The
Clothes Closet
Carroll
Street
435-8142
The shop
will be closed for heat installation on Saturday, November 14th.
For your
benefit it will be open on Friday, November 13th, 10:00-1:00.
Closed
Thanksgiving Week for the holiday.
St
Stephen’s Prayer Shawl Ministry is continuing to meet every other
Monday morning at 10AM. Starting Mon Nov 16th, we will meet in St
Stephen’s Undercroft or church lower level. We pray, knit and
socialize as we create lovely shawls and scarfs to give people in
our community who are experiencing loss, are in need of healing or
are going through difficult times. We have patterns, expertise,
lovely skeins of homespun yarn, so a crochet hook or pair of size 10
to 13 needles is all that is needed, All are welcome.
HAM & BEAN DINNER
The
Suncook Valley Sno Riders are hosting their annual Ham & Bean Dinner
at the Barnstead Parade Fire Station on Saturday November 14, 2015
from 5pm – 7pm. Prices are $8.00 for adults, $4.50 for kids 6-12 and
under 5 is free. Major credit cards accepted! We will have club
stickers, sweatshirts, raffle tickets, trail maps, and club
memberships also on sale! Your dinner purchase also enters you into
our Turkey Drawing! Come for the ham and beans and maybe you’ll
leave with a free turkey!
For
more info visit
www.SuncookValleySnoRiders.com
Fantastic Fair
One of the many items on the Silent Auction is this
handcrafted “Noah’s Ark” with stuffed animals made by Freda Jones.
The Dorcas Guild’s Christmas Fair will be held November 21, 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m.
Come
one, come all to the Christmas Fair at the First Congregational
Church, 24 Main Street, Pittsfield, Saturday, November 21, from 9 to
2. Sponsored by The Dorcas Guild, this fair is nothing short of
fantastic.
There
are many handcrafted things: kitchen items, aprons, mittens, hats,
artwork, jewelry, toys and special gourmet and baked goods. Don’t
forget the “Unique Boutique” for outstanding values and the “Silent
Auction” for those special gifts.
Come to
shop and stay for a low-cost corn chowder and sandwich lunch. One of
New Hampshire’s great church fairs, this one is not to be missed.
Parking and wheelchair accessible entrance at rear of church, enter
at Chestnut Street. For more info, call the church office at
435-7471.
United States Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Patrick E. Bailey
Chief
Master Sergeant Patrick E. Bailey is the 49th Aircraft Maintenance
Squadron’s Maintenance Superintendent. In this position, he leads a
mission-focused team of 402 maintenance professionals providing
on-equipment maintenance for 31 MQ-1/9 Remotely Piloted Aircraft,
supporting the AF’s largest RPA field training unit. He advises the
commander on technical and personnel matters related to health of
the fleet and the health and welfare of the enlisted force.
Chief
Bailey was born in Vermont and raised in New Hampshire, graduating
from Pittsfield Middle High School in 1993 and joined the Air Force
in July 1993. He attended technical training at Lowry Air Force
Base, Colorado and subsequently reported to Cannon Air Force Base,
New Mexico as an EF-111A “Aardvark” Avionic Systems Specialist. His
diversified maintenance background encompasses EF-111A, F-117A,
F-16C/D block 30/40/50, F-22A, MQ-1 and MQ-9 airframes. Chief
Bailey has deployed in support of Operations PROVIDE COMFORT,
SOUTHERN WATCH, DENY FLIGHT, NOTHERN WATCH, IRAQI FREEDOM and NOBLE
EAGLE.
EDUCATION
1995
FCC Radio-Telephone Operator Course, Cannon Air Force Base, New
Mexico
1998
Airman Leadership School, Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico
2005
Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico
2006
Associate Degree, Avionic Systems Technology, CCAF
2010
Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell-Gunter
AFB, Alabama
2012
Advanced Maintenance Superintendent Course, Nellis AFB, Nevada
ASSIGNMENTS
1.
July 1993 – August 1993, Student, 331th Basic Military Training
Squadron, Lackland AFB, Texas
2.
August 1993 – March 1994, Student, 3450th Technical Training
Squadron, Lowry AFB, Colorado
3.
March 1994 – August 1998, EF-111A Avionics Journeyman, 429th
Electronic Combat Squadron, Cannon AFB, New Mexico
4.
August 1998 – October 2000, F-16 Avionics Journeyman, Specialist
Expediter, 4th Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
5.
October 2000 – October 2001, F-16 Avionics Quality Assurance
Inspector, 8th Operations Group, Kunsan AB, South Korea
6.
October 2001 – November 2003, F-16 Avionics Craftsman, Specialist
Expediter, 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy
7.
November 2003 – February 2007, F-117 Specialist Expediter,
Specialist Section Chief, 8th AMU, Holloman AFB, New Mexico
8.
February 2007 – February 2008, F-16 Production Superintendent, 36th
AMU, Osan AB, South Korea
9.
February 2008 – August 2011, F-16 Lead Production Superintendent,
35th AMU, Misawa AB, Japan
10.
August 2011 – Present, 7 AMU F-22 Lead Production Superintendent, 7
AMU Superintendent, 6 AMU MQ-1 Superintendent, Squadron Maintenance
Superintendent, Holloman AFB, New Mexico
MAJOR
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air
Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air
Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
OTHER
ACHIEVEMENTS
1996
Below the zone promotion to Senior Airman
1998
Lance P. Sijan award-NCO, Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico
2006
Lance P. Sijan award-SNCO, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico
2008
Tuskegee award-SNCO, Balad Air Base, Iraq
2009
Lt. Gen Leo Marquez award-SNCO, Misawa Air Base, Japan
2012
Gen Lew Allen, Jr. award-SNCO, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman
January 1994
Airman
First Class November 1994
Senior
Airman January 1996
Staff
Sergeant August 1998
Technical Sergeant May 2003
Master
Sergeant
July 2006
Senior
Master Sergeant January 2011
Chief
Master Sergeant March 2015. Patrick was stationted for three years
at Elmandorf AF Base in Anchorage, AK for his Chief Master Sergeant
assignment.
Parents
Stanley and Sheila Bailey are proud to share this acknowledgement of
their son’s accomplishments.
Hunting In Pittsfield
Submitted By Larry Berkson
As
might be expected, my article on fishing led to questions about
hunting. However, there were only a few reports in the local
newspapers about hunting in the 19th and early 20th centuries except
the information I presented on bounty hunters a few weeks ago. There
is some anecdotal information which is presented below. This changed
with respect to deer hunting after World War II.
Hunting
Anecdotes
Game
was relatively plentiful in the 18th and 19th Centuries. The area
abounded with deer, moose, bear, rabbits, squirrels, pheasants,
partridge, woodcocks and water fowl. In the early years of
Pittsfield, hunting was not only a sport but a necessity for some,
to put meat on the table. One of the earliest newspaper reports was
in 1874 when Captain Everett Jenkins, Pittsfield’s post master, in a
single day, shot nine red squirrels, seven gray squirrels, three
partridges, and a striped squirrel.
In the
fall of 1881 farm laborer David F. Tilton and butcher Clinton M.
Green killed 71 gray squirrels and a partridge. Also that fall
Walter E. Grove, a young lad of 16, in addition to killing 52
woodchucks, killed several gray squirrels, partridges and ducks. He
also killed an eagle.
Some
hunting was to protect live-stock, although no bounty was involved.
For example, in 1882 Lang Rowe of Webster’s Mills shot two large hen
hawks, one with a wing span measuring four feet, four inches, and
the other three feet, 11 inches. The hawks each had carried off
young turkeys and chickens. Four years later in 1886 Van Bunker shot
a bird, probably a hawk or an eagle, with a wingspan of five feet,
eight inches.
By the
turn of the Twentieth Century partridge had become fairly scarce.
However, one was shot in 1905 by banker Herbert B. Fischer in a tree
on the grounds of the Tuttle Mansion on Main Street. According to
the newspaper report it “proved to be [a] very fine and plump one,
and no doubt made a fine toothsome meal.”
A
popular sport in the Twentieth Century was hunting raccoons with
dogs. During the fall season of 1928 through mid-October Frank Volpe
shot 26. Hunting rabbits with dogs was also a popular sport. I
remember Arnold Purtell kept a few beagles in his barn on Oak Street
in the 1950s and Bob Hemeon boarded some of his dogs there. They
hunted on weekends and when they did not, Kenny Purtell and I would
take the dogs to various parts of town and bring home a few good
ones. They sure made good eating. Today they are non-existent in the
area. Pheasants, a non-native bird put out by fish and game, were
also hunted, sometimes with pointer dogs.
Rather
strangely, little information was reported in The Valley Times about
deer kills in the early 20th Century. Indeed between 1927 and the
end of the World War II there were less than a dozen mentions of
individuals shooting deer. This seems a bit unusual, for in the
“Pittsfield Personals,” even the smallest of events was reported,
such as the circumference of a large egg, who had the grip, who was
visiting whom, and the number of hogs killed by a farmer. In 1931
there was an article on a gala venison feast at the Washington House
attended by a large number of people. However, the source of the
deer meat was not reported.
Nonetheless, it is known that deer were hunted with a vengeance
during the season, generally the month of December. And deer hunting
was a very serious affair. The first day of hunting season meant the
woods were full of men and factories and businesses were short on
help. Allan Remington, superintendent of the Cotton Mill in the
1940s, lamented in his report to the owners that it was a “sacred
day for hunters.” “Old-timers and many younger men,” he wrote,
“could not be expected to work on that day, in fact, some would not
work for several days . . . until they had their deer.”
Frank
Volpe’s Deer Club
Frank Volpe presenting John McCormick of Laconia a jacket
won in the 1957 Deer Pool.
In
December of 1928 Frank Volpe started a deer hunting club. Fifteen
hunters got together and each kicked in 50 cents and the person who
got the largest deer won the grand prize of $7.50. The rules were
that the deer must be woods dressed (heart and liver removed), each
member must shoot his own, and it must be weighed in at Volpe’s
Store. The rules changed little over time, adding only that no
hunter could receive more than one prize, the deer must be weighed
in within 24 hours of the kill, and if for any reason there was a
controversy, a committee of three members would be appointed to
settle the affair.
For
nearly a decade the results of the contest were not reported.
Presumably the club was comprised of a small group of local people
and did not draw much attention. However, after World War II it
began attracting a large number of members and considerable
notoriety.
The
club was non-profit, and as years passed the prizes far exceeded the
money taken in from club membership. Mr. Volpe, an avid hunter and
sponsor of the club, provided the excess funds and prizes, which
were high powered rifles for the major winners and small caliber
rifles for secondary winners, with all types of equipment and
clothing for others.
Awards
were made for several of the largest bucks and does taken and booby
prizes went to some of the smallest killed. Much later, when bow and
arrow season opened in Bear Brook, special prizes were awarded for
deer taken in that manner.
It
became a tradition for men to gather in front of Mr. Volpe’s store
on Depot Street at dusk every evening during hunting season to watch
the weigh-in. Mr. Volpe or his son would faithfully check the
carcass to make sure that it was disemboweled thoroughly and that no
weight had been placed up in the neck.
The
weights were recorded on large sheets of cardboard which covered the
entire back wall of the store. On it was an alphabetical list of all
those who had joined the club, the kill, if any, the weight, sex,
and in later years, the estimated distance the hunter was from the
kill when making the shot.
The
first report of deer pool winners was for the 1946 season. Two
hundred thirty-three joined the club and 40 deer were killed. Louis
Forbes, formerly of Pittsfield won with a 193 pound buck with 10
points. Norman Leduc of Pittsfield came in second with a 172 pound,
nine point buck. Other winners came from Barnstead, Epsom, and
Manchester. Harold Gilman of Pittsfield won the booby prize with a
47 pound doe.
The
number of members increased 1947 to 278 members, who made 73 kills,
48 bucks and 25 does. Herbert Bickford of Gilmanton Iron Works
scored a 196 pound, 10 point buck. No prizes were given for does.
Albert Brasley of Suncook won the booby prize with a 34½ pound buck.
Of the 15 prizes awarded, five went to Pittsfield men.
The
following year the number of members increased to 639. First prize,
a 300 Remington Automatic Rifle, went to Fred Welcome of Concord who
shot a 216 pound, eight point buck. The largest deer taken by a
Pittsfield man that year was by Albert Cheney who shot a seven point
buck weighing 181 pounds. He was awarded a 30-30 Winchester Rifle.
Leonard Tasker of Barnstead had the deer with largest antler rack,
17 points. One prize went to a woman, Evelyn Tasker, who shot a 167
pound, eight point buck. The booby prize went to Leonard Greer of
Pittsfield, for a 36½ pound doe.
In
1949, 655 members joined the club. The 151 successful hunters came
from 27 towns, five in Massachusetts and one in New Jersey.
Twenty-eight were from Pittsfield. Joseph C. Rogers of Loudon, later
of Pittsfield, shot the largest, a nine point buck weighting 195½
pounds. Of the 18 winners, only one was from Pittsfield, James
Thorpe with an eight point, 174½ pound buck.
Before
presenting information about the club during the 1950s, a couple of
interesting stories are worth noting. The first is about a prank Mr.
Volpe pulled on deer hunter in 1952. After midnight during deer
season he set up a fake deer in a field on Concord Hill Road. The
next morning he sat in his jeep by the house and watched hunters
make fools of themselves, piling out of vehicles to get a shot. Each
man “fumbled all over each other” trying to get off the first shot
before the white tail made off through the woods. Some men leaped
out of their cars and crawled closer to the intended victim only to
see that it was a fake and walked off in disgust. In all, 50 bullet
holes were found in the deer at the end of the day. Mr. Volpe
reported that the hunters had provided “some of the best amusement”
that he had had in a long time.
The
second story is about Frank’s son Frank. It seems that young 16
year-old Robert Hammel of Barnstead had been pestering Frank to go
hunting with him around his home. He kept telling Frank about this
huge buck that he had seen regularly. Well, Frank kept saying sure,
sometime, but he never got around to it. So the boy rented the
cheapest shotgun in the store and went hunting by himself. With just
one shot he killed the buck, a 180 pounder. It was a while before
young Frank heard the last of that.
The
Club in the 1950s
During
the decade of the 1950s the number of members in the club continued
to rise. In 1950 there were 750, in 1951, 1,045, and in 1952, the
largest number recorded, 1,060. Thereafter, the number remained in
the high 900s.
The
number of deer taken, however, varied. In 1951, the number was 187,
but in 1952 only 111. In 1955 the number rose to 128, and in 1956
to 189, but dropped to 109 in 1957, and 104 in 1958.
The
largest bucks taken during the decade were: 1950, Philip Sherburne,
Pittsfield, 200 lbs.; 1951, Harry Mattice, Concord 189¾ lbs., 9
pts.; 1952, Donald Leith, Belmont, 195½ lbs., 14 pts.; 1953, a tie
between Ben Fields of Lakeport and John Locke of Pittsfield, 181
lbs.; 1954, Joe Stephens, 189 lb., 15 pt. buck; 1955, Albert Morse,
Alton, 188 lbs., 8 pts.; 1956, Leonard Gilman of Pittsfield, 186½
lbs., 13 pts.; 1957, Marguerite Silver of Boscawen, 204, lbs. 9
pts.; 1958, Dorothy Drake, Laconia, 188¾ lbs.; and 1959 Kent Locke,
Alton, 195½ lbs.
The
largest does taken during the decade were: 1950, Everett Clark,
Pittsfield, 139½ lbs.; 1951 Albert Pitman, Loudon, 140 lbs.; 1952,
William Bailey, Jr., Boscawen, 156 lbs.; 1953, Merton Buckley,
Chichester, 135 lbs.; 1954, Ralph Young, 137 lbs.; 1955, Carl Hirth,
Manchester, 130 lbs.; 1956, Harry Leavitt, Meredith, 143 lbs.; 1957,
Malcolm Palmer, Pittsfield, 148½ lbs.; 1958, Haven Marston, Laconia,
156½ lbs.; and 1959, Jack Leonard, Warner, 141½ lbs.
Several
interesting facts emerged about the decade. First, the largest buck
was taken by a 17 year-old girl, Marguerite Silver. She also shot
the smallest deer in 1959, a 52 pounder.
Second,
the largest doe was shot by Haven Marston. The booby prize of the
decade went to Louis Lowell of Antrim who shot a doe weighing 40¼
pounds.
Third,
women also shot the largest bucks two years in a row, Marguerite
Silver in 1957 and Dorothy Drake in 1958.
Fourth,
Albert Pitman shot the largest doe in 1951 and the year before had
shot the second largest doe.
Fifth,
in 1952 Richard King was the first club member to be awarded a prize
for bagging a deer with a bow and arrow.
Sixth,
in 1952 prizes began being awarded to the person who shot the deer
weighing closest to the average of all those killed. The award went
to William Crossett of Laconia with a 113½ pound doe.
Seventh, in 1956, 13 year-old Joseph Danis came in second in the
buck category when he bagged a 185 pound, eight pointer.
A few
other interesting facts about the decade should also be noted.
First, according to the Concord Monitor, by 1952, the club had
become the largest of its type in New England. At its peak members
were enrolled from all New England states, New York and Canada. In
1953, 15,945 pounds of venison were weighed in. In an article
appearing in the Boston Herald in 1954 on the Club’s 25th
anniversary, Volpe’s operation was referred to as “a deer hunter’s
shrine.”
The
Club in the 1960s
The
Valley Times newspaper was discontinued in 1960 and its
replacements, Pittsfield Shopper’s Guide and The Suncook Valley Sun,
did not regularly carry results of the club. Thus, knowledge about
it during the 1960s is limited. Information about numbers entering
the club in the 1960s was not reported. Only one year, 1960, were
the number of kills were reported, 95. Fifty-three bucks were taken
and 42 does.
That
year Joseph Pescinski of Franklin bagged the largest buck weighing
188 lbs. and Gary Bedell of Pittsfield, the largest doe weighing 132
pounds. Of the 29 prizes awarded it appears that only seven went to
people from Pittsfield, including Margaret Chagnon who tagged a 52
pounder.
In 1965
Fred Carr of Barnstead shot the largest buck weighing 192½ pounds,
and Bill Cole of Laconia the largest doe weighing 159½ pounds.
Booby prizes went to Robert Bunker with a 61½ pounder and Roger
Heath with a 62 pounder.
Two
years later during the hunt it was reported that Eben Blake of New
Hampton bagged a buck weighing 223 pounds, Raymond Whitney of
Pittsfield one weighing 218 pounds and Dennis Chagnon of Pittsfield
one weighing 204 pounds. Unfortunately, the end results of the hunt
were not reported that year. However, that may have been the first
and only time that at least three bucks were taken weighing over 200
pounds.
The
following year, 1968, John Woronik of Raymond won the largest buck
prize when he bagged a 217 pounder. Frank Holland of Laconia won
with a 136 pound doe.
Sometime after that year and before 1974 the club was discontinued.
I think that Frank, Jr. told me it was because the state ruled that
it was a form of gambling. Dennis, his son, thought that it had
something to do with giving away guns as prizes. In any event, it
was not voluntary. Anyone having information about this is asked to
call Larry Berkson at 798-3984.
In
1974, Blanche Vien, a writer for The Suncook Valley Sun, acquired
most of the charts on which kills had been recorded and wrote a
summary. She found that: (1) in error the largest deer was taken by
Fred Welcome of Concord in 1948; (2) the smallest deer was taken by
Albert Brasley of Suncook in 1947, a 37 pound (the newspaper
reported it as 34½) albino. Many of Pittsfield’s older residents may
remember that Mr. Volpe had it mounted and displayed it on a shelf
above the gun rack in his store; (3) the first woman to win a prize
was Doris Whittmer of Madbury in 1951, who shot a 172 pound, 10
point buck; (4) over 400 tons of venison had been weighed-in over
the years; and (5) the largest recorded membership was 1,400.
The Locker Plant
The Locker Plant was a boon to deer hunters. Dozens upon
dozens of them had their kills processed at the plant and many chose
to secure lockers for the meat as well. The accompanying picture is
representative of what it was like at the plant during deer season.
It all
began in 1944 when Guy Nichols held a meeting on January 14 to
explain his ideas and the proposed operation to Pittsfield
residents. As a result 50 or more people signed up to support the
effort. In early March Mr. Nichols purchased property from Lizzie
Avery on Barnstead Road in anticipation that a “Frozen Locker
Building” was to be erected there. A condition of the
sale was that it be built in line with the frontage of the garage
standing on the adjoining property, today known as Any Make Auto
Repair. By March 31 all of the lockers, refrigerating machinery and
equipment had been purchased. Mr. Nichols stated at the time that
he was building a “Food Bank.” It would freeze meat, fruits, and
vegetables. “Produce it,” he stated, “and we will preserve it for
you.” He went on to state that “The locker you rent . . . will pay
for itself many times over,” noting that a few were still available
for rent.
The
building was 86’ x 36’ of fire proof construction, was sided with a
brick design, and insulated with palco wool. An office
and reception room were located in the front of the building with a
large display case for the sale of Birds Eye frozen food products.
On the
south side was a large delivery door which gave access to the
kitchen and processing rooms. Tracks overhead eliminated the
handling beef, pigs, deer and the like. The processing and cutting
rooms were electrically equipped and fluorescent lighted.
On the
north side of the building were the 300 lockers, some with six cubic
foot capacity and others with eight. There was also a 12’ x 17’ bulk
storage room.
By
September the plant was in operation, one of nine in New Hampshire.
Seventeen more were in the process of construction.
Mr.
Nichols’ meat cutter was Harold Bryant. Two years after the
operation began, Mr. Bryant purchased the property and business.
He enlarged the locker and bulk storage space. At the time there
were 500 lockers and a demand for another 100. Five years later, in
1951, Mr. Bryant sold out to Everett and Willis Pethic who later
turned the operation into the Rich Plan.
VA Launches Hepatitis C–Advanced Liver Disease Disparities Dashboard
Dashboard Bolsters VA Efforts to Identify and Treat Veterans With
Hep C and Liver Disease
Submitted Via Merrill Vaughan
The
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is stepping up its efforts to
accelerate treatment for Veterans with hepatitis C and advanced
liver disease (ALD) through the creation of a Hepatitis C–ALD
dashboard. The dashboard works by using a set of criteria, including
age, gender, geography, service era along with and race and
ethnicity, to distinguish Veteran groups at highest risk for ALD as
a result of hepatitis C.
“The
dashboard is a powerful data tool to help VA identify Veteran groups
disproportionately affected by Advanced Liver Disease and to ensure
they receive the appropriate health care,” said Dr. David Shulkin,
VA’s Under Secretary for Health. “VA will provide data directly to
facilities for any of the vulnerable groups identified by the
dashboard and support outreach efforts to Veteran populations
disparately impacted and not currently served by VA health care.
This is an important step in assuring all Veterans with ALD receive
timely, appropriate care.”
VA’s
Veterans Health Administration’s Office of Health Equity developed
the dashboard as part of its efforts to target and accelerate care
of Veterans with this serious disease. The new resource promotes
equitable diagnosis and treatment of underserved Veterans with
hepatitis C and ALD nationally and compliments existing clinical
hepatitis and liver disease dashboards available in some Veterans
Integrated Service Networks or VISNs.
Chronic
hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the most common blood-borne
infection in the world. Complications that result from untreated HCV
infection include progressive liver damage leading to cirrhosis,
primary cancer of the liver, liver failure and death. Although many
of these complications are treatable or even preventable,
three-quarters of the individuals with HCV infection in the U.S. are
unaware they are infected. VA leads the country in hepatitis
screening, testing, treatment, research and prevention.
The
Hepatitis C-ALD dashboard further advances the vision for quality
care and improved access to care identified in VA’s Blueprint for
Excellence. For more information on the dashboard, visit:
http://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/news/video/heap.cfm.
Holly Fair 2015
See you at St. Stephen’s Holly Fair, Saturday, November
21st from 9 AM until 2 PM, 50 Main Street, Pittsfield, NH! The
Little Church with the Big Heart.
Mark
Saturday, November 21 on your calendar and plan to attend the St.
Stephen’s Holly Fair. Doors open at 9 AM on Saturday. Special Silent
Auction bidding hours from 4-7 PM on Friday evening, with high
bidders announced at 2PM when Fair ends. This year’s
fair features lovely holiday arrangements, new craft items,
delicious homemade food, and enticing silent auction items.
There will be a Stocking Stuffer Raffle with all the things you need
to fill stockings for the whole family and a special free door prize
for a lucky child to win. One free chance per child so come and
sign up your children or grandchildren…. Better yet bring them
along!
The St.
Stephen’s Café will be open for the entire duration of the fair. You
can enjoy light breakfast items or a goody from the Bake Table with
a hot beverage or warm cocoa. For lunch, the café will feature
Sabra’s corn chowder, toasted meatball sandwiches, homemade soups
and a variety of homemade desserts du jour and more. Rumor has it
that there will be Indian Pudding. Live dangerously, eat dessert
first!
The
crafters have been busy stocking the undercroft with dozens of
unique items to fill your home with holiday spirit or to brighten
the winter months. There are items to decorate your door, porch or
yard as well as your table, mantle or mirror. Gift items are
available to purchase for friends and family from ages 8 months to
80 and beyond. Need a special ornament for your tree or to give as
a gift? We have an evergreen full of beautiful or
whimsical items for you to choose from. There are herds
of birch reindeer; groups of snowmen and a constellation of stars
for make your holidays merry and bright!
Letter
Friend
of Pittsfield’s Students,
Certainly, you share my concerns about the range of risks that
threaten the wellness of the children and youth of our community;
like me, you’ve read about the obesity, alcohol and drug misuse, and
teen driving habits, for example; and while we’d prefer that these
threats not impact our community, the fact is that they and other
national trends do not exclude Pittsfield.
Last
spring, the school district received a gift from anonymous donor
through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation; the bulk of this
donation helped us bring Chris Herren to Pittsfield to talk with
students and community members about his struggles with substance
abuse; this event was intended to raise awareness of this critical
issue and to launch a community-wide effort to impact the negative
factors confronted by today’s young people.
You are
invited to an awareness meeting of a new community group to consider
the risks, based on student responses to the latest available
information from the youth risk behavior survey, and to consider
Pittsfield’s priorities. This meeting will take place from 6:00 to
7:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 12, in the PMHS library; I hope that
you will consider joining us for this important event.
You are
not asked to make any commitment to ongoing work, but I’m hoping
that a core of interested community members will be interested in
taking actions to support our children and youth.
Please
do not hesitate to contact me with your questions prior to our
meeting on November 12; I hope you’ll take advantage of this
opportunity to serve our children and youth of Pittsfield.
Sincerely,
John
Freeman
Superintendent of Schools
From The Pittsfield Town Administrator’s Desk
To the
Pittsfield Community,
As your
new town administrator I am excited about serving the town in this
capacity. With my 14 years of experience as the administrative
assistant I feel I am ready to transition into this new role.
I have
been a resident since 1998 when I graduated from UNH and moved here
with my college sweetheart, now husband, of 18 years, as his family
has deep Pittsfield roots as 9th generation dairy farmers. I am a
lucky mum of three children, two wayward hens (have fed the South
Pittsfield fox the other 19), and one golden/lab doggie Annie, the
best pal ever.
My love
for Pittsfield was fostered by Elizabeth Hast, the former town
clerk/tax collector of thirty years, who I had the pleasure of
working with for 11 years before her retirement from office.
Elizabeth, my mom-away-from-mom, was my role model of strong work
ethic and community dedication and pride.
One of
the reasons I felt ready to take on this challenge as town
administrator is the support of the current composition of the
boards, committees, and employees. I would like to continue to help
facilitate positive communication, effectively plan for making our
operations productive and as transparent as possible, and keep the
momentum, which is gaining, on moving our town forward.
I am
extremely proud of the town employees that we have. Their pride in
serving our community is evident to me on a daily basis. Our strong
and tireless public works crew does an impeccable job with the
roadways and town properties within a very tight budget. The police
force is the most outstanding group of officers and administrative
staff you can find with their vast knowledge and policing efforts in
a courteous and courageous manner. Our dedicated fire department
never ceases to amaze me with their compassion for the residents
that they serve and their ability to store their equipment and work
so effectively within their small facility. Also, with limited
quarters, is our lovely Josiah Carpenter Library with resourceful
and friendly library staff, offering many programs and services to
all. The town hall employees are intelligent, pleasant, and a fun
bunch to work with, and are always willing to go above and beyond to
help those seeking assistance. The Town recently contracted the
operations of the waste water treatment facility to Utility Partners
LLC, and thus far our business with the company, and our local
manager, has been positive and a great resource of information to
help us effectively plan for the future of the sewer system. It is
always encouraging to see all of the dedicated volunteers serving on
the various boards and committees at meetings night after night at
the town hall, we have a vibrant community of residents.
Walking
into the town hall every morning I look up at my favourite pictures
of George and Martha Washington and wonder how the day will unfold.
Some days it’s quiet and I can get lots of tasks accomplished.
More often than not, though, we have lots of visits from residents
with concerns, board and committee members with questions, and a
never ending supply of email correspondence to work on, all of which
beg for lots of late work nights to keep somewhat caught up. I look
forward to reporting to work each and every day. I am proud to call
Pittsfield my home and believe that we can all work positively
together to keep our beautiful town ‘the Gem of the Suncook Valley’.
Respectfully,
Cara M.
Marston
Town
Administrator
These Actors Are Really Showing Their Age
The
Pittsfield Players Present 70, Girls, 70
Just to
prove everything old is new again, “old folks,” Mal Cameron and Chet
Fuller offer comedic relief in The Pittsfield Players Production of
“70,Girls, 70.” Cameron made his debut with the Players in 1973 in
the production of “Butterflies Are Free” and Fuller joined us in
1981 for the musical “The Sound of Music.” The Players will be
reviving the musical “Oklahoma” in fall of 2016 after having
performed it last in 1985.
We’re
not saying they’re a little long in tooth or anything but Chet
Fuller and Mal Cameron have definitely been around the block a
little...but that’s what this play is really all about; the fact
that you’re never too old for the stage.
“How
old are you?” Ida, played by Maye Hart, asks; “77! 73! 78! 70!”
come the responses - now for the record our aging cast has been
requested to act much older than their true ages but when they belt
out the title song, “70, Girls, 70” you’d think the old folks home
was on Spring Break. “You’re gonna love it when, you turn three
score and ten, You get a feeling there and then, your life’s
beginning all over again!”
Most of
these cast members have been treading the Scenic boards for over 20
years. If they haven’t been acting on our stage they’ve been on
others. Marty and Cathy Williams both have over 40 years theatre
experience (we won’t tell you hold old that makes them). Even
directors, Jeff Gregoire and Meggin Dail can report over 25 years of
productions with the Pittsfield Players and they’re only in their
40s.
70,
Girls, 70, while weaving a plot of a run down old folks home and the
residents who feel it’s time for a change, is also a tribute to
theater and how you’re never too old to strut your stuff. Just ask
newcomer, Jean Cram who auditioned for the first time this year and
landed herself a role in the prime of her life. Don’t get us wrong,
we also utilize the younger cast members, Jared and Elisha Griffin
but while Jared plays a whipper snapper and Elisha, a cop, we had to
age her to fit the other roles she plays.
Other
cast members you may not believe have been on stage for years now
are Dave Pollard and Art Morse. Morse seeks out roles that don’t
usually have lines but not only does he stretch his legs at age 73
with two lines but he also plays a woman! Dave Pollard’s talent
beyond singing and acting is that he plays the harmonica. Come see
him be the curmudgeon watchman when the “old folks” steal furs from
New York’s Coliseum.
Music
that gets stuck in your head as soon as you hear it, defining “where
the elephant goes” when she dies and riddled with dance-offs; 70,
Girls, 70 aims to please. Mark your calendars now, get your tickets
at
www.pittsfieldplayers.com, at the box office or by calling (603)
435-8852, because you don’t want to miss this once in a lifetime
experience. 70, Girls, 70 hits the Scenic Stage November 13, 14, 15
20 & 21.
Living Word Assembly of God Church Open House
Nov 14th
1-4pm
729
Stage Road. Gilmanton Iron Works, NH
Free
refreshment, music, 20 free Sweaters -all sizes, baby food, and
more
Come
meet the new Pastor & wife
Letter
To The Editor
To the
good citizens of the State of New Hampshire,
Just a
little update on the Pumpkin Bill (treating marijuana almost like a
pumpkin) submitted from Georges’ Bar & Grill and brought forward by
the Honorable Mike Brewster.
We
submitted the draft to the bill writers. They got some of it right.
Definitions. Keeping it out of kids’ reach, stuff like that. Anyway,
this bill legalizes the personal use of up to one ounce of marijuana
by persons 18 years of age or older. However, the people sitting
around Georges’ Bar & Grill feel it should legalize the personal use
of up to one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of marijuana by persons 18 years
of age or older.
Another
problem is the tax on the legal sale of marijuana be sent to the
General Fund. We think it would serve the people better if it went
to alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana prevention efforts and property
tax relief.
There
are problems with this first bill. We are demanding a re-write.
God
save the people.
Dan
Schroth Piermarocchi
It’s
All Good
(Except
for the Bad Stuff)
By
E.I.E.I.Oh-my-gosh Wingate
Just to
be serious for just a minute (and to quash the rumorflubbies): By
now anybody who’s everybody’s heard about the position I’m in. Not
lotus position, or first position, but rather Interim position. And
that swear I’ll be happy to stay. My heartfelt congratulations to
Cara Marston, the new Pittsfield Town Administrator. She’s clearly
the best man for the job.
When I
was Interiming here for mere weeks, I asked her why SHE wasn’t T.A.
She gave a little shrug. But whenever I had a question about nigh on
anything, she had the answer. “What’s the deadline for tax
revaluations?” “October 15.” “What’s the valuation of the Town?”
“$200 Million.” “Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?” Well, you get it.
Last week’s Selectboard meetin, I know that half the questions asked
I couldn’t have answered. So it’s time Cara became T.A. Long
overdue.
So
what’s next? I’m glad you asked. The controversy last week was the
bunny club. You recall (I’m going to remind you anyway) that we
signed a lease with the club to allow them to train their beagles to
run rabbits, which club members caught up north and brought down
south.
After
shall we say, adverse comments were voiced (note the bureaucratic
passive voice), the BOS and the bunny club undid the deal. Now, each
side is poised to bring it on via petition at Town Meetin. One side
would get some money for it, while tying up part of the land.
T’other would have it be a Town forest. From the perspective of your
intrepid reporter, both sides want to keep the land wild. So,
depending on your sport, jump face, or ball off. I’m a baseball guy
myself.
I
congratulate the Town Clerk for saving the Town money by putting my
tax bill on my desk. Didn’t go down by 49 cents because of that. But
my chubby little butt won’t be in this chair in March when you go
vote on the budget, so I’ll say it now: your tax bill is made up of
different parts, and if you think you can reduce it only by going to
Town Meetin, you are wrong. Now Is The Time. Budgets are being
assembled as we speak. Go to the meetings. Town budget =
selectboard. School budget = school board. ‘Nuff said (for now).
How do
I say this delicately? The Town is no longer horn-y. And curfew
less? Had a loud complaint about the loudness of the fire horn,
which malflucted last week. It got froze open and played its same
dole tune for minutes on end. The gentleman was gentle but firm.
He’s blasted out of his house by the noise. His mother-in-law had to
move. (I know what you’re thinkin - don’t say it.) As to curfew, the
Ay-Cee-El-Yoo says we can’t do it. And dammit, they have a point,
complete with court cases. And court cases are expensive. So we have
two things wrapped apart together: Do we blow the horn if we can’t
have the curfew? If we are hornless, can we still curfew? The thing
is: the Town voted the horn to continue. The Town voted the curfew.
Selectboard’s in the middle. Do they act without the say of the
Town? One solution is to point the horn elsewhere. Guess we’ll try
that. As to the curfew, we’re the last man standing. All other towns
which got the letter from the Ay-Cee-El-Yoo packed up their tents.
Me, personally, I don’t like lawyers. They cost too much. Stay
tuned.
Runnin
out of room. Last is that the Selectboard voted to pay for a thing
called an “Internet Kiosk”, which lets us do our property tax stuff
on line. Before this, a steady drip drip drip of real estate people
and other inquisitive folk would stop by and ask for the tax
information. Took up staff time. Now, all’s needful is to hit the
web. Remember, be kind to your web footed friends!
Pittsfield TOPS News
Eleven
members attended the Fall Rally on Halloween and had a wonderful
time. This statewide event gathers TOPS Chapters to celebrate our
victories in weight loss and enjoy time together with skits,
contests, raffles and presentations. Pat, a long time member,
received an award in a Walking Contest, having walked 384 miles!!!
She was also voted our Chapter’s “Casper, the Friendly Ghost” by
our membership.
TOPS is
a weekly weight loss support group that meets locally at Berakah on
Fairview Road in Pittsfield on Tuesday evenings. We invite anyone
interested to join us - if you want more information, please call
Mickey at 269-7641 or Claire at 435-7271.
Secret
Santa
With
Christmas only weeks away, Santa’s elves are hard at work preparing
to meet the needs of Pittsfield’s residents. We will be accepting
applications from those in need of assistance this holiday season.
Applications will only be accepted till November 30th to allow Santa
and the elves enough time to make their list and check it twice.
Children must be 14 years of age or younger to be eligible. The
child’s parent or legal guardian must be the one to apply. Families
applying for assistance must be residents or Pittsfield and we ask
that applicants not be seeking assistance from multiple agencies.
Please
contact the Pittsfield Fire Dept at 435-6807 during regular business
hours for more information or to apply. This program is operated by
volunteers, so if you leave a message it will be returned as quickly
as possible, but response may not be immediate.
The
Secret Santa Program relies on the generosity of residents and local
businesses eager to help those less fortunate. Those interested in
making donations may call 435-6807 to discuss specific needs with
Santa’s helpers. Financial donations may be sent directly to:
Pittsfield Secret Santa, PO Box 392, Pittsfield NH 03263.
Obituaries
Daniel
E. Greeley
Kingston – Daniel E. Greeley, 48 years old, passed away in his sleep
on October 31, 2015. Dan was raised in Danville and graduated from
Timberlane High School, class of 1985.
Dan was
a longtime employee of Bump and Grind Auto Body in Kingston. He
also worked with the Kingston Police Explorers and was a former
member of the Newton and Danville Fire Departments, and a former
officer with the Danville Police Department.
He is
survived by his parents, F. Bradford and Maureen Greeley; his
brother, Michael Greeley and his wife Amy; his niece and
nephew-in-law; 2 great nieces; many aunts, uncles and cousins; as
well as his very good friend, Pamela Gorham, and her sons.
Graveside services were Saturday, November 7th at the Pine Grove
Cemetery in Kingston.
Tom
Petit of the Still Oaks Funeral & Memorial Home is assisting with
arrangements and offers an on-line guestbook at
stilloaks.com.
Richard
C. Spofford
Pembroke – Mr. Richard C. Spofford, 80, of Bachelder Road, died
Sunday, November 1, 2015, after a sudden illness.
Dick
was born in Rumford, ME on September 29, 1935 to Fred and Anne
(Daggett) Spofford. He moved to Pittsfield at a young age and
graduated from Pittsfield High School in 1953. He served in the US
Army during the Korean War and has lived in Pembroke for the last 55
years.
He is
survived by his wife Linda (Prince) Spofford; 2 sons, Richard Jr.
“Rick” and his wife Charlene (Szelest), and Lee Allen and his wife
Veronica (Gauthier); 6 grandchildren; and 10 great grandchildren.
He was predeceased by one grandchild.
Dick
was owner-operator of his own trucking business for over 40 years.
He was a gifted tinkerer – inventing many innovative solutions to
troublesome problems. He was an avid NASCAR enthusiast. He also
loved motorcycling, doodle bugging, and snowmobiling. He was active
in several camping organizations and loved traveling in his RV.
Most of all he was a very social person, who loved and cared for
his family and friends. He will be sorely missed by us all. May he
forever rest in perfect peace.
Friends
and family gathered to share memories on Friday, November 6th, at
the Petit Funeral Home in Pembroke.
In lieu
of flowers, memorial donations may be made to NH Food Bank, 700 East
Industrial Park Drive, Manchester, NH 03109.
An
on-line guestbook is available at
petitfuneralhome.com.
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