open to attend Rebecca Rule’s
presentation at 2 p.m. at the Grange for “Moved and Seconded: Town
Meeting in New Hampshire.”
Library hours are as follows: Monday and Wednesday from 2:30-8:30
p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Friday from
1:30-4:30 p.m.; and, Saturday from 9 a.m.-noon. The Down Cellar
Used Book Store is open to customers whenever the Library is open.
Meet The Candidates
As previously reported, the Chichester Grange will be hosting a
“Meet the Candidates” night at the Grange on February 18th at 7 p.m.
at the Grange, 54 Main Street. This meeting will be facilitated and
moderated by Hannah Lacy West to help ensure a neutral, equitable
and respectful approach is maintained. Questions by the audience
will be taken; although, there will be time parameters applied and
any other parameters deemed appropriate by the moderator.
Candidates who have been invited include:
Selectman (3 year term): Jason Weir and Gilbert E. Vien
Trustee of the Trust Fund (3 year term): Blaze Konefal
Road Agent (3 year term): Christopher E. Weir and James Plunkett
Library Trustee (3 year term): Lucille Noel
Cemetery Trustee (3 year term): Fred Shaw
School Board (3 year term): Harold Losey, Jr.
This is an excellent opportunity to find out for yourself who the
candidates are, what their vision for Chichester is, as it relates
to the position they are seeking, etc. Hope to see your there!
Letter To The Editor
Well, I guess it must be election time again. The last 6 years have
flown by. I would like to start by thanking all the Chichester
residents that made it possible for the Highway Department to
accomplish so much in the last 6 years. As many of you know, I took
the reins in some pretty tough economic times.
Over the past 6 years, the Highway Department has always been
cognizant of the economic climate in our town. After dropping the
Highway Department operating budget in 2010, by over $50,000, and
working within my budget for the last six years, the Highway
Department has accomplished many infrastructure repairs that needed
to be attended to.
The two grants that the Highway Department applied for and received
through FEMA totaled $360,000. The Road Advisory Committee (RAC) has
put together some aggressive rebuilding of some of the town’s oldest
roads, where the maintenance curve of these roads has all but
disappeared.
I hope to see everyone at the elections on March 10th and again on
March 14th for Town Meeting.
Jim Plunkett
Chichester Road Agent
Letter To The Editor
Keep Chichester Great
I’m Jason Weir and I’m a candidate for Selectman in Chichester.
Many would call me a conservative, socially and fiscally. I
believe in honesty, integrity and standing by my word. I would
expect the same of all town employees. I’ve spent 10 years on the
budget committee, working closely with all town departments. As an
Army veteran, I understand commitment, teamwork and having a chain
of command and feel it’s time to take my experiences to the Board of
Selectmen. I’m not perfect. I can be stubborn, loud and aggressive
- I’m no politician.
We won’t always agree, but I’ll listen and you will know where I
stand. I won’t flip flop! I’m not afraid to admit when I’m wrong
and will work to make things right. I’d rather fail doing what I
believe than compromise my values.
I’m concerned with the rate of tax increases and an ever expanding
government. My kids are the 5th generation to live in town and I
want to ensure Chichester remains a great town their grandchildren
can still afford to live in.
I’m asking for your vote on March 10th. Even if you won’t be voting
for me, it’s important that you come out and vote.
Questions? Please call, text or email me anytime,
Jason Weir - 603-736-7762 -
[email protected]
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