Letter: Dalton Public Safety Facility

To the Editor:

I must respond to the article: "Dalton Consultant to Assess Police Station" on 12/11/2025.

I do not know why the town has never pursued the option of renovating Town Hall to accommodate the needs of the Police Department and improve access to town offices.

There was $82,000 in ARP funds that could have already jump-started the process.

The following is my letter that iBerkshires published on 9/29/2025. This viable plan that I presented was tabled without any further discussion or consideration by the Select Board or by the Advisory Committee.

• Purchase the bank building located on the corner of Main Street and South Carson Avenue. Extend the building toward Main Street. Then build out 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 to accommodate handicapped individuals.

I believe the above suggestions would cost considerably less than 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.

I believe the next step would be to provide schematic floor plans of all floors of Town Hall and a floor plan of the bank building. Make paper dolls of all equipment and space requirements for offices, cubicles, etc., in order to produce a plan that would satisfy the town's needs.

I believe the town has an obligation to the struggling tax payers to abandon the idea of building a $10 million-plus police station. Renovating the Town Hall is a practical and cost effective way to go.

Bruce Lester
Dalton, Mass. 

Pittsfield Airport Solar Panels to Generate Millions

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:36PM / Monday, September 28, 2026

Airport Manager Anita Akor says the project represents a commitment to sustainability and points to the airports continued growth.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Solar panels at the Pittsfield Municipal Airport will generate millions over the next two decades. 

On Monday, the ceremonial switch was flipped on 17.7 acres of solar fields at the airport on Tamarack Road. This project has been in progress since 2016, and the panels have been active since December. 

"Through the agreement we negotiated, this project will generate approximately $3 million over the next 20 years from the lease and taxes that will be collected," Mayor Peter Marchetti said. 

"Even though we have not seen a full year of data for power generation, we anticipate these panels will generate approximately six megawatts of electricity that will be added to the grid. This new renewable source of power will also help the city offset our electricity costs. From what we are seeing so far, trends seem to be producing positive results, and we are hopeful that this will continue." 

Officials including state Rep. Tricia Farley Bouvier, District Attorney Timothy Shugrue, and a representative from U.S. Rep. Richard Neal's office joined the event. Afterwards, a cake with the airport's colors was cut.

For Airport Manager Anita Akor, this project represents a commitment to sustainability, responsible use of public resources, and the facility's continued growth and success. 

"The completion of the solar installation reflects what can be accomplished through partnership, planning, and a shared vision of the airport," she said. 

Pittsfield residences and businesses can also participate in the municipal aggregation program, which allows communities to combine the purchasing power of residents and businesses to have an alternative electricity supplier at a locked-in rate.