Petersham History Page

Dear Petersham Common.com
You may be interested in knowing that just prior to Easter, I received a call from a woman who had seen my number on the website. She called it in hopes of getting our "Senior Center". It seems that she has an aunt who is a nun at the Novitiate, and she wanted to send her flowers for Easter. She had called the only Florist she knew in Athol and was told they would not deliver to Petersham for less than $30. She wondered if I knew any other in Athol who wouldn't charge so much. I suggested MacMannis Florist. She later called back to tell me how well she was received by them, and they would deliver her flowers gratis. She thanked me profusely for the recommendation. I guess there really are people out there who read petershamcommon.com. Just thought you'd like to know that!
John LePoer - 5/4

Dear PC: How much more are you going to add to the Petersham site? Much more and
I won't need Yahoo anymore.
Steve F., Dery, N.H.

Dear Steve: We're just boppin' along, adding stuff every day. And you ain't seen nothin' yet. Yahoo already has enough people logging on. They don't know you. They don't need your clicks. We have more interEsting links anyway. Go ahead. Be the first kid on your block up there in New Hampshire to Make PetershamCommon your home page.
TaTa
PC

"Hold On, Please." Start saying this when they call to sell you stuff during dinner. Then put down your phone and walk off instead of hanging up. Hang up later. You can also use those return envelopes from credit card companies to mail back lots of those inserted ads. Hey, it gives the Post Office something to do AND cuts down on using those pretty mauve bags.
D.D. Orange

Hi Roy! Great site! Cool watching Logan air traffic - not sure I want to fly anymore ;-) How do they keep it all straight?? ! - S.M. Hardwick.

PC Replies:
There is a room, in a building, in Nashua, N.H. The Place is called Boston Center. They have large, green radar screens and air traffic controllers there, people who watch planes and talk to pilots and keep everything sorted out. We are glad they do that.
PC

"It's big in there. It's like New York City"
M. Said, Paris, France

I called my sister in Arizona and told her she could see a picture of Grampy on the Internet. I also found some great Quabbin pictures. There's something different there every day"
J.R., Petersham

"Wandering around in PetershamCommon.com is a lot like rummaging around in somebody's grandmother's attic,"
G.Z., New Hampshire.

Hi,
I've just landed in Petersham after 8 years in Seattle's high-tech market (and after a stint as cook at the Insight Meditation Society). I'm trying to meet local folks, got your name from the Petersham web site (which is great--thank you!), and thought I'd just send you a little hello, along with a few getting-to-know-you questions. Do you know if Petersham is scheduled to be wired for broadband Internet access (DSL or cable modem)?
Hatsy Thompson

Hi to you too.
If you are saying you aren't used to the leisurely pace at which data moves through your modem and would prefer faster transmission speeds, us too. Look around. There are few houses, long spaces between them. Nobody ever put a cable service in here either. PC imagines that it will be some time before we get to that, if ever. Maybe satellites? Till then, tin cans and sticks anyone? I'm just happy to have DSL in the center of town. Sorry to everyone else.
PC

Dear PC
I wish I had a digital camera because we have the coolest cat around and I would love to see her picture on the site. Which brings me up to the other major critter population in our fair burg- horses! There are a zillion horses in this town and they should be featured too.
AB - Petersham

Dear AB:
PC respectfully suggests that your estimates of the local horse population may quite possibly be a trifle overstated, even perhaps overblown. Do you have any census data to support that assertion? Did you inquire of Beth? Have you told Katharine? And what DOES Obie think?
We note here that PC has recently observed that the population of men and women in neon spandex outfits and 10-speed bikes seems to be on the increase as well. But is that any reason to take pictures of THEM ? Even if they walk funny? Perish the thought! Don't they know how silly they look in those little outfits?
Next, the Petersham Gerbil Alliance (PGA) and the Ferrett and Iguana Marching Society (FIMS) will be very likely be clogging our mailboxes to demand equal consideration, we suppose.
We started with people and cows and dogs. Now we also have cats. PC does occasionally take roving photos of things -- And No We are Not Spies for the Government -- This or Any Other - so OK, squelch that indelicate rumour and expect to see an occasional horse picture on our pages from time to time -- but one simply must draw the line someplace. I mean, really... will they also want pictures of CURLING? What IS that, anyway? Ohhh. The stress of it all. Will PC finally have to consider meditation, counseling or even massage? Or possibly join a reading circle? Ride On, Dude!
PC

Dear PC
Hi, how about a community bulletin board (like the one at the Country Store) where folks can post little tidbits, like an upcoming event, babysitter job, yard sales, etc??? just a thought.... thanks
JC - Petersham

Dear JC - Actually, that's a lot of what this site is all about. Send event and meeting notices and we'll put them up where you can find them, probably in Local News and Notes. Ads for expensive stuff should cost money, but not much.
We invite local groups to send us e-mail to announce their upcoming events and have already published several this month.
PC

Dear PC:
Since you asked about any typos we might see on your site, I'll indulge myself in nit-picking!

Specifically, when you are using the possessive pronoun "its", you don't need an apostrophe.
The word fits in with the other possessive pronouns, like his and hers, which of course don't need an apostrophe either.

The word "it's" always refers to the contraction "it is".

I think I'm already sorry I wrote this.
PB, Petersham

Dear PB:
PC is not dismayed but rather welcomes your comment, guidance and assistance as a positive development in the ongoing search here for truth, justice, information, the American way and correct English (including spelling, grammar and syntax).

Whenever "over 500 people" gather, we are prone to cringe against the possibility that someone or something might fall on them. It would be an historic, if Herculean effort, to revise the language toward correctness in every case. Lord knows how the Parisians have tried to save French. Let us not chide you, gentle reader, for your supportive correction except to suggest that PC would appreciate knowing the page on which you found the offending apostrophe. PC will make haste in a spirit of probity and correctness to expunge the error if its location be known. PC and especially PC ABBY support an open and free exchange of ideas. But in our effort, we have created many more web pages than can be parsed for errors in retrospect. Indeed, some of our content comes from others who may not be so well versed in the harmonies of grammatical nuance as you yourself appear to be. PC does not mention this in any attempt to shift blame, but rather to point out that our common is an interesting and busy place and we welcome contributions of all kinds. With your help, we will surely be able to maintain the highest editorial standards as we go forward.
PC

Dear PC: I think you people are taking this Petersham thing way too far. I mean, I was there once. I didn't see any THERE there. You don't have a bank or a gasoline station or a shopping center or even a McDonald's. Band concerts are one thing but Petersham is in the middle of no place. Why would anyone want to BE there anyway? What do you all DO out there anyway? I just can't imagine. Oh, I do like your website, though.
D.R., Chelmsford

Dear D.R. - Thank you for your insightful comments. Some things just can't be explained to all people. We've pretty much given up on that. We have been to Chelmsford once or twice too. (See Picture above.)
P.C.

I discovered this website today and I think it is the greatest thing EVER created on the web. It is so nice to have a slice of home accessible anywhere in the world, and it really is quintessential Petersham, from the Photos, to the Daily News, even down to the way the little blurbs are written. It is exactly what Petersham is, and I love it. I can't wait to show all my friends.
K.B - Away at School

Monika Perkins told PC Common she was nearly late for work because she was busy clicking links on www.petershamcommon.com. "It's a terrific web site. There's so much stuff in there. I love the pictures of Petersham. I was just looking around and all of a sudden, a half-hour had gone by. I was almost late for work."

Fred was very excited that someone took a picture of his dog ( Kazak ) today, while they were out walking. He came home and said that it was taken with a digital. I thought it might have been you. Tonight we came up to the computer to see, and found the picture. He jumped up and down laughing, CALLED HIS SISTERS (no less), and can't wait to tell everyone about Kazak. THANK YOU!!!
C.B., Petersham

This is wonderful. It was good talking with you -- and the people in my office will love this site. Stay in touch.
M.R., Shanghai, China

wow, congratulations on the activity on the website. I know the article in the newspaper is responsible for that, that's how we found out. I like being able to see the selectmen's minutes, of course, we can't all get to the meetings. we think you're doing a great thing here. also, the links you've put up are very useful, the zip codes, weather, etc...... good luck with it,
J. C., Petersham

it's awesome, great job. we sent the link to all our friends and family ! I have not yet gone through it all but I did see my son was in one of the pics from the Center School (that was about 4-5 yrs ago) thanks a bunch,
B. C., Petersham

Thank you--very pretty, rustic, unbearably quaint. There is no frog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We did, however, see two gophers and one cute babe.Looks like a cheerleader. First entry in old home day.
A.V. Millis

Hey, that's pretty spiffy. Will continue to look for the frog. xoxo
R.T. Newport, RI