Letter: Carsell Running in Dalton Special Election

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To the Editor:

My name is Patrick Carsell, and I'm a candidate for the Dalton Select Board in Monday's Feb. 3 special election. For over 30 years, I've lived in Dalton with my wife, Laurel, and our two children, running a dental practice in town. In my retirement, I recently determined that now is the right time for me to give back to the community that's supported me for so long.

In preparing for this campaign, I've spent a lot of time listening to residents' concerns, using the information gathered to form solutions that I hope to implement when elected. Throughout these conversations, the integrity of town infrastructure has been a primary issue, particularly with respect to roads and sidewalks as well as the fire station and police station.

In researching the issue of a new police station, I'm the only candidate to publicly ask the Select Board to look closely at the experience of Melrose, a city awarded $3 million in federal funding to support the construction of a new net-zero police station, an energy-efficient and cost-saving LEED-certified building.


Though I respect the recommendation of the citizens committee that recently called for building a wing onto an old church to create a new police station, I urged the Board to take a closer look at building an energy-efficient station on a lot that the town already owns. In my experience, rehabbing older buildings often results in excessive costs and time-consuming snags as builders attempt to meet modern building standards.

If elected, I intend to continue the conversations that I've begun with residents, promising to remain accessible to all. I also commit to working with state and federal officials to secure funding for projects and to respect the recommendations of Dalton's Climate Plan as we work toward maintaining the beauty and affordability of our town.

I'll end by humbly requesting the vote of Dalton voters this Monday when I plan on meeting them when the polls open at 11 a.m.

Patrick Carsell
Dalton, Mass.

 

 

 

 


Tags: election 2025,   

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Ex-Miss Hall's Head Indicted on Child Endangerment

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A retired leader of Miss Hall's School was indicted Wednesday in Berkshire Superior Court for one count of reckless endangerment of a child related to an investigation into sexual abuse allegations against a teacher. 
 
Jeannie Norris, now living in North Carolina, was head of school at the girls' boarding/day school from 1996 to 2012.
 
Based on evidence collected throughout the active investigation in allegations of abuse that occurred at Miss Hall's, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office alleges she was aware of inappropriate relationships between a teacher, Matthew Rutledge, and students attending the school. Evidence demonstrates that she received numerous reports of Rutledge's alleged inappropriate conduct, according to the indictment. 
 
Rutledge, 63, was arraigned on rape charges in April of this year. Several women came forward publicly to accuse him of grooming them as teenagers and raping them. The charges also prompted the passage of a bill, authored by state Rep. Leigh Davis, to close the consent loophole by making sexual contact between a person of authority and individual under age 18 a crime. 
 
"Today's indictment is a result of the continued, active investigation into the allegations of abuse that occurred at Miss Hall's School," said DA Timothy Shugrue. "My team of prosecutors, including Massachusetts State Police Detectives and victim witness advocates, are actively working on this case thus far indicting both Matthew Rutledge, a former teacher at Miss Hall's School, and now Jeannie Norris. 
 
"Once again, I encourage anyone with information about potential abuse that occurred at Miss Hall's School to please contact our State Police Detectives."
 
He said his office understands that survivors might be hesitant to speak with law enforcement and share extremely difficult personal experiences. For those who feel hesitant, contact the tip line at 413-449-5055, or BerkshireSPDUtips@mass.gov. Callers can speak with Trooper Dana Clement to simply learn about the process. She, along with her partner Trooper Kyle Jolin, will answer any questions for victims trying to determine if they want to officially move forward or not. 
 
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