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The Select Board recognizes the service of Daniel Filiault, who resigned as emergency management director and from the Traffic Commission, at Monday's meeting held at Wahconah Regional High School prior to a special town meeting.

Dalton Select Board Announces Availability of Bardin Property

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board honored Emergency Management Director Daniel Filiault for his 42 years of service during their meeting on Monday night. 
 
The former police chief has resigned from all appointed positions including the emergency management department and Traffic Commission so that he can retire and spend more time with his family and pursue other interests. Filiault had continued to be an active volunteer in the town's operations since his retirement in 2004 after 11 years leading the Police Department. 
 
His resignation will be effective July 1 and he will be replaced with Glenn Lagerwall. 
 
The board has also announced the availability of the Bardin property for purchase, which is the first formal step in the town disposing of the property. 
 
During the town meeting on May 2, residents urged the town to sell the land rather than lease it. 
 
The land is in both Dalton and Windsor, which led to issues about the ownership and the possible violation of an agricultural preservation restriction if it was sold by Dalton.
 
Some residents argued that the only way to resolve an APR violation would be to sell the land in Dalton and Windsor to the same person making it whole. 
 
However, town officials cannot guarantee that the Dalton parcel be sold to the same person as the Windsor parcel because they have to put the land up for bid separately. 
 
The board has also signed an agreement with CNRK Inc. of Northborough whose mission is to "facilitate environmental progress through the ethical and responsible collections of second chance clothing, shoes and household items."
 
CNRK will collect textile and other household items from a box at the transfer station that it has provided and pay the town 7 cents per pound. 
 
"As textiles will soon be prohibited from municipal solid waste, we believe this is a win-win solution for the impending problem," Town Manager Tom Hutcheson said. 
 
In other news: 

The board approve interdepartmental transfers for the following budgets: town manager, telephone/internet/email, town clerk, snow and ice, and employee fringe benefits. The finance committee also approved these transfers last Wednesday. For more information check out our previous article.

• The town is still in search for a highway mechanic.

Anyone interested in the position of part-time recording secretary reach out to Administrative Assistant Alyssa Maschino at Ext. 202. The job posting can be found here. 
 
The next Select Board meeting will be on July 11 at 7 p.m.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Additional Stearns Staffers on Leave Amid 'De-escalation' Allegations

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Additional Stearns Elementary School staff members have been placed on leave amid allegations of using a bathroom to "de-escalate" students.

On Monday, Principal Sara Luciani notified the school community "as our investigation continues and new information has been obtained, additional paraprofessionals assigned to Room 1 have been placed on administrative leave, effective Friday, March 7, 2025."

The Department of Children and Families and Pittsfield Public Schools are investigating, and the district is reviewing its protocols for de-escalation strategies.

Last week, Superintendent Joseph Curtis reported that on Feb. 26, Luciani received an allegation that Room 7 and Room 1 staff members were using a classroom bathroom in Room 7 as a place for students to de-escalate.

"Principal Luciani investigated immediately and then informed district administrators of this allegation," Curtis wrote.

"Based on the information provided to the district administration, a 51a report was filed immediately with the Department of Children and Families (DCF); the staff members allegedly involved in this practice to correct student behavior were placed on administrative leave on Friday, February 28, 2025."

At the time, the district had no information indicating that staff rooms other than Rooms 1 and 7 were involved in this practice. 

Luciani said on Monday that a full and accurate account of the events has not yet been determined because the investigations are ongoing.

"We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness and are committed to ensuring a thorough, transparent, and fair investigation," she wrote.

She reported that the administration will be conducting a staff meeting that day to provide a "thorough review" of district protocols regarding de-escalation strategies.

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