USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Palmer > Town Annual Report of the Officers of the Town of Palmer, Massachusetts 1926 > Part 4
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two years; one member of the School Committee (to fill vacancy) for the term of two years; two members of Planning Board for the term of two years; a Town Clerk. one Road Commissioner, one Overseer of the Board of Health, one Cemetery Commissioner, and two members of the Planning Board, all for the term of three years.
The polls will be open at six o'clock in the forenoon and will be closed at three-thirty o'clock in the afternoon.
And you are further hereby required to notify and warn the inhabitants of said Palmer, qualified to vote in town affairs, to meet at the Town House at Four Corners, in said Palmer, on Monday, the fourteenth day of Feb- ruary, A. D. 1927, at seven o'clock in the evening, then and there to act on the following articles, viz :
Article 1. To choose a Moderator to preside at said meeting.
Article 2. To choose all other usual town officers.
Article 3. To act on the reports of the town officers.
Article 4. To raise money and make appropriations to defray expenses of the town for the ensuing year.
Article 5. To see if the town will authorize the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen, to bor- row during the ensuing financial year, in anticipation of the revenue of said year, such sums of money as may be necessary for current expenses of the town, but not ex- ceeding in the aggregate the amount permitted by law, giving the note or notes of the town therefor, payable within one year from the date thereof, all debts incurred under authority of this vote to be paid from revenue of the said financial year.
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Article 6. To hear and act on the reports of com- mittees.
Article 7. To choose committees and give them in- structions.
Article 8. To determine the manner and state the terms and conditions of collecting the taxes for the en- suing year, and fix the compensation of the collector of taxes.
Article 9. To see if the town will raise and appro- priate money to suppress the illegal sale of intoxicating liquors.
Article 10. To see if the town will raise and appro- priate money for the Young Men's Library Association, or take any action relative thereto.
Article 11. To see if the town will raise money to convey pupils to and from public schools, and instruct the school committee as to the manner of letting the contract. for such conveyance.
Article 12. To see if the town will vote to raise money for the observance of Memorial Day.
Article 13. To see what action the town will take in relation to sewers.
Article 14. To see what action the town will take in respect to lighting the streets and whether it will authorize the selectmen to make contract therefor, and. raise and appropriate money for the same.
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Article 15. To see what action the town will take in reference to the planting and preservation of shade trees.
Article 16. To see what action the town will take in regard to sidewalks and curbing.
Article 17. To see if the town will raise and appro- priate money for the improvement of cemeteries.
Article 18. To see if the town will appropriate money for the suppression of gypsy and brown-tail moths and elm tree beetles.
Article 19. To see what action the town will take relative to suits and claims now pending against the town.
Article 20. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate money for the insurance and maintenance of the auto fire trucks for the ensuing year, or see what ac- tion it will take relative thereto.
Article 21. To see if the town will appropriate money for defraying the town's share of the support of the Dis- trict Court.
Article 22. To see if the town will appropriate such sum of money as may be necessary to defray the cost of rent, janitor service and maintenance of the town offices in the Holbrook Building.
Article 23. To see if the town will vote to sprinkle or spread upon its public ways, or parts thereof, water or any liquid or material suitable for laying or preventing dust and preserving the surface of such ways and for sani- tary purposes, the cost thereof to be assessed upon abutt- ing estates, or take any action relative thereto.
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Article 24. To see if the town will raise and appro- priate any sum of money to be paid to the Wing Memo- rial Hospital Association for the charitable purposes of said association in this town, or for the care and support in said hospital of persons wholly or in part unable to sup- port or care for themselves, or take any action relative thereto.
Article 25. To see if the town will make provision for reimbursing the police officers for expenses incurred in the investigation of cases and otherwise in the discharge of their duties.
Article 26. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,000.00 to help defray the cost of maintaining the District Nurse.
Article 27. To see if the town will vote to maintain police in the several villages, authorize the selectmen to employ and appoint in addition a Chief of Police, and to make rules and regulations for the government of all the police officers of the town, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
Article 28. To see if the town will raise and appro- priate money to meet the town's share of the cost to the County of Hampden for providing adequate hospital care for consumptives under the provisions of Chapter 111 of the General Laws.
Article 29. To see if the town will raise and appro- priate the sum of five hundred dollars, or any sum, to be expended within the town under the direction of the Trus- tees for County Aid to Agriculture for the promotion of boys' and girls' work in agriculture, home making and country life in the town, including agricultural demon-
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stration work on land owned by the town, or owned by any resident of the town, in accordance with the pro- visions of Section 45 of Chapter 128 of the General Laws.
Article 30. To see if the town will appropriate money under the authority of Section 22 of Chapter 115 of the General Laws for the care of graves of persons who served in the Army, Navy or Marine Corps of the United States in time of war or insurrection and were honorably dis- charged from such service.
Article 31. To see if the town will vote to instruct the selectmen to represent the town with counsel on all matters pending before the legislature regarding the tak- ing of the waters of the Swift River for the uses of the Metropolitan Water District.
Article 32. To see if the town will appropriate money, to be expended in the discretion and under the direction of the selectmen, for the repair and maintenance of the clock in the Universalist Church tower in the Depot Vil- lage, or take any action relative thereto.
Article 33. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for the purpose of furnishing and equipping the new Quabaug School building in the Wire Mill District.
Article 34. To see if the town will vote to furnish electric current for the lighting of the four danger signal lights erected by the Commonwealth and situate one on each side of the underpasses near the electric light sta- tion and raise and appropriate money for the same.
Article 35. To see if the town will vote to acquire by purchase from the Thorndike Company, for use in con-
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nection with the Thorndike Grammar School, the tract of land lying on the easterly side of the present school and bounded northerly by Main Street, Easterly by Commer- cial Street, Southerly by land of the heirs of H. E. W. Clark and land of Daniel J. Sullivan and Westerly by the school lot, and raise and appropriate money for the same.
Article 36. To see if the town will vote to accept the provisions of Section 73 of Chapter 41 of the General Laws providing for a Board of Survey.
Article 37. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of eighteen hundred dollars to be ex- pended by the Planning Board established at the last an- nual meeting for the purpose of making a survey of the town and developing therefrom a zoning map and by-laws for the purpose of regulating the use of property and the construction of buildings in accordance with the provisions of the General Laws.
Article 38. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for the construction of a sewer, with suitable catch basins, on Old Center Road, so- called, Thorndike, from corner of George Fortune's prop- erty through Gay Avenue and the Ware Road to the Ware River, install a septic tank in connection therewith, or carry sewage from said streets through any other street or road and private land to the Ware River, or take any action relative thereto.
Article 39. To see if the town will raise and appro- priate a sum of money for the construction of a sewer in Oak Street in the Village of Three Rivers from the inter- section of Charles and Oak Streets northerly to a point in' the Ware and Swift Rivers.
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Article 40. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate such sum of money as may be necessary to pay overdrafts made by the several departments of the town during the year 1926, or take any action relative thereto.
Article 41. To see if the town will accept and al- low a town way known as Hill Street in the Village of Thorndike as laid out by the Road Commissioners as fol- lows: Beginning at a concrete bound in the northeast- erly side of Church Street in the Villge of Thorndike, in said Palmer, said bound being in the northwest corner of Auction Lot numbered 61 as shown on "plan of Property of Thorndike Company, W. H. & H. W. Brainerd, En- gineers, October, 1926," recorded with Hampden County Deeds, Book of Plans Y, Pages 82 and 83; thence N. 39° 10' E. two hundred fifty-five and 10/100 (255.10) feet to a concrete bound; thence by a curve to the left with a radius of one hundred fifty-three feet a distance of three hundred ninety-three (393) feet to a concrete bound in line of land of the Thorndike Company; thence N. 51º 52' W. fifty-nine (59) feet to a concrete bound ; thence by a curve to the right with a radius of one hundred seventy- three (173) feet a distance of one hundred thirty-four and 42/100 (134.42) feet to a concrete bound; thence N. 6° 52' W. two hundred seventy-eight (278) feet to a concrete bound in line of land of the Thorndike Company. The line described is the southeasterly and easterly side line of land of the Thorndike Company. The line described is the southeasterly and easterly side line of said town way as laid out ; the northwesterly and westerly side line is des- cribed as follows: Beginning at a concrete bound in the northeasterly side of said Church Street, said bound being forty-five (45) feet distant and northwesterly from the con- crete bound first above mentioned; thence southeasterly
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by a curve to the left with a radius of sixteen (16) feet a distance of twenty-three and 60/100 (23.60) feet to a concrete bound; thence N. 39° 10' E. two hundred twelve and 54/100 (212.54) feet to a concrete bound (throughout this course the side lines are parallel and the way as laid out is twenty-five (25) feet wide) ; thence N. 23° 10' eighty (80) feet to a concrete bound (in this course the way as laid out widens from twenty-five to forty feet) ; thence by a curve to the left with a radius of two hundred thirteen (213) feet a distance of two hundred seventy-five (275) feet to a concrete bound (throughout this course the way as laid out is forty feet wide) ; thence N 51º 52' W. one hundred seventy-five (175) feet to a concrete bound on the southerly side of Harding Street; thence north- easterly, crossing said Harding Street, forty-two and five- tenths (42.5) feet to a concrete bound at the easterly terminus of Harding Street; thence N. 6º 52' W. three hundred two and 20/100 (302.20) feet to a concrete bound in line of land of the Thorndike Company (throughout this course the way as laid out is forty feet wide).
Article 42. To see if the town will accept and allow a town way known as Harding Street in the Village of Thorndike as laid out by the Road Commissioners as fol- lows: Beginning at a concrete bound on the westerly side of Hill Street in the Village of Thorndike, in said Palmer, and at the southeasterly corner of Auction Lot numbered 56 and 57 as shown on "Plan of Property of Thorndike Company, W. H. & H. W. Brainerd, Engineers, October, 1926," recorded with Hampden County Deeds., Book of Plans Y, Pages 82 and 83; thence S. 83° 8' \V. two hun- dred forty-five and 30/100 (245.30) feet to a concrete bound on the easterly side of Hobbs Street. The line described is the northerly side line of said town way as laid out, the southerly side line being parallel therewith and forty (40) feet distant therefrom.
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Article 43. To see if the town will accept and allow a town way known as Hobbs Street in the Village of Thorndike, as laid out by the Road Commissioners as fol- lows: Beginning at a concrete bound in range with the southerly line of Harding Street in the Village of Thorn- dike, in said Palmer, and forty (40) feet westerly from the westerly terminus of said line, thence N. 6º 52' W. three hundred forty-two and 20/100 (342.20) feet to a concrete bound in line of land of the Thorndike Company. The line described is the westerly side line of said town way as laid out, the easterly side line being parallel therewith and forty (40) feet distant therefrom.
Article 44. To see if the town will accept and allow a town way known as Pine Avenue in the Village of Thorn- dike, as laid out by the Road Commissioners as follows: Beginning at a concrete bound in the easteriy side of Church Street in the Village of Thorndike, in said Palmer, said bound being in the southwest corner of Auction Lot numbered 10 as shown on "Plan of Property of Thorndike Company, W. H. & H. W. Brainerd, Engineers, October, 1926." recorded with Hampden County Deeds, Book of Plans Y, Pages 8? and 83. thence N. 69° 49' E. one hundred fifty and 30/100 (150.30) feet to a concrete bound ; thence N. 62º 52' E. one hundred two and 60/100 (102.60) feet to a concrete bound; thence N. 12º 19' E. four hundred thirty-seven and 60/100 (431.60) feet to a concrete bound in line of land of the Thorndike Company. The line described is the northerly side line of said town way as laid out; the southerly side line is described as follows: Be- ginning at a concrete bound in the easterly side of said Church Street at a point thirty (30) feet southerly from the concrete bound first above mentioned : thence N. 69° 49' E. one hundred fifty-one and 70/100 (151.70) feet to a concrete bound (throughout this course the street is thirty feet wide) ; thence N. 65° 42' E. one hundred and
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80/100 (100.80) feet to a concrete bound (in this course the way as laid out widens to thirty-five feet at the last named bound), thence in a line parallel with the northerly side line of the way as laid out and thirty-five (33) feet distant therefrom four hundred thirty-seven and 90/100 (437.90) feet to a concrete bound in line of land of the Thorndike Company.
Article 45. To see if the town will vote to authorize the Town Clerk to issue to dog owners tags bearing same number as that of the dog license issued to them, and ap- propriate a sum of money for the purchase of the same.
Article 47. To see if the town will vote to acquire by purchase from Henry D. Converse land situate on the westerly side of Converse Street in the Depot Village and next easterly of land of Charles A. and Florence E. Calla- han, and from Charles A. and Florence E. Callahan land situate on the easterly side of Park Street in the Depot Village and next westerly of land of Henry D. Converse, for the purpose of a park and approach to the new high school building as a memorial to the soldiers, sailors and marines who served in the World War from the town, and use such part of the money returned to the town by the state under the provisions of Chapter 480 of the Acts of 1924, as may be necessary for that purpose.
Article 48. To see what appropriation the town will make of the sum of $5,045.11, with interest accrued thereon, returned to it by the Commonwealth as its share of cer- tain surplus funds collected to provide suitable recogni- tion of those residents of Massachusetts who served in the Army and Navy of the United States during the war with Germany under the provisions of Chapter 480 of the Acts of 1924, and now held as a special fund as per- mitted by said chapter.
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Article 49. To see if the town will vote to set apart any portion of the land owned by it for the purpose of establishing thereon a town forest and appropriate a sum of money not exceeding one thousand dollars for reclaim- ing and planting said land, or take any action relative thereto.
Article 50. To see if the town will vote to authorize the board of health to furnish children under school age free toxine and anti-toxine treatment for the prevention of diphtheria, and raise and appropriate the sum of five hundred dollars for this purpose.
And you are hereby directed to serve this warrant by posting up attested copies thereof in some one public place in each of the four villages of the town known as the Depot Village, Thorndike, Three Rivers and Bondsville, seven days at least before the holding of said meeting, and by publishing an attested copy thereof in at least two issues of the Journal-Register, a newspaper published in said Pal- mer, the first publication to be not less than seven days before the holding of said meeting.
Hereof fail not and make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon, to the Town Clerk, at or before the holding of said meeting.
Given under our hands this nineteenth day of January, A. D. 1927.
WILLIAM B. KERIGAN, FRANK G. ROGERS, CHARLES A. CALLAHAN.
Selectmen of Palmer
A true copy, Attest :
MICHAEL COLLINS,
Constable of the Town of Palmer
TOWN OF PALMER
SCHOOL REPORT
For the Year Ending DECEMBER 31, 1926
School Committee, 1926 --- 1927
Dr. George A. Moore, Chairman Clifton H. Hobson, Secretary
*Dr. Charles Giroux Term expires 1929
Robert E. Faulkner
Term expires 1929
John F. Shea Term expires 1928
Jeremiah J. Kelley
Term expires 1928
Dr. John F. Roche
Term expires 1927
Dr. George A. Moore
Term expires 1927
Regular meetings of the School Committee are held at 7.30 p. m. on the Tuesday before the last Friday of each school month.
All bills must be in the hands of the Superintendent on the Monday before the above date.
Superintendent of Schools, Clifton H. Hobson.
Office, High School Building . Telephone 54. Office Hours :- 8 a. m. to 12 m., 1 to 5 p. m .; Saturdays, 9 a. m. to 12 m.
ATTENDANCE OFFICERS
Patrick McKelligett, Depot
Charles Thomas,
Depot
T. J. Crimmins, Depot
Patrick Nagle,
Thorndike
D. V. Fogarty.
Three Rivers
William Smith,
Three Rivers
John Mansfield,
Bondsville
Arthur Bennett,
Forest Lake
Edmund L. Guerin,
Town
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JANITORS
Patrick McKelligett,
Palmer
Jerry Sullivan,
Palmer
Herbert Blanchard,
Palmer
Patrick Nagle,
Thorndike
John P. Donahue,
Bondsville
William Smith,
Three Rivers
Daniel Dunn
Wire Mill
*Resigned September 21, 1926.
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Calendar
HIGH SCHOOL
Winter term begins January 3, 1927; ends February 25, 1927 Spring term begins March 7, 1927; ends April 29, 1927 Summer term begins May 9, 1927; ends July 1, 1927 Fall term begins September 6, 1927; ends December 23, 1927 Winter term begins January 2, 1928 ; ends February 24, 1928 Spring term begins March 5, 1928; ends April 27, 1928 Summer term begins May 7, 1928; ends June 29, 1928
OTHER SCHOOLS
Winter term begins January 3, 1927; ends February 25, 1927 Spring term begins March 7, 1927; ends April 29, 1927 Summer term begins May 9, 1927; ends June 17, 1927 Fall term begins September 6, 1927; ends December 23, 1927 Winter term begins January 2, 1928 ; ends February 24, 1928 Spring term begins March 5, 1928; ends April 27, 1928 Summer term begins May 7, 1928; ends June 15, 1928
VACATIONS-ALL SCHOOLS
Winter-February 26, 1927, to March 6, 1927, inclusive. Spring-April 30, 1927, to May 8, 1927 inclusive Summer-(Grades) : June 18, 1927, to September 5, 1927, inclusive
(High) : July 2, 1927, to September 5, 1927, inclusive
Fall-December 24, 1927, to January 1, 1928, inclusive Winter-February 25, 1928, to March 4, 1928, inclusive
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Spring-April 28, 1928, to May 6, 1928, inclusive Summer-(Grades) : June 16, 1928, to September 3, 1928, inclusive
(High) : June 30, 1928, to September 3, 1928, inclusive
HOLIDAYS
Washington's Birthday, Patriot's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Convention Day, Thanksgiv- ing (with day following).
Report of Superintendent of Schools
To the School Committee of the Town of Palmer :
Gentlemen :- I herewith present my sixteenth annual report as Superintendent of Schools in Paimer. This is the thirty-fourth in the series of reports issued by the superintendents of the town.
INTRODUCTION
The report this year will be very brief; in fact, the briefest of any ever submitted by the present superinten- dent. The brevity is not due to lack of material to place before you, and, through you, before the citizens of the Town. It is due, rather, to an attempt to meet the spirit of economy which the Town desires to practice.
Attendance
The attendance statistics for the school year of 1925- 1926 show the usual healthy condition that has existed over a period of some fifteen (15) years. Year in and year out, during all this time, the attendance has been remark- ably good from every possible standpoint. During the. past two (2) years in which the State has ranked the towns and cities in the matter of average attendance, Pal- mer's position has been very high. For the school year 1923-24, we ranked thirteenth (13th) in the State; for 1924- 25, we ranker twelfth (12th) in the State. There are three hundred and fifty-five (355) towns and cities in Massachusetts.
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Summarized, the statistics are as follows :
1925-1926
Average
Membership
Average
Attendance
% of
Attendance
Tardinesses
Enrolment
High,
216.9
268.0
96.13
47
308
Thorndike Street,
285.85
215.27
96.24
35
326
Park Street.
422.68
402.1
95.13
36
418
Three Rivers Grammar,
272.44
261.69
95.96
26
289
Wenimisset,
163.29
156.5
95.84
48
119
Thorndike,
260.02
249.76
96.05
14
302
Bondsville Grammar,
396.9
388.36
97.85
9
420
Wire Mill,
88.8
85.18
95.96
23
108
Forest Lake,
22.11
21.08
95.00
4
25
Palmer Center,
21.12
19.86
94.03
28
Total,
2,210.11 2,127.80
96.27 264 2,463
Attention is particularly called to the high percentage of attendance-ninety-six and twenty-seven hundredths per cent. (96.27%). This is very slightly less than last year's-ninety-six and thirty-two hundredths per cent. (96.32%).
Two hundred sixty-four (264) pupils were tardy dur- ing the year. This number is not large, especially when you remember that, with a membership of 2,210.11, at- tending school approximately one hundred ninety (190) days, with two (?) opportunities a day to be tardy, the chances of tardiness run well up towards four hundred thousand (400,000).
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The outstanding feature of our attendance is the fact that three hundred fifty-nine (359) pupils secured Perfect Attendance Certificates, having been neither absent nor tardy during the entire year. In other words, approxi- mately sixteen and two-thirds per cent. (1623%) of our average membership were given Perfect Attendance Certifi- cates. This means that, approximately, one (1) out of every six (6) children in the Palmer schools had neither an absent nor a tardy mark registered against him through- out the entire year.
Changes in Teaching Corps
One of the greatest obstacles that has confronted school work in Palmer during my incumbency has been the con- stant change in teaching corps. This change is not pecu- liar to Palmer, by any means; it does exist, nevertheless, to a far larger degree than in most towns or cities. Pal- mer always has been a training ground for teachers. Sur- rounding towns and cities, which pay more money, seem quite willing to take teachers from Palmer after they have had a year or two of experience.
This past year has been pronounced in the number and kind of changes that have occurred. Changes in prin- cipalships, especially, have been very numerous. Mr. Hur- ley, who had been principal of the High School since 1915, resigned to enter the insurance business; Miss Alice W. Perry, who had been principal of the Thorndike Street School since 1921, resigned to become married; Miss Mary I. Hartnett, who had been principal of the Bondsville Grammar School since 1919, died. All three (3) of these principals were able, faithful, and conscientious in the dis- charge of their duties. Their influence was good upon the pupils over whom they had jurisdiction.
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To fill the places left vacant, several changes were necessary. For instance, in the Thorndike Street School. in making Miss Lucy Austin principal, changes were made in all of the eight (8) rooms, with one (1) exception. To fill the vacancy left by the death of Miss Hartnett, Miss. Bernadette Shea was transferred from the principalship of the Wenimisset to the principalship of the Bondsville School. This created a vacancy in the Wenimisset School, to which Miss Esther Shea was elected.
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