The
Pittsfield, NH American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75 is looking for
at least two individual that want to sing our National Anthem for
our annual Installartion (First Monday in May); Memorial Day;
Veterans Day and at other special programs as they occur.
If we
receive more than two nominees, (duos or a small group are welcomed
to apply), we will decide by an elimination process where the
nomnees will have to sing the National Anthem at our post meetings
beginning September 11, at 7:30 pm at the Post Home at 3 Loudon Rd.;
until two are chosen.
REQUIREMENTS: Anyone in PMHS or home school. If in grades 7 or 8,
we would want to see a permission slip from both your parents/legal
guardian and your school advisor. If high school, a permission slip
will be good from your advisor. This will ensure that they know and
approve of what you want to do. This will count as community
service and patriotisim recognition by the Post.
If
anyone has a question, feel free to contact Post 75 Adjutant Merrill
Vaughan at 435-5207 or his cell phone 603-340-1375
Letter
To the
PHS Class of 1977,
Recently we had the privilege of being invited to the class reunion
for the Pittsfield High School Class of 1977. We would like to thank
the class for extending to us this honor, and to convey to them what
a classy event it was. We had so much fun reconnecting with our
former students, and in many cases, their spouses.
It’s
hard to believe 40 years have passed so quickly. Again, many thanks
for including us, and we hope we are around for your 50th!
Jonas
and Elaine Glidden
Pittsfield Beautification Committee Mark Your Calendars!!
The
Pittsfield Beautification Committee is a non-profit organization
staffed by volunteers who plant and maintain the 3 small and 2 large
gardens in Town. Our only funding comes from your donations. It was
because of our generous supporters that we were able to create the
wonderful gardens at the corners of Catamount and Broadway and Main
and Oak Streets.
If you
would like to continue to support our efforts, we invite you to
visit with us at our annual Mum Sale Fundraiser, to be held on
Saturday, September 9th at the Aranosian Garden, (next to Jack’s
Pizza on Catamount Rd ), from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon.
We will
be selling a variety of colors in 10” pots and 5 gallon pots. We
will also be selling baked goods and perennial plants for fall
planting.
As
always, thank you for your support !
Cow
Wash Time
Submitted By Carole Soule
It’s
time to setup the “cow wash” to get ready for the Hopkinton Fair
which is almost here. The hair I clipped off my shaggy Scottish
Highlanders in the Spring has grown back enough to collect dirt and
it will take loads of soap and elbow grease to make them show ring
ready. Sadly, this year I registered nine head of cattle for the
fair which means I will:
• Give
eighteen baths before the fair (two per animal)
• Give
eighteen more baths after they arrive at the Fair
•
Polish thirty-six hooves (four per animal)
• Clean
out eighteen ears (two per animal)
• Cart
away at least two wheelbarrows of manure daily
• Make
sure they all have water and hay and exercise
During
the four days of the Hopkinton Fair, I am housekeeper, maid and chef
to my cattle. I am also exhausted.
Another
job at the fair is to identify the critters with nameplates in their
stalls so visitors can better communicate with them. Naming cattle
can be a challenge, especially since names are “forever.” To help
choose names for a pair of working steers I held a Facebook contest.
Too late, I discovered that the winning names: Snuffaluffagus
(Snuffy) and Ben were names of two drug dealers in a movie.
I named
my now-famous riding steer, Curious Bleu because he was born on a
blue moon in 2012. The thing is Bleu’s hair color is red. We have
another ox named Red but Red’s hair color is silver, also known as
blue. So Red is blue and Bleu is red. Get it? Naming cattle is hard.
Bleu
and Red won’t be coming to the Hopkinton Fair, but some of my other
spoiled and pampered oxen and cows will be there, including
Hemmingway, the bull, with his Boy Scout Badges. Stop by to give
them a hug or cheer them in the ring. You are also welcome to help
keep them clean. Thirty-six hooves is a lot of polishing!
Carole
Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, in Loudon, NH, where she
raises and sells beef, pork, lamb, eggs and other local products.
She can be reached at [email protected].
American Legion Peterson – Cram Post 75 News
Our
September 2017 meeting wil be held on September 11, 2017 beginning
at 7:30 PM at the Post home, located at 3 Loudon Rd., Pittsfield.
The reason for this change is that Labor Day falls on the first
Monday.
The
September meeting will be busy with details of how the Post is
progressing in a new direction under the leaderhip of Post Comander
James Edgell; POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day.
If
there are questions, feel free to contact the Post Adjutant, Merrill
Vaughan at 603-340-1375.
Two
More Recipients Announced in 2017 Globe Gear Giveaway
Globe,
DuPont Protection Solutions (DuPont), and the National Volunteer
Fire Council (NVFC) have been working together since 2012 to provide
new, state-of-the-art turnout gear to volunteer fire departments in
need. The latest recipients of the 2017 Giveaway are the Louise Fire
Department (Manitoba, Canada) and Graniteville Volunteer Fire/Rescue
(Nevada City, CA). Each department will receive four sets of new
gear, compliments of Globe and DuPont.
The
Louise Fire Department is located in Crystal City, Manitoba. Their
32 volunteer firefighters protect a population of 1,900 in the rural
municipality of Louise, which is 360 square miles. Each volunteer is
currently equipped with gear, but seven sets are more than 15 years
old, and 22 sets are nine years old. The department has been
successful at recruiting new members by increasing their training
methods and creating stronger morale and excitement about being a
volunteer firefighter; however, they understand that there can be a
negative effect when a recruit is faced with donning PPE that is
outdated and non-compliant to safety standards. Their goal is to be
able to continue to create momentum and stronger comradery in their
membership by ensuring they have the right equipment to support
their members in their duties.
“Our
department, much like many others, is made up of farmers,
electricians, carpenters, plumbers, mechanics, business owners,
mothers, and fathers. We believe strongly that we need to provide
the best opportunity for them to return home safely from every call.
Effective PPE is the first step to ensure that happens,” said Louise
Fire Captain Curtis MacKinnon.
Graniteville Volunteer Fire/Rescue provides structure and emergency
protection to the Graniteville townsite in Nevada City, CA, and the
surrounding 80 square mile recreational area in the Sierra Nevada.
At an elevation of 5,000 feet, the community is an hour removed from
mutual aid companies and has a very spread out population. The
department currently has eight firefighters but only four sets of
gear, all of which are more than 10 years old. The four sets were
given to the department through the efforts of one of their
volunteers, who was employed at an oil refinery. The gear is stained
by refinery products from fire incidents, and this has concerned the
volunteers due to the possible carcinogens fused into the fabric.
The gear donation from the Globe Gear Giveaway will provide the
department’s members with desperately needed protective equipment,
enabling them to safely serve their community.
Additional awards through the Globe Gear Giveaway will be made
monthly throughout 2017. A total of 52 sets of gear will be
distributed to 13 departments in need. Stay tuned to the NVFC web
site, Dispatch newsletter, and Facebook page, as well as the Globe
Facebook page, for additional information and announcements
regarding the Globe Gear Giveaway.
About
Globe :Firefighters need to be prepared to perform at their peak, on
every call. That’s why Globe delivers the most advanced,
best-fitting, and longest lasting protection by listening to our
customers, creating breakthrough designs, and applying the
engineering skills of the nation’s most trusted turnout gear
manufacturer. Globe turnout gear is designed to protect you, move
with you, and improve your performance. It’s athletic gear for
firefighters. Learn more at
www.globeturnoutgear.com.
Globe is now part of MSA.
About
DuPont Protection Solutions: DuPont Protection Solutions (NYSE: DD)
has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global
marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and
services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with
customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find
solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food
for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and
protecting life and the environment. For additional information
about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please
visit www.dupont.com.
About
the NVFC: The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is the leading
nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the
volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the
voice of the volunteer in the national arena and provides invaluable
resources, programs, education, and advocacy for first responders
across the nation. Learn more at www.nvfc.org.
School
District Collective Bargaining Agreement
Submitted By The Pittsfield School Board
Mike
Wolfe, Chair; Bea Douglas, Vice-Chair; Linda Freese, Ted Mitchell,
Ralph Odell
We
respectfully offer a reminder to all Pittsfield voters that you will
have the opportunity to cast your vote regarding a new proposed
teacher collective bargaining agreement from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
on Tuesday, September 19, at Town Hall.
A
letter in last week’s Suncook Valley Sun stated inaccurate
information regarding this important vote. The letter stated that
“there will be a special day of voting at the town hall from 7 to 7
on September 19 to reconsider the teacher’s contract that was turned
down at the School Meeting last March.” Make no mistake here, this
statement is simply not true.
In
fact, several distinct elements differentiate this proposed contract
from the one that was narrowly rejected by the voters at school
district meeting in March. These differences include:
• Term:
the term of the previous proposal was three years; the term of the
new proposal is a one-year;
•
Salary Schedule: the previous proposal included a 1% increase of
the salary schedule; the current contract contains no increase;
•
Incentives: the previous proposal included modest salary incentives
for teachers to remain in Pittsfield; the current contract contains
no incentive salary increases.
•
Maximum Step Increases: the previous proposal included a .1% per
year increase for senior teachers on the maximums step; the current
contract does not include an increase for senior teachers.
• Cost:
the estimated increased cost of the previous proposal was $113,319;
the estimated cost of the new proposal is $66,486.
• Tax
Impact: the estimated tax impact of the previous proposal was
$.43/thousand; the estimated tax impact of the new proposal is
$.25/thousand.
Following the March vote, the Board reinstituted negotiations with
the Education Association of Pittsfield and agreed to a new and
different proposal. While we remain disappointed in the rejection
of the previous proposal, we strongly encourage your support of the
new proposal with a YES vote on Tuesday, September 19.
Clive
and Lois Babkirk, formerly of Epsom, will be celebrating their 70th
wedding anniversary on September 21st. It would be special for them
to receive cards from their NH friends. M/M Clive Babkirk Sr., 9380
George Collins Pkwy., New Market, VA. 22844.
TOPS News
Pictured are: Left-Sandy Gilmore, Right- Peg Driscoll
Our
TOPS chapter recently held a celebration to recognize two members
with KOPS (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly) anniversaries. Peg Driscoll has
kept her goal for 11 years. Peg is very dedicated to the chapter
with consistent attendance and helps with chapter functions such as
fund raisers and attends workshops. When she travels, she finds a
TOPS chapter so she can weigh in. Sandy Gilmore has been a KOPS for
two years, staying at goal. Sandy gives of her time and assistance
to the chapter. She states that maintaining her goal is a way of
life and a choice she has made. We look up to these ladies and are
proud of their achievements. Congratulations.
Several
articles were read for our information and encouragement. Jon
Martin read suggestions on how to stop sugar cravings and Sandy
Gilmore read one on ways to help with sciatica through walking and
biking.
We meet
Tuesdays 6:30 at Berakah on Fairview Rd. If you would like to
visit, call Pat 435-5333 or Beth 435-7397.
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