USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Andover > Town annual report of Andover 1963-1969 > Part 48
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Sanitation Waste Doposal
Sewers
Sewer operations in 1967 were entirely maintenance. The Town had no extensions. All new lines were in subdivisions and, therefore, were done privately. The new "Clean Waters" Act will have a tremendous effect on sewer extensions. None can be made without permission from the State Department of Natural Resources. The basic requirement concerns a treatment plant either in use or actually contemplated. Of great interest to the Sewer Department is the final solution to the regional treatment facilities. The future of the system and all future developments within the possible sewered areas is dependent on some con- clusive action being taken.
A major extension was voted at a Special Town Meeting from Pomps Pond to the Lowell Junction Industrial Area. Engineering is under- way and construction will start early in 1968.
A study of sewer needs in the West Andover Industrial Area voted in the March Town Meet- ing was submitted, and an article is to be sub- mitted to start construction pending industrial development.
One major break occurred on Haverhill Street. An outside contractor was employed for this work while the department carried on the necessary pumping and maintenance.
5,200 feet in sewer line were added to the Town's system by subdividers.
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Landfill
A sanitary land fill or "towne dumpe" is maintained and operated by the Town of Andover. It is located in West Andover at the intersection of Chandler and Ledge Roads. A per- mit is required in order to gain admission to the facility and may be obtained at the Andover Police Station. The depositing of organic material including household garbage is pro- hibited.
A new caretaker's office and garage was completed and occupied during the year. The of- fice includes toilet facilities which were not available in the past. A secure garage for the landfill bulldozer is also part of the building. This area makes it possible for the caretaker to main- tain this valuable piece of equipment properly.
The wisdom of acquiring the Caterpillar D-7E bulldozer in 1966 was fully borne out during the year. Fires were rare occurrences. In
addition, it was possible to salvage large amounts of cover material from various sections of the site including previously filled areas.
The Board of Selectmen acquired the so- called "Shaw" property adjacent to the landfill at the intersection of Greenwood and Ledge Roads. It contains approximately two acres of dry land.
It is anticipated that a task force will be organized by the Town Manager in 1968 to examine the long range plans for the landfill areas as well as the ramifications of Town rub- bish collection. There are increasingly frequent demands made for this service. It would be well to examine the matter in order that the Town understand and appreciate what is involved in such an ambitious venture. It is also reasonable to assume that the present landfill may not be used indefinitely. Where do we go next? What about incineration ? The task force will report its find- ings, conclusions and recommendations to the Town Manager and in turn to the Board of Selectmen within the next year.
I think the dump is good. People Can take all the thingsthey do not want to put it in their yard . If no one had as dump their yard would look like a dump. It helps keep the town clean.
Merrill
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Garbage Collection
The Town of Andover contracts with a pri- vate collector for the collection of household gar- bage. The contract calls for weekly collection dur- ing all but the Summer months when the collector will collect twice each week if necessary. Super- vision of the contractor is the responsibility of the Board of Health. All complaints on service should be directed to this agency or to the collector him- self. His phone number will be found among the numbers of the telephone directory listed on the inside of the back cover of this report.
It is required that householders maintain the garbage receptacle in a location which is immed- iately accessible to the collector at all times. This includes the Winter months when it may be nec- essary that a pathway be cleared to the location. The container must be free of ice. If these require- ments are not followed, the contractor is under no obligation to collect the garbage.
The Winter season frequently poses trouble- some problems for the collector. Should snow or ice conditions cause delays in collection or dis- ruption in his normal schedule, homeowners should bear with the inconvenience and give him a reasonable opportunity to make up lost time.
New homeowners should call the Board of Health to arrange for collection. Garbage is meant to include food principally and not rubbish - bottles, cans or paper.
waste Disposal
andrea Lee Eldred
I like the rubbishman to come. I canget a lot from him. I like how Andover sprays the trees. It's nice how we have free school. I like the water system and all Andovers systems.
What if there were no Waste disposal Our town will smell.
"Thar She Blows"
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Public Health
Board of Health
THOMAS APPLETON
=
During the year 1967 the Health Department added a part-time Public Health nurse to the staff. With the population growth of the town, it was not possible to offer all nursing services that were planned for the program because of insuf- ficient personnel.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT STATISTICS
The incidence of communicable disease re- mained low this past year although there was a marked increase in mumps and a slight decrease in chickenpox.
The Board of Health issued 1011 permits and licenses during the year. Among the largest number were 152 septic tank permits, 80 milk licenses, 30 oleo licenses, 38 swimming pool per- mits, 84 food service establishment permits, 45 burial permits, 179 gas permits, 221 plumbing permits, 113 disposal works installation and re- pair permits. A total of 70 miscellaneous com- plaints was processed and investigated.
The 248 health inspections and tests made during the past year include the following : Food Service Establishments 146, Sewage Disposal In- stallations 96, Farm Labor Camps 15, Piggeries 38, Semi-public Swimming Pools 10, Milk Samples 52, Water Samples 59, Swab Tests 15. Nursing calls and field visits 272.
TUBERCULOSIS AND PREMATURE BABIES PROGRAM
There were no tubercular patients admitted to the hospital during 1967 and this marks only the 2nd year on record that it was not necessary for the Town to expend money for Tuberculosis. Because of new drugs and diligent follow-up on tubercular patients, the occurrence of tuber- culosis has been greatly diminished. Twelve pre- mature babies were born during the year. None of these required financial assistance, making
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this the 1st year there was no cost for premature baby hospitalization. CLINICS SPONSORED
The following clinics were sponsored by the Board of Health in 1967:
Animal Rabies, where over 600 dogs were inoculated under the direction of Dr. Lindsay.
Vision Screening program, open to all child- ren under 5 years of age and conducted by 45 volunteers from the Andona Society. Total num- ber of children screened was 194.
Dental Survey Clinic, performed by a mem- ber of the State Department of Public Health at St. Augustine's School.
The doctor and surse at the hospital help you when your sick and need good care. They are very nice people,
Doctors are to help people from getting dezezez
"The One On The Right"
"You Must Be Kidding, Ma'm" - 1967 Vision Clinic
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Public Welfare
The Board of Public Welfare met regularly during the year, maintaining a full knowledge of the department's affairs. The major problem was obtaining an adequate staff in accordance with the State standards. In March, we obtained the services of an additional full time clerk and typist, and as of July the services of a Director and another full time social worker.
Following a vote of the Special Town meet- ing, the office was moved out of the Town Hall to 93 Main Street. This was to give the necessary privacy to the clients and the workers.
Also it was voted for the State to take over Administration of Public Assistance with an ef- fective date of July 1, 1968. This in effect, abolished the local Board of Public Welfare. Local employees will become State employees. It appears as though until such time as the State is able to establish the Central offices, there will be no change made in the location of the local of- fice. The primary concern of the State is the orderly transition from local to State adminis- tration, so that none of the recipients of Public Assistance will be faced with a delay of their July 1st check. It was apparent that with the new broad concept of Public Assistance that came into being with the advent of the Medicaid program, many of the cities and towns could not af- ford this. Andover was fortunate in that it had a sizeable balance on hand in the Federal ac- counts which enabled us to finish the year with- out an additional appropriation. With this pro-
gram not only did the caseload increase but also did the costs of the Medical services. Our Medical payroll has more than doubled since the first of the year as has our caseload.
The caseload as of January 1st, 1967 was : OAA, 62- AFDC, 16- DA, 16- Cuban Relief 0, GR, 1- and Medicaid 107. AS of December 1st, 1967, it was OAA, 63- AFDC, 23- DA, 23- Cuban Relief, 1, and Medicaid, 288.
The Medical payroll has gone from $11,000.00 per month, at the beginning of the year to over $22,000.00 per month, for December, 1967.
The Public Welfare helps people find a job !
Public welfare helpsthe poor
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Veteran's Services
The Department of Veterans' Services has completed one of the busiest years in its history, due mainly to the increased services provided to the elderly and disabled under an expanded as- sistance program and the influx of men who have completed their military obligation in the Vietnam conflict.
More than 2,200 individuals were interview- ed during the year and various services were pro- vided to them. In addition to the usual applica- tions to the Veterans Administration for such things as pensions, compensations, home loans, hospitalization and outpatient treatment seventy (70) applications for educational benefits were processed for Vietnam veterans. These men will continue their education which was interrupted by their service in the Armed Forces. Over 500 applications were filed with the Veterans Ad- ministration for various and sundry benefits dur- ing the year. As a result, hospitalization in Vet- erans Administration facilities was obtained for twenty-one (21) veterans, and initial monthly cash awards were made to veterans and/or their survivors or dependents totaling more than
$40,000.00 over a twelve month period. These benefits, obtained from the Federal Government, have had a substantial effect in keeping the costs of our assistance program at a comparatively low level.
The deaths of two Andover men in Vietnam, during 1967, brings the total casualties in that conflict to four since June of 1966. Many other Andover men returning home, after their tours of duty with the Armed Forces, have been wounded and suffer from serious disabilities.
Thirty-seven (37) Andover veterans of pre- vious wars died during the year, and thirteen (13) veterans from other communities were buried here. Up to the present time, more than 850 veterans have been interred in local ceme- teries.
In 1967, this Department provided assist- ance to thirty-one (31) permanent and ninety- nine (99) temporary recipients for medical, dental, hospital and nursing home care, in addi- tion to providing cash subsistence payments, when necessary. Although the case load shows a decrease in comparison with the previous year, expenses were approximately 17% higher be- cause of increased costs of all phases of medical care and substantially higher family budgets, as promulgated by the Commissioner of Veterans' Services. The policy of both State and Federal authorities seems to be one of expansion of all programs, and it appears there will be no leveling off of the expenses of this Department in the near future.
Lest We Forget, Memorial Day, 1967
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Bo Cc Dd Ee FF Gg
HhIi Jj KK LLA m
Ann Merriam
Schools
The year 1967 has been the year of the greatest changes in the history of the public school system. Perhaps the biggest change is that of living with and trying to work out the many problems in collective bargaining which began the previous year. As this report is being written, the matter of negotiations with the teachers is at a standstill, and the Andover Education Associa- tion which is representing the teachers has filed for fact finding. Coming to terms on salary mat- ters does not seem to be the main problem. It is more a matter of working conditions. Whatever the results may be, the School Committee and the Town must realize that things will never be the same again. No longer will Finance Committees and representatives of the Taxpayers Association pressure the School Committee to hold the line
and keep the salary scale down, and such action as took place in the depression years of the early 30's when the School Committee voted (unwil- lingly as it was) to cut the teachers' salaries is now but a matter for historic story telling.
While completing one year and in preparing a budget for the next, the School Committee looks back on the past year as one of the greatest in development and expansion with eighty new teachers added to the system of which fifty were to serve in the expansion of the system and the remaining thirty to replace those who retired from the system during the year for various rea- sons.
The year has seen the new High School building nearly completed with hopes of moving in after the midyear examinations. The old High
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School built in the late 50's now becomes a second Junior High School, thus relieving the terribly crowded conditions in the older Junior High School. The latter will be known in the future as the East Junior High and the new one as the West Junior High. The School Committee has already voted to proceed with preliminary plans for an- other (a third) Junior High building. At this writing the Committee is awaiting the report of a special committee appointed to look into the advisability of remodeling or abandoning the old Junior High buildings for Junior High School purposes. A special Town Meeting in the Fall de- clined to appropriate a large sum for extensive remodeling.
At the Elementary level, the new Bancroft School is under construction and hopefully will be ready for occupancy in the Fall. A committee has started to work on a large addition to the West Elementary School. Another new Elemen- tary School for West Andover has also been re- quested by the School Committee.
During the year the School Committee in- vited William Black of the State Department of Education, Building Assistance Division to spend a day in Andover and visit the various schools with an eye to recommendations for the future. It was his suggestion at the time that since it seems inevitable that the Town will double in size and the school enrollment would thus reach a minimum of 12,000 and perhaps 15,000 pupils, the School Committee should project itself into the future and consider the needs for the years ahead and then work toward that need.
The School budget for the year 1967 was just over $3,000,000. It appears that the 1968 budget will exceed the $4,000,000 figure perhaps by a substantial sum, depending on the outcome of salary negotiations both with teachers and building custodians. Many do not realize the rapid growth in the school system. The enroll- ment on January 3, 1958 was 2947 and on January 2, 1968, 5286. This is an increase of 2339 or an average of 234 pupils per year, almost enough to require a new building. The Shawsheen School, for example, would house 340 in line with the Willis-Harrington report recommendations. The number of additional students per year de- pends largely upon the building development of the Town. In 1931 the increase was 140 and in 1947, 350. It is interesting to note that the school year, September 1966 to September 1967, showed an increase of 372. A growth of 372 in one year, if they were all elementary children and if the
figure of 23 pupils to a room were carried out, would require an entirely new building compar- able in size to the Central, South or Sanborn Schools.
School teachers, custodians and buildings are not enough to make up a school system. Your schools operate a fleet of buses and five private cars and a chain of cafeterias. There are eighteen buses and five cars. There will be more in 1968. There were seven cafeterias in 1967. There will be eight with the opening of the new High School. Approximately 4000 meals are served each day at noon and with pizza on the menu every other week the figure is much higher. The Thanksgiving dinner served during Thanksgiving week hit a peak figure of 4428. The cafeterias are self-supporting.
I like School
The number of employees in the various categories of the school system are shown in the following :
Sept. Sept.
Sept.
1966
1967
1968
Professional
238
291
343
Secretarial
18
22
29
Health
5
5
7
Custodial
25
26
36
Cafeteria
47
48
62
Transportation
20
22
28
Noon Hour Supervisors
22
23
27
Social Service
3
375
437
535
The following is a breakdown of the ninety- two (92) additional people to be added to the school system: seventeen (17) high school
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teachers, fifteen (15) junior high teachers, one (1) elementary principal and eleven (11) teachers, one (1) physical education, two art and two music teachers and three elementary libra- rians; a social worker; a psychiatrist and a psy- chologist, both part time; seven (7) secretaries, ten (10) custodians, one (1) dental hygienist and one (1) nurse, fourteen (14) additional women in the cafeteria and four (4) noon hour supervisors. Much of the increase is due to the opening of the new High School and setting up a second Junior High School and also the complete staffing of the new Bancroft School.
With our membership in N.E.E.D.S., (New England Educational Data Systems) it will be possible to get all of the names of school children by streets listed on a master sheet. This will make it possible to issue bus passes (secondary grades only) and maintain control of who ride on the buses. Many who live within the transportation limits have been walking back to the last bus stop and obtaining a ride. Bus drivers can't always be sure who is "stealing" a ride under the rules, but it is estimated that the equivalent of a whole bus load (60 students) is riding illegally.
As the system expands, the school committee is trying to keep up with the modern trends in education and increase the advantages to the stu- dents. This will be emphasized in the curriculum of the Bancroft School which will be set up to em- phasize the ungraded classroom. The curriculum day which is held each month has proven useful for the exchange of ideas and opinions and much is being done here to keep in contact with educa- tional developments. Much has been done to stren- gthen various functions in the department such as additional guidance counselors, a reading sup- ervisor, a course for teachers in developing skills
in working with perceptually handicapped child- ren with two part-time tutors and a part-time su- pervisor in the begining of developing a program. There has been some expansion to meet the needs in special education, and staff members have been added to help in working with these problems, a part-time psychologist, part-time psychiatrist and a full time social worker. Helping teachers have been added to relieve the load and provide more individual attention.
The School Committee has agreed to assume the function of the elementary school libraries. These librarians have been provided by the Memorial Hall Library for many years but will be paid out of the School budget starting July 1, 1968. Members of the department are studying a speech or self-expression program. Other studies are underway in the overall health program.
1 + there was no school we wouldn't learn Math, spelling, or reading. So that's why I'm happy to go to school.
Schools are to learn and get a good job when you grow up.
Schools help children learn to read and other things like that.
Tobacco, alcohol and drugs as well as sex education are of great concern to the School Committee and the administration. A study also is under way in regard to early childhood educa- tion. Plans are progressing to open certain school facilities nights and week ends for recreational purposes. At the secondary level, there will be a general cutting in class sizes as the system opens a new High School and a second Junior High School. The attempt is being made to follow the Willis-Harrington Report.
The Committee during the past year inaugurated a swimming program and also voted to
work toward a program of prohibiting
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Schools The schools help people to learn more and more.
Schools help you learn more every day.
standees in school buses. Other attempts to make improvements with regard to the physical safety of the students are being made.
Recruiting teachers is one of the major pro- blems in the system. An average of five (5) can- didates are interviewed for each position. With eighty (80) teachers hired during the year it can be appreciated that principals and department heads spend a great deal of time interviewing prospects and visiting them in their classrooms before making recommendations to the Superin- tendent and the School Committee.
The school system has been operating in a manner that, as one administrator decribes it - "We are inefficient, and no business corporation would continue on this basis. The results will be realized in the product which means that some- where along the line, some children are likely to be short changed in their educational years. It is similar to the family which cuts down the por- tions because it cannot afford a full meal. Or, the man who has a $40,000 home because he needs six bedrooms so he carries $20,000 of fire insurance, enough to pay off the mortgage, and when the house burns he has nothing."
The Committee has been considering, in line with recommendations in the "Dethy Report," the appointment of an Assistant Superintendent in charge of the secondary schools and the chang- ing of the Supervisor of General Services to the title of Assistant Superintendent of Schools. Consideration has been given also to the appoint- ment of a Personnel Director and the creation of another position to provide a man to work on the obtaining of Federal and State funds. The fright- ening rapidity of growth in the budget has slowed down action in these directions. Three (3) schools at secondary level now require someone
to head up that area. With 529 people on the pay- roll, the need for a Personnel Director is immi- nent. The Supervisor of General Services, who has complete charge of all administrative func- tions as well as all buildings and grounds, needs the rank of Assistant Superintendent. The Com- mittee foresees that the Personnel Director and the other person to seek Government funds would more than save their own salaries.
GLRUTHS
In a period of feverish technical and scienti- fic break-through in the medical arts and scienti- fic development, vocational-technical education is called upon to prepare the minds and hands of talented youth in the science and mechanics necessary for the continued progress of an in- dustrial economy and the healthy pursuit of the good life.
This report shows fiscal matters pertaining to the district as well as elements of satisfaction justifying the fiscal expenditures for the youth of our region. No other way can we provide com- prehensive education in our day than regionally, in an economic and efficient sense.
This report shows fiscal matters pertaining to the district as well as elements of satisfaction justifying the fiscal expenditures for the youth of our region. No other way can we provide com- prehensive education in our day than regionally, in an economic and efficient sense.
We are aware that all the youth in this dis- trict are not presently served, especially girls and many youth who are not particularly inter-
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ested in long term formal, or laboratory and shop instruction. It is our hope to enlist the aid of our four communities in providing this service in the near future.
The facilities are presently fully occupied with a waiting list approximating 300 students. This compounded with anticipated applications by 400 boys for September 1968 admission poses a growing problem of serving all eligible youth (boys and girls) in areas where they might best advance their talents.
Efforts to expand were delayed due to lack of communication with the communities involved coupled with a waiting period involving the restoration of the 50% reimbursement of the maintenance and operation of vocational educa- tion throughout the Commonwealth, as well as the 15% additional State aid to the member com- munities in the region. Both of these bills have been enacted and the district committee is ready- ing plans to inform the public of the needs, benefits and costs involved. Guidance Services :-
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