USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1932-1935 > Part 48
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The organization for the year was perfected on January 18 by the unanimous re-election of Peter J. Feeney as Chairman, and James E. Pendergast as Clerk. William C. Kendrick continued to act as General Manager, to which position he was appointed by action taken on October 26, 1933, as set forth in the Annual Report for that year. Mr. Pendergast was re-appointed State Aid Agent, Soldiers' Relief Agent and Soldiers' Burial Agent.
Appointments were made during the year as follows:
January 2-Alonzo N. Earle, Forest Fire Warden for the year 1934. Ap- proved by State Forestry Department on January 13; re-appointment. William C. Kendrick, Local Superintendent of Suppression of Gypsy and Brown Tail Moths. Approved by State Forestry Department January 23; re-appointment. James E. Pendergast, Town Clerk and Accountant and Town Bookkeeper, for three years' period ending January 5, 1937; re-appointment. Advisory Committee on Public Playgrounds, as follows: Mrs. Lucille W. Riemer, Miss Maude A. Shattuck, Miss Florence J. Hennessey, Mr. John P. Crowley, Mr. Edward H. Thompson, Mr. John A. Abdallah, Mr. Philip W. Riley, Mr. Eugene L. Connolly.
January 10-Albert C. Murray, Town Fish and Game Warden; re-appoint- ment by the Department of Conservation, Division of Fisheries and Game.
February 27-Albert Fales, Inspector of Animals for year ending March 31, 1935. Approved by Director of Animal Industry on March 22; re-appointment.
March 13-Thomas J. Foley, Constable, for period ending May 1, 1934. March 27-John J. Conley (vice Eugene L. Connolly, resigned) member
of Advisory Committee on Public Playgrounds. William C. Kendrick, Mrs. Florence LeFevre and Frederic Rea, a committee of three to in- vestigate with respect to Dutch Elm Disease. William J. Dalton, 415 Prospect Street, Assessor for term of three years beginning April 1, 1934. Approved by Commissioner of Corporations and Taxation on March 29; re-appointment.
May 1-Appointments for term of one year beginning May 1, 1934, as follows, namely: William H. Sullivan, Pound Keeper and Dog Officer;
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re-appointment. William J. Barrett, J. Irving Reid and Thomas C. Lydon, Field Drivers; re-appointments. Austin L. Maddox, John J. Flaherty and Guido A. Stuntzner, Fence Viewers; re-appointments. Forrest M. Douglass, Inspector of Buildings; re-appointment. Walter S. Bagley, Thomas C. Lydon and Thomas J. Foley, Constables; re- appointments. Charles E. Houghton, Thomas M. Flaherty and Arthur J. Forrest, Board of Appeal under Building By-Law; re-appointments. William J. Barrett, Lock-up Keeper; re-appointment.
May 8-M. Joseph Roach, re-appointment, Clement A. Riley, by a divided vote, and Miss Margaret Crowley, by a majority vote, Board of Public . Welfare. On May 12, 1934, Miss Crowley declined her appointment and on June 12, 1934, Mrs. Margaret M. Gunthner was appointed to fill vacancy, by a majority vote.
June 12-Thomas O'Donnell, Supervisor of Playgrounds for season of 1934 as recommended by Advisory Committee on Public Playgrounds.
June 26-Peter G. McGaffigan (vice John J. Conley, resigned), member of Advisory Committee on Public Playgrounds.
July 10-James A. Halloran, Town Counsel; re-appointment as of May 1, 1934. Louis D'Espinosa and William P. Nickerson (vice Austin L. Maddox and Guido A. Stuntzner, resigned), Fence Viewers, for period ending May 1, 1935.
There were also appointed from time to time special police officers at large and at particular premises, election officers for annual town meeting and sworn weighers, surveyors of lumber, and measurers of bark.
From time to time on application therefor and report thereon licenses and permits were granted for various activities as required by law as follows, namely:
Miscellaneous Licenses
Lodging house; intelligence office; pool room; inn-holder; sale of de- natured alcohol; junk collectors; common victuallers; sales of fruit, ice cream and confectionery on the Lord's Day; public amusement; taxi-cab operators; Sears Roebuck & Company, to sell, rent or lease firearms for period ending May 1, 1935, at No. 607 Washington Street; Class I and Class III licenses to purchase, sell and assemble second hand motor vehicles or parts thereof; garage and repair shop; keeping and storing of gasoline and motor oil; Consolidated Metals Company authorized to purchase old gold and silver at proposed place of business, No. 710 Washington Street, subject to a license fee of $5.00; Auctioneers licenses granted to J. Alexander Abdallah, Thomas H. Hayden, Carroll H. Woods, John J. Bennett and John J. Riley.
By legislation enacted and effective on April 27, 1934, all licenses issued to common victuallers and inn-holders, in effect on that date, were ex- tended to December 31, 1934.
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Permits
Public dances; carnivals; public meeting; Spring flower show; public exhibitions in which children under fourteen years of age appear; street sales; wrestling match; tag day; street parade; concerts; and sales at band concerts; but made subject to conditions in certain instances which it appeared desirable to impose, such as proper supervision by police officers, location, limitation of hours and character of activities. In the light of protests received, it was voted, to be the policy of the Board not to issue permits for conduct of carnivals or other like amusements on premises known as Guild School Lot, or on Civic Playground premises.
Approval was given also to recommendations made by the General Manager from time to time for use and renting of Social Hall and the Swimming Pool Hall, so-called, in the Civic Playground Building, under terms and conditions as found to be appropriate, by Post No. 70 American Legion, and other organizations.
Numerous conferences were held during the year with the officials in other departments and with members of committees and in particular with the Finance Commission, Planning Board, Board of Public Welfare, Board of Assessors, School Committee and Advisory Committee on Play- ground.
Special attention was given to budget matters and unemployment relief. Numerous public hearings were held from time to time, as required by law, upon various petitions for licenses, permits, locations, lay-outs and the like which it does not appear to be necessary to detail in this report. All citizens who desired to be heard with respect to alleged grievances or other matters were given full opportunity to present the same and there- after such matters so heard had due consideration.
Claims and Litigation
Claims and litigation had such attention during the year as seemed to be desirable or necessary, and were referred, except as stated below, to the Town Counsel for advice and appropriate action, and where disposition was made or other action taken in any given case, it was upon his advice. Reference is made for a detailed statement of such matters to the Annual Report of the Town Counsel.
On July 31, an agreement was approved on report of General Manager, for appropriate compensation to William McDonough, an employee in the Public Works Department, for injury received and arising out of his employment.
On February 7, a settlement of the claim of Mary Cashman for damages for the taking of an easement in land for the widening of Nichols Street at Prospect Avenue was authorized in the sum of $150 and settlement accordingly was made thereafter for said sum.
On September 11, the sum of $70 was awarded to Bartley Flaherty in addition to the sum of $30 previously awarded as damages resulting from
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the occupation of his property, outside the lines of an easement taken, during the course of work carried on by the Public Works Department.
Herbert H. Miller-Resolution
On May 22, upon report of the death of Herbert H. Miller, former Selectman and Finance Commissioner, the following resolution was unani- mously adopted, namely,
WHEREAS, Herbert H. Miller, a former Selectmen and Member of the Finance Commission of the Town of Norwood and a distinguished citizen died on. Sunday, May 20, 1934,
BE IT RESOLVED, by the Selectmen in meeting assembled, that in the death of Herbert H. Miller the Town of Norwood and its citizens generally have suffered a great loss. His keen sense of honor, his great civic interest, his long and useful service in various municipal offices and particularly as Selectman and Finance Commissioner, his important business and social positions and activities, and his fine Christian life made him an outstanding and invaluable citizen of the Town during the many years of his residence in Norwood, and are widely recognized and appreciated and his loss will be mourned by all who had the opportunity and pleasure of knowing and dealing with him,
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that our deep sympathy be extended to his surviving wife, and that this resolution be spread on the records of the meeting, and a copy sent to Mrs. Miller and a copy furnished to the Norwood Messenger for publication. .
Frederick L. Fisher-Resolution
On August 28 upon notice of the death of Frederick L. Fisher, former Selectman, the following resolution was unanimously adopted, namely,
RESOLUTION
By the Selectmen in meeting assembled:
THAT, in the death of Frederick L. Fisher, the Town of Norwood and its citizens have suffered a great loss; His long and useful service as Selectman, his important business activities in the community, and his fine Christian life made him an outstanding citizen during his life-time in Norwood and his loss will be mourned by all who had the opportunity of knowing and mecting him,
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that our deep sympathy be extended to his family and that these resolutions be spread on the records of the Selectmen and a copy furnished the Norwood Messenger.
Rules and Regulations of the Norwood Municipal Light Department Governing the Installation of Electric Services
On July 31 rules and regulations of the Municipal Light Department governing the installation of electric services as recommended by the General Manager were adopted as follows, namely,
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OVERHEAD SECONDARY SERVICES
1. An overhead secondary service will be installed by the Municipal Light Department at no cost to the customer where the distance is not over 100 feet and no intermediate support is necessary.
If intermediate support or supports are necessary where the distance is over 100 feet, the customer shall pay for the added cost of such sup- port or supports and material additional to what would be required if the distance were 100 feet.
In all cases the Light Department shall determine the size and type of wire to be used and the size of intermediate supports where these are required.
UNDERGROUND SECONDARY SERVICES
2. Underground secondary services will be installed by the Municipal Light Department and billed to the customer at actual cost less $10.00 which is the average cost of an overhead secondary service which is installed free.
On underground secondary services, the customer shall install conduit from the service switch to a point immediately outside the cellar wall which point shall be in a location approved by the Municipal Light Department. The customer shall also install adequate pull box im- mediately inside of cellar wall.
The Municipal Light Department reserves the right to specify on each individual installation where cable of the Parkway type may be used from the pull box in the cellar to the pole or manhole on the street or where conduit shall be required between these points. The Municipal Light Department shall determine for each individual installation, the size of conduit and cable necessary but in no event shall the conduit be smaller than 2" conduit and the cable smaller than No. 4 approved cable.
PRIMARY SERVICE
3. A primary service will be installed by the Municipal Light Department and the General Manager with the approval of the Selectmen, shall determine whether the customer shall pay for the installation or whether it shall be installed at no cost to the customer, the determining factor to be the desirability of the customer from a power salcs standpoint. On all such services whether installed at no cost to the customer, or whether paid for by the customer, the Municipal Light Department shall determine the size and type of material to be used in the installa- tion.
RIGHTS OF WAY
4. All rights of way necessary to reach a customer either over, through, or under any private property and either for overhead secondary services, underground secondary services or primary services, shall be negotiated by the customer.
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Orders of Taking
On June 5, an order was adopted for the taking by eminent domain of an easement for the purpose of constructing a system of sewers as shown on plan dated October 10, 1933, A. W. Thompson, Town Engineer, in lands of the General Printing Ink Corporation, the Norwood Gas Com- pany and the Old Colony Railroad Company and on July 31 the order was amended with respect to the easement taken in the General Printing Ink Corporation property.
On August 14 Orders of Taking by right of eminent domain were adopted as follows:
1. Easement or right of way for sewer purposes in proposed Roxanna Street beginning at the northerly terminus of Cypress Street.
2. Easement for drain purposes through land of Thomas and Anna Ceasar.
3. Easement for drainage purposes through land of Nunziati Famigletti, extending from Highview Street 288 feet southerly.
4. Easement for drainage purposes in proposed extension of Howard Street.
5. Easement for sewer purposes extending from the westerly line of Nahatan Street to a point in the northerly terminus of Hawthorne Street.
Lay-Out Town Ways Extending Northerly from Nichols Street
Following extended hearings and conferences and after due considera- tion, it was voted on December 22, by a majority vote to adopt an order of lay out of certain Town ways shown on a plan entitled "Town of Nor- wood, Mass. Plan of Lay Out of Certain Town Ways, E. B. Lunden, Engineer," dated December 20, 1934, and covering the parcels involved in laying-out of Street A and Street B as set forth in said plan and being certain Town ways extending northerly from Nichols Street to Winter Street and said lay-outs were reported to and accepted by the Town by appropriate action taken under Article 8 of the Warrant of the Special Town Meeting held on December 31, 1934. The action so taken by the Selectmen as a result of an understanding reached, brought about the withdrawal by the Norwood Estates, Inc. and Housing Securities Corpora- tion, of their opposition to the foreclosure of various tax liens through decrees of the Land Court in favor of the Town in which petitions for foreclosure were pending. Action by the Selectmen with respect to the adoption of an order of taking and of going forward with the construction of the ways, after possession taken, is dependent upon satisfactory ar- rangements being made for the project being carried forward with Federal funds secured on the usual terms and conditions under the approval of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration of Massachusetts and other safe-guarding arrangements to restrict the liability and expenditure by the Town to a sum not in excess of the amount authorized by the Town to be borrowed and appropriated for the purpose.
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Nahatan Street Extension and Railroad Underpass
The situation and developments with respect to Nahatan Street Ex- tension, so-called, during the year 1933 were set forth in the report for that year, in December of which, information was received from the State Department of Public Works that it would contribute one half the then estimated cost of the highway job under Chapter 90, General Laws, with the location of the project to be settled by the County Commissioners of Norfolk County. With respect to the construction of the necessary railroad underpass, legislation was sought and obtained through favorable action of the State Legislature by the enactment of Chapter 189, Acts of the General Court for the year 1934, approved May 4, which authorized the Department of Public Works to construct the underpass through the existing location of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company, in connection with the construction of the public way, being an extension of Nahatan Street to Pleasant Street, which Act further pro- vided that upon completion of the construction of such way and underpass the same shall be maintained and kept in good repair by the Town of Norwood. On May 7, a petition, signed by the Selectmen, was filed with the County Commissioners of Norfolk County requesting the re-location of Nahatan Street between Central Street and Broadway and the ex- tension of Nahatan Street to be laid out from Broadway in and through the existing location of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company to Lenox Street and that easements necessary for the construc- tion and maintenance of abutments, foundations and wing walls be es- tablished. Thereafter, namely on June 19, by appropriate proceedings the County Commissioners laid out such extension and made the necessary taking of easements required. On July 24, notice was received from the State Department of Public Works that it had allotted under the pro- visions of Section 34, Chapter 90, General Laws, the sum of $50,000 to cover not more than one half the cost of constructing said extension and that the cost to the Commonwealth not to exceed the amount so allotted. In due course the County Commissioners made the entry for the purpose of completing the taking. Later a petition was prepared and filed with the County Commissioners for the further extension of Nahatan Street. By appropriate action taken by the State Department of Public Works, after plans and specifications with respect to the project had been prepared and the approval of the Railroad Company had been secured, bids for the work were secured and the Department recommended on November 14, that the contract be awarded to Simpson Bros. Corp. of Boston, the lowest bidder, in the sum of $57,842.50. The contract by the Town and the successful bidder, as prepared by that Department for the construction of the extension beginning at a point near Broadway was, after approval by the Town Counsel, executed on November 20. It was voted with reference to the performance of the contract to advise the State Depart- ment of Public Works that with respect to the purchase of material, where
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local interests may be able to furnish such material at the same price as outside interests, such local interests be given preference. Thereafter the work with respect to the underpass was undertaken by the contractor.
The General Manager was directed to proceed with the work of excava- tion in connection with the construction of the extension on the basis of the employment of manual labor, as to that portion of the project which was to be performed by the Town.
Unemployment Relief and Federal Aid
As stated in the report of the Selectmen for the year 1933, the situation with respect to unemployment and the need of methods to relieve the same were keenly appreciated and had constant interest and attention during the year 1934.
Federal aid was sought and obtained with respect to a number of pro- jects, for the details of which reference is made to the report of the General Manager, who submitted projects from time to time and received approval of appropriate action to obtain the consent and acceptance of the State officials of the Federal Civil Works Administration and of the existing Federal Emergency Relief Administration as the successor in charge of the distribution of Federal Aid for Civil Works projects. Through efforts so made and successful to the extent indicated in the General Manager's Report, considerable sums in the form of Federal funds were made avail- able and utilized and permitted the employment, in the form of labor of various kinds, to be furnished to a substantial number of citizens who were in need of the same and were available for the purpose. Necessary con- tributions in the way of meeting the expense of materials required in the several projects were made under available appropriations from Town funds. All of the projects approved and carried out or in process of being carried out at the beginning of the year and thereafter were necessary or desirable and resulted in improvements and repairs which if not in whole, at least to a large extent in part, would have otherwise been re- quired to be made entirely out of Town funds in the immediate or not too remote future. For the purpose of this particular report, brief reference is made to these projects in the following form and without reference to the order in which the same were approved and undertaken, namely,
Moth control; digging over land at Highlandview Cemetery; swimming pool construction at Hawes Brook west of Washington Street in South Norwood; cutting down trees and clearing underbrush on right of way of proposed Fisher Street extension to Nichols Street; finished grading and surfacing of proposed Fisher Street extension and right of way which was cleared; drain construction, i.e. enclosing an existing open drain at Broadway in a reinforced concrete boxed culvert and covering same; con- structing surface drain and extension of same at junction of Washington- Everett Streets, Upland Road and Clapboardtree Street at the Norwood- Westwood line; miscellaneous repairs to school buildings, including paint- ing, carpentry, plumbing, electrical and other work at the Winslow, Balch,
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Callahan, Junior High, Senior High and Shattuck schools; alterations and improvements at Junior High, Shattuck and other school buildings; playground grading at Callahan, Shattuck and Winslow schools; grading at Endean Playground; miscellaneous repairs at Municipal Building; alterations at Civic Building and levelling old foundation wall preparatory to grading grounds; rounding corner at intersection of Clapboardtree Street and Upland Road and excavating embankment at that location; alteration of the northerly intersection of Chapel Street and Washington Street; colprovia sidewalks on the westerly side of Savin Avenue south of Melville Avenue and the northerly side of Atwood Avenue from Wash- ington Street; construction of wooden bleachers at Eliot Park playground; repairing roof of the Municipal Light Station; trimming trees around pole lines of the Municipal Light Department; Morrill Memorial Library building alterations and repairs; engineering assistance for present and proposed Emergency Relief Administration projects; construction of new sewer lines in Hawthorne and Winter Streets section and adjacent streets; cutting trees on property of the Norwood Estates, Inc., westerly of Nichols Street and southerly of Norwood Senior High School for providing firewood for the needy; highway construction in respect to the continuation of Pleasant Street from Neponset Street to Boston-Providence Super-highway, including surfacing of street and erecting of highway fence; gathering historical and geneological data to be deposited at the Morrill Memorial Library and files of the Norwood Historical Society and with the Emergency Relief Administration; women's sewing work at the State Armory.
With respect to the conduct of the Public Works Department in par- ticular, every effort was made, in giving general supervision and direction to its activities, to relieve the unemployment situation as much as possible within the limits of the available appropriations and with a view to a fair and proper distribution of the work.
With respect to the connection of the existing sewerage system with the South Metropolitan District Sewerage System as to which mention was made in the report for last year, as a project in aid of which a grant of funds from the Federal Government would be sought, favorable action was taken early in the year and it became a Federal Public Works Adminis- tration Project, Docket No. 3016.
To secure the Federal aid which was approved in the suin of $9,000 a grant agreement under date of January 23, 1934, was entered into between the Town and the United States Government in the matter of aid in financing the construction of this sewer system project and at that time it was voted that necessary proceedings be taken to negotiate releases as to casements and rights of way for the sewer line and to begin work in connection with the same and that the Town Treasurer be requested to offer for sale the bonds of the Town authorized to meet the expense to be borne by the Town. It was also voted that consideration be given to the employment of two working crews of laborers and mechanics on
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the basis of a six day week and a five hour day. The Public Works State Advisory Board approved of the use of the force account method of con- struction. The desired release agreements were obtained from the prop- erty owners and on satisfactory terms. Work was started on this project on July 3. The Federal contribution was based on an estimated expense of $30,000 for the work, being 30% of that amount. It developed that the cost of the work exceeded that amount, due to conditions not an- ticipated, and a revised estimate called for a total expenditure of $42,000. Furthermore, the Public Works Administration authorities indicated that mechanical apparatus must be substituted for hand labor on the project. Thereupon, the Selectmen voted, that they were strongly of the opinion that mechanical apparatus should not be substituted for hand labor, and took steps to obtain the approval of the Federal Public Works Administration at Washington of an early approval of a further grant of $3,600 for the purpose of providing 30% of the additional cost of labor and materials employed on the project and on the basis of using manual labor rather than mechanical equipment.
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