Town annual report of Andover 1963-1969, Part 23

Author: Andover (Mass.)
Publication date: 1963
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 902

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Andover > Town annual report of Andover 1963-1969 > Part 23

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Lovejoy Road reconstruction under Chapter 90 was finally completed. This included the in- stallation of a paved sidewalk from Lowell Street to the Sanborn School. Cement sidewalk slabs in Shawsheen Village and along Main Street were repaired. Bituminous sidewalks were constructed in several areas including Haverhill Street.

Old stone culverts on Salem Street were re-

placed with 80 feet of 48 inch concrete pipe. A similar culvert was replaced on Highland Road with 120 feet of 48 inch concrete pipe. A stone culvert on Beacon Street was also replaced. Drainage improvenients on Rattlesnake Ridge Road were also completed in the Fall.

All bridges under the supervision of the De- partment were inspected periodically. No repairs were required. Street sweepings and other suit- able fill material were hauled to the Chandler Road landfill area.

Total snowfall for the year was 33 inches with 18 inches falling in January alone.

Parks

Personnel

Expenditures

$16,601.00

Monthly Cost Per Person

7¢

The Park Department maintains two regular sized baseball diamonds at the Central Playstead as well as two Little League fields; one regular sized diamond at the Woburn Strret Playstead and three little league fields; and also Little League fields to the rear of the West Center School. Por- table bleachers were erected at the little League and football fields at the Central School area. The permanent bleachers were repaired and painted.

Fertilizer was applied at both the Pard on Chestnut St. and the playstead areas. These areas were also rolled.

The department added to its duties in 1965 the care and maintenance of some 15 grass plot areas within the Town.

Trees

Personnel

Expenditures

$50,353.00

Monthly Cost Per Person

21 ¢

The regular yearly tree planting program was somewhat curtailed in 1965 due to severe drought conditions. A total of 115 shade and or- namental trees were planted and maintained. Var- ieties set out this year included Sugar and Nor- way Maples, Katsuras, Little Leaf Lindens, Wil- lows and Kwanzan Flowering Cherries. Many houng street trees planted during the past few years showed definite signs of water deficiency during the growing season. These trees were fer- tilized and watered several times.

Dutch Elm disease appeared in 76 public trees this year. These elms were cut down and burned. An additional 45 dead and beetle infested elms were removed with the assistance of person- nel and equipment from the Massachusetts De- partment of Natural Resources. This State Agency also assisted in Dutch Elm scouting work. A number of dead and hazardous trees growing

through utility wires were removed by joint ef- fort of the New England Telephone Company, the Massachusetts Electric Company and the Andover Tree Bureau.

The forest improvement plan at Haggett's Pond watershed area was continued. Several acres were cleared of dead and fallen trees and undesirable growth. Work will continue on this project.

Andover's shade tree spray program, designed to protect trees from disease and destructive in- sects, was performed using approved insecticides and application methods. Three Tree Bureau members hold licenses enabling them to apply presticides in Massachusetts. State law requires that persons applying pesticides to land of an- other be qualifies and licensed by written exam- ination.

The continuing drought adversely affected many older street trees. Over 40 maples died and were removed. Many others indicated lack of wat- er. Dead tops and branches, wilting, and prema- ture leaf dropping were observed during the growing season. This damage will persist as long as drought conditions prevail. From safety and esthetic standpoints, dead wood must be removed. Therefore, pruning and dead wood removal will be a continuing problem.

Routine tree work of low branch removal, cabling, bark tracing and street light clearing was carried on. Brush cutting, chemical brush control and roadside mowing was continued along roads and at recreation and playground areas. Tree removal hearings were held, supervision and inspection of utility wire clearing crews per- formed and new wire and pole construction gone over in detail with utility company arborists and engineers. Wire clearance is becoming an increas- ingly important task due to increased demands for telephone and electric service and the neces-

BEFORE

AFTER

Improvement cutting at Haggett's Pond watershed area.

sary maintenance and preservation of public shade trees.

The newly purchased sprayer and brush chipper were used extensively and have proven adequate to perform required duties. Chips pro- duced by the brush chipping unit have been used to cover the sliding slope at Camp Olympia and also to stablize slopes along roads in several sec- tions of Andover.

Tree Bureau personnel worked during all ice and snow storms operating truck and side- walk plows, also salting and sanding streets and sidewalks.

Street Lighting

Expenditures Monthly Cost Per Person

$39,467.00

16¢

As part of the Town's continuing program to improve street lighting throughout the Town, 65 street lights were added to the Town's system during 1965. This makes a total of 1,244 street lights rented by the Town from the Mass. Electric Company. The improvements resulted in an addi- tion of 681,500 lumens. Over and above the in- stallation of new lights in residential areas, three major lighting projects were completed during the year which have added principally to the pro- motion of traffic safety. These areas are the in- tersection of Dascomb Road and Andover Street; the Abbot Bridge at Central and Andover Streets ; and Lowell Street from U.S. Route 93 to Lovejoy Road. Each of these locales represented highly dangerous situations where street lighting could promote traffic safety.

Engineering

Personnel

Expenditures

Monthly Cost Per Person

$8,977.00 3 1/2 ¢

During 1965 the Engineering Bureau was re- sponsible for the design and field layout of sur- face water drainage projects on Salem Street, Beacon Street, and Highland Road; lines and grades for the widening of Andover Street at Dascomb Road; grades for the new roadway to the swimming area at the Recreation Park; and roadway improvements at the Prospect Hill Res- ervoir. The Town Engineer also acted as clerk of works on the site work for the senior high school for several weeks at the start of the project.

Site plans were prepared for the architects for the proposed Town Garage on Lewis Street and the proposed West Andover Fire Station. The construction plans and specifications were drawn for the 4600 lineal feet of 12 inch water mains installed in Dascomb Road and Cross Street. Betterment plans were drawn and filed for the sewer extension on Lowell Street and for the water main extensions on Dascomb Road and

Cross Street, Bellevue Road, Haggett's Pond Road and County Road.

Preliminary plans for three (3) new sub- divisions and definitive plans for nine (9) more new subdivisions of land with a total of 409 lots were reviewed for the Planning Board for con- formance with their rules and regulations and for the adequacy of the proposed utilities. Road- way and utilities construction were regularly inspected for the Planning Board in some 10 subdivisions.

Coordination was supplied between the Town government and various consultants, utility com- panies and other governmental agencies on en- gineering matters; for example, the County En- gineers on highway land taking, the Mass. Dept. of Public Works on Chapter 90 constuction and Rogers Brook, Mass Electric Co. and Law- rence Gas Co. on Town construction projects.

The Engineering Bureau was able to assist many individuals, groups and Town departments seeking information as to sites, existing utilities, and streets layouts.

SANITATION AND WASTE DISPOSAL

Sewers

Personnel Expenditures

$22,504.00

Monthly Cost Per Person

9¢

Highlight of the year was the completion and placement into full operation of the acceler- ated sewer program financed in part by a direct grant from the Federal Government as part of the so-called Federal Accelerated Public Works Program. This three-year project included the in- stallation of approximately thirteen (13) miles of sewer mains and auxiliary facilities such as pumps. The Federal grant totaled $790,160.94 of the total project budget of $1,548,608.94. The Town's share of the project cost is being financed from the proceeds of the sale of $855,000.00 in bonds and an initial cash appropriation of $25,000.00. A balance of $77,060.22 remains in the account, part of which will be held in reserve to meet any possible damage costs resulting from five (5) suits presently filed against the Town.

The Town's sanitary sewer system now con- sists of approximately seventy-five (75) miles of mains which serve an estimated 35% of the Town's area and a population in excess of 8,500 people.

In addition to the major construction ac- complishment of 1965, 110 service connections were made for new system users making a total of 2,344 connections. The Bureau also answered calls for assistance in relieving 235 sewer blocks.

Landfill

Personnel

Expenditures

$13,867.00

Monthly Cost Per Person

5 ¢

Satisfactory and perhaps more properly, san- itary operation of the Town's disposal area at Ledge and Chandler Roads continued to plague the Town during 1965. Despite a well-publicized prohibition on burning, fires represented one of the most serious and disturbing problems in seek- ing to operate and to maintain a satisfactory facility. Blowing paper was also a problem but of lesser importance than indiscriminate burning.

Equipment was hired during the year in order to salvage cover material available on the Town- owned land. Unfortunately, the combination of the elements, heavy use of the dump by Town citizens, carelessness by users and inadequate personnel and equipment resulted in an unsatis- factory year of operations.

An additional effort to provide more effec- tive control over use of the dump was undertaken in 1965 through the issuance of new and more permanent Andover Facilities stickers. A nominal charge of 25c per sticker was made in order to cover their cost. This technique did result in some improvements particularly in discouraging non- residents from using a service paid for by Andov- er taxpayers.

There appears to be no sensible reason why the landfill cannot be operated in an acceptable manner. Funds will be requested in 1966 to ac- complish this objective. The Town's present fa- cility is neither quaint nor clean. The Town's concern quite properly is over the latter but the fact that most Town residents treat it as some thing unique at least and at most an occasional discomfort, has made it impossible for adequate steps to be taken in order to make it a community asset rather than a neighborhood liability.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Board of Health

Personnel

Full-time 2

Part-time 2

Expenditures

$19,980.00

Monthly Cost Per Person

8¢

The Board of Health issued 990 permits and licenses during the past year. Of this number, 310 were for plumbing, 249 for gas, 112 for septic tanks, 110 for sale of milk and oleomargarine, 57 for food service establishments, and 34 for swim- ming pools. Some 423 inspections and tests were conducted by the Board including 154 food hand- ling establishments. Ninety miscellaneous com-

plaints were investigated. The Board approved 127 sewage disposal system installations and re- jected 15. Nine nursing homes were inspected on three different occasions.

Three tuberculosis patients were admitted and discharged from hospitals with the town pay- ing $925.64 for their care. This is the lowest amount spent for this service for some years. In addition, some 22 premature infant babies were recorded with 4 of these requiring financial assist- ance from the town, costing $1,260.00 This cost is shared with the State.

According to the communicable disease re- cords, the incidence of chicken pox this year is the highest since 1962 and for measles, the highest since 1961. Dog bites have decreased from an all- time high of 122 last year to 94 this past year.

Follow-up work on tubercular patients, con- tacts of communicable diseases, premature babies, and crippled children was carried out as usual.

Article X, "Minimum Sanitation Standards for Food Service Establishments' has been added to the State Sanitary Code. As of January 1, 1966 no person will be permitted to operate a food ser- vice establishment unless he is the holder of a valid permit granted to him by the Board of Health. Also included under Article X are Vend- ing Machines, Mobile Food Servers, Catering Establishments, plus the approval of plans for new and proposed alterations of all food service establishments.

A Mobile X-ray unit was stationed at the Methuen Board of Health office and free chest X-rays were available to residents of nearby towns. Approximately 200 people from Andover were X-rayed there.

At the annual rabies clinic, conducted by Dr.

Lindsay, approximately 600 dogs were inoculated.

With the co-operation of the Andover School Department and St. Augustine's School, a survey was made of 1st, 6th, and 11th grade pupils in order to obtain information on the immunization levels of pre-school and school age children in re- gard to diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, and measles, The results of this program showed that 40% of school children have not received any booster shots for the above diseases. Any one - child or adult - who needs either basic or booster immunization should see his family doctor now and bring his immunization up to date.

Due to the severe drought and unusually warm summer, the algae growth in Pomps Pond was so excessive that it was deemed advisable to retain the services of a commercial firm to treat the water with an algaecide. This is the first time such action was necessary since Pomps Pond has been used as a recreation area.

Communicable Disease Cases Reported

1965

1964

1963

Animal Bites

122

Chicken Pox

183

Dysentery, Bacillary

German Measles

1130

Gonorrhea

Hepatitis, Infectious

Measles

210

Meningitis

Mumps

307

Salmonellosis

Scarlet Fever

Syphilis

Tuberculosis

Whooping Cough

Animal Inspection

Personnel

Part-time 1

Expenditures

$600.00

Monthly Cost Per Person

.2 ¢

NUMBER OF CATTLE INSPECTED:

Registered Grade

156

Number of sheep inspected

Number of horses inspected

Number of goats inspected

Number of swine inspected

996

Number of barns inspected (dairy)

Number of dogs quarantined

Number of dogs with Rabies

PUBLIC WELFARE

Personnel 3

Expenditures

Administration $ 10,406.00 Assistance $111,945.00

Monthly Cost Per Person

49¢

Public assistance payments in 1965 reached a record high of $223,958.90. The average monthly case load during the past 12 months was 154 with 226 persons being given some form of assist- ance. The highest number of cases, 170, occurred in October; the lowest case load, 146, occurred in May.

Of the total amount spent, 54.4% or $121,728 was paid for medical aid, with 85.6% of this amount being paid for the care of persons over 65 years of age.

Food. shelter, and clothing aid totalled $102,231. or 45.6% of the total. 51% of this amount was paid for persons over the age of 65.

Allocations for aid in 1965 were as follows : Old Age Assistance 28.3% ; Medical Aid to the Aged 42.3% ; Aid to Families with Dependent Children 16.2%; Disability Assistance 10.1% General Relie 2.9%; and Cuban Relief .2%. There were 109 applications received and pro- cessed for these allocations.

Recoveries registered $7,460.10. Reimburse- ments from the Federal and State governments totalling $182,326.70 reduced the cost of public

VETERANS' SERVICES

Personnel 2

Expenditures

Administration $12,032.00

Assistance $28,828.00

Monthly Cost Per Person 16¢

assistance to the Town to $41,632.20 or 18.6% of the total. Total administrative expenses were $25,189. with the Town's share of this amount $7,118. The balance in administrative expen- ses was met by reimbursements from the State and Federal governments.

Mrs. Sara Bolton submitted her resignation as a member of the Board of Public Welfare on February 1, 1965, at which time Mrs. Milton J. Meyers was appointed. In January and in March, a Social Case Worker and a replacement Clerk- Typist respectively were added to the staff. Emer- gency appointments of a Clerk-Typist for a limit- ed period of time occurred four times during the year in order to catch up on accumulated clerical work.

Welfare expenses promise to continue to in- crease sharply in the year ahead. It is important for the taxpayers of Andover to realize that, ex- cept for the General Relief category, the stand- ards of eligibility and the amount of payments to recipients of public assistance are established by State and Federal authorities. Even the sal- aries of departmental personnel are extablished by the State with the Town having absolutely no voice in their determination.

Legislation was introduced in the last ses- sion of the General Court for the assumption by the State of the full cost of Welfare services. It appears that the same proposal will be made in 1966 and perhaps will suffer a kinder fate than the 1965 proposal.

The Veterans' Service Department is opera- ted under Chapter 115, General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for the express purpose of providing financial assistance, when needed, to war-time veterans, their families, de- pendents or survivors because of sickness, old age, hospitalization or unemployment, and after a full investigation has been made in each indivi- dual case.

During 1965, assistance was provided to thirty cases on a permanent status and to eighty one cases on a temporary basis. Again, in 1965, no assistance was allowed to any applicant whose need was occasioned by unemployment. All such applicants were placed in jobs or were denied aid because of their unwillingness to work.

Many new developments in public assistance, as a result of the liberalization of benefits to low income groups on the State and Federal levels, have had and will continue to have a profound effect on the expenditures of this department. An amendment in the Settlement Laws, on the state level, will entitle an applicant to assistance from the first day of settlement in Andover, where pre- viously assistance could be granted only after five years of continuous residence. The Legisla- ture will soon grant veteran status to men who have served in Viet Nam and other combat areas, and will open our roles to an ever-increasing num- ber of qualified applicants.

The added expense, as a result of the above changes in our laws, will be eased somewhat, if the plans to reimburse 100% of all monies spent

by the Veterans' Departments, now under con- sideration by the Legislature, are passed.

Despite the rising costs of hospitalization and medication expenditures in this category were less than those of the previous year. The implementation of Medicare in July of 1966 should absorb, on the Federal level, a good por- tion of future hospital expense.

During the year 1965, thirty six Andover veterans died. These deaths were recorded as follows :-

Mexican Border 1

World War One 14

World War Two 19

Korean Campaign 2

More than 1700 individuals were interviewed in 1965, and information and assistance given to them relative to Veterans Administration benefits, such as hospitalization, home loans, pensions, compensation, death benefits, grave markers, flags, and many other matters too numerous to enumerate.

Pensions and compensation applications, pro- cessed by this office through the Veterans Admin- istration resulted in awards in excess of $5000.00 monthly to residents of Andover.

Sincere thanks are given to the Andover Chapter American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, all local church groups, veterans organizations, the Trustees of the Towle Fund, South Lawrence Associates and all other charitable organizations who have given their wholehearted support to this department during the past year.

"Lest We Forget" Memorial Day, 1965

SCHOOLS

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Andover School Department

Expenditures

$2,166,862.00

Monthly Cost Per Person $8.60

Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical High School

Expenditures $17,945.00

Monthly Cost Per Person

7¢

The School Department is happy to present this report of progress during 1965 as a part of the annual Town Report. A more detailed report is contained in a separate School Department bro- chure avaiable to taxpayers.

The School Department is continuing to work together with the 'l'own to solve mutual problems. A temporary bookkeeping machine was rented by the Town for school use during 1965. This will be discontinued during the coming year, and the school system will share in the use of the data processing equipment recently installed in the Town Hall. This will be highly beneficial for ac- counting work in the School Department and may be used to provide other computing services.

During the year, consideration was given to the School Department's needs for administrative offices. A set of specifications, outlining such needs, was transmitted to the Town Manager. With this information, it will be possible to determine the advantages in locating the school offices in the proposed new Town Hall, in a remodeled Jackson School, or in other facilities. It is our intention to work closely with the Town to arrive at the most economical and most feasible plan for centralized School Department offices.

The School Committee also studied a new classification and salary policy for non-instruc- tional school personnel. Continuing in the phil- osophy to cooperate fully with the Town to attain equitable treatment of employees, the plan is re- ceiving additional study by the administrators and the School Committee.

Some areas of serious overcrowding are oc- curring. In the South School, temporary relief has been provided by transferring two sixth grade classes to the Stowe School. During the year, the Superintendent of Schools prepared a set of edu- cational specifications for a new elementary school in the southern part of Andover. After approval by the School Committee, these plans were for-

warded to the Town Manager on September 30. It is the judgement of the Committee that this school must be available no later than September 1968 in order to prevent excessive overcrowding and thus cause an intolerable effect on our educational pro- gram.

The School Committee continues to stress the urgent need for acquiring additional sites of land. These should be made available and specifically designated for the location of future elementary schools. We understand that one site in the southern part of Andover is presently being ac- quired for the next elementary school. Additional sites are required in other sections such as - Cross Street, Osgood Street, Bailey Road and east of Route 125 Bypass.

A serious overcrowding is occurring in the Junior High School. The new high school, pre- sently under construction, will provide relief since the present Andover High School is to be con- verted to a second Junior High School. Our ad- ministrators have been working long and hard with the architect, with the objective of opening this new high school for use in September 1967. Meeting this date is absolutely essential if present high standards in our educational program are to be maintained.

The School Committee and administrators have continued to evaluate and improve our edu- cational program. Among the accomplishments reached during the past year were :

(a) Introduction of Spanish as a second modern foreign language in our high school program.

(b) Beginning of an enrichment program for the academically talented students in the fifth and sixth grades. It is expected that this will be expanded to other grade levels.

(c) An Educational Conference, arranged by a group of Andover citizens, was held in November to inform the community of var- ious approaches in education.

(d) Review by School administrators and the School Committee was continued in such policy areas as special education, guidance, and organizational structure.

During the year, our Curriculum Coordinator and Director of Instruction resigned his position. In lieu of continuing this position, the Committee has created a new administrative position-As- sistant Superintendent in charge of Elementary

Education. A job description has been prepared, qualifications have been established, and recruit- ing for this position has been started. It is ex- pected that his position will be filled during 1966. The School Committee adopted, as part of its Rules and Regulations, an article for "Recogni- tion and Professional Procedures" with the An-

dover Teachers' Association. This article formal- izes previously used means for communication be- tween the Andover Teachers' Association and the School Committee. A fine spirit of cooperation is displayed by the Teachers' Association and they are to be commended for their efforts to increase the professional stature of teachers in Andover.

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Town annual report of Andover 1963-1969, Part 23

Author: Andover (Mass.) Publication date: 1963 Publisher: The Town Number of Pages: 902

Author: Andover (Mass.)
Publication date: 1963
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 902