USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Braintree > Town annual report of Braintree, Massachusetts for the year 1963 > Part 13
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18
Braintree High School Addition Building Committee
Charles J. Bradford Fred Belyea A. Winton Caird
Raymond M. Bean Ruth W. Shuster
Personnel
During this past year more than sixty teachers have entered the employ of the School Committee. Fifty-seven teachers new to Braintree helped us open school in the fall and these people appear to be about the finest group to come here, or so the veterans in the system have indicated.
The reason for being able to draw fine teachers, most of whom have had several years of experience, has been the good salary schedule. With a good schedule we not only have a greater number of candidates from which to make selections but we are now competing favorably with those communities re- garded as being able to pick and choose at will. The colleges and the distances from which our new teachers have come is a fine indication of the pulling pow- er of a good schedule. A good schedule must have a high top figure in order to draw the capable persons who wish to remain for some time in one com- munity.
Non-Degree Bachelor
5500 - 6600
4900 - 7400
Master or 30 s. h. equiv. 5200 - 8000
Master plus 30
6200 - 8400
School Plant
Braintree is fortunate in having a group of craftsmen skilled in a variety of trades who keep our buildings in good repair. Linked with that mainten- ance group is a large corps of men regarded as custodians. This latter group are just what their name implies. They take great pride in their build- ings and see that the buildings are kept clean throughout the year. Any mother knows how difficult it is to keep her kitchen or any other well used part of her house clean. She surely can appreciate the task of the custodian who has many more to clutter the building as well as a larger area to oversee. The custo- dian holds a highly respected job and is a master of his art. Today the custo- dian has hundreds of square feet of glass to wash and yards and yards of floors to clean. He has innumerable motors to check and gauges and meters to watch. When a custodian has pride in his job he loves his school .. When he has that feeling of pride it permeates the atmosphere and soon the students feel it. They no longer carelessly mark on walls or drop papers about. As a matter of fact, the custodian's feeling toward his school is reflected through- out the entire building. We invite our townspeople to visit our buildings and see why we are proud of our custodians and maintenance men.
Summer School
It is worthy of note that summer school serves several purposes. One is that of providing for those children who need some degree of further effort to
154
pass their subjects. In this situation summer school becomes an elongation of the regular school year. It is true that the number who pass the review courses is smaller than one-half of those in the summer program. This does not mean the effort has been lost. It may mean that the original judgment was correct in not passing certain pupils and that those who fail really need another year. Nevertheless, those who pass through their efforts in summer school, not only save themselves time but save the town money, because the summer session is far less expensive than the full year of repetition, and more than one-half the cost of summer school is supported by those attend- ing.
Another worthy purpose is in providing for courses pupils do not ordinarily have time to study in their normal program. So-called enrichment courses are very valuable for the capable students, particularly at the high school level, and we shall hope to be able to expand these offerings in the future. This past year 498 students attended, returning $6,000 on a $10,500 cost.
Industrial Arts
Industrial Arts is differentiated from Vocational or Trade School training by providing an exploratory or tryout course for one year in many of the same subjects for which vocational schools give more thorough training for several years in preparing a boy or girl for a vocation. Some students want an introduction to mechanical subjects without committing themselves to a study of these courses for a life's work. To a boy looking forward to a tech- nical college, industrial arts provides an experience with machine shop prac- tice that is of great value in later years in design or other applications of his scientific training. Such courses are not always available in college. The in- dustrial arts courses in Braintree High School are excellent in offering an in- troduction to the many mechanical subjects about which one might wish to have knowledge.
There are those who need solid education in a trade and for years such students have gone to out-of-town schools at the expense of the town of Brain- tree for such training. Trade training elsewhere is not given with Braintree in mind or with any exercise of control by our community. Because of many problems involved Braintree students who should seek vocational training do not. The town will soon decide whether to become a part of the Regional Vo- cational School being considered for this area. It is well to know that the vo- cational program as planned in such a school is not now provided in the industrial arts program at our high school. Nor are the subjects expected to be offered in the Regional Vocational School to be found in any school easily available to the young people of Braintree.
For the industrial arts courses provided at Braintree High School it should be known we spend considerable money to make both modern equipment and materials available. These courses are recognized by the Massachusetts Department of Education as excellent. The offerings in this program will not be changed or discontinued if the vocational school should come into exist- ence, for neither can fill the need of the other.
Regional Vocational School District Planning Committee Arthur M. Hayes, Chairman Robert J. Barrett
A. Ross Malcolm Arigo L. LaTanzi
Utility Building
A Utility Building Committee was appointed by the town to work out a com- bined Park Department, Public Schools building that would accommodate ma- chinery, trucks, and supplies. The committee has worked seriously trying
155
to prepare plans for such a building which would save money for the town by having equipment under cover and in one place.
The school system has need for storage space for large quantities of school supplies and school lunch materials. By having a central distribution point there should be a saving on large orders that now are broken down to be sent by the supplier to the individual schools. Better inventory control should be one of the advantages.
Utility Building Committee
John D. Callahan Lawrence T. Gingrow
Charles F. Haley Charles F. Abell
Roy O. Ventura
Elementary Supervisor
The Supervisor of Elementary Education is the coordinator of all academic instruction programs in grades kindergarten through six. This position is one of great responsibility because it encompasses such a variety of knowledges.
Pupils from every elementary school participate in this orchestra
The Supervisor must have a wide background in training and experience in all the subjects taught at the elementary level. Such a person must also be well aware of and practiced in the use of all equipment used in the classrooms. But the most essential function of this diverse position is the ability to suc- cessfully work with people - teachers, principals, and directors of subject
1 56
fields, not to mention the capability of efficiently carrying out the instructions of the superintendent. The Supervisor of Elementary Education must visit all teachers but more especially those teachers within their first three years of service. It has been one of the supervisor's responsibilities to interview and visit in their present position all prospective new teachers, along with the prin- cipal in whose building that teacher may work. Having thus been in on the employing, it then becomes a matter of trying to assist the newcomer, once employed, in becoming a good teacher by advising and assisting in the teach- er's day-by-day planning. Thus the supervisor has a deep concern for the new teachers at the elementary level. This position along with that of the elementary principal is largely responsible for the success of new teachers and is very much responsible for helping to sift out those who once having been employed, are not able to measure up to our standards and must be dropped. The townspeople need to be aware of the various built-in checks and balances a good system has. The supervisor is one of those, first to help find well qualified teachers, then second, to follow up on those employed to help them grow into fine teachers, and third, when necessary, to have the courage and honesty to indicate where one needs to be dropped.
Athletics and Physical Education
Our two most recent Presidents have helped to sharpen the emphasis in the need for a greater physical education program. Schools that rarely had devoted any time to physical education in the lower grades were scrambling to get on the bandwagon. Braintree has been in the front rank in the teach- ing of physical education for a long time. True, there can be an improvement in the amount of time devoted each week in each grade to physical education, but the point is that the program was not hastily created and squeezed into an already crowded elementary schedule. The Braintree physical education pro- gram is a well-coordinated schedule of activities commencing in the lower grades and having a systematic growth through high school. Every child is required to attend physical education unless by specific doctor's orders he is excused or eliminated. Excuses must be reviewed periodically.
The program of fitness in the lower grades tends to create big muscle ac- tivity, running, jumping and climbing. As the program develops through the grades it teaches a number of skills requiring coordination, timing, and precision. The program is not intended to create athletes, although the regular weekly attention to the three items mentioned does help to bring out those who are more than ordinarily skilled in the qualities that make a good athlete. The real intent of this course, one of the few required throughout one's entire pub- lic school attendance, is to help to create a healthy body that will be in a good condition to live a full and regular life. Side effects are numerous, among them the ability to learn to lose as gracefully as to win, to cultive a good wholesome competitive spirit, and to learn some skills that either in them- selves or by adapting may bring about practical adult application in such sports as tennis, bowling and golf.
Administrative Assistant in Charge of Buildings
This position, created seventeen months ago, has proved of great value to the town both in efficient handling of men and materials. Responsible for both repair and maintenance, the person in this job must have a substantial back- ground of knowledge of equipment and have the creative ability to improvise in emergencies. Requiring efficiency of methods and a high aptitude for handling mechanical and structural problems this position, occupied by a well qualified person, is a key post in the administrative staff. This is another of the important positions the exercise of which seriously affects the budget. With nineteen different buildings to supervise, from the recently acquired Higgins house to the East Junior High School, there is ample work to keep
157
such a position very challenging. The town is receiving a bountiful return on the management of this staff position.
Audio Visual
In the Audio Visual Department we now have 250 sound films, 2400 film strips and 150 recordings. Each school has an approximate number of pro- jectors and reproducers to make this material a substantial aid to a teacher's work. A concentrated program of instruction is provided for teachers in the use of these extra aids and every encouragement is given to find new uses as well as new equipment to teach more effectively.
This past year overhead projectors were provided which make possible the projection of figures drawn on a transparent film to a screen before the class. The audio-visual department has been making some excellent transparencies which can be made to fit the particular needs of a teacher at a given time. These latest acquisitions have added greatly to the extension of the materials a teacher employs today to make what she is teaching more effective.
A plan is being established in looking toward the future of an annual re- placement for the audio-visual equipment. Some of our machines are very old and have about reached the point where the cost of maintaining them is becoming prohibitive.
Home Instruction
In this past year the Home Instruction Department, employing two teach- ers, taught seventy-four students at all grade levels. This number is nearly one percent of the total school population. A number of these children re- ceiving home instruction have been confined over a long period of time. In order to receive teaching help by this means a child must be incapacitated for some little time. Such service is not available for children absent with the normal or regular child illnesses.
Children have received instruction at Norfolk County Hospital for which the town of the child's residence is charged.
Braintree children confined at the South Shore and Quincy Hospitals are provided instruction by our own visiting teachers, but we pay for tutoring stu- dents at Boston hospitals. This is a special service very much appreciated by those people who are unable to attend school. By helping to keep these stu- dents up-to-date in their main academic subjects the transition upon return- ing to school is made much easier.
Retirement
During the year a number of teachers retired who had served Braintree well and long. By their gracious service many children have gained in knowl- edge the better to face the world. We commend these teachers for their con- stant devotion to duty and wish to hope for them many bright and prosperous years ahead.
Name
School where assigned
Began service in Braintree
Mrs. Carrie D. Atwood
Monatiquot
1950
Mrs. Ann W. Brandt
Liberty
1950
Mrs. Francis E. Gray
East Junior High
1935
Mrs. Florence M. Jeffers
East Junior High
1931
I. Raymond Libby
District Principal, East
1929
158
Ralph W. Proctor Mrs. Evelyn L. Salter Mrs. Anna B. Shue Raymond L. Strangford Mrs. Bertha Wilson
Superintendent of Schools 1 946
Lakeside
1 949
South Junior High 1 955
Asst. Principal High School 1922
Lakeside
1 944
Your new Superintendent has had six months to observe and evaluate the use of plant, personnel, and program. In this report he has intentionally avoided the large areas of the academic program. These require more de- tailed study than has been possible in these few months since school began in September. It is proper to report that the programs in operation: modern mathematics, double-purpose and others, are constructive and at present seem to offer advantages over other methods used. Braintree in this respect has kept up-to-date in modern teaching procedures and is more advanced than some school systems. Decisions concerning programs are not the re- sult of one or two person's observations but come as the result of much study and evaluation by many people. The criteria used is always based on such questions as: does it explain more quickly, more clearly, or more efficient- ly, does the end result produce the actual objective we set out to reach, and can it be done with a minimum of change and confusion and without dispropor- tionate cost? Ever mindful of the relation of these many problems we shall diligently strive to produce the finest possible educational system for the Town of Braintree.
159
REPORT OF TAX COLLECTOR Year ending December 31, 1963
Total Charges & Refunds
Receipts
Abatements
Judgements Tax Titles etc.
Dec. 31, 1963
1963 R. E. & Charges
$4,918,757.89
$4,627,079.80
$154,828.03
$ 14,378.50
$122,471.56
Poll Tax
18,073.58
15,697.58
2,344.00
Personal Tax
161,925.05
149,462.25
1,071.00
11,391.80
Farm Excise
49.13
49.13
Auto Excise
742,267.87
555,849.03
58,879.43
127,539.41
Total
5,841,073.52
5,348,137.79
217,122.46
14,378.50
261,434.77
1962 R. E. & Charges
165,193.72
143,467.22
13,180.73
8,545.76
.01
Poll Tax
36.35
26.00
14.00
2.00
5.65Cr.
Personal Tax
5,762.54
5,189.81
572.73
Auto Excise
101,664.68
82,667.48
18,624.82
267. 30
105.08
Total
272,657.29
231,350.51
32,392.28
8,815.06
99.44
1961 R. E. & Charges
7,122.55
680.80
7.40
6,434.30
.05
Poll
6.00
6.00
Personal
795.50
795.50
Auto Excise
1,006.48
124.66
569.96
318.46
6.60Cr.
Total
8,930.53
811.46
577.36
7,548.26
6.55Cr.
Misc. Previous Yrs.
Real Estate
836.12
635.72
200.40
Betterment Assessments
301,786.82
67,095.23
367.84
80,443,11
153,880.64
Total all Committments
6,425,284.28
5,648,030.71
250,660.34
111,184.93
415,408.30
Misc. Receipts :
Interest
4,362.92
Statements
2,082.00
Fees
4,306.80
Total
10,751.72
Total Receipts all Sources
$5,658,782.43
GEORGE H. GERRIOR, JR.
Collector of Taxes
32.00
.
160
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SEWERS
January 2, 1964
To: The Board of Sewer Commissioners Town of Braintree, Massachusetts
Gentlemen:
I submit herewith my annual report upon the activities of the Sewer Depart- ment for the year ending December 31, 1963.
New Construction:
6.1 Miles of new sewers were constructed during the year, as shown below:
Location
From
To
Pipe Size
Houses Served
Length Feet
Alida Rd.
Grace
Southerly
8
260
Amherst Rd.
Portland
Kenmore
8
32
1,465
Argyle Rd.
Trefton
Pleasant View
8
-
244
Audubon Ave.
Quincy
Easterly
8
2
182
Bowditch St.
Easement
Easterly & Westerly
8
5
68
Cabot Ave.
Main Sewer
Westerly
8
9
507
Columbus Ave.
Easement
Fountain
8
17
589
Congress St.
Easement
Spring
10
2
161
Congress St.
Spring
Clinton
8
18
998
Easement
Brook Fork
Amherst
8
-
788
Easement
Brook Fork
Hemlock
12
1,055
Easement
Brook Fork
Hemlock
10
645
Easement
Easement
Alida
8
535
Easement
Easement
Bowditch
8
222
Easement
Easement
Brook Fork
12
1,819
Easement
Easement
Columbus
8
1,601
Easement
Front
Tingley
8
1,152
Easement
Granite
Wood
10
876
Easement
Jordan
Hobart
8
4
243
Easement
Lisle
Easement
8
143
Easement
M.D.C.
Easement
30
25
Easement
M.D.C.
Easement
12
20
Easement
M.D.C.
Sta. 0 + 25
8
25
Easement
Pearl
Easement
12
1,222
Easement
Sta. 0 + 25
Congress
10
199
Easement
Sun Valley
Robbie
8
141
Easement
Tingley
Magnolia
8
411
Forest St.
Liberty
Birch
8
12
829
Fountain St.
Sagamore
Columbus
8
6
260
Grace Rd.
Alida
Summit
8
-
611
Granite St.
Existing Sewer
Easement
10
712
Hatch Ave.
Robbie
Easterly & Westerly
8
-
386
Hayward St.
Shaw
Marietta
8
12
827
Hayward St.
Easement
Huntley
8
11
735
Helen Rd.
Norfolk
Louise
8
501
Hickory Rd.
Hemlock
Liberty
8
18
871
Highland Ave. East
Hayward
Northerly
8
4
266
Hilliard Ct.
Jersey
Spruce
8
4
325
Holly Rd.
Hickory
End
8
8
325
Howard Ct.
Howard
Westerly
8
6
345
-
-
161
Location
From
To
Pipe Houses Size
Served
Length Feet
Howard St.
Easement
Summit
8
15
745
Jersey Ave.
Hunt
River
8
14
588
Jordan Circle
Sheppard
End
8
6
318
Kenmore Rd.
Amherst
Easterly & Westerly
8
3
79
Lisle St. Ext.
Sta. 8 + 53
Sta. 10 + 38
8
185
Lisle St. Ext.
Sta. 10 + 38
Sta. 14 + 23
8
-
Five separate contracts for sewer construction were let as follows:
Contract No.
Date
Contractor
Amount
Per Cent Completed
1.
Apr. 20 Q R S Corporation
$ 53,740
100%
2.
Aug. 19 DiMascio Bros. & Co.
139,970
90%
3.
Sept. 6 Susi & DeSantis Co., Inc.
225,975
35%
4.
Oct. 10 Q R S Corporation
213,770
22%
5.
Dec. 12 Piatelli Construction Corporation
367,940
Total
$1,001,395
1
648
Pleasant View Ave.
Argyle
Easterly & Westerly
8
13
375
Poplar St.
Easement
Cypress
8
5
300
Portland Rd.
Amherst
Coveney
8
6
383
Robbie Rd.
Sun Valley
Hatch
8
351
Sagamore St.
Easement
Easement
8
20
1,027
Spring St.
Congress
Sta. 2 + 10
10
2
210
Spring St.
Sta. 2 + 10
Sta. 6 + 05
8
8
395
Sun Valley Dr.
Lisle
Robbie
8
763
Tingley Rd.
Easement
Cypress
8
6
274
Washington St.
Existing Sewer
Virginia
8
7
625
Wood Rd.
Sta. 27 + 15
Sta. 30 + 66
10
351
Totals
282
31,985
Total 1963 Construction
6.1 Miles
Previous Construction
66.4 Miles
Total Constructed to Date
72.5 Miles
-
385
Magnolia St.
No. Bowditch
Westerly
8
7
257
Marisa Dr.
Sheraton
Easterly
8
-
612
No. Bowditch St.
Magnolia
Wilkins
8
525
Pearl St.
Main Sewer
Rock
12
Work will continue in easements during the winter months on contracts #2 and #5. No more work will be done on contracts #3 and #4 until spring.
Surveys are now going on for an extension of the Farm River interceptor sewer between Granite Street and West Street, funds for which were appro- priated at the Special Town Meeting held October 29.
All of the work remaining from two contracts let the year before has been completed.
A total of 4,863 feet of sewers in the following streets, included in the above list, were constructed by and at the expense of private developer under the supervision of the Sewer Department: Alida Road 260'; Easement 535'; Ease- ment 141'; Grace Road 611'; Hatch Avenue 386'; Helen Road 501'; Jordan Circle 318'; Lisle Street Extension 385'; Marisa Drive 612'; Robbie Road 351'; Sun Valley Drive 763'.
162
On August 17, all of the sewage from Braintree Highlands was permanently diverted into the M.D.C. Randolph trunk sewer by a 12-inch connection 20 feet long just below the Walworth Manufacturing Company plant in South Braintree.
The present sewer system can now serve 63% of all the buildings in the town.
Assessments :
Sewer assessments amounting to $52,062.14 were levied againly 176 prop- erties during the year.
Receipts from sewer assessments, reserved for appropriation, amounted to $58,487.62 as of December 31.
House Connections :
There were 379 sewer connections, requiring 20,808 feet of pipe, com- pleted during the year.
The new construction completed this year made the sewer available to serve 282 buildings and applications for connection were received from 249 of them.
Of the buildings that can be served by the present sewer system, 91 % are connected with the sewer.
There were 143 applications for sewer connection on file at the end of the year.
Maintenance:
During the winter months all of the main sewers were inspected and most of the lateral sewers, 12-inches in diameter and under, were inspected and cleaned. There were five lateral sewer stoppages, two due to large stones deliberately placed to block the flow, one due to a root growth, one due to grease and one due to the incomplete removal of a construction bulkhead. There were 52 stoppages of sewer connections due to root growths. A leaking joing in the Brookside Road pumping station force main was repaired. A broken pipe in the Elm Street sewer at Hawthorn Road was replaced.
In January all of the sewer assessment and record sewer plans were micro- filmed and the film stored in a special vault of the Graphic Microfilm Company in New Hampshire. There were 421 plans 24" x 36" and 22 plans 9-1/2" x 14".
On June 6, when all electric power throughout the Town was lost the six sewage pumping stations were operated by emergency equipment without any overflowing.
On July 1, in accordance with a special act of the General Court last year and a contract with the M.D.C., the City of Quincy began using the facilities of the Howard Street pumping station to serve a low district in Quincy near the Braintree line.
For a number of years, the Sewer Department has been using the old In- firmary barn, carriage shed and chicken house for equipment storage and maintenance purposes. In addition to being a fire hazard, these buildings are entirely inadequate and in poor repair, and are not worth spending any money on. The exterior of the east side of the barn was badly damaged by a grass fire last spring, exposing rotten sills and studs.
163
Recommendations for 1964:
1. Continue forth year of 5-year plan for extension of lateral sewers at an accellerated rate:
$500,000
2. Construct a sewer maintenance and storage building of prefabricated steel:
65,000
Mr. Herbert J. Albee, a member of the Sewer Commission since October 1960, resigned September 1. Mr. Albee's experience and interest in con- struction work and Town affairs made his service and advice invaluable. Mr. A. Winton Caird was appointed September 9 to fill the vacancy on the Sewer Board.
Excellent cooperation and valuable assistance were received from all other Departments and Committees of the Town throughout the year, which is great- ly appreciated.
Respectfully submitted, GEORGE F. BROUSSEAU Superintendent
REPORT OF BRAINTREE AIRPORT COMMISSION - 1963
William G. Brooks, Chairman
John W. Murphy Gordon H. Robinson William K. Stewart George T. Woodsum
The Braintree Municipal Airport, located off West St. near Old Route 128 on Town owned property, is registered with the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission as a Commercial Landing Field at latitude 40 degrees 12' 20" and longitude 72 degrees 02' 25" and is operated under the direction of the Braintree Airport Commission.
The 2300 foot runway, 100 feet wide, is operated under strict rules as specified by the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission, with an Airport Manager as prescribed by the Commonwealth. All members of the operating group, commission and Airport Association, serve without compensation. In the 17 years of operation of the airport, the Commission has had no financial budget from the Town of Braintree.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.