Come
apply for a Passport at the Pittsfield Post Office, 2 Elm St.,
Pittsfield, NH! Our Passport Acceptance Hours are 8AM-11AM/1PM-3PM.
Monday to Friday, No appointment required. Saturday, 8-12,
appt. required.
You
must present: evidence of US Citizenship, photocopy of Citizenship
evidence, photo ID, and photocopy of photo ID.
We have
two Saturday Passport Events scheduled for YOU! Saturday, March 24th
8AM-2PM and Saturday, April 21st, 8AM-2PM.
We can
take your photo, too!
Passport application fee will be increasing by $10 on April 2, 2018.
Apply now, and save!
April
10th, 7:00pm
Meals
on Wheels
Benefit
Program
“Mind
to Mind”
Prepare
to be amazed by Mentalist Preston Heller at the Pittsfield Senior
Center. Heller will not tell you what a mentalist does, he
will show you. Every audience member will have a unique, experience
with the “unseen.” Preston’s mind reading and mind influencing
capabilities will leave the audience in awe. This program is 100%
family friendly but is recommended for ages 12 and up. There is no
fee to attend, but there will be a free-will collection to benefit
Meals on Wheels.
REMINDER
NOW
EFFECTIVE BCEP WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING BRUSH
OR LEAF AND YARD WASTE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Per
Vote Of The District Committee
From
The Farm - Names For Cows
Submitted By Carole Soule
Dexter, a
yearling Scottish Highlander calf.
“Why do
you name your cattle?” I’ve been asked. All cattle need some
identification. If one of my eighty head of cattle gets sick,
pregnant or injured, it is critical to identify that bovine so
treatments can be recorded. It’s also important to know which are
aggressive cattle and which are not. Effective herd management
requires animal identification.
At
first, I tried using numbers instead of names. As babies were born,
each received a numbered ear tag. If I noticed odd or aggressive
behavior, I would read the bovine’s number and make a mental note to
write down my observations. Of course, when I got to the writing
part I would not remember if #86 or #68 was the problem! Even today
I can’t remember what happened to cow #107…did I ship her or sell
her?
Names
are memorable and help define a cow’s personality. Maya is the
mother of Topper - a working ox, whereas Laverne is Curious Bleu’s
mom. Luna was named by an AirBNB guest who was staying at the farm
when Luna was born. It’s easy to remember Luna because she often
acts like a luna-tic. I also think animals appreciate having names.
During feeding, I’ll say, “Hello,” to the black heifer, Riley, or
working steers Ben and Snuff. Don’t you like to be called by your
name? Same with animals.
There
are some like yearling heifer, Betty who I watch for at
feeding-time. She’s smaller than the rest, so I want to make sure
she gets enough to eat. Lately, I’ve been paying close attention to
Maya and Misty, two cows due to give birth soon. I need to know if
they have trouble in labor and help them if necessary. Each animal
has a name just as each has a personality.
Last
week I shared a story about a heifer named Brooke who, after she was
processed, was used in a meat-cutting demonstration. Her purpose in
being born was to provide beef, and because she was handled with
care during her lifetime - the end was not dramatic. Just as names
help me connect and care for each animal, it would be intolerable it
if the animals I raised left this world in pain or anguish.
I
encourage you to think of each steak you eat as a former
personality. While you may not know the name of the beef on your
plate, when you buy from a local farm you’ll know who raised it.
Carole
Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, in Loudon, NH, where she
raises and sells beef, pork, lamb, eggs and other local products.
She can be reached at [email protected].
Letter
Dear
Pittsfield voters,
Thank
you for approving the planning board’s building-code-repeal proposal
and zoning-amendment proposals, and thank you for returning Clayton
Wood and Daren Nielsen to the planning board.
Jim
Pritchard
Teens
And Sleep
Submitted By John Freeman, Pittsfield Superintendent of Schools
Olympic
gold medalist and former professional boxing champion George Foreman
is credited as saying “I think sleeping was my problem in school.
If school had started at four in the afternoon, I’d be a college
graduate today.”
It’s
likely that Mr. Foreman was thinking about middle school or high
school when he hoped for a later start to his school day.
Research generated over the last fifteen to twenty years documents
the ways that sleeping patterns change over our lifetimes and points
out the powerful impact of sleep deprivation on our lives.
We
know, for example, that while some of us are early birds and others
are night owls, most of us fall somewhere in between. And we
also know that lack of sleep or lack of good quality sleep increases
the risk of a range of disorders, including cardiovascular disease,
depression, and obesity, among others.
We’ve
also learned that teenagers’ sleep cycles shift up to two hours
later at the start of puberty, typically between 10 and 14 for girls
and between 12 and 16 for boys. As a parent of three former
teenagers, I can recall the challenges of getting kids up and
running for early-morning family commitments: not my fondest
memories of our kids’ growing-up years.
The
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), an organization of
pediatricians and pediatric medical specialists, issued a report
back in 2014 in which it recommended a school start time of 8:30
a.m. or later for middle and high school students. (At that
time, only 15% of American high schools started at 8:30 a.m. or
later.)
Their
rationale cites research indicating that our teens naturally tend to
go to sleep and wake up later than their younger sisters and
brothers and, often, than the adults in their lives. The AAP’s
theory behind their recommendation is that youth who naturally
extend their days into the night are helped to avoid sleep
deprivation by a later start in the morning.
According to the AAP, an 8:30 a.m. or later start time in middle and
high schools will result in increased academic performance, reduced
risk of car accidents, and even reduced risk of sports injuries.
It’s no surprise to parents of teenagers that sleep deprivation can
also impact mood and behavior – absolutely no surprise there!
Importantly, sleep habits of teens have been shown to impact the
sleep habits of the adults that they later become, again, with
potential long-term health issues.
Citing
the benefits of healthy sleep practices in teenagers, many U.S. high
schools have changed their start times to encourage the development
of healthy sleep practices of their students. In New
Hampshire, the Interlakes, Oyster River, and Portsmouth school
districts have pushed their high school start times to 8:15 or 8:20
this year.
School
leaders in Pittsfield are considering a shift in our start times to
allow for a later start for middle and high school students.
What do you think of this concept? What were your own
experiences in getting up for school as a teen, and what were your
experiences as a parent of a teen?
You are
invited to share your experiences and share in the decision-making
process about the school start time at PMHS. Send your stories
to [email protected], and
your input will be considered in making a recommendation to our
School Board.
(No
change in start time being considered for PES right now; our young
children tend to be early birds at that point in their lives.
Recent visits with my grandchildren affirm this hard truth!)
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