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AT 974.48 A88a 1953
ANNUAL REPORTS ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS
1953
BORO
AXA
ATTLEBORO PUBLIC LIBRARY
a31654001300646b
ANNUAL REPORTS
CITY OF ATTLEBORO 1953
AT 914,48 A88 2 C.2
AS SUBMITTED BY THE OFFICERS AND DEPARTMENTS
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55 L
IN MEMORIAM
Catherine I. Murray died January 30, 1953. Miss Murray had served as secretary in the Mayor's office for fourteen years under three Mayors. Her sudden death came as a shock to all who knew her. She was a conscientious and tireless worker who was never too busy to extend a helping hand. Her universal solicitude endeared her to all. Her memory will always be an inspiration to the legions of people in all walks of life who received her kind assistance.
IN MEMORIAM
City Treasurer William Marshall died May 22, 1953 after a brief illness. He had served the City faithfully and efficiently in this office since 1939. Prior to this Mr. Marshall served in the Municipal Council. His courteous manner and good financial judg- ment made him a very valuable and respected public official in the best Attleboro tradition.
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COMMITTEE ON ORDINANCES, ELECTIONS AND LEGISLATIVE MATTERS Franklin Mckay, Chairman William O. Sweet Charles A. Smith
COMMITTEE ON WELFARE AND VETERANS MATTERS Roger K. Richardson, Chairman Franklin R. McKay William F. Walton
COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS, TRANSPORTATION , PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS Arthur Hinds, Chairman Franklin Mckay John M. Kenny
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE AND SCHOOL MATTERS Ernest Rotenberg, Chairman Leon F. Pierce William F. Walton
ELECTED OFFICIALS
Mayor Cyril K. Brennan Term expires January, 1954
City Clerk Kenneth F. Blandın Term Expires January, 1954
City Treasurer William Marshall Elected November 4, 1951 for two years. Died May 22, 1953.
Marguerite R. Warren Appointed Temporary Treasurer May 25, 1953 Elected Treasurer by Municipal Council July 7, 1953
to fill unexpired term of William Marshall.
City Collector Doris L. Austin
Term expires January, 1954
Council-men-at large
Terms expire January, 1954
Franklin R. McKay
Ernest I. Rotenberg
Roger K. Richardson William O. Sweet William F. Walton
Ward 1 Ward 2 Ward 3 Ward 4
John M. Kenny
Arthur Hinds
Leon F. Pierce
Ward 5 Ward 6
Bertrand O. Lambert President Herbert C. Laviguer Charles A. Smith 1954
Terms expire January,
School Committee Mrs. Alice H. Stobbs Mrs. Deborah O. Richardson Irvin A. Studley Royal P. Baker
Terms expire January, 1956
Mrs. Henrietta Wolfenden William A. Nerney Thomas G. Sadler Henry M. Crowther Pierre B. Lonsbury
Terms expire January,
1954
APPOINTED OFFICIALS
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT Dr. Anson B Barber, Superintendent of Schools Simon Coren M. D. , School Physician Mrs. Dorothy B. Wendell, School Nurse
ASSESSORS
Christopher W. McNary
Term expires January, 1954
Carl A. Nelson
Term expires January, 1955
Patrick J Byrnes, Chairman
Term expires January, 1956
BOARD OF PUBLIC WELFARE
Patrick J. Duffy
Term expires February, 1954
John J. Maynard
Term expires February.
1955
John J. Henderson, Chairman
Term expires February
1956
Frederick J. Franz, Almoner
HEALTH OFFICER
Dr. Fernand Girouard
Term expires February, 1954
HEALTH INSPECTOR
Frank L. Cushman
FIRE DEPARTMENT - FIRE ENGINEERS Joseph O. Mowry, Chief
Term expires Februrary, Charles G. Thomae
1954
Term expires February,
John W. Wolfenden
1955
Term expires February, 1956
Hayward H. Sweet, Chairman
Term expires February,
1957
William S King, Superintendent of Fire Alarm
POLICE DEPARTMENT Peter J. Marron, Chief and Lockup Keeper Term expires February, 1954
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT Russell F. Tennaht, Superintendent Term expires February 1954
continued-
AUDITOR
Ismay A. Sharkey Elected by the Council Term expires February, 1954
INSPECTOR OF BUILDINGS Joseph O. Mowry
Term expires February, 1954
SEALER OR WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Daniel O'Connell
Term expires February, 1954
BOARD OF REGISTRARS
Mrs. Lilla Conant
Term expires February, 1954
Mrs. Eva L. Kent, Clerk
Term expires February,
1955
Clayton A. MacDonald, Chairman
Term expires February,
1956
Louis J. Perry
Term expires February, 1957
CITY SOLICITOR
Francis M. Flaherty
Term expires February, 1954
PARK COMMISSIONERS
Harry C. Wolfenden
Term expires February, 1954
Thomas G. Sadler
Term expires February,
1955
Samuel M. Stone, Chairman
Term expires February, 1956
RECREATION COMMISSIONERS
Frank Miller
Term expires February, 1954
Walter N. White
Term expires February,
1955
William Liddell, Jr. , Chairman
Thomas E. Dube
Terms expire February, 1956
HOUSING AUTHORITY
Leland B. Smith
Term expires April, 1954
Harold W. MacDonald
Term expires April, 1955
Mrs. Francis J. O'Neil
Leonard I. Lamb
Terms expire April, 1956
HOUSING AUTHORITY-continued John E. Turner, Chairman Term expires April, 1958
TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY Mrs. Winthrop Barden, Secretary Raymond M. Horton, Treasurer Mrs. Gertrude F. Chilson Terms expire February, 1954
Frederick V. Murphy, Jr.
George E. Nerney Leland B. Smith
Terms expire February, 1955
Mrs. Margaret Conro
Mrs. Lydia Gregory
Edwin F. Leach, Chairman
Terms expire February,
1956
Mrs. Lucille P. Cavender , Librarian
BOARD OF LICENSES
E. Raymond Truell
Term expires June, 1955
Zelotus F. Wetherell
Term expires June,
1956
Francis P. Cronan, Chairman
Term expires June, 1957
BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS John E. Turner, Chairman
Term expires February, 1954
Thomas H. Brennan .
Term expires February,
1955
Frank J. Nerney
Term expires February, 1957
DOG OFFICER
Michael Quaglia Term expires April, 1954
CITY FORESTER AND MOTH SUPERINTENDENT Warren P. Hofmann
Term expires February, 1954
FOREST WARDEN
Joseph O Mowry
Term expires February, 1954
SOLDIERS RELIEF AND BURIAL Arthur B. Cummings, Agent
Term expires February, 1954
continued -
PLANNING BOARD
Leo F. Lyons Robert W. Mawney
Terms expire February, 1954
Clifford A. Swanson Harold E. Washburn
Terms expire February, J. Burleigh Moulton
1955
Term expires February, 1956
Rev. Frank L. Briggs
Term expires February, 1957
Lawrence R. Fitton
Term expires February, 1958
INSPECTOR OF ANIMALS
Dr. James C. DeWitt
Term expires March, 1954
CITY STENOGRAPHER
Gladys Hinds
Elected by the Council
CITY MESSENGER
John B. Bowen
Elected by the Council
CITY REPRESENTATIVES ON BOARD OF MANAGERS OF THE ATTLEBORO HOSPITAL
Marguerite R. Warren, ex-officio
Bertrand O. Lambert
Cyril K. Brennan
Terms expire February, 1954
TRUSTEES OF THE CAPRON AND DEBORAH STARKEY FUND All ex-officiis
Cyril K. Brennan, Mayor
Marguerite R. Warren, City Treasurer
Pierre B. Lonsbury, Chairman of School Committee
MEASURER OF LUMBER
George L. Lincoln
Term expires February, 1954
TRUST FUND COMMISSIONERS
Ralph R. Gunner
Term expires February,
1955
James McBrien
Term expires February, 1956
continued-
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
Elmer E. Tufts, Chairman Term expires February, 1954
Clarence D. Roberts
Term expires February,
Charles E. Judge
Term expires February,
Associate Members
1955
1956
John D. Baer Bazil B. Mulligan
Terms expire February, 1954
STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL 1952 - 1953
COMMITTEE ON STREETS AND BRIDGES
John M. Kenny, Chairman
Leon F. Pierce
Roger K. Richardson
COMMITTEE ON WATER SUPPLY
William O. Sweet, Chairman
Herbert C. Laviguer
Roger K. Richardson
COMMITTEE ON SANITATION AND DRAINAGE Charles A. Smith, Chairman Ernest Rotenberg Arthur Hinds
COMMITTEE ON LIGHTING, SIDEWALKS AND SIGNS Herbert C. Laviguer, Chairman Charles A. Smith Arthur Hinds
COMMITTEE ON FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS Leon F. Pierce, Chairman John M. Kenny William O. Sweet
COMMITTEE ON LICENSES William F. Walton, Chairman Herbert C. Laviguer Ernest Rotenbert
continued-
Annual Report
REPORT OF THE CITY CLERK 1953
Honorable Cyril K. Brennan Mavor, City of Attleboro, Mass.
December 31, 1953
I herewith submit the report of the City Clerk's Department for 1953, based on figures available at closing time of the year's business.
The City Clerk's office sold sporting licenses valued at $5, 884 in 1953. In April the amount sold was $1614. 75, largely for the several forms of fishing licenses. The next biggest months handle was $861 taken for hunting licenses at the height of the season in October. As many as 80 licenses have been issued during a single noon hour of days in the mid seasons. The 1954 sporting licenses pose a much more complicated problem. It will not be possible to handle anywhere near that amount in the same time. The Clerk's office has been open the 11 business days of this year until 8 p. m. , for the purpose of giving sportsmen a change to renew their licenses that expire at midnight tonight.
There were 1811 dog licenses and 26 kennel licenses sold in 1953 with a gross value of $4425. There were 1131 male dogs, 161 females and 519 spayed dogs registered, In March there were 543 licenses sold. In April 688. The clerk sold close to 100 licenses when he visited the South Attleboro fire station last spring.
A total of $4652 48 was taken in over the counter for miscellaneous licenses, permits, fees and recording. The recording of chattel mortgages and similar instruments brought in a clear profit of $1741 for the city and the issu- ance of certified copies netted $429 more. The recording has reached a point where a year round part time clerk is required to handle it, but this expense is well taken care of by the revenue received.
Broken down the licenses and permits income for 1953 is; $79 for motor sales licenses; $318 for taxi stand and hackney carriage drivers; $215 for Sun- day sales, $126 for common victuallers and lodging houses; $274 for pool and bowling; $405 for junk and second hand; $155 for amusements; $103 for thea - ters; $207. 50 for registration of gas and other tanks; $130 for signs; $420 for marriages; and close to $50 for varied other permits.
Recapitulation shows that this office, staffed by the clerk, and only one assistant clerk full time and a part time clerk for a few months handled a total of $14, 961. 48 Most of this was in single transactions of less than $5. 00. Every transaction has to be recorded and accounted for separately so the public can see what has really been accomplished here, with no use of the imagination.
As usual work has increased in the vital statistic department this year, as it has each year since World War 1. Industry's demands for birth
1
AII . PUBLIC LIBRARY JOS OR L. EMV- MY RIAL
Annual Report
Report of City Clerk-continued
certificates, demand for birth certificates for social security purposes and for claims against the government in way of allotments and dependency and for all legal purposes is ever on the increase.
The recording of vital statistics for 1953 shows there were 1282 births, 263 marriages and 385 deaths recorded. These figures will probably be raised when late and final returns come in from the hospitals.
This office was again recipient of the gold star for having its vital statistics filed early in the year. Monthly reports and payment of monies going to the city treasurer and the fish and game department have been made on dates due. The clerks office has remained open until 8 p. m. , each Wednesday evening the year round. The clerk made his annual visit to the South Attleboro section to accomodate dog owners of that section. These policies will be followed in 1954.
Much of the credit for the successful operation of the department is due to Miss Theresa Levis, the assistant clerk-and the only full time clerk in the department, She has worked much overtime without pay or complaint. It is hoped that when salaries are adjusted upward in this department as they should be she will be given the salary that she merits.
Working conditions remain very poor. There is a lack of room for stor- age of records, even for suitable working space. The telephone set-up should be changed to prevent one department answering calls for two others.
Vital statistics must be preserved, -that is a state law. Accordingly the clerk is asking for $240 for new filing equipment and $120 for binding re- cord books at this time The idea is that the city may be saved cost of a re- copying job that might cost the city thousands of dollars for labor and trans- portation to and from the State Secretaries office , within a very few years, if something is not done, very soon.
Yours truly
Kenneth F. Blandin City Clerk
2
Annual Report
REPORT OF ATTENDANCE OF COUNCILMEN AT
1953 COUNCIL MEETINGS
Present
Absent
Total
President Bertrand O. Lambert
26
1
27
Mr. William F. Walton
19
8
27
Mr. Charles A. Smith
27
0
27
Mr. Arthur Hinds
24
3
27
Mr. Ernest I. Rotenberg
27
0
27
Mr. John M. Kenny
24
3
27
Mr. Roger K. Richardson
18
9
27
Mr. Herbert C. Laviguer
24
3
27
Mr. Franklin R. McKay
21
6
27
Mr. Elton S. Nottage (resigned)
4
5
9
Mr. Leon F. Pierce (to fill unexpired term)
12
6
18
Mı. William O. Sweet
17
10
27
MEETING DATES
1953
1953
January
6
Regular
July
15
Special
January 20
Regular
August
4
Regular
February
3
Regular
August
21
Special
February 17
Regular
August
24
Special
March
3
Regular
September 1
Regular
March 17
Regular
September
15
Regular
April
7
Regular
October
6
Regular
April
21
Regular
October
20
Regular
May
5
Regular
November 3
Regular
May
19
Regular
November
17 Regular
June
2
Regular
December
1
Regular
June
16
Regular
December
15
Regular
June
29
Special
December 29
Special
July
7
Regular
22 Regular meetings
5 Special meetings
27 Total
3
Annual Report
REPORT OF THE PLANNING BOARD 1953
To His Honor the Mayor and the Honorable Municipal Council
Gentlemen:
The Planning Board held twenty-two meetings with an average attendance of six out of a possible seven.
Twenty-three matters were referred to the Board for recommendation by the Municipal Council and recommendations were made on all but one which was under study at the close of the year. Two recommendations were made on matters before the Board of Appeal.
The work of selecting new names for one hundred and eleven ways and streets with duplicate names and forty-three that have similar names for street and avenues is still in progress.
The Book of Sanborn Insurance Maps of the City has again been brought up to its latest revision in cooperation with the Board of Assessors and the Department of Public Works.
We would like to call attention to the importance of the three rivers which flow through our City-the Ten Mile, Bungay and Seven Mile Rivers. What- ever else changes, they will remain as long as rain falls and water continues to seek its level in the ocean.
The Seven Mile River is the source of a large part of our water supply, and its adjacent land should be developed to protect its natural beauty as well as the purity of its water ..
The Bungay River still nas water in which trout and other fish can live. Its banks can be developed in a way to maintain its natural beauty and furnish sport for the fisherman and the blueberry picker.
The Ten Mile River from the Farmers Pond to Hebronville has been useful as the site for eighteen factories. There is much natural beauty along the river between the factories that should be conserved. Most of the land along the river, being low and undesirable for housing, was left vacant, which was a fortunate thing for the City, as we can now find here much needed space for parking lots.
The "Hill Section" around Third Street has a parking congestion arising from the cars of High School attendants and the employees of the Bigney fac- tories
4
Annual Report
Report of the Planning Board continued-
For the High School, the Board recommends the vacant land ajacent to Cora Street, so-called, westerly from Fifth Street for 430 feet, and within 300 feet of the High School, where the fifty-four cars credited to High School use, and as many more, could be parked.
For the Bigney factories, the only available vacant land on the westerly side of the Ten Mile River is on the lower end of East Fourth Street, and the only land on the easterly side of the river is the filled land now partly occu- pied by the Public Works Department, which can be reached only from Wall Street through the yard of the Police Station. The use of this land by factory workers would require a foot bridge over the river to the southerly side of the Bigney factory and a traffic bridge across the river at East Fourth Street.
This area of land extending from Wall Street to Olive Street between the Ten Mile River and the railroad, approximately 2100 feet long and 600 feet wide, contains more than a million square feet and should be given careful consideration. The remaining swampy section could be filled, the depth of water in the river could be controlled under flood conditions by proper gates at the dams of the Farmers Pond above, and the Dodgeville Pond below it, and the land used for parking or industry. Wall Street alone could not handle the traffic resulting from developing this area, but it would help if a bridge was built at East Fourth Street and an approach made to Olive Street.
The acquiring by the City of the Fredette property at the corner of Wall and County Street, together with the adjacent Poore property would make possible any needed widening of Wall Street, and provide considerable par- king space on County Street where it is much needed. Such a development of this area would require the relocation of the Service Yards of the Public works Department and the Police Station. The Public Works Department and the water barn now located on Riverbank Road could be advantageously moved to the City-owned land off North Avenue opposite Hayward Field. The Police Department could be located on Hodges Street or Mechanic Street. This proposed development naturally suggests that the plan for construc- ting Riverbank Road between County Street and Mechanic Street, adopted in 1947, should be brought to completion to serve the enlarged parking lot now being developed by the L. G. Balfour Company.
In regard to the providing of parking lots, it should be understood that private enterprise should provide parking space for its employees, and as far as possible for its customers. The City should be looked to for this service only when the public necessity for the general welfare of the Community requires it. Our traffic problem is largely of local origin and sporadic. The heavy through traffic between Boston and Providence is . handled over Routes 1 and 1A through the South End without much difficulty. The heavy traffic to Cape Cod from the South naturally flows over Route 44 through Taunton or Route 6 through Fall River.
5
Annual Report
Report of the Planning Board continued-
The local traffic is due partly to the need for people who live on one side of the town to get to the other side where they are employed, and partly due to peo- ple who live in the suburbs and neighboring towns to come to the center to work or to shop. Four principal streets converge in the center at the Bronson corner, and three main arteries meet at the corner of Union, Park and Pleasant Streets. During the rush hours there are periods of fifteen or twenty minutes when an off- icer is needed to direct traffic. The cars could flow through the streets without much inconvenience, but this flow has to be stopped every few minutes to allow people to cross the streets. There is also some cross traffic which holds up the procession at the Bronson corner, at Railroad Avenue and Bank Street, and at Park and Union Streets during the rush period, which fortunately is brief. If this condition persisted for most of the day there would be need of traffic lights as a measure of safety. The principal bottleneck is at the Bronson corner and this could be relieved if more of our citizens took thought to by-pass the center when it is not necessary to enter it.
Our traffic and the need for more parking lots is most evident on Wednesday night. There are still some old and obsolete buildings near the shopping district which could be torn down and the land profitably used for parking. The traffic problem created at Christmas time revealed the need of planning for such events. The people who come to the Shrine can be told in the announcements what streets to take and adequate parking facilities can be provided on the Shrine grounds. Street signs could direct the traveller. If conditions should warrant it, it might be feasible to create a second entrance to the property by an extension of Dexter Street for about 1800 feet. This would relieve the traffic at the Park Street en- trance, and we recommend a survey be made by the Department of Public Works as to the cost and feasibility of extending Dexter Street for 1800 feet.
The proposed extension of Brook Street to South Main Street would also cross the present layout of Dexter Street and help to keep through traffic away from the center of the City.
RECOMMENDATIONS ON ACCEPTANCE OF STREETS in accordance with Chap- ter 41, General Laws, Section 81 - 1.
Nineteen "ways" were referred to the Board by the Honorable Municipal Council for recommendation in reference to their acceptance as streets. Fif- teen "ways" were recommended for approval, four were under consideration at the close of the year.
1. Randolph Avenue from Newport Avenue westerly to Clayton Avenue for a distance of 604 feet; 2. Hackett Avenue from Washington Street easterly for 350 feet beyond the point of the acceptance of June 7, 1938; 3. Chartier Street from Allen Street easterly for a distance of 395 feet; 4. Meunier Avenue from Mendon Road westerly for 230 feet, 5. Elmina Drive from Annex Drive northerly for 250 feet; 6. Annex Drive from George Ide Drive westerly for 480 feet; 7. Biltmore
6
Annual Report
Report of the Planning Board continued-
Street from Pleasant Street northerly for 200 feet; 8. Prescott Street from South Avenue northerly for 600 feet; 9. Dean Road from North Main Street westerly for 1000 feet; 10. Adams Street from North Avenue easterly for 750 feet; 11. Reynolds Avenue between Hawthorne and Peace Street for 550 feet; 12. Summer Street ex- tension easterly beyond John William Street for 302 feet; 13. Eddy Street from Forest Street easterly for 850 feet; 14. Pullman Avenue from Scott Street north- erly to Newton Street for 790 feet; 15. The Causeway, a portion of Heather Street and Como Drive, northerly of May Street, for 200 feet.
The four ways under consideration:
1. Mary and Fisher Streets. Mary Street from Summer Street southwesterly for 500 feet; Fisher Street from Mary Street southerly for 700 feet to Thirteenth Street; 2. Fisher Street from Thirteenth Street southerly for 560 feet to Thacher Street; 3. Walnut Street from County Street easterly for 397. 99 feet; 4. Garfield Street from Park Street easterly for 325 feet.
Eighteen of these private ways are in residential neighborhoods off the main streets which carry most of the traffic. They are very useful to the people who live on them but of incidental use to the general public. These ways should have been built by the proprietors who platted the land and sold the lots. The cost of the ways could have been recovered by the developers in a slightly higher price for the lots.
In accepting these private ways as public streets, the City must proceed to construct the roads, and assumes the responsibility for their upkeep This makes all the lots on these streets more desirable to live on and more valu- abie in the market. The approximate cost to the City, the general taxpayers, of constructing the above streets is approximately $20,000. 00. The cost to the City of constructing such streets could be recovered by the use of Section 5 of the Ordinance on Streets, Ways and Public Places.
The Causeway, a portion of Como Drive and Heather Street, should well be constructed at the cost of the City as a public necessity, as it is the only outlet to May Street for the fifty families in "Como Village" who live on the other side of the City boundary with North Attleboro, and that town cannot legally construct it. Neither could a "betterment" be assessed on the abutting land under Section 5 of The Ordinance on Streets, for the construction of "The Causeway" would not improve the abutting land.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS ON STREETS.
Sanford Street- a building line be established on the northerly side to per- mit a minimum width of 54 feet and a study be made by the Department of Public Works as to the cost of this construc- tion.
Wall Street- a building line be established on Wall Street to permit a width
7
Annual Report
Report of the Planning Board continued-
of 54 feet and that the Department of Public Works be authorized to make a study of the cost of widening and straightening the street.
Forest Street-this street be widened at Pleasant Street.
Peck Street-this street be widened at Pleasant Street.
Wall Street-this street be widened at South Main Street.
Lexington Avenue-this street be widened at Thacher Street.
All to be done in accordance with the plans drawn by the Department of Pub- lic Works.
That the name of Fuller Avenue from South Main Street easterly be changed to Henshaw Avenue, and that the name of Dean Road from North Main Street westeriy be changed to Devonshire Road.
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