Letter: Dalton Must Be Allowed to Vote

Letter to the Editor05:00PM / Monday, January 20, 2025Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

On Jan. 18, a Friday evening, the Select Board was advised of a date error on the instructions only for the mail-in ballots for the Feb. 3 election.

On Saturday, Jan. 19 (after being advised by the town manager on Friday evening), Dalton Town Clerk Heather Hunt with the assistance of Patti Mele-Nichols — and at their own expense, including personally supplying USPS stamps — spent the day notifying in writing the 28 eligible Dalton residents (of which I am one) who had received the incorrect instruction sheet.

On Tuesday, Jan. 21, she will follow up with phone calls to fulfill any commonwealth voting requirements.

Our Dalton town clerk is to be commended for her swift and corrective action to ensure that the Feb. 3 election is appropriately and legally held.

The ongoing attempts to stall or stop this election must not prevail, and the people of Dalton must be allowed to vote on Feb. 3.

Rachel I. Branch
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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