By Owen Boss
Selectmen recently presented the family of Charlotte M. Bachand with a replica of the town's Boston Post Cane and a citation, recognizing her posthumously as the oldest resident of Williamsburg.
Bachand, who was born in Haydenville on Nov. 8, 1912, died at the age of 96 on Nov. 22, 2008. She had lived her entire life in Haydenville and was the eldest of nine children.
Williamsburg remains one of the few municipalities in Massachusetts that still has its original Boston Post Cane. The tradition of giving the ceremonial canes to town elders began in 1909, when the publisher of the Boston Post newspaper, Edwin A. Grozier, sent the gold-headed canes to the boards of selectmen in 700 New England towns.
The tradition began by presenting the canes to the oldest male citizen of the town, to be used by him for as long as he lived or resided in the town. Women became eligible for the honor in 1930.
Over the years, Town Administrator Steven Herzberg said, many towns' canes have disappeared because elderly residents take them out of the state or do not return them. To keep this from happening in Williamsburg, he said, elders are presented with replicas of the cane.
The original is kept in a vault at the Town Offices.
The original cane was on hand while town leaders presented the replica cane and citation, as Selectman Dave Mathers reminded family members of Charlotte's lasting presence in the town.
"The Bachand family, headed by Charlotte Bachand, has a long and rich history in the village of Haydenville and the town of Williamsburg," Mathers said. "We are pleased to be able to recognize that longevity, along with the contribution made by the family at this time."
It is unknown who is in line to receive the cane next.
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Arts Adventure Day set for schools
The Cultural Arts Committee will be holding its fifth annual Arts Adventure Day at the local elementary schools today, offering students performances by internationally known acts and hands-on workshops with local artists.
According to Arts Council Co-chairman Tom Adams, the goal of Arts Adventure Day is to expose elementary school students to culturally diverse art forms, such as music, dance, theater and the visual arts.
"The Cultural Arts Committee was formed as a away of bringing a variety of culture into the local school system," said Adams. "That is our mission."
During Arts Adventure Day, each class will attend sessions that showcase different artforms during the morning, and after a lunch break, students will view an afternoon performance by the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School's a capella group, 5-Alone.
Residents interested in getting more information about the programming are encouraged to visit the committee's Web site, www.WilliamsburgCAC.org.
Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.
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