The
Chichester Food Pantry will hold a Benefit Buffet
Breakfast on January 30, 7:30-10 a.m. at the Chichester Fire
Station. Cash donations please.
The breakfast will be sponsored by the Chichester Fire
Association and the Epsom-Chichester Lions Club.
Celebrating Birthdays are: January 29, James Hetu, Bill
Provencal, Andrea Riel; January 30, Wesley Ward; February
1, Donna Webber.
A Very Happy Birthday to one and all.
Congratulations to Elaina M. Fisher of Pittsfield, NH who
received a MSL degree in LIBRARY SCIENCE during commencement
ceremonies at Clarion University, Saturday, December 19.
Ceremonies were held at Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium.
Get
Your Application In Now
The Foss Family Pittsfield Town
Scholarship is official. Applications are now available in the
Guidance Office of Pittsfield Middle High School. Over $37,000
will be awarded to graduates of Pittsfield Middle High School
during this third application round. Eligible candidates include
people graduating this year, those already in a post secondary
school, and those making a decision to go on to school though
some years have passed since graduation. Your first step is to
call Pittsfield Middle High School and ask for the Guidance
Department.
In late summer of 2007, Richard and Lois Foss
transferred $1,000,000 to the Pittsfield Board of Trustees to
invest for the benefit of scholarships for Pittsfield Middle
High School graduates. Recognizing the limited resources
available to the parents of graduating seniors at Pittsfield
Middle High School, and the diminishing sources of public
scholarships, grants and financial aid, the Fosses realized that
many graduating seniors are forced by financial necessity to
immediately enter the workforce thus limiting Pittsfield the
opportunity of building the stock of human capital which the
Fosses feel is critical for nurturing future generations of
business and civic leaders. The Fosses have since expanded their
view of eligibility to those now in post secondary school and
those who seek to continue their education in their maturity.
This year’s scholarship deadline is May 1. Applications will be
reviewed by the Foss Family Pittsfield Town Scholarship
Committee currently made up of Richard and Lois Foss; Scott
Brown, Community Member; Ed Vien, Board of Selectmen; Elsie
Morse, Cara Marston, Bill Provencal, Pittsfield Board of
Trustees; Rick Gremlitz, PMHS Principal; Leslie Bergevin, Chair
and PMHS Guidance Director; Louis Houle, and Ellie Osbone,
parents of Pittsfield Middle High School students.
Pittsfield Senior Center News for February
VALENTINE
Luncheon, Ice Cream Social and Movie: February 12th, 12 p.m.-2
p.m.
The Pittsfield Senior Center purchased a Motion Picture
License so that we can legally show movies!
Our first
Movie day will of course feature a love story representative of
the day!
The menu is Stuffed Pollock Filet, stewed tomatoes,
rice pilaf with an ice cream social to follow.
Lunch is a
$2.00 donation.
Your attendance will be greatly appreciated!
Come one, come all and enjoy yourself!
WINTER-FEST
February 25th
11:00 a.m.-2 p.m.
You are cordially invited
to Pittsfield’s Annual Winter-Fest Celebration.
This event is
sponsored by the Pittsfield Parks and Recreation Department and
extends this invitation to our surrounding towns. They
cover the cost of food and entertainment for this event.
This year D B Entertainment, the DJ & Karaoke man will be back.
He will serenade and involve us with a variety of musical
renditions.
The menu for the celebration is Pork Roast
with gravy, Red Bliss Mashed potatoes, Green Beans and Carrots,
Rolls and Apple Crisp for desert.
Plan to stay after lunch
for a brief presentation by Tom Barker, a Mortgage Advisor with
PHH Mortgage. He will speak about mortgages and refinancing.
He hopes to help folks take advantage of the $8000.00 tax
credit.
He just may have an idea or two that could help you,
a friend or family member. Tom is a co-member of the Greater
Pittsfield Chamber of Commerce.
A Special Meals-on-Wheels Donation and A Thank You to the
WalMart Foundation!
Wal-Mart has a volunteer program they
encourage their employees to participate in. An employee
volunteers 25 hours of service to a non-profit agency. Upon
completion of service Wal-Mart will then make make a
$250.00 donation to that agency. Scott volunteered 25 hours at
the Pittsfield Area Senior Center, Elder Services of Community
Action Belknap-Merrimack Counties, Inc. Meals-on-Wheels program.
He worked here cleaning and helping to decorate our facility for
the holidays. It was fun for the seniors to get to know Scott
and have a younger person around! Thank you to Scott and
thank you to the Wal-Mart Foundation.
And a Special Wellness
Donation and A Thank You to the Wells Fargo Mortgage Corp
Donation.
Last spring the Pittsfield Area Senior Center
sponsored a Reverse Mortgage Seminar. Laura Stephan spoke to the
seniors who attended the “ins and outs” of a reverse mortgage.
The presentation qualified the Senior Center for the Sharing
Advantage Program initiated by Wells Fargo Mortgage Corp.
On
December 8, 2009, Wells Fargo Mortgage Corp. presented the
Pittsfield Area Senior Center with a check for $600.00. In
attendance to receive this check were Betty Hyman, an active
participant in the Yoga program, Pat Lyons, from the Wells Fargo
Mortgage Bedford office, Lynne Joyce, Director of the Senior
Center and Laura Stephan, a reverse Mortgage Consultant.
The
Senior Center is extremely pleased to accept this donation on
behalf of the Wellness Programs offered here at the Pittsfield
Area Senior Center.
Thank you, thank you,
thank you.
February Activities
Congregate Dinning
Monday-Friday
12 noon sharp. $2.00 Requested Donation.
*Activities begin at 10:00 a.m. unless noted.*
Monday,
February 1, 8, *15, 22.
10:00 - Bingo
*February 15th
we will be closed in observance of Presidents Day.
Tues.
February 2, 9, 16, 23.
10:00 - Dan McGuire is willing to
teach Bridge again. We had a great group last year often with 2
tables. Come check it out.
Wed., February 3, 10, 17,
24.
10:00 - Craft Day. The first two weeks in February we
will learn about “cookie decorating” and the last two weeks an
instructor will be teaching the craft and skill of making CANDY!
In March Bernadette is teaching Italian Cooking and in May,
Scrapbooking. Call and reserve a space. 435-8482.
Thurs.,
February 4, 11, 18, 25.
10:00-11:00 - Bingo.
11:00 - Winter-Fest Entertainment
Fri., February 5, 12,
19, 26.
9:30 - Chair Exercise and Dancing with our very own
Certified Senior Fitness Specialist! Then stay for yoga!
10:30 - Yoga, with Tom Sherman.
February 12
Valentine
Lunch & Movie Day
Just a peek at things to come!
Celebration Luncheons
February,
Valentine’s Day, 2/12/10.
Free, Winterfest, 2/25/10.
March, St. Patrick’s Day,
3/17/10.
Easter, 3/25/10.
April, Smart Steps, 4/6/10.
Volunteer Appreciation, 4/22/10.
May, Cinco DeMayo, 5/5/10.
Mother’s Day, 5/6/10.
Memorial Day, 5/27/10.
June, Flag
Day.
We may not always have entertainment but we always have
fun.
The Pittsfield Senior Center is an Elder Service Program
through Community Action Belknap/Merrimack Counties Inc.
603-435-8482 or
[email protected]
School Lunches
February 1-5, 2010
CHICHESTER
Monday
-
Homemade pizza, Caesar Salad, Fruit cocktail, milk.
Tuesday -
Chicken nuggets, French fries, carrots, chocolate cake, milk.
Wednesday - Spaghetti with meatsauce, garlic bread, green
beans, fruit, milk.
Thursday - Vegetable soup, ham and
cheese sandwich, peaches, milk.
Friday - Cheeseburger with
roll, baked beans or veggie, fresh fruit, milk.
PMHS
Monday - Pizza, corn, mixed fruit, milk.
Tuesday -
Cheeseburgers, roll, chips, pickles, pears, milk.
Wednesday -
Pasta, meatsauce, salad, bread, applesauce, milk.
Thursday -
Chicken, fries, salad, fresh fruit, milk.
Friday - Steak
subs, onion, peppers, cheese, chips, fruit, milk.
Letter
Dear Pittsfield Voters,
I am Ted Mitchell, asking
you to vote for me in the March election.
I am running for a
3 year term on the Planning Board.
Currently, I am on the
Planning Board as an appointed member, filling Gerard LeDuc’s
seat. Prior to the appointment, I was an alternate on the Board
for several months.
In addition, I am an alternate on the
Zoning Board of Adjustment, full member on the Economic
Development Committee, have been appointed as a member on the
Safe Routes to School Task Force and member of the PMHS Alumni
Association Committee.
Why elect me to the Planning Board?
1. I already have knowledge, have gone to two Central NH
Regional Planning Commission sponsored day conferences.
2. I
bring a levelheaded, even-handed, practical approach to board
meetings.
3. I’m a veteran with 21 years U.S. Naval Service
(office management intelligence briefings for flag officers, and
safety/quality assurance for Naval aviation).
4. 16 years as
Dairy Manager for a major Virginia grocery store.
5. I am
logical, practical, creative, and a good problem solver.
A
vote for me will not be a wasted vote. I intend to make a
positive difference in Planning Board decorum.
Thank You,
Ted Mitchell
4th
NH Statewide Grazing Conference
The 4th Statewide Grazing
Conference, “Grazing Greener Pastures” will be held at Southern
NH University on March 6, 2010, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This conference
will focus on pasture management, creating a grazing plan and
building soils to increase herd health.
To register online go
to:
http://www.events.unh.edu/RegistrationForm.pm?event_id=6502 or, for more information call or e-mail: Mary West,
[email protected] or Dot
Perkins,
[email protected] UNH Cooperative Extension, Merrimack
County, 603-796-2151.
Shared Responsibilities Among Schools, Students And VA
Submitted By Merrill A. Vaughan
Commander. American Legion
Peterson-Cram Post 75
In a coordinated effort to speed up the
processing of Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits this spring,
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that it
has been reaching out to student Veterans, servicemembers,
university officials and other partners to meet its commitment
to an aggressive processing goal by Feb. 1, 2010. Feb. 1 is the
first date spring payments are due and presently VA has
processed over 72,000 of the approximately 103,000 spring
enrollments received. Since inception of the historic new
program last year, VA has paid over $1.3 billion in benefits to
more than 170,000 students.
“Only by VA and all of our
partners working together will students be better served,” said
VA’s Acting Under Secretary for Benefits Mike Walcoff. “We are
making a concerted effort to reach out to everyone to provide
the timely benefits that those who served our nation deserve.”
Walcoff said there are “shared responsibilities” between VA,
universities and the students to ensure the success of
processing the education benefits on time.”
VA has sent
letters to university presidents and school certifying
officials, state Veterans affairs directors, and notified
Veteran service organizations, congressional members and other
education stakeholders highlighting VA’s emphasis on the
importance of timely submission of school enrollment
information.
VA also released a “Hip Pocket” guide and
checklist, with helpful tips to assist Veterans in the
application process. The guide and checklist can be found on
college campuses and VA’s GI Bill Web site,
www.gibill.va.gov.
VA is working to provide timely payments to all eligible
Veterans to ensure that students are spared the financial
hardships which some faced during the fall 2009 term.
To
help address the high volume of claims received for the new
Post-9/11 GI Bill, VA hired 530 employees, bringing the total
number of education claims processors to 1,200. Employees have
been working mandatory overtime since August 2009. Additionally,
the department awarded a temporary contract to assist with
education claims processing.
Veterans, servicemembers,
reservists, and members of the National Guard who served on
active duty since September 11, 2001 are potentially eligible
for the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. It provides payments for tuition
and fees, as well as a housing allowance and stipend for books
and supplies for many participants.
Under the new GI Bill,
some members of the armed forces may transfer benefits to a
spouse or dependent children.
Information about the Post-9/11
GI Bill, as well as VA’s other educational benefit programs, is
available at VA’s Web site,
www.gibill.va.gov, or by calling 1-888-GIBILL-1 (or 1-888-442-4551).
Northway Bank’s “Scholarship for Excellence Program”
Recognizes Outstanding Student Efforts
As it has for the past
31 years, this spring Northway Bank will once again acknowledge
the efforts of outstanding high school scholars/leaders through
its “Scholarship for Excellence” program.
Scholarship for
Excellence began in 1979 and has expanded over the years to
recognize a number of outstanding student achievements in
various local districts. It is the award criteria that make
these Bank Scholarships so special. They are not needs based,
but rather character and scholar driven. They recognize
individual student contributions based, heavily on academic
excellence, character, and leadership qualities. Students are
selected based on these qualities by school administrators with
a personal knowledge of their student populations.
“Education has been a cornerstone of Northway’s commitment to
the communities we serve for over 30 years,” said William
Woodward, Northway’s President & CEO, “and with the rising costs
of education, the scholarship program has helped many students
ease the burden of paying for their college education.” Richard
D. Olson, Northway Bank’s Senior Vice President of Consumer and
Small Business Banking, concurs: “With population statistics
showing that more and more students are staying in New Hampshire
to attend college and beyond, the Scholarship for Excellence
program is truly an investment in our combined futures. We look
forward to recognizing our 2009/2010 award winners.”
Since
the program’s inception, Northway Bank has donated over half a
million dollars to more than 100 deserving students. Past award
winners have included outstanding scholars, athletes, student
leaders, and individuals whose community volunteerism makes them
role models to the entire student population.
The
Scholarship for Excellence program is a meaningful and
measurable way that Northway Bank invests in the community.
Assisting the leaders of tomorrow reach their academic goals,
the Bank is helping to keep New Hampshire in the forefront of
national educational excellence.
For more information about
the Scholarship for Excellence program, please contact the
guidance/administration of the high school in your area. For
information about any of the Bank’s related retail and small
business donation programs, visit
www.northwaybank.com
or call 1-800-442-6666.
Letter
We are petitioning the town meeting to add to the
zoning ordinance a home occupation definition and a frontage
definition derived from a 2004 Central New Hampshire Regional
Planning Commission definition. Two weeks ago, Dan Schroth asked
voters to reject our petitions and support a CNHRPC
comprehensive zoning revision NEXT YEAR. Dan opposes what CNHRPC
HAS proposed but endorses what they WILL propose even though it
does not yet exist. Why? Because now the Town will pay CNHRPC
$17,500—your money—for a revision to be written to reflect the
planning board’s agenda and because Dan reflects the planning
board majority.
In 2005 and again in 2009 by more than 3 to
1, voters rejected the planning board’s agenda. So the selectmen
and planning board are paying CNHRPC $17,500 for an appearance
of credibility where the planning board has none. But in 2008,
CNHRPC proposed new special exception conditions that could not
go on the ballot because they were illegal. A proposal from
CNHRPC is not automatically good.
Dan accuses us of
restricting your freedoms. Dan is mistaken. Our modest frontage
and home occupation petitions attack favoritism, not rights.
State law gives no right to subdivide on driveways or Class VI
highways; the Town boards can approve or deny any such
subdivision as they please. Furthermore, our home occupation
petition is more permissive than the current regulation because
we propose to permit home occupations by right in all districts.
Dan failed to mention these facts. Our petitions defend fairness
and rights. Please vote for them on March 9. Thank you.
Petitioners,
Jim Pritchard
Dan Greene
Clayton Wood
Letter
Public Hearing For Pittsfield’s School Budget
To
the Citizens of Pittsfield:
Please plan on attending the
public hearing for Pittsfield’s proposed municipal and school
district budgets. The hearing will be held at 7:00 pm. on
Wednesday, February 3, in the Pittsfield Middle High School
lecture hall (snow date: 9:00 am., Saturday, February 6 at
Pittsfield Elementary School).
Without warrant articles, the
School District’s proposed operating budget is approximately
$300,000, or 3%, lower than the current school year budget.
The maximum impact on the Pittsfield tax rate will be $0 per
$1000 of property value.
This budget reduction has been accomplished through the
elimination of 10+ staff positions in administration, teachers,
and support staff. In addition, allocations for books,
supplies, and equipment have been decreased. These
decreases are offset by increased health insurance rates and
increased New Hampshire Retirement System rates.
One proposed warrant article that would
impact the tax rate is a one-year teachers’ contract. The
negotiated agreement maintains the current salary schedule with
each teacher receiving credit for the 2009-2010 year of
professional experience. This is a tax impact of $.18 per
$1000 of property value.
Please come to the public hearing
and learn more about our plans and budget. The School
Board remains concerned about the tough financial conditions. We
need the entire community to help the schools decide what should
change and what should stay the same.
Respectfully,
Mary
Paradise, Leslie Vogt, Lea Adams,
Kathy Corliss, Mike
Wolfe
Pittsfield School Board
Obituaries
SCPO, Richard A. Doyle,
USN, Retired
Pittsfield -
Senior Chief, Richard A. Doyle, USN, [Ret.], 74, passed away
peacefully on January 15, 2010, at his home at 8 South Main
Street, after a long illness.
Richard was born in Haverhill,
MA, on January 2, 1936, the son of John and Maude [Hamilton]
Doyle. Several sisters and brothers predeceased him.
He
proudly served twenty-one years in the US Navy, including one
tour in Korea and three tours in Viet Nam. He received 2 Purple
Hearts, with Valor, as well as the Bronze and Silver Star. He
honorably retired from the Navy in 1973. He worked thirteen
years at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard as a mechanic, and five
years at the Portsmouth Naval Clinic. Before his retirement, he
worked as a custodian at the Pittsfield Middle High School for
several years where many knew him as “Pops.”
Along with his
beloved wife, Gayle, he is survived by his children, Debra
Thompson of Brooksville, Fl., David Doyle and his wife Jeanette
of Fremont, John Doyle and his wife Cheryl of Plaistow, Richard
A Doyle of Barrington, Robert Grimmer SCPO USN and his wife
Jeannette of San Diego, CA, Todd Grimmer and James Grimmer of
Pittsfield, Angela Grimmer of Dover, and Heather Chapman and her
husband Sean of Virginia Beach, VA.
He enjoyed life to the
fullest. He touched the lives of many friends. He was a loyal
and dedicated husband, father, grandfather of eleven, and
great-grandfather of five, who was always there to love and
support us.
The family would like to express their sincerest
thanks and gratitude to the Pittsfield EMT Dept., the doctors
and nurses at Epsom Medical Center, the doctors and nurses of
Concord Hospital, especially the Respiratory Dept., the Concord
Regional Visiting Nurse Assoc. and the CVNA Hospice Team. A
special thank you to Henry and “Lucy” Welch for always being
with us.
At Richard’s request, no public service will be
held. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made
to the Pittsfield EMT Dept. for a scholarship fund in memory of
Richard.
Family and friends may sign an on-line guestbook by
visiting stilloaks.com.
