USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1945-1947 > Part 53
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109
REPORT OF ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT Highway Department Maintenance
The usual street cleaning and patching was done this year. The new street sweeper has been a great help to us in cleaning the streets quicker and with less cost than in previous years, and I believe we should purchase another one, preferably the larger size, so that we can clean the streets throughout the Town faster, and more often, and with less men and trucks picking up the sweepings. The winter of 1947-1948 has been an unusually hard one so that it will be necessary to do con- siderable more patching and repairing than in previous years.
Street Oiling
The following streets were oiled with RC-5 road oil and covered with 14-inch stone. The work was done by Contract with Forrest Construction Company of Norwood.
Nahatan Street-Washington Street to Westwood Line
Winter Street-Prospect Street to Westwood Line
Cedar Street-Washington Street to Railroad Bridge
Everett Avenue
Chapel Street
Beech Street
The following streets were oiled with 65% road oil and covered with sand.
Parkway
Casey Street
Elkway (Both Ends)
Brook Street
Wilson Street
Upton Avenue
Winslow Avenue
Morse Street
West Street
Talbot Avenue
Oak Road
Northview Avenue
Brookfield Road
Sunset Avenue
Chapel Court
Morse Avenue
Union Street, Rt I to Sharon Line
Cottage Street-Nichols to Prospect
Beech Street-Day Street to Vernon Street Howard Street-Washington Street to Fulton Street
Under Chapter 90 Maintenance
Washington Street between Winter Street and Lenox Street-OA-3 and oilstone cover.
East Cross Street between Route I and Neponset Street-mixed in place re- surfacing.
Total (RC-5)
13,439 gals.
Total 65% road oil (MC-2) 21,110 gals.
Total (OA-3) 3,432 gals.
Total (MC-3) 2,482 gals.
Total 14-inch stone
616 tons
Total 1/2-inch stone
171 tons
Total 12-inch oiled stone 229 tons
Total sand
1,400 tons
Total gravel. 8 tons
Cross Street Lenox Street to Pleasant Street
East Cross Street, Rt. I to Neponset Street
Dean Street, Pleasant Street to Ne- ponset Street
110
TOWN OF NORWOOD
Sewer Department
The various trunk lines were cleaned as well as many plugged house connections. I believe we should purchase the new type of gasoline sewer cleaning equipment to speed up the time of cleaning and at a less cost and also to eliminate some of the various complaints of the men who have to do this disagreeable work.
Total number of new connections added this year 45
Total number of connections 2,598
Total miles of new sewer mains added this year .13
Total miles of sewer mains
38.97
Parks and Playgrounds
All parks and playgrounds were cleaned and mowed and the shrubbery around the various buildings was kept trimmed throughout the summer season. The vari- ous baseball diamonds were graded, new loam added, rolled and mowed as needed. The Elliot Park baseball diamond was completely regraded with the exception of seeding which will be done in the early spring of 1948.
All skating rinks were cleaned and put into shape for skating and the hockey rink was put up at the Cross Street skating rink.
Endean Swimming Pool was cleaned, sand added and water from the Town water mains was used for filling the pool. Between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000 gallons of Town water was used at this pool during the summer season. The building at the pool was repaired and cleaned several times during the season.
The Civic Tennis courts were regraded and stone dust added during the early spring. New tennis tape posts and a chain link fence between the courts were built during the early spring.
Forestry Department
The usual moth control and spraying work was done as well as spraying of private orchards and shrubs. All private work was billed to the owners. Due to availability of better and stronger spraying materials and the necessity of spraying the Eim trees two or three times during the summer the department is recommend- ing the purchase of new spraying equipment. Some tree trimming was necessary during the year to enable the Fire Department's large equipment to maneuver through some of the residential streets. More of this work will have to be done during 1948.
Maintenance and Control of Traffic
All street signs, traffic lines, markers, slow signs, crosswalks, taxi and bus stop lines were painted during the year. Central Street between Cottage Street and Day Street and Cottage Street between Washington Street and Maple Street were made one way streets during the year and the necessary signs and markings were placed at various intervals along these streets.
Water Department
The sand filters at Ellis and at Westwood were cleaned several times as well as the coke filters at Ellis during the year. New overhead doors were put in at the Westwood Station and at the old Ellis Station Building and the old boiler and ob- solete pump at Westwood was removed. These changes will enable the Town to store much of the equipment at the overloaded Town Yard on Nahatan Street.
New meters and repairs to old meters have enabled us to replace the older meters throughout the Town.
111
REPORT OF ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS .
WATER STATISTICS Monthly Consumption in Gallons
Month
Total Gallons
Ellis
Buckmaster
January
39,544,000
29,385,000
10,159,000
February
35,457,000
26,455,000
9,002,000
March.
37,890,000
27,475,000
10,415,000
April
37,370,000
27,390,000
9,980,000
May
39,320,000
29,355,000
9,965,000
June
38,608,000
29,220,000
9,388,000
July
43,500,000
34,020,000
9,480,000
August
43,529,000
30,625,000
12,904,000
September
41,313,000
31,238,000
10,075,000
October
42,372,000
24,367,000
18,005,000
November
39,922,000
25,647,000
14,275,000
December .
41,728,000
27,343,000
14,385,000
Totals
480,553,000
342,520,000
137,983,000
Greatest Amount Pumped or Used
Day - July 15, 1947
Gallons
1,720,000
Greatest Amount Pumped or Used in Any Week
Week - August 10-16, 1947
Gallons
10,667,000
Gallons supplied to distributing mains during the year .
480,553,000
Gallons passed through service meters during the year
318,891.750
Miles of mains at end of year
54.7
Total number of services at end of year
3,261
Number of services in use at end of year
3,200
Number of meters in use at end of year
3,200
Meter replaced during 1947
278
Total area of land used for water supply purposes
141.9
Gallons of Water Pumped in Previous Years
1938
374,733,000
1943
430,120,000
1939
432,095,000
1944
468,481,000
1940
426,512,000
1945
469,699,000
1941
398,110,000
1946
512,542,000
1942
411,815,000
1947
480,553,000
Refuse Removal
Refuse collections were made the first full week of each month during the year and the total refuse for the year amounted to 1,005 loads. With our new refuse truck and other new trucks purchased by the Town in 1947 we found it was possible to do the work without hiring outside trucks. We still have difficulty in picking up barrels of refuse over the 100-pound limit and also find some people still placing garbage in the barrels. We also have difficulty with many people placing their refuse in small cardboard containers which break up very easily during the rainy days. Many people still throw their refuse along the highways in the outlying districts.
112
TOWN OF NORWOOD
Town Yard Building
We have made various studies at various locations for a new Town Yard but as yet have been unable to find a good suitable location that will satisfy all concerned, but I believe that during the coming year it will be absolutely necessary for us to build this much needed building as the present one is beyond repair.
Respectfully submitted, ALBERT W. THOMPSON, Director of Public Works and Engineering.
113
REPORT OF MUNICIPAL LIGHT DEPARTMENT
REPORT OF MUNICIPAL LIGHT DEPARTMENT
Mr. Edward C. Monahan, General Manager.
Dear Sir :
I submit herewith a report of the activities and operations of the Municipal Light Department for the year ending December 31, 1947.
This coming year we have a somewhat large program outlined. We are making preparations now for the installation of the cable already received for the Ellis Pump- ing Station to be installed in the early spring. This will overcome some of the diffi- culties that have arisen in the past year due to the change of our load in that area. We also are in the process of laying out some of the work that will be necessary in the new street lighting program. The personnel of the Light Department will do all installing of lights and necessary cables in this project, and the only work that will be done by others will be the excavating and resurfacing of necessary trenches to make this installation possible.
The Light Department did not suffer too severely the week of the storm of December 22nd as our outages were held to a low minimum taking into consideration that some lines accumulated some four inches of ice in the easterly section of the town, although our Fire Alarm circuits suffered rather heavily as the wire, being of a smaller dimension, could not stand the weight of this accumulation of ice. We have at present an amount of stock of the conductor necessary to replace some of these circuits and plan to do so as soon as weather permits. We have enroute five Fire Alarm boxes that were ordered on the 1947 budget of the Fire Department that will be added to the system as designated by the Chief of the Fire Department and Town Officials.
The Light Department received during the fall of 1947, the new Mack Chassis that is to be used as a Line truck, although due to steel shortages and other unforeseen delays this body has not been fabricated to date but we expect a delivery at an early date.
In the early part of 1947 we outlined a program to replace some two hundred odd poles which did not meet the safety requirements due to old age. Of this amount of poles, the personnel of the Light Department, without any outside help, replaced some one hundred poles besides doing all the maintenance, repair and other work that are the duties of the Light Department. This coming year we expect to replace an equal amount if not more, and should have the greater part of these poles replaced. We anticipate making a great deal of progress this year in completing the change-over from 2300 volts to 4160, as originally layed out back in 1941.
All meetings of the Municipal Light Association were attended last year.
The other activities of this department have been briefly and accurately written up by each division head and are submitted as part of this report.
Respectfully submitted,
J. W. PRICE, Superintendent, Municipal Light Department.
114
Cent per Kilowatt Hour.
.0025
.005
.01
.0075
.0125
.015
.0175
.02
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
Boston Edison Company
Energy Purchased from the
Average Annual Kilowatt Cost of
TOWN OF NORWOOD
115
REPORT OF MUNICIPAL LIGHT DEPARTMENT
18 17
16
Amount of Electric Energy Purchased Yearly from 1916 to 1947 Inclusive.
15
14
13
12
11
Millions of K.W.H.
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
116
TOWN OF NORWOOD
REPORT OF LINE FOREMAN
Joseph W. Price, Supt., Municipal Light Department,
Norwood, Mass.
I am pleased to submit a report of the activities of the Line Crew of the Light Department for the year ending December 31, 1947.
Most of our work was repair work and replacing old chestnut poles with hard pine poles. We set over a hundred poles and we hope to replace many more this coming year. We had a small amount of new construction work.
The breaking of street lights this past year was very low in comparison to past years. We replaced all broken lights as soon as we could.
We did not have much trouble on our lines except for the week of December 22, 1947 when we had the bad snow storm. Most of that trouble was our Fire Alarm system and Water Signal wires, which were put back in service as quick as it was humanly possible. I still think we should have a trouble man and one or two more Linemen, so that we might take care of some heavy work which we will have to do soon.
We hope to have.our new line truck in working order soon which will be a great help to us. Our present truck body is in very bad shape.
At this time I wish to thank the Line Crew for the fine cooperation they have given me and also the rest of the Light Department personnel.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN F. BLASENAK, Line Foreman.
: Statistical Report
Wooden Poles Set
Wooden Poles Removed
Size
Number
Size
Number
35'
98
35'
98
40'
5
40'
5
45'
1
45'
1
104
104
Replacements on Public Streets
37
Extension on Public Streets
60
Replacements on Private Property
3
Extension on Private Property
1
104
Secondary Wire
Size
Feet Installed
Feet Removed
8
825
6
15,790
700
4
9,450
2
200
2/0
225
117
REPORT OF MUNICIPAL LIGHT DEPARTMENT
Primary Wire
Size 6
Feet Installed 8,745
Feet Removed 500
Street Lighting Wire
Feet
Feet
Size
Installed
Removed
8
150
6
6,300
Street Lighting Fixtures Lumens
Size
Installed
2500
20
230
1
1000
6
15 Ornamental globes and bulbs were broken by stones or air guns. This is about 15 per cent less than last year.
Distribution Transformers
Number
Size
Total
Installed
KVA
KVA
3
3
9
2
5
10
5
71/2
371/2
3
10
30
2
15
30
1
20
20
3
25
75
2111/2
Number
Size
Total
Removed
KVA
KVA
1
5
5
1
71/2
71/2
2
15
30
1
20
20
621/2
We had 1-15 K.V.A. and 1-5 K.V.A. burned out by storms. Both have been repaired and are in stock again.
Secondary Services Installed
Overhead
Underground
3-4 Wire-3 Phase
1-4 Wire-3 Phase
2-3 Wire-3 Phase
6-3 Wire Services
56-3 Wire Services
1-2 Wire Services
2-2 Wire Services
58 Services were changed from 2 wire to 3 wire.
118
TOWN OF NORWOOD
Maintenance of Fire Alarm
We replaced a great amount of 2 Conductor Cable with No. 8 solid wire. We did not have much trouble with the wires until the December storm. We will replace many more cables with open wire this year if we can obtain the wire.
Maintenance of Police Signals
Very little trouble with Police signals. We kept the bulbs in working order as soon as they were reported out of order by the Police Department.
INSPECTION AND METER DIVISION
Joseph W. Price, Supt.,
Municipal Light Department
Meetings of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Inspectors Association were attended monthly. At these meetings problems of inspectors are discussed and much valuable information is gathered.
Factory R. I. demand meters were read and charts changed on the first of every month and on the fifteenth of the month all meters were wound.
Daily inspections of our sub-station at Short St. have been made. A duplex K. W. demand meter has been installed and charts changed every ten days.
STATISTICS
1. Five hundred thirty-two Wiring Permits applied for.
2. One hundred twenty-nine new meters installed.
3. One hundred seventy-five meters replaced.
4. Twelve meters discontinued.
5. One hundred and two meters discarded.
6. Two hundred thirteen complaints investigated for the Billing Department.
Respectfully submitted,
JOSEPH J. O'BRIEN, Deputy Wire Inspector.
119
REPORT OF MUNICIPAL LIGHT DEPARTMENT
REPORT OF CHIEF OPERATOR
I herewith submit my report for the year 1947.
Purchased Energy for 1947
Short St. Sub-Station 3,621,095 K.W. Central St. Station 13,070,316 K.W.
Total.
Decrease for the year 1947
Average cost per KWH for 1947
16,691,411 K.W. 460,778 K.W. $.0129
Statistics
K.W. used for the year 1947 - Station Lighting and
Power
20,152 K.W.
K.W. used for the year 1947 - Fire Alarm Building 1,901 K.W.
Total 22,053 K.W.
Street lights were illuminated approximately 3,962 hours, 38 minutes, using 656,666 K.W.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN M. CLAPP, Chief Operator.
120
TOWN OF NORWOOD
REPORT OF CEMETERY DEPARTMENT
Mr. Edward C. Monahan, General Manager, Town of Norwood, Mass.
Dear Sir:
Following is the annual report of the Cemetery Department for 1947:
Shortly before Memorial Day we were able to bring the number of working force up to pre-war standard. Needless to say, the Department has been able to operate in a much more satisfactory manner since then.
One of the most tedious jobs and one that always took a tremendous amount of man power and time to accomplish has been the trimming of grass around monu- ments and headstones: - as we all know there are thousands of them and we have them in both Highland and Old Parish Cemeteries.
In an effort to get this job done more efficiently we bought two electric trimmers with a portable generator to furnish the power needed to operate them. These machines have proved to be more than satisfactory and have paid for themselves over and over again.
In the fall we worked on Section 47. Part of this section had been dug over in previous years, but none of it was finished. We took an area of about 10,000 square feet, brought it to sub-grade, added loam and put in grass seed.
Later in the fall and up to the last week of the year when we got our first snowfall, our time in between burials was taken up in digging over land in this same section.
During the year the Department handled 198 burials in Highland and one in the Old Parish Cemetery. Foundations were built for 70 monuments.
Respectfully submitted, LOUIS J. D'ESPINOSA, Superintendent.
In Memoriam
LICE DEP
CHARLES R. DONNELL
The Norwood Police Department lost one of its most respected members and the Town of Norwood lost one of its greatest citizens when Charles R. "Nubby" Donnell died on April 1, 1947. He had been a member of the Department since 1915.
As one of the outstanding football players, wrestlers, swimmers and bicycle riders of his day and later as a wrestling referee, Donnell was widely known in sporting circles. People all over New England knew him as a huge, clean-cut sportsman. We of Norwood seemed to be even more aware of his gentlemanliness and cooperative spirit both as an officer of the law and in his athletic endeavours. Everyone had a good word for "Nubby," - he had done so much for so many.
It was no wonder then that all mercantile activity ceased along Washington Street and hundreds who couldn't gain entrance to the United Church, bowed their heads in reverence as the funeral services were conducted for "Nubby" Donnell - a man to remember.
REPORT OF POLICE DEPARTMENT
121
REPORT OF POLICE DEPARTMENT
Mr. Edward C. Monahan, General Manager, Norwood, Mass.
Dear Sır:
I hereby submit the report of the Police Department relative to the personnel, organization, arrests, disposition of cases and miscellaneous duties performed during the year ending December 31, 1947.
Personnel and Organization Chief Thomas C. Lydon
Lieutenant Patrick J Coyne
Mark F. Folan
Sergeants Joseph T. Flood Thomas H. McNulty
Patrolmen
Henry F. Breen, Jr.
Martin J. McNulty
John S. Conroy
George W Sanborn
John J. Nee
Valentine W. Balutis
John H. Kelly
Uno C. Carlson
Francis T. Riley
Edson J. Scholz
William F. Mullane
William E. Lydon
William C. Jankowski
James F. Lyden
James E. Quinn
James M. Murphy
Intermittent Officers
David V. DeCosta
William J. Flaherty Albert M. Bishop
Arrests
Assault and Battery.
6
Attaching Registration Plates without Authority
2
Breaking and Entering
9
Contributing to Delinquency of a Minor
1
Disturbance
7
Drunkenness
124
Habitual School Offender
1
Illegitimacy
5
Indecent Assault.
1
Larceny of Motor Vehicle
2
Larceny from the Person
1
Larceny of Registration Plate
1
Leaving Scene of Accident
4
Lewd and Lascivious Cohabitation
1
Malicious Damage to Property
1
122
TOWN OF NORWOOD
Mental Patients
7
Motor Law Violation
37
Neglect of Family
9
Non-Support
5
Operating after Revocation of License
1
Operating Negligently
2
Operating to Endanger
2
Operating under the Influence of Liquor
14
Operating Uninsured Motor Vehicle
1
Operating Unregistered Motor Vehicle
4
Operating without a License
1
Railing and Brawling
1
Receiving Stolen Property
1
Refusing to Move for an Officer
1
Runaway Boys
12
Runaway Girls
2
Safekeeping
1
Suspicious Person
1
Stubborn Child
1
Unnatural and Lascivious Act
1
Using Motor Vehicle without Authority
4
Vagrancy
2
Violation of Game Laws
2
Violation of Probation
5
Disposition of Cases
Committed to House of Correction
8
Committed to State Farm
6
Committed to State Hospital
6
Committed to State Prison.
1
Delivered to other Departments
22
Dismissed
6
Filed
27
Fined
51
Not Guilty
2
Probated
15
Released
90
Suspended Sentence
17
Miscellaneous Duties
Accidents reported and investigated
208
Ambulance calls attended
373
Buildings found open and unsecured
368
Cases investigated
277
Dead Bodies cared for
3
Death by accidental suffocation
1
Death by automobile accident
4
Defective drains reported
4
Defective street lights reported
203
Defective streets reported
67
Defective water pipes reported
11
123
REPORT OF POLICE DEPARTMENT
Disturbances suppressed without arrest
63
Dogs killed by Police
6
Funeral escorts
53
Insane Persons cared for
00
Lost children returned to their homes
14
Lodgers at Station
29
Missing persons reported
12
Money escorts
260
Sick and injured cared for
32
Summons served
114
Suicides reported
2
Suspension of motor vehicle license
14
Vacant homes reported and checked by Police
66
The department is ever alert to keep fully informed regarding the most advanced methods of handling police problems. During the month of March we put on a five weeks' course on advanced police methods conducted by the special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This FBI course was made available to the mem- bers of the police departments of Wellesley, Needham, Dedham, Canton, Westwood, Walpole and Dover. The benefits to the members of our police department from these advanced methods of police work are of unestimable value.
The duties of the police department have become of such a complex nature as the result of the increased traffic problems, ambulance calls, traffic duty at the several schools, money escorts, funeral details and filling in on vacations, that it has become necessary to frequently use Intermittent Police Officers. Accordingly, I recommend that one additional Intermittent Officer be appointed to regular duty.
I am most happy to report that during the year 1947, I have received many com- mendatory letters, some of which appeared in the local press, praising the members of the department for the manner in which they have carried out their assignments.
Respectfully submitted,
THOMAS C. LYDON,
Chief of Police.
124
TOWN OF NORWOOD
REPORT OF THE BUILDING INSPECTOR
Mr. Edward C. Monahan,
General Manager,
Town of Norwood, Mass.
Dear Sir:
The following is the report of the Department of Building Inspection for the year 1947:
Number of Permits
Estimated Cost
Total
New Buildings:
Factories and Commercial
20
$231,900
Dwellings
60
460,100
Garages Commercial
1
3,000
Gargaes Private
19
12,100
Minor out buildings
5
2,000
105
$709,100
Additions and Alterations:
Residential.
63
$61,398
Factories and Commercial
40
40,615
Fire damage repairs
2
4,600
New elevators
2
11,000
107
$117,613
212 permits $826,713
4 Buildings have been razed this year.
All necessary inspections have been made on buildings for which permits were issued.
Respectfully submitted,
HENRY J. CRONAN, Building Inspector.
125
REPORT OF BOARD OF ASSESSORS
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF ASSESSORS
To the Citizens of Norwood:
The Board of Assessors herewith submit their annual report for the vear 1947 together with the statement showing comparison of tax rate recapitulations for the years 1946 and 1947, and also the table of aggregates of polls, property and taxes assessed January 1, 1947.
Organization
On March 25, 1947, Richard D. Northrop was reappointed an assessor by the Selectmen and approved by Henry F. Long, Commissioner of Corporations and Taxation, to serve for the term of three years expiring April 1, 1950.
Tax Rate for the Year 1947
On May 10, 1947, the Board of Assessors voted that the tax rate for the year 1947 be determined as $37.00 per each one thousand dollars of valuation, a decrease of $3.90 from the 1946 rate.
Financial Report
The financial statement of the department will be found in the report of the Town Accountant.
Appellate Tax Board Cases
There was pending for hearing before the Appellate Tax Board in 1947 one appeal :
Docket Nos. 21789, 22981, 24822, 25611. Bendix Aviation Corporation vs. Board of Assessors of Norwood.
Bendix Aviation Corporation have been assessed for factory buildings since they were erected in 1943 and have paid their tax under protest since. After the United States Supreme Court verdict in the Mesta Machine Company case on May 1, 1944, the Assessors, after numerous conferences with the Navy and Bendix, decided to settle the case and end a lengthy court litigation which might last for a long time and be very expensive to the Town. The appeals before the Appellate Tax Board were withdrawn by Bendix Aviation Corporation on April 3, 1947. The Norwood Mes- senger of April 4, 1947, gives a very lengthy explanation of the settlement, which made it possible for Tobe Deutschman Corporation to purchase the property on October 14, 1947.
Respectfully submitted,
EDWARD A. FLAHERTY, WILLIAM J. DALTON, RICHARD D. NORTHROP, Board of Assessors.
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