CHESTERFIELD — New Hingham Elementary School’s Principal Jesse McMillan says that this winter and spring, the only barrier keeping water from leaking into the building have been tarps covering the school’s faulty roof.
While the deteriorating roof has been an ongoing problem for a few years, McMillan says that he is glad to see that the progress is being made to rectify the situation at the school, which serves the towns of Chesterfield and Goshen.
“For the past few years, there has been ongoing discussion about replacing the roof, but funding is a major issue for both of the towns,” McMillan said.
This April, however, voters in Chesterfield approved spending either $383,427 for the town’s share of a new standing metal seam roof or $223,370 for their share of an asphalt roof.
“We just want it fixed, and we are willing to go with either option,” Chesterfield Town Administrator Sue Labrie said after the voting took place.
Now McMillan said he will be discussing funding for a new roof at Goshen’s upcoming annual Town Meeting on May 20.
According to McMillan, the problem with roof started when the current shingles began disintegrating and falling off the roof not long after they were installed. He noted that the company that produced the shingles, IKO Manufacturing, recently settled a $30 million class action suit, in which customers claimed that the shingles were flawed and failed prematurely.
“If you were to look at our roof now, you would see sections where shingles have completely disintegrated,” he said. “Shingles are absolutely everywhere around the school, and the janitor has to go around and pick them up every day.”
McMillan said that the company had offered to reimburse the school and replace the shingles, but that they would have “received only pennies on the dollar and had to use their products again.”
Now, he says he is hoping that the school will get a new roof sometime this year.
“I am happy that things are finally coming together so that we can move this process along,” he said.
HAYDENVILLE — On Wednesday May 8, Haydenville’s Valley View Farm will host a bartending competition to benefit the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.
Farm to cocktail will feature 10 area bartenders who will shake, stir and present their best concoctions as they try to make the most creative cocktails using locally sourced ingredients.
Those in attendance will sample the creations and vote for their favorite cocktail.
Hearty farm-fresh hors d’oeuvres by Wheelhouse catering will be served, and Berkshire Mountain Distillers will provide locally crafted spirits.
There will also be will be musical performances, lawn games, a silent auction and raffle.
“This is the second time that we have done this, and the first time was really popular,” the Food Ban’s Event Coordinator Jennifer Therkelsen said.
The first event was held at Quonquont Farm in Whately.
Therkelsen said they wanted to find a similar venue that was a little bigger and discovered Valley View Farm.
“They have a very beautiful space,” she said. “We will be using the indoor area, the outdoor patio and covered outdoor barn.”
The event will be from 5 to 9:30 p.m.
General admission is $50, designated drivers $40. You must be over 21 and have a valid ID to attend the event, whether you are enjoying cocktails or not.
There is currently a wait list for tickets. For more information, visit foodbankwma.org.
HUNTINGTON — The Third Annual Interfaith Candlelight Vigil on Domestic Violence will be held on May 9, from 7 to 7:30 p.m. on the Huntington Town Greens and will be followed by an informal gathering in Stanton Hall.
The vigil will honor all those who have been impacted by domestic violence and will bring attention to the role of the faith community in ending domestic violence. Event planners say that the hilltown faith community supports and stands ready to help anyone who faces abuse or violence.
All those from the hilltowns and surrounding communities are invited.
The vigil is sponsored by members of the Hilltown Domestic Violence Interfaith Initiative, a group supported by the Southern Hilltown Domestic Violence Task Force.
In the event of rain, the vigil will be held in Stanton Hall.
Ideas for this column on life in the hilltowns can be sent to Fran Ryan at fryan.gazette@gmail.com.