Celebrating Birthdays are: May 20, Gary Gadoury, Elizabeth Hast,
Nicole Grainger, Maddy Rogers; May 22, Bob Bolduc, Jon Ward; May
25, Tina Metcalf, Martha Bryant, Lynn McLaughlin, Stephanie
Tuttle; May 26, David Daley.
A Very Happy Birthday To One And All.
Best Wishes to Rich and Sarah Hillsgrove who will celebrate
their Wedding Anniversary on May 20th.
Attention all 5th through 8th grade students in Barnstead,
Pittsfield, Gilmanton, and beyond. Barnstead Parks and
Recreation hosts the first Belknap Region Invitational Track
Meet on Saturday, May 30, 2009 at Prospect Mountain High School.
The meet is open to all interested kids, no experience needed.
Events include the 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 4x100 relay, shot
put and long jump. Registration requires a parent signature and
attendance and one dollar! Registration is on the day of the
event, from 8:00 – 8:45 am with races beginning at 9 am. Parent
volunteers are needed. Please contact Hollie Kelley at 776-3266.
PHS ’87-’94 alumni are invited to
Jillian’s in Manchester 13Jun2009 from 5-9pm. RSVP by 08Jun2009
to:
[email protected].
The Pittsfield High School Seniors are holding a charity benefit
for the non-profit organization Locks of Love in the High School
Gym on May 30, 2009. It will start at 9 am and end at 1 pm. If
you would like to donate hair please make sure you have 6 or
more inches of hair to donate. Also, hair can be dyed, but
please not bleached. Money donations are also welcome. There
will be a bake sale during the event as well, and donors are
encouraged to check that out, as the money will go directly to
Locks of Love, to make wigs for young teenagers who have lost
their hair due to disease or chemotherapy. If you have any
questions please call 603-470-4931 ask for Joelle. Thank you.
TOPS #NH 38
Trimming, mowing, and outside work has already started. What are
you waiting for? Swimming, and outdoor sports are here, and what
have you done to promote a healthier you? Why put it off any
longer, TOPS, is here for you, and we welcome family members.
School children, welcome, and we have a program that fits
mothers-to-be. We have men in the group, and they would like
some more support to even the odds with the gals, so give us a
thought or two. You are welcome to visit first, we do not bite,
and try not to pressure you. We are a nonprofit organization.
We meet on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Church
Undercroft, on Main Street in Pittsfield. You do not have to be
a Pittsfield resident to join or visit us.
Please feel free to contact Pat S. at 435-5333 or Sandy G. at
798-5658.
School Lunch Menus
May 25-29, 2009
EPSOM
Monday - No School: Memorial Day
Tuesday - Chicken nuggets, fries, veg., fruit, milk or yogurt
tray, salad with sunbutter jelly.
Wednesday - Homemade pizza, carrot sticks, fruit, milk or yogurt
tray, mandarin orange chicken salad.
Thursday - Baked macaroni and cheese, rolls, veg., fruit, milk
or yogurt tray, cheese salad.
Friday - Turkey sandwiches, Sun Chips, pickles, fruit, milk or
yogurt tray, turkey salad.
PES
Monday - Memorial Day - No School
Tuesday - Chicken sandwich, fries, fruit, milk.
Wednesday - Mac and cheese, veggie, fruit, milk.
Thursday - Hot dog with bun, beans, fruit, milk.
Friday - Pizza, fruit, milk.
Letter To The Editor
To the editor:
I am writing to urge Representative Hodes’ support in setting a
new direction for America’s transition to a clean energy
economy. As a recent college graduate, I’m concerned for the
future of our generation having to deal with environmental
issues happening today. Clean energy is a bold solution that
will rebuild our economy and protect our environment. The time
for action on this issue is now. We can’t afford to keep
drilling and burning our way out of our problems anymore. We
must invest and reinvent our way out. His support on these
serious issues would help us implement our solutions to our
energy and environmental problems.
Ryan Hackett
Pittsfield, NH
Desiree Adams the daughter of Lisa Adams of Pittsfield, has been
accepted to the Maine College of Art and has received a $2000
college scholarship. She will be starting her studies in the
fall. Her family and friends are very proud of her.
Congratulations and good luck in MECA.
Twin M Supermarket Transfers Ownership
Franconia, NH. CenterPoint Business Advisors, Inc. is
pleased to announce the sale of the Twin M Supermarket in
Pittsfield, NH.
The Twin M Supermarket offers local residents and tourists a
convenient and affordable option for finding quality groceries.
Since 1950 this store has offered shoppers a great variety of
competitively priced groceries, perishables, beer and wine in
downtown Pittsfield.
After operating the store since 2004, Karl and Nicole Lennon
have decided to devote more time to their young family.
Karl will continue to operate and grow his private security firm
that serves customers in New Hampshire and Northern
Massachusetts.
The store has been purchased by Patrick and Michelle Collins.
The Collins family owns and operates three convenience stores in
Central and Southeastern New Hampshire. The couple plans to
leverage their experience at operating grocery stores to
heighten the shopping experience at Twin M, which will be
rebranded as the P&M Market. They will be making numerous
upgrades to the equipment, building, and product lines over the
next several months. Customers will be rewarded with a new
shopping experience at competitive prices.
Jeffrey Paquet of CenterPoint Business Advisors, Inc. in
Franconia, NH represented Karl and Nicole Lennon in this
transfer.
Greater Pittsfield Chamber Of Commerce
Come join The Greater Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce as we enjoy
our monthly Business After Hours. The event will be held at
Northeast Garden Center on Thursday May 21st from 6pm to 8pm.
This event is located at 200 Suncook Valley Road, Chichester.
There will be light refreshments served and a brief explanation
of what services are provided at Northeast Garden Center. A tour
will be given to all who participate in this event. This is a
networking opportunity for your business, so remember to bring
your business cards. Everyone is welcome to come. If you are not
a member and are interested in becoming one, this is a great
opportunity to learn what The Greater Pittsfield Chamber of
Commerce is involved in and how it could benefit your business.
Letter
In the May 13, 2009, issue of the Sun, planning board member
Bill Miskoe wrote, “Member Jim Pitchard [sic] stated that his
research of town records shows that the Planning Board was
established by Town Meeting vote in 1961 as a five member board.
... It has been proposed that the situation [of seven people now
sitting] be rectified by having two members resign. ...
Proponents of this approach say that the result five member
board could be then made legitimate by requesting a declaratory
judgment from the Superior Court. My belief is that a similar
type of judgment could be requested which would simply
legitimize the current seven member board.”
Bill is rushing to judgment and, in so doing, is
mischaracterizing my position. First, my discovery was
accidental, and my research is incomplete. Thus, I decline to
conclude at this time that the planning board never lawfully
expanded. Second, two Town lawyers suggested resignations, but
no one has settled on resignations or any other action. Third,
if the town meeting did not expand the planning board, then a
judge could not, should not, and, I believe, would not legislate
for the townspeople of Pittsfield, who have already voted on
this matter. (See RSA 673:2, II; RSA 39:2; and Brahmey v.
Rollins, 87 N.H. 290.)
I urge planning board members to study the town meeting warrants
and the relevant statutes and case law before they publicly
recommend solutions and possible misinformation about a serious
issue that no one currently understands.
Jim Pritchard
Ruth Kimball Memorial
On May 2, 2009 an American Elm tree was planted and dedicated to
Ruth Kimball. The tree planting idea was a gift from the Kimball
Family to celebrate their Mother’s 65 years of 4-H volunteerism
in 2007. Joseph Davis, grandson and arborist lead the ceremony.
Grandsons Benjamin Davis and Mark Riel also spoke. The tree
planting ceremony closed with great grandchildren and 4-H youth
assisting with the final touches of planting - a very fitting
4-H project. The public dedication was attended by family,
friends and 4-Hers. It was followed by a three horse hitch and
wagon, driven by Grandson Timothy Riel, procession from the
Perkins Funeral Home to Floral Park Cemetery for Ruth’s
committal burial service. Ruth passed away on January 2, 2009.
Joe said -
“Our family chose the memorial tree planting to take place at
the Pittsfield Community Center because of the thousands of
people both young and old that have entered the Pittsfield
Community Center in one way another because of Gram.
“Ruth Kimball defined the word community. We chose a tree
planting because of the similarities they have with such a
remarkable person. Trees grow new leaves year after year and
become a part of that tree forever even after that tree is no
longer physically present, the roots of this tree will continue
to grow and become the anchor of the tree forever, much as Gram
is and always will be the anchor of our family and community
forever.
“Our Family chose an American Elm tree because of its legacy.
Back in the 1700’s, settlers referred to the American Elm as
‘The Lady Of The Forest’ much as Gram will always be ‘The Lady
of 4-H and Pittsfield’. The long strong limbs of the American
Elm seem to continuously reach out endlessly into the sky
reaching heaven. It is our families’ hope that generations to
come will be able to visit this American Elm and visit, speak,
relax, grow, and reflect to Gram. If anyone has ever seen the
center of an American Elm, they know that the “Heartwood” is
like none other, much like Gram’s heart. American Elm Trees are
rare these days, as are Gram/Ruth Kimballs. There will never be
another Gram Kimball. A quote that I live by and that always
reminds me of Gram is ‘Nature does not require that we be
perfect, only that we grow.’”
Quilts, Tea, & Thee
A Resounding Success
Emma and Ava Foster recently attended their first tea at
the First Congregational Church of Pittsfield. They were
in company of three other generations: left to right great
grandmother Corine Miller; grandmother Terri Riel; and mother
Crystal Riel.
Over 135 quilts graced the Sanctuary of the First
Congregational Church of Pittsfield on the day before Mother’s
Day during Quilts, Tea & Thee.
Over 200 people attended the quilt tea at the First
Congregational Church in Pittsfield on May 9, 2009. A remarkable
number of quilts topping 135 were displayed over the backs of
pews in the Sanctuary. In the array were quilts dating from 1883
to the present. At the front of the church, Dolly Kelly
demonstrated hand quilting on a wall hanging.
A brochure detailing each quilt’s story and naming the owner was
clutched in attendees’ hands as they made their way
through the pews. Weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays were
among the events documented in fabric. Vases of yellow roses in
memory of a mother and a happy ballerina bunny for a new
babywere created and carefully quilted both by machine and
painstakingly by hand. Wools and corduroyswere used for
coverlets; satins were found in crazy quilts; cotton calicos and
balis were used in a multitude of others.
The Vestry was transformed into a tea room where a variety of
teas and goodies were enjoyed. Because the Vestry was open to
the Sanctuary, visitors were able to appreciate the piano
concert by Nella Hobson, who even took requests.
In the Pilgrim Room, more wall hangings were displayed and a
gift shop featuring tea-related items was used by many for last
minute Mother’s Day shopping.
The compliments were numerous, but they paled in comparison to
the joy felt by the members of the Dorcas Guild seeing the
fruits of their labor please so many.
Ladies Aid
by Joan Riel
The Ladies Aid of the First Congregational Church in Pittsfield
met May 4, 2009 in the church vestry. Vice President Louise
Kenney opened the meeting with a moment of silence for recently
deceased member Donna Savage. This was followed by devotions by
Arlene Martin and included a reading “Mothers” by Laura Cline.
Everyone joined in the Lord’s Prayer.
The treasurer Audrey Moore gave her financial report and noted
that dues of $10 are due in June.
Plans were made for the annual banquet to be held on June 8,
2009 at Johnsons Steak and Seafood Restaurant in Northwood. Cars
will leave the church promptly at 11:30 a.m.
Twenty-five dollars was voted to the Church Memorial Fund in
memory of Donna Savage. After the banquet meeting in June, the
next one will be held on September 7 in the church vestry.
The meeting closed with all joining in the Mizpah Benediction.
Pittsfield Citizen Of The Year 2009
It is time again to honor a deserving person as Pittsfield’s
Citizen of the Year. Please send us a note listing your nominee
and a brief explanation as to shy that person/persons deserve to
by Citizen of the Year. Send your nominations to:
Citizen of the Year
c/o Pittsfield Historical Society
PO Box 173
Pittsfield, NH 03263
Letter
As the days of the year move onward, our nation’s most patriotic
holidays will soon be with us once again.
There will be the traditional celebrating with parades,
fireworks, and picnics. There will speeches, with rhetoric both
joyous and solemn. Much talk will return, again and again, to
two words, Freedom and Liberty. Both will, oftentimes, be
uttered in a hushed and hallowed manner.
I often wonder just what people are thinking about when these
words are used. Freedom is not necessarily a panacea for all of
mankind’s ills, as some believe. It cannot guarantee that things
will end up being as they should be, or even as we might wish
them to be. Rats scurrying about in a sewer may be free, but
living miserable lives. Wandering nomads in the desert may be
free, but starving. A man lost in the Arctic may be free, but
dying from hypothermia. The homeless veteran, living under a
bridge, may also be free.
Freedom does not save the man dying from cancer, nor the
malnourished child from a life cut short, her dreams ended.
Freedom may be a necessary first step, but it guarantees
nothing, and I say this: “Rush not through every door marked
Freedom. The house of Liberty can be a perilous abode, when
Justice resides elsewhere.”
R. Lincoln Burns
Letter To The Editor
To The Editor
I would like to express my disappointment with the Manchester
Union Leader’s reporting of the recent break-in at the Lincoln
home on Clough Rd. here in Pittsfield.
Contrary to the Union Leader report, there were NO automatic
weapons in the home, only bolt action hunting rifles, and two or
three handguns. Thanks to a state of the art alarm system, and a
very rapid and professional response by the Pittsfield Police
Department, the weapons were undisturbed, as was the rest of the
property in the home.
The “shooting range” that was reported, is actually a small sand
pit used by Mr. Lincoln to site in his hunting rifles. The beer
cans were in fact a pile of aluminum beer and soda cans
collected by another local resident who collects them and places
them in piles so he can come back and easily collect them to be
recycled. One of those piles just happened to be at the end of
Mr. Lincoln’s driveway.
So there you have it. Mr. Lincoln and his family are the
“victims” here, not some criminal extremists.
Kudos to the Pittsfield Police Department, as well as all of the
other law enforcement agencies for a job well done!
Don Chase
Pittsfield, NH