Girl Scout Cookie Booth
Northwood Daisy Troop 10679 would like to personally invite
you to our cookie booth. Come and purchase a box for yourself,
your loved ones or donate a box to the Northwood Food Pantry.
The boxes are on sale for $3.50 and we have all of the old
favorites and some new varieties as well. We will be at the
Northwood Transfer Station on Sunday March 7th from Noon until 4
PM. We are looking forward to seeing you there so come on out.
For any further information, please call Beth at 942-8286.
Celebrating Birthdays are: March 3, Cassandra Lank; March 4,
Michael Bender; March 5, Keriann Lank; March 6, Eric Tiede;
March 8, Tim Pethic; March 9, Crystal Blodgett, Stan Bailey.
A Very Happy Birthday to one and all.
Best Wishes to John and Judith Dunne who will celebrate
their Wedding Anniversary on March 4th.
There are openings on the Pittsfield Budget Committee.
Anyone interested in serving on the Committee, please contact
the Town Moderator, Cedric Dustin at either 6 Blake Street,
Pittsfield, NH 03263 or
[email protected]
Pittsfield High School Honor Roll
Second Quarter
2009-2010
GRADE 12
Highest Honors
Paige Corliss, Kara Gingras,
Nikki Grunst, Kelley Hussey.
High Honors
Stephanie Baburins, Samantha Gage, Stephanie
Joyce, Allison Laflamme, Shannon Racicot, Irene Vogt.
Honors
Liam Etchells, Joseph Garnett, Shyla Mannion,
Briahnna Metcalf, Jordan Scannell, Melyssa Slayton, Joseph
Suchomski, Samuel Swanson, Matthew Tuttle, Nathan Vincent.
GRADE 11
High Honors
Briana King, Meghan Mulcahy,
Craig Paggi.
Honors
Christine Chouinard, Bryce Paradise, Brian Ward.
GRADE 10
Highest Honors
Colleen Corliss, Adriaunna
Towle, Kelsey Wrye.
High Honors
Taylor Kiss, Sebastian Manteau, Kayleen Rojek.
Honors
Robert LeBel
GRADE 9
Highest Honors
Aaron Vien
High Honors
Rebekah Adams, Emily Bechanan, Travis Guest,
Cassidy Kearns, Ashley Pence.
Honors
Lyndsey Milton, Janice Negron, Justin
Quigley, Jillian Towle.
GRADE 8
Highest Honors
Jacey Darrah, Katlyn Gonzalez,
Jossie Rowell, Maxwell Tuttle.
High Honors
Gavrielle Bachelder, Danielle Bourgeois,
Stefani Gauthier, Austin Harrison, Alexis Miller, Katie Small.
Honors
Daren Brooks, Philip Gordon, Montana Miller,
Kellie Vien.
GRADE 7
Highest Honors
Colby Clark, Morgan Corliss,
Matthew Marcotte, Ryan Marquis.
High Honors
Star Chagnon, Madison Johnson, Jeremy
Kennepohl, Larissa Kimball, Benjamin Marston, Jessica Massey,
Cameron Quigley, Anthony Rojek, Madison Slater, Amanda Vanslette.
Honors
Danielle Martin, Kathleen Steeves, Kayla Vanslette,
Jocelyn Vien.
“St. Patrick’s” Election Day Raffle
It’s that time of year again when we all come to the polls
to cast our votes, and when The Friends of the Josiah Carpenter
Library hold their annual springtime raffle. This year’s theme
will be that of the upcoming holiday, St. Patrick’s Day, Pot O’
Gold. The raffle basket will include some traditional “Green
Day” items, as well as a variety of Lottery Tickets. Come take
your chances on a big winner and help support your library in
doing so! Be sure to stop by our table at the Town Hall,
on Election Day, March 9, 2010, to purchase your tickets! Raffle
tickets are a dollar each or six for $5. The Friends continue to
make improvements and contributions to the Josiah Carpenter
Library through fund-raising events such as this one. We
currently are sponsoring a Coffee Outreach Program at the Josiah
Carpenter Library. Stop in and meet Roza Benoit, Library
Director, while enjoying a fresh cup of coffee.
Don’t forget to drop off your used cell phones and any sort
of used ink or toner cartridges to the library. These help
us acquire office products for the library’s use.
Thanks to a $500 literacy grant from the Rotary of
Pittsfield, we are able to continue our Books for Babies
program. This year’s book is entitled Moo, Baa, LALALA by Sandra
Boynton. We would also like to thank Liz Hast for her part in
this project. We feel this is a very important program and are
most grateful to the Pittsfield Rotary for their continued
support!
Hope to see you soon.
Thank you,
The Friends
Letter
During the past year we have attended various Zoning
Board meetings, not by choice, but to try and defend our rights
as abutters to an illegal business that is being run adjacent to
our property. Many of our neighbors were also in attendance and
tried to voice their concerns. We all felt like we were there to
give the Board information that would help them decide on very
important and precedent setting issues before them. Each time we
left those meetings shaking our heads and wondering why we were
not heard. We felt like decisions had already been made before
we had arrived at each meeting.
There was a gentleman who appeared at each of these
meetings, and his name is James Pritchard. He was very
sympathetic to our concerns and was thoroughly disgusted by the
treatment we received by Zoning Board members. He advised us
that the Zoning Board had not read the laws and ordinances
correctly, and procedures were not being followed. He attends
all Planning and Zoning Board hearings, and because he has
questioned on many occasions, the procedures and actions of
those boards, he has been labeled a troublemaker.
We have found James Pritchard to be a quiet, honest,
hard-working young man who does his homework and is extremely
knowledgeable on all Zoning and Planning regulations. James
Pritchard is running for a Planning Board seat and we would ask
that you join us in supporting him. He will listen and treat
everyone fairly and will guarantee that our constitutional
rights will not be violated. Please join us by voting for James
Pritchard on Tuesday, March 10th. Thank you.
Paul and Carole Richardson
Pittsfield, NH
Letter
To the Voters of Pittsfield;
I am writing on behalf of
Ted Mitchell. Ted is running for a seat on the Planning Board
and I would like to offer my support. As Vice President of the
Pittsfield High School Alumni Association, I have had the
privilege of working with Ted, who has been a member of the
Executive Board since its inception in 2008. Ted has worked
tirelessly to assist in building an association from the bottom
up. He has displayed diligence, dedication, and a strong work
ethic to build our association; I can only assume that he would
display these same attributes on the Planning Board.
Carole Richardson
Letter To The Editor
Editor:
I would ask Pittsfield voters to elect Pat
Heffernan and Ted Mitchell to the Planning Board. They are both
thoughtful, experienced and have the best interests of the town
in mind.
The third candidate should not, in my personal opinion, be
returned to the Board. His presence during the past year has
been unhelpful. Three people have resigned rather than deal with
the situation and the Board has been able to accomplish very
little.
This candidate’s conduct has earned the finding of three
ethics violations by the Ethics Committee and a reprimand by the
Select Board.
In addition he has incorrectly accused a board member of
misconduct and of breaking a state law. None of this is
constructive. For the good of the town, he should not be
returned to the Planning Board.
Please elect Pat Heffernan and Ted Mitchell.
Bill Miskoe
P.B. Vice Chairman and Acting Chairman
School Lunch Menus
March 8-12, 2010
PMHS
Monday - Cheeseburgers, rolls, chips, pickles, fresh fruit,
milk.
Tuesday - Shepherd’s pie, potato, bread, baked dessert,
milk.
Wednesday - Early Release - Cold sandwich, soup, chips,
fruit, milk.
Thursday - Chicken nuggets, fries, veggies,
fruit, milk.
Friday - Grilled cheese, tomato soup, veggie
sticks, fruit, milk.
Salad Bar each day unless stated otherwise.
CHICHESTER
Monday - Ravioli with meatsauce, veggie, pineapple, milk.
Tuesday - No School - Teachers’ Professional Workshop
Wednesday - Macaroni and cheese, green beans, sliced apples with
cinnamon, milk.
Thursday - Cheeseburger with roll, Smiley
Shaped fries, corn, Baker’s Choice, milk.
Friday - Bologna
and cheese sandwich, cucumber slices, potato chips, fresh fruit,
milk.
Ice cream is sold every Tuesday and Thursday. Snacks will be
offered every day between 8 and 10:30 a.m.
If you have any questions concerning the Lunch Program,
please call anytime. 798-5651.
To
the Residents of Pittsfield,
The major role of the Planning
Board is to review development applications for the public. For
the most part, this review consists of making sure that all
proposals meet zoning regulations and other requirements in
accordance with the Master Plan. Politics has no place in the
plan review process - it’s a matter of whether or not the
applicant has done what is required by the Town.
At the February 18th meeting, the Planning Board adopted
changes to the regulations, outlining the process, making
requirements user friendly for applicants and clear for
abutters, the board, and the public. This ensures that
applications are judged by merit rather than political and/or
personal biases or agendas. The process was used directly after
adoption to review a lot line adjustment application, showing
the process to be effective.
It is crucial to have a planning board that is as objective
and impartial as possible. The best way to accomplish this is to
have an appointed planning board, which is the norm across the
state (with good reason). Rather than being politically driven,
appointed planning board members are more apt to consider their
responsibilities at hand in service to the community. The Board
of Selectmen, in addition to its role of appointing planning
board members, can also remove them for not performing their
duties. Pittsfield also has an Ethics Committee, which puts yet
another set of eyes on the process. Lastly, the Town has
contracted with Central NH Regional Planning Commission to
conduct plan reviews. With a smooth process, professional
assistance, an appointed Planning Board, and a very active
Economic Development Committee, Pittsfield is well on its way to
putting itself on the map for outsiders as a welcoming and
business friendly community. March 9th, please vote NO on
Article 2 and YES on Article 3.
Sincerely,
Larry Konopka
Board of Selectmen Liaison
Letter
Please Vote on Tuesday, March 9th!
I wonder which of these three statements would appear the
most in a review of all minutes from the town’s committees,
including PB (Planning Board), of course: 1) We won’t discuss
because town counsel has not reviewed yet; 2) We won’t discuss
because town counsel is still reviewing; 3) We won’t discuss
because town counsel already reviewed. Whichever statement wins,
all three provide a great smokescreen nonetheless. It is worth
noting that last year’s Zoning Ordinance submitted to voters by
the 2008 PB, and voted down by 80% of those voters, was approved
by the town’s legal counsel. Go figure!
This year’s PB carried one of the slowest workloads in
recent history, barely receiving a half-dozen applications all
year, most of them minor zoning issues. Yet, back in November
2009, both the PB and Selectmen minutes reflect a plan of
allotting $17500 taxpayer dollars for the CNHRPC to rewrite our
Zoning Ordinances and report to next year’s Planning Board after
the March 2010 elections! Might the word “appointed” apply, as
well?
I find the behavior and actions of the Planning Board
majority troubling on so many levels. But since the next couple
of years will hardly involve a real estate boom, there is still
time for redemption before the board is inundated with
applications. I am convinced that an elected 5-member Planning
Board is best, that the frontage and home occupation articles
are fair, appropriate, and deserve a yes vote THIS YEAR. We must
elect and, more-importantly, re-elect only those candidates who
will cast votes according to procedure rather than which way the
wind is blowing, who will research zoning laws that require
revision, who will debate issues according to facts, and who
will vote in the best interest of the residents of Pittsfield.
God Bless Our Troops
Rachel Wood
Pittsfield, NH
New Hampshire Students Named To Dean’s List
At Southern New Hampshire University
The following students from New Hampshire have been named
to the Dean ’s List for the Fall 2009 semester at Southern New
Hampshire University in Manchester. To be eligible for
this honor, a student must compile an academic grade point
average of 3.0-3.49.
Chichester: Scott Finan, Accounting.
Northwood: Anthony Haroutunian, Business Administration,
Angela Isaia, Psychology, and Michael Leoncyk, Psychology.
Pittsfield: Christopher Ward, Business Admin/3 Year Program.
Letter
To the Citizens of Pittsfield,
We urge you to please vote
in favor of Article #3 on March 9, 2010. We believe that an
appointed Planning Board will benefit Pittsfield in the
following ways:
• The Board of Selectmen will be able to select candidates
based upon their background and knowledge.
• The Board of Selectmen can assemble a Planning Board
membership which embodies the understanding and the importance
of interacting with the Board of Selectmen, the Zoning Board of
Adjustment, the Economic Development Committee, and other local
bodies to achieve a common vision for Pittsfield.
• The Board of Selectmen will be able to make adjustments in
the membership of the Planning Board, as may currently be done
with the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Economic Development
Committee, to assure that the membership is working toward the
common goals adopted by the Master Plan, and other visionary
documents.
Pittsfield Board Of Selectmen
Linda P. Small, Chairman,
Edward L. Vien, Vice Chairman
Lawrence J. Konopka
Progress Update On Pittsfield Youth Athletic Park
In The Beginning
It is hard to believe that nearly three years have gone by
since three people met over coffee at Dunkin Donuts in early
2007 and discussed the needs of Pittsfield Youth Athletic Park.
Several meetings were held with directors of Pittsfield Youth
Baseball and what initially started as simply adding another
baseball field for 16-18 year olds became a much larger project.
Added was the reconstruction of the three old fields with
appropriate drainage, installing a septic system and restrooms,
enlargement of the concession stand to allow for a larger
meeting hall upstairs, handicapped access, relocation of the
parking lot away from the fields, a new soccer field, lighting
for the parking lot and new field, and a new and attractive
entrance.
Ambitious? You bet! That is the whopper of understatements.
But the optimists among us believed that it could be done with a
lot of hard work and determination. We suspected that there
would be obstacles along the way, but we were determined to
overcome any that confronted us. “No one knows what they can do
until they try.”
Meeting after meeting was held to discuss what was needed,
keeping in mind “Kids First,” the motto of PYBA. Brown
Engineering was hired to survey and develop a plan for
thoroughly restructuring and enlarging the Park. The company
donated one-half of its cost. After several revisions a plan was
accepted and fundraising began.
The first order of business was to obtain the necessary
local, state, and federal permits, a major time consuming
effort. From the town PYBA obtained a Planning Board Permit,
Zoning Board approval, a Demolition Permit to remove the old
garage on the property, a Driveway Permit, plumbing and
electrical permits, a Notice of Intent to Cut Timber,
Conservation Commission approval, and Abutters Concurrences.
From the State PYBA obtained a Division of Historic
Resources Permit as well as an Alteration of Terrain Permit. It
took many months and thousands of dollars to obtain a Wetlands
Board Permit which ultimately required reconstructing the area
along the brook. Carl Sherblom voluntarily designed the septic
system (twice) and obtained the necessary State permit. A
Federal Storm Water Permit was obtained from the Federal
Government.
Recognizing the need for expert advice and
guidance on such a huge undertaking, Richard Foss was asked to
be the Clerk of the Works and he readily accepted. The planning
was complete, and now to the fun—beginning construction.
The Work Begins
The initial plan called for the Army
Engineers to do all of the site work costing PYBA only money for
fuel. This would save between $150,000 and $200,000 in expenses.
As time progressed and the September start date approached, no
confirmation was forthcoming. Everyone became very nervous and
PYBA began to explore alternatives. Rough estimates were
solicited but drastically exceeded the money that had been
raised—huge road block #1, but we overcame!
David Ladd of Epsom Land Clearing volunteered to clear all
of the trees and brush along the road and on the location where
the new field would be built. This took place primarily in
August and September of 2007. At the same time members of PYBA
razed the old garage, and removed the batting cage and storage
shed to a trailer provided through the kindness Fuzz Freese of
Tom’s Trailers.
The
following year was devoted almost exclusively to site work. Jim
Parker of J. Parker & Daughters volunteered to remove the stumps
in the newly cleared area. After that work was done he and his
men under the direction of Steve Bishop screened huge amounts of
loam, piling it high on what will become a new soccer field. The
excess rocks were crushed into gravel and used for the base of
the parking lot. Months of work were donated free of charge.
Next in the process was removing 40,000 square yards of material
from where the new field was to be located and spreading it on
the old fields. An estimate was obtained which again was far
beyond our means—huge roadblock #2, but we overcame!
Jim Parker again came to the rescue. He agreed to haul off
the unneeded fill at cost. Advertisements were placed in the
newspaper and in September and October of 2008 and thousand of
yards of were purchased by local citizens at an extremely low
price which paid Mr. Parker’s expenses for delivering the fill.
In November the entire project got a major boost, an award
of approximately $50,000 from Baseball Tomorrow, a foundation
created by Major League Baseball and the Players Association. It
was one of the very few that had ever been granted to a New
Hampshire organization. And more was to come. In January 2009
PYBA received a grant of $20,000 from the New Hampshire
Charitable Foundation.
After hauling away the excess fill from the job site Jim
Parker, now being paid reduced rates for his work, began
removing the rest of the fill from the new field and placing it
on the three old fields. Bang! What was that? Oh No! Ledge!
About one-half way through removing the remaining fill, Jim hit
ledge. No one anticipated this, neither contractors nor
engineers. After all, we were working in an old gravel pit—huge
roadblock #3, but we overcame!
Through connections, a company from Maine was hired in
February 2009 at a discount rate to blast the ledge away at a
cost of $39,000. But subsequently it had to be broken up and run
through a crusher. Jim did a great deal of this for free, but
simply could not do it all. We needed more help. In July Jim
Locke of Northeast Earth Mechanics came to the rescue. He
brought his toe ram on to the site, broke up the remaining
boulders and hauled them off for an unimaginably low price just
to help out the project.
All during this time other activities were going on. In the
winter of 2009 the septic system was installed. Buddy Bedell
agreed to build the addition to the Concession Stand essentially
for the cost of materials. By May the exterior had been
completed.
However, a dark cloud had hung over the project throughout
the winter and spring of 2009. The “adults” began squabbling and
could not seem to overcome their differences. Progress was at a
stand still, jeopardizing completion of the lower fields for the
2010 season—huge road block #4, but we overcame!
This time it was Eric Bahr, Scott Brown, and Kent Brown who
came to the rescue. Through their intercession and wise counsel
meetings were held with all involved and the major differences
ironed out. We were back on track.
But then rains came and came and came. The spring and early
summer were the wettest in memory. No work could be done for
weeks as the area was a pond of mud, even in July. Delay after
delay further jeopardized completion of the lower fields on
time—huge problem #5, but we overcame!
During the few dry spells Jim Parker’s crew continued to
work on the lower fields but progress was slow because of the
weather. Finally, he was compelled to stop work and place his
men and equipment on a paying job. And then Scott Aubertin, Jim
Brown, Jim Webber, and Ray Webber came to the rescue. They
volunteered their equipment and hundreds of hours of labor
placing a retaining wall behind the backstop on Field #1,
installing a draining ditch, and completing various other site
work necessities. Throughout this period, Kent Brown and Dennis
Rialand of Brown Engineering repeatedly helped reset grade
stakes and undertake further surveying.
In July a number of volunteers led by Buddy Bedell and Cea
Genest cut and removed all of the brush along the brook. Ray
Webber, Jr. completed the excavation work in compliance with the
Wetlands Board. The required vegetation was purchased with a
grant from PSNH and Chris Morel and his helper Jake Ramsey of We
Can Do Landscaping did all of the planting free of charge.
At the end of July Ray Webber, III and his father removed the
tops from the dugouts on Field #1. John Vien provided all of the
labor, cement blocks, and other materials need to raise them
four levels, free of charge. He also skim-coated the exteriors
of the dugouts to make them more attractive. Once this was done,
Ray, Jr., Ray III, and Jim Webber returned and reinstalled the
original tops.
In August Jim Parker was back with his full crew for over a
week, spreading the fill that had been moved from the new field
to the three old fields. The infield mix was installed and
again, Jim Locke helped by providing the labor and grader to
level the fields to final grade. All was ready for hydro-seeding
which was completed right away by Peter Pszonowsky. And guess
what? Not a drop of rain fell for the following month. Peter
attempted to water the area but weeks went by with no
substantial growth—huge problem #6, hopefully overcome!
We are told that the seed will germinate as soon as warm
weather approaches. However, as a back up, Peter has agreed to
repeat the hydro-seeding process as soon as weather permits. At
this point we could use a few prayers from everyone.
Electrical work began in earnest in August of 2009. PSNH
relocated its entrance pole and Joseph Darrah voluntarily spent
a day digging and refilling the trench for the underground
wiring to the panel boxes in the addition to the concession
stand. Men working for Harry O Electric, which took the job at a
reduced rate, ran the wire and installed the new entrance boxes
according to code. Chris Ward wired the addition to the meeting
hall free of charge.
The rains came again in September resulting in another
crisis. The infields became a pile of mud. Unlike the stone dust
that had been used for years, the granting agency required
infield mix, a completely different material. A formula was
obtained from a reputable local company but obviously was not
correct—huge problem #7.
Jim Parker again comes to the rescue. He has promised to
correct the problem immediately after the snow leaves the ground
in the spring.
In the late fall Dan Schroth and his crew, among them, Jeff
Ames, Clint Brewster, Ryan Chase and James Schroth, began
rebuilding the stone wall near the road at the east end of the
Park, free of charge. A large amount of shim stones was hauled
and donated by Dan. Tom and Mary Chayer donated several loads of
stone which were hauled free of charge by Peter Pszonowsky. The
group continues the work throughout the winter and at this
writing it is nearly complete.
Where Do We Go From Here?
We are a long way from being
finished. But we will continue to put forth our best effort and
we will not fail! Using an a well known slogan these days, “Yes,
we can!”
The new field needs to be completed. Several piles of
material need to be removed, drainage installed, loam spread and
hydro-seeding completed.
The parking lot and new soccer field have to be finished.
About two-thirds of the parking lot needs to have gravel
installed and loam has to be spread on the soccer field.
The
electrical wiring has to be completed. Herbert Bartlett has
agreed to dig the trench along the right-hand side of the park
as soon as weather permits and install the bases (which have
already been purchased) for the lights. Wiring to the dugouts
and scoreboard also needs to be done as well as installing the
parking lot lighting.
The restrooms need to be completed. The Foss Family
Foundation has generously provided a huge grant to pay for them.
The fixtures need to be installed and the fire escape finished.
The front area needs planning. Decisions will have to be
made about the location of the Park sign, the plaques honoring
the donors, and the flag poles (one is being donated by Scott
and Donna Ward in honor of their son, one by the American
Legion, and the flags by John Frederic Nutter), and plantings
will need to be arranged.
Efforts to continue seeking volunteers and donations so that
all of the work can be completed must be continued. Thus far, 30
individuals have made major donations to the project. Nearly 40
people have made smaller donations. Over 10 businesses have made
major contributions and a like number, smaller donations. The
Class of 1944, the Men of Rotary, the Women of Rotary, and the
Pittsfield Police Association have also made major donations, as
have the Trustees of Trust Funds by directing support from the
Sanderson Fund.
Importantly, dozens of in-kind contributions have been made
worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Jim Parker alone had
contributed over $150,000 in services. The outpouring of support
from the community has been simply overwhelming. PYBA thanks the
entire community for its effort in promoting this tremendous
undertaking. But a project of this size is not completed over
night. It is certainly no sport for the short-winded.
WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP. A great deal of money still needs
to be raised. We all know that these are hard times. Many people
simply cannot donate. However, many others can, but leave it to
their neighbors to do so. Many of these people had children
benefit from PYBA programs and indeed, many likely played at
Pittsfield Youth Athletic Park themselves.
How wonderful it would be if every player and every parent
and grandparent of every player contributed. Please think about
that statement carefully. Nearly 100 individuals have given to
the project but that is only a small fraction of Pittsfield’s
population. Even people who gave two or three years ago might
consider an additional donation for such a worthy cause. Every
dollar counts. Please, get out your check book and send a tax
deductible contribution to the PYBA Renovation Project, Post
Office Box 112, Pittsfield, New Hampshire 03263.
We thank you. The future youth of Pittsfield will appreciate
your contributions and benefit from your generosity.
Warm up this Winter with Hearty (Raucous) Laughter
Hotbed Hotel Comes To The Scenic!
Once again, Director John Charron pushes the comedic
envelope as he brings yet another rollicking comedy to the
winter audiences at the Scenic. Last year’s Love, Sex, and the
IRS was such a success that Charron decided to bring yet another
side-splitting comedy, Hotbed Hotel penned by Michael Parker.
Scheduled to run March 26th, 27th, 28th and April 2nd and 3rd,
this show will be sure to be a repeat performance of some of the
Scenic’s best comedic talent.
Its storyline reflects our difficult economic times:
Terri and Brian Cody are trying to sell their one star (and
often one guest) hotel in the Florida Keys. A prospective buyer
is about to arrive from New York. They decide to have the staff
masquerade as paying guests to convince him that the
establishment is busy and prosperous. Unfortunately, the staff
consists of a bibulous maintenance man and a curvaceous, but
somewhat vacant, young maid. Add the eccentric retired British
Army Major who resides at the hotel, a wealthy Arab Sheik (who
looks suspiciously like the Major), a nymphomaniac dubbed The
Barracuda during her annual stays, the prospective buyer’s
girlfriend and, unexpectedly, his wife, and you have a laugh a
minute merry go round that will leave you screaming with
delight.
The cast includes:
Mike Hobson as Hopkins;
Barbara
Oliveria as Hayley;
Mike Davis as Major Ponsenby;
Tracy
Remington as Ashley ;
Carole Neveux as Dorothy;
Jennifer
Kearns as Maureen;
Ross Morse as Sam Lewis;
Robyn Souza
as Terri Cody;
Ernie Bass as Brian Cody.
This show
contains adult content.
Letter
On March 9, the voters of Pittsfield will be asked to elect
two new members for the Pittsfield Planning Board. The Planning
Board is an important organization because they make land use
decisions that affect our property values and our rights to use
and enjoy our property. As a current member of the Planning
Board, Jim Pritchard has demonstrated a commitment to support
the rights of land owners to peacefully use and enjoy their
property while also acknowledging an abutter’s right to the
same. Jim does not bend to the pressures of big developers or
the cronyism of small town politics. This unbiased independence
assures that all parties will be treated fairly. Jim’s knowledge
of New Hampshire land use case law and associated statutes
rivals the knowledge of even the most experienced attorneys. His
fairness, knowledge and independence are assets to the Planning
Board and I encourage you to vote for Jim on March 9.
Daren Nielsen
Pittsfield, New Hampshire
Letter
On February 18, the Pittsfield Planning Board adopted new
application-review regulations written by Central New Hampshire
Regional Planning Commission and the Town Attorney. Voting “yes”
were Dan Schroth, Larry Konopka, Bill Miskoe, and Ted Mitchell.
Voting “no” were Dan Greene, Clayton Wood, and I. I voted “no”
for many reasons but mostly because the new application-review
process substantially reduces the public’s opportunity for
meaningful participation. If February 18 foreshadows what CNHRPC
will do to the zoning ordinance next year—while taking $17,500
of your money to do it—then Pittsfield citizens will lose again.
This election presents the voters a simple choice: Do you
want to empower yourself, or do you want to empower the planning
board and board of selectmen? You empower yourself if you vote
“no” on Article 3 (seven-member appointed planning board) and
“yes” on Article 2 (five-member elected planning board), Article
4 (inconspicuous home occupations permitted everywhere by
right), and Article 5 (Class V highway frontage). You empower
the planning board and board of selectmen if you vote the
opposite way. The election is that simple.
The board of selectmen sent the Town Attorney, at your
expense, to the planning board hearing to support the new
application-review regulations. The selectmen would not have
needed her if they had expected no opposition. Standing up to
the Town Attorney, especially face to face and in dissent, takes
courage that few Town officials have. I do my homework and then
vote my conscience. I am running for reelection, and I
respectfully ask for the honor of your vote on March 9 so that I
may continue to serve you.
Thank you,
Jim Pritchard
News From The Pittsfield School Board
Submitted By: The Negotiating Teams Of The Pittsfield School
Board And Education Association Of Pittsfield
The School Board has negotiated a new one-year contract with
the Education Association of Pittsfield (EAP). The EAP
represents the school district’s teachers and other categories
of professional employees such as our school nurses. The current
school year, 2009-2010, represents the final year of the
three-year existing contract between the school district and the
EAP. School board and EAP negotiators met throughout the
fall to reach an agreement. What resulted is a one-year
contract that was accepted by both the school board and the EAP
membership.
In addition to agreement on a number of contractual issues
such as sick time and professional development, the new contract
lowers the cap the district is required to pay for health
insurance and maintains the current salary schedule, which is
commonly known as a “step and track” system.
In a “step and track” salary schedule, an employee’s salary
is determined by his/her years of experience (the “step”) and
educational level (the “track”). For example, when a
teacher works for an additional year in the school district, the
teacher will be placed on the next salary step. Similarly,
if a teacher earns additional university credits or an advanced
degree in his/her field, the teacher will be placed on the next
salary track.
As noted, the negotiated agreement keeps the current salary
guide in place for another year. However, it also allows
for placement of teachers on the proper step and track, based on
level of education and years of experience. Because of
this placement, the approval of the negotiated agreement will
require an additional $56,900, which has an impact of
approximately $.18/thousand on the Pittsfield tax rate.
Pittsfield’s salaries have historically been low when
compared with area school districts and similar school
districts. In practical terms, a relatively low salary
schedule provides the school district with relatively lower
personnel costs. On the other hand, the Pittsfield salary
schedule presents challenges in recruiting and retaining the
strongest teachers. This is especially evident in
hard-to-fill positions that require a high degree of specialized
knowledge and skill, areas identified as “critical shortage
areas” by the New Hampshire Department of Education such as
teachers of upper level math, sciences, and world languages. We
believe we need to maintain the step for our teachers.
The school board believes the negotiated agreement to be fair
and thanks the Education Association of Pittsfield for
collaborating on a positive outcome in this year’s negotiations.
We hope you will join us at District meeting and support the
Warrant article for the negotiated agreement.
Letter
To the Citizens of Pittsfield,
My name is Mary Paradise
and I have lived in Pittsfield for 21 years with my family. It
has been my privilege to serve on the School Board for 4
terms. I served as the budget committee representative for 10
years and currently am the Chairwoman of the Board. It is
important to me to contribute to public education not only for
my children but for all the students in our community.
I have worked in the field of education for over 25 years.
Public education is a passion of mine as I truly believe it is
our charge to ensure all children have access to a public
sponsored education that prepares them for their life choices.
My experiences serve me well in understanding budgets, policy
and the day to day functioning of a school system. It allows me
to be an effective board member.
During my tenure on the Board we have seen building
renovations, several administrations, shifting educational
thinking and high stakes assessment. Currently Pittsfield has
one of the strongest administrative teams it has been my
pleasure to work with. We have teachers and staff that are truly
dedicated and working hard for our students. I would appreciate
the opportunity to continue to work with this educational team.
One of the most exciting opportunities is our current work
of looking at how our middle/high school can accommodate our
smaller population of students and provide a stronger
educational experience for them. We are looking at new ways of
working as a small school district and striving to do better for
our students while being more cost efficient. This is extremely
important work and I would like the chance to see it through by
serving another term as a Pittsfield School Board member. Your
support of my candidacy would be greatly appreciated.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Paradise
Letter
To The Residents Of Pittsfield,
I would like to explain
several responses to my letters.
First, the use of the word
“cronies”. If you check the dictionary, this word means “Friend,
Associates, or Companions. I don’t see where this is negative.
Second, in response to Rachel Wood, Yes the Town has the
right to vote, but I don’t agree with what is going on. I
expected you to support Jim’s issues seeing as your husband
Clayton has voted with Jim and signed all his letters. I am not
against different opinions, but when the Board votes I believe
that its members should work together not bring up their own
agendas presenting them as right. Jim has brought all of these
issues for discussion to the Board and didn’t like the Board’s
vote. So he brings them as Citizen’s Petitions.
Third, in Jim’s letter asking for your vote, he stated, “I
brought to the Planning Board six years of experience.” I hope
people realize that most of that was with his attorney during
legal actions against the Town. Jim has yet to win a case, so he
figured maybe if I am on the Board, I could get my issues
handled by the Board. Good zoning is not restrictive. It should
help townspeople as well as outsiders do things properly.
I don’t want to be NEGATIVE all the time, but feel it is
important that the voters know this information.
I would hope that all Town Residents come and vote on
Tuesday, March 9, 2010. You are the people who these boards
represent and even when we don’t agree everyone has the right to
vote how they see it.
Thank you for your time and vote.
Hank FitzGerald, III
Pittsfield, NH
VA Begins Nationwide GI Bill Advertising
Campaign To Reach Students
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced a
two-month, nationwide advertising campaign to assist student
Veterans and service members applying for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
“VA, student Veterans and our schools have made significant
progress in implementing the GI Bill this spring, but we still
have more to do,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki. “We won’t rest until all student Veterans have
received the education benefit they earned in defense of our
Nation.”
Since inception of this historic new program, VA has issued
nearly $1.9 billion in Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit payments and
opened the door to higher education to 209,490 people.
Obituaries
Cindy Lee Parker
Cindy Lee (Clement) Parker 52, of Daroska Road, died
February 22nd at the CRVNA Hospice House in Concord, following a
brief battle with cancer.
She was born in Dover, the daughter of George and Kathleen
Cates Clement and was raised in Barnstead.
She attended Pittsfield High School.
She was employed for the past 10 years at Bell Brothers
Convenience Store in Pittsfield.
She is survived by her husband, Joseph W. Parker Jr. of
Pittsfield; 2 sons, Joseph Clement of Pittsfield, and Timothy
Clement and his wife Deanna of Penacook; 2 daughters,
Sarah Wentworth and husband Mike of Alton, and Katie Wood
and husband Shaun of San Antonio, TX; 2 Stepdaughters, Amy Dunne
and Angela Clement.
She was predeceased by a son Matthew.
She was considered the” best grandmother “to 12
Grandchildren, Brandee, Katie, Matt, Lexi and Samantha Dunne;
Brandon, Jasmine and Matthew Clement; Ashley Chouinard and
Michael Wentworth and Liberty and Parker Wood; 2 brothers,
George Clement III of Pittsfield and Mark Clement of McDonough,
GA; 5 sisters, Anita Bousquet, Deborah Fair, Christine Pinto,
Virginia Teloian, and Jennifer Martin; 2 Stepsisters, Pamela
Publicover and Cynthia Foss.
She was also predeceased by a sister, Betty Clement and a
brother, Michael Clement.
Private services will be held at the family’s convenience.
A Public Graveside Service will be held in the spring in the
Riverview Cemetery, Barnstead.
Donations in her memory may be made to the CRVNA Hospice
House, 30 Pillsbury St., Concord, NH 03301.
Perkins & Pollard Memorial Home, Pittsfield is assisting
with arrangements.
To sign an online guest book, log on to
www.perkinsandpollard.com
