1

Fran ryan

Michael Mirski, regional manager of Berkshire Bank, left, Williamsburg Town Administrator Charlene Nardi and Pam Sandborn, the bank’s branch manager, stand beside the new sign provided by the bank.

The village of Haydenville has received a pristine new sign to replace the worn and weathered one that stood precariously at the corner of Bridge and Main streets outside of the Berkshire Bank.

The new village sign is a gift to the town from Berkshire Bank.

"This is very important to Haydenville and the town is very grateful," Town Administrator Charlene Nardi said on Wednesday as she watched the new sign being put into place.

According to Pam Sanborn, the bank's branch office manager, the company spent $2,500 to have the new sign made and installed.

Selectman Jeffrey Ciuffreda said that the sign, which greets people as they enter town, had become a familiar landmark in Haydenville, but had fallen into disrepair over the years.

"It came to our attention several months ago that the sign was in a rough shape. At that same time Berkshire Bank had just purchased Legacy Bank and moved into that location on Main Street," Ciuffreda said.

Ciuffreda had worked with Berkshire Bank because of his position as president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield.

"I had a casual conversation with them about the sign and the next thing I know the Board of Selectmen received an architectural drawing of the proposed new sign," Ciuffreda said.

Berkshire Bank Regional Manager Michael Mirski said the bank tries to take an active role in helping out communities through employee volunteerism and contributions when possible.

"We like to help and support the communities we do business in," Mirski said.

"When I first came up to town I had no idea where Haydenville was, and then I saw the sign. It was nice to see, but it did look a little old and tilted," he said.

Ciuffreda said he is pleased with the new sign.

"They put a lot of thought and effort into the design and tried to have it reflect the period of local architecture. Hopefully people in town will like it," Ciuffreda said

###

School open house

The Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School will hold an open house on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

This will be an informational evening geared to individuals interested in having their children attend the charter school or for people who want to learn more about what the school offers.

There will be presentations about the school and staff members will be on hand for a question-and-answer period.

For more information, call 268-3421.

###

Meekins Library exhibit

During the month of January, Meekins Library will feature "Prisms," an exhibit that blends social studies, history and visual arts into a display on the local history of the Connecticut River. This three-dimensional work is an investigation of how the Connecticut River has changed over time, starting from the period of the Woodland Native Americans of the 1500s to the present day.

The exhibit is the creation of seventh- and eighth-grade students from the Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School. The installation can be seen in the Neil Hammer Gallery/Hawks Hayden Community Room of the Meekins Library now through the end of January. For more information, call 268-7472.