Bank offers Amish community unique welcome

WILLSBORO | Horse-drawn buggies have become a familiar sight on roads in the Boquet Valley as the Amish relocate to the area. Now one local bank has developed a novel way to welcome the new residents: A hitching post. When arriving into town to run errands, Amish residents had been tying their horse and buggies to a tree near the road. Champlain National Bank Board Chairman Peter Paine noticed and offered to build a hitching post, said Jacqueline Hallock, a company spokeswoman. "It was literally out of the goodness of his heart," Hallock said. The farmers selected a location near the tree line adjacent to the bank's parking lot where the horses would be in the shade. The new site has been popular with the farmers and community alike, as indicated by a recent Facebook post. (Amish disagree with having their photo taken, but the photo of the buggy on Facebook was taken with consent, Hallock explained.) The community's positive response on social media has been overwhelming, Hallock said. "It's a nice way to welcome our new neighbors, little small things you can do to make them feel welcome," she said. Amish farmers have been flocking to the Champlain Valley from St. Lawrence County in recent years, attracted by inexpensive farmland along Lake Champlain. "They've been good neighbors," said Willsboro Supervisor Shaun Gillilland. "It's been a pleasure to have them here."

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Bank offers Amish community unique welcome

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