Letter: Dalton Public Safety Facility

Letter to the Editor07:00PM / Monday, September 29, 2025Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

To the Dalton Select Board, I would like to present a practical suggestion for the new Dalton Police Facility as follows:

Purchase the bank building located on the corner of Main Street and South Carson Avenue. Extend the building toward Main Street. Then buildout the interior to accommodate the town offices. The offices would then be accessible to the handicapped.
Stage the moving of the town offices to facilitate the renovation of the Town Hall for the new police facility. To minimize disruption and inconvenience.
I know that Hill Engineering put together a cost estimate to fix the problems in the basement of the town hall. I recall it was very reasonable.
Add an elevator in the Town Hall for to accommodate handicapped individuals.

I believe the above suggestions would cost considerably less that what has been proposed. If planned out properly it would be a lot less disruptive. It would satisfy the needs for a new police facility.

Comments:

Abandon the idea of putting the police station behind the Senior Center. The residents have spoken out twice. They do not want it in their neighborhood.
The taxpayers, especially the seniors are now at a breaking point. They cannot afford an increase in their tax bill to pay for $10-plus-million police station.
End your relationship with the engineering firm that was hired. They have proven to be incompetent and just a waste of Town money. They have demonstrated that are not sensitive to the residents of Dalton. IE: Why would
they even think that the residents would be receptive to building the new police station on the Old Dalton High lot?
You have two perfectly capable individuals on your committee, Mr. David Martindale and Mr. Craig Wilber that could handle the transformation of the Town Hall to the new police facility. I have worked these two individuals and I know that "can't" is not in their vocabulary.

Thank you for your time and please consider my suggestions.

Bruce Lester
Dalton, Mass.

Tags: police station,

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

RIBCO Supply

Check out our great lineup of Boss Plows, and spreaders. 2 Locations Clarksburg & Pittsfield!

ribcosupply.com

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

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.

View Full Story