CUMMINGTON — Built in 1838, the Cummington Village Church has been the community’s magnet for social life over the course of almost two centuries. But the artifact needs some modern updates, and the money to do them.
Over the past year, the church community has raised $103,000 and is inching closer to their goal of $150,000, which will be used to make upgrades to heating and plumbing to make the space warmer and more efficient.
This work will be in addition to other already-complete projects, both aesthetic and practical.
Those driving by on Main Street can notice a more stunning church, which received a fresh coat of white paint over the summer, and the church’s green shutters are in the process of being painted now.
As far as practical fixes, the church’s historic steeple clock, installed as a public utility in 1904, needed some attention. The church’s windows have been reglazed, and the vermiculite insulation in the vestry has been removed. Currently, a MassSave contractor is replacing insulation in the vestry ceiling and walls.
The church has been putting on a variety of services, celebrations and public outreach events to get the word out and raise money. The community’s next event comes Friday evening when singer and songwriter Martha Bourne, who teaches in the Film Scoring Department at Berklee College of Music, takes the stage.
Bourne will be joined by her longtime collaborator from Boston, Mike Castellana, on pedal steel guitar and guitar, and the two performers will take the stage alongside locals Dave Christopolis on bass and Jason Smith on drums.
The two-hour concert, part of the town’s Friday Night Cafe, will kick off at 7 p.m. in the vestry of the Village Church at 32 Main St.
Interested donors can also make contributions for the church restoration on GoFundMe.
Molly Smith, a member of the Village Church, provided some of the historical context of the space and its importance to the community.
In the 1840s some abolitionist church members were part of the underground railroad and were active in other ways. Lucy Stone, a pivotal American orator, abolitionist, and women’s rights pioneer, spoke in the church in 1848 at the Cummington’s antislavery Fourth of July celebration.
According to Stephanie Pasternak in the MASS Humanities Anti-Slavery archive: “The antislavery movement in Cummington was a significant chapter in the town’s history. In the three decades before the Civil War, hundreds of residents demonstrated support for the cause in many ways such as: affixing their names to antislavery petitions, crafting antislavery resolutions in their churches and town meetings, holding antislavery parades, creating an antislavery church.”
Pasternak adds that from 1854 to 1862, Cummington hosted annual antislavery conventions at the Village Church featuring such speakers as William Lloyd Garrison and Sojourner Truth.
Beginning in the 1840s, some individuals, like Rev. James D. Chapman, whose church in Wolcott, Connecticut, was burned down for his antislavery views, moved to Cummington because it was known to be abolitionist-friendly. Yet Cummington was not without its conflict around the issues of abolition. For example, in 1854 the Village Church excommunicated seven members for their particular antislavery activism.
In the 1940s, Rev. Carl Sangree, who had been a conscientious objector during World War I, arranged, with the support of three other local churches, for over 40 German and Austrian Jewish refugees to be housed on Main Street in Cummington for the duration of World War II. This episode was featured in a U.S. government film, “The Cummington Story.”
New chief takes helm in Cummington
CUMMINGTON — The Cioffi-era is over and the Bissell-era has just begun. After a unanimous vote by the Select Board, William “Billy” Bissell is officially the town’s first full-time police chief.
“A lifelong Hilltown resident with many years of policing experience, Billy is widely
respected, and his strong connection to Cummington over the past year and a half as
Cummington’s full-time police officer makes him a natural fit for this role,” the Select Board said in a statement following their decision on Jan. 15.
Bissell was sworn in by the Town Clerk Brenda Emerson-Camp. His wife, Kristine
Bissell, pinned on the new chief’s badge.
The swearing-in drew more than 25 family members, friends, community and colleagues. Bissell and the board are currently negotiating a salary, said member June Lynds.
Bissell has more than 20 years of experience in policing and has served on the departments of multiple Hilltowns, including Goshen and Ashfield. He said that he is dedicated to community-oriented styles of policing.
Bissell’s appointment also marks the end of Interim Chief Brian Cioffi’s time in town. The former police chief of Chilmark on Martha’s Vineyard, Cioffi came to town in July to clean up the police department after the town uncovered the mishandling of more than $90,000 and other administrative failures under former Police Chief Michael Perkins, who was not found responsible of theft.
Goshen Meltdown officially back
GOSHEN — With another storm expected this weekend, snow is top of mind in the area. But it also raises the question, when will it be spring? Since 2005, Goshen has come up with a creative way to make this question into a challenge with a contest called the Goshen Meltdown.
The challenge, which is officially under way as of last week, entails predicting the exact date and time a wooden pallet, cinderblock, and flag will fall through the ice on Hammond Pond.
According to the challenge’s website, “Every shift in the weather can change the outcome, making it a true challenge of instincts, strategy, and luck.”
The winter tradition, which is back after a three-year break, is also a fundraiser for the Goshen Firefighters Association. Participants buy tickets and submit their best guess, competing for half the pot, with the other half supporting the firefighters.
Tickets are $5 per pick, or five tickets for $20. Tickets will be available online through the Goshen Fire Department Meltdown page.
“With prizes, bragging rights, and community pride on the line, the Meltdown has become a beloved tradition that captures the spirit and unpredictability of spring,” the website states.
