USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1958 > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7
SAUGUS, MASSACHUSETTS
Onnual
TOWN REPORT
05.
BULK KATE
1958
TOWN REPORT PAGE ONE
MYRON D. DONOGHUE . . . Cbalrman of Selectmen
VERNON W. EVANS . . . Selectman
SAMUEL W. LUDWIG . . . Selectman
ALBION R. RICE . . . Selectman
Saugus Town Officials
Board of Selectmen Myron Donoghue, Chairman Albion R. Rice Samuel Ludwig David R. Nagle Vernon W. Evans
Bchool Committee
John L. Silver, Chairman Robert M. Braid James W. Currier George A. McCarrier Peter Rossetti
Town Accountant Irving E. Campbell Board of Assessors Dr. Frederick J. Wagner, Chairman
David J. Lucey Charles Cooper Town Clerk Jolin T, Raiche
Town Collector John T. Raiche Town Counsel C. Carroll Cunnnigham
Town Treasurer Phyllis E. Dodge
Superintendent of Public Works Ernest Pesce
Superintendent of Bulidings WalterJ. Daniels
Board of Public Welfare George Anderson Walter T. Brander Ernest M. Hatch
Board of Healtb Edwin Faulkner Peter L. Grady
Harry Wentworth
Cemetery Commission Fred W. Butler Barbara J. Morse Vincent G. Pendleton
Playground Commission Westby Rogers, Chairman Fred Callahan
Organization Of Saugus Town Government
Voters - Elect
Board of Selectmen
School Committee
Appoint
Board of Appeals Library Trustees
Election Omcers Registrars of Voters
Town Manager Appoints
Town Clerk
Town Collector
Town Treasurer
Town Assessors
Town Accountant
Town Counsel
Police
Fire
Engineers Water Highways 1 Sewers
Harbormaster Benier of Welghts & Measures
Planning Board
Welfare Board,
Health
Cemetery Commissioners
Playground Commissioners Civil Defense
Member Retirement System
Arthur R. Metzger Herbert L. Kimball Edward Koschei
Police Chief Roland E. Mansfield Fire Chief
Joseph L. Maguire
Sealer of Welghts and Measures Wesley W. Gage Director of Civilian Defense L. Earle Dumas
Veterans' Benefits Newell V. Bartlett
Planning Board
Henry Seaver, Chairman Douglas Waybright Lewis O. Gray Roland Dupuis William Calhoun
Board of Appeals Walter F. Hogan, Chairman William Merrithew William E. Laverne Associate Member Richard J, Spencer Library Trustees
Ernest L. Shapiro, Chairman Harold J. Adlington Kaler A. Perkins Lillian D. Oeorge Catherine Reynolds Katherine Silver Registrars of Voters Carl V. Anderson John T. Raiche John B. Leahy Thomas A. Kelley
Finance Committee
Bradhury Gilbert, Chairman
George H. Cakounes Joseph W. Gerniglia Ralph E. Gibbs Norman Hanson
Henry Iwanowicz
James S. McFarlane
Donald Reiniger Dexter Q. Rich
Town Meeting Members 1958-1959
Precinet 1
C. Carroll Cunningham Stanley W. Day Ralph E. Gibbs Gordon H. Jameson Welcome W. Mccullough Precinct 2
Robert J. Chiahrandy
Arthur Dearing M. Esther Mansfield George N. McKay Thomas N. Quinlan Precinct 3
Nels A. Bloom James W. Elsmore Henry J. Iwanowicz William A. R. MacLaren Marion E. Needham Precinct 4
Mliton W. Chambers
Robert L. Davis
Walter F. Neal
Dexter Q. Rich Alfred H. Woodward Precinct 5
John L. Knights Frederick McGarry James C. O'Nelll William J. Rossi Edwin P. Swett
Precinct 6
Charles D. Cooper Dorothy E. Mandeville
(Continued on Page Three)
1958 Report of the Board of Selectmen
At Wie beginning of the year, 1958, q newly elected Board of Selectmen (election was less than two months prior to January 1, 1958) presided over the municipal affairs of the people of Saugus. While it was a "new" board, all of the Selectmen, Mr. Vernon W. Evans, Mr. Myron D. Donoghue, Mr. Samuel Ludwig, Mr. David R. Nagle, and Mr. Albion R. Rice had served previously as Select- men.
In just one month after the start of the year, Mr. Daniel Mc- Lean resigned (February 3, 1958) as town manager of Saugus to accept another position. Since the manager is the key Instrument in the admmistration of the town, and since he is responsible to the Selectmen for the proper opera- tlon of the town. a vacancy or change in this position always has a disrupting influence In the or- derly efficient administration of the town's business.
In accordance with the provi- slons of the law under which Saugus functions as a town, temporary town manager was ap- a pointed forthwith to occupy the position of town manager until a duly appointed permanent town manager could take over the re- sponsibilities of administration of the town.
The temporary town manager held the position for a period of three months until May 14, 1958 when Mr. John B. Kennedy was selected from nine candidates to be the permanent town manager of Saugus. Mr. Kennedy came to Saugus with n background many years experience in mutl- cipal management and adminis- tration.
The year's end saw him in the office of manager for the short period of seven inonths. In this time he has picked up the loose ends of the plans and projects of those who preceded him. During 1959, Mr. Kennedy will have the opportunity to formulate his own program, and his work can only be assessed in the future. We are confident lhat Saugus will benefit from lhe manager's many years of experience in municipal admin- istration.
Saugus has had an ever in- creasing number of new citizens coming here from other commun- Ities in recent years. There has been over $1,000,000 of new bome construction each year over the perlod of the last ten to twelve years. With this new housing have come hundreds of new Saugus cf- Į tizens, taxpayers all. Because of
We did, however have to have an emergency authorization to re- place the heating boller in tha Town Hall which gave out. In the report of the varlous de- this fact it should be pointed out partments you will fine a detailed for their benefit, and others who (Continued on Page Two)
JOHN B. KENNEDY ... Town Manager
1958 Report of the Town Manager
To the Citizens of Saugus: Submitted, herewith, are tha various reports of Town Officers, Town Officials and Department Heads.
The duties of your Town Mana- ger were assumed by me on May 20, 1958. The budget had been prepared, the Town Meeting held and the Town had been adminis- tered in 1958 up to that time by a permanent Manager and a tem- porary Manager. of
Upon assuming my office I held many meetings with the Chair- man and other members of the Finance Committee, Department Heads and Town Officials to get the perspective I needed lo carry out the duties of the office. My first job was to determine as near as I could the intent of the Town Meeting as to what the various monies appropriated were to ba spent for.
As near ns it was possible to do so I spent the money appro- prlated for the purpose for which it was intended and even though the budget was very thin we ran the Town Within the budget ap- propriations and did not call for any Special Town Meetings for any otber money for Town opera- tlons.
report on the programs which (Continued on Page Fourteen)
52-18A
S
LOCAL HISTORY Ref. 352
-
The Saugus Advertisar, March 12, 1959
Saugus v.71
For Reference
2
Not to be taken
from this library
SAUGUS PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1729 00051 5806
52-18A A
Superintendent Publlc Works Dog Officer
Parks & Playgrounds Tree & Motli
OAA ADO
DA GR
DAVID R. NAGLE . . . Selectman
The Saugus Advartiser, March 12, 1959
TOWN REPORT PAGE TWO
-Selectmen
(Continued from Page One) are uninforined, that the ' Saugus Board of Selectmen, elected by the people, acts as a Board of Directors does in the operation of a private business corporation. The town manager is comparable to the President of a private cor- poratioa.
In addition to its responsibility in overseeing the management of the town ogvernment. the Select- men have separate and distiact duties apart from the inanager form of goverameni. These duties are spelled out in the General Laws of the State and the by-laws of the town.
The Board of Selectmen sits as the liquor licensing authority and issues each year licenses to- those who eagage in the sale of liquor in the town. Fees from licenses issued by the Board of Selectmen amounted to $17.741.00. Liquor li- cense fees amounted to $16,151.00 and $1,590.00 represented the in- come from all other types of li- censes issued.
The liquor law enforcing agency for the Board of Selectmen is, of course. the Police Department. Violations of the liquor laws are the subject of bearings beld by the Board.
Numerous hearings have been heid durlag the year on petitions to excavate aad remove soil. This matter has become lacreasiagly important and requires constant vigilance by the Board because of the obvious damage which can be done to the town if the up- rooting of our lands Is not beld in check.
The Board of Selectmen bolds auctions of tax title properties and the sales in 1958 amounted to $13,889.00. While this income is good for the towa, what is more important is the fact that hundreds of lots of laad become once again yearly sources of revenue for the town.
The preseat and forseeable needs of Saugus are pavement of miles of streets, the extending of obsolete water mains, and the extension of water mains, new school house construction, and an additional fire statioa. These needs are obvious to all aad there is agreement among all re- sponsible officials of the town with respect to these matters.
Unfortunately more than offi- ciai agreement is necessary for fulfilling these needs of the town, aad that is the inoaey to provide for these projects.
It is the considered opinion of the present Board of Selectmen, all of whom have devoted many years in the interest and welfare of the Town of Saugus, that the only local solutioa to our needs for additional monies to meet the ever increasing demands of our citizens for services Is industrial development ja Saugus. We must attract to Saugus business and in- dustry wbicb through taxation will provide the necessary additional revenue to build our roads, our schools, lo expand our sewer sys- tem, and the other obvious ne- cessities for our fast growing community.
The Board of Selectmen sre quite aware of the burden of tax- atioa oa our people in Saugus wbere practically ati of our homes are single family dwell- ings which bear the load practi- cally alone in providing the mon- ey for operatiag the town govern- ment and the schools. The cost of the additional needs and ser- vices exceed wbat our residential population can pay for local gov- ernment and education.
The pyramiding costs of educa- tion wblcb are about to exceed the combined costs for all the rest of our town government have forced a curtailment and prevent- er any real appreciable progress. It should be made quite clear to our citizens that our laws have divided the responsibility of bud- geting between our town mana- ger, who ts responsible for the general government budget, and the School Committee which is responsible for budgeting costs of education.
In the present day it is a very difficult task for ati pubtic offi- cials to discharge their responsi- bilities in adequately providing services and at the same time to live up to their obtigations not to tax our citizens beyond their ahllity to pay.
The Board of Selectmen wtil do all that it can to provide the best for the town for each tax dollar spent.
Respectively submitted, Myron D. Donoghue Samuel W. Ludwig David R. Nagle
Iron Works Restoration hundreds ! of relics found at the site are oa display. A well-preserved sectloa of the original furnace water- wheel still reveals the fine work- manship of some forgotten wheel- wright
1958 Report of the Superintendent of Schools Sixty-sixth Annual Report
What has taken place in the Saugus School System in the past year could not, to an almost complete extent, have come about without the fine cooperation and warm spirit of the entire school staff.
To the staff should go your appreciation for the initial success of new ventures and the maintenance of previously established endeavors. It goes without saying that the staff and I could not have operated as successfully as we feel that we have without the confidence and ap- proval of the School Committee and without the stimulating friendliness of so many parents and citizens.
My decp personal and professional desire is to help to bring about in Saugus a truly superlor school system, which Is to say, a school system that serves effectively the educational need and interests of all the pu- pils, aad through the tralned pupils the civic, social and economic needs of th community and our American nation. The end is attainable through our combined efforts even though solutions must be found to many form- idable problems. Saugus, Massachusetts January 31. 1959
Members of the School Committee
and Citizens of Saugus:
In the introductory section of last year's report, I stated that there were four areas in our system to which I planned to devote inilial atten- tion. The areas are: The school offering (curriculum); the use and dis- tributioa of school time; the organization of 'speed of learning' groups among our pupils; the 'school climate'. The section went on to list the 'fourteen objectives' of education that came out of the 1955 White House Conference on Education ..
This report concerns itself with our preliminary efforts and progress in the specified areas. The first three areas are not separate and distinct; they intertwine.
"The fourteen objectives: Fundamntal skills of communication; appreciation of our democratic heritage: elvic rights and respon- sibilities; respect and appreciation fo rhuman values and bellcis of otbers; ability to think and evaluate constructively and creatively; effective work habits and self-discipline; social competency as a family and community member; ethical values based on a sense of moral and spiritual values; intellectual curiosity and eagerness for lifelong learning; esthetic behavior and self-expression in the arts; physical and mental health; wise use of leisure time, including constructive pursuits; uaderstanding the physical world and man's relation to it; an awareness of our relationships with the world community.
THE CURRICULUM AREA
The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (new to Saugus) were administered last spring in grades three through nine. These tests measure skills in- volved in reading, work-study, language and arithmetic. These skills are crucial in the whole educational development of the pupu. The test results serve threc purposes:
1. They provide teacher an dadministrator with dependable know- ledge of the pupil's educational accomplishments and abilities, to the end that the school's program may meet better his needs, interests and abilities.
2. The results supply teacher and school officials, and the pupil him- self, with information calculated to assure the pupil's future growth.
3. The results provide the entire school siaff with an objective and dependable basis for evaluating school and class achievement. The results assist in the identification of the areas of the school program most in need of greater emphasis, curriculum reorgan- ization and increased supervisory attention,
It is our intention to use our findings in accordance with the three purposes enumerated: we have already done so to an important extent. However, a repetition of the test annually jacreases its values to the school system.
Science has had s place in the secondary school offering ever since the secondary school came Into being. Science has been found In the junior high school grades for more than forty years. There has been some attention to science in the upper elementary school grades for a long time, but the subject has not been stressed. Science must now be strengthened through the entire grade range; it must be given an im- portant and definite place in the elementary school program, Almost everyone is aware of these facts and the reasons for them. In Saugus, the subject of science has now been accorded a place in every grade; the subject has received specific attention by the staff and continuing at- tention to purposefui science teaching will constitute a part of our cur- riculum study and organization.
Last year the Junior High School staff carried on a series of after- noon workshops devoted to curriculum study .. The purpose of workshop study is to examine, evaluate aad reevaluate, and improve the offering at the junior high school level. Inasmuch as the plan for the coming year (this school year) contemplated an organization in which there would be at least two 'speed learning' groups in both seventh and eighth grades, the study was especially desirable.
The high school curriculum underwent reorganization and partial revision last spring with the changes to become effective for the school year 1958-1959. The overall purpose is to bring Saugus High School into the position where the individual needs of each pupil may be served better and the -social-civic training demanded in American society may be given the attention It merits.
*(Note: See also Report of Mr. Ashton Davis, Junior High School Principal.)
To these ends five major objectives were sought:
1. A balanced offering for all pupils (balanced in the major fields of English, social sciences, mathematics, physical sciences and, at least, elementary cultural background.)
2. The modernization of the subject matter offering.
3. A somewhat increased work load for all pupils.
4 The establishment of specific course requirements desirable, and necessary, in the modern comprehensive high school.
5. The attainment of effective and emcient use of school time.
It was recommended that the relatively recent practice of having | pupils elect their high school program by subjects should be discontinued in favor of the former practice of electing a 'course', Accordingly, the following courses were reestablished:
1. Cotlege Preparatory Course
2. Scientific and Technical College Preparatory Course
3. Business Education- Secretarial Course
4. Business Education-Clerical Course
5. Civic Course
6. Technical Industrial Arts Course
7. Career Homemaking Course
the content are of a higher order of difficulty, than are standards and content in other courses. However, all along the line maximum standards of achievement are being established for all pupils.
Dr. James Bryant Conant, formerly President of Harvard University and an outstanding American educator, has been conducting a two year study of American high schools. His qualifications to speak with authority about high school offerings are unquestionable and his opinions are tre- mendously significant though not completely beyond challenge, of course. Dr. Conant, in the report of his extensive study, recommends, among other things, that the comprehensive American High School should: I. Require of all pupils -
(a) four years of English
(b) three or four years of social studies including two years of history and a senior course in American Government
(c) a year of mathematics (d) a year of science
(The Saugus High School offering mects these requirements except-
In a temporary museum at the ing the American Government requirement in (b),
2. Require of the academically talented -
(a) An additional three years of mathematics (b) Two more years of science
(c) Four years of a single modern foreign language.
(The Saugus High School offering does not meet the four year foreign language requirement. It does meet the mathematics requirement. It meela the science requirement in the Scientific and Technical College
Course, but at present falls short one year of science in the Liberal Arla College Preparatory Course. It does not meet the four year single foreign language requirement, although four years of two foreign languages are required in the Liberal Arts College Preparatory Course; the Scientino and Technical College Preparatory Course does not, at present, have any foreign language requirement.)
3. Students should be grouped by ability, subject by subject. The highly gifted should have a special couaselor to see that they will take challenging courses to develop their interests.
(At Saugus High School pupils are grouped by ability In 'courses and ia effect, therefore, in subjects.)
(There Is not a special single counselor for the highly gifted. Sce 4) 4. Ia each high school there should be a full-time counselor for each 250 or 300 pupils
(Saugus High School does not approach this requirement yet.) The school year 1958-1959 opened with a two day Workshop, the first ever held in Saugus. It preceded the opening of the elementary schools and the junior high school, and was plaaned through meetings of prin- cipals and teachers, and, meetings of principals. Miss Helen Brownrigg, Elementary Supervisor, Miss Elizabeth Byrne of the State Department of Education and myself. (Please see the Workshop Program in Appendix B.) I have found that Workshops of this type have real professional value and the Saugus Workshop, I know, proved to be of equal value to the whole system - teachers, and, therefore, to the pupils.
Attention was concentrated on the Language Arts program, grades one through eight, - an area of such widespread Importance that it can not receive too much attention, - and to the subject of science which is being given an important place in our offering.
ORGANIZATION AREA - PUPIL GROUPINGS
My greatest responsibility as your chief school officer resides in the character of the value system to which I think we should subscribe. It is a question, in great part, of what shall be the quality of our school program. Accordingly, it Is Incumbent upon me to promote excelleat per- formance in every segment of our school system, With particular respect to stimulating every pupli to the highest attainment of which he is cap- able in the intellectual field, there is the demaad that more shall be taught to, and that more skills shall be developed in, every pupil.
The major purpose of our educational program is to promote a liking and respect for intellectual and scholarly attaniment.
Taking into consideration all the factors under which our schools must operate, we have chosen the organizational scheme of abillty group- ings, in an effort to approach our major goal. There was the need to make a choice among values, because this type of organization does have some defects lo offset its advantages.
In those elementary school buildings having at least two grades of the same level, there are ability groups (but there still remains a wide range of ability because our classes are large). The junior high school grades are similarly organized; in the senior high school the arrangement of the offering in 'courses' more or less automatically continues the prac- tice of establishing class groups according to ability.
To a greater degree than in the traditional scheme of mixed groups, the plan of ability group serve ail pupiis in all groups in, at least, tha following aspects:
1. It presents each pupil with work appropriate to his ability.
2. It stimulates the pupil's interest because It is neither too easy, in the one case, or presently too difficult in the other case.
. It permits much more effective use of the teacher's time and of the pupil's time in school.
4. It assists in the formation of good work-study habits, because in quality, in quantity and appropriateness the work Is challenging.
5. It creates an early respect for Intellectual attainment. SCHOOL TIME AREA
School time has been conserved to some extent through the organiza- tion of ability groups in the elementary and junior high school grades; the time allowance has been increased in the senior high school grades by a reasonable lengthening of the school day. Further conservation of school time may be expected in grads one through eight from three other sources :
1. From system use (teachers and officials) of the Information sup- plied by the Iowa Test Results. Specific strengths and weaknesses in teaching the basic skills to the individual pupil as well as within the whole grade range will receive attention based on de- finite knowledge supplied by tests results.
2. From continuing study of the entire school offering (curriculum study) to determine the relative values of the subjects taught, the speed with which teaching should take place to attain mastery (or, at least approach mastery) and avoid so much reteaching.
3. From a continuing examination of our teaching procedures and the encouragement of the most generally successful procedures; the adoption of new procedures; the use of reference materials and visual alds.
Thus far there has been no increase in the length of the school day in grades one through eight, but I think the time that would be gained by a reasonable increase in the length of the day would be helpful to our program.
THE SCHOOL CLIMATE AREA
To draw an objective opinion from a subjective appraisal Is difficult. After something more than a year's service In this community, however, I feel that the attitudes and relationships existing within the staff and within the community are generally conducive to a good 'school climate'. To my best knowledge the members of the statt are finding more and more satisfaction in their teaching experiences in Seugus. The majority of the pupil body appear to enjoy school life. The parent organizations and many individual parents display sympathy, confidence and construc- tive Interest in the work and operation of their schools. These factors have made and are making for that warmth of 'school climate' that is one essential characteristic of a good school system, or more specifically, an essential ingredient of aconstructive learning situation ia every schoolroom,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.