David  Lacasse  began  working as Acworth’s Highway Supervisor on June 21, 2010. By the end of his first week on the job he had straightened up the office and cleaned the yard around the highway garage, getting rid of rusted truck parts that had been languishing out back – some for more than a decade.

After touring the roads in Acworth David concluded that simple routine maintenance would be a viable solution for many of the chronic road issues. He noticed that drainage problems are being caused by a lack of roadside ditching and many of the culverts are partially or completely clogged.

David has drafted a summer maintenance schedule which outlines a plan to begin resolving some of the problematic town-wide road issues. Engineer Steve Gray assisted David in projecting costs for the proposed work, which includes mowing, ditching and cleaning culverts.

David Lacasse ~ Click to enlarge

David also plans to plot the location of every culvert in town using  a  GPS  system.  This  information  will serve as a planning tool to keep track of the status of each culvert so that David can anticipate when he will need to order replacements.

With a keen eye to safety, David has made a number of recommendations that would improve conditions within the Highway Department, including safety measures to protect workers, getting first aid kits in town vehicles and upgrading the security of the highway garage premises.

Prior to becoming Acworth’s Highway Supervisor, David had a variety of jobs. When he was in his late teens he drove a plow route in South Hadley, Granby and Amherst, Massachusetts.

During his early twenties David was a foreman and mechanic for Ryder Truck Rental, where he was responsible for maintaining a fleet of trucks and supervising a team of mechanics.

He is also a trained firefighter and certified emergency medical technician.

David has been the proprietor of Lacasse Construction for the past twenty-five years. During slow periods in the construction business David worked as an independent insurance adjuster where he gained experience in writing reports, preparing estimates and negotiating with contractors over the price and scope of necessary repairs.

In 2007 David founded VegHead Conversions, a company that converts diesel trucks to burn waste vegetable oil. He is capable of repairing all types of diesel and gas equipment.

Another important part of David’s life has been his involvement with the Boy Scouts of America. He has been a Scoutmaster in South Hadley and Holden, Massachusetts. He also implemented a national curriculum for the Boy Scouts of America to train youths and adults in leadership skills. David won the Wood Badge Trainers Award in 1993 and belongs to the Order of the Arrow Lodge Advisor.

David is a highly motivated, energetic, intelligent and well-organized individual. He brings many useful skills to his new position as Highway Supervisor. We are fortunate to have David working for the town of Acworth.

David and his wife, Linda, recently moved to Acworth from Holden, Massachusetts. They are in the process of building a house on Nye Road.

Welcome to Acworth, David and Linda.

David & Zeus the Wonder Dog