Berkshire Athenaeum Short Story Contest Winners

• Children Age 6
  • 1st place: "What is Hairy's Favorite Season?" by Sage Saldo
  • 2nd place: "The Keeper of the Books" by Evelyn Morin
• Children Age 7 – 8
  • 1st place: "Hazel and the Gnomes" by Hazel Rodd
  • 2nd place: "The Bedroom Secret" by Talia Crowe
  • 2nd place: "The Wild Monkeys" by Maribella Morin
  • Honorable Mention: "Sage and Stella's Adventure" by Chloe Mishk
• Children Age 9 – 10
  • 1st place: "Almost Perfect" by Bodhi Goodman-Wu
  • 2nd place: "The Day My Snow Creature Came to Life" by Lucy Simonelli
  • Honorable Mention: "The Tale of How Sometimes the Feeling of Being Watched Can Turninto a Beautiful Friendship" by Sasha Hughes
• Young Adults Age 11 – 14
  • 1st place: "A Friend Under My Bed" by Suzy Schoeny
  • 2nd place: "The Imagination Fort" by Nora Schoeny
  • Honorable Mention: "The King of Midnight" by Madeleine Love
• Young Adults Age 15 – 18
  • 1st place: "No Visible End" by Olivia Caraccioli
  • 2nd place: "Gone But Not Forgotten" by Gloria Williams
  • Honorable Mention: "Black Out" by Evelyn Rathbun

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.