Candlelight
Christmas Eve
Join us
for a wonderful traditional candlelight service Tuesday, Christmas
Eve, 7 pm at the First Congregational Church, 24 Main St.,
Pittsfield. The program includes beautiful music by the Chancel
Choir and the JuBellation Handbell Choir, scripture lessons, the
story of the first Christmas, the sanctuary bathed in candlelight
and the singing of “Silent Night.” Bring the whole family for a
lovely evening service. Parking and wheelchair accessible entry are
available at rear of church. For more information, call 435-7471 or
visit www.pittsfieldcc.com.
“The
Joy of Christmas” Concert
The
First Congregational Church, 24 Main St., Pittsfield is pleased to
present a Christmas concert, “The Joy of Christmas,” this coming
Friday, 7 pm. This special concert will feature the church’s Chancel
Choir and the JuBellation Handbell Choir and will include many of
your favorite carols, poems and meditations. Be sure to include this
free concert in your holiday plans. Parking and wheelchair
accessible entry located at rear of church. For more information,
call 435-7471 or visit www.pittsfieldcc.com.
The Clothes Closet
An
Appeal
We have
had multiple inquiries for Men’s Work Shoes/Boots and it is one item
we don’t often get. Children’s boots are also in demand. Thank
you, if you can make a donation of these items. The shop will be
closed Christmas Week, December 24 -31.
We wish
all our patrons a blessed and happy Christmas.
Letter
To The Editor,
What
did NH give up in the recent Republican rejection of expanded
Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act? This is just a partial
list. Hard-working families will not have the security of good
health coverage to get lifesaving care when they need it without
facing huge medical bills. NH will not be saving millions of
dollars currently spent to treat people without insurance in our
emergency rooms. Accepting federal funds would have brought billions
of dollars into the NH economy over the next seven years. These
funds would have provided a critical economic boost, funding new
jobs in health care and in businesses that serve the health care
industry. Roughly 58,000 NH residents could have
enrolled under the new Medicaid rules by 2020. The vast majority
have no insurance now. Benefits would go to individuals earning up
to approximately $15,000 per year or up to $32,000 for a family of
four, not exactly the wealthiest people in NH!
Owen
David, Pittsfield
Veterans To Receive 1.5 Percent Cost-Of-Living Increase
New
Rates For Compensation And Pension Benefits In 2014
Submitted By Merrill Vaughan, Past Commander
American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75
Pittsfield
Veterans, their families and survivors receiving disability
compensation and pension benefits from the Department of Veterans
Affairs will receive a 1.5 percent cost-of-living increase in their
monthly payments beginning Jan. 1, 2014.
“We’re
pleased there will be another cost-of-living increase for Veterans,
their families and their survivors,” said Secretary of Veterans
Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “The increase expresses in a tangible way
our Nation’s gratitude for the sacrifices made by our
service-disabled and wartime Veterans.”
For
the first time, payments will not be rounded down to the nearest
dollar. Until this year, that was required by law. Veterans and
survivors will see additional cents included in their monthly
compensation benefit payment.
For
Veterans without dependents, the new compensation rates will range
from $130.94 monthly for a disability rated at 10 percent to
$2,858.24 monthly for 100 percent. The full rates are available on
the Internet at
www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/rates-index.asp.
The
COLA increase also applies to disability and death pension
recipients, survivors receiving dependency and indemnity
compensation, disabled Veterans receiving automobile and clothing
allowances, and other benefits.
Under
federal law, cost-of-living adjustments for VA’s compensation and
pension must match those for Social Security benefits. The last
adjustment was in January 2013 when the Social Security benefits
rate increased 1.7 percent.
In
fiscal year 2013, VA provided over $59 billion in compensation
benefits to nearly 4 million Veterans and survivors, and over $5
billion in pension benefits to more than 515,000 Veterans and
survivors.
For
Veterans and separating Servicemembers who plan to file an
electronic disability claim, VA urges them to use the joint DoD/VA
online portal, eBenefits. Registered eBenefits users with a premium
account can file a claim online, track the status, and access a
variety of other benefits, including pension, education, health
care, home loan eligibility, and vocational rehabilitation and
employment programs.
For
more information about VA benefits, visit
www.benefits.va.gov, or call
1-800-827-1000.
TOPS
News
Submitted By Terrie Azotea
Well,
we had a beautiful dinner last week at our TOPS Christmas Party
hosted by the Berakah. We enjoyed having time spent with each other
and the dinner was amazingly delicious. We had some nice presents
that were handed around the room.
Our
Best Loser of the week was Thom, KOPS Loser of the week was Mickey,
our Miss Angel is Suzie with just a few to go to get to her goal.
Come on Suzie, we know you can get there. Keep up the good work
everyone and Kudos to those who also were runners up and those that
had a weight loss for the week. I know that it’s a tough time of the
year for a lot of us with all the Christmas parties going around.
Now is the time to really think before we eat something and say to
ourselves, “Do I really need that, or do I just want it because it
is there?” Don’t go to your parties hungry, eat something light
before you leave your house and you won’t be so tempted to overeat
at the party. Enjoy time spent with family and friends.
If you
would like to keep off those extra pounds or would like to lose a
few, we would love to meet new faces. We meet at the Berakah home on
Fairview Road in Pittsfield at 5:30 for a weigh-in and at 6:30 for
our meeting. Any questions, please call Stuart Pike at 857-4842 or
Pat Smith at 435-5333.
We
would like to again thank the ladies who prepared our meal last
week! Hope everyone has a great week and see you all lighter next
week!
Thank
You
Members
of the Economic Development Committee are pleased to share that we
have successfully raised the money needed to place an article for
the promotion of Pittsfield properties for potential economic
development in the New England Real Estate Journal (October 4-10,
2013 issue). Of course, we could not have done it without the
support of our local businesses. A heartfelt “THANK YOU” to Trailer
Tom’s, Ever Better Eating, Inc., Exit Reward Realty, Ted Mitchell,
Wen & Ping Management LLC, Ping Garden Restaurant Inc., Maxfield’s
Hardware, Jack’s Pizza, Kentek Corporation, H & H Exteriors, Robert
Hetu (Central Payment), Granite State Motors, and Vintage Hill, LLC
for your generous contributions. We appreciate your on-going
dedication to moving our community forward!
With
much gratitude,
Pittsfield Economic Development Committee
Pittsfield Family Dental Center Is Now Under New Ownership!
The
surrounding community congratulates Dr. Deborah Varney, DMD as the
new owner and dentist at Pittsfield Family Dental Center. Dr.
Varney is a familiar face as the main associate who has been
providing smiles since January 2012 at PFDC. She enjoys
the community and plans on establishing long term relationships with
her patients.
She
received her D.M.D. from the University of Connecticut which was
followed by a residency in a general dental practice in Waterbury,
CT. Dr. Varney has kept the existing friendly staff of Holly, Deb,
and Brittany.
The
office is still conveniently located on 50 Manchester Street in
Pittsfield. New patients are welcome; referrals appreciated
603-435-8030. Gentle care for healthy smiles for the entire
family.
A
Christmas Celebration!!
The
Advent Christian Church of Pittsfield, located at 68 Main Street in
town, (right next to the Community Center!) would like to extend an
invitation to ALL to be drawn into the Spirit of the season with a
special Christmas Concert presented by September Rain on Saturday,
December 21st at 6:30 p.m.
September Rain comes to us from Littleton, NH. The group has been
sharing the Good News together throughout New England for many years
and promises to fill your heart with a Christmas presentation you
will long remember! Lori Jo Gardner (vocalist/ acoustic
guitar/keyboard), her husband Glen Gardner (awesome sound director),
Kemp Shanlaber (drums), Scott Ryder (vocals/bass) and Lee Baker
(lead guitar/vocals), are excited about visiting our community and
look forward to presenting an evening of contemporary and
traditional Christmas music.
Following the concert, join us for light refreshments and
fellowship. Admission is FREE. A love offering will be taken.
Join us for a wonderful Christmas Celebration!
Concord
Regional Visiting Nurse Association Offers Resources To Maximize
Independence Presentation In Pittsfield
Concord
Regional Visiting Nurse Association is offering a free presentation
“Making It A Little Easier: Resources to Maximize Independence” on
Wednesday, January 15 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Pittsfield Senior
Center, 74 Main Street in Pittsfield.
As we
age, maintaining our independence is important. Over time daily
tasks like walking, getting dressed, or preparing food can become
more difficult or impossible to complete. When this happens, we are
often faced with tough decisions. Join us as we discuss community
resources available to assist you in maximizing your independence.
For
more information, call (603) 224-4093 or (800) 924-8620, ext. 5815.
Letter
To the
good citizens of Pittsfield,
Why do
I write? Let me explain.
I
generally write for information and entertainment. I also like to
challenge the editor.
I often
mispell and usually send my first draft. Also, I like to push the
envelope and see just how far an editor will let me go.
I
remember Art Morse, then editor, of The Suncook Sun called to tell
me he would not print my letter concerning the treatment by the town
against my friend, Randy Cutter. He basically said he had had
enough. I said, “what about the fact we have a free press in this
country?” He told me that means the guy who owns the press can print
what he wants.
Art
taught me a lesson. I got to get it by the editor.
I
remember when Elsie was editor. She gave me a lot of leeway, but I
never tried anything outlandish.
Then
Ross came along and I pushed again. He hasn’t printed four of my
letters, counting the column on repairing the First Baptist Cemetery
up on Charlie Watson’s land on Tucker Hill. I thought it was a good
story. People can find the story at stonefenceman u-tube (sic).
I thank
the Morses for their service.
I thank
the other letter writers.
I thank
the folks who advertise.
I thank
the folks who send articles to keep the communities informed.
Dan
Schroth Piermarocchi
Editor’s Note:
The
Suncook Valley Sun welcomes submissions from all the communities we
serve. We, too, are thankful for their contributions and advertising
to allow us to continue to provide this vehicle to inform and
communicate.
The
article referring to the First Baptist Cemetery has been on hold,
awaiting photographs to accompany the piece that haven’t found their
way into our office.
Although the unpublished article is lengthy and difficult to
navigate, I found the video Dan refers to in his letter to be more
easily understood and have included the link for it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTPKVAhR9Eg
Letter
To The Editor
Response to Nancy Heath
Whether
your ilk wishes to call “Free Staters,” “Freedom Lovers,” the name
matters not. Beliefs do matter. Our core belief is our faith and
love in the U.S. Constitution, NOT anarchy. The U.S. President,
Congress, U.S. Justices, and every member of our military place
their hand on the Bible and vows to uphold this document. Except for
our military, our fear is this oath is said in vain.
Our
founding fathers understood the weakness of human nature. They
drafted this document as a means to guard against this weakness.
They knew men crave they be slaves to government in order that they
NOT think and act with responsibility and order in their own lives.
The majority of Americans are not such people of weakness. We are a
simple people of hard work, faith, ingenuity, and love of liberty.
Most are farmers, blue and white collar workers simply making a
living to feed and provide comfort to their families. Ms. Heath,
would you prefer we people crouch to our knees and be fed by
government rather than stand on our own two feet? Do you not have
faith in your fellow citizens to take care at traffic lights? Do you
not have respect for the gun owner to use their weapon thoughtfully
and carefully? You see, our belief is that we are a nation of good
people who DO NOT need interference from government to run our
lives. Alas, it is an uncomplicated world!
Those
citizens you feel “unsafe” around are your humble and industrious
neighbors whom deserve respect, Ms. Heath. For without them, the
intellectuals, like yourself and those running our government, could
not exist.
Thanks
to Mr. Matras and McGuires for having faith in your neighbors.
Stacey
Polizotti
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