NEW BERLIN – The historic Town of New Berlin, celebrating its 200th birthday this year, will take on a decidedly young look this weekend as the annual Youth Days celebration gets underway.

The front lawn of Milford Academy is now filled with midway rides, lights, food and excitement as the event got kicked off Thursday. On Friday, instead of an ice cream-eating competition like in years past, there will be a pudding eating contest at 5 p.m. at the firehouse. At 6 p.m., the Miss Youth Days pageant will begin in the Unadilla Valley school auditorium. During intermission, participants competing in the Town of New Berlin Bicentennial beard growing competition will take the stage, and there will be an announcement of the Citizen and Youth of the Year.

William Chaplick has been named as “Citizen of the Year 2007.” Coming to the New Berlin area over four years ago, Chaplick helped transform what used to be an old school building into what in the football world would come to be know as Milford Academy, now the number two rated prep school in the nation. Along with Chaplick’s record of success, he said just making a difference with one student and making them a positive part of the community is worth his many efforts.