By CRAIG FREILICH

Community Bank, NA says it has plenty of ways for customers in Norwood and Waddington to get their banking done in spite of cuts in the number of days bank branches there will be open.

Norwood residents, led by two village trustees and supported by the rest of the board, have circulated a petition and got over 250 signatures asking Community Bank to keep its branch there open more than the two days a week they have settled on.

Norwood Mayor Jim McFaddin said he and other board members are particularly concerned about senior citizens and their ability to get to other branches or to do their banking online.

Village Trustees Tim Levison and Richard Boprey circulated and presented a petition signed by over 250 Norwood area residents requesting Community Bank to re-consider being open only two days a week in Norwood.

The petition cites the potential negative economic impact “and problems it creates for the elderly as the reason for the request. All village board members agree and support the effort,” McFaddin said.

But Community Bank says customers in those villages can still use other nearby branches and an array of electronic services that should make it easier for customers to get their banking done in spite of the reduced operating schedule.

“The economics in both offices have been challenging operating five days a week. We feel that this is the best way to continue to serve the communities and see this as the best way to do so,” said Community Bank Senior Vice President Hal Wentworth.

“We definitely understand concerns and know that we’ll have to work hard to ease the transition process,” Wentworth said.

After a normal five-day week for decades, as of Nov. 12, the Norwood branch is now open only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Meanwhile the branch in Waddington is also operating at a reduced schedule as of Nov. 12. Community Bank says that after having operated in the village on a five-day-a-week schedule it has cut business there to Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Fridays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“In addition to the personal service in Norwood and Waddington, we are open five days a week in our nearby Madrid, Potsdam, Canton and Massena offices,” Wentworth said in a statement emailed from a public relations firm.

He also said there are “great ways” to accomplish banking tasks electronically, as well as “great cash management services.”

Wentworth said no layoffs will result from the reduced hours, but did not explain how the workers at those branches will make up the hours they apparently have lost. He also did not say if there are plans to cut back hours at other branches.

“The criteria we used to make this decision included looking at transaction counts, proximity to other CBNA offices, traffic patterns, loan and deposit activity,” Wentworth said.

Community Bank recently posted record third quarter profits.

Wentworth said the bank’s commitment to the North Country remains steadfast, with locations in Potsdam, Madrid, Ogdensburg, Massena and Canton are also available to Norwood and Waddington customers. In total, Community Bank has over 180 locations across upstate New York and Northeastern Pennsylvania.