Dalton Historical Hopes to Send Historical District Data to State

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:30AM / Monday, July 08, 2024Print Story | Email Story

DALTON, Mass. — The first phase in establishing the proposed second historical district is moving along nicely, Historical Commission co-Chair Louisa Horth said at Wednesday's meetings.

The commission hopes to send its material to Massachusetts Historical for review and approval by the end of July.

During its meeting last month, the commission divided the proposed district into multiple sections and assigned specific commissioners to each section.

The proposed district would run from the cemetery on Park Avenue down to Depot Street. Thus far, the district has pictures of all the historical homes from Park Ave to Depot Street.

Massachusetts Historical has to review this material to verify that the area has enough historical significance to be considered a Historical District.

In the first phase of this project, the commission is responsible for taking pictures of every building within the district that meets historical status.

In the first phase, the photos will include the building's address, age, and lot number. In the second phase of the project, the commission will have to complete documents for every building to provide more information, such as the buildings' historical significance and architecture.

Commissioners commented that they have been getting conflicting information on when some of the buildings were built but said they will confirm with the assessor's site.

Horth said Massachusetts Historical did not guarantee it will approve establishing the district. If approved, the commission can hire a preservation specialist to start the process of getting this designation.

The Cultural Council awarded the commission a $5,000 grant to hire a preservation specialist. The funds must be spent by December.

It is unclear how long it will take Massachusetts Historical to review the preliminary information.

If the district is not approved or does not hear back from Massachusetts Historical regarding the district's status, then the funds can be used for something else, co-Chair Debora Kovacs said.

Tags: historical commission,

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

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