ATTENTION ALL KIDS AGE 6 - 12
Do you like winning prizes? Eating? Seeing magic?
You are invited to attend the Epsom Bible Church Vacation
Bible School August 10-14 from 9a-12n. Located at 398 Black Hall
Rd Epsom NH
Call 736-8668 or see
www.EBCNH.com/DVBS for more info.
Hope you’ll join us and meet Angelo - he lives in a
suitcase.
Celebrating Birthdays are: August 6, Jonathan Desmarais,
Fred Mayhew; August 7, Brandon Giuda, Michael Tuttle, Keith
Snedeker, Andrew Fries, JoAnn Ward; August 8, Fred Hast I;
August 9, Jess Hillsgrove; August 10, Jennifer Snell, Alysha
Quattrucci, Jim Adams II.
A Very Happy Birthday to one and
all.
Celebrating Anniversaries are: August 5, Mark
and Sylvia Wallace; August 6, Harold and Debbie Darrah.
Best Wishes.
Do you ever feel that you could
do more for yourself, but at the same time don’t want to rock
the boat, but wish you could.
TOPS, is a nonprofit
organization, to help in rocking the boat. This September we
will hold the NH Fall Rally. You can meet people, who rocked the
boat, and swam for themselves.
We meet Tuesday evenings at
6:30 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Church, Main Street, Pittsfield, NH,
in the Undercroft.
For further information, please call Pat
at 435-5333 or Sandy at 798-5658.
Winners in the
July Drawing at the Peterson-Cram Post No. 75 American Legion:
#190, Allan MacLellan, $50.
#184, Lucia Metcalf, $25.
#22,
Cal Farnsworth, #10.
#37, Diane Vaughan, $10.
#157, Craig
Kost, $10.
Celebrate the Gift of Life and come to
the American Red Cross Blood Drive being held at the Pittsfield
Elementary School on Monday, August 10, 2009, from 2 to 7 p.m.
The Drive is sponsored by the Elementary School Parent Teacher’s
Organization. Childcare will be provided. A special incentive -
make it a sweet summer - give the gift of life and enjoy life’s
sweet rewards, courtesy of Friendly’s Ice Cream.
All
presenting donors in the month of August will receive a coupon
for a free carton of Friendly’s Ice Cream!
The
Sunrise Farmer’s Market in Pittsfield would like to invite
everyone to join us this Thursday, August 6th. To encourage
folks to buy locally grown produce Governor Lynch has designated
the first week of August as NH Farmer’s Market week. To
commemorate this event we will have a drawing to give away a
basket filled with a sample of the wonderfully fresh vegetables,
fruit, and other goodies that are available here at the market.
So come on down to Dustin Park Thursdays from 3-5:30. We look
forward to seeing you there!
Congratulations to
Bruce and Barbara Smith who will celebrate their 40th
Wedding Anniversary on August 9th.
Pittsfield Area Senior Center
Pittsfield Area Senior Center
August Trip
August 26, 2009 at 1 p.m. the RTS bus is heading
to The Moultonborough Loon Preservation. The cost of $7.00
includes the bus ride and a sandwich bag lunch. A $3.00
deposit reserves your seat. No refunds.
Call 435-8482 and
speak with Roseanna or Lynne.
Pittsfield Area Senior Center
Activities
Are you one of the adults taking advantage of the
“Adult Swim Time” provided by the Pittsfield Parks and
Recreation Department? I hope so, this is a great opportunity.
Anyone in our surrounding towns 18 -60+ are welcome! Times
are Tuesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. through the
end of August. A lifeguard will be on duty.
The Pittsfield
Area Senior Center Crafters are enjoying varied craft
opportunities. Though there is a specific craft scheduled for
each week some of us are doing our own thing. Also an artist
will be here each week through August to give painting lessons,
so here is your chance to explore the artist within! Or, bring
your project and teach us yours or join us with one of ours.
August 5, open. August 12, “Soft” Note Cards. These are so
beautiful and fun to do that we have been creating them on
Tuesday mornings too. August 19, Crazy Quilting. Bring your
sewing machine and literally scraps of any kind of fabric you
have to create a one of a kind quilt. On August 26, Painting
only is scheduled.
New
Hampshire Civil War Roundtable -Upcoming Cookout
The annual
summer social/pot luck of the CWRT-NH will be Saturday, Aug. 8,
1-5 PM. Anyone interested in learning about the Civil War
Roundtable of New Hampshire is invited to attend.
Location is
at 110 Harmony Road in Northwood, NH. The site is a Harvey Lake
camp of one of the members. Members and guests are invited to
bring their swimsuits, fishing poles, kayaks and canoes.
Who
We Are:
The Civil War Roundtable of New Hampshire was founded
in May of 1991, and is dedicated to all aspects of the Civil
War: Education, Preservation and Restoration. The CWRTNH is a
group of men and women who share a common interest in the War
Between The States and that period in American History that
defined Our Nation, as we know it today.
Our meetings are
usually held the 3rd Friday of each month, except July, August
and December at the Epping, NH Town Hall. The meeting format is
usually Speaker/Discussion. Coffee is served at 6:45 and we
begin the meeting at 7:15 p.m. The CWRTNH is a non-Profit 501(c)
organization.
We invite anyone interested to attend our
meetings and join our organization if they desire. Visit our web
site (http://www.cwrt-nh.org)
for more information, directions, newsletters, contact links.
Contact Info: [email protected]
Guidelines For Applying For Pittsfield Town Welfare
The distribution of Pittsfield Welfare money
is governed by very specific State law (NH RSA
165) and the Pittsfield Welfare Rules. Town
Welfare money comes only from the Pittsfield
taxpayers. Normally, a person learns if he/she
qualifies for assistance from the Town by
picking up and filling out an application. Then
calling for an appointment.
An
applicant qualifies for money from the Town Welfare if his/her
verifiable net income for the last 4 weeks is less than his
verifiable basic need debt for the past 4 weeks. Verifiable
means proven with things like pay stubs or social security
statements or electric bills and a signed landlord rental form.
The amount of money an applicant qualifies for is equal to
the difference between the basic need debt and the income. So if
the combined net income for a month for a husband and wife is
$1000, but their basic need debt for the month is $1400. They
qualify for $400. If an applicant is unemployed he/she is
required by law to perform a reasonable job search.
If this sounds like a lot of work, it is,
for the applicant and for us. But these
verifications and rules are necessary to assure
equal and fair treatment of all applicants. Most
people understand this and generally our job is
very rewarding.
Occasionally, a person will call on the phone late on a
Friday afternoon and demand emergency assistance
because they need their prescriptions re-filled
and paid for and it can’t wait until Monday.
Knowing nothing about the applicant, the least
we require is the pharmacy to fax a copy of the
prescription invoice and the doctor to verify
the prescriptions as valid and medically
necessary. In cases such as these, we have
provided the money needed to get the
prescriptions even though it is hundreds of
dollars
Sometimes even these minor requirements are viewed as an
imposition and people react angrily. The representatives of
Pittsfield Welfare feel an ethical obligation to do our job
honestly and fairly and to treat all applicants the same.
Pittsfield Schools “Approved” By Department Of Education
The New Hampshire Department of Education has advised the
Pittsfield School District that both Pittsfield Elementary
School and Pittsfield Middle High School have been granted
“approved” status. PES has been “approved” through June
2013, and PMHS has been “approved” through June 2011.
A new
component to the process for school approval recently initiated
is the practice of sending a visiting School Approval Team to
schools. On April 29, 2009, a School Approval Team,
consisting of five educators from the Department of Education,
visited Pittsfield Middle High School, the first time that such
a team has visited one of Pittsfield’s Schools.
In his recent
letter of thanks accompanying the Department’s report,
Administrator of the Bureau of School Approval and Facility
Management Edward R. Murdough observed that “your students and
staff made us feel most welcome. I am sure that you are
aware of how wonderful they are.”
Mr. Murdough continued,
“All of us (members of the School Approval Team) were very
impressed by the enthusiasm of your staff and students and by
the breadth of programs available in your school … the staff in
Pittsfield have produced challenging programs to meet the widely
varying needs of individual students.”
After spending the day
at PMHS, Mr. Murdough observed that “students are well behaved
and engaged. The staff members with whom we communicated
seemed to be proud of their work and genuinely interested in
their students.”
The School Approval Team commented on a
number of strengths that they observed; these included:
•
“The facility is in excellent condition and appears to be well
maintained. The building was very clean at the time of our
visit…”
• “The high school curriculum offers broad choices
for students which exceed what one might expect for a school of
this size and a community with the economic conditions of
Pittsfield.”
• “The school board is working hard to review
and update policies…”
• “The district is working toward a
unified K – 12 curriculum…”
• “The student handbook is
comprehensive and easy to read.”
• “The Pittsfield District
has excellent information available for parents of children
moving into the district.”
• “The district has a strong,
embedded staff development program.”
The School Approval Team
also made several recommendations; among these were
encouragement to continue the district’s work on policy revision
and to continue the district’s work on unification of the
curriculum.
Toastmasters Laud
Betty Andrews
Horseshoe Pond
Toastmasters is pleased to announce that Pittsfield resident
Betty Andrews recently earned an Advanced Communicator Gold
designation, making her the highest ranking member in the club.
Andrews was recognized during a recent awards banquet. This
designation signifies that Andrews has presented 40 prepared
speeches since joining Toastmasters and has satisfied other
requirements.
Horseshoe Pond Toastmasters meets on the
second and fourth Wednesdays of each summer month at Northeast
Delta Dental, One Delta Drive, Concord, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
In September, it resumes its weekly meeting schedule. Affiliated
with Toastmasters International, it provides a self-directed
program to help improve speaking and related skills. For more
information, call V.P. of Public Relations, Cathy Frankel at
223-1295.
Amazing Feets
By
Peter Minnehan, Physical Therapist
When they are functioning
correctly, our feet are wonderful structures that let us stand,
run and jump. Taking a simple step requires complex functioning
of the muscles and joints of our feet. When swinging our leg and
planting our foot on the ground, it must be loose to absorb the
shock of forces much greater than our body weight, and adapt to
uneven surfaces. However, to successfully push us forward, the
foot must then be a rigid structure. Foot pain can be caused by
imbalances of flexibility, wear and tear or overloading of the
joints, muscles, or ligaments. Because our body parts must work
together, foot problems can also play a role in the development
of knee, hip and back pain. This discomfort can also result from
worn or old shoes, or from suddenly increasing activities
performed on our feet. Many of us have less than ideal foot
structure that results in excessive foot stresses with normal
activity. Flat feet or high foot arches may be indicators of
this.
If you develop foot pain first, remember that applying
cold for 10-15 minutes may help settle things down. Take a look
at your shoes to make sure they still provide good arch support,
cushioning and support for the back of your feet. Consider
reducing your standing / walking activity at least temporarily.
If that doesn’t solve the problem, you may need to have things
checked out by a medical professional. Take care of your feet,
and they will usually take care of you!
St.
Stephen’s Old Home Day Raffle Winners
Congratulations to the
winners of this year’s Pittsfield Old Home Day raffle at St.
Stephen’s Church. The $100 gas card went to Avis Parks of
Northwood; the large barbeque basket went to Kris Conti of
Barnstead; and Jean Jelley of Pittsfield won the picnic basket.
Thanks go to the following organizations for helping to make
this year’s Old Home Day Fair a success: Hannaford’s of
Northwood; Globe Manufacturing; Verizon Arena; the New Hampshire
Fisher Cats, the Red Sox, Sam’s Club, and Lowe’s of Concord.
Special thanks to the family and friends of St. Stephen’s who
donated the wonderful items offered at our Silent Auction. Last
but not least, thanks to all the shoppers who bid at the silent
auction. Your support made all the difference!
Letter To The Editor
To the Editor:
Stopped on the exit
ramp, I saw in my mirror a curly-haired boy of about 4 and a man
I took to be his father. The boy seemed to be asking something.
The father responded, smiled; the boy giggled. That child seemed
so at ease and secure, riding along with dad. The interaction
made me smile. I wished every child could share such moments
with a parent.
Of course, not all do. Parents are battling
addictions or mental illness; children bear witness to family
violence; they’re hungry; medical or educational needs are not
being met; they’re left alone or caring for younger siblings.
These are the children CASA/GAL volunteers serve.
As
coordinator for recruitment and training for CASA, I’m saddened
when people say they’ve never heard of us; I’m certain we would
have enough volunteers to take every case if they had. I’ve had
the pleasure of meeting incredible people on their way to
becoming volunteers with us, and I know there are many more out
there.
We need volunteers statewide, but have some critical
need areas - to serve courts in Littleton, Plymouth and Berlin;
in Claremont, Newport, Keene and Lebanon; in Laconia.
Please
- if you’re reading this and are familiar with CASA, spread the
word. If we’re new to you, visit our website at
www.casanh.org learn about
us, then consider becoming a volunteer yourself. Thank you.
Diane Valladares
Statewide Training & Recruitment
Coordinator
CASA of New Hampshire
(603) 626-4600, ext.
238
www.casanh.org
Letter
To the Residents and Voters of Pittsfield:
At the
Special Town Meeting held on Saturday July, 25, 2009, those
voters in attendance approved the warrant article which
confirmed and authorized the enlargement of the town planning
board to seven members, consisting of six members elected by the
town and one ex officio member appointed by the selectmen.
Although the town has had a planning board consisting of
seven members since the 1970s, the specific authorization to
enlarge the board to seven members could not be located in the
town’s records. The consequence of an affirmative vote on the
warrant article has significantly reduced the risk of the town
being legally challenged by further decisions of the Planning
Board.
The Board of Selectmen wishes to express its
appreciation to those persons who attended the meeting, and to
further thank those persons who supported the approval of the
warrant article.
With Appreciation,
Pittsfield Board of
Selectmen
Greater Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce Holds Successful
Business After Hours
The Greater Pittsfield Chamber of
Commerce was excited to hold yet another successful Business
After Hours. The event was sponsored by Blakes Brook Campground
on Tuesday, July 21 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. They opened their
doors to all of the Chamber Members and provided a great
atmosphere for businesses to interact with one another.
The
evening started with everyone mingling within the campground’s
store area. There were light refreshments served. A candy
bouquet was donated by Sweet Bouquets and More. Everyone had a
chance to put his/her card in for the drawing.
The owners of
Blakes Brook Campground, Bob and Cindy, gave us a tour of the
facility. We walked most of the campground and were able to see
all the different types of campsites that they offer. We were
even given a tour of the cabins which are great for a fun
camping experience, nice and cozy!!
The turn out for this
event was 15 to 20 Members. Each Member was able to interact
with one another and had the opportunity to learn about the
individual businesses and the services they offer. Everyone had
a wonderful time! You can view the pictures of this event on The
Greater Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce web site at
www.pittsfieldchamber.org.
We would like to send out a
special Thank You to Blakes Brook Campground for offering the
space for such a fantastic event. Thanks for giving us the
opportunity to see exactly what the campground has to offer as
well as providing the space to network our businesses!! For
anyone who has not camped at Blakes Brook Campground, you should
try it!! It is an affordable way to have fun and bring you
closer to your friends and family!!
Pittsfield Fire and Rescue Service News
May and June 2009
During the month of May, seventy-nine calls for
emergency assistance were received. This number
of calls equals July 2006 for the largest number
of calls responded to in one month. The
month of June slowed a bit with sixty-two calls
for emergency assistance received.
We’d like to welcome
Peter Pszonowsky to the Department as an on-call firefighter and
EMT. Congratulations to Peter, and to Arlene Norton, on recently
completing an EMT-Basic class and receiving certification.
Congratulations to FF/EMT Kristen Ahearn and FF/EMT Tim Ahearn
and big sister Taylor on the birth of their son Aaron in June.
Congratulations also go to grandparents Laura and Fred Okrent.
Members have spent several weeks participating in the 16-hour
Strategy and Tactics for Initial Company Operations (STICO)
class. Chief Johnson was the course instructor for this NH
Fire Academy class. The Department also hosted a
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Advanced Response Team (DHART) ground safety
training course with the Globe parking lot serving as a landing
zone. Thank you to all at DHART and Globe Firefighter Suits.
In-house training over the past few months have included: EMS
backboarding techniques; 2009 EMS Protocol review and TB
testing; Fire hose deployment; forestry training; and small
group training/familiarization.
Safety Tip: Please
make a note of the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA)
standard NFPA 1- 10.11.6 – For other than one- and two-family
dwellings, no hibachi, grill, or other similar device used for
cooking, heating, or any other purpose shall be used or kindled
on any balcony, under any overhanging portion, or within 10 ft
(3m) of any structure. This is good practice to follow for
one- and two-family dwellings as well!
Pittsfield Police Department Arrest Log
5/31/09-7/18/09
On May 31, 2009, Michael James Lynam, 39, of Catamount Road,
Pittsfield, was arrested on a Bench Warrant and given a court
date to appear in Concord District Court on 6/12/09.
On June
2, 2009, Patrick Moran, 22, of Elm Street, Wolfeboro, NH, was
charged with Operating Without a Valid License was given a court
date to appear in Concord District Court on 9/25/09.
On June
2, 2009, Nicholas R. Chamberland, 22, of Ingalls Road,
Pittsfield, was charged with Possession of Drugs in a motor
vehicle and was given a court date to appear in Concord District
Court on 9/25/09.
On June 6, 2009, Joshua Muniz, 20, of Lake
View Drive, Epsom, NH, was arrested on a Bench Warrant and was
given a court date to appear in Concord District Court on
6/16/09.
On June 6, 2009, Donald Avery, 43, of Tilton Hill
Road, Pittsfield, was charged with Simple Assault and was given
a court date to appear in Concord District Court on 7/17/09.
On June 11, 2009, Timothy Towle, 47, of Upper City Road,
Pittsfield, was charged with a Violation of the Dog Control Law
and was given a court date to appear in Concord District Court
on 7/10/09.
On June 11, 2009, Lisa Papps, 31, of Randlett
Street, Belmont, NH, was charged with Criminal Threatening and
Criminal Mischief and given a court date to appear in Concord
District Court on September 25, 2009.
On June 13, 2009,
Dominic Spera, 40, of Martin Road, Deering, NH, was charged with
Violating a Protective Order and was given a court date to
appear in Concord District Court on 9/18/09.
On June 13,
2009, Adam Reed, 18, of Berry Pond Road, Pittsfield, was charged
with Reckless Driving and was given a court date to appear in
Concord District Court on 7/17/09.
On June 13, 2009, Jonathan
Gilman, 21 of Tilton Hill Road, Pittsfield, was charged with
Operating without a Valid License and was given a court date to
appear in Concord District Court on 7/31/09.
On June 14,
2009, Todd Thoroughgood, 29, of Gray Road, Barnstead, NH, was
charged with Operating without a Valid License and was given a
court date to appear in Concord District Court on 7/17/09.
On
June 15, 2009, Ramzi Al-Shawafi, 30, of Smith Ave., Pembroke,
NH, was charged with Failure to Stop/Yield; Failure to Use Turn
Signals; and Failure to Change of Name/Address on
License/Registration. Al-Shawafi was given a court date to
appear in Concord District Court on 7/24/09.
On June 15,
2009, Kevin LaBelle, 17, of Leavitt Road, Pittsfield, was
charged with Indecent Exposure and Endangering the Welfare
of a Child/Incompetant. LaBelle was given a court date to appear
in Concord District Court on 9/14/09.
On June 15, 2009, Kevin
LaBelle, 17, of Leavitt Road, Pittsfield was charged with
Default or Breach of Bail Conditions and given a court date to
appear in Concord District Court on June 16, 2009.
On June
15, 2009, Timothy Roode, 34, of Loudon Road, Pittsfield, was
charged with Violation if Dog Control Laws including; Running at
large, Nuisance or Vicious dog, and Menacing dog. Roode was
given a court date to appear in Concord District Court on
7/17/09.
On June 17, 2009, Wesley Allen Cray Jr., 22, of High
Street, Pittsfield, was charged with Violation of a protective
order and was given a court date to appear in Concord District
Court on 9/18/09.
On June 19, 2009, Robert Oeland Walker, 49,
of 7 Crescent Street, Pittsfield, was arrested on a Bench
Warrant and given a court date to appear in Concord District
Court on 6/19/09.
On June 19, 2009, Mohammad Shamim Ahmed,
44, of Main Street, Pittsfield, was Arrested on a Warrant and
was given a court date to appear in Concord District Court.
On June 20, 2009, Dianne Bergstrom, 60, of Chestnut Street,
Pittsfield, was taken into protective custody and later
released.
On June 20, 2009, Brian Paul Bergstrom, 50, of
Chestnut Street, Pittsfield, was taken into protective custody
and later released.
On June 21, 2009, Sarah Sweeney, 33, of
Webster Lane, Barnstead, NH, was charged with Driving After
Revocation or Suspension and was given a court date to appear in
Concord District Court on 7/24/09.
On June 23, 2009, Jonathan
Gilman, 21, of Tilton Hill Road, Pittsfield, was charged with
Operating without a Valid License and was given a court date to
appear in Concord District Court on 7/31/09.
On June 28,
2009, Adam Eaton, 20, of Folly Mill Terrace, Seabrook, NH, was
charged with Possession of Drugs in a Motor Vehicle;
Transporting Alcoholic Beverages By a Minor; Possession of
Controlled/Narcotic Drugs; Failure to Use Require Turn Signals;
Misuse/Failure to Display Plates; Failure to Yield/Stop. Eaton
was given a court date to appear in Concord District Court on
7/24/09.
On June 28, 2009, Jessica Heath, 19, of Bourn Ave.,
Hampton, NH, was charged with Possession of Controlled/Narcotic
Drugs and Unlawful Possession of Alcohol. Heath was given a
court date to appear in Concord District Court on 7/24/09.
On
June 30, 2009, Brian Paul Bergstrom, 50, of Chestnut Street,
Pittsfield was charged with two counts of Possession of
Controlled/Narcotic Drugs and was given a court date to appear
in Concord District Court on 8/7/09.
On June 30, 2009,
Brandon Brown, 22, of Crescent Street, Pittsfield, was Arrested
on a Warrant and was given a court date to appear in Concord
District Court.
On July 4, 2009, Michael A. Price, 38, of
Leavitt Road, Pittsfield, was charged with Driving after
Revocation/Suspension; Possession of Drugs in a Motor Vehicle;
Conduct After An Accident; Speeding; Reckless Driving and a
Yellow Line Violation. Price was given a court date to appear in
Concord District Court on 8/14/09.
On July 7, 2009, Jason
Monroe Pierce, 23, of High Street, Portland, ME, was charged
with Speed and Driving after Revocation/Suspension and was given
a court date to appear in Concord District Court on 7/9/09.
On July 9, 2009, Timothy E. Casey, 27, of Dove Lane, Pittsfield,
was Arrested Without a Warrant and was given a court date to
appear in Concord District Court on 7/9/09.
On July 10, 2009,
KC Drew, 19, of Dowboro Road, Pittsfield, was charged with
Possession of Drugs in a Motor Vehicle and was given a court
date to appear in Concord District Court on 8/7/09.
On July
18, 2009, Samantha Volpe, 19, of Dowboro Road, Pittsfield, was
charged with Possession of Drugs in a Motor Vehicle,
Transportation of Alcohol as a Minor and Open Container. Volpe
was given a court date to appear in Concord District Court.
On July 18, 2009, Jonathan Lugg, 22, of Route 129, Loudon, NH,
was Arrested On a Warrant and was given a court date to appear
in Concord District Court.
New
Hampshire’s Rocking Horse Studio Included In Mix Magazine’s
“Class Of 2009"
Rocking Horse Studio live room.
Mix magazine, the world’s leading audio production
publication, has selected Rocking Horse Studio of Pittsfield,
New Hampshire, for inclusion in its annual “Class Of” feature,
which showcases the best new recording facilities from around
the world. The feature appeared in the June 2009 issue of the
magazine and is available to view online at
http://mixonline.com/studio/design/class-recording-studio/index2.html.
Each year, the editors at Mix magazine select the best new
studios from around the world to appear in the “Class Of”
feature. The editors make their decisions based on a studio’s
acoustic design, aesthetics, and musical character. In addition
to Rocking Horse Studio, this year’s class includes studios from
various cities in the USA, including New York, Los Angeles,
Seattle, and Las Vegas, as well as studios from Italy, Poland,
Canada, and the UK.
“We are proud to be recognized by our
peers in the professional audio community,” states Rocking Horse
partner, Brian Coombes. “This recognition is further validation
of our original vision to build a world-class destination
recording facility in rural central New Hampshire.”
About
Rocking Horse Studio:
Rocking Horse Studio is a premier
destination recording studio located in Pittsfield, New
Hampshire, that combines the finest in analog and digital
equipment with rooms designed by renowned acoustician Michael
Blackmer. The studio spaces are large, comfortable, and
inviting, perfect for ensembles of all sizes. Drums, piano,
strings, and horns sound huge in our large room, while quieter
instruments and voices often sound best when tracked in our
smaller, more intimate acoustic spaces.
Our classic Trident
Series 80B console is the centerpiece of the control room, which
also features Pro Tools HD and a wide selection of boutique
outboard preamps, compressors, and processors. Our microphone
cabinet is stocked with vintage and modern standards, and our
collection of rare, vintage, and sometimes strange keyboards
rivals anything on the east coast.
Located in rural
Pittsfield, New Hampshire, Rocking Horse is set on a farm of
open pastures, apple trees, and berries. With bed & breakfast
accommodations in our perfectly restored 18th Century farmhouse,
recording at Rocking Horse becomes an artistic retreat, allowing
artists to get away from distractions and focus on the creative
process.
Rocking Horse Studio is operated by partners Brian
Coombes and David Pierog, both experienced musicians with
international touring and recording experience. Rocking Horse
Studio has worked with established and upcoming musicians in a
variety of genres, including Chris Difford (Squeeze), Ian
McDonald (King Crimson), Tony Rombola (Godsmack), Shannon Larkin
(Godsmack), Christian Cuff, Joe Mazzari, Steve Blunt, and
producer Rob Eaton.
Playing in the Dirt
By Bill Dawson, Tree Steward
I’m 73
years young and still playing in the dirt in Northfield,
applying eco-friendly gardening on the acre of land that belongs
to me and any wildlife that stops by to sample berries and
insects. I have lots of plants. Together, we are slowly crowding
out the lawn grass.
My latest project is making a raised
planting bed over my septic tank. Why put a raised bed over the
septic tank? Well, since I recently had the tank pumped and the
ground was disturbed anyway, I thought I’d just add some
productive garden space and mark the tank’s location in one easy
action. Well, sort of easy.
I imported some birch logs from
my daughter’s new house site and added some two-by-12 boards I’d
saved from another project. The bed is about five by seven feet
and two logs high. The two-by-12 lumber forms the ends and
two-foot pieces of rebar hold the birch logs in place.
I put
in a liner that I recycled from shrink-wrap that covered a
friend’s boat. I then punched a liberal number of pencil-sized
holes through the liner so the bed doesn’t become waterlogged.
Then I added some magic growing medium. I skimmed off a pile
of dirt trying to grow grass and weeds over the septic tank.
Then I skimmed the sand off, beating the soil from the grass and
weeds, and carting the weeds off to the edge of the woods. If
they want to grow there, I say let them.
To the pile of soil
I added an equal amount of three-year-old compost. No ordinary
compost, mind you; this is found only in my back yard and
contains such exotic items as shredded paper, leaves, grass
cuttings, coffee grounds, vegetable wastes from the kitchen, and
a smidgen of lime. I recently ran the whole business through my
shredder, and it looks marvelous. To this I added some aged
horse manure and a bit more lime. Now that’s a growth medium,
for sure.
The bed is situated near my basement walk-out door
and has a crushed-rock area extending from the door to within
three feet of the bed. I have found the perfect mulch for the
area between the two. A friend of mine up the street has three
large pines in his yard and they shed needles on his beautiful
lawn. I help him rake, he hauls the needles to my house, and I
have soft mulch for my trees and anywhere else I don’t want the
grass to grow. The needles are soft and they smell pretty good
too.
It’s late June, and I have the bed done and in use for
its real purpose other than marking where the septic tank is
located. I planted cucumbers in hills. I’m not sure why I do
that except that it’s the way my folks did it. Three hills
receive three plants each. I installed sticks alongside each one
to guard against cutworms. Those plants are like my children; I
raised them from seed and they are ready for the outside world.
I created two more hills and direct-planted them with summer
squash. Down the middle of the bed, I planted a wide row of
several kinds of lettuce.
I’ve installed a support system
for the cucumbers and attached it to the birch logs for support.
The summer squash are rising up, making promises of fruit to
follow. Alas, the jury is still out on the lettuce because of
the extreme number of cold, wet days in June.
As time passes
the bed will fill out. When the growth of the plants is such
that I need some mulch, I will apply my chipper to all those
sticks and twigs that seem to fall from the sky each winter.
Usually I try to use commercial stuff in the front of the house
so it doesn’t offend the occasional visitor who is into
well-groomed beds, but out back where the real action is, I
mulch with whatever comes out of the chipper. So when the plants
are up, down goes a layer of newspaper and a liberal covering of
chippered mulch. When the cucumbers start coming, I have a few
pieces of ceramic tile to place under each one to prevent
rotting.
My earthworm-rich homemade soil has received a seal
of approval from a pair of chickadees nesting in a birdhouse
nearby. They are constantly down in that bed hustling a meal for
their young ones. I love to watch them. They are so
single-minded in their task that they pay me no mind. Is it
possible that I have become one with nature?
Note to readers:
Don’t confuse the septic tank with the septic leach field which
drains the sealed tank. UNH Cooperative Extension doesn’t
recommend planting vegetable crops on top of, or in close
proximity to, a septic leach field. Bill located his raised bed
over his tank. His leach field is located 75 feet downhill from
the tank. Each septic system has a unique design. If you have
questions about planting on top of or around septic system
components, please contact your septic system designer or an
inspector at the Subsurface Systems Bureau of the N.H. Dept. of
Environmental Services, (603) 271-3501.