Dalton Town Hall Reopens, COVID Cases Drop

DALTON, Mass. — Town Hall is once again open to the public after about two months of closure because of the winter COVID-19 surge. The change is due to a decrease in Dalton's case counts.

Health Agent Agnes Witkowski reported the doors opened last Tuesday when there were seven COVID-19 cases during the previous week. The threshold for reopening Town Hall is 25 cases or fewer in seven days.

"Our latest information is eight for the last seven days," Witkowski wrote in an email to iBerkshires, adding that this number doesn't include at-home tests.

In mid-December, the offices closed to the public until further notice because of an uptick of the virus. The 25-case cutoff was established as a measure for closure based on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's original guidance for schools.

In early January, the Board of Health reaffirmed this standard.  At the time, the case count was more than 102 with 68 cases occurring in the prior week.

According to state data, the town saw 473 new cases in the two weeks ending Feb. 19, for a total of 1,133 cases. The numbers have dropped off dramatically in the past week, with the entire county recording only 231 cases between Feb. 17 and 24.

During the closure, Dalton's Selectmen as well as boards and commissions met virtually. According to the town's calendar, some meetings are back to being in person.

For masking, the town is following the state Department of Public Health's guidance updated on Feb. 15 that states that unvaccinated people should continue to wear face coverings indoors in public places and that fully vaccinated people should wear a mask indoors if they have a weakened immune system, are at increased risk for severe disease because of age or an underlying medical condition, or if a person in the household has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease.

Allendale Pines North Affordable Manufactured Homes Sell Fast

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:17PM / Saturday, August 22, 2026

Developer Teton Management cut the ribbon on the first six hopes in the manufactured housing community earlier this year. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Just a few months after Allendale Pines North cut the ribbon on its first six homes in the new manufactured home community, units in the planned development are selling fast with both first and second phases all but sold out.

 

For several years, Teton Management Corp. has been planning to expand its existing Allendale Pines Mobile Community with the development of 22 planned manufactured housing units. The new development has its own entrance at 395 Cheshire Road. 

 

The need for attainable housing has never been higher, Teton President George Whaling said. 

 

"And where we sought the opportunity to help with that demand is, we can get folks into a home at Allendale Pines North for essentially a couple of $100 less than what it would cost for someone to rent a three-bedroom of the same quality," he said. 

 

The corporation took over Allendale Pines, now referred to as Allendale Pines South, about 6 1/2 years ago, Whaling said. 

 

Since then, the corporation has invested $1,000,001 in infrastructure improvements, including replacing all water and sewer lines, paving the community and installing the infrastructure needed for 10 additional units, he said. 

 

Additionally, it has been working to clean up and improve the community, which was lacking during previous ownership, said Jason Nocher, owner of Nocher Realty, which has been hired to help sell the units.