Those Celebrating Birthdays are: November 24,
Russell Kimball, Christine Paquin; November 26, Susan Bleckmann,
Jordan Paggi; November 27, Katrina Giuda, Mike Zahn; November 29,
Brianne Boivin, Bill Boudreau.
A Very Happy Birthday To One and All!
Happy Belated Birthday to Betty Ashland on November
13th.
Happy Belated Birthday to Loys Ashland on November
16th.
The annual Craft Fair at the First Congregational
Church, 24 Main Street, Pittsfield, takes place Saturday, Dec. 3,
9-2. Over a dozen local artisans feature fine seasonal crafts of all
types including knits, decorative items, fresh greenery, gourmet
selections and more.
The Kennedy House
Gift Baskets and More
90 Shackford Corner Road
Center Barnstead, NH
Open House
Friday, November 25th thru Monday, November 28th
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Nancy Boyd Kennedy
269-3421
It’s not too late to sign up for Ski/Snowboarding
club at Gunstock. Please call James at 435-7001 in the evenings for
more information!
Letter
I would like to take the time to thank Jim
Maestranzi for his dedication to Pittsfield Youth Workshop and wish
him well on his new adventures. His dedication showed in many
different ways throughout the last nine years. Besides serving on
the board of directors as vice president and member at large, he
spent countless volunteer hours in many different activities.
Many would know him as the man who would sit outside
stores in the Pittsfield area selling 50/50 raffle tickets. Jim
would sit outside, rain or shine, hot or cold. His countless hours
selling these tickets would raise money to benefit the youth of our
community. He also collected cans to cash in, spent time with the
youth during drop in, and would be seen helping out during other
fundraisers hosted by Pittsfield Youth Workshop. Jim is a
compassionate man who cares deeply about the youth of our community.
He will be greatly missed by many. Good luck, Jim!
Jennifer Cole
Letter
To our area readers:
Veterans Day: The eleventh hour of the eleventh day
of the eleventh Month, 1918, the "War to End All Wars" was finished.
I want to thank those who turned out for our annual
Veterans Day observance on a blustery, raw morning. Even though
there was not a sound system available, I am sure that everyone
heard Ms. Stephanie Joyce sing the National Anthem as beautiful as
she normally does. The invocation and benediction was given by the
Reverend David Stasiak of the First Congregational Church, here in
Pittsfield.
In addition to the above, I wish to thank the Cub
Scout Pack 84 and Boy Scout Troop 84 who helped to pass out the
programs and to hold onto the flags due to the brisk winds; Mr. Rob
Freese and Ms. Madelyn Winslow for the playing of Taps and the echo
to Taps; the police for making sure that no one was parked directly
in front of the Memorial and for the temporary detour so we would
not have to contend with traffic noise; the fire department for
their normal special detail present for us and the paramedics that
were there in case of emergency.
A very special group of people deserve a special
thanks and that is the committee that ensures the flags were out on
our streets, not only on days like today but every holiday. A
veteran from Northwood was present and he commented on how beautiful
the town looked because of the flags that graced our streets; thank
you for your efforts this morning.
Sincerely,
Merrill Vaughan,
Commander
American Legion
Peterson-Cram Post 75
Veterans day observance was held at 11am with over
70 people attending despite the cold windy day at the Veterans
memorial on Main St. Merrill Vaughan, Commander of American Legion
led the service with Rev. David Stasiak giving the invocation and
the benediction.
Photo by Diane Vaughan
Pittsfield Players To Hold Auditions For Kid’s
Theater Workshop Show G2K State Fair
Director Maye Hart has scheduled auditions for the
2012 Kid’s Theater Workshop production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
G2K State Fair, which will be performed in February just before
school vacation. Auditions will be held at the Scenic Theatre on
Sunday, December 4 at 4 pm and again on Monday, December 5 at 4 pm.
Auditions are open to kids between the ages of 8 and 17. Anyone who
wants to work on lights, sound or backstage should also come to
auditions.
State Fair tells the story of the Frakes family, who
are on their way to the Iowa State Fair in August, 1946. Abel Frakes
is showing his prize winning hog at the fair, while his wife,
Melissa, has made her mincemeat and hopes to win a blue ribbon.
Their son and daughter, Wayne and Margie, are both looking for
adventure at the fair, and they find it in this great family story
of folks who are "Iowa born and bred."
The original show has been condensed by the Rodgers
and Hammerstein organization and made available under their Getting
to Know (G2K) series for young actors.
The Kid’s Theater Workshop is performed for local
schools and for the general public and is a show by kids, for kids,
in order to encourage participation in theater. For more
information, contact Maye Hart at 736-9563 or at
[email protected].
Pittsfield Listens – Youth Committee Update
Submitted By Julia Cole, Ryan Marquis and Emily
Buchanan
For years we have all wanted to be a part of
something big. As we got a bit older we started helping out more.
But this year, we feel, was really big for us; as if it was the
biggest thing we have ever done.
When the Pittsfield Youth Workshop asked us if we
wanted to be a part of the Pittsfield Listens project, we all felt
privileged that they believed we could really be a big part of this
community if we just tried. This project took a lot of time out of
our summers, we made cool and interesting art projects to get
people’s opinions and ideas on what they wanted to end or be changed
with either the town or the school itself.
We all had to stand up in front of many people we
didn’t know and share what we have been doing, what we thought we
wanted and what most people wanted to be different. We also shared
what we wanted as students and for the students younger than us.
They deserve better as much as we do. A few of us also had to talk
to the "big guys." The Nellie Mae people came and were interested to
hear what we had to say and what we wanted. From that point on we
have been getting compliments on how well we have been doing. A lot
of people wanted to know why this meant so much to us. The answer
was simple, we care! As the entire town should!
After all the hours we spent with this process, we
all think it was totally worth it to finally be a big part of
something huge that’s happening with this town. Even if we end up
not getting the grant, it doesn’t mean we give up and not try for
another one. We think after this people will be more open with what
they want because we are actually asking them, instead of zoning
them out and doing it ourselves.
Personally we think everyone did an amazing job and
put in a lot of effort. But we can’t do this alone! So come help
out, show up to some meetings Pittsfield Listens puts on and make
your voice heard.
This project got us much closer to helping out the
school and town and we owe a big thank you to Paula and Zach for
choosing us to be involved in the Pittsfield Listens project. It
made us stronger with public speaking and encouraged us to try our
hardest on what we really believed in, so thank you Paula and Zach!
When Friends Meet
Aren’t old friendships great? These gals studied
dance with Abbie Tilsley in Concord in the late 1930s through the
late 40s. They have kept in touch over the years and recently had
their annual get-together at Country Spirits Restaurant in Henniker.
Pictured left to right: Joan Remington Wentworth, Concord; Carolyn
Tonkin Reed, Keene; Joan Trace Riel, Pittsfield; and Jean Chickering
Nardozzi of Pembroke and Hobe Sound, Florida.
Dorcas Guild
The Dorcas Guild of the First Congregational Church
in Pittsfield met on November 8th with nineteen members attending.
President Nella Hobson opened the meeting with a welcome. Joan Riel
led devotions with a reading, "On Praise of Dorcas" based on Acts
9:36-43 by Gladys Robyn Hicks. It was from this biblical reference
that the Guild chose its name when it formed in the early 1950s.
Special prayers were offered and all joined in the Lord’s Prayer.
Joan Riel, secretary, read her minutes of the
previous meeting, read several items of correspondence, and
circulated many cards for signing. Reny Boyd gave her financial
report.
The food basket, brought by Gail Ann Newton went to
Peggy Jacobs, next to Shirley Bleckmann. The apron brought by Sue
Case went to Nancy White, to Kathy Bergeron, to Joan Riel. The
mystery package brought by Gail Ann was won by Corine Miller.
Nancy Fogg reported on the annual church fair; all
is in order and ready to go. The craft fair to be held on December
3rd with tables laden with all kinds of crafts from area artisans.
All tables are rented and things are all set with the helpers and
lunch. It was decided to hold off on those solicitations until after
the November 19th fair.
Several items of old and new business were taken
care of. It was announced that the new material is in for the
tablecloths. Members at the work meeting on the following day will
cut and put them in place.
The nominating committee presented a slate of
officers for the coming year. Elected were Nella Hobson, president,
Kathy Bergeron, vice president; Joan Riel, secretary; and Reny Boyd,
treasurer.
Plans were made to host the Fellowship Hour
following morning service on December 18th. Tonight’s meeting was
"Sock Hop" and members brought in packages of socks for the
homeless. Also at this meeting Prayer Partners (Secret Pal) names
were drawn.
Refreshments of pumpkin pie with whipped cream,
pumpkin squares, cheese and crackers and fruits were served by
hostesses Kathy Bergeron and Joan Riel. The next meeting will be the
annual Christmas Party meeting to be held at 6 pm on December 13th.
This is "Pot Luck", please bring a dish to share and a gift to
exchange.
Josiah Carpenter Library Receives Second $10,000
Grant
The Josiah Carpenter Library in Pittsfield has been
awarded a second $10,000 grant from the NH Division of Historical
Resources. The NHR provides grants under the Conservation License
Plate Program. Commonly called the "Moose Plate" program, it is for
the conservation and preservation of significant publicly owned
historic resources or artifacts that contribute to New Hampshire’s
history and cultural heritage.
The first grant of 2010 was used to restore half the
windows in the library. The second grant will be used to restore the
remaining windows.
Many windows were previously loose and drafty,
unable to be opened and closed, weights were broken, and glazing
falling out. The trustees decided on restoring the old windows in
keeping with the historic nature of the building. These
rehabilitated windows, along with new storms, provide good heat
retention. During warm weather they can be opened for good air
circulation.
The restoration work is being done by Andy Roeper,
owner of Winn Mountain Restorations, Lyndeborough, NH.
Pittsfield High School Honor Roll First Quarter
2011-2012
Grade 12
Highest Honors
Taylor Kiss, Kayleen Rojek, Adriaunna Towle
High Honors
Colleen Corliss
Honors
Eric Chapman, Robert LeBel, Sebastian Manteau,
Timothy Osborne, Jennifer Tyrell, Kelsey Wrye, Garrett Young
Grade 11
High Honors
Rebekah Adams, Elizabeth Cyr, Ashley Pence
Honors
Emily Buchanan, Cassidy Kearns, Jillian Towle
Grade 10
Highest Honors
Katrina Haynes
High Honors
Sarah Adams, Victoria Averill, Stefani Gauthier,
Katie Small, Maxwell Tuttle
Honors
Joshua Michaud
Grade 9
High Honors
Star Chagnon, Colby Clark, Morgan Corliss, Matthew
Marcotte, Ryan Marquis, Anthony Rojek
Honors
Gabrielle Bartlett, Madison Johnson, Jessica Massey,
Cameron Quigley, Madison Slater, Josaphine Towle
Grade 8
Highest Honors
Colby Boudreau, Joey Cox, Chase Gaudette, Kyle
Hamel, Keaton Heath
High Honors
Johnathon Emerson, Howard Little-Simpson, Noah
Manteau, Christopher Marcotte, Lily Plummer, Rachel Thompson, Alison
Wolfe
Honors
Davis Duquette, Cody Gauthier, Dalton Giannelli,
Alex Lamere, Jordan Paggi, Bryce Rowell, Jessie Slater, Bobbie-Jean
Small
Grade 7
Highest Honors
Gabriel Anthony, Xenthios Cyr, Savannah Godin,
Hannah Hernandez, Brienne Hill, Emily Little, Noah MacGlashing,
Lindsey Massey, Samantha Nevins, Jordyn Pinto
High Honors
Michael Duquette, Makayla Emerson
Honors
Kegan Brooks, Julie Dyer, Hannah Joyce, Tyler
Langevin-Darrah, Frederik Pantis, Anitrea Provencher, Nicholas
Shaver, Zachary Thompson
Pittsfield High School
Honorable Mention
First Quarter
2011-2012
Grade 12
Haley Beckman, Dominic Brooks, Kathryn Fisher, Adam
Richards, Jodi Shea
Grade 11
Sage Anthony, Ashley Connor, Ashleigh Garland,
Denise Grattage, Aaron Manteau, Katelynn McLennan, Alyssa Moody,
Justin Quigley, Aaron Vien
Grade 10
Ryan Oliver, Derek Pike
Grade 9
Jeremy Kennepohl, Amanda Vanslette
Grade 8
Lucas Conway, Marc Gagne, Matt Kubat, Rebecca
Maxfield, Erica Radzik
Grade 7
Tae’h Koehler, Samantha McCarry
Letter To The Editor
Dear Fellow Believer:
"Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon His name, make
known His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto
Him, talk ye of all His wondrous works. Glory ye in His holy name:
let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and
His strength, seek His face continually. Remember His marvelous
works that He hath done…" (Psalm 105:1-5a)
As believers, we know who we’re to be thankful to;
"It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His
compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy
faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22, 23) We also know how to be
thankful; "Oh sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the
earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of
His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among all peoples.
For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised;" (Psalm 96: 1-4a)
We’re instructed in Ephesians to give thanks always
for all things unto God. This seems easy enough – give thanks to the
Lord for His goodness! Now, the challenge… In I Thessalonians, Paul
tells us that in everything we are to give thanks, regardless of our
circumstances. Although we’re assured that "all things work together
for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28), this promise is
easily forgotten when mayhem comes our way.
According to Jerry Bridges (Respectable Sins),
circumstances do not work together for good themselves. God directs
the outcome of those circumstances for our good. May we be thankful
even when things don’t work according to our will, knowing that the
"good" is our being conformed to the image of His Son! (Romans 8:29)
Happy Thanksgiving!
To His glory,
Linda Small
Letter
To my fellow Granite State voters:
There were two presidential debates recently and
once again Congressman Paul was the most consistent and made the
most sense. You see, when you use the Constitution as your guide,
you don’t have to worry about being inconsistent or saying what
sounds right; it works every time. When Ron Paul is asked a
question, he always answers it honestly and to the point without a
lot of political fluff. It’s really refreshing. Tune into these
debates especially since primary day is just weeks away.
Now, concerning electability, I’ve read many
articles and hear people say that Ron Paul doesn’t have a chance.
That may be tempting to believe, seeing the way the media and debate
moderators ignore him, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Poll after poll shows him doing just as well if not better than the
rest of the pack when matched up against President Obama. Just today
another credible polling firm has him at a razor thin second place
in Iowa, the first caucus state.
The primary elections aren’t about picking the
winning horse. They’re about choosing the best person for the job,
the most qualified, your first choice. If everyone voted for the
candidate they really wanted and not just the labeled winner, we’d
have some really neat results. Ron Paul can win! Let’s have some
real change.
Sincerely,
Willie Matras
Pittsfield
TOPS News
Submitted By Terrie Azotea
We had a awesome weight loss this past week at TOPS.
Kudos to those who lost; keep up the good work.
At the meeting we talked about our upcoming events
that are going on. We are having a Christmas party, which is always
a good time. We are still running the pumpkin contest and trying to
get all we can get on that pumpkin face.
As we all know the holidays are coming and so are
the parties where there will be lots of good food. So the topic at
the meeting was about what kind of food you could bring to a party
that you know you can eat. There were some good low fat, low calorie
recipes that were passed around. I guess I am going to have to make
one or two of them to bring to our Christmas party. It basically
boils down to the right choices. So think before you eat!
We still have our buddies that we are keeping in
touch throughout the week with. That seems to be helping a lot. Some
encouraging cards are being passed around. I like to put mine out
where I can see them throughout the week.
If anyone is interested in joining us for a meeting
please call Laurel Tiede at 269-8721 or Pat Smith at 435-5333. We
meet at the St. Stephens Church on Main Street in Pittsfield at 5:30
pm for weigh-in and meeting at 6:30 pm. It’s a good time of the year
to join.
"You are not fully dressed, until you wear a smile."
See you all lighter next week!
NH The Beautiful, Inc. Awards Grant To BCEP Solid
Waste District
Pictured (l to r): John Keane, John Dumais,
Lisa
Stevens, Earl Weir, Marilyn Weir.
BCEP Solid Waste District was awarded $3,800 towards
the purchase of a Yale forklift. The award was presented to BCEP
representatives, Earl Weir, John Keane, and Lisa Stevens, by John
Dumais of NH the Beautiful. Also present was Marilyn Weir from
Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA).
The District will use this forklift to handle baled
material, and it replaces an eight year old machine which has become
unreliable.
"This equipment will be used to handle recyclables
accepted from BCEP towns (Barnstead, Chichester, Epsom and
Pittsfield), as well as from some 30 other towns participating in
NRRA’s Consolidation program for which BCEP processes materials",
says Earl Weir, District Administrator.
NH the Beautiful applauds BCEP for continuing to
improve the efficiency of its recycling program.
NH the Beautiful, Inc. (www.nhthebeautiful.org)
is a private non-profit charitable trust founded in 1983 and
supported by the soft drink, malt beverage, and grocery industries
of New Hampshire. By offering municipal recycling grants (over $2.5
million) and signs, anti-litter programs, and technical assistance
to recycling programs, NHtB is a unique organization that represents
a voluntarily-funded alternative to expensive legislation intended
to achieve the same end results. New Hampshire the Beautiful, Inc.
is now supporting the NRRA School Education Program (the Club). The
Northeast Resource Recovery Association (www.nrra.net)
is administrator for the New Hampshire the Beautiful programs.
Pittsfield Christmas Tree Lighting and Children’s
Store Celebration
Save the date, Saturday, Dec. 3, the Greater
Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the annual Christmas
Tree Lighting and Children’s Store Celebration. Also a few craft
fairs will be held that day, at the First Congregational Church and
the Clark/Blackwood home, Ring Road.
The day begins with the Pittsfield Elementary School
PTO sponsored Breakfast with Santa. Breakfast will be served for
$3.00 per person between 8:00 - 9:30 am in the PES Cafeteria. Photos
with Santa will be available for $1.00 each. This is a fund raising
event for the PTO. Then after a hearty breakfast kids can shop at
the Children’s Store at the PES Gym from 9:00 - noon.
Volunteer "elves" will assist shoppers up to age 16
in purchasing gifts for their parents, siblings, teachers or
friends. The Store is open to CHILDREN ONLY. Sorry, no adults
allowed. Most of the items are new or nearly new and can be
purchased for $1.00 or less. Some items are more expensive. There is
also free gift wrapping available. With this new location, parents
will be able to wait inside the school and be warm (not like the old
days of waiting outside in the cold!)
Anyone interested in donating items, Christmas
wrapping paper, gift bags (the wrappers love gift bags), tags or
tape may drop them off at the various donations boxes at the
Pittsfield Post Office, Moo-Veez Galore, Citizen’s Bank, and
Northway Bank. Monetary donations are gladly accepted to help defray
some of the costs associated with the event. Please make checks
payable to: Greater Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce and mail to
Greater Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce, Attn: Children’s Store/Tree
Lighting, P.O. Box 234, Pittsfield, NH 03263.
The celebration continues at Dustin Park from 4-6 pm
(on Sat., Dec. 3) The Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration is fun for
the whole family and is a great community event. There will be free
horse drawn wagon rides, holiday music by the Joyce Family, cookies,
cocoa, popcorn, candy canes and caroling led by the local Girl Scout
troops with help from the Advent Christian Church Singers. Inside
PYW (Pittsfield Youth Workshop) there will be a Gingerbread House
display and raffle, face painting, visit with Santa (who will arrive
via fire truck around 4 pm), photos will be taken and available to
download from the town website or feel free to bring your own
camera. Hot chili, chowder, and soups will be available for a
donation of a canned or packaged food (or purchased for a few
dollars) to benefit our Local Food Pantry.
New this year, Holiday Story Time from 3-4 pm at the
Josiah Carpenter Library. All ages are welcome to come to the
Children’s Room (enter at the side door) and enjoy some holiday
stories with Mrs. Grainger!
Get in the Holiday Spirit and decorate a wreath and
enter it in the Decorated Wreath Contest. Decorate it anyway you’d
like, drop it off at PYW (Dustin Park) by 3:45 pm and the public
will vote for the best one! Winner will receive a Holiday Gift
Basket, donated by Carolyn Allhiser of Northway Bank.
The Suncook Valley Lions Club will be collecting new
and/or handmade mittens, hats, scarves and socks for children. These
items may be brought to the Tree Lighting and dropped off. Prior to
the Tree Lighting, items may be dropped off at Moo-Veez Galore.
The highlight of the Celebration will be everyone
gathering around the Christmas Tree, singing holiday songs and
counting down to the Lighting of the Tree.
The Blue Star Mothers group will be there to assist
anyone that would like to add a Star to the Tree.
For more information, please contact Andi Riel at
435-6346 or visit
www.pittsfieldchamber.org.
Obituaries
Justin William Sims
Justin William Sims, born June 21, 1978 in Concord,
New Hampshire, died the morning of November 7th, 2011. He was the
son of George Sims of Pittsfield, NH and Cheryl Roberts of New Port
Richey, FL.
He attended the Bedford Schools: Peter Woodbury
Elementary, McKelvie Middle School, and West High School in
Manchester, NH. He attended Keene State College and then settled in
Florida. In 2009, Justin started Pento Technologies Inc, a software
consulting firm. Prior to that, he was employed through Sage
Software from 1999 to 2009.
Justin loved hockey. He was a member of the
Manchester Regional Youth Hockey Association (MRYHA) for 10 years
and played on the Flames travel team. While at Keene States College,
Justin played on the Rugby Team. Justin was an active member of the
American Pool-players Association. He loved the outdoors and would
explore the woods and mountains of his native New Hampshire. He
spent much of his youth in Bow, Pittsfield, Bedford and Manchester.
He leaves behind two loving step parents, David
Kocina (Holiday, FL) and Rebecca Sims (Pittsfield, NH), his maternal
grandmother Gloria Roberts (Clearwater, FL), his grandfather William
Roberts preceded him, his sister Amanda Sims and her daughter, Emily
(Bedford, NH), brothers, Andrew (Hooksett, NH) and Joshua Sims
(Bedford, NH) aunt and uncle, Edward and Linda Robert Carlisle and
their daughter Alyssa (Franklin, NH), and many extended family
members and friends.
After an extended illness, his final days were spent
at HPH Hospice in New Port Richey supported by family and friends.
This allowed Justin the decency of passing in peace on his own
terms. To all that knew him he will be greatly missed. In lieu of
flowers or cards please send donations to: HPH Hospice in memory of
Justin William Sims, 6801 Rowan Road, New Port Richey, FL
34653-2952.
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