USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Duxbury > Town annual report of the officers and committees of the town of Duxbury Massachusetts for the year ending 1964 > Part 1
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01867 1146
GC 974.402 D95AR, 1964
ANNUAL REPORT
of the
Town Officers and Committees of the
TOWN OF DUXBURY
MASSACHUSETTS
S
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31
1964
In Memoriam
LLOYD B. SALT
WATER COMMISSIONER 1956 - 1961
August 28, 1964
In his 73rd year
WILLIAM H. COUCH, JR.
FENCE VIEWER
ELECTION OFFICER
5 - 23 - 64
NAHUM HODGDON
ELECTION OFFICER
CEMETERY EMPLOYEE
4 - 2 - 64
ANNUAL REPORT
of the Town Officers and Committees of the
TOWN OF DUXBURY
MASSACHUSETTS
BURY
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31
1964
Linotyped, Printed and Bound by THE MEMORIAL PRESS, INC. Plymouth, Mass.
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Town Officers for 1964
Elected
SELECTMEN
J. Newton Shirley 1965
Philip W. Delano
1966
James H. W. Jenner .
1967
ASSESSORS
J. Newton Shirley
1965
Philip W. Delano
1966
James H. W. Jenner . .
1967
BOARD OF HEALTH
The Selectmen
MODERATOR
Bartlett B. Bradley .
1965
CEMETERY TRUSTEES
Edward P. Hobart
1965
Carl E. Johnson
1966
Hermon C. Bumpus, Jr.
1967
Ernest W. Chandler .
1968
J. Newton Shirley
1969
TOWN CLERK AND TREASURER
Maurice H. Shirley . 1965
TOWN COLLECTOR
Wesley B. Stuart
1965
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SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Edward L. Butler
1965
Martha M. Palfrey
1965
Walter B. Collins . 1966
Herbert R. Nelson
1966
John F. Spence, Jr. .
1967
WATER COMMISSIONERS
Leonard B. Gallagher
1965
John A. Borgeson
1966
Alpheus H. Walker
1967
PLANNING BOARD
Faneuil Adams .
1965
Lucius A. Howard
1966
Atherton Loring
1967
Richard C. Crocker .
1968
Oliver L. Barker
1969
WELFARE BOARD
Edward Bottenus
1965
Nancy Teravainen
1965
Adrian R. Cordeau
1966
Paul N. Swanson
1967
Howard M. Clark
1967
TREE WARDEN
Roy E. Parks
1967
CONSTABLES
Lawrence C. Doyle
1965
Henry P. McNeil
. 1965
Thomas A. Johnson .
. 1965
.
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Appointed by the Moderator
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Haven Sawyer, Jr. 1965
Thomas J. LeGore
1965
Wallace L. Macaulay
1965
James Holt
1966
Robert G. White
1966
Gillis K. Turner
1966
Arthur V. Faass
1967
Harold L. Emerson
1967
B. Kendall Way
1967
PERSONNEL BOARD
John H. Stetson
1965
William H. Hornicek
1966
Thomas H. Lanman, Jr.
1967
THE TOWN DUMP STUDY COMMITTEE
John Arnold Hermon C. Bumpus, Jr. George R. Starr, Jr., M.D.
BUILDING NEEDS STUDY COMMITTEE
Howard M. Clark Charles Fargo Earle C. Grenquist Walter G. Prince Richard C. Crocker George S. Butler
Lawrence C. Doyle
RECREATION SITE COMMITTEE
Wilfred Rawson Alden M. Bartlett
Lucius A. Howard Walter B. Collins
Mrs. Robert W. Proctor*
*Replaced by Walter F. Kopke.
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Appointed by the Selectmen
ASSESSORS' CLERK . . Isabelle V. Freeman 1
BOARD OF APPEALS
Edward P. Hobart 1965
Robert Nickerson
1966
Robert Seymour 1967
Theodore Reed, Associate Member 1965
Charles M. Tenney, Jr., Associate Member*
1965
Isabelle V. Freeman,. Clerk
1965
*Resigned December 29, 1964
BUILDING INSPECTOR . . Albert R. Schofield, Jr.
BURIAL AGENT
(Board of Health) . . Maurice H. Shirley
BURIAL AGENT
(Veterans) .
. Henry P. McNeil
CHIEF OF FIRE DEPARTMENT .
. George S. Butler
CHIEF OF POLICE DEPARTMENT Lawrence C. Doyle
CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Charles C. Carothers, III . 1965
Charles A. Lane .
1965
Walter G. Prince
1966
Francis C. Rogerson, Jr. .
1966
Earle A. Tyler .
1967
Stuart Huckins .
1967
William P. Ellison
1967
SPECIAL CONSTABLE . F. Hillary Carroll (Under provision of Ch. 41, Sec. 91A of G.L.)
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CUSTODIAN OF TOWN CLOCK Lester Bates
DIRECTOR OF CIVIL DEFENSE . . George S. Butler
CUSTODIAN OF TOWN DUMP . . Forrest E. Dean
DOG OFFICER . . Lawrence C. Doyle
Election Officers Appointed by Selectmen
DEPUTY INSPECTOR
Everett Marston
DEPUTY INSPECTOR .
. Alice Merry
ELECTION WARDEN .
. Elwin N. Burdick
DEPUTY CLERK ·
.
Phyllis Randall
DEPUTY WARDEN . . Norman Rodham
ELECTION INSPECTOR .
. Eunice Dohoney
ELECTION INSPECTOR .
Robert Palumbo
OTHER ELECTION OFFICIALS
Nancy Brock
William Trevor
Andrew C. Burke
Joseph W. Walsh Clarence Snider
Nina Wadsworth
Edith Lucey
Nancy Teravainen
Raymond P. Chandler
Eileen Jones
J. Alvin Borgeson
Robert Crocker
Mary S. Crocker, Election Clerk
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FENCE VIEWERS The Selectmen
FIELD DRIVERS Ernest W. Chandler . Lewis B. Randall William P. Clark
HARBOR MASTER . . Manuel Oliver ASSISTANT HARBOR MASTER Victor D. Nickerson
HEALTH AGENT . . George Ross Starr, Jr., M.D.
HEALTH CLERK . . Isabelle V. Freeman
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMITTEE
Russell W. Edwards, Duxbury Rural & Historical Society L. Bowman Graton, Boston Society of Architects Donald D. Walker, Plymouth County Board of Realtors At Large - Gordon L. Cushing, Isabelle V. Freemen, Dorothy K. Patten, Dorothy Wentworth
INSPECTOR OF ANIMALS INSPECTOR OF SLAUGHTERED ANIMALS
Ernest W. Chandler
INVESTIGATION OFFICER . . Lawrence C. Doyle
MOSQUITO CONTROL COMMISSIONER
George R. Starr, M.D.
PLUMBING INSPECTOR . Herbert C. Wirt
ASSOCIATE PLUMBING INSPECTOR
William M. Garrity
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RECREATION ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE
Dorothy L. Proctor 1965
Theodore M. Reed
1965
Michael F. DeWire
1966
Edward G. Waddell .
1966
Roy Daub .
1967
Walter F. Kopke, Jr. .
1967
William H. Penn
. 1967
RECREATION DIRECTOR .
. Ernest L. Gowen, Jr.
REGISTRARS OF VOTERS
Gilbert F. Redlon 1965
Willard R. Randall
1966
Harry A. McNaught .
1967
Maurice H. Shirley
Clerk
SEALER OF WEIGHTS & MEASURES
Wesley B. Stuart
SELECTMEN'S CLERK .
. Isabelle V. Freeman
SHELLFISH CONSTABLE
Manuel Oliver
SUPERINTENDENT OF INSECT PEST CONTROL
Roy E. Parks
SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS Lewis B. Randall
SUPERVISORS OF PARKS & PLAYGROUNDS Robert S. Crocker Roy E. Parks
Francis W. Perry Walter G. Prince
SURVEYORS OF WOOD AND LUMBER
Edwin McAuliffe Bradley V. Osgood
Ray M. Parks
.
.
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TOWN ACCOUNTANT
. Isabelle V. Freeman
TOWN COUNSEL .
. Robert J. Geogan, Esq.
TOWN HISTORIAN .
. Dorothy Wentworth
VETERANS' AGENT .
. Henry P. McNeil
VETERANS' CLERK .
. Isabelle V. Freeman
WATERFRONT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
John M. Clark
Frank A. Davis
Jackson S. Kent
Irving H. Locke .
Manuel J. Oliver
Victor D. Nickerson
Myron C. Linde
W. Gordon Tucker
Norman B. White
WEIGHERS OF COAL, COKE, AND HAY Elwin A. Barnard B. F. Goodrich, Jr.
B. F. Goodrich
Paul McAuliffe
H. Thomas Williams
ALL OTHER APPOINTED OFFICIALS
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS . Everett L. Handy
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
Katherine E. Deans
LIBRARIAN .
. Minnie B. Figmic
TOWN DIRECTOR, COUNTY AID TO AGRICULTURE Mabel F. Chandler
SUPERINTENDENT OF CEMETERIES
Laurel B. Freeman
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SUPERINTENDENT OF WATER DEPARTMENT
Kenneth O. Macomber
LIBRARY TRUSTEES
Ralph N. Blakeman
Bartlett B. Bradley
Richard C. Crocker
Philip W. Delano
C. Russell Eddy
Francis W. Perry
Edward B. Peters
MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER . . Philip W. Delano
ACTING MEMBER .
. James H. W. Jenner
TRUSTEES OF THE PARTRIDGE ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Bartlett B. Bradley
Benjamin F. Goodrich, Jr.
Philip W. Delano
Edward P. Hobart
Francis W. Perry
Francis L. Swift
Clarence W. Walker
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JURY LIST
List of persons qualified to serve as Jurors in the Town of Duxbury from July 1, 1964, to July 1, 1965.
Arnold, John
Washington St.
Insurance Broker
Barber, Paul Cole
Powder Point Ave.
Taxi Owner
Barton, Francis L.
Linden Lane
Journalist
Blanchard, Robert P.
Elm St.
Construction
Bolton, Marilyn E.
Chestnut St.
Secretary
Boynton, Marion K.
Washington St.
Housewife
Butler, Edward L.
Russell Rd.
Securities Sales
Caldwell, John J.
Washington St.
Vice-President
Carothers, Charles G., III Lovers Lane
Insurance Agent
Colburn, Alexander C.
Temple St.
Manager
Colley, Orrin G.
Partridge Rd.
Sales President
Collins, Walter B.
Blodgett Ave.
Sales Representative
Conathan, John
Washington St.
General Manager
Cope, Philip H.
Summer St.
Trucking Foreman
Craig, Henry S.
Tremont St.
Manager
Cutler, Nathaniel R.
Power Point Ave. Washington St.
Retired, U.S. Army
Dohoney, John G.
Tremont St.
Salesman
Eddy, C. Russell
Washington St.
Vice-President
Fitzgibbons, Ann M.
Washington St.
Managerial Position
Flegal, Dorothy L.
Beaverbrook Lane
Housewife
Foster, Doris E.
High St.
Telephone Operator
Gagne, Ruth N.
Chandler Rd.
Housewife
Githens, Dorothy W.
Arrowhead Rd. Housewife
Graton, Catherine H.
Washington St.
Housewife
Gray, Douglas M., Jr.
Captains Hill Rd.
Investment Broker
Heath, Dorothy Y.
Cove St.
Housewife
Horsfall, George E.
Pilgrim By-Way
Accountant
Johnson, Dorothy E. Jones, Eileen P.
Bay Rd.
Secretary & Guest House Mgr.
Kamborian, Jacob S., Jr. Duck Hill Rd. LaFleur, Ruth E. Duck Hill Rd.
Executive
Legate, Philip D.
Park St.
Merchant
Linde, Dorothy I.
Washington St.
Housewife
Lyons, Catherine H.
Surplus St.
Realtor
Marr, Colin D.
Mayflower Lane Tremont St.
Salesman
Mills, Willard C.
Keene St.
Housewife
Bookeeper
Works Manager
Retired
Denny, Thomas
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Minelli, Joseph V.
Woodridge Rd. Retired
Nash, John B.
Chapel St.
Banker
Peabody, Vaughan K.
Bay Rd.
Retired
Petcoff, James R.
Tremont St.
Marketing Director
Pettit, Kathreen Noyes
Powder Point Ave. Housewife
Pierce, A. Nathaniel
Bow St.
Salesman
Pierce, Justine M.
Bow St.
Housewife
Putnam, Richard E.
Park St.
Mason
Randall, Esther A.
Lake Shore Dr.
Housewife
Sampson, Donald V.
Keene St.
Treasurer & Salesman
Schaffer, Richard C.
Pinewood Rd.
Gas Dealer
Seaver, Virginia D.
Tremont St.
Housewife
Southard, Clayton B.
Congress & Keene St.
Foreman
Stegmaier, Charles L.
Eagles Nest Rd. Sales Manager
Swanson, Arthur E.
Hornbeam Rd. Executive
Tucker, W. Gordon
Elder Brewster Rd. Marine Surveyor
Vincent, Joseph
Woodridge Rd.
Warehouse & Truck Driver
Weld, Lothrop M., Jr. White, Dixon B.
Friendship Lane Washington St.
Rental Manager
Investment Broker
Duck Hill Rd.
Sales Representative
Prior Farm Rd. Production Manager
Captains Hill Rd.
Washington St.
Professional Golfer Sales Representative
Williams, Richard C. Woods, James A. Wormstead, Roland C. Yuill, Roger A.
PHILIP W. DELANO
JAMES H. W. JENNER J. NEWTON SHIRLEY Selectmen of Duxbury
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1964 Selectmen's Report
To the Citizens of Duxbury:
We submit herewith the One Hundred and Twelfth Report of the Officers and Committees of the Town of Duxbury.
The street numbering project is progressing. All houses between the Cable Office Corner and Hall's Cor- ner have been assigned numbers. A further appropria- tion will be needed to continue the project.
The formal recreation program was started on Sep- tember 1st, with the appointment of a Director to super- vise the various activities.
There have been two important changes in the super- visory area. Lewis B. Randall is retiring on December 31st, after more than thirty years of service to the Town. Every citizen of Duxbury is familiar with his fine work as Highway Superintendent, but few realize how great a responsibility the bridge has been and how competently Mr. Randall coped with fire damage and hurricane dam- age, as well as the annual maintenance work. Mr. R. J. Kelleher, District Highway Engineer of the Department of Public Works, wrote to Mr. Randall expressing thanks for his help and cooperation during the planning and building of the Southeast Expressway and for his assis- tance on State Aid programs over the year. The Se- lectmen, also, thank him for his many years of excellent work.
George Damon also retired this year and the Water Commissioners will report more fully on Mr. Damon's service to the Town.
Permission was given to Mrs. Hermon Bumpus to
-- 17 --
remodel the Girl Scout Headquarters at Hall's Corner. We thank Mrs. Bumpus for her generous gift to a most worthy cause.
Land at the intersection of East and Mayflower Streets was acquired for the purpose of improving traffic conditions.
Transportation continues to be a problem of our time. Chapter 563 of the Acts of 1964 abolished the Metropolitan Transit Authority, established the Massa- chusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and provided for the acquisition and maintenance of Massachusetts trans- portation facilities and services which shall be coordin- ated with highway systems and urban development plans throughout the Commonwealth.
By this Act of the Legislature the Town of Duxbury was included in the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, commonly referred to as the M.B.T.A.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority embraced four- teen cities and towns. Sixty-four cities and towns were added, making the M.B.T.A. a composition of seventy- eight cities and towns. Twenty-one of these cities and towns have membership on the M.B.T.A. Advisory Board. Due to the efforts of your Selectmen, Duxbury has a seat on this very important Board. We are aware that growth in this area will increase as transportation improves and, with this in mind, your Board is coordin- ating its efforts with representatives of our neighboring towns to promote the best interests of Duxbury.
Our Town will have to face the problem of expan- sion of the housing of some of our departments. The Town Office Building is inadequate for present-day needs. The Police and Fire Departments are affected by State Laws which require the Town to provide certain additional facilities when the population reaches 5000 or
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over. The Duxbury Free Library is "bursting at the seams."
Future expansion needs, but dimly comprehended at this date, will require substantial sums of money. A priority schedule should be worked out so the most- needed facilities will be voted first. Last Spring commit- tees were chosen to investigate housing needs. We await their reports with much interest and urge all voters to consider the real needs of the various departments.
The Selectmen appointed Plumbing Inspectors as required by State Law. It may be necessary to amend the Building Code to meet requirements of the Law, as well as publishing the present code in a newspaper in order to make it official.
The Chapter 90 Highway Construction program was continued on West Street toward the Expressway Inter- change. The Maintenance Fund was applied to various streets in need of repairs.
The Selectmen extend their sincere thanks to all officials of the Town for devoted and cooperative efforts during the year 1964.
PHILIP W. DELANO
JAMES H. W. JENNER J. NEWTON SHIRLEY
Board of Selectmen
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Report of the Fire Department
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen
Duxbury, Massachusetts
Gentlemen:
The following is my report for the year of 1964.
First I would like to express my sincere thanks to every member of the Department, both volunteer and permanent, for their fine support in the past year. Although the demands upon these men are ever-increas- ing, they have met every one with enthusiastic deter- mination to do the best possible job. As their Chief, this will always be a great inspiration to me.
We answered 523 calls in 1964, this total is 69 more than the same period in 1963. A break-down of the two years is as follows:
1963
1964
Ambulance Calls
47
143
Auto Accidents
11
11
Brush Fires
37
42
Building Fires
17
22
Car Fires
14
26
Chimney Fires
8
10
Drownings
1
1
Dump Fires
44
14
Electrical
5
19
Emergency
69
53
Grass Fires
30
27
Investigations
39
72
Long Bridge Fires
3
2
Mutual Aid
12
22
Oil Burner and Fuel Fires
4
4
Rescue Boat
9
2
Resuscitator and Inhalator
40
4
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Rubbish Fires
42
29
Skin Divers
2
1
Stove Fires
5
1
Woods and Forest
15
18
Totals
454
523
The 40 calls made in 1963 under the heading of "Resuscitator and Inhalator" were made by another unit (No. 41) before the ambulance was put into service. The 4 calls made under the same heading in 1964 took place when the ambulance was out on another emergency. This does not happen too often, but when it does, we are able to handle this with the fine cooperation of the Police Department.
There were 3,490 permits issued for open air fires. 25 Bottle Gas and 151 City Gas installations were in- spected and tested. All public buildings and stores were inspected periodically. Quarterly inspections were made in schools, nursing homes, rest homes and churches as requested by the Department of Public Safety. Quarterly inspections were made, for the Insurance Rating Board, of all town-owned buildings.
Again I wish to thank all of the Duxbury residents for their fine cooperation in carrying out our policy of issuing no burning permits when the county fire towers were operating. As can be seen by this report we were able to keep the number of woods fires very low.
The Fire Department ambulance has completed its first full year of service. It has answered 143 calls in- volving 148 persons. It has traveled 2,844 miles which averages out approximately 20 miles per call. The total cost of operation exclusive of depreciation and gasoline was $87.54. I sincerely hope that the Town will continue to allow us to provide this service on a no-charge basis. From the very bottom of my heart I believe the least
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we can do for our fellow man is to care for him in his time of desperate need, without any thought of financial reimbursement.
As we all have realized, sooner or later we would have to give serious thought to the need for larger and more adequate quarters for both the Fire and Police Departments. I am sure that there will be many discus- sions before any decision is made at the town meeting. I realize a great deal of money is involved, therefore we should not make any decisions without serious thought. However, I sincerely hope that each one of us will realize that is our individual responsibility to face this problem. We should not always look for the least expensive way because in the long run it could be the most expensive. The committee has spent many hours on this project, I think their recommendations should be followed, don't forget they are taxpayers too!
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE S. BUTLER, Chief
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Highway Department
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
I herewith submit the report of the Highway Depart- ment for the year ending December 31, 1964.
Necessary repairs were made on all streets throughout the town and several miles of streets were given a sur- face treatment. Roadsides were mowed, traffic lines painted, and guard rails repaired and painted.
Repairs were made on the Powder Point Bridge and also on the Marshall Street and Blue Fish River Bridges.
The floats and bathing beaches received annual repairs.
Under Chapter 782 Washington Street from Chapel Street to the intersection of Powder Point Avenue and part of St. George Street were resurfaced with Type I Concrete Bituminous.
Under Chapter 90 Maintenance portions of Congress and Franklin Streets were resurfaced.
Under Chapter 90 New Construction the portion of Route No. 14 that was rebuilt last year, was completed with a top of Type I Concrete Bituminous. Cement posts were set and the shoulders were loamed.
Respectfully submitted,
LEWIS B. RANDALL,
Superintendent of Streets
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Report of the Superintendent of Cemeteries
To the Cemetery Trustees:
I submit the following report for the year 1964.
All general work was performed at Mayflower, Ash- dod, Dingley and Standish Cemeteries, Smith Tomb and Boomer Square. The leaf blower, supplemented by some hand raking, made it possible to clear the cemetery of leaves in record time. The avenues were raked and cleaned. A large amount of work was done trimming trees and Evergreens to keep the cemeteries attractive.
November the 25th we moved into the new cemetery office and equipment building. The old building was painted to blend in with the new building and will be used for storage of grave planking and small tools and mowers.
The old hearse house, located near the Unitarian Church, will be used to store fertilizer, lime, cement, seed, stone cleaner, ladders, and grave and foundation equip- ment. This will leave the Receiving Tomb free of equipment.
Cemetery personnel did the grading and planting around the old and new office buildings, as these items were not included in the contract for the construction of the new building. I want to thank the Water Department for the help on the trench going into the new building, the Tree Department for a gift of evergreens, and the Highway Department for the use of their road horses. The cooperation that I received from the Cemetery Trustees, Finance Committee, and the Townspeople, has been most sincerely appreciated.
Prepetual Care and Annual Care lots were properly maintained and the Veterans' graves received our annual
- 24 -
attention. The Veterans' War Memorial was erected on November 10th.
There were seventy-four interments this year.
In closing, I extend my thanks to all the men of the Cemetery Department for their fine performance throug- out the year 1964.
Respectfully submitted,
LAUREL B. FREEMAN Superintendent of Cemeteries
Report of the Board of Appeals
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
The Board of Appeals held thirty-seven public hear- ings during the year ending December 31, 1964. All the hearings were held in the Primary School Building.
Of the thirty-seven hearings, twelve were for vari -. ances or special permits in the business zones and twenty- five in the residential zones.
The disposition of the petitions by the Board were as follows:
26 Approved substantially as requested
8 Denied
3 Petitions withdrawn by the petitioner
The Board extends its thanks to the interested citi- zens who came to many of the hearings.
Respectfully submitted,
ROBERT SEYMOUR, Chairman
EDWARD P. HOBART, Secretary ROBERT NICKERSON
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Report of the Tree Warden
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen
and the Citizens of Duxbury:
During the winter months our work consists of prun- ing the low-hanging branches along the streets and removing the brush that grows out into the highway.
Diseased and dead trees are removed and the weak trees cabled where justified.
During the Spring and Fall we planted:
11 Sugar Maples 10 Lindens
8 Norway Maples
2 Willows
6 Crimson Kings
1 Sweet Gum
2 Cedars
15 Flowering Crabs
4 Yews
2 Juniper
2 Euonymus
In addition there were 25 Red Maple trees trans- planted in the nursery.
Respectfully submitted, ROY E. PARKS, Tree Warden
Report of the Department of Historian - 1964
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
Calls upon the resources of this department in- creased in 1964. Interest in old maps and books developed and two showings of such material were arranged.
All the usual requests for information were met and talks were given as in other years. Matters referred by the Selectmen and the Planning Board were dealt with.
This department is set up for the benefit of the Town and its people. Its resources are always available.
Respectfully submitted, DOROTHY WENTWORTH,
Historian
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Report of the Town Dump Committee
This committee was appointed by the Town Modera- tor "to study other methods of taking care of the dump." With this in mind, we have broken our investigation into three areas:
1. How to improve conditions at the present Town Dump.
2. Investigating other methods of refuse disposal such as sanitary land fill and incineration.
3. We have tried to look into the future as concerns another site for the Town Dump.
We plan to make specific recommendations to the Finance Committee before the Annual Meeting but in general our findings are as follows:
The Present Dump Area
The greatest problem, it seems to us, at present, is one of responsibility. There is no one person to whom a citizen of the Town can go to ask specific questions. The responsibility for the dump in recent years has come both under the Highway Department and now to the best of our knowledge comes under the Chairman of the Board of Health. This committee does not feel that either of these should necessarily be responsible for the mainte- ance of the dump. We, therefore, suggest that one man be appointed as head of the Dump Department. We do · not feel qualified to recommend whether this should be a separate department set up within the Town or whether this should be a member of the Highway Department and come under the responsibility of the Highway Depart- ment. If, however, this second alternative were feasible, certainly we would think that the budget of the Highway Department would be increased accordingly.
We suggest that the person or persons responsible for
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the maintenance of the dump also be responsible for the cleanliness of the area to the East of the dump adjacent to the Town cemetery. This area is a continual eye-sore with papers that have blown across the street. We feel that it is the responsibility of the dump to maintain this area.
We also have investigated the possibility of using the lower portion of the dump for general dumping. From our observation there are a number of advantages that could be obtained from this move.
1. The area of dumping is much greater than on the present upper level.
2. The problem of blowing papers could be more effectively controlled.
3. The problems of burnings could be controlled more easily. The hidden cost of having the Fire Depart- ment called to the dump many times throughout the year could be reduced.
4. The problem of keeping the dump in such shape as several cars can drive up to the edge of this area and dump their trash would present very little problem.
Other Methods of Refuse Disposal
We have contacted five or six neighboring towns and inquired of them as to what methods of refuse disposal they use. It is our feeling that our present open-face dump is unsightly and does not add anything to the neighborhood and the community. It may be argued that an open-face dump is considered the cheapest available method of refuse disposal; however, when such items as the cost of the Fire Department for putting out fires, the cost of damage to tires, axles, springs of local citizens are considered, the total cost of maintaining an open-face dump is increased considerably.
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