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WILLIAMSBURG HISTORICAL SOCIETY
ANNUAL REPORT
WILLIAMSBURG MASSACHUSETTS 1956
Donated by Bertram Clark.
INDEX
Town Officers 6 ....
Selectmen
8
Warrant
..
11
Finance Committee
17
......
Budget Recommendations
19
Town Clerk
...
25
Tax Collector
31
33
Treasurer
...
Town Accountant
34
Assessors
62
Water Commissioners
65
Tree Warden
69
Library
71
Board of Health
.....
72
Police Department
...
73
Fire Department
75
Visiting Nurse
77
Sealer of Weights
79
Rice Property Committee
80
School Department
82
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TOWN OFFICERS
OF THE
Town of Williamsburg
FOR THE
YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1956
METCALF PRINTING AND PUBLISHING COMPANY INC. NORTHAMPTON. MASSACHUSETTS
Williamsburgh Historical Society Williamsburgh, Massachusetts
In honored memory of Miss Anne T. Dunphy, late principal of Williamsburg High School, counselor and guide, a true and loyal friend, we pay tribute to Miss Dunphy who encouraged many steps which resulted in the progress of the Williamsburg High School to first rank in education and ideals. She will ever hold a place in the heart of every citizen of the town of Williamsburg.
Lucius A. Merritt entered our school system as super- intendent July 1, 1922. His congenial manner and love for children contributed to a pleasing career in our schools. His untimely departure was a great shock to all who knew and worked with him, but the achievement of the projects he worked for stands as a fitting memo- rial.
Town Officers
as of Dec. 31, 1956
Term Expires
Selectmen :
Walter E. Kellogg, Jr., Chairman
1958
Frank P. Paul
1957
Carl M. Hemenway, Clerk
1959
Town Clerk :
Charles W. Wells
1957
Town Treasurer :
Miss Anna E. Watson
1957
Assessors :
Edwin C. Breckenridge, Chairman
1958
Joseph M. Dymerski
1957
Ruth T. Mongeau
1959
Tax Collector :
Barbara W. Swanda
1958
Elector, Oliver Smith Will : Merton Bickford
1957
School Committee :
Kenneth Sherk, Chairman
1959
Eleanor Mansfield, Secretary
1957
Eleanor Ballway
1959
Erol Bowie
1958
Norman F. Graves
1958
6
Constables : Charles Cross Vardic Golash
1957
1957
Board of Health :
Bernard Reardon, Chairman Dr. Joseph R. Hobbs Mrs. Margaret L. Madison
1957
1958
1959
Water Commissioners :
Charles M. Damon, Jr., Chairman
1958
Bertram W. Clarke
1957
George H. Childs
1959
Tree Warden :
David L. Dewey
1957
Trustees of Haydenville Library :
Mrs. Lula Smith
1959
Mrs. Maude E. Sanderson
1958
Viola J. Fraser
1957
Trust Fund Commissioners :
Frederick L. Smith
1959
Arthur H. Showalter (Deceased)
1958
Donald S. Outhuse
1957
Recreation Committee :
Barbara Hathaway, Chairman
1957
Albert Mosher, Jr.
1958
Henry T. Hmieleski
1959
Moderator :
John H. Breguet
1957
7
Selectmen's Report
The Selectmen met and organized February 13, 1956 as follows: Walter E. Kellogg, Jr., Chairman; Carl M. Hemenway, Clerk, and Frank Paul, Chairman of the Board of Welfare.
Fifty-two regular meetings were held during the year.
Highway work was carried on in a very efficient and satisfactory manner by the newly appointed Superin- tendent of Highways, Harry Warner, Jr. Details of some of the more important work are as follows:
Chapter 90 Construction, Ashfield Road-2200 ft. road built and 2-1/3 gals. per yd. application of T-6. 600 ft. of road graded and sloped on southern side of same job.
Chapter 81 Construction, Old Goshen Road-1100 ft. shaped and graded, ready for surface treatment.
Adams Road-1200 ft. shaped, graded, ready for treat- ment.
Chapter 90 Maintenance-1 mile of road resurfaced.
Chapter 81 Maintenance-1.9 miles of road resurfaced.
Materials used : 12,788 yds. gravel, 15,555 gals. oil, 558 tons grits, 55 tons patch material, 15 tons calcium chlor- ide.
Approximately $5,000.00 was paid out to truck own- ers in town. We would like to point out that because of
8
the age and condition of the majority of the town equip- ment, it is impossible to maintain a healthy machinery earnings account.
Very large and late snowstorms in the spring of 1956 and an unusual number of snowfalls in December have greatly increased the costs of winter highways.
Verbal agreements have been made with two residents who have acquired four-wheel drive trucks which are very efficient in plowing snow and especially efficient in deep and hard packed snow. In cases where a two- wheeled drive could not get through, costly bulldozing was resorted to, prior to the present truck hiring arrangement. The hired cost per hour is high for snow plowing but the Selection are not so optimistic as to believe the Town wished to buy two new four-wheel drive trucks.
Average age of the town trucks, aside from the new one, is 9-2/3 years, the oldest being a 1945 model. We feel the need for a new loader to be much more urgent than for a truck and w are requesting that the Town buy only the new loader The savings in not buying a new truck will be mor than offset in increased oper- ating costs of the old trucks but we feel the overall loss would be much greater | the highway department has to go along with the old load z.
All Veterans' Servic ave been turned over to the Veterans' Service Depa ment under the direction of Herbert Haskell of Wo ington who, by vote of your Selectmen, is now the Town's Veterans' Agent.
The Library Bridge in Haydenville was found to be corroded to the extent that it was condemned for further use. Construction of a new bridge is entirely in the hands of the State Department of Public Works.
9
State auditors have advised the Selectmen that earn- ings of "worthy poor" funds should be expended entire- ly annually. We have done our best but we have had only enough applications to partly succeed. It is hoped that those qualified will be ready to make application in the future.
Attention is called to the state of Town Finances. With this Town in fourth place in honors as high tax- rate in this state, it is felt that with the fully recom- mended budget increases with all other unessential as well as essential requests, we have a very good chance of achieving top honors in the state during the year 1957. We most certainly are on our way to over the $100.00 tax rate barrier which may be evaded, however, by sugar-coating with our reappraisal.
Respectfully submitted, WALTER E. KELLOGG, JR., Chairman FRANK P. PAUL CARL M. HEMENWAY
10
Articles from the Town Warrant
Article 1. To elect a Moderator for one year. To elect one Selectman for a term of three years, who shall be an Overseer of Public Welfare. To elect one Town Clerk, one Treasurer, two Constables, one Elector under the will of the late Oliver Smith, Esq., one Tree Warden, all for a term of one year. To elect one Assessor, one Water Commissioner, one member of the Board of Health and one Recreation Commissioner, all for a term of three years. To elect two Trust Fund Commission- ers, one for a term of one year and one for a term of three years. To elect one Library Trustee for a term of three years. To elect one School Committeeman for a term of three years.
Article 2. To choose all necessary minor Town Offi- cers for the ensuing year.
Article 3. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Town Treasurer with the approval of the Selectmen, to borrow money from time to time in anticipation of the revenue of the financial year beginning January 1, 1957, and to issue a note or notes therefor, payable within one year and to renew any note or notes as may be given for a period of less than one year, in accordance with Section 17, Chapter 44 of the General Laws.
Article 4. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate such sums of money as shall be deemed necessary to defray the expenses of the current year.
Article 5. To hear the reports of the Selectmen, Treasurer, Town Clerk, Tax Collector, Assessors, School
11
Committee, Water Commissioners, and other Committees and act thereon.
Article 6. To choose a committee to expend the in- come from the Whiting Street Fund.
Article 7. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Selectmen to cooperate with the County and State under the provisions of Chapter 90 of the General Laws, for construction, and to vote to appropriate the sum of $2,500.00, the Town's share of the expense, or take any other action thereon.
Article 8. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Selectmen to cooperate with the County and State under the provisions of Chapter 90 of the General Laws, for maintenance, and to vote to appropriate the sum of $1,000.00, the Town's share of the expense, and to vote to appropriate the sum of $2,000.00, the County and State's share of the expense, and in anticipation of re- imbursement from the County and State under the pro- visions of the Chapter the Town's share to be raised by taxation and County and State's share to be taken from the Surplus Revenue Account and returned to the Sur- plus Revenue Account when received from the County and State, or take any other action thereon.
Article 9. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Selectmen to cooperate with the State under the pro- visions of Chapter 81 of the General Laws and to raise and appropriate the sum of $3,150.00, the Town's share of the expense, or take any other action thereon.
Article 10. To see if the Town will vote to fix the salary and compensation of all elected officers of the town as provided in Section 108, Chapter 41, General Laws, as amended.
Article 11. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,156.39 to be paid to the Treas-
3.000
12
urer-Custodian of the Hampshire County Retirement System to be credited to the funds thereof.
Article 12. To see if the Town will ,vote to transfer and appropriate the balance of $6,991.74 in the Road Machinery Earnings Account of 1956 to the Truck and Tractor Maintenance Account of 1957.
Article 13. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen together with the Chairmen of the Board of Assessors and Board of Water Commissioners, to appoint a Town Secretary to serve from March 1, 1957 to February 28, 1958, who shall be provided with an office, open to the public, in such place and during such hours as may be judged most convenient and practical; such Town Secretary to be available for a minimum of twenty hours per week throughout the year, that the duties of such Secretary shall be those set by the Chairmen of the departments of government for which service is performed, or take any other action thereon.
Article 14. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,000.00 to help defray the ex- penses of a Public Health Nurse, or take any other action thereon.
Article 15. To see if the Town will vote to transfer from overlay surplus reserve the sum of $4,000.00 to reserve account under the jurisdiction of the Finance Committee to meet unexpected or emergency needs of the Town Departments, or take any other action thereon.
Article 16. To see if the Town will empower the Board of Selectmen, Board of Water Commissioners and Board of Assessors to appoint their own members to other town positions, or take any other action thereon.
Article 17. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $30,430.00 to pay the principal of $25,000.00 on the Anne T. Dunphy School Loan and
13
NO
$2,000.00 for the Helen E. James remodeling loan, and the interest of $2,730.00 on the Anne T. Dunphy School Loan and $700.00 on the Helen E. James remodeling loan, or take any other action thereon.
Article 18. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $16,251.25 for the purpose of maintaining and operating, including debt and interest charges for the Water Department for the year 1957, and to meet said appropriations the sum of $4,251.25 to be appropriated from water surplus, and the sum of $12,000.00 to be appropriated from water revenue of 1957, or take any other action thereon.
Article 19. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,100.00 for an expert appraisal of taxable real estate, said appropriation to be in addi- tion to the sum of $4,900.00 previously appropriated by the town under Article 22 of the warrant for the annual town meeting held February 12, 1956, or take any other action thereon.
Article 20. To see if the Town will vote to instruct the Board of Assessors to petition in behalf of the town, the State Tax Commission for the acceptance of an assessment system in accordance with the provisions of Section 7D of Chapter 58 of the General Laws, or take any other action thereon.
Article 21. To see if the Town will authorize the Board of Assessors to publish a complete list of assessed real property, showing assessments placed on each parcel, every five years beginning with the year 1960. The form of publication to be a part of the annual town re- port published for such year, or take any other action thereon.
Article 22. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $22,250.00 to purchase a new fire truck to replace Engine #1 in the Village of
Riy
14
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4
Williamsburg and to authorize the Fire Department to sell the tanker, or take any other action thereon.
Article 23. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $38.00 for the installation of street lights at the intersection of Kingsley Avenue and Hatfield Street and at the High Street Cemetery in Haydenville, or take any other action thereon.
Article 24. To see if the Town will vote to accept the bequest as in the will of the late Anne T. Dunphy, or take any other action thereon.
Article 25. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $4,500.00 to purchase a tractor with cab and loader for the Highway Department, $1,000.00 to be transferred from Truck and Tractor Maintenance Account of 1957 and $3,500.00 to be raised and appropriated, and to empower the Board of Select- men to trade in the Trojan Loader, or take any other action thereon.
Article 26. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $200.00 to pay Milton Rice for land damages as set forth in the Committee report, or take any other action thereon.
Article 27. To see if the Town will vote to amend By-law No. 2 of the Town of Williamsburg, which By-law reads as follows: 'The annual Town meeting shall be held on the Second Saturday in February of each year at such time and place as shall be stated in the warrant', delete 'second Saturday' and substitute 'third Monday', so that the By-law now reads : 'the annual town meeting shall be held on the third Monday in February of each year at such time and place as shall be stated in the warrant', or take any other action thereon.
Article 28. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from funds granted under Chapter 718, Acts of 1956, the sum of $2,000.00 to be used for new con-
15
struction on Old Goshen Road, Williamsburg and Adams Road, Haydenville, or take any other action thereon.
Article 29. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $10,000.00 to construct a storm sewer (approximately 800 feet of 18 inch tile), on Maple Street and Kingsley Avenue, Haydenville, or take any other action thereon.
Article 30. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $300.00 to purchase and erect Stop and No Parking signs in both villages, or take any other action thereon.
Article 31. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $200.00 to repair the roof on Town Hall, or take any other action thereon.
Article 32. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Assessors to adopt official street names for the Town of Williams- burg, or take any other action thereon.
Article 33. To see if the Town will vote to adopt Chapter 41, Section 45A of the General Laws, or take any other action thereon.
Article 34. To see if the Town will vote to empower the Board of Assessors to use from available funds the sum of $25,000.00 to reduce taxation, or take any other action thereon.
16
ARTICLES FRY THE TOWN REPORT
Article 1. To elect a Moderator for one year. To elect one Selectmen for a term of three years, who shall be an Overseer of Public Welfare. To elect one Town Clerk, one Treasurer, two Constables, one Elector under the will of the late Oliver Smith, Esq., one Tree Warden, all for a term of one year. To elect one Agressor, one Water Commissioner, one member of the Board of Health and one Recreation Commissioner, all for a term of three years. To elect tuo Trust Fund Commissioners, one for a term of one year and one for a term of three years. To elect one Library Trustee for a term of three years. To elect one School Com- itteeman for a term of three years.
Article 2. To choose all necessary minor Town Officers for the ensuing year.
Article 3. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Town Treasurer with the approval of the Selectmen, to borrow money from time to time in anticipation of the revenue of the financial year beginning January 1. 1957, and to issue a note or notes therefor, payable within one year and to renew any note or notes as may be given for a period of less than one year, in accordance with Section 17, Chapter 44 of the General Laws.
Article 4. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate such sums of money er shall be deemed necessary to defray the expenses of the current year.
Article 5. To hear the reports of the Selectmen, Treasurer, Town Clerk, Tax Collector, Agressora, School Committee, Water Commissioners, and other Committees and act thereon.
Article 6. To choose a committee to extend the income from the Whiting Street Fund.
Article 7. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Selectmen to cooperate with the County and State under the provisions of Chapter 90 of the General Laws, for construction, and to vote to appropriate the sum of $2,500.00, the Town's share of the expense, or take any other action thereon.
Article 8. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Selectmen to cooperate with the County and State under the provisions of Chapter 90 of the General Laws, for maintenance, and to vote to appropriate the sum of $1,000.00, the Town's share of the expense, and to vote to appropriate the sum of $2, 000.00 the County and State's share of the expense, and in anticipation of reimburserent from the County and State under the provisions of the Chapter the Town's share to be raised by taxation and county and state's share to be taken from the Surplus Revenue Account and returned to the Surplus Revenue Account when received from the County and State, or take any other action there on.
Article 9. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Selectmen to cooperate with the State under the provisions of Chapter 81 of the General Lawo and to raise and appropriate the sum of $3,150.00, the Town's share of the expense, or take any other action thereon.
Article 10. To see if the Town will vote to fix the salary and compen- Bation of all elected officers of the town as provided in Section 108, Chapter 41, General Laws, as amended.
€
Article 11. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,156.39 to be paid to the Treasurer-Custodian of the Hampshire County Retirement System to be credited to the funds thereof.
Article 12. To see if the Town will vote to transfer and appropriate the balance of $6,991.74 in the Road Machinery Earnings Account of 1956 to the Truck and Tractor Maintenance Account of 1957.
Article 13. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen together with the Chairmen of the Board of Assessore and Board of Water Commissioners, to appoint a Town Secretary to serve from March 1, 1957 to February 28, 1958, who shall be provided with an office, oven to the public, in such place and during auch hours as may be judged most convenient and practical: such Town Secretary to be available for a minimum of twenty hours per week throughout the year. that the duties of such Secretary shall be those set by the Chairmen of the departrenta of government for which service is performed, or take any other action thereon.
Article 14. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,000.00 to help defray the expenses of a Public Health Nurse, or take any other action thereon.
Article 15. To see if the Town will vote to transfer from overlay sur- plus reserve the sum of $4,000.00 to reserve account under the juris- diction of the Finance Committee to meet unexpected or emergency needs of the Town Departments, or take any other action thereon.
Article 16. To see if the Town will empower the Board of Selectmen, Board of Water Commissioners and Board of Asreasons to appoint their own members to other town positions, or take any other action thereon.
Article 17. To see if the Town will vote to ralke and appropriate the sum of $30, 430.00 to may the principal of $25,000.00 on the Anne T. Dunphy School Loan and $2,000.00 for the Helen E. James remodeling loan, and the interest of $2,730.00 on the Anne T. Dunphy School loan and $700.00 on the Helen E. Jares remodeling loan, or take any other action thereon.
Article 18. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $16,251.25 for the purpose of maintaining and operating, including debt and interest charges for the Water Department for the year 1957, and to meet said appropriations the sum of $4,251.25 to be appropriated from water surplus, and the sum of $12,000.00 to be appropriated from water revenue of 1957, or take any other action thereon.
Article 19. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,100.00 for an expert appraisal of taxable real estate, said appropriation to be in addition to the sum of $4,900.00 previously appropriated by the town under Article 22 ofthe warrant for the annual town meeting held February 12, 1956, or take any other action thereon.
Article 20. To see if the Town will vote to instruct the Board of Assessors to petition in behalf of the town, the State Tax Commission for the acceptance of an assessment system in accordance with the pro- visions of Section 7D of Chapter 58 of the General Laws, or take any other action thereon.
Article 21. To see if the Town will authorize the Board of Assessors to publish a complete list of assessed real property, showing assess- menta placed on each parcel, every five years beginning with the year 1960. The form of publication to be a part of the annual town report published for such year, or take any other action thereon. -
Article 22. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $22,250.00 to purchase a new fire truck to replace Engine #1 in the Village of Williamsburg and to authorize the Fire Department to sell the tanker, or take any other action thereon.
Article 23. To see if the Town will vote to raine and appropriate the sum of $38.00 for the installation of street lights at the intersection of Kingsley Avenue and Hatfield Street and at the High Street Cemetery in Haydenville, or take any other action thereon.
Article 24. To see if the Town will vote to accept the bequest as in the will of the late Anne T. Dunphy, or take any other action thereon.
Article 25. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $4,500.00 to purchase a tractor with cab and loader for the High- way Department, $1,000.00 to be transferred from Truck and Tractor Maintenance Account of 1957 and $3,500.00 to be raised and appropriated, and to empower the Board of Selectmen to trade in the Trojan Loader, or take any other action thereon.
Article 26. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $200.00 to pay Milton Rice for land damages as set forth in the Committee report, or take any other action thereon.
Article 27. To see if the Town will vote to amend By-law No. 2 of the Town of Williamsburg, which By-law reads as follows: "The annual Town meeting shall be held on the second Saturday in February of each year at such time and place as shall be stated in the warrant", delete " second Saturday and substitute third Monday", so that the By-law now reads:
" the annual town meeting shall be held on the third Monday in February of each year at such time and place as shall be stated in the warrant".
or take any other action thereon.
Article 28. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from funds granted under Chanter 718, Acts of 1956, the sum of $2,000.00 to be used for new construction on Old Goshen Road, Williamsburg and Adams Road, Haydenville, or take any other action thereon.
Article 29. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $10, 000.00 to construct a storm sewer (approximately 800 feet of 18 inch tile), on Maple Street and Kingsley Avenue, Haydenville, or take any other action thereon.
Article 30. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $300.00 to purchase and erect Stop and No Parking signs in both villages, or take any other action thereon.
Article 31. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $200.00 to repair the roof on Town Hall, or take any other action there on .
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