Governor Healey Nominates Two to Appeals Court

BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey nominated Hon. Gloria Tan and Chauncey Wood to serve as Associate Justices to the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

The nominees will now continue forward to the Governor's Council for confirmation.  

"I'm proud to be nominating two more highly qualified attorneys to the Appeals Court today," said Governor Maura Healey. "Judge Tan and Attorney Wood both have decades of legal experience that makes them uniquely qualified to serve on this bench, and we look forward to their continued service to the people of Massachusetts." 

The Appeals Court is the state's intermediate appellate court. The Appeals Court is a court of general appellate jurisdiction, which means that the justices review decisions that trial judges from the several Departments of the Trial Court have already made in many different kinds of cases. The Appeals Court also has jurisdiction over appeals from final decisions of three State agencies: the Appellate Tax Board, the Industrial Accident Board and the Commonwealth Employment Relations Board. The Appeals Court consists of a Chief Justice and 24 Associate Justices. 

For more information about the Appeals Court, visit its homepage. Governor Healey has previously nominated Associate Justice Amy L. Blake as Chief Justice and Associate Justice Robert E. Toone.

About Judge Gloria Tan 

Judge Gloria Tan currently serves as First Justice of the Massachusetts Juvenile Court in Middlesex County. Judge Tan joined the bench of the Juvenile Court in 2013 and has served as First Justice since 2019.  She currently serves on the Flaschner Judicial Institute Board of Trustees, the Massachusetts Trial Court Judge-to-Judge Peer Mentoring Program Advisory Committee, and the Massachusetts Trial Court Standing Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution. She also served on the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) Advisory Committee on Massachusetts Evidence Guide and on the SJC Jury Management Advisory Committee.  Judge Tan began her legal career as an attorney with the Committee for Public Counsel Services, serving in its Boston Superior Court Office and Youth Advocacy Project. She later joined the Criminal Justice Institute at Harvard Law School, serving first as a Clinical Instructor and then as Deputy Director. Judge Tan received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from Rice University, where she graduated magna cum laude and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She received a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. 

About Chauncey Wood 

Chauncey Wood is Partner at Wood & Nathanson and has been a criminal defense attorney for 30 years focused on defending individuals facing serious criminal charges at trial and on appeal, as well as handling Title IX matters, and addressing the collateral consequences of criminal convictions. He has frequently appeared in Massachusetts trial and appellate courts. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers since 2015 and chaired its Amicus Committee. Attorney Wood received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Harvard University and a Juris Doctor from Boston University.  

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.