REMINDER
Pittsfield Old Home Day Community Fair
On July 22nd
Pittsfield will celebrate Old Home Day “Pittsfield Goes to the
Circus!” The community fair will be in Dustin Park from 9:00 am to
3:00 pm. The Old Home Day Committee is looking for crafters and
community organizations to join the fair. Community
organizations can participate for free, and the vendor fee is
$10.00. If you would like to set up a table or booth please
contact Leslie Vogt at 435-7993 or
[email protected].
REMINDER
Drake Field Summer Recreation Program
The Drake Field Summer Recreation Program is free to Pittsfield
children in grades 1-8. High school students are welcome to join in
and help for community service credit. We are located at Drake’s
Field and open Monday- Thursday beginning June 26th and ending
August 3rd . The only cost is for admission is to some field trips,
many are free. Breakfast and lunches will be provided free of
charge. Good behavior is mandatory.
Signup sheets will be sent
home with school children soon. For more information please contact
Mrs. Sawyer at 267-6733.
Summer Sermon Series and Book
Study
Wesley and Bow Mills United Methodist Church invite you to
join us this summer as we explore the book, “If the Church Were
Christian” by Phillip Gulley. Each Sunday during
worship the sermon will flow from one of the ten chapters of this
book, followed by a discussion of the book and the sermon.
We will share this journey with our brothers and sisters from
Wesley. The first five Thursday book study sessions will be at
Wesley UMC beginning June 29 to July 27 - 7:00 – 8:30
pm. The last five Thursday book study sessions will be at Bow Mills
UMC beginning August 3 to August 31 from 7 pm to 8:30 pm.
Please make arrangements to get the book. Arrangements have been
made with Gibson’s Bookstore to have copies available for purchase.
You can also find it for Kindle through Amazon. All are
welcome to join us! Further info contact Wesley
603-224-7413 or Bow Mills 603-228-1154.
Congratulations to Michael Migliozzi of Pittsfield, a junior
majoring in electrical engineering who was named to the Dean’s List
for the spring 2017 semester at Clarkson University.
Dean’s List
students must achieve a minimum 3.25 grade-point average and also
carry at least 14 credit hours.
Letter
To The Editor
Select Board Meeting 6/13/17
About an hour spent
interviewing the four applicants (James Adams, Justin Clough, Randy
Severance, and Mike Wolfe) for the vacant chair on the BOS. Rather
than rush a decision, we decided to ruminate on the best choice for
Pittsfield at this juncture and make an appointment next meeting.
The Pittsfield Historical Society came to us and withdrew their
request to be gifted with the property next to the Town Hall, 81
Main St. They are now considering a project involving 37 Main St.,
next to the library, also town-owned. They will advise us next
meeting if they wish to have a public hearing on a new proposal for
that property. If that’s the case, the public will once again have
ample opportunity to weigh in.
The LED street light conversion
will be going out to bid right away, with recommendations for adding
and removing some lights. We hope to get the darker downtown areas
better lit in some spots, and some of the random taxpayer supported
rural streetlights will be discontinued. Obviously any rural
resident will have the opportunity to get their own light, at their
own expense.
June 27 at 6:15 PM there will be a public hearing
regarding the proposed boundaries for a Village Water District. A
petition signed by ten voters in Pittsfield has been submitted to
the BOS requesting such a District be formed. Believe it or not, the
law says that we MUST set the bounds and form the District with that
ten person petition.
Once a District is formed, it will be left
up to the voters who LIVE IN THE DISTRICT to decide whether they
want to spend another $200,000 +/- to bring the concept to a vote on
spending approximately $6,000,000 to purchase the Aqueduct.
Carl
Anderson
A Word
Of Thanks
Submitted By Rev. David Stasiak on behalf of the
Pittsfield Food Pantry
On April 24th the Pittsfield Food
Pantry moved from its location on the lower level of the Pittsfield
Town hall into its new location at 55 Barnstead Road. Without the
dedication, generosity and hard work of many that would never have
happened. On behalf of the Food Pantry and as outgoing Director of
the Board, I would like to express my sincere appreciation first of
all to David Dillon, Jr. and Robert Dillon, owners of Atlantic
Safety Products, as well as the building where the new pantry is
housed. David and Robert not only offered us the space which is
larger than what we previously utilized but they also cleared and
renovated the area which included constructing a dividing wall,
refinishing the floor and purchasing both a walk-in refrigerator and
freezer, eliminating the need for the numerous smaller appliances we
used before. Their generosity also includes providing the utilities
for us to operate the pantry.
I would like to thank Globe
Manufacturing for their generous donation which enabled the pantry
to pay for the labor and materials to install a separate service
panel, the numerous electrical outlets needed and the connections to
the walk-in freezer and refrigerator. This is only one of many
financial donations the Globe has made in support of the pantry.
Many thanks to the Board of Selectman, particularly Larry Konopka,
previous Chairman of the Select Board, Cara Marston, the Town
Administrator, and Peter Pszonowsky, the Pittsfield Fire Chief
for not giving up on the pantry and working hard to locate a new
space to keep us going.
Once the space was ready, the many food
items, shelving, office equipment and appliances needed to be moved
and for that I would like to thank Ed and Laurie Vien, Larry
Williams, Tom Williams, Adam Gauthier, Wayne Gadwah, Tyler Booth,
Joe Darrah, Ralph Darrah, Nick Chamberlin, and Bill Pellon.
The
food pantry is so grateful for all of our donors who support us with
their financial, as well as food contributions. There are so many of
you. Without you the pantry could not exist. Many thanks to our
volunteers who under the direction of Eleanor Joyce, kindly and
efficiently serve the patrons of the pantry. Last, but certainly not
least, our deepest thanks to Ruth Strickhart whose dedication and
love of serving is an inspiration to the community.
Finally,
there is a passage in the Bible from Matthew 25 that talks about
people helping people and it goes like this:
“Then the King will
say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father!
Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you
since the world’s foundation. And here’s why: I was hungry and you
fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and
you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was
sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.’
“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking
about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and
give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and
come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth:
Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or
ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’
Board
members Lynn Hapke and Deb Horton prepare for Catamount Womenaid’s
Spring Plant Sale.
Local
Businesses And Gardeners Make The Catamount Womenaid Plant Sale A
Success
Catamount Womenaid offered over 500 plants for sale at
its May 20 Spring Plant Sale in Epsom, raising over $1600. All of
the proceeds will be used for emergency financial aid to residents
of Deerfield, Epsom, Northwood, Pittsfield and Strafford.
Four
local businesses supported the plant sale; Pleasant View Gardens of
Loudon donated colorful annuals; the VanBerkum family of Deerfield
provided a variety of perennials; K and K Landscaping of Epsom
contributed garden soil; and a gift certificate door prize was given
by Cavarretta Gardens of Northwood. Many volunteers dug and potted
perennials from home gardens. The Lily Inn (the purple house) of
Epsom hosted the event.
Catamount Womenaid relies on donations
and fundraisers to fulfill its mission. Founded in 2011, Catamount
Womenaid raises money to help men, women and children with emergency
financial assistance that is not readily available through other
resources. See catamountwomenaid.org.
F.B
Argue Recreation Area Opening
On Tuesday, June 20, 2017 the F.B.
Argue Recreation Area will open for the 2017 summer season at 1:00.
We will again be asking parents to fill out contact information for
their child/children if they are coming to the area without an
adult. We will be open Monday-Friday from 12:00-5:00 PM and Saturday
and Sunday from 1:00-5:00. Tuesday and Thursday nights during
June and July (except for the weeks we are doing night lessons) we
will stay open until 7:00 PM for families.
We are again hoping to
get more families to use the pool area. Children younger than 11
must be accompanied by an adult during the night time hours. All
children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult during
all of our hours.
We will be offering swimming lessons again this
summer. Registration for swimming lessons will be held at the
recreation area from 12:00-5:00 beginning on June 23. We will
run two-2 week sessions. If there is enough interest, we will run a
third session. The lessons will run for 20 minutes to ½ hour each.
The dates for the sessions are as follows: June 30- July 13 daytime
lessons; July 21 – August 3 night time 5 – 7 (night).
The daily
admission for residents is $1.00 per person or a family season pass
may be bought for $50. Daily admission for non-residents is $1.50
per person. All persons entering the area will be expected to pay.
Children under 5 years old will be admitted free with a paid adult.
There will be activities during the summer which will be posted at
the recreation area. They will include airhead bingo, sand
castle building, crafts, book share, volleyball, and duck hunt.
Contact Forest B Argue Recreation Area (after June 20) at 435-7457
with questions.
The cost for the swimming lessons for residents
is $15 per child, not to exceed $45 per family. The cost for
non-residents is $25 per child not to exceed $75.
One of
the first loon nests of the 2017 season was recorded on Bolster Pond
in Sullivan, NH. Photo courtesy of Brian Reilly.
Loons
On Nests Throughout The State
Loon Preservation Committee Urges
the Public to Give Nesting Loons Space
The Loon Preservation
Committee (LPC) recorded its first pair of nesting loons this year
on May 11. Since then close to 60 loon pairs have begun to
incubate eggs, with more expected in the next week. The peak
time for loons to start nesting is usually in early June, followed
by a four week incubation period. This was the 5th wettest May
on record in New Hampshire, and water levels are still high on some
lakes, so nesting has been delayed in some areas. If
traditional ore preferred nesting sites are under water, a pair of
loons may use an alternate site instead, making it even more
critical to give them the space they need to nest successfully.
The peak of hatch of loon chicks generally occurs around the 4th of
July holiday and loon pairs on nests or with chicks are vulnerable
to disturbance as human activities on the lakes increase. A
couple of simple precautions can help ensure a good year for loons
in New Hampshire:
· Stay back at least 150 feet from a nesting
loon, or more if the loon shows any signs of distress such as
craning its neck low over a nest. Loons may even appear to be
injured or dead while in this head-down position, but it is simply a
response to the close approach of people.
· If you do
inadvertently cause a loon to flush from the nest, leave the area
immediately to let the loon return to incubate its eggs. Time
off the nest leaves the eggs vulnerable to cooling, overheating, or
predation.
In 2016, Loon Preservation Committee biologists
recorded 208 pairs of nesting loons, a decrease of 6 pairs from the
previous year. Forty-five of those pairs nested on
rafts—artificial islands that LPC floats to help loons cope with
water level fluctuations or being displaced from natural sites by
shoreline development or recreational activity on the lakes.
Of the 208 nesting pairs, close to half were protected by signs and
ropelines, and 45% of the chicks hatched came from these protected
nest sites. Even with this level of management, LPC biologists
recorded 112 failed nests, the highest number of nest failures on
record. However, overall reproductive success was 0.50 (chicks
surviving per territorial pair) which is slightly above the minimum
needed to maintain the loon population over the long term.
For
anyone who wants to see a loon on a nest, please visit the Loon
Preservation Committee’s LIVE loon cam at
www.loon.org. The expected hatch date is around June 17-18
(+/-) so tune in now!
Loons are a threatened species in New
Hampshire and are protected by state and federal laws from hunting
or harassment. If you see a sick or injured loon, please call
the Loon Preservation Committee (603-476-5666) or if you observe
harassment of loons, please contact the New Hampshire Fish and Game
Department (603-271-3361) or Marine Patrol (603-293-2037) for
assistance.
The Loon Preservation Committee monitors loons
throughout the state as part of its mission to restore and maintain
a healthy population of loons in New Hampshire; to monitor the
health and productivity of loon populations as sentinels of
environmental quality; and to promote a greater understanding of
loons and the natural world. To learn more about loons in New
Hampshire, please visit the Loon Preservation Committee on the web
at www.loon.org or call the Loon Preservation Committee at (603)
476-LOON (5666).
Letter
Dear voters,
The State wants to increase the cost of health care
for State retirees. These folks were promised fully-paid insurance
for life, and they worked in poorly paid State jobs for years on
that promise. Low earnings means low Social Security, and the
promised pension currently averages between $12K and $13K. Many of
these elders will not be able to afford the increased cost and will
therefore do without. I understand that things have changed and
lifetime insurance may not be practical any more, but in that case,
change it for the people who are young enough to make a choice to
stay or leave!
Please contact your representatives and tell them
that in NH, we keep our promises!
Cindy Perkins
Pittsfield
The
Friday Night Kayak Group met Friday June 9 2017 with 10 kayaks
paddling the Suncook River starting at the boat ramp in Drakes
Field, downtown Pittsfield. The group is open to everyone and meets
at different local kayaking sites every Friday at 6 PM during June,
July and August. The paddling trips last just over an hour and are
always in the Northwood to Barnstead area. Simply show up at this
week’s Friday night’s location. Visit our web site at huffnpuff.info
for information and location of the next trip and put yourself on
our email list. You can also call Paul Oman at 435 -7199 for more
information.
Congratulations to Joanne Ward, celebrating retirement after 17
years as a kindergarten paraprofessional in the Pittsfield School
District! Here’s to a well deserved rest!
Introducing The Amoskeag Fishways “Kindness Curriculum”
The
Amoskeag Fishways teaches people of all ages to notice the world
around them. This world includes nature-the birds, fish, trees
and insects that live near or in our rivers as well as the people we
live with in our neighborhoods, schools and workplaces. Daily,
we teach about the conservation and preservation of natural
resources (water, air, soils, forests) without which we could not
live. Through this learning and caring rises up in each of us
a sense of kindness and compassion towards life, all of life.
This basic tenet of kindness is where we will begin a center focus
we are calling the “Kindness Curriculum”. Watch for programs offered
with the bold letters KIND and join us in helping the world be a
better place for everyone and all beings.
Saturday
Nature Seekers
Saturdays, 11am - 12pm
Amoskeag Fishways
Do
you and your kids wish for opportunities to learn about nature but
have trouble finding the time? Stop by our center any Saturday
at 11 am for “short and sweet” mini-programs and fun nature-based
activities. Discover something new every month! Topic: NH
Turtles – July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; Insect Investigation – August 5,
12, 19. Donations encouraged. Call 626-FISH.
Fishways Family
Adventures
Thursdays in July, 9:30am – 12pm
Amoskeag Fishways
Looking for some fun summer outings for your family? Join Fishways
staff to hike, stomp, dig, climb, splash, search for critters and
more as we discover some of the local natural gems of the Merrimack
River watershed. Put on your boots and explore with us! All
Family Adventures will meet at the Fishways and caravan to the local
destination of the week.
July 6 – Forest Explore;
July 13 – Ponding; July 20 – Bog Adventure; July 27 – River Fun. $10
per family Registration required. Call 626-FISH .
“Booked for
Summer”
Story Hour
Saturday, July 29
10am- 11am
Amoskeag Fishways
Story books can be a wonderful window into the
natural world. In association with the Manchester School District’s
summer reading initiative, “Booked for Summer”, the Amoskeag
Fishways presents a fun, relaxed hour of river related stories.
Stop by with your children and learn about the fish, wildlife and
people that use our local waterways. Children are encouraged to
bring their favorite fish toy or share some of ours for some
interactive play. KIND. FREE. Registration required. Call
626-FISH.
Letter
To The Editor
As to Jim Pritchard’s letter in The Sun, June 14; I
never quoted RSA 674:72, VI. That was somebody else’s paperwork.
The law is RSA 674:72, X, quote: “An accessory dwelling unit may be
deemed a unit of workforce housing for purposes of satisfying the
municipality’s obligation under RSA 674:59 if the unit meets the
criteria in RSA 674:58, IV for rental units.” Meaning they can be
rented.
Again, those who have in-law apartments may keep them
that way even if it’s off the books. But, if you want to change to
accessory apartment so you can rent, you must have sleeping, eating,
cooking, and sanitation provisions in the apartment, plus a door
between the accessory apartment and the principal dwelling. Has to
be less than half the total square footage of principal dwelling,
but can’t be more than 750 square feet. The owner of the principal
dwelling unit must live in the principal dwelling unit or the
accessory apartment. Either one.
If all of this is good, you may
do this by doing some paperwork at the Town Hall. If something is
missing, you will have to get a building permit to change what’s
needed.
If someone wanted to put in an accessory apartment in
their single family home in the zones: Urban, Suburban, and Rural,
to rent, may do so under the same rules under Special Exception and
Building Permit.
Thank you, again.
Paul Nickerson
Planning
Board
Do You
Love The Balloon Rally As Much As We Do?
VOLUNTEER!
Each year
volunteers sign up to assist as greeters, runners, balloon crew, and
general support for the Suncook Valley Rotary’s Hot Air Balloon
Rally
The Suncook Valley Hot Air Balloon Rally remains a success
with the help of our volunteers and we appreciate the commitment
that you are making today to help us.
General Volunteer
Information:
Most volunteer shifts are two hours long, however
you may sign up for as many shifts as you would like to volunteer
for.
Any one can sign up! Some positions do require physical
labor and movement.
Community Service Hours are available for
students.
Available Duties:
Field Setup - help us setup tents
and mark off the field on Thursday night.
Gate Greeter - You and
a friend will hand out programs and provide information to visitors
at a field entrance. This position will be mostly sitting at a table
and does not require much physical activity.
Field Support -
Help out keeping Drake field looking beautiful and with other
various tasks needed for general operations. This position does
require physical labor and movement.
Gate Security - Help Rotary
staff manage the back gate and getting crews on and off the field.
Tethering Support - Help Rotary staff manage the tethered
balloon rides. This position does require physical labor and
movement.
Balloon Crew - Help our balloonists lift off and land.
This position requires physical labor and movement.
Food Tent -
Help Rotarians cook breakfast for visitors. This position will be
standing for most, if not all, of the shift and will be utilizing
grills.
Road Race Support - Help us with the 5K road race, with
setting up barricades, registration, rehab, etc.
Field Cleanup -
Help us clean up the field on Sunday morning.
If you have
questions about volunteering at the 36th Annual Hot Air Balloon
Rally, please contact us at
[email protected]
or go directly to http://suncookvalleyrotary.org
to sign up today!
ELO
Horseback Riding/P.E.
Horseback riding
Beneficial to your
health
My name is Jessica Rainville and I am a sophomore at
Pittsfield Middle High School. I have a passion for horseback
riding. I have been riding horses at Townsend’s Training Farm with
Kim Chadbourne and Dick Townsend for almost ten years now. I am
writing this article as part of my Extended Learning Opportunity
that combines my life with horses with my school life to earn my
Physical Education credit.
Horseback Riding has physical and
mental benefits to your health. Horses are majestic creatures that
give so much to people that some may not even realize. Horseback
riding is a great way to stay healthy, train muscles, improve cardio
performance, clear your mind, and be happy.
Being on a
horse makes a person work physically. Your muscles work differently
while riding than working in everyday life. While riding a horse,
the main muscles that are used are your upper thighs, calves, core,
and arms. When you are on the horse’s back, your body is
positioned with your back straight and heels down. You have to
be able to balance yourself on the horse to have a great ride. Not
only can you improve your fitness level by riding, you can improve
you riding by exercising. Some things you can do for your legs are
squats, leg machines, and running. This will strengthen them so when
riding your legs stay in the center of the saddle and don’t move.
Core workouts can be curl ups and planks, to improve posture on the
horse when riding. Arm workouts can be push-ups, and pull ups. So
when you are riding, your arms are in control and not bouncing
around. It will make you look and feel like a better rider.
Sometimes horses aren’t going to be easy. They may be lazy just like
everyone can be. When they are lazy, you have to push and push the
horse with your core and leg muscles to drive them forward. That is
where cardio comes into play. Pushing a horse can make you out of
breath from working so hard, so running can improve your cardio
performance.
Horseback riding doesn’t just keep you physically
healthy but also mentally healthy. Riding is like therapy. Your mind
is focused only on the horse. It can relieve all the stress from
your day or the near future. Horses make you concentrate on them.
Riding calms your mind which makes you feel better and healthier.
Riding horses outdoors, enjoying the wind on your face and the fresh
air, makes you relax and keeps you focused on the moment. There’s
not anyone or anything else but you and that horse. Staying relaxed
keeps you and the horse calm. When you’re feeling nervous, anxious,
or sad, the horse feels that too. Which can have an effect on your
ride. So when riding horses being in a good mood makes the
rides better.
Horseback riding can improve your physical and
mental state. People should be active five to six days a week to see
benefits. To get more information on the benefits of riding go
to
http://www.healthiestbest.com/benefits-of-horseback-riding. Stay
active my friends.
Obituaries
Helen
L. Charron
Pittsfield- Helen L. Charron died peacefully Friday,
June 9, at the CRVNA Hospice house in Concord.
She was born in
Albany, NY, daughter of the late Henry-Rae and Katherine (Hydzik)
Launt. She was a graduate of Hartford Public School. Helen was known
as caring and generous woman who would give her time and help to
anyone. She loved to paint and was a talented cook, she just
celebrated her 100th birthday.
She is survived by six children:
Richard Charron, Robert Charron, John Charron, Barbara Dachel,
Catherine Folsum, Peggy Blevens, and numerous grandchildren, and
great grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated on
Saturday June 17 at Our Lady of Lord’s Church, Pittsfield.
Burial
followed in the Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Pittsfield.
The Waters
Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
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