Central Berkshire School Committee Accepts Donations

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
01:40PM / Wednesday, June 07, 2023Print Story | Email Story

DALTON, Mass. — The Central Berkshire Regional School Committee approved various money, time, and material donations during its meeting on Thursday night.

A car wash fundraising event to fund the Wahconah Student Activity Fund was approved for June 2.

The committee voted to accept donations of time and supplies from LeBeau Landscaping and Excavations for a clean up and revitalization for the football field.

It also approved the donation of a pallet of water equating to more than 2,000 bottles to be donated to Nessacus Regional Middle School from Premium Waters Inc.

The company is donating the water because the label was misprinted and so the bottles cannot be sold. Officials are hoping to use some of the water for the eighth grade trip to Connecticut and any extras would be used for other school events.

The committee voted to accept a donation to the Becket Washington School Library in the amount of $205 in memory of Madeleine Swindlehust and also approved various donations totaling $295 for the Pat Muraca Scholarship within the General Scholarship Fund in memory of Michael Cooney.

The committee accepted state Student Opportunity Act grants in the amount of $107,000, $277,000, and $277,000.

These funds will support the district's interventionists. This money will ensure the district can maintain some of its resources as they lose extra funding from COVID.

Also approved were numerous donations for the general scholarship fund:

$350 from Christopher Quail for the Quail Inspiration Award
$1,000 from the John and Carrie Hitt fund for the Honorary Mark Franklin Award
$500 from Kenneth Harrision for the Jacqueline Harrison Memorial Scholarship Award
$500 from Sally Soluri for the James "Jim" Soluri Memorial Award
$75.00 from Jennifer Sheppard for the Mary Ano Memorial Award
$75.00 from Jennifer Sheppard for the Helen Shepard Memorial Award
$150.00 from the Class of 1981 for the Class of 1981 scholarship
$75 from Elizabeth Shepard-Rabadam and Frank Rabadam to the Mary Ano Memorial Award
$75 from Elizabeth Shepard-Rabadam and Frank Rabadam to the Helen Shepard Memorial Award
$2,000 from Patrick and Kelly Cullum for the Dorothy Shepard Memorial Scholarship.

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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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