Friends
Church in South Pittsfield will be open for services on July 31 with
Nancy Talbott speaking. Services start at 1:00 pm.
Those Celebrating Birthdays this week are: July 27, Melonie Murry,
Tori Volpe, Trisha Cheever, Deanna Gordon; July 28, Royce Elkins,
Bill Heath; July 31, Amanda Quatrucci; August 1, Robert Hetu,
Jennifer Clark; August 2, Diane Vaughan.
A Very Happy Birthday To
One and All!
Celebrating Anniversaries are: July
31, Don and Dee Tabot.
Best Wishes!
Movie Night
with an ice cream social following (all with No charge) at Park
Street Baptist Church in Pittsfield on Sunday, July 31st at 6:00
p.m. Bring the whole family!
The Secrets Of Jonathan Sperry
centers around best buddies Dustin, Albert and Mark, three 12 year
old boys looking forward to a fun summer in 1970. When Dustin
mows the lawn of 75 year old Jonathan Sperry (Gavin MacLeod), a man
he’s seen at church, a unique friendship develops destined to leave
lifelong lessons in its wake. The film is rated PG and is about 1
1/2 hours long. Call the church (435-8036) for more info.
What
You Need To Know A Guide To Understanding The Pittsfield School
District Redesign By Ross Morse, Community Advisory Council
Member
What Is Student Centered Learning?
The whole process of
the Pittsfield School District’s redesign of its current educational
ideology is based upon the concept of student-centered learning.
Student-centered learning is an approach to education which puts
students first and empowers them to take ownership of their
learning. By creating rigorous individual goals and engaging in
diverse relevant learning opportunities that extend beyond the
classroom, students develop and demonstrate mastery of 21st Century
Skills.
A student-centered school creates conditions that empower
and inspire students to take control of and responsibility for their
own learning. Choosing from a wide array of learning opportunities
such as project-based learning, service learning, inquiry-based
learning and internships, students are able to tailor their
educational experiences to their unique interests, talents, and
aspirations. Each student is actively engaged in the development and
implementation of a personal learning plan that focuses on 21st
century skills such as team building, problem solving, and
self-reliance along with academic growth in literacy, math and
science.
Learning occurs through real world experiences that not
only provides relevant content but also enables students to become
personally relevant within our community.
Students are frequently
asked to demonstrate what they know and can do in performance
assessments, portfolio development and exhibitions. As a result they
are increasingly able to assess and reflect on their skills and
learning needs.
Student voice and choice are foundational
components of a student-centered school. Their participation in
school-wide decision-making is not only sought, but also valued.
Student interests are at the heart of all the work and effort by the
adults in the school community. The school has a simple mantra
concerning the focus on students; this is after all about them.
Looking ahead into the future, we see students with a clear vision
of their own personal growth and equipped with the tools to
recognize opportunities to succeed: As a student in this school I
get to plan my program based on my strengths and interests. I have a
chance to choose from many types of educational opportunities that
connect to real life experiences and because of that I am able to
contribute to my community as I learn. My personal learning plan is
designed to prepare me for my future and increase my skills. I
am given multiple opportunities to show what I can do through
performance exhibitions and I am encouraged to access and reflect on
my own growth. Adults in the school and community listen to me and
support my efforts of discovery and personal growth. Teachers put my
interests first and I feel valued at this school.
In our next
article we will introduce advisories and the multiple pathways of
learning becoming available to our community’s students.
Access
Josiah Carpenter Library Online, 24/7?
Did you know that you can
access Josiah Carpenter Library online 24/7 ?
We are located at:
http://www.josiahcarpenterlibrary.org.
Do you know what you
can do at Josiah Carpenter Library ONLINE 24/7 ?
• View our
New Books • Read a magazine online • Link through to follow us
on Facebook • Read and comment on our Blogspot • Play games on
Tumblebooks • Download FREE eBooks • Download free Audiobooks
• Look at our photo album • Check our calendar • Get
directions • Send us an e-mail and reserve a new book, request an
inter-library loan or put your name in the queue for a Netflix DVD.
All Online And All 24/7
Check us out at
http://www.josiahcarpenterlibrary.org
Rotary
Round-Up!
What is Rotary? Rotary is people, your friends
and neighbors, who get together to perform public service and help
bring out the best in others and their communities. “Service
Above Self” is the Rotary motto!
The Pittsfield Rotary Club meets
each week and enjoys a meal prepared by a local community group; a
fund-raiser for them! We plan fund-raising projects and determine
ways we can assist communities and people near and far. We
also host guest speakers from all walks of life.
In June, the
Pittsfield Rotary Club held its annual “Changing of the Guard”, at
Pleasant View Gardens. We said “thank you” to outgoing
President Jeremy Yeaton, and welcomed in our new President Jonathan
Ward.
We are busy putting together the final plans for the 30th
Annual Balloon Rally; our largest and most important fund-raiser!
The work of many people and months of planning make each
year’s Balloon Rally a success. We have a
fantastic celebration of 30 years planned for Aug 5-7th!
See you
at the 30th Pittsfield Rotary Hot Air Balloon Rally!
Donna Keeley
Welcome
Home Picnic For Msgt. Daniel M. Ward
Come celebrate Dan’s 31 years of active duty service and his return
from Kuwait and Afghanistan at FB Argue Pool on Saturday, July 30
from 12:00-5:00. Stop by for a minute or bring a picnic for
the afternoon. Light refreshments will be served and the pool
snack shack will be open. If you would like to help with food
or decoration please contact Nicole Ward at 435-5285. Free
poster board will be available at the town pool if your family or
organization would like to show its appreciation. Please
return posters to the town pool by 4:45 Friday, July 29th.
TOPS
News Submitted By Terrie Azotea
All is good on Tuesday nights
at TOPS. We have been trying to keep busy and stay out of the summer
heat. At our meeting on Tuesday night, we went over some tips to
help us stay on track. There were 15 in all but here are a few we
went over:
1. As I have said before, drink lots of water at
least 8 -8 oz glasses a day.
2. If there is a certain food that
you are craving, eat it because you will eat everything else and
then go back and eat it anyway. So we might as well eat it in the
first place. Just use portion control!
3. Read your labels..There
is so much information on them. Check your serving size and count
your calories. Most of all, have a positive attitude in all things
that you do.
Next week we will be starting a new contest, which
should be lots of fun and is a way to encourage us.
I know my
garden is starting to produce some pretty nice veggies. So check out
your favorite cookbooks, eat those veggies and enjoy; it’s such a
short season.
We would love to see some new faces at TOPS.
If you’re not doing anything on a Tuesday night, come on downtown
and see what we do.
We meet on Tuesday nights at the St. Stephen
Church on Main Street. Weigh-in is at 5:30 and the meeting is at
6:30.
Please give Laurel Tiede a call at 269-8721 or Pat Smith at
435-5333. These ladies would be glad to answer any questions you
might have.
Have a great week and we will see you all lighter
next week!
Letter
I am amazed and disgusted at how comfortable some people are living
in their homes that are absolutely filthy.
In many cases
the outside is a reflection of the inside and I have unfortunately
found out first hand how true that is.
We live on Clough Rd. and
some of these “Shacks” turn my stomach. We have hoarders that keep
everything. You can see it from the road and it goes back to the
woods as far as the eye can see. They dump more than leaf litter
over the edge of their properties. You have to goose step to get
from one end to another of their house and not a clear surface to be
found.
I have seen with my own eyes a resident take a tied up
plastic bag and fling it into the woods.
I feel sorry for that
cute little mobile home that is for sale, that probably won’t sell
because of that dump next to it.
I recently found out that a
resident down the road was forced to clean up his little mess, when
they had to pass several other properties that were ten times worse.
It breaks my heart to come up Tilton Hill, passing all these
beautiful well kept homes and properties and as soon as you hit the
dirt it’s all down hill from there. Just because you live on a dirt
road doesn’t mean you have to live in filth...and if we can see it,
we also have to live with it also.
Nauseated Neighbor
Letter
My Fellow Veterans: I am working on a research paper entitled
“From the War to the Classroom – Using the GI Bill for Education.” I
am looking for veterans from all war eras for completing a survey I
have devised. No personal information will be disclosed.
I have a short turn around so if you have a computer, please
send me an email to
[email protected] if you do not have a computer
and wish to help out, please call me at my cell phone number
344-0264.
Again, no personal information will be
disclosed. This applies to all who used the GI Bill for
education purposes.
Thank you, Merrill A. Vaughan
Pittsfield
Letter
Dear Pittsfield Residents: The Planning Board met on July 7, 2011
and made the following decisions:
1. Mud Run: Site Plan
application from Linda Martin, 145 Thompson Road. • Lengthy
discussion concerning safety, security, noise, traffic and road
conditions. After agreeing to some changes in these areas of
concern, the application was approved. Note: The Zoning Board
of Adjustment had already granted the exception to allow three
Mud Run events per year. The Planning Board does not have the
authority to reverse a Zoning Board decision. The Planning
Board’s authority is to ensure all requirements of an application
are met and all concerns are addressed.
2. Site Plan
Request from Robert Hetu: In-Law Apartment. • Since it only
required internal house modifications with no expanded Town service
and no new construction, it was approved.
3. State Revision
of RSA 673:6 • The State Legislature added a paragraph to RSA
673:6, V concerning use of appointed alternates to Town boards.
The Planning Board’s Rules of Procedures must be changed to specify
how alternates to the Board will be utilized. (This will be
addressed at a future meeting.)
Again, we encourage you to visit
Pittsfield-NH.com/Planning to leave comments. Thank you.
Ted Mitchell, Chair Pittsfield Planning Board
Special
Journal Showcases VA Women’s Health Research Submitted By Merrill
A. Vaughan
Vice Commander American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75
Pittsfield, NH 03263
A special supplement of the journal Women’s
Health Issues published July 13 shows the tremendous growth and
diversity of VA women’s health research in recent years. Its
publication comes as VA recognizes July as Women Veterans Month.
“VA has had a longstanding commitment to improving women’s health,”
said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, “This supplement shows the
tremendous progress we’ve made by making that commitment to women
Veterans a top priority across the Department.”
Titled “Health
and Health Care of Women Veterans and Women in the Military:
Research Informing Evidence-based Practice and Policy,” the special
journal edition, known as a supplement, features commentaries by VA
investigators examining the role, history, and future of women’s
health research. For example, in an opening commentary,
Elizabeth M. Yano, Ph.D., and Susan M. Frayne, M.D., discuss the
heightened focus on health services research, with more articles
published between 2004 and 2008; the first four years after VA
Office of Research and Development established its women’s health
agenda “than in the previous 25 years combined.”
The
supplement also includes 18 peer-reviewed research articles
addressing the changing demographics and demands of VA health care
presented by the recent surge of women Veterans into the VA system.
Among the topics addressed are: gender differences and disparities
in care; mental health, including military sexual trauma and
substance abuse; post deployment health, including posttraumatic
stress disorder; quality and delivery of care; and special
populations, including homeless women Veterans and those with
traumatic brain injuries. “With women expected to make up
10 percent of the Veteran population by 2018,” said VA Under
Secretary for Health Robert A. Petzel, M.D., “our goal of excellence
in health care for all of our Nation’s Veterans makes it imperative
that we prepare now to meet future demands.”
VA Chief Research
and Development Officer Joel Kupersmith, M.D. noted “VA Research is
making a tremendous difference in the lives of women Veterans.
The supplement clearly shows the scope and depth of VA’s research
portfolio and the many ways we are working to improve the health of
women Veterans.”
Women’s Health Issues is the bi-monthly
peer-reviewed journal of the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health at
the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health
Services. The journal focuses on applied research in women’s
health care and policy issues. The special supplement, focused
on research related to the health issues of women Veterans and
Military women, was sponsored by the Health Services Research and
Development Service, VA Office of Research and Development with
support from the Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care group.
Free full-text access to the supplement’s articles can be accessed
at
www.whijournal.com/supplements.
For more information about
VA Research, research specifically addressing women’s health,
videos, and other women’s health information, visit
www.research.va.gov/.
Turning
65: Understanding TRICARE, Medicare By Sharon Foster TRICARE
Management Activity Submitted By Merrill A. Vaughan
Vice
Commander American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75
Pittsfield, NH 03263
A 64 year old beneficiary is currently receiving TRICARE
benefits. When he turns 65, does he need Medicare if he already has
TRICARE? Will he personally have to sign-up for Medicare or will
TRICARE do this for him? Questions like these are normal for some
beneficiaries not sure of their options when turning 65.
TRICARE and Medicare are separate programs. Medicare is health
insurance for people age 65 or older, as well as for people under
age 65 who have qualified for Social Security disability insurance.
TRICARE For Life is TRICARE’s Medicare-wrap around coverage
available to all Medicare-eligible TRICARE beneficiaries, regardless
of age or place of residence, provided they have Medicare Parts A
and B. There is no paperwork associated with TFL. Beneficiaries
automatically gain coverage when they meet the requirements.
Beneficiaries must sign up for Medicare as soon as they become
eligible to ensure that they continue to get benefits under TRICARE.
Beneficiaries turning 65 receive reminder letters from the Defense
Manpower Data Center. For more information regarding Medicare
sign-up, beneficiaries can call at 800-633-4227 or go to
www.medicare.gov. Beneficiaries are ineligible for TRICARE
benefits for any period of time that they have Medicare Part A but
not Part B, with several exceptions. For information on these
exceptions, beneficiaries can go to
www.tricare.mil/factsheets/Medicare or talk with their regional
health care contractor.
While Medicare is the primary insurance
when a beneficiary turns 65, TRICARE acts as the secondary
insurance, minimizing out-of-pocket expenses. TRICARE covers
Medicare’s co-insurance and deductible. After Medicare pays its part
of the claim, TRICARE pays the remaining amount for any TRICARE
covered services and the beneficiary pays nothing. As the primary
payer, Medicare approves health care services for payment.
If a
beneficiary has other health insurance, Medicare forwards their
claim to that company. The beneficiary must then file a paper claim
with their TRICARE contractor. If the beneficiary has employer group
health plan coverage based on current employment, the employer group
pays first, Medicare pays second and TRICARE pays last.
Medicare
does not provide coverage outside of the United States and U.S.
territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands,
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands). TRICARE is the primary
payer for health care received overseas (except U.S. territories),
unless the beneficiary has other health insurance. Overseas, TFL
provides the same coverage as TRICARE Standard and has the same
cost-shares and deductibles. When seeking care from a host-nation
provider, beneficiaries should be prepared to pay up front for
services and submit a claim to the overseas claims processor.
Beneficiaries who have further questions about TRICARE and Medicare
coverage can go to
www.tricare.mil, or call Wisconsin Physicians Service at
866-773-0404. For more retiree news and information, please
visit
www.retirees.af.mil.
Obituaries
Francis
Norman St. Laurent
Francis N. St. Laurent, 69, died Thursday,
July 14, 2011 after a lengthy illness. He died at the Merrimack
County Home and was buried in the NH Veterans Cemetery. He is
survived by two brothers, Michael of Loudon, NH, Norman and wife of
Omaha, Nebraska and a son of Somersworth, NH. He was predeceased by
his parents, Norman and Arlene St. Laurent of Pittsfield, NH.
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