Dalton Water Crews Fixing Leak on North Street

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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Water Department crews are working on water main leak on North Street.
DALTON, Mass. — It's been a busy couple of days for the Dalton Water Department's four-man crew who have been addressing a couple of water leaks. 
 
Drivers on North Street approaching the bridge will see the crew working with REWC Land Management, Inc. employees to locate a water main and repair the leak. 
 
Water Department Superintendent Bob Benlien emphasized that the leak is minor and does not affect any residents. He does not foresee having to turn the water off and expects it to be repaired by the end of the day. 
 
The leak was so minor that it did not appear in the department's flow chart, so it is less than 100 gallons a minute, he said. 
 
The likely cause is aging infrastructure as the pipe was installed in the 1930s, Benlien explained. 
 
The main thing is finding the pipe and the leak, which they are currently doing. The road has changed over time, and it looks like the pipe was moved when the bridge was built up so the department is searching for the pipe and leak now. 
 
The water main is located on a state road with a gas main within close proximity, so the department opted to contract  REWC because it has a vacuum excavation truck.
 
The repairs will cost about $10,000, but the department has funds budgeted for issues like this. 
 
The department was also called to a private property on Pease Avenue for a water service leak at 7 p.m. last night and was on site until 1 a.m. addressing the issue. 
 
The water was turned off and the owner of the property will be hiring a plumber for further repairs. 

Tags: water department,   water line,   

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Pittsfield School Officials Want Summary of PHS Investigation

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — While it is unclear how much information will be released, School Committee members want some executive summary of the Pittsfield High School investigation into alleged staff misconduct.

On Wednesday, they requested a capsulation of the process and, if possible, the findings of Bulkley Richardson & Gelinas' investigation triggered by allegations against Dean of Students Molly West and Vice Principal Alison Shepard that surfaced in December.  

"Right now, the public has the seven of us sitting up here saying nothing was substantiated," said Mayor Peter Marchetti, who motioned for an executive summary.

"And quite frankly, part of the argument may be its cost, but how much money have we already spent and how much time have we gone down this rabbit hole to still have this black cloud hanging over our head without the public buying into anything that happened?"

As far as he is concerned, the city is "in for a penny in for a pound." The lead investigator, Judge Mary-Lou Rup, was hired at a rate of $275 per hour and paralegal services for $110 per hour.  

"And whatever legal counsel can produce, I think that we have to live with it, but to just say we're not doing it at this stage in the game I think is a mistake," he said.

Committee member William Garrity requested that discussion about the investigation's reports be put on the agenda. The district's legal counsel has reportedly advised against releasing the report even though officials pledged transparency when the scandal arose.

"I feel there is at least some balancing act that we need to figure out between protecting the privacy of the report and people being investigated and people who are part of the investigation while still maintaining the public's right to know," he said.

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