Cheshire Revamping Website With More Information
 The Cheshire Selectmen are planning to add more information to the town website. |
CHESHIRE, Mass. — Cheshire is revamping its website in attempt to make it a tool and information resource for residents.
Selectmen Chairwoman Carol Francesconi said the website will now have the Selectmen’s minutes, building permits, all of the town contacts, and new photos.
"We are making progress," Francesconi said at Tuesday's meeting. "We have grown the website from an infant to a baby and hopefully from there we can go to a toddler and so forth."
Advisory Board member Jonathan Tremblay has been steadily pushing for a more informative website
"When I want to go find something out about anything I go to the Internet; that the easiest way," Tremblay said. "There is a segment of our population who are not going to do that; we understand that, but there is a percentage that will and more than you think."
Tremblay also sees the reimagined website as a possible community hub.
"We can drive the website to be people's place to go for info, whether it be town events or cleanup day," he said. "The people who are computer literate … will start going to the website."
In other business, the Selectmen received a letter from the state Department of Transportation informing the town that it will not receive a solar-powered flashing stop sign at the intersection of Route 8 and Lanesborough Road.
Although MassDOT considers the intersection dangerous after a safety investigation, it does not meet the criteria for a flashing stop sign. However, Cheshire will receive some new signage to make the intersection less of a hazard.
The two signs on the intersection's island will be removed and will be replaced with a narrow plastic reflector. The old signs compromised sight distance.
MassDOT will also install a "stop ahead" sign several feet before the Route 8 intersection as well as an "intersection ahead" sign before Lanesborough Road.
Selectman Paul Astorino said he was thankful for the new signage but wishes it happened sooner.
"I think what they are doing is a positive move, and they should have done it before," Astorino said.
The Selectmen also receive a letter of resignation form Ilene Nuttall, a founding member of the Cheshire Historical Society, with she has been involved since 1967. At the age of 100, Nuttall said she would like to pass her position to someone else and has enjoyed serving the town.
Nuttall is responsible for many actions in Cheshire including getting Cheshire Town Hall historically cited, working on Stafford Hill, and developing the Cheshire Historical District.
"On behalf of the town I would really like to thank Ilene and we appreciate all she has done for us," Astorino said.
The Selectmen are accepting letters from possible applicants for the now vacant spot on the Historical Society.
Tags: historical society, Internet, intersection, MassDOT, website,
