SALISBURY — Just months after announcing that it would purchase a branch of the Union Savings Bank in the Tri-state region, Salisbury Bancorp (which is the parent company of Salisbury Bank and Trust) has announced that it will merge with New York state’s Riverside Bank.The announcement was made March 19. Regulators as well as shareholders in both banks must approve the merger, which is likely to happen in autumn of this year.“We’re optimistic” about getting the approvals, said Rick Cantele, who is president and CEO of both Salisbury Bancorp and Salisbury Bank and Trust (and a Salisbury resident). “We think it’s a good opportunity for shareholders at both companies.”He said that the recent steady growth of the company is in fact designed to help the bank stay “strong and relevant in today’s challenging banking environment. Narrow margins combined with escalating regulatory and technology costs make it increasingly more difficult for smaller banks to survive. “We’re taking these steps in part to prolong our ability to stay independent. I believe that we can more effectively control our own destiny by being a high-performing bank, and that requires a certain degree of growth.”There are no immediate plans for further expansion, he said. “We will be focused on successfully integrating our new branch in Great Barrington, the Union Savings Bank branch in Sharon, and Riverside Bank. We have a strong culture of service at Salisbury, in fact our primary core value is: service to our customer above all else. Our team takes great pride in the service they provide our customers, and our focus on service will continue to be a top priority.“Our staff in the branches and on the phones will not change as a result of these projects.”Riverside is based in Poughkeepsie and has four branches in Dutchess and Orange counties. Its branches will now go under the name of Riverside Bank, a Division of Salisbury Bank and Trust.Cantele described Riverside as primarily a business bank. When asked if Salisbury Bank and Trust customers can use Riverside’s ATM at no extra cost, he said that the company does not have ATMs. “Our customers will be able to use their branches,” he said, and Riverside customers will be able to use Salisbury Bank and Trust machines at no extra cost.Salisbury Bank and Trust has a total of nine branches in Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts, including a new Great Barrington office that will open in May. Cantele said that the two banks have been in discussions for several years about joining forces. Both are community-oriented banks that emphasize customer service. “Our primary core value is service to the customer,” Cantele said. “That will not change as a result of this merger. Our staff in the branches and the back offices will stay the same.”Salisbury Bank employees in theory will now also have more opportunities for career growth, Cantele said.“From a customer standpoint, we will take the best of what Riverside offers in terms of services and products. This will allow us to offer more robust commercial lending products, for example. That will help the small businesses we work with. Riverside customers will have access to our residential mortgage lenders and to our wealth management services.”Cantele said he believes the new partnership will be “accretive to earnings, which will allow us in turn to provide more loans and make more contributions to the communities we serve. We think this will be good for our communities, our customers, our employees and our shareholders.”Salisbury Bancorp will acquire Riverside in exchange for $28 million in stock that will go to the New York bank’s shareholders.In February, Salisbury Bancorp announced that it was purchasing the Sharon branch of Union Savings Bank. He said that sometime in June the Sharon office of Salisbury Bank on Low Street will close; it will move into the Union Savings Bank office, on Main Street across from the shopping plaza, which will become the new Sharon branch office for Salisbury Bank and Trust.Cantele, who is 54 and lives in Salisbury, has worked at Salisbury Bank and Trust for more than 32 years, since June 1981, shortly after his graduation from Fairfield University.
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Marsala is eager to go home with you.
Tiffany Lemelin, shelter manager, brushing Marsala upon arrival.Provided
The Little Guild is an animal shelter at 285 Sharon-Goshen Turnpike in West Cornwall. Founded in 1957, the organization rescues animals from local surrenders and under-resourced shelters. When a rescue animal arrives at The Little Guild, staff begins a careful intake and transition process to ensure the animal is safe, healthy and ready for adoption.
New arrivals are quarantined in-house. Vaccinations are verified as up to date, and staff assesses each animal’s medical, behavioral and placement needs. Rescues receive medical care, daily support and behavioral training to ease shelter stress. Once a dog has finished quarantine and is ready for a home, its profile is published at littleguild.org.
Michael DeBarba, certified dog trainer working with Marsala.Jennifer Almquist
Prospective adopters fill out an online application with information about their household and veterinary and personal references.
The next step is for the prospective adopter and family members to meet the dog. If there is already a dog in the household, a meet-and-greet is scheduled so the dogs can get acquainted.
The animal care staff offers guidance based on its knowledge of each animal’s personality, needs and quirks to help families find the best fit.
Marsala wins a heart.Jennifer Almquist
Once a match is made, the adoption contract outlines aftercare. Adopters agree to return the animal to The Little Guild if the adoption doesn’t work out. The organization’s commitment continues after adoption, with six months of free training and follow-up from staff to answer questions or address concerns.
“Please don’t pass Marsala by,” Lemelin said. “He loves people and other dogs. He’s a lap dog who lives for snuggles, cuddles and face kisses. Marsala deserves a family, a soft bed and a lifetime of being chosen.”
To find out about Marsala and other rescue dogs and cats, visit littleguild.org
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Sampson, a playful and independent blind hound mix, explores the rescue’s large yard.
Though she takes in dogs of all ages, including some with disabilities — and one resident cat — the rescue’s motto is “Giving old dogs new lives.”
Sadie, center, a Carolina dog, plays with her friend Negra, a terrier mix. Bella Linda, the small poodle, has since been adopted.L. Tomaino
Sadie, a sweet Carolina dog, was the first to greet visitors.
“She could really use a home,” Meade said.
Then came Bonnie and Clyde, rat terriers; Negra, a small terrier mix; Sampson, a blind hound mix; and Jay Z, a terrier mix who was emaciated when Meade took him in and has since filled out, with fur regrowing over previously bald patches. Wesley, a young, shaggy mix whom Meade calls “a very good boy,” is also in need of a home.
Wesley, a young, exuberant mix, is looking for an active home.L. Tomaino
Meade began rescuing dogs after going to Waterbury to adopt one and learning that, by the end of the three-day weekend, the dogs she was looking at would be euthanized to make room for others.
She went home and started her rescue in New Preston, Connecticut. After five years there, she moved to California, where she rescued dogs from overcrowded pounds for 13 years.
Meade, a busload of dogs and her cat moved back to the Northeast a little more than a year ago.
Ninety-nine percent of the dogs at the rescue come from pounds, both locally and in California and New York City.
“We are more than happy to place dogs with older people, and we are also willing to give support after the adoption,” Meade said, noting that some rescues will not adopt to people over 60.
Bonnie and Clyde, an affectionate terrier pair.L. Tomaino
For those who cannot adopt, the rescue needs donations of old blankets, dog and cat food, cleaning supplies, puppy pads and dog treats. Monetary donations are also welcome and can be made through the rescue’s website. Meade also welcomes volunteers to help with the dogs.
Contact Meade at 805-239-4004, 860-866-7986 or 4dots@att.net to arrange a visit or drop off donations. For available dogs and more information, visit meadecaninerescue.org.
Newtown Veterinary Specialists
For Berkshire County residents, VCA All Caring Animal Hospital, 440 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington, can be a nearby first call. The full-service hospital offers diagnostics and hospitalization and asks clients with an emergency or a pet requiring immediate attention to call rather than use its online contact form. It is not a 24-hour emergency hospital, however. Current hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. It is closed Sunday. Call 413-528-8020.
Poughkeepsie also has several options for urgent care. Creature Comforts Animal Hospital, 64 Pine St., is a full-service veterinary hospital offering emergency and critical care during regular business hours. The hospital treats dogs and cats as well as birds, reptiles and other exotic pets. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. It is closed Sunday. For after-hours emergencies involving dogs and cats, the hospital refers patients to regional emergency facilities. Call 845-625-2474.
Community Animal Care, 269 Titusville Road, offers urgent and emergency care during operating hours and asks pet owners to call ahead. Regular hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Urgent care is available daily by calling ahead, with extended hours until 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. The practice also offers after-hours veterinary triage by video to help owners determine whether a pet can safely wait or should be taken to a 24-hour facility. Call 845-471-7459.
When an animal needs care in the middle of the night, on a holiday or for a potentially life-threatening condition, the options become more limited.
Guardian Veterinary Specialists, 4 Hardscrabble Heights in Brewster, is a 24-hour emergency and specialty hospital, open seven days a week, 365 days a year. Its emergency department is staffed around the clock, with on-site imaging and laboratory services. No appointment is necessary for an emergency, although calling ahead is encouraged when possible. Call 914-704-3400.
Provided
Newtown Veterinary Specialists, 52 Church Hill Road in Newtown, Connecticut, also provides emergency care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. No appointment is required for emergency care, although the hospital recommends calling ahead when possible. Call 203-270-8387.
Pet owners should remember that emergency veterinary hospitals operate much like human emergency rooms in that patients are triaged according to the severity of their condition, so animals with less critical problems may have to wait.
The best preparation is simple. Keep the number of your regular veterinarian and at least one 24-hour emergency hospital in your phone, and know roughly how long it will take to get there. If circumstances allow, call before leaving home to confirm where your pet should be seen.
When something goes wrong at 10 p.m. on a Sunday, knowing where you’re headed can make a frightening situation a little less overwhelming.
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