USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Norwood > Norwood annual report 1951-1953 > Part 13
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Highway Department
Margaret Street surfacing
Mylod Street resurfacing
Hill Street Extension to Washington Street
Chapter 90 Construction Work on Washington Street
Chapter 90 Maintenance Work on Neponset Street
Granite Street Extension
Central Street
Drain Construction by Contract
Nahatan Street 15" C.P .- 847' Ellis Avenue 10" C.P .- 200'
Pleasant Street 12" C.P .- 620'
Sewer Construction (Contract)
Fisher Street -- Walpole St. to Nichols St. 8" V.C. - 1172'
Edgehill Road-End to Lancaster Lane 10" V.C. - 636' Edgehill Road-Field Line Trunk Line to Edgehill Road 12" V.C. - 187' Lancaster Lane 8" V.C. - 660'
161
REPORT OF TOWN ENGINEER
Pleasant Street at Talbot Avenue
8" V.C. - 246'
Winter Street-Westwood Line to Hawthorne St.
8" V.C. - 1304'
6" C.I. - 1369'
Bond Street-Beech St. westerly Talbot Road Field Line
10" V.C. - 1500' -
Windsor Road
8" V.C. - 782'
Sewer Construction (by Developer)
Spruce Road-Winter St.
to Hickory Rd. 8" V.C. - 1967'
Azalea Drive 8" V.C. - 740'
Hickory Road 8" V.C. - 1097'
Ridgewood Drive 8" V.C. - 600'
Brierwood Lane 8" V.C. - 352'
Lane Drive
8" V.C. - 498'
Columbine Road 8" V.C. - 450'
Bruce Road
8" V.C. - 2250'
Woodbine Road
8" V.C. - 568'
Sunnyside Road 8" V.C. - 600'
Woodbine Road 10" V.C. - 135'
Fourth Street
8" V.C. - 106'
Laurel Road 8" V.C. - 497'
Rosemary Road-Walter Rd.
Holly Road
12" V.C. - 296'
Morrill Road
8" V.C. - 549'
Longfellow Road 8" V.C. - 376'
Sixth Street
8" V.C. - 153'
Water Construction (by Contract)
Fisher Street 8" C.I.P .- 1176'
Nahatan Street - 8" C.I.P .- 396'
Pleasant Place
6" C.I.P .- 410'
Wash. St. (Pool) 6" C. I.P .- 237'
Gay Street
8" C.I.P .- 64'
State Highway
8" C.I.P .- 998'
Buckmaster Pond
12" C.I.P .- 2102'
St. John Avenue
6" C.I.P .- 64'
Water Construction (by Developer)
Brierwood Lane
6" C.I.P .- 469'
Mayflower Road 6" C.I.P .- 430'
Columbine Road
6" C.I.P .- 604'
Morrill Road
6" C.I.P .- 692'
Forrest Avenne 6" C.I.P .- 208'
Rosemary Street
6" C.I.P .- 543'
Hickory Road 8" C.I.P .- 578'
Sixth Street 6" C.I.P .- 498'
Holly Drive
8" C.I.P .- 320'
Spruce Road
8" C.I.P .- 1092'
Holly Drive
6" C.I.P .- 127'
Sunnyside Road
6" C.I.P .- 691'
Laurel Road
8" C.I.P .- 658'
Woodbine Road
8" C.I.P .- 729'
Longfellow Road
6" C.I.P .- 727'
Bituminous Concrete Sidewalks (by Contract)
Andrews Street
387'
Grant Avenue 100'
Baker Street
232
Lenox Street
155
Bullard Street
343'
Maple Street 237
Casey Street
100'
Monroe Street 56'
Cleveland Street
424'
Neponset Street 2274'
Dean Street
108'
Nichols Street
244'
Elliot Street
107'
North Avenue
745'
Fulton Street
346'
Oolah Avenue
152
Gardner Road
91'
Oxford Road
438
Gay Street
461'
Phillips Avenue 237
Pleasant Street
428'
Rock Court
137'
Railroad Avenue
1339'
School Street
220
Granite Street
645'
8" V.C. - 94'
Talbot Road 8" V.C. - 563'
to Nichols St. 8" V.C. - 400'
Mayflower Road 10" V.C. - 426'
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TOWN OF NORWOOD
Granolithic Sidewalk (by Contract) Cypress Street 105'
Miscellaneous Work
The following is a partial list of the more important work done throughout the year:
1. Various Board of Survey layouts checked.
2. Acceptance plans for Ridgewood Drive Ridgewood Drive Windsor Road
Talbot Road Edgehill Road
3. Survey Plans and estimates
Central Street Extension to Washington Street Lenox Street Widening
4. Plans for land transfers for school purposes
5. Locating and posting tree removal notices
6. House locations, measurements and calculations on 1950 new buildings for the Assessors
257 new houses 130 remodeling of old houses 5 business and factory buildlings 40 garages
7. Plotting 1951 land transfers on the Assessors' Plans
8. Plans and descriptions for tax sales
9. Plans and staking out new burials' section at Cemetery
10. Plotting 1951 burials on individual lot plans
11. Particular sewer and water estimates to new houses
12. Pole locations on various streets throughout the Town
13. Plans and descriptions for zoning changes
14. Installing master meter for checking water usage complaints
15. Making various reports to different State Departments
16. Attendance at State and County hearings relative to new highway layouts and requests for contributions on State Aid Roads
17. Various parking studies and reports
18. Investigation and reports on various drainage conditions in the Town
19. Checking chlorine feeding equipment at Hawes Pool and Westwood Pumping Station
20. Printing and placing names on the Honor Roll
21. Gas main locations on various streets
22. Information for various engineers, builders and contractors on sewer and water locations for service connections
23. Attendance at Selectmen's meetings and hearings and at Town Meetings to answer questions relative to Engineering problems
24. Water Street relocation and various conferences relative to locations and designs
25. Various surveys and plans on locations for new industries
ALBERT W. THOMPSON,
Town Engineer
163
REPORT OF PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
Mr. John B. Kennedy General Manager Norwood, Massachusetts
Dear Sir:
I herewith submit my report as Superintendent of Public Works for the year 1951.
HIGHWAYS
Street Cleaning and Patching: Street cleaning and patching was continued as usual. Patrol sweeping was a daily affair in the Norwood and South Norwood busi- ness areas. All streets were swept in the Spring. Road surfaces were again swept wherever gravel, stone or leaves accumulated.
The worn out Town 1/2 Cu. Yd, Power Street Sweeper broke down several times. The cost of reconditioning this unit would more than equal five hundred times the turn in value of the Sweeper.
The department was severely handicapped without its own Sweeper and resorted to a hired Sweeper for limited operations. It is to be hoped that we can acquire a new Town owned 21/2 - 3 Cu. Yd. Sweeper this Spring.
Such a unit could carry its load direct to the Dump. The outmoded 1/2 Cu. Yd. Sweeper could not travel with its load after the hopper was full.
Guard Rail and Wall Maintenance: A new guard rail at 540 Nahatan Street. Repairs were made to the wall and rail at Ellis Pond Brook, Walpole Street, Hawes Brook fence Washington Street, Shattuck School wall, Fulton Street and Chapel Street wall near Washington Street.
Bridges and Culverts: Water Street Bridge across the Neponset River was found unsafe and the street was closed to vehicles per order of The Board of Selectmen.
The flow line of water passing under the Winter Street culvert at the West- wood Town Line was lowered at the request of property owners in the Shady Arbor Development.
The culvert across Endicott Street and the open drain west of the street was cleaned upon request.
Equipment Maintenance and New Equipment: Majors repairs were made to the following -- 105 Cu. Ft. portable Compressor Blower Type Tree Sprayer, Power Street Sweeper, No. 4 and No. 7 Chevrolet Trucks, No. 5 Dodge Truck, No. 11 Mack Truck, Cletrac Overhead Shovel and an HG model Sidewalk Tractor.
Continuous maintenance kept the 22 year old FWD Truck going. The Police and Light Departments cars received maintenance as requested. Remaining Public Work equipment and tools were maintained.
Some of the more important new equipment acquired were: (1) 34 Cu. Yd. Hough Payloader: (2) Jenny Steam Cleaner; (3) Flexible Sewer Rod equipment and Trailer for cleaning main sewers and (4) Electric Homelite Generator for running high speed Chain Saws. Two electric motor driven Chain Saws, Hand Saws, Pruners and other equipment necessary for care of trees.
New Street Signs: Fifty street signs were erected in the Mastercraft, Crest- wood, Hillshire, Cedarcrest, Morrill Park, Dean Hill, Neponset Heights and Plimpton Estates Developments.
164
TOWN OF NORWOOD
Maintenance and Control of Traffic: - New regulatory traffic signs of all descriptions were created and directed. Traffic lines, stop signs, crosswalks, etc. were printed twice. Street signs and traffic signs were repaired and painted as needed.
Walks and Shoulders: Eighteen isolated hot top or gravel Safety Islands were constructed for use of children boarding or leaving school buses.
Granolithic, asphalt or gravel walks disturbed while removing trees were replaced in kind.
Isolated gravel or hot top walks were built on Walpole Street and Oxford Road. Hot top driveway ramps were laid upon request. Washouts were corrected as they occurred.
Shoulder maintenance was carried out on Elm, Malple and Neponset Streets.
A dry masonary wall was erected at one location on Cleveland Street to back up the asphalt sidewalk. And also another location on the same street. fill was placed behind the existing sidewalk for the same reason.
Surface Treatments: Twenty-six thousand, three hundred and ninety-five (26,395) gallons of RC-5 Asphalt and twelve hundred and seventy (1270) tous of 3/8" broken stone was used on resurfacing of street.
Street pavement maintenance will continue to be a serious problem. Poor foundations and lack of drainage cause the rapid deterioration of bituminous treatments. As it is economically impossible to rebuild all of these streets, it is imperative that constant attention be given to these surfaces and that we annually surface, treat, hone, mix in place or hot top approximately 200,000 square yards. At this rate, we would get around the Town once in five years: At the rate appropriations are made at present, a street will be treated on an average of once in twelve and one-half years.
Chapter 90 Maintenance: Approximately $6,0000.00 of our appropriation was appropriation was spent on widening the west side of Neponset Street from Old Washington Street to Jefferson Drive, a distance of 2400 feet. In this section, trees were removed, drainage relaid in part, catch basins and manholes adjusted to grade, excavation was done to the designed subgrade, gravel was placed and bituminous treatment was given to the widened area.
Existing driveways in this area were cither partially or wholly reconstructed due to their musuallly steep slope. Their grade was increased materially when the length of each driveway was cut back to the established gutter line.
Snow and Ice Removal: The snow fall this year did not average normal. How- ever, moderate accumulation early in the year and again in December combined with repeated freezing rain and snow problems, resulted in the Department using large tonnage of sand and salt. Plows were frequently damaged because of striking high manhole covers.
Refuse Collection: The work of collecting rubbish went along smoothly despite many more stops due to increased number of homes. It is planned to print a revised schedule for collections soon and distribute one to each family.
The Rubbish Truck has had little or no maintenance in five years. This year it will require a major overhaul.
Public Dump: The Dump has been well maintained. Bulldozer work at the Dump is on the increase due to the decreasing size of the Dump area, and the increasing payloads carried to the Dump by the Town, contractors and home owners.
165
REPORT OF PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
Trees and brush were burned at the Dump on rainy days. A new shelter for the caretaker was built to replace the one destroyed by fire. Vandals frequently broke the gate and it had to be repaired.
Drain Maintenance and Construction: All drains, catch basins, drain manholes and open drains were maintained as far as appropriation and time would allow. Broken pipe was corrected at Belmont, Central and Sycamore Streets. One catch basin was built on Neponset Street and one on Irving Street.
Gutters were regraded to improve the drainage on Peabody Road and at Chapel, Winter, Dean and Elm Streets.
Tree and Insect Suppression: During 1951, the Tree Department limbed up and pruned many trees upon request. Twenty-five trees were removed by us while four were contracted out to the Bartlett Company.
Roadside trees and trees on Town owned properties were sprayed with a 6% DDT mixture. Elm trees were given a second DDT spray for Elm Leaf Beetle con- trol. Weed killer was spread for the control of poison ivy.
The Bartlett Company were employed to conduct a Town wide survey for elm shade trees suspected of being infested by Dutch Elm Disease. Collected samples were analyzed by the University of Massachusetts Laboratory for Control of Dutch Elm Disease. Seven diseased trees were found and they were destroyed by the Public Works Department.
We have at this writing seven exceedingly large Elm trees that are dead and the cost of removing them by contract will approximate $1,000.00. We believe they were killed by Dutch Elm Disease. To allow them to stand is a menace for two reasons. (!) They will spread the disease if not removed before April and (2) the nature of the disease is the limbs become brittle .and will fall down within two years. I recommend a separate appropriation of $2,500.00 for Dutch Elm Control.
The practice of planting shade trees on private property rather than in the tree lawn was continued where possible. Thirty maples were planted during the year.
The trees on many of our residential streets need to have dead wood cut and cavities cleaned and drained. Not to mention the necessity of limbing up to allow vehicles to pass beneath or pruning for clearance of wires. A large appropriation is recommended for only limited operations can be carried on with the size of the appropriation raised heretofore.
Shrubs at Town buildings, parks and playgrounds were trimmed and shaped at the proper time.
Parks and Playgrounds
Parks Maintenance: The usual maintenance as cleaning grounds, cutting grass and caring for trees in our numerous park system was cared for under this heading. This appropriation provides for the upkeep of center strips on our double barreled highways as well as work to both our many large and small parks.
Playground Maintenance and Improvement: A partial list of the work in this department follows:
Spring cleaning of all playing fields.
Seasonal mowing of all fields.
Cut brush.
Complete reconstruction of Civic Baseball diamond.
Additional benches at Civic Baseball field.
166
TOWN OF NORWOOD
Rebuilt Civic Tennis Courts.
New Soft Ball diamond at Wilson Street.
New 1" Water Line from Wilson Street to bubbler erected at Wilson Street Playgrounds.
General maintenance work on all other baseball fields.
Installation of a second Water Pump and two hundred feet of 2" Water Pipe to take water direct from Great Pond for the toilets and showers at Willett Beach field house.
Hawes Pool:
Loamed and seeded area around pool.
Laid 6" Water Main from Washington Street to pool.
Installed a cooler bubbler.
Repaired and painted pool.
Emptied poo! weekly, cleaned and refilled pool.
Repaired and repainted field house.
Maintained Chlorinator.
Attended to repairs, painting, setting up and removing seasonal equipment at various playgrounds.ยบ
Attended to necessary maintenance at five skating rinks.
Stripped 2000 yards of loam from Hill Street Extension for future use on playgrounds.
Sewer Department
Sewer Maintenance and Construction: The annual cleaning of Mains was car- ried out as far as time and appropriation would allow. Plugs on mains and domestic connections were relieved as they developed. Several house lines were partially relaid when clogged with roots. It would be good policy to repairs others that have backed up year after year.
There were 54 service calls because of trouble in house connections. Most of this work was in new developments. Sixty-eight house connections were laid from existing mains to houses and all but three were laid by Public Works Department personnel.
A new Sewer Station was built at Spruce Road to handle sewage from the Shady Arbor development. Considerable time was required to maintain this station.
Water Department
General: Water was abundant this year and is at a high elevation at this writ- ing. Pumping at Westwood was greater than need be just to deliver water to the distribution system for two reasons. (1) To keep the water level at Buckmaster Pond down to facilitate erection of a pole line to the new well house and (2) To build up available storage during the month of December without pumping from either Westwood or Ellis Stations between the hours of 4:30-6:30 P.M. daily.
Superintendent Hardy of our Light Department reports that the Boston Edison Company base their 1952 rates on the peak demands of the previous year. And to offset the Christmas lighting loads, we did not run our large motor during hours of peak loads throughout the holiday season. We understand this operation alone saved the community an estimated $2,500.00 on their 1952 Edison power bills.
Westwood Station: The new 12" line from the recently driven well to the force main at the Westwood Station is finished. Both well and line were tested and found satisfactory. The new well honse is finished, the pump and motor is installed
167
REPORT OF PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
and we now await the controls. It is anticipated that this well will be supplying us with water within two months.
The Westwood Station lawn was regraded and the overflow culvert from the pond was repaired. The clear water basin was drained and cleaned. The sand filters were cleaned frequently.
A bulldozer roughed out a road around one side of the pond for use of the Light Department and sloped the shore of the pond adjacent to Pond Street.
A 10" valve was inserted in the force main line within the station to replace one that was found defective.
Miscellaneous large size obsolete pipe and valves were also removed. The high lift pump was packed and the floor of the low lift pump room was elevated to the grade of the pump concrete footings by adding gravel fill. Later the surface will be concreted. A sump pump in this room was replaced when the motor burned out. The chlorinating aparatus was maintained.
Ellis Station: Grounds-The shrubbery and lawns were maintained. The pine groves within the water shed were thinned out and trees pruned, so that we could better prevent forest fires.
Surface water from Mastercraft was allowed to run off to land around No. 2 Gravel Packed Well.
The old gravel pit was stripped of loam and most of the fill used by the department came from this pit.
Targets were repaired at the Rifle Range, brush cut and gates and signs erected to prevent trespass to the Range were put in A-l condition.
The interior of the new Ellis Station was kept in repairs and painted. Two exterior walls require waterproofing and the outside wooden trim need painting. The roof on an ell of the Old Ellis Station was shingled.
Machinery Maintenance: All meters were calibrated and adjusted. A large motor driving one of the two high lift pumps was sent to the General Electric Company for a major overhaul. The motor bearings on the second high lift pump were renewed by Public Works water pumping station operators.
Sleeves were replaced on one of the two low lift pumps. A burned out single phase sump pump motor was replaced by a new three phase motor.
The vacuum pumps have seen a lot of service. One of the three units in use at this station is away for repairs. And we hope to purchase a new motor to go along with a spare pump we have on hand.
Then we can progressively repair the remaining units and have in the end a spare motor driven pump to replace the vacuum pump at Westwood, or any of the three at Ellis.
Water Maintenance and Construction
Mains: Several mains were broken mostly by contractors as they were excavat- ing preparing the trench to tie into existing mains.
Mains were blown off upon request to correct color, taste, odor or free the pipes of sand.
Hydrants: Nine aged hydrants were replaced. Hydrant gates were installed if none existed. Eventually we hope to carry out a program of annually inspecting and turning down all main gates. This objective is to break loose all corrosive deposits that build up beneath the moving parts of a gate and prevent the gate from shutting in an emergency.
168
TOWN OF NORWOOD
Seasonal inspection of hydrants were conducted to insure positive operation of hydrants during cold weeather.
Replacement, repairs, and blowing out of water house connections is a large part of the program for any water department. Low pressure jobs were wired out upon request. Another part of the maintenance program is Metering and Meter repairs.
Meter Repairs and Replacements: The department, now having a new build- ing has been able to once more set up a Meter Shop. We have procured a new meter test bench and facilities that go hand in hand with testing and repairing meters.
The meter is the cash register of the water department and to get the right revenue the meters should be accurate. Many of our meters under register due to lack of maintenance. We should, therefore, at a minimum, plan to test all of our meters once in seven years. Two hundred and eighty-three (283) new meters were set and three hundred and seventy (370) replaced during the year.
Standpipes: No work was done on the tanks this year, but they will require painting next year. The action of the altitude valve has not been positive either on opening or closing. Repairs have been made but the spring tension that actuates the motion of the valve has not been completely adjusted at this writing.
Water Construction: The department with its own force installed 95 of the 98 new water house connections, completed at the request of home owners.
1 short section of main was added to the existing six-inch St. John's Avenne water main.
A total of 525,584,000 gallons was delivered to the mains from Ellis Station and 168,129,000 gallons was delivered to the mains from Westwood Station making the total delivered to mains 693,713,000 gallons.
Miscellaneous
The town, being a self-insurer for Workmen's Compensation has paid for com- pensation pay and medical expenses. Regular employees received two weeks vaca- tion with pay and are allowed sick leave for the year to the extent of 15 working days.
New Town Garage
The second section of the cleven new garages were dedicated in October when we were host to the Norfolk-Bristol Highway Superintendents' Association. We are much better equipped now to render service than formerly. Ultimately we shall require another building for storage of materials and out of season equipment. We have a new gas pump with new 10,000 gallon underground tank. And, a new 850 gallon underground tank for storage of fuel oil for the first section. This installation of gas heaters and piping in the new section was handled by this department.
General
The General Manager and the Board of Selectmen should give serious consid- eration to a program for procuring replacements and added new equipment.
In concluding this report, we express our appreciation of the friendly and co- operative attitude not only of the elected and appointed officials of the town but of all employees with whom we have had contact.
Respectfully submitted,
ALBERT E. CASEY, Superintendent of Public Works
In Memoriam
VINCENZO FAMIGLIETTO
Born February 20, 1881 Died May 19, 1951
Vincenzo Famiglietto, 38 Tremont Street, was employed by the Town of Norwood from the year 1922 until his retirement from active service on February 16, 1950 as a Blacksmith.
He worked on a good many sewer, water, drain and highway projects that helped to develop Norwood.
HUGH NICHOLS
Born 1875 Died September 23, 1951
Hugh Nichols was employed by the Town of Norwood in the year 1923 and worked until his retirement a few years ago as a laborer, park employee and general all around utility man.
DANIEL SLATTERY
Born August 10, 1872 Died August 24. 1951
Daniel Slattery, 19 Everett Avenue, was employed by the Town of Norwood since September 3, 1908 and during the last thirty years as a Water Station Pumping Operator until his retirement a few years ago. He also served the town as a Selectman years ago.
The above men served the Town of Norwood faithfully for a great num- ber of years and helped make Norwood the wonderful town it is to-day.
The Town of Norwood extends this expression of gratitude for their long period of faithful service and records its appreciation and its expression of condolence in their departure.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
NORWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
. MASS ... Z
.
.
29
TOWN OF NORWOOD MASSACHUSETTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31
1951
171
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
REPORT OF THE NORWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE 1951
School Committee
John J. Cavanaugh
235 Railroad Avenue, NOrwood 7-0679-M
Term Expires 1952
Edward H. Thompson 9 Gardner Road, NOrwood 7-1735-R
1952
John F. Kiley 1953
14 George Street, NOrwood 7-0198
John F. Reynolds 1953
31 Oak Road, NOrwood 7-0851
Thomas R. Bowler 195-
112 Winslow Avenue, NOrwood 7-1180-R
Frances L. Blanchot 226 Vernon Street, NOrwood 7-0299-W
1954
Organization John F. Reynolds, Chairman Elizabeth Syverson, Clerk
Standing Committees
Appointment of Teachers: Mr. Bowler, Mr. Kiley, Mr. Reynolds.
Educational Proram, Purchase of School Books and Supplies: Mr. Kiley, Mr. Bowler, Miss Blanchot.
Finance: Mr. Thompson, Mr. Cavanaugh, Miss Blanchot.
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