Central Berkshire Officials Consider School Resource Officer Grant

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:22AM / Friday, May 05, 2023Print Story | Email Story

DALTON, Mass. — Central Berkshire Regional School Committee has voted to send a letter of support for a school resource officer grant.

A number of committee members had been hesitant to approve adding a school resource officer, saying that there are too many unknown variables and that they need to take more time to null it over.

This vote does not approve adding an officer at Wahconah Regional High School; rather, due to the time restriction for the application, it only approves sending a letter to go along with the town's grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice's Community Oriented Police Services program.

Police Chief Deanna Strout agreed that there are still a lot of aspects regarding this change that would need to be discussed and clarified that the committee's decision to send a letter could improve the chances of getting the grant.

She has already received a letter of support from the Dalton Select Board and St. Agnes' School.

The town's chances for the federal grant is slim, but if it comes through, the district and Police Department together would determine whether adding a school resource officer is the best thing to do, Strout said.

The district has 90 days to come up with a memorandum of understanding after being selected for the grant.

Some committee members asked where the money would go if they rejected the idea.

If that were to happen, the town could turn down the grant or put a school resource officer in St. Agnes' School, since it did express an interest in having one.

"We don't want to give anyone here the impression that we're trying to force our way into the schools at all. If this isn't something that we all think is a great idea, I respect that," Strout said.

Even if the district doesn't come up with an MOU, Select Board Chair Joe Diver said he is prepared to bring it back to the board to see how the town can leverage the grant with other private schools or juvenile programs in Dalton.

"The board completely supports the chief strategy on this, especially when you look at some of the statistics from [Sept. 1] last year to current. That's what got our attention is that there are some juvenile issues in the town of Dalton that could filter into the schools or vice versa," Diver said.

Tags: CBRSD, Dalton Police,

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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.

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