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No New Drunk Driving Victims Added to 2021 MADD Vigil

The annual vigil is held in cooperation with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to raise awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — No county residents fell victim to the deadly consequences of drunk driving this year but that doesn't discount all who have been lost in the past.

On Sunday, the Berkshire District Attorney's Office held its annual candlelit vigil at First United Methodist Church to remember victims of impaired driving in cooperation with the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD.)

The event honored 53 county residents while raising awareness in hopes of preventing further tragedies.

District Attorney Andrea Harrington was relieved to announce that there were no new names added to the list this year.

"Luckily, this year, we do not have new names to add to this year's program, and it is my hope that this event serves as a reminder to all of us into our community, how important it is to drive responsibly," she said.

Harrington added that her office, the State Police, and local law enforcement have zero tolerance for impaired driving and were aggressively enforcing laws.

The Ferrell family attends the vigil yearly to honor Lindsey Ferrell, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2002 at the age of 16. They also lit a candle for Darrell Burnett, who also died in the crash.

In addition to being a Wahconah Regional High School cheerleader, Ferrell was an active member of her community.  

She worked part time with the Central Berkshire Youth Action Alliance, a peer education program of the American Lung Association, and was leading a project to create smoke-free playgrounds in Dalton at the time of her death.

Ferrell's family honors their daughter's life with charity work.

They coordinate a yearly scholarship at Wahconah in her memory and have donated more than $16,000 in that program alone. The family also supports various charitable causes and holds annual spaghetti dinners as well.

"I want to keep her memory alive," her mother, Mary Ferrell, said. "Because her life really meant something."

The vigil also included poem readings from Youth Advisory Board member Aiden Hyatt and Chair Ben Heim and musical stylings from pianist John Sauer.

DA Community Engagement Director Bryan House reminded families of those lost that victim advocates are available for information, questions and resources regardless of case status.

"We know that the unimaginable impact and trauma experienced by the loss of a loved one by motor vehicle homicides is lifelong," House said.

Below are the names of the victims who were remembered at the ceremony. State Police Lt. Stephen Jones lit a candle for each person as their names were read aloud and projected on a screen.

North Adams Police Officer George O. Angeli
William Laston
David Arthur
Christopher Latham
Michael Ashline
Michelle Lawrence
Moira Banks-Dobson
Florence Lefevre
Bernie Brazee
Keith Levesque
Regina Brazee
Jaime Macelone

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.