■The Allenstown Historical Society will be meeting on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Suncook Business Park off Route 28 on Lavoie Drive.
■Do you have a preschool aged child that you’d like to enroll in a preschool program for the 2021-22 school year? Children living in Allenstown, Chichester, Epsom and Pembroke may be eligible to attend a half-day preschool two or three days a week. SAU 53 is conducting a screening on April 12 from 8-10 a.m. To register for the screening, contact Paula Dyrkacz at 485-9000 ext. 2428 or 485-9000.
■Dog licenses are due and available at Allenstown Town Hall. The cost for unaltered dogs is $10 and altered dogs are $7.50. Licenses expire annually on April 30. Transactions can also be done online at allenstownnh.gov or by phone at 485-4276 ext.116.
■The Rolling Thunder NH1 will hold a POW/MIA flag raising on Saturday at several Allenstown municipal sites, including the Community Center, Airgas and Pembroke Pines Country Club. For more information, call Town Hall at 485-4276 ext. 110.
■Pine Haven Boys Center is participating in the NexTrex plastic film recycling challenge. The center will earn a plastic bench if it can collect a minimum of 500 pounds of soft plastic. The center is looking for produce bags, store bags, ice bags, zip-locs, bread bags, cereal box liners, newspaper sleeves and bubble wrap. For more information, contact Prudy at prudence-gagne@comcast.net or call 485-3113. You may drop plastic off at the St. John the Baptist Church office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
■The Suncook Senior Center has a Grab and Go Meal Program on Mondays and Thursdays between 11 a.m. and noon. Seniors are welcome to come and pick up five meals provided by Community Action. Call Michele in advance at 485-4254 to reserve these meals. Please do not come into the building. Staff will bring the food out to you.
■A free concert will be held on May 23 from 4-6 p.m. with the award-winning singer/songwriter Nicole Knox Murphy. The concert will be held on the Town Hall Lawn, 16 School St. There will also be a corn hole tournament. Refreshments available. Bring a chair or blankets to sit on.
CLAUDETTE VERVILLE
485-4437
cverville2@comcast.net
■Celebrate Chichester first responders with a short message and photo in the May 24 Concord Monitor. Bobcat of New Hampshire and Belletetes Lumber are letting the town say thank you for a job well done and is providing this message free of charge. To show your appreciation, submit online to concordmonitor.com/firstresponders or email dspaulding@cmonitor.com by Monday.
■The Chichester Youth Association rookie baseball team will have a game on Saturday at Carpenter Park at 11 a.m. The minor baseball team will have a game in Pittsfield at the Tilton Hill field on Tuesday at 5:45 p.m.
■The Chichester Historical Society will meet Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon at its Main Street location. The society has two photo albums showing homes by road location and binders of house histories. There is also a photo album of the barns in town that are over 75 years old.
■The board of selectmen will meet on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. Check chichesternh.org for details.
■The Chichester School Board will meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the school.
■The Heritage Commission will meet at the historical society building on Thursday at 7 p.m. Visit with the commission and see how it benefits the town. The commission is always looking for new members.
■The trustee of trust funds will meet at Town Hall on Friday at 9 a.m.
■The Chichester Town Library will be having its annual plant and book sale on Saturday. Thanks to Millican Nurseries for the donation of plants that make this fundraiser beneficial for the library. The library is also planning its summer reading program “Tails and Tales.” Contact the library for details.
■Chichester’s Hurricane Hill Farm on Canterbury Road will be hosting a holistic horse care workshop on May 23 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Learn how to use essential oils with horses. Email oneelevennh@gmail.com to register.
■B.C.E.P has appointed Richard Moore and Richard Bouchard as its members representing Chichester. A reminder that stickers are needed to use the facility and can be obtained at the Town Clerk’s Office. A new updated three-fold folder is available at the district for descriptions of recycling criteria. Season hours have begun: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday.
■The Chichester Police Department has obtained an additional portable radar system. Installation is in the process. The radar systems in town have shown to be successful in slowing down drivers. The Chichester Police Association gives thanks to the donors who provided funds to purchase 15 flags, poles and brackets. The flags will be installed on Main Street.
■The 2020 Chichester Annual Report was dedicated to the memory of Bernie M. Reinhardt (1940-2020). Bernie was very involved with the Chichester Historical Society, serving as president for nine years. He was skilled in woodworking and repaired many items. He took a special interest in the Thunder Bridge on Depot Road, where he supervised and assisted with repairs to the bridge structure and was involved in the construction of the kiosk. He had been honored as the Chichester Grange Community Citizen. The town is grateful for Bernie’s service on committees and positions in town.
■Companion Animal Hospital in Chichester has announced that Dr. Fiona Doody has left the practice and is moving to Maine. Dr. Judy Surdam will be providing excellent care to our pets.
■The Chichester Conservation Commission has many duties in town, including the protection and management of conservation land and open space. The commission has increased its activities with the parks and recreation commission and the planning board on improving access to town land, primarily footpaths easily accessible by the public. A perimeter footpath at Shaw Pasture off Main Street has been completed and has seen extensive foot traffic. The commission has also completed a formal agreement with the school board and parks and recreation regarding continued access to footpaths behind the school and connectivity to trails on other conservation land. In the future, the hope is to improve foot access to the 122-acre Spaulding Town Forest. This forest is a natural area and remains exceptionally wild and provides prime wildlife habitats. Interested citizens are always invited to help out at future work days to share conservation goals.
■The Chichester Road Advisory Committee’s primary responsibility is to develop or update a written road management plan with short- and long-term goals with best-estimate project costs, and to prioritize and schedule road projects. The town has 39 miles of roads, of which 24 are paved. The projected goals for 2021 are to complete the remaining segments of Bear Hill Road and East Ricker Road.
■Homeland Security Emergency Management has initiated public service recognition of emergency management directors during the month of May. Chichester Emergency Management Director John Martell and Deputy Director Patrick Clarke are both field representatives in our community and both individuals offer assistance to Chichester during an emergency. Both John and Patrick have played an important part throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in Chichester by providing necessary information between the state and our town.
■Chichester PTO and parent volunteers acknowledged Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week by supplying an assortment of treats, snacks and beverages to Chichester Central School. The PTO is looking forward to the 2021-2022 school year with regular PTO meetings.
■The Chichester Planning Board’s 10 members are in the final stages of updating the Chichester Master Plan, in conjunction with the Central NH Regional Planning Commission. The plan is available at Town Hall for anyone to evaluate before the public hearing is scheduled. Chichester resident Captain Douglas Miner of the NH Forest Protection Bureau has received the highest honor given to individuals – the Smokey Bear Award – by the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.
EVELYN PIKE
broomtailfarm@hotmail.com
■Do you have a policeman, fireman or someone in the military that you would like to recognize? The Peterson-Cram American Legion Post 75 will be holding a “Field of Honor” to recognize all these heroes. Each flag and ribbon is $3 and will fly through June 1 in front of the Pittsfield Police Department. All proceeds will go towards a scholarship for a graduating Pittsfield Middle High School student. To purchase a flag for someone special, contact Mickey Vien at 540-0296, Gerard LeDuc at 470-6942 or Mike Cabral at 866-1742. Checks may be made payable to American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75.
■It’s time to nominate a person for Pittsfield’s Citizen of the Year! Many people deserve to be honored for their actions and their commitment to Pittsfield. Their activities benefit our town. However, only one can be selected for 2021. Please submit your nomination with a short note explaining why you think this person should be honored as Citizen of the Year. Nominations can be sent to: Citizen of the Year, P.O. Box 173, Pittsfield, NH 03263. Nominations should be received by June 18.
■The Infant Toddler Diaper Pantry, through the First Congregational Church will be open on Tuesday from 9-11 a.m. Please call 435-7471 when you arrive in the parking lot. Please use the parking lot off Chestnut Street. Clients will not be able to enter the church at this time. Weather permitting, your diapers and wipes will be put in a bag with your name attached and placed on a table in the parking lot. If weather does not permit this, your products will be brought to you.
■ The Pittsfield Players will be reopening the Scenic Theatre on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. The new season will open with two short one-act plays by David Ives, “Sure Thing” and “The Philadelphia.” Pittsfield Players will also be introducing a world premiere of “First Time,” a short skit written by Earnhardt Dail. Tickets are $12 and will be limited for the live performance in the theatre. Tickets are available through ticketleap.com or can be reserved by calling 435-8852. Seating will be separated for safety and masks will be required in the theatre. The show will also be livestreamed for the same ticket price. The production is sponsored by Iron Dragon of Pittsfield. Visit the Pittsfield Players Facebook page for more information. Looking forward to seeing you at the theatre!
■New Hampshire law requires that the supervisors of the checklist verify the voter checklist every 10 years. Any person on the checklist who has not voted in the past four years must re-register to vote to remain on the checklist. The supervisors are sending notice letters to these voters at the address the voter provided when registering. Pittsfield supervisors will hold a session for re-registering voters who have not voted since April 1, 2017 at Town Hall on May 24 from 5-6:30 p.m. At this session they will be accepting applications for new voter registration, requests for the correction of the checklist and/or change of political party affiliation.
■The beautiful hanging flower baskets are coming. Each year generous product discounts and donations to help cover the cost of the soil, fertilizer and watering buggy upkeep are received. If you would like to contribute, please make checks payable to Pittsfield Hanging Basket Flower Fund and mail to Donna Keeley, c/o Citizen Bank Flower Fund, 256 True Rd., Pittsfield 03263. Thank you for your support!
■Pittsfield Senior Center can provide frozen meals to go for seniors in the community. Please call the center and staff will meet you in the parking lot with your meals. The service is quick and easy and the meals are excellent. Ask to see the menu so you can choose which meals you want. Every Thursday in the month of May will be a hot meal or freshly made meal to go that you can sign up for and pick up curbside. Call 435-8482 to sign up.
■The Pittsfield Historical Society is conducting its annual membership drive and would like you to join! Membership dues support the infrastructure of the society and help pay for the office supplies, heat, water, insurance and lights. Dues also ensure that there are funds to participate in programs such as NH Humanities on the Go, which provide speakers on programming topics. There is a seven-tiered dues structure – something for everyone! Please visit the Pittsfield Historical Society website at pittsfieldhistory.com to view the information. Your support is appreciated!
■PYW programs will be scheduled monthly and each day will have an organized activity, or youth may choose an activity of their liking. Each afternoon a snack and drink will be provided. Masks will need to be worn in the building at all times except when eating. Currently, youth are not required to register ahead of time for each day of programming, but that may need to be implemented due to space regulations. Program fees for the 2021 school year will be waived to insure all youth will have the opportunity to participate. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact 435-8272 or visit pittsfieldyouthworkshop.org.
■Happy birthday wishes to my niece, Nicole Grainger Semales, and Liz Hast on Thursday and to Cathy McHugh on Friday. I hope you all enjoy your special day.
■Happy anniversary wishes to Tammy and Gary Colby on Tuesday and to Rich and Sarah Hillsgrove on Thursday!
ANDREA RIEL
435-6346
pittsfieldtowncrier@hotmail.com