Letter: Dalton Board Should Not Stop Special Election

Letter to the Editor02:00PM / Friday, November 15, 2024Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

I would like to comment on the travesty that is taking place in the Town of Dalton. The Selectboard chooses not to set a date for a special election. Even a petition of over 200 voters to have a date scheduled for a special election is not persuading them.

This special election is due to the resignation of a Selectboard member on Oct. 1. This past Tuesday, Nov. 12, the Selectboard voted once again to suppress a date for a special election. In doing so they tried to discredit the procedure used by a dedicated elected public servant, our town clerk. The procedures she followed were through the guidance of a state official and Mass General Laws.

This date should have been set a month ago after the resignation took effect. There should not have been a reason for the petitioners to even have to come forward. This issue should have been the first thing on the agenda for the Selectboard meeting on Oct. 9 that was held prior to the special town meeting. Considering that the letter of resignation was sent in early September.

Please call the Selectboard office, go to the town web site and use contact to reach the Selectboard.

This special election will give us our opportunity to choose our representative. This is a right given to us by the Constitution of the United States of America, bylaws of the town and Mass General Laws.

Peace be with you and God Bless the USA.

William Drosehn
Dalton, Mass.

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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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