CHESHIRE, Mass. — There will be a Memorial Day parade in Cheshire this year.

 

The small town has traditionally held the parade through town and up to the cemetery on West Mountain Road with veterans, town and state officials, police, firefighters, Shriners, children on red-white-and-blue decorated bicycles and the Hoosac Valley High School band.

 

Like so many events of the past year, Memorial Day was silent in 2020. But with Gov. Charlie Baker's lifting of capacity limits and mask wearing outdoors as of May 29, town officials are hoping for a parade this year on May 31.

 

The Board of Selectmen took up the issue at Tuesday's meeting. In light of the updated COVID-19 guidance from the state, Chairwoman Michelle Francesconi noted that Cheshire had the opportunity to host a parade on Memorial Day. Board members pushed for the parade to happen, saying it would be nice to give Cheshire residents a "sense of normalcy" after the year of pandemic restrictions.

 

This year the parade will end at Town Hall instead of the cemetery on West Mountain Road.

 

Despite likely challenges in getting the band for the parade at such short notice, the board unanimously voted to hold a parade. Francesconi said Cheshire would likely be "the only [town] in Berkshire County" to hold such a parade.

 

With the end of the pandemic on the horizon, the board also convened in a hybrid mode on Tuesday, the first since governor's emergency order in March 2020, meaning some town members were in attendance. The board members have been gathering while keeping social distancing but the public had not been able to attend. The meeting was still held online over Zoom for those who could not make it in person.

 

In other business, Highway Superintendent Robert Navin announced plans to apply for a grant from the state to finish patching up parts of Route 116.

 

• The Board of Selectmen briefly discussed the search for a new town administrator. Of the 11 applicants, three have been selected to proceed to final interviews. These interviews will take place Thursday, June 3.

 

• Some town members came to the meeting to air complaints about rats and other rodents within their neighborhoods.

 

One resident said he had been living in Cheshire for 18 years and had not had any problems with rats before recently. Without naming any houses, residents, or streets, the resident said several condemned houses are acting as breeding grounds for rats and other rodents.

 

The board argued that this was a discussion for the Board of Health and members pushed to include members from the Board of Health to attend a later meeting.

 

• Ronald DeAngelis was appointed as the third member of the Conservation Commission by the Board of Selectmen.

 

• The board reviewed the fiscal year 2022 final draft budget.

 

• Francesconi discussed the need to upgrade the town's information technology, saying it needs to be protected against ransomware. She noted that another town in Massachusetts was struck by ransomware and was forced to pay $5 million. Francesconi said, "having those safeguards in place is really really important, especially nowadays."