Those Celebrating Birthdays are: October 13, Nancy
Pethic, Rebecca Saliva, Norm Tuttle; October 14, John Topouzoglou,
Kris Westerburg; October 16, Margaret Chagnon, Donna Ward.
A Very Happy Birthday To One and All!
Community Action Program will be in Pittsfield on
October 17th, and 24th for fuel assistance at the Pittsfield
Community Center. You must call for appointment 485-7824.
The Annual 4-H Cookie and Candy Bar Sale is held
during the month of October. Several varieties are Now available for
only $3.50 per package. Candy Bars are $1.00 each. Your support to
the 4-H youth in your community is greatly appreciated. If a 4-H
member has not contacted you, please call 4-H leaders Pamela
Clattenburg 269-3200, Pauline Wheeler 435-8752, Mark Riel 435-6346
or Corine Miller 435-8497.
Pittsfield Park-Rec
Looking For Coaches
Grades K-8th Grades
Anyone Wanting To Coach Basketball
Please Contact
Darrell Wages
603-340-0459
or 603-435-6397
Pittsfield Park-Rec basketball sign-ups for grades
K-8th dates:
• Oct. 24 6.00-8.00pm
• Nov. 1 6.00-8.00pm
• Nov. 7 6.00-8.00pm
All sign-ups will be held at PES.
Any questions contact Darrell Wages 603-340-0459 or
603-435-6397.
Exciting News From PMHS
Pittsfield Middle High School will be hosting their
Summer Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) Celebration Night on
Thursday, October 20, 2011 from 7 pm – 9 pm. Students who have been
engaged in ELO experiences over the course of the summer will be
presenting their final projects and providing the audience with a
presentation detailing their particular learning adventures.
The community is cordially invited to attend this
event with the students, their community partners, highly qualified
teachers, family, and friends to celebrate the students’ learning
and share in the excitement of their experience.
Please mark your calendars and plan on attending
this exciting event at PMHS in the Lecture Hall. Light refreshments
will be served. We hope to see you there.
Please call Sheila Ward, ELO Coordinator, at
435-6701 X1117 if you have any questions.
New TRICARE Prime Enrollees Pay Adjusted Annual Fees
Submitted By Merrill A. Vaughan Commander
American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75 Pittsfield, NH
03263
Military retirees enrolling in the TRICARE Prime
health plan after Oct. 1 will begin paying slightly higher annual
fees, Pentagon officials announced Sept. 29.
The fee change for fiscal 2012 means the plan will
cost $260 per year for members and $520 per year for members and
family.
The increase amounts to an additional $2.50 per
month for individual members and $5 per month for members and
family, officials said. Active-duty service members receive health
care with no out-of-pocket costs.
Annual fees for retirees enrolled in TRICARE Prime
before the Oct. 1 change will remain at $230 and $460 until Oct. 1,
2012, officials said. Retirees in TRICARE Prime have a catastrophic
cap of $3,000, and TRICARE Prime co-pays are not changing, they
added.
"We are committed to offering the best possible
health care system for our entire military family," said Dr.
Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.
"This modest annual fee increase allows us to responsibly manage our
costs in line with other secretary of defense initiatives announced
earlier this year."
Survivors of active-duty deceased sponsors and
medically retired services members and their dependents will be
exempt from an annual increase, effective from the time they renew
their enrollment or first enroll in TRICARE Prime, officials said,
noting that the TRICARE benefit is among the nation’s most
affordable health care plans. All service members, military retirees
and their eligible family members have TRICARE benefits regardless
of prior health conditions.
"The department is committed to maintaining the same
unique health care protection we have always offered our warriors,
both current and retired," Woodson said. "To sustain our military
health system we are working hard to streamline, become more
efficient, and achieve cost savings. Together, we can manage our
costs responsibly and continue to provide care for our service
members, retirees and their families." (From a Defense Department
News Release)
For more retiree news and information, please visit
www.retirees.af.mil.
A History Of The Pittsfield Fire Department
On Thursday, October 13 at 7:00 pm, long time fire
department volunteer, Fred Okrent will give a presentation on the
history of the Pittsfield Fire Department. In particular, Fred will
talk about two of Pittsfield’s tragic downtown fires; the 1984
Washington House fire and the 1995 Tannery fire. Both fires were
notable not only for the damage they inflicted on these two
Pittsfield landmarks, but also for the challenges the fire
department faced while battling the blazes.
The Historical Society building is located at 13 Elm
Street. All are welcome to attend this presentation.
Letter
Chichester Registrations:
On Monday, September 26th the Chichester Town Clerk
called and asked if we would be able to do registrations for her.
She not only got broken into, but a fire was set destroying a
significant amount of her paper work and doing considerable damage
to the office. We did not hesitate to say yes and after clearing it
with Motor Vehicle we set up separate windows to accommodate
Chichester residents.
It seems that some people are questioning why we are
doing this, so I decided that an explanation was necessary.
I am certain that if we were in need, another town
would assist us as well. The residents of Chichester have shown
great appreciation for our assistance.
Elizabeth A. Hast
Town Clerk
Pictured is David Provencal with one of the two
picture frames that he made for the Pittsfield Youth Baseball
Association, one for the original plot plan of Pittsfield Youth
Athletic Park before the renovation project, and one for the plan
after it. Both are hanging in the new part of the club house at the
field. Thank you David.
Secretary Shinseki Announces an Additional $10.3
Million
To Help Eliminate Veterans Homelessness
Submitted By Merrill A. Vaughan, Commander
American
Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75 Pittsfield, NH 03263
Eleven states will share more than $10.3 million in
grants to community groups to provide enhanced services for homeless
Veterans this year. This is in addition to the $59.5 million in
preventive grants awarded earlier this year.
"Homelessness is a national issue that will be
solved at the local level," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric
K. Shinseki. "VA is proud to partner with the community
organizations that share our dedication to serving those who served
this Nation. They are pulling Veterans out of homelessness and
setting them on the path to independence."
As a key component of VA’s plan to eliminate
homelessness among Veterans, VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per
Diem Program provides grants and per diem payments to help public
and nonprofit organizations establish and operate supportive housing
and service centers for homeless Veterans. As a result of this
funding, provided through a program known as VA Special Need Grants
for Homeless Veterans Service Providers, 26 projects will receive
approximately $10.3 million to continue providing enhanced services
for homeless Veterans who are seriously mentally ill. The grants
will also greatly benefit homeless women Veterans, including women
with children, elderly women, or those who may be terminally ill.
For more information, visit VA’s website for the
National Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Office at
www.va.gov/homeless/GPD.ASP.
Additionally, VA has a National Call Center for
Homeless Veterans, 1-877-4AID VET (1-877-424-3838),
http://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/NationalCallCenter.asp.
Jay Cee Ell Teen
Writer’s Group First Meeting
A new teen writer’s group is starting up at Josiah
Carpenter Library! The Jay Cee Ell Teen Writer’s Group is for those
ages 13 to 19 who love to write and are willing to share. The
purpose of this group is to promote the art of writing and to
further the cause of reading and writing.
Members of the Jay Cee Ell Teen Writer’s Group must
be devoted to helping each other to refine and polish our writing
skills through the sharing and analyzing of each others’ work within
a friendly atmosphere. This will also be a meeting place to exchange
ideas, offer encouragement and receive inspiration.
As a member of the Jay Cee Ell Teen Writer’s Group
you will be expected to be actively writing, and will be requested
to submit your own original stories or poems, participate in support
and constructive criticism of each others’ work, and have the
determination to improve your writing skills.
The first meeting Jay Cee Ell Teen Writer’s Group
will be held on Thursday, October 13th, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.
Monthly meetings will be scheduled at this same time on the second
Thursday of every month, year-round. If you love to write, this is
the group you want to join! Preregistration is required. Please call
435-8406 for more information.
JCL’s Teen Game Night
Looking for something to do during school months?
Join us for our first meeting of Josiah Carpenter Library’s new teen
group, open to those in 7th grade to 12th grade. We will be holding
a game night from 6:30 to 8:30 pm on Friday October 21st. We are
planning on holding a Jeopardy game along with a few other game
stations. Bring snacks to fuel the fun!
Open Campus at PMHS
Pittsfield Middle High School students in grades
9-12 will have the right to earn an exciting new privilege in the
upcoming weeks in the form of Open Campus.
Open Campus Privileges (OCP) is a system that allows
high school students with good academic and deportment standing
(meaning having all class averages above a 70 and not being written
up for a 200 offense or higher) to be able to move about the school
grounds (campus) instead of being confined to a certain room.
Students would be free to walk about the designated areas around the
campus any time they are not scheduled to be in a class. This
includes: study halls, lunch, before and after school. To signify
that a student has earned this privilege, he or she will receive a
special ID badge that MUST be worn at all times.
With this new privilege, PMHS is hoping to motivate
students to achieve academic excellence and become more responsible
citizens.
DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
At The
Pittsfield Police Department
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has
scheduled its 3rd annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
for Saturday, October 29, 2011, from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. The purpose
of this event is to provide a safe and anonymous way for people to
dispose of unwanted or unused prescription drugs.
During the previous event last April, over 4,000
lbs. of unused or expired medications were collected at police
stations and pharmacies at 92 sites throughout the state of New
Hampshire. The project was spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement
Agency (DEA) and implemented through police departments and
prevention coalitions throughout the state. Drugs were dropped off
anonymously, no questions asked, then taken to an incinerator and
burned. That’s 4,000 lbs. of medication that will stay out of the
waterways and out of our medicine cabinets, reducing the risk of
theft, accidental poisoning or experimentation.
Recent sampling has reveled traces of prescription
drugs in New Hampshire waterways. Even more troubling is the number
of youth who feel taking prescription drugs to get high is less
risky than illicit drug use. According to the 2009 Youth Risk
Behavior Survey, one in five New Hampshire high school students
admitted to using a prescription drug such as OxyContin, Percocet,
Vicodin, Adderall or Xanax without a doctor’s permission. According
to the Center for Disease Control, prescription drugs, including
opioids and antidepressants, are now responsible for more overdose
deaths than "street drugs" such as cocaine, heroin, and
amphetamines. Sadder still, since 2006 more New Hampshire citizens
have been killed by misuse of prescription drugs than automobile
accidents according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Disposing of these drugs properly benefits everyone. So whether you
missed the last event or have since acquired more expired or surplus
medication, this take back day is a great chance to safely dispose
of liquid, patch or pill prescriptions, no questions asked!
It’s Time to Order Your Poinsettia
The Friends of the Josiah Carpenter Library are
currently taking orders for their Annual Poinsettia Sale. You may
order your poinsettias now through November 1, 2011, at the Josiah
Carpenter Library, during regular business hours, or by visiting the
library’s website
http://www.josiahcarpenterlibrary.org/, and filling out the
attached order form.
Thank you for supporting your library!
Help Create Compassionate Community
Please come to the Pittsfield Area Senior Center on
Tuesday, October 25th at 11:00 am to welcome the Merrimack County
Coordinated Community Response Team.
During the Response Team’s visit, people will be
having the opportunity to learn about a special project that would
like to hear from older adults throughout Merrimack County. The Team
is a group of professionals committed to creating communities where
older adults can live free from abuse. Working together, the team
hopes to help everyone better understand the different ways elders
can be harmed and how to connect with help.
After an introduction and discussion, people will be
invited to complete a short questionnaire so that everyone can share
their ideas and suggestions about this important topic. (Filling out
a questionnaire is voluntary and it’s anonymous.) The information
gathered will help plan ways the Response Team can continue to work
together to improve the opportunities and services that would be
helpful to any older individual who is in a hurtful relationship.
Following this important discussion the Senior
Center will serve a lovely lunch including a salad bar, beef stew,
corn muffins and apple crisp. If you would like to stay for lunch
please call the Center at 435-8482.
Behind The Scene At The Pittsfield Players’
Man of LaMancha: Costumes
Cathy Charron, costumer for The Pittsfield Players’
production of Man of LaMancha models one of her costumes for the
show. Man of LaMancha will run at the Scenic Theatre November 11, 12
and 13 and November 18 and 19.
The Scenic Theatre is alive again as The Pittsfield
Players begin rehearsals and other preparations for their fall
musical presentation of Man of LaMancha. The show will run at the
Scenic on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 11, 12 and 13, and
again the following week on Friday and Saturday, November 18 and 19.
Tickets, which will go on sale next week, are $15 per person, and
can be reserved by visiting the Players’ website
www.pittsfieldplayers.com and clicking on the TicketLeap button,
or by calling 435-8852.
Man of LaMancha was first presented on the Scenic
stage in 1976, when Players’ founder Roland Charron directed the
show to rave reviews. Now, his son, John, is directing the show,
assisted by his brother, Bob, who is the master carpenter for the
set, and his sister, Cathy, who has spent the last year working over
four hours a day on costumes for the cast. That makes this
production a labor of love and a tribute to their father.
Cathy is no stranger to costuming Players’
productions and has worked on shows such as Oklahoma, The King and
I, and Cinderella. Together with her brother John, she has selected
over 60 costume patterns and purchased, as she puts it, "a gazillion
yards" of fabric to create period costumes for the cast. But the
costuming was only half the battle. She also had to find, make, or
borrow armor for the cast – including shields and a jousting pole
and sheaths for knives, in addition to two very large donkey and
horse heads.
Cathy, who works at the New Hampshire State Prison,
turned to their Hobby-Craft Department for help. The Players had
provided costumes for an original play that had been written by one
of the inmates and produced at the prison, and the prisoners wanted
to thank the Players and give back to the community, so the Hobby
Craft shop started making the armor pieces in 2 hour sessions. With
Cathy’s design and materials, the crew has done an amazing job of
recreating the pieces needed to round out the costumes.
A note received from the Hobby-Craft Departments
states that " We, the crew of NHSP-M Hobby-Craft Department, would
like to thank all of you for the opportunity afforded us to give
back to the community by way of utilizing our talents to help out
with the production of the play, Man of LaMancha. From the Arts and
Crafts Department thanks go to Jim P. and Dan B. for their work on
the shields and donkey and horse heads. From the Wood Department
thanks go to Paul M., Jim C., Al F., Bob D., and Ken W. for the wood
work on the shields and jousting pole. If at any time in the future
you find that you have need of our help with similar projects, we
would be more than happy to assist you."
Don’t miss seeing the great costumes and armor in
this show, not to mention the wonderful talent that has been
assembled in this cast. Mark your calendars now and get ready for
another wonderful show. Next week in Behind the Scene – two cast
members from 1976 are back again for this Man of LaMancha replay and
they have a bit to say about the experience.
Nashville’s Ernie Couch & Revival In Concert In
Loudon
Gospel music fans need to circle Saturday, October
15th on their calendars. On that date, Nashville TN’s own male
gospel group, Ernie Couch & Revival will be in concert at the Loudon
Center Freewill Baptist Church.
Ernie Couch & Revival exemplifies what good Gospel
music is all about. This live band performs their music in a unique
blend of styles to ensure everyone present enjoys the concert. EC&R
is well known across the United States and Canada for its
high-energy brand of live music. Many describe the group as
refreshingly different, and a lot of fun. Jason Couch, says, "We
want folks to leave our concerts feeling better than when they
arrived. We hope that they have not only been entertained, but that
they go home in a better frame of mind and more focused on the One
who makes life worth living."
EC&R has traveled the road for more than a decade
and present a professional evening of music. The group strives to
bring quality to their work worthy of the One they sing about. EC&R
has recorded numerous projects on their own as well as recording
with such greats as: Jake Hess, George Jones, James Blackwood, Boots
Randolph, George Beverly Shea, Petra, and others just to name a few.
You can visit the group’s website at
www.erniecouchandrevival.com to learn even more information
about this fantastic group. If you are a fan of concerts or looking
for an enjoyable event to attend, don’t miss seeing Ernie Couch &
Revival in concert.
Concert begins at 7:00 pm, pot luck supper at 6:00
pm. For more information, call 783-4540.
Red Ribbon Week At PES
October 25-28 is Red Ribbon Week, a week celebrated
nation-wide and devoted to drug and alcohol prevention. This year
PES will partner with drugfreeNH.org and the New Hampshire Bureau of
Drug and Alcohol Services on several Red Ribbon Week activities to
focus on drug abuse awareness and prevention.
PES parent and National Guardsman, Lt. Rick Frost,
has invited the school to participate in "Plant the Promise." Next
week he will be deliver 200 or so red tulip bulbs, which will be
planted in the school yard. When the tulips come up in the spring,
they will remind students of their pledge to avoid abusing drugs and
alcohol.
In their grade-level morning meetings, students will
explore drug and alcohol education activities from the National
Institute on Drug Abuse. Students will receive a red ribbon to wear
during the week. A highlight of Red Ribbon week will be a human red
ribbon formation on Tuesday, October 25 in the field between PES and
PMHS.
The school will ask students and staff to wear red
tops—a shirt or sweatshirt—and all staff and students who find one
will assemble in the morning in the field between the schools.
School staff will mark out red ribbon formation in chalk.
A photographer on the top of the PMHS roof will
capture the image of students in the formation. Parents are invited,
too, to be a part of the red ribbon or to view the formation from
the hill next to the high school parking lot. Visit the school’s
website for more information on the time of the formation.
PES Hosts Kickoff NH Goes To College Month
November is NH Goes to College, and Pittsfield
Elementary School has been selected as The kick-off school for the
state of NH by the Center for College Planning at the New Hampshire
Higher Assistance Foundation, or NHHEAF. On the morning of November
1st, PES students in grades 4, 5, and 6 will participate in a rally
in the PES gym.
PES Principal, Doug Kilmister, will welcome
students, and introduce the President of NHHEAF, who will address
students. The featured event of the morning is a panel presentation
and discussion with four or five Pittsfield college students
currently attending two and four year colleges in New Hampshire. The
event will also feature the "College Bear," the NHEAF mascot, who
will lead students in cheers and pose with them for pictures. We
will also have give-aways of college-related items—pendants, pens,
bags, water bottles—donated by local New Hampshire colleges.
Parents can participate in two ways. First, all
interested parents are invited to attend the rally in the gym at
9:00. The staff will encourage adults—staff and guests—to wear
college-related sweat shirts and gear from their alma matters or
from a college they are a fan of.
The second opportunity is more limited. The school
is looking for a dozen or so parents who are currently working in a
job which requires post-secondary training in a two or four year
college. These 12 adults will give 10-minute interactive
presentations in grade four, five or six classrooms at 10:00,
explaining how college or training helped prepare them for the jobs
they currently do.
Letter To The Editor
For many years I have enjoyed the "quip" that has
always appeared on the front page of the "Sun". It always made me
smile and often I learned something new.
Why is it no longer there? I miss it dearly!
Is there any way you can please continue to put the
uplifting "quip" back?
Sincerely,
Janet Tower
Pittsfield
Letter
Dear Pittsfield Residents:
The Planning Board met on September 15th and
discussed:
Rules of Procedure
• The Board will formally adopt in December.
• The Board will hear public input at meeting.
Please check out ballot articles on the Planning
Board website.
Once again, thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Ted Mitchell, Chairman
Pittsfield Planning Board
|
