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Members of the Dalton CRA Athletic Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 gather on stage at the Sept. 13 ceremony.

Dalton CRA Hall of Fame Inducts Eighth Class

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DALTON, Mass. – The Community Recreation Association celebrated its newest class of CRA Hall of Fame inductees on Sunday, Sept. 13, as more than 220 people gathered at the Stationery Factory for the 2026 CRA Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
 
The afternoon was a celebration of athletic achievement, community, and the stories that have helped shape generations of Central Berkshire athletics. The Class of 2026 represents an impressive list of athletes, coaches, contributors and championship teams.
 
The 2026 CRA Athletic Hall of Fame inductees are:
 
Athletes – Matt Boudreau, Shannon Hoosick, Harry Hume, Janinne Noel, Lisa Perrott, Tom Reynolds, Dave Ward
 
Coaches – Peter Stephenson, Richard “Dick” Farley, Joe O’Neill
 
Contributors – John Corliss, Jody DiMassimo, Kelly’s Package Store
 
Teams – 1952 Dalton High School basketball team, 1998 Wahconah girls soccer team, 2014 Wahconah hockey team
 
The CRA Athletic Hall of Fame was created to preserve those stories and recognize the athletes, coaches, teams and supporters who have helped build a strong athletic tradition.
A special part of this year's ceremony was the recognition of Cooper Calvert as the 2026 CRA Athletic Hall of Fame Story of the Year.
 
Calvert's story reflects the connection between the CRA and the young people it serves. From participating in CRA programs as a child to becoming a camp counselor and role model for younger athletes, Calvert's journey represents the lasting impact that recreation and youth sports can have well beyond the playing field.
 
The ceremony also featured Al Streeter as the keynote speaker. A former CRA Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, Streeter brought his own perspective on the importance of athletics, community and the people who help create opportunities for young athletes. His message helped connect the stories of the 2026 inductees with the larger purpose of the Hall of Fame.
 
The event was also a celebration of the community that has supported the CRA Athletic Hall of Fame since its creation. Now in its eighth class, the Hall continues to preserve local athletic history while raising support for the next generation of athletes.
 
The CRA Athletic Hall of Fame is about more than recognizing accomplishments from the past. Funds raised through the Hall of Fame help support youth athletics and recreation programs, including opportunities for children who may otherwise face financial barriers to participation.
Sunday's gathering at the Stationery Factory was a fitting reflection of that mission—a room filled with former teammates, coaches, families, friends and community members coming together to celebrate the people and stories that have made Central Berkshire athletics special.
 
The CRA Athletic Hall of Fame continues to honor the past, celebrate the present and help ensure that future generations have the opportunity to write their own stories.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Dalton Looks to Curb Sewer Infiltration as Rates More Than Double

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The new sewer agreement with Pittsfield is going to "hurt" unless the town and its residents address the large amount of excess water entering the sewer system, Town Manager Eric Anderson told the Select Board last week.
 
The town's sewer rate has more than doubled for fiscal year 2027, with an annual bill of $1,217.08, which is billed biannually. The total bill for the town is $1,777,728.50.
 
"Our way out of this is reducing infiltration, reducing direct connections that shouldn't be there, and tracking down and figuring out how we can get the average household usage down. If we can do that, we can make this reasonable for the residents," Anderson said. 
 
"I say that, but it's not easy to do, and we're not going to suddenly wake up tomorrow and go from 300 million gallons going to Pittsfield to 120 million gallons. So, we kind of have to be realistic about our expectations, but we've got to work pretty hard to address this." 
 
More than a dozen residents attended the Select Board meeting, where Anderson outlined the history of the town's sewer agreement with Pittsfield, which dates back more than 50 years, along with the town's next steps in mitigating the cost.
 
In a follow-up interview with iBerkshires.com, Anderson said the town sends an average of roughly 350 million gallons of water into Pittsfield's wastewater system annually. This is significantly more than what a town of Dalton's size should be sending. Approximately 33 percent of this volume is the result of inflow from direct connections and infiltration of groundwater into the sewer system, he said. 
 
The town understands that this new rate is challenging for some taxpayers, so it is implementing relief measures. 
 
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