USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Andover > Town annual report of Andover 1950-1954 > Part 27
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Salesman 33 Pasho St.
Golden, William H.
Farmer 22.Carmel Rd.
Gordon, Ella M.
Textile worker Lowell St.
Gordon, Walter N. Gouck, Harry Greenhow, John M.
Clerk 10 Burnham Rd.
Retired 124 Main St.
Greenwood, Ralph L.
Operative Tewksbury St.
Haselton, Mabel M.
Housewife 11 Cheever Cir.
Electrician 13 Chestnut St.
Hill, Charles A. Jr. Hill, Marion E.
Purchasing Agt. 93 Central St.
123 Main St. 15 Cedar Rd. 125 Main St.
Salesman
Chauffeur
93 Abbot St. Chandler Rd.
Draper, Ralph L.
Dunnells, Mabel R.
21 Harding St. Chandler Rd. 27 Bartlet St. 36 Summer St. Lowell St. 4 Arundel St. 53 Phillips St. 103 Abbot St. 83 Chestnut St. 36 Walnut Ave. 49 Abbot St. 50 York St. 66 Park St.
59 Salem St. 15 Abbot St. Painter 37 Maple Ave. Farmer Pleasant St. Janitor 1 Sweeney Court H'wife & Treas. 5 Kensington St.
Glines, Arthur B.
Electrician
Maintenance Dept. 47 Union St.
159
Hodge, Robert Howe, Carolyn D. Johnson, Leonard P. Jones, Arthur W.
Retired
74 Chestnut St.
Saleswoman 234 Highland Rd.
Architect
Clerk
22 York St. 98 Main St.
Baseball Scout. 10 Stratford St. Carpenter Haggetts Pond Rd.
Killorin, Karl
Real Estate
77 Main St. 1 Stratford Rd.
Knipe, Wilson Jr.
Clerk
Krinsky, Morris
Junk Dealer
41 Elm St.
Lawrence, Camille
Cashier
4 Lewis St.
Lindsay, Edith F.
Housewife
Lincoln Cir. Brown St.
Livingston, Delia M.
Housewife
Livingston, Harold S.
Florist
107 Abbot St.
Lundergan, Charles J.
Painter
68 Essex St.
MacDonald, David
Operative
1 Upland Rd.
Markey, Gertrude M. McDonald, William L. McFarlin, Margaret H.
Housewife
2 Punchard Ave.
McGhie, Gavin H.
Railroad
72 Clark Rd.
Mill, Victor J. Jr.
Mfgr.
4 Cedar Rd.
Milne, David
Laborer
20 Cuba St.
Monan, Joseph C.
Tel. Co. Tester
7 Argyle St. 105 Chestnut St.
Mooar, Mary R.
Housewife
Lowell St.
Morehouse, W. Ray
Service Mgr.
124 Chestnut St
Mosher, James R.
Clerk
78 Haverhill St. 104 Pine St.
Murray, John M.
Gas Station Prop. 27 Summer St.
Nason, Harry C.
Carpenter 369 Andover St.
Property Mgr.
63 Chestnut St.
Nowell, Frederick N. Noyes, May L. O'Connell, John F.
Counsellor
1 Punchard Ave. 49 Elm St.
O'Connor, Michael J.
Chauffeur
Otis, Herbert H.
Insurance
70 Summer St.
Pendleton, Andrew S.
Poultryman Dascomb Rd.
Peterson, Elmer O.
Poultryman
Greenwood Rd.
Pike, Walter N.
Piper, Gladys M.
Core. maker 18 Walnut Ave. Burler 29 Canterbury St. Clerk 37 High St.
Poland, William
Housewife
48 Chestnut St.
Retired
Railroad St.
Monro, Frances
Housewife
Mowat, Raymond G.
Real Estate
General Work 19 Lovejoy St.
160
Jones, Lucius P. Kearn, Frederick J.
Polgreen, John A. Quigley, Evelyn M. Rafton, Helen G. Regan, Charles D. Remmes, Joseph T. Robbins, Ralph I. Robertson, Foster G.
36 Whittier St. Insurance Housewife So. Main St. Chemist & Housewife Alden Rd.
Gas Sta. Prop. Electrician
Mech. engr. Caretaker
79 Summer St. Woodland Rd. Red Spring Rd. 7 Canterbury St.
Rooks, Barbara L.
Sherry, Frank R.
Shorrock, Bessie R.
Sjostrom, Iva L. Jr.
Smith, Arthur J.
Smith, Frederick C.
Smith, Frederick H.
Real Estate
Smith, Geraldine P.
Housewife
Machinist
Florist
Contractor
11 Virginia Rd.
Stopford, William W.
Operative Accountant
Sullivan, Augustine P. Sutton, Osborne
Candymaker Housewife
Symonds, Eva M. Taylor, Josephine B.
Housewife
Teichert, Elsie M.
Housewife
Thomas, Horace R.
Retired
15 Memorial Cir. 42 Summer St. 56 River St. 91 Lowell St. 72 Park St.
Wade, Albert H.
Retired
Ward, Everett T.
Ins. Agent
Ward Roswell E.
Weeks, Clarence H. Weimar, Helen N. Wetterberg, Carl A.
Salesman 2 Brechin Terr. Commercial Agt. 66 Chestnut St. Housewife 21 High Plain Rd. Janitor 53 Summer St.
Housewife 53 Summer St.
Wetterberg, Glennie P. Williams, Isabelle M.
Housewife Lincoln St.
Zalla, Eugene Zecchini, John A.
Shipping Clerk 3 Chester St. Salesman County Rd.
161
50 Chestnut St. 34 Essex St. 119 Chestnut St. 4 Beech Cir. 38 Canterbury St. West Knoll Rd.
Thomson, James G. Trow, Henry J.
Operative
Chauffeur
6 Stratford Rd. 86 Main St. 20 Johnson Rd. 97 Chestnut St. 78 Lowell St.
Spinney, Charles H. Stedman, Herbert D. Stevens, Carl H.
Housewife
Gift Shop Mgr. 8 Lincoln St. Pattern Maker 247 Andover St.
8 Maple Ave. Organist 84 Main St. Bricklayer Rattlesnake Hill Rd. Insurance
Trustees and Staff of Memorial Hall Library
CAROLINE P. LEAVITT
LEO F. DALEY
E. DEAN WALEN
ARTHUR W. REYNOLDS
JOSEPH SERIO
WILLIAM N. PERRY
ALAN R. BLACKMER
Chairman ARTHUR W. REYNOLDS
Secretary WILLIAM N. PERRY
Treasurer LEO F. DALEY
Librarian MIRIAM PUTNAM
MARGARET D. MANNING, Assistant Librarian, in charge, Readers' Services
MARGARET LANE, Children's Librarian
MARY F. ZECCHINI, Catalog and Reference Librarian*
ELEANORE G. BLISS, Circulation Assistant*
CAROLYN S. BENDROTH, Secretarial Assistant M. ETHEL ZINK, Branch Librarian, Ballard Vale
Janitor ARCHIBALD D. MACLAREN
*Part-time
** Resigned
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LIBRARY BOOKS AND LIBRARY READERS
Library reports over a number of years have attempted to interpret the library's progress in terms of how well it seemed to be carrying out its announced objectives. If, on the whole, the reports have struck a positive note, the fact that there is often a gap between objective and performance has not gone entirely unnoticed. One year the report was concerned with the community character of the library; another with its unique aptitude for serving the individual. At no time has the library felt called upon to justify its stock and trade for it has felt that its main goal is to develop new readers and to make books ever more attractive through its individual reader guidance and the many-sided program which it provides. However, with more and more time im- pinged upon by radio and television and with less and less margin of time available for quiet contemplation, the. be- ginning of 1953 may be an excellent time to think about books, ideas and creative readers and to consider their place in everyday life.
WHY PEOPLE READ
If we take a moment to consider why we read and the effect that this reading has upon us, we are brought up short with the realization that it is a highly personal matter for which it is difficult to discover easily the underlaying mo- tives. Almost anyone though, who reads at all, we are sure would agree with Milton that "books are not absolutely dead things but do contain a potency of life in them ... " That ยท power may and does differ with different people but it is there all the same.
and WHAT BOOKS MEAN TO THEM
A young woman reveals that her basic reason for reading is to broaden her understanding and experience and to make her better able to relate herself to her world. Someone shares with us his joy in recognizing the source of an editorial il- lusion to the "Big-Endians and Little-Endians" which a re- cent rereading of "Gulliver's Travels" made possible. An individual tells of the impact of a particular book which changed certain aspects of his life. Someone compares the
163
drive to read with the thirst of a person lost in a desert with- out water. A man speaks of the ameliorative character of books and suggests that the thoughtful reading of good books on current problems and about faraway peoples may contribute to the building of a peaceful world. In fact al- most everyday we are reminded of the diversity of reading interests and of reading tastes that differ with need and and mood. Indeed we believe that individuals who delight in ideas and in the aesthetic experience which comes with the reading of well-written, artistic books, are themselves sharing in the creative process when they bring to their reading sensitive, responsive and critical minds.
Not all reading has to be of this kind to have value. The man who told us that books in the library's collection has prepared him for a new and better job was suggesting the power that books can have in increasing vocational compe- tency. The young man who has built a seventeen foot boat from a plan in a library book has had a tremendously con- crete example of the usefulness of books.
It is not adults alone whose horizons or competency are expanded by books. Children find their own joy in them and show us constantly how much of what they read they apply imaginatively or informatively in their daily lives.
THE LIBRARY BUILDS ON BOOKS
As we have already pointed out, it is difficult to tell exact- ly what effect our reading has upon us. Perhaps the effect of reading can never be completely known. It is a relief in a way to find that there are things too elusive and precious to be caught precisely with the measuring rods now at the social scientist's disposal. Yet we know how very helpful it would be every now and then to have statistics which might show how many people through interaction with good books worked inner miracles upon themselves, con- tributed more effectively to their community, became better fathers, mothers, employers, employees, librarians, teachers, etc. It must happen someway that good reading done over a period of time does come to a kind of flowering. If we become what we eat, why not also what we read. For books
164
can act as stimulators as well as anondynes. This library be- lieves firmly that man's object in living is to build a larger excellence for himself and his fellows. This belief is re- flected in all that it does : in the kinds of books that it buys, in the book lists that it compiles, in the books which it pro- motes through timely and seasonal displays, in the groups that it sponsors, in its use of films and recordings to make ideas exciting to an ever widening audience of young and old in the Andover community.
and PERSONAL SERVICE
There are plenty of people who know what they want from books and can find their way around a library perfectly com- petently. They may make relatively little demand upon its book selection and other guidance services. Yet there are other people, not so sure of what it is they want, who could perhaps increase their joy in books and their rewards from them, if only the proper climate for book reading could be established. Here it seems is the preeminent contribution of the good public library and particularly the small public library which does not need to sacrifice standards of book selection and book knowledge on the part of its staff when it adds such important ingredients to book counselling as friendliness and informality.
CAN INTEREST IN BOOKS BE STIMULATED ?
The whole matter of why some people read books and others do not is a perennially fascinating one. Fascinating, too, is the variety found in reading habits: some people read many types of books, others only one; some only seri- ous books, others only those relatively ephemeral in charac- ter. Specifically why do some people, relatively few, seek in books the information for a better understanding of cur- rent problems whose wise solution are of common concern ? Certainly not because they are the only ones with real con- cern. The answer must lie deeper since reading studies, however inconclusive, have shown that most people are interested in matters which are of vital importance to them. Perhaps the complexity of the problems deter them or per- haps they may not realize the wealth of readable books, pamphlets and periodicals which are available for their use.
165
.
How far can reading interests be stimulated or latent po- tentialities be brought alive? We know how much the in- spired teacher with the informed mind and high enthusiasm can do in kindling a like interest in his subject in his stud- ent. We believe skillful librarians can do something very much the same. Every day, too, we see the effect of the en- thusiastic reader in promoting a much enjoyed book among his circle of friends. The Memerial Hall Library's whole program is set-up in the believe that interest in books and ideas can be stimulated.
THESE THINGS HAPPENED
At this point some space should be given to activities, services and happenings in the library year just passed which relate particularly to this consideration of books and readers. A few must suffice, not equally important, but in- teresting to an understanding of the library's objectives and program.
SERVICE TO THE CENTRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LIBRARY
Extension of service to the new Central Elementary School Library was perhaps the most important single new undertaking in 1952. It was an opportunity to reach more boys and girls directly with books, to demonstrate on a limit- ed scale the central place of the library in an elementary school, to work more closely with school personnel, to be- come better acquainted with curriculum needs. The out- growth of this demonstration could take one of two direc- tions: (1) the School Department might assume full res- ponsibility for school library service for this group, with the public library working in informal cooperation; or (2) the Memorial Hall Library might assume responsibility for all library service to elementary age boys and girls in the com- munity under some contractual arrangement with the School department. The important thing will be to arrive at a so- lution which will bring the best, most economical, over-all book service to Andover boys and girls.
Special mention of the school service in no way dimish- es the importance of all the other things which our Young
166
People's Library continues to carry on : personal book guid- ance, film and story hours, and the many other activities de- signed to make the library essential to boys and girls for whose free time there are so many competitors.
THE LIBRARY - COMMUNITY CENTER AND RESOURCE
High among 1952's durable satisfactions was the commu- nity United Nations Week observance which the library spearheaded. The library welcomes this kind of opportunity to work closely with groups and individuals on a project im- portant not only to this community's well-being but to that of the larger community. It is hard to measure results but we believe that the effort helped to increase information about the United Nations and to underline individual respon- sibility for its success.
Memorable, too, was the library's Open House in Novem- ber when David McCord shared his poems with a delighted group of creative listeners.
THE REGISTER AND VOTE CAMPAIGN, participated in by many local, state and national organizations, found a ready ally in this library. Books on all aspects of the campaign were prominently featured during the six months before November 4 and found a ready, if not large, audience.
There were three instances which might be selected to point up the power of books and the significance of the libra- ry as a community center and resource: (1) when the Ando- ver Chapter No. 18 of the Disabled American Veterans pre- . sented the library with the book THOSE DEVILS IN BAGGY PANTS as a living memorial to an Andover boy killed in Ko- rea; (2) when the Andover Council of Churches gave to the library as a community agency one of the presentation copies of the New Revised version of the Bible, at the celebration marking this important publishing event; (3) when the art. work of Andover Junior and Senior High Schools and Pike School was displayed in the library reading room.
THE LIBRARY AND AUDIO VISUAL AIDS
The record collection continues to grow and to be en- joyed. A considerable number of non-musical recordings - poetry, plays, history - were added this past year and found
167
a substantial audience. Many times a person borrowing a record takes along, too, the play or poetry on which the re- cording is based which seems to us proof that one media reinforces another.
A second record player and a film strip projector were added to the library's audio-visual equipment. The film strip projector was used for the first time during United Nations week when it was borrowed by a number of schools to show film strips about the work of the UN and its organizations.
A STAFF CHANGE
The first break in staff organization in several years came in September with Mary F. Zecchini's resignation as Cata- log and Reference Librarian. Apart from her contribution to the library in other ways, we should like to mention parti- cularly her special interest in the record collection which was largely developed under her direction. So far the vacancy has not been filled, but we hope that we shall be in a better position to find an outstanding young librarian in June when this year's library school graduates become available.
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE BOOKS
Prophets of doom can be found who will agree with Georges Duhamel that "little by little people are finding ways of satisfying their thirst for knowledge without re- course to books" and that the time will come "when the human race will keep its recipe for living, not in libraries but on ebonite disks and gelatine films". The library be- lieves contrary to this point of view that the public for books is constantly being extended due to the increased number of people educated to use books, to the publishing of more read- able and interesting informational books, to the impetus of other media in opening up new fields of interests to be ex- plored in books and to the continued existence of a hard core of those for whom the physical book will always be a neces- sity. We should like to end our report on this note: "The world of books is the world of man's thought and effort, joy and purpose and inextinguishable hope, as they pass in heri- tage from the past to the present and as they are born of each immediate moment".
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1952 STATISTICS OF LIBRARY USE BOOK STOCK
Adult
Juvenile 10,393
Total 47,852
Volumes added by purchase
1,371
1,017
2,388
Volumes added by gift
63
4
67
Volumes lost or withdrawn
1,017
521
1,538
Lost volumes found
2
2
37,878
10,893
48,771
Newspapers & periodicals currently received Periodicals received by gift
151
34
USE
Volumes
% of total Circulation
Volumes of adult fiction loaned
36,336
31.2
Volumes of non-fiction loaned
33,565
28.8
*Number of children's books loaned
39,393
33.9
Number of adult records loaned
5,073
Number of children's records loaned
1,550
06.1
Number of pictures loaned
544
Total number of books, records, etc.
loaned
116,461
REGISTRATION
Adult Juvenile Total
Borrowers registered during the year
580
348
928
Total number of registered borrowers
3,608
1,854
5,462
Circulation per capita (base on 1950 census figures) (12,437)
9.4
Volumes at beginning of year
37,459
*Included in this total is 7151 recorded School circulation. Total books sent on school deposit number 8,219 and each of these books was probably used from two to twenty times. The library, however, counts only recorded circulation.
169
Board of Public Works
Andover, Mass. Jaunary 1, 1953
The Board of Public Works voted to adopt the following report of the Superintendent and Engineer as its report for 1952 with recommendations for 1953.
SIDNEY P. WHITE, Chairman ALEXANDER H. HENDERSON, Secretary P. LEROY WILSON VICTOR J. MILL, JR. ERNEST N. HALL
170
Report of Superintendent and Engineer
To the Board of Public Works:
GENTLEMEN :
The idea of combining our reports this year seemed a practical one, since in former separate reports it was dif- ficult to avoid some overlapping. We therefore respectfully submit this combined report covering the construction and engineering phases of this department for the calendar year of 1952.
In addition to performing all engineering work for the Board of Public Works and its various subdivisions, en- gineering assistance has been furnished to various other Town Departments when requested.
At the request of the Board of Selectmen, plans were pre- pared for the rezoning and development of the Shaw Proper- ty rear land for use as a municipal free parking lot.
Also for the Selectmen, assistance was given in the renum- bering of a portion of High Plain Road, and the relocation of a town boundary monument adjacent to Tewksbury near the Shawsheen River. This monument known as A-T1 (W.M.) is nearly submerged in marshland and is to be replaced by a new marker on higher ground.
Assistance has been furnished to the Recreation Commit- tee for the laying out and grading of a Little League baseball diamond at the Playstead and for the preliminary grading of a skating area in the rear of the Central Elementary School. Minor assistance was also furnished for the regrading work in the rear yard of the Bradlee School.
Much time has been spent with various engineers, surve- yors, and real estate developers in going over their proposals and the town's requirements relative to the development of new streets and subdivisions. Insofar as was possible in-
171
spection was made of all construction work performed on new ways which may become town ways in the future. In this connection it is gratifying to note that on August 15th this Board adopted a set of minimum standards of construc- tion for private ways that are planned for acceptance. These minimum standards now serve as a concrete guide to plan- ners and developers, and as a working tool for this office in passing on new construction.
Miscellaneous advice and estimating assistance has been given to private individuals who wished to prepare and sub- mit special articles to the town meeting. All persons calling upon this office for information and assistance have been aided as much as possible. The more common requests per- tain to street line location, water main location, and sewer main data.
HIGHWAY
The following table in inches shows the snowfall for the year 1952:
January
17.4 Inches
February
17.2 Inches
March
2.4 Inches
November
Trace
December
1.5 Inches
Total 38.5 Inches
The snowfall for the season November 1951 to March 1952 inclusive totaled 48.5 inches.
The following road surfaces were treated with tarvia and a majority honed : Woburn Street, Ballardvale Road, Abbot Street, Sunset Rock Road, Rattlesnake Hill Road, Appletree Lane, Prospect Road, Salem Street, Gardner Avenue, York Street, Burnham Road, Argyle Street, Sterling Street, Stin- son Road, Vine Street, Holt Road, Avon Street, Upland Road, Highland Road, Stonehedge Road, Foster Circle, Stratford Road, Summer Street, Elm Court, Florence Street, Cedar Road, Gould Road, High Plain Road, Andover Street, Church Street, Center Street, High Street (B.V.), Tewks- bury Street, Carlisle Street, Dumbarton Street, Sutherland
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Street, Chandler Road, William Street, Cheever Circle, Wal- nut Avenue, Flint Circle, Greenwood Road, Brundrett Ave- nue, Laurel Lane, Boutwell Road, Wood Hill Road, Pleasant Street, Bailey Road, Fiske Road, Greenwood Road, Blan- chard Street, Bellevue Road, Haggetts Pond Road, Reserva- tion Road, Bartlet Street, Essex Street, Buxton Court, Shepley Street, Binney Street, Riverina Road, Walker Ave- nue, Fletcher Street, Arundel Street, Carisbrooke Street, Magnolia Avenue, Wildwood Road, Pearson Street, Salem Street, Rocky Hill Road, Bannister Road, Moraine Street, Red Spring Road, Virginia Road, Cutler Road, Hidden Road, Woods Road.
A total of 96,830 gallons of tar were applied.
On Greenwood Road rough grading and shaping was con- tinued, and some portions of the new location line were open- ed to traffic. No fine grading or paving was done this year. An old stone culvert carrying a brook from George H. Win- slow's land under Greenwood Road was replaced by 36 L.F. of 30 inch R.C.C.P. and new headwalls were constructed. It is anticipated that this road will be hard surfaced from Lowell Street to High Plain Road in 1953.
Beacon Street was improved from Lowell Street to the West Center School. Drainage consisting of 36 L.F. of 12" R.C.C.P. for a cross culvert, 382 L.F. of 10" plain C.C.P. for side drain, and 4 catch basins was installed. The trav- eled way was widened and resurfaced, and a bituminous con- crete sidewalk was constructed on one side of the road. The fencing around the old West Parish School has been removed and preliminary grading for a roadway and sidewalk thru the school yard has been done. This roadway, which will be a cut-off for traffic westbound on Lowell Street into Beacon Street, could not be completed this year as the old school building, which is to be removed, is in the way of the pro- posed relocation. Completion of this job is scheduled for early Spring 1953. The cost of this work to date is $6,036.37.
On Argilla Road, an old tile drain carrying highway water thru land of Shtrumpfman was replaced by 160 L.F. of 15" R.C.C.P.
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On Brundrett Avenue near River Road an old stone box culvert was replaced by 32 L.F. of 15" R.C.C.P.
On Lowell Street at the newly developed "Shawsheen Hy- lands" the outlet of a highway catch basin was extended 135 L.F. in 10" plain C.C.P. Upon further development in this area, this drain outlet will have to be extended further to discharge into a concrete box drain being built by the owners of this subdivison.
Several studies with preliminary estimates of cost for drainage work at Shawsheen Heights and on William Street have been prepared during the year. Conferences relative to the need and desirability of furnishing drainage structures in this area have been held with interested residents. How- ever, due to the expected cost of such work it was generally deemed impractical to start any work without special funds.
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