The owner of the Great Barrington Fairgrounds and a former Sheffield, Massachusetts town official has been charged with vandalizing a local business’ excavating equipment.The Berkshire Eagle reports Bart Elsbach was arrested and arraigned in Southern Berkshire District Court last week on a count of vandalism. According to police reports, Elsbach is charged with spray painting several pieces of equipment owned by Joe Wilkinson Excavating, Inc at a Great Barrington job site. The Sheffield business borders Elsbach’s property.
The newspaper reports, while chair of the Sheffield Zoning Board of Appeals, Elsbach was a vocal opponent of special permitting for a Dollar General store for which Wilkinson was one of the contractors.
In 2012, Elsbach and his wife bought the abandoned Great Barrington Fairgrounds with hopes of repurposing it.
