USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Melrose > City of Melrose annual report 1925 > Part 8
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 (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11
During the past year the Park Commission lost the valuable help of Mr. Walter A. Lindell, who owing to the fact that he accepted a position of secretary in the Glen Falls, New York Y. M. C. A. found it necessary to resign from membership in the Melrose Park Commission.
Respectfully submitted, RICHARD J. LORD, Chairman NEIL S. CASEY GEORGE E. MANSER ROY W. BOSWORTH EDWARD L. EVANS
Meirose Park Commission
Report of Treasurer of Pine Bank's Park
To the Honorable Mayor and Board of Aldermen, City of Melrose, Mass.
Gentlemen :- The Trustees of Pine Banks Park respectfully submit annual report for the year 1925.
The log cabin which is situated in the center of the Park needs atten- tion. It should be provided with electric lights and with some other features which will render it safe and convenient for the use of the numer- ous people who enjoy it. This log cabin is used as a base for picnic parties for churches, classes in the public schools and various other organizations. It has a kitchen, a large assembly room with a fire place, and also a wide covered veranda, all of which enable picnic parties to be provided with a center under cover where they can serve meals and prepare same. It is used quite extensively and has been for years.
It is necessary to provide better toilet accommodations in the Park the coming year. These have always been very primitive in the Park and while our people have gotten along with them in a manner fairly satisfactory, it is now felt that, owing to the extensive use of the Park as a camping ground for tourists, it is not only wise but it is absolutely neces- sary that toilets of a sanitary nature and of more modern construction should be provided. They would be enclosed in a building which has already been provided, which is of a suitable nature, being made of cor- rugated iron and would be connected with a septic tank system.
The use of the Park by tourists last year was an experiment but we are very happy to report that it was a successful one in every respect. The Park was visited by 529 cars last summer and the number of people was estimated at 1522. There was no damage whatever to our premises, no rowdyism, and no necessity for police interference or watchfulness. These tourists turned out to be largely family people, a large number of them school teachers and professors, and other salaried people enjoying their vacation at a minimum of expense. They came from all over the country as far west as the Pacific Coast. They camped in a section of the grounds which had never been used for playgrounds and therefore they did not cause any inconvenience or lack of privileges to the youth of our cities. They must have left a considerable sum of money both in Melrose and Malden in buying their necessary supplies. and altogether we feel that the experiment has been well worth while and should be con- tinued.
Respectfully submitted for the Board of Trustees,
CHARLES M. COX
Secretary
Report of Planning Board
To the Honorable, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of Melrose :
The Planning Board, in accordance with the statute under which it was created, herewith presents its 12th annual report for the year end- ing December 1925. We have held ten meetings with an average attend- ance of six.
The work of planning boards has gone far beyond the original de- mands made by the statute. In most cities planning boards are asked and expected to make studies of almost any problem which concerns the future of the city, whether it be building lines, traffic, location of parks, play- grounds or schools.
Only by close co-operation with other boards and with legislative and executive officials can effective work be accomplished. Realizing that your honorable board carries a heavy burden in caring for the present needs of the city, we suggest that our services be employed to make studies in any plans for the future of the city which come within the scope of city planning. As members of the State Federation numbering 70 planning boards, we enjoy very unusual opportunities of obtaining information not easily attainable elsewhere. We also receive information, as members of the National Federation comprizing 400 boards, from the United States and Canada, infact so far reaching has city planning become from almost every civilized country. We are a purely advisory board with no desire to usurp legislative function.
May we not then, be called upon to make such studies as will assist in planning and protecting the future of our fine city.
The Zoning Ordinance, passed in March 1923, is in active and success- ful operation and enjoys the unique position of being the only zoning ordinance in which the changes in zoning lines have been to classes of higher restriction. Only two changes have been made, the contained area in each case being but a few thousand square feet. Many requests are still coming in for information and copies of our ordinance for use by other boards.
The Melrose Planning Board believes that civic plans concerning the future of our city should be of interest to its future citizens, the pupils of the High School, not only because of the gain in information, but be- cause it affords the pupil an opportunity to help his city, which is the highest test of civic duty. The story of the success of our attempt to interest High School pupils in civic work as a civic duty, as a part of their study of civics, has gone all over the world. Samples of the maps were displayed at the International Conference of Planning Boards in New York, and aroused intense interest and favorable comment from many of the delegates of the 32 countires represented at the convention. The dea has been adopted in a modified way by many cities and towns and will i
149
REPORT OF PLANNING BOARD
be used increasingly as the value of this source of help and information is realized.
During the past year the assessment map work which has been carried on by the High School pupils, has been temporarily held up, owing to lack of sufficient appropriation. We hope to take it up and carry it to successful conclusion.
At the request of the Mayor, a committee was formed, consisting of four members of the Planning Board and the Building Inspector, to study the Building Code and bring in recommencations at an early date. The work is well started, and we hope to present the results of it in the near future. The opinion of the Planning Board was requested in regard to the advisability of changing zoning lines from Residence C to Business A to permit the Colonial Gas Company to erect a filling station on land owned by them previous to the passage of the ordiannce. As the ordin- ance did not attempt to restrict filling stations within Business A, and two filling stations were located on the opposite sides of the street under exactly similar conditions, the board decided that opposition to change of zone would have doubtful legal basis. Therefore, much as the board deplored the creation of a "gasoline village" no objection could be raised.
The Planning Board requested the Board of Aldermen to change the classification of a small district from Business A to Residence C, which it joined. It may be stated in this connection that experience would seem to indicate that extension of Business A ever so slightly into a good residential district for the purpose of providing for future business growth is unwise, in that it usually results in an extension of the one story store, which cannot be controlled by zoning and which results in loss of property value in the immediate vicinity.
Zoning is not a hard and fast law which is impossible of change, but a set of legal restrictions, capable of readjustment, to hold in proper check the development of the community which enjoys its protection.
A request was made in July by a group of citizens, the Planning Board acquiescing to change the classification of a single lot bordering on Ell Pond from Business A to Residence A. This was done by unani- mous vote of the Board of Aldermen.
Derby Case. The wisdom of holding farm and wild land in highest restriction, until development is imminent, was clearly shown in the case of Melrose Gardens. A tract of some 90 lots was laid out for building with an excellent street plan, and some lots of ample size for two family use. Over 30 lots, however, were 45x90. Request was made to change the restriction from Residence A to Residence B. The Aldermen called the Planning Board into conference and heard the arguments against removing the restriction. The request was refused by a vote of 7 to 3 against it. More was involved than appeared upon the surface. Grant- ing release of restrictions on the west side of Main Street would inevitably result in a request for similar privilege on the east side opposite the property in question, where many lots were laid out which were too small for two family use. An intensive development would mean a school program which would involve tremendous expense with no hope of adequate return
150
CITY OF MELROSE
in taxation, or a return to the two platoon system in use in nearby cities which have not been able to control the building program.
A suitable public parking space is one of the imperative needs of the city. Until it is provided no adequate restriction can be placed upon parking on Main Street. The Board has been urging since 1922 and still feels after exhaustive study of the situation that the land back of City Hall already partly owned by the city should be acquired and used for this purpose. It can never be used (as sad experience has taught us) for any public building. To use it for residence purposes would be con- trary to all laws of good zoning. It is an eye sore, and of no real use. The Board will present plans with a history of the "Dix Pond area", so called, hoping that action may be taken and thus relieve Main Street and adjacent side streets from a dangerous and intolerable condition.
The establishment of building lines for purposes of street widening is under consideration, particularly the business section of Main Street, and streets which are likely to become business streets in the near future, or which must be widened to accommodate the ever increasing traffic. Much trouble would have been saved had the recommendations of the chairman, to take ten feet on Lynde and Grove Streets where they join in front of the Washington School, for street widening purposes, been adopted. The possibility of the development of equally unfortunate situations may be expected as the city grows. The experience of near cities and towns has been that it is far better and cheaper to obtain re- leases of land for street widening than to rely upon chance or wait till an acute situation arises. The Planning Board plans to present a compre- hensive report upon street widening at the earliest time compatible with good work. Closely connected with this problem, indeed a part of it is the study of traffic. In this work the board hopes to obtain the assistance of the High School pupils as was done in the city of Springfield. Only by actual knowledge of the traffic, (both business and pleasure) which passes over a road, can any intelligent plan be worked out for present relief or future growth. The establishment of one-way streets, as yet untried in our city, has in certain cities solved the problem with no expense. A traffic map which will show the whole problem, will be a portion of the work for 1926.
The school building program, so closely linked with the future growth of the city, is another problem where the board feel that ts assistance might be used to advantage, as has been the case in other cities where similar situations have arisen.
Consideration of the present school situation will receive the atten- tion merited by the former request made by your honorable board before the last building program was decided.
An interesting commentary on the value of the zoning ordinance is indicated very clearly in the Building Inspector's report for 1925.
The year ending Dec. 1925 has been the most active in the building line in the history of the city.
151
REPORT OF PLANNING BOARD
Total number of permits granted 607.
175 Single houses
$1,169,000.00
12 Two-family houses. $121,700.00
Total value of building construction. $1,888,199,9.00 The foregoing is a somewhat brief summary of the past years work of the Melrose Planning Board with some plans for the coming year.
Respectfully submitted,
By the Board CAROLINE BLAKE Secretary
Report of Police Department
Hon. Albert M. Tibbetts, Mayor:
Dear Sir :- In accordance with Chapter 29 of the Revised Ordinances, I respectfully submit the annual report of the Melrose Police Department for the year ending December 31, 1925:
POLICE SIGNAL SYSTEM
The Police Signal System, under the careful supervision of City Electrician Edwards has given very satisfactory service. There are nine- teen boxes or stations from which men on street duty communicate with the police station.
Number of duty calls reported 35,722
Number of telephone calls. 2,351
Number of wagon calls. 13
I respectfully recommend that police boxes and red lights be installed at Holland Road and Emerson Street, Burrell and Elm Streets, Beech Ave. and Goss Ave, and Ashland Street and Richardson Road, a total of four. Owing to the growth of the vicinities of the proposed boxes I believe them necessary to properly protect these districts.
SPOTLIGHTS
There are now five spotlights in use for the protection of officers doing traffic duty. These lights are a great safeguard to the men at busy intersections, as they enable motorists to see the officer at some consider- able distance.
I recommend that two additional spotlights be installed, one at the corner of Grove and Main Streets, and one in front of the City Club, on Main Street.
MOTOR VEHICLES
One G. M. C. combination ambulance and patrol wagon.
One Buick touring car.
One Harley-Davison motorcycle.
There have been 213 calls for the ambulance during the past year. This ambulance-patrol wagon has been in use since 1920 and I believe it should be exchanged for a new one.
Motorcycles are one of the best means at our command for the con- trol of motor vehicle traffic, and I recommend that another motorcycle be added to the equipment of the department.
LIQUOR PROBLEM
The liquor problem has been well taken care of during the year and I am pleased to say that the situation is under better control than at any time since prohibition became effective. Several raids have been made and a certain amount of liquor has been seized. Convictions have been secured in practically all cases brought before the Courts and the liquors confiscated.
153
REPORT OF POLICE DEPARTMENT
REVOLVER PRACTICE
Revolver practice has been kept up during the year with good results. Several members of the force have become very proficient in the use of revolvers, and all have gained such a knowledge of their weapons as to insure intelligent handling and care. My thanks are due Mr. Ned Fennell and Associated of the Massachusetts Revolver Club who have assisted us in this work, and also the Massachusetts District Commission for the use of their range.
CONCLUSION
During the past year by rearrangement of routes and with the addi- tion of new officers, all night police protection has been established at the Highlands and Wyoming sections; also a day patrolman covers the east and west side of the city from 8 a. m. to 6 p. m. Our motorcycle officer covers the entire city paying especial attention to speeders and reckless drivers.
Exceptionally fine work was accomplished during the year with our one motorcycle, but in order to successfully continue the campaign against speeding and make the streets safe for ordinary travel it will require the purchase of another motorcycle.
During the early evening and in the morning until nine o'clcok traffic officers cover the most important points of travel on Main Street from Wyoming Ave. to Franklin Square. It is estimated that during these hours that at least two thousand persons, mostly school children cross Main Street at these points under the protection of a traffic officer. As far as possible protection is also given the children at outlying schools.
While vehicle and pedestrian traffic control is still the greatest problem of our time, we feel that with the cooperation of the teachers in our schools and the parental control in the homes, with the proper use of safety zones and cross walks painted on the streets as designated by the Public Works Dept., with the publicity of the dangers by our local press and by careful obedience of signals from traffic officers at crossings we will be able to handle and overcome many of our apparent difficulties.
Every house that was reported to be left unoccupied last summer was visited by an officer of the department who was assigned for that purpose only. Many places were found to be insecurely locked and in some cases were found open.
Many complimentary communications have been received from citi- zens and merchants in regard to service rendered during the summer vacation and Christmas holidays.
My thanks are due and are hereby tendered to you and to the Com- mittee on Police and other members of the Board of Aldermen, and also to the Justices, Clerks and Probation Officers of the First District Court of Eastern Middlesex for advice and assistance rendered; also to many citizens for kind co-operation and valuable information. To the officers, patrolmen, and all others connected with the department, I desire to express my deep appreciation for their loyalty and excellent service ren- dered during the past year.
Respectfully submitted, LOUIS B. HEATON Captain and Acting Chief of Police
Report of Melrose Public Library
REV. PAUL STERLING MRS. MARY C. BARTON
MR. FRANK W. CAMPBELL
MR. NEIL A. DIVVER MRS. MARY D. DIKE MR. RALPH G. HARMON
Chairman REV. PAUL STERLING
Secretary MRS. MARY C. BARTON
Treasurer MR. FRANK W. CAMPBELL
Librarian ELSIE M. HATCH
Assistants
MARJORIE JACOT HATTIE D. HALL
GERTRUDE ROBINSON MYRTLE LITTLEFIELD
In Charge of Highlands Branch ALICE H. LONG
In Charge of Wyoming Branch HATTIE D. HALL
In Charge of East Side Branch MRS. WALTER LEWIS
In Charge of Ward 7 Branch ELIZABETH BATES
Janitor WILLIAM G. REED
Report of Public Library Trustees
To His Honor, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.
Gentlemen :- The Trustees of the Public Library respectfully refer you to the accompanying report of the Librarian, which together with the financial report already submitted, details the work of the Library for the year 1925.
Respectfully, PAUL STERLING Chairman, Board of Trustees
LIBRARIAN'S REPORT
To the Board of Trustees of the Melrose Public Library:
In reviewing the work of the Library for the year we cannot but be sure that the people of Melrose are realizing more and more what the Library has for them and it is here to serve them. There is a very marked increase, not only in the number of people coming to the Library and the branches, but in the number of telephone calls asking for information. The year has been the busiest the Library has ever known. The depart- ments generally show an increase of service given the public, some of which can be tabulated, and some, quite as important, cannot be reported in figures. Many libraries are reporting less use of the library and are giving as reasons the automobile, moving pictures and the radio. In spite of these things, and Melrose has its share, the circulation shows an increase of more than 11,000, the increase being entirely at the Main Library. The reference work has increased in about the same proportion. No record is kept of the work in this department. It is not unusual for the Reading Room to be filled to the limit, every chair being used and people sitting on the arms of the chairs and standing. The steadily increasing work of the Library has been a tax on the members of the staff, but it has been met cheerfully by everyone.
There are at present two outstanding needs of the Library. One is more room. Both the Reading Room and the Children's Room are en- tirely too small for the demands made on them. The other need is a High School Librarian. The fast growing work with the schools is making imperative the need for an assistant to have special care of that work, if the Library is to give satisfactory service to the pupils.
The demand for the Library to be open in the morning was becoming so insistent that the experiment was tried the first of October. The use made of the Library in the morning proved it to be a wise step, and the Library is now open to the public from ten in the morning until nine in the evening.
156
CITY OF MELROSE
There have been two art exhibits in the Library during the year,- one an exhibit of paintings from one of the Boston galleries, given jointly by the Woman's Club and the Melrose Art League, and the second, a very interesting exhibit of work done by Melrose artists, given by the Melrose Art League. Several hundred peolpe visited each of the exhibits. The weekly talks in the Art Room by Mrs. Jenkins have been continued with increasing interest. This plan seems to solve, in a measure, the problem of using the splendid collection of pictures which the Library has. We hope the number of people to benefit by these open days in the Art Room will continue to increase.
There have been two gifts to the Library this year which are valu- able additions-a painting by Eliza Lynde, a former Melrose resident, was given to the Library by Mr. Felix Gendrot of Roxbury. The picture is copy of a painting by St. Jean called "The Madonna of the Roses" which hangs in the Louvre in Paris. The picture now hanging in the Library is said by art critics to be an unusually good copy. It is a valu- able addition to the art collection of the Library. Mr. J. T. McLellan of Melrose just recently presented to the Library a very fine specimen of the Bald or American Eagle. The eagle has been placed in the Recep- tion Hall and is the object of much interest.
Early in the year there was a much needed change made in the branch at Ward 7. The branch was moved from the little building where it had been housed since it was started, to a room in the new school building. The change was an improvement in every way. There has been no marked increase in the work of the branches during the year, though all except one made a slight gain in circulation. Much growth in the East Side branch is practically impossible in its present quarters, but with more room there are possibilities of much more work for the people in that section.
The children are taking good advantage of what the Library has to give them. The Children's Room is often crowded and the Recreation Room has grown so much in the year that it has been open, that an assistant for the Supervisor has been necessary. Hikes, art appreciation, music appreciation and story-telling are a regular part of the Recreation Room program, as well as the games, drawing, and making of scrap books. It has been interesting and satisfying to see some of the children develop and improve who have been coming regularly to the Recreation Room. It is generally admitted that the work done for the children by a Library is some of its most important work. Book Week was observed with appro- priate posters in windows of business houses as well as in the Library and the branches, with story-telling every day during the week, and with the usual exhibit of good books for children.
Libraries in general are giving much attention to what is called Adult Education. The movement has probably grown out of what has been an apparent demand on the part of the public. There has always been in this Library, and probably in others, a demand for reading lists of worth- while books of informing character. The American Library Association
157
REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN
is furnishing lists of books on the most important subjects, complied by experts. These lists and the books recommended are made available to our people by the Library. In its own quiet way, the aim of the Library has always been to get the right book to the right person at the right time. These reading lists are a great help to the Library and to the people.
There have been two changes in the staff this year. Miss Sheldon, the cataloguer, went to the Wakefield Library, and Miss Emery of the Circulation Department, went to the Somerville Library. These posi- tions were both filled by trained assistants. The increasing demands made on the Library are making trained assistants necessary.
Considerable has been done in the way of maintenance of the Library Building. The floor of the basement has been re-built, the Recreation Room has been made in great degree sound proof by changes in the ceiling, a small room in the basement has been pleasantly furnished as a rest room for the Library Staff, one of the fire places had to be partly rebuilt, the back door had to be replaced by a new one and the back steps with the wall supporting them, which was crumbling, have been rebuilt.
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.