South Pittsfield Friends Church
The South Pittsfield Friends Church will host the Quakers’ quarterly
meeting on Sunday, August 30th. Service that day begins at 10:30
am.
Everyone is welcome to attend the service and meet with the Quaker
members.
Registrations are underway for the annual golf tournament sponsored
by the Pittsfield Basketball Program.
The 2015 Mid-Summer Classic will be played on Sunday, September 20th
at 9:00 AM.
Please contact Jay Darrah at 435-6701 or at
[email protected] for more
info on registering or sponsorship opportunities.
Concert Canceled
The concert to be given by Rev. Steven Small at the First
Congregational Church, 24 Main Street, Pittsfield, August 30 has
been canceled.
The Friday Night Kayaking Club paddles every Friday night at 6 PM
during June, July and Aug. at a different local site. On Aug. 14 one
dozen launched into Upper Suncook Lake in Barnstead. The season is
almost over! Don’t let 2015 slip away! To learn where you can join
the group this Friday, visit the group’s web site: huffnpuff.info.
See you this Friday - just show up!
Add yourself to the group’s mailing list - get on the
list by emailing
[email protected] - or visit the web
site.
VA Announces New Rules Regarding Service Animals In VA
Facilities
Submitted Via Merrill Vaughan
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it has
revised its regulation regarding the presence of animals on VA
property. The updated regulation will ensure VA practices remain
consistent with applicable federal law. It will also assist
individuals entering VA facilities in developing a clear and
consistent understanding of the criteria governing facility access
for service animals.
“As I have traveled to VA facilities throughout the country, I have
heard from many Veterans about what a vital role their service
animals play in their lives,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Robert A. McDonald. “The revised regulation will ensure Veterans and
employees have clear guidance regarding the presence of service
animals in our facilities. VA remains committed to ensuring
America’s Veterans have access to the health care benefits for which
they are eligible.”
Under the revised regulation, only dogs that are individually
trained to perform work or tasks on behalf of an individual with a
disability will be considered service animals. Other animals will
not be permitted in VA facilities, unless expressly allowed as an
exception under the regulation for activities such as
animal-assisted therapy or for other reasons such as law enforcement
purposes. The regulation further confirms that service animals may
access VA property subject to the same terms that govern the
admission of the public to VA property, and may be restricted from
certain areas on VA properties to ensure that patient care, patient
safety, and infection control standards are not compromised.
In accordance with required practices, the revised regulation was
published in the Federal Register in November 2014, to obtain
feedback from Veterans, advocacy organizations and other
stakeholders.
Over the next thirty days, VA will provide training to frontline
employees and ensure policies at all facilities are consistent with
the new regulation.
TOPS News
Submitted By Terrie Azotea
Well our KOPS best loser last week was Peggy and our TOPS best loser
was Linda. I would like to say congrats to Joyce for becoming a
KOPS. Great job, Joyce! It sure is an accomplishment when a person
makes it to their goal. Something to be proud of! We have a Miss
Angel, Suzie, we know you can do it Suzie!
This past week, we started a new fishing contest. So, hopefully we
all have a great weight loss from this.
We congratulated Irene for working so hard on our fundraiser. Again,
we say thanks!
New business coming up is Fall Rally. That should be a good time for
those who can go. Peggy shared with us the importance of keeping an
eye on what kind of oils we eat or put in our food while cooking.
What is good for inflammation, what is good for us, and what is not.
Thanks, Peggy, for sharing that information.
I had not been at TOPS for a little while and I would like to say
thanks to everyone who sent me cards and gave me a call. It’s so
nice to hear from everyone and your support was great.
If anyone is interested in joining a good support weight loss group
and meeting new friends, we welcome anyone to come for a visit. We
meet on Tuesday nights at 5:30 for weigh-in and at 6:30 for our
meeting on Fairview Road in Pittsfield at the Berakah.It’s always
good to stay on track and as we all know, summer keeps us active.
So, take the time to go out for a walk. For more information call
Mickey at 269-7641 or Claire Coll at 435-7545. Hope everyone has a
good week and see you all lighter next week!
Letter To The Editor
Last March, the Pittsfield Community Center (a 501c3 non-profit
charitable organization servicing Pittsfield and located in a
historically significant building in the downtown) asked the
residents for property tax relief at the town meeting. Voters heard
both sides and then voted overwhelmingly to grant the request. But
the selectmen rejected the town vote and denied the request.
Rustic Crust’s recent application for property tax relief is an
interesting contrast. Rustic Crust sought tax relief on a building
that is not eligible for tax relief because (1) the application had
no documentation showing cultural, historical, or architectural
value (RSA 79-E:4, I-a) and (2) more importantly, the claimed
qualifying structure (Rustic Crust’s building destroyed by fire) was
not in a tax-relief-eligible district.
Only AFTER Rustic Crust’s old building was destroyed, the selectmen
created a new tax-relief-eligible district that included the Rustic
Crust building and then applied the new district to Rustic Crust
retroactively. But such retroactive application requires town
meeting approval (RSA 79-E:2, II), which has never happened. The
town administrator argued around these problems, but, most
tellingly, Linda Small said that the selectmen should grant tax
relief because town officials or people working on the town’s behalf
had a “gentlemen’s agreement” (her words) with Rustic Crust. The
selectmen did grant Rustic Crust tax relief.
A gentlemen’s agreement??? Doesn’t the Right-to-Know law prohibit
such things?
If town taxpayers are willing to raise their own taxes to lower
Rustic Crust’s, then Rustic Crust should get tax relief. But this
condition requires a town vote under RSA 79-E:2, II. The selectmen
should NOT be simply giving away taxpayer money, as they have done
here, in a case where the people of Pittsfield have NOT given their
permission.
Jim Pritchard
Hump Day
Mr. Sandy, Int. Town Adm’r.
Awrite another week’s gone by. Let’s get right into it. Remember
more light than heat. One snarky poobah does not a bad night make.
Might have more to say on that, we’ll see.
Nice bit up front. Eagle Scout candidate wants to do good. So we’re
gonna let him. A nickel from my own pocket to the first person who
notices where the good is done.
So Rustic Crust’s parent company (R.C. is a mere child I guess)
applied for a big break on taxes. There’s a way to do it too – a law
that allows a business to ask a town for a tax break for expansion
and other reasons. This Town wanted to do this for R.C., given that
this Town could use the business. So the Board said yes, But. The
law lets a town cut a tax break to a business under certain
circumstances for awhile. Clear? No? What’s to keep R.C. from just
pulling up pizza ovens and moving to North Carolina? We give a tax
break, R.C. takes the money and runs? I thought it was Tom’s of
Maine which had left, but it turns out to have been Burt’s Bees.
Fled Maine for North Carolina. Give R.C. money then they split?
No. they get the break. But this law says that if the business
doesn’t do business the way it says it’ll do business that it has to
pay the town back. It also says that the town can make the business
stay even after the tax break is over. Sooo, the selectboard gave a
tax break to R.C. They get a break for 5 years. They’ve got to stay
for another 5 years after the break. So buy their pizza. It’s good
for you.
Put out an invite for our legislators to visit. (Seems to me that
when the state legislature gets together all at once it sucks enough
air out of the room to cause insanity. Think about it: any state
that puts the state legislature, state mental hospital and state
prison in the same town’s got to have a sense of humor.)
We had a visit from Sen. Reagan on the 4th, and this time we invited
Representatives McGuire (Him n Her), and Brewster. Rep. Brewster
would not commit to appearing at any particular time, so we left it
open for him to come when he felt like it.
Representatives McGuire came in on time (Waitaminute. Don’t
misunderstand. This column celebrates Republicrats and Demicans
together. No flavoratism.) The big complaint from a member of the
Board was the roads. Discussion came to increasing the gas tax, with
the price of gas coming down. Other sources for income: gambling.
But not casinos. Rep. McGuire talked about allowing houses of ill
repute NO I mean bars and the like to have little machines in the
back room. (Me, I went to Vegas once. My sons wanted me to try the
slots. In the A.F. in 1974 I lost a paycheck in a card game, so I’m
like real leery. But in Vegas I did put a quarter in, just to show
them. Won a buck 25.)
Rep. Brewster apparently didn’t feel like it, because he never
showed.
Beagles and bunnies are coming to Town. No, not Hugh’s bunnies.
There’s a Beagle Club. It has a license to steal bunnies from up
North and bring them Down South (i.e. here). (Before I get into even
more trouble let’s be accurate: it’s a “propagation permit” from the
Fun & Games Department.) Actually, they’re hares. You know, the ones
that go from summer brown to winter white. So the Beagle Club will
lease Town land and run the beagles and the bunnies will get their
exercise and the whole show will bring business to Town and everyone
will be happy.
Note on last week’s field trip to Court: “Dismissed.” Still waiting
for the lawyer’s bill.
Obituaries
Richard Malloy Sheehan
Richard “Dick” Malloy Sheehan left us on March 5th, 2015 to be with
his parents and wife, Barbara.
Dick was born on August 29th, 1925, in Brockton, MA. He graduated
high school there and enlisted in the Navy. Dick earned many medals
during World War II, including the Purple Heart. After the war, Dick
left the Navy and married his lovely wife, Barbara. They moved to
Cape Cod and adopoted three children. Dick worked for the telephone
company for over thirty years. Upon retiring from AT&T, he went to
work for a lumber yard, eventually leaving to care for his wife whom
had become ill with Dementia. Several years after his wife passed in
2002, Dick himself was stricken with Dementia. He came to NH to stay
with Steve and Laurel Bissonette. A big thank you to them for their
wonderful care. He eventually was moved to an assisted living
facility. His final resting place was the Edith Rogers Memorial
Veterans Home.
Dick leaves behind three children: Kathleen Sheehan of Monument
Beach, MA; Craig Sheehan and his wife Geneiva of New Jersey, and
Tracey Baillargeon and her husband Kevin of Pittsfield, NH; six
grandchildren, Joseph Riley and his wife Melinda of Belmont, NH,
Rhiannon Martin and her husband Levi of Hillsborough, NH, Talia
Riley of Laconia, NH, Joelle Sheehan of Tennessee, Kevin Sheehan of
MA, and Michael Sheehan of Monument Beach, MA; also, ten great
grandchildren, a brother, Donald Sheehan of South Yarmouth, MA, and
two nieces.
Dick’s great grandson, Sean Riley, would like everyone to know about
the hours he spent with his great grampa telling him war stories
with great pictures to go with the stories.
He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and great grampa!
He will truly be missed. May your Irish eyes always be smiling!
A celebration of Dick’s life will be held August 29, 2015, what
would have been his 90th birthday, at his daughter’s home in
Pittsfield. Anyone who knew Dick is asked to make a donation to any
Veterans Home in NH.
Richard J. Plante
Richard J. Plante, 65, of High Street, died Monday, Aug. 17, 2015,
at the Concord Hospital following a lengthy illness.
He was born in Concord, the son of Philias E. and Edith (Privey)
Plante. He was raised in Pittsfield and he attended Pittsfield High
School. He worked as a carpenter and home builder for most of his
life. He also had worked for the Evans Printing Co. He was an avid
sports fan and had been a referee and umpire for local soccer,
baseball and basketball teams. He was a member of the Pittsfield
Fire Dept. and the First Congregational Church of Pittsfield.
Members of his family include his wife of 38 years, Maryellen
“Minni” Plante of Pittsfield; a son, Christopher Plante and wife,
Traci of Bedford; three daughters, Susan Nelson of Garland Utah,
Stephanie Tuttle and husband, Norman of Pittsfield and Catherine
Tuttle and husband, Dana of Barnstead; seven grandchildren,
Nicholas, Maxwell, Logan, Brady, Nathan, Michael and Angela; a
brother, Kenneth Plante and wife, Pam of Barnstead; three sisters,
Claire Magoon and husband, Bliss of Parsonsfield, Maine, Teddy
Minery of Hillsboro and Janice Riel of Pittsfield. Many nieces,
nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by three brothers, Robert,
Roger and Philip Plante.
A memorial service was held Saturday, Aug. 22, at the First
Congregational Church, Main Street, Pittsfield. The Rev. David
Stasiak, Pastor officiated. In Lieu of flowers, donations in his
memory may be made to the Pittsfield Middle High School Boosters
Club, C/O Erica Anthony 98 Main St., Pittsfield, NH 03263.
Joan S. Sawyer
Joan S. Sawyer, 78, of North Barnstead Road, died Saturday, Aug. 8,
2015, at her home following a long illness.
She was born in Concord, the daughter of Henry and Hattie (Curtis)
Danis on Sept. 27, 1936. She has been a Barnstead resident all her
life. She was a graduate of Pittsfield High School, class of 1955.
She was the Co-Owner of Danis’s Market and was the owner of Danis’
Co-Op Laundry both in Pittsfield.
She is survived by her children, Brenda Sawyer of Sanford, Maine,
Patricia Giddis of Center Barnstead, Kenneth “Skip” Sawyer of
Pittsfield, Tom Sawyer of Center Barnstead and wife, Penny, Judith
Sawyer of Concord and Corey Sawyer of Center Barnstead. five
grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. Also a brother, Joe
Danis of Loudon and nieces, nephews and cousins.
There are no visiting hours.
A memorial service will be held at the family homestead at a later
date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the CRVNA
Hospice Program, 33 Pillsbury St., Concord, NH 03301.
The Waters Funeral Home-Perkins & Pollard Memorial Home is assisting
with arrangements. To sign an On Line Guest Book, log on to
www.Perkinsandpollard.com.
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