Cumberland Farms Cuts Ribbon On Renovated Dalton Store

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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The Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts helped cut the ribbon on the renovated Cumberland Farms store on Thursday.

DALTON, Mass. — Cumberland Farms is trying to break the stigma of "gas station food."

The company has been revamping its nearly 600 stores with ovens, coffee bar and an array of freshly made food offerings — from pizza to chicken tenders to hot dogs to macaroni and cheese bites.

On Thursday, company officials celebrated the Dalton store's renovation with a ribbon cutting and tastings of the new menu.


"We're trying to get away from the 'gas station food' stigma," said Matt Balaschi, a company marketing associate. "This is our 'grand' opening but we've been open for the last month."

Williamstown's Cumberland Farms was among the first stores to get a face-lift five years ago after a fire severely damaged the building.

The company is planning a new store in North Adams at the former Greenberg's Home Center location on Curran Highway.

The company shut down the Dalton store for about three months to completely renovate the interior. Dalton's location in 175th remodel completed — so they are about one-third of the way through. The company has store though New England, New York and in Florida.

Coupled with the grand opening, the store is running a fundraiser for the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts. For every hot coffee the store sells in the next month, 10 cents will be donated to the organization. Balaschi said the goal is to raise $1,000.

The Girl Scouts were on hand Thursday to cut the ribbon with company officials.

Cumberland Farm began in 1939 as a farm in Cumberland, R.I., and opened the first convenience store in 1962. It now has stores in 11 states and employes 6,000. The Massachusetts-based company says the entire chain sells 20 million cups of coffee a year.


Tags: convenience store,   fundraiser,   grand opening,   

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Dalton Man Accused of Kidnapping, Shooting Pittsfield Man

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Dalton man was arrested on Thursday evening after allegedly kidnapping and shooting another man.

Nicholas Lighten, 35, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Friday on multiple charges including kidnapping with a firearm and armed assault with intent to murder. He was booked in Dalton around 11:45 p.m. the previous night.

There was heavy police presence Thursday night in the area of Lighten's East Housatonic Street home before his arrest.

Shortly before 7 p.m., Dalton dispatch received a call from the Pittsfield Police Department requesting that an officer respond to Berkshire Medical Center. Adrian Mclaughlin of Pittsfield claimed that he was shot in the leg by Lighten after an altercation at the defendants home. Mclaughlin drove himself to the hospital and was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries. 

"We were told that Lighten told Adrian to go down to his basement, where he told Adrian to get down on his knees and pulled out a chain," the police report reads.

"We were told that throughout the struggle with Lighten, Adrian recalls three gunshots."

Dalton PD was advised that Pittsfield had swabbed Mclaughlin for DNA because he reported biting Lighten. A bite mark was later found on Lighten's shoulder. 

Later that night, the victim reportedly was "certain, very certain" that Lighten was his assailant when shown a photo array at the hospital.

According to Dalton Police, an officer was stationed near Lighten's house in an unmarked vehicle and instructed to call over the radio if he left the residence. The Berkshire County Special Response Team was also contacted.

Lighten was under surveillance at his home from about 7:50 p.m. to about 8:40 p.m. when he left the property in a vehicle with Massachusetts plates. Another officer initiated a high-risk motor vehicle stop with the sergeant and response team just past Mill Street on West Housatonic Street, police said, and traffic was stopped on both sides of the road.

Lighten and a passenger were removed from the vehicle and detained. Police reported finding items including a brass knuckle knife, three shell casings wrapped in a rubber glove, and a pair of rubber gloves on him.

The response team entered Lighten's home at 43 East Housatonic before 9:30 p.m. for a protective sweep and cleared the residence before 9:50 p.m., police said. The residence was secured for crime scene investigators.

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