USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Braintree > Town annual report of Braintree, Massachusetts for the year 1964 > Part 13
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GIFTS
During 1964 numerous gifts of phonograph records, periodicals, and books have been received from organizations or interested citizens of the town. We acknowledge and greatly appreciate these gifts as follows:
Phonograph Records
One special gift was received late this fall from Columbia Records, a Division of Columbia Broadcasting Co .: 3 sets of 60 records each, making a total of 180 phonograph records. All of these are fine recordings, mostly of a classical nature. Titles which we already had in our collection are welcome as replacements for worn out records.
Periodicals
National Geographic 15 years 22 years
Arizona Highways 25 issues New Yorker
Saturday Review
Show
American Institute of Architects Journal
American Legion Hadassah
Rotarian Journal of Accountancy
Science and Technology Forbes Magazine
Mrs. Edward Wolfe Mrs. Doris O'Brien
Mr. Robert Jackson
Mrs. Dorothy Snyder
Mrs. Maurice Berry - For Highlands Branch
Mrs. Maurice Berry - For Highlands Branch
Mr. Maurice Berry
Rotary Club Mr. Gordon Trask Mr. Alan Barnett Dr. Marvin Powell
Books from Organizations'
Braintree Garden Club (In memory of Mrs. Edna Cutcliffe and Mrs. Georgia Noyes)
Italian American War Veterans
Old Colony Montessori School Corp.
National Association of Travel Organizations Standard Oil Company
Mayflower Council of Girl Scouts of America Information Service of South Africa
U. S. Savings and Loan League
Ford Motor Company
Irish Consulate of Boston Merck and Company Lane Cooper Fund United Engineering Trustees, Inc. Senior Citizens of Braintree Quincy Cooperative Bank
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Books from the following individuals:
Mrs. Herbert May, Washington, D.C .; Mr. James C. Coe, Phoenix, Arizona; Mr. Robert Jacobson, Hanover; Mr. Jack Ainsleigh; Mr. Alan Barnett; Mrs. Gilbert L. Bean; Mrs. Grace Brine; Congressman James A. Burke; Miss Olive Carson; Mrs. Gladys Collier; Mr. William Hagerty; Mrs. H. Hobart Holly; Mr. Richard Iacobucci; Mrs. Arden Milley; Miss Doris O' Brien; the Estate of Mrs. Edwin R. Olin; Miss Catherine Recupero; Mr. Ralph Roberts; Mrs. Caroline Schmock; Dr. Charles Sturtevant; Miss Eleanor Sullivan; Mrs. John Tausch; Dr. and Mrs. Edward Tinney; Miss Mary Valentine; Mr. Dale Ward.
In closing the report for 1964, the Library Director would like to acknow- ledge the services of each member of the Board of Trustees. Hours of time and thought are given throughout the year to the problems of the library and how to give the best possible library service to the citizens of the community while being economical in spending. It is with their guidance and help that the Library Staff and Director may have succeeded in bringing this important educational service to the people of Braintree.
Respectfully submitted, MIRIAM HALL Library Director
REPORT OF
THE BOARD OF WATER COMMISSIONERS
To the Citizens of Braintree:
The year 1964, the second year of a serious drought, found Great Pond at the lowest level ever recorded in the history of the Braintree Water Depart- ment. It was evident at the start of the season, when the Pond level was 18" below the top of the lower spillway that if the abnormal pattern of rainfall continued during the Summer, a serious water shortage would develop if the consumption of water was not curtailed. A water restriction on car washing and limited lawn watering was issued early in the Season. The excellent co- operation that we received from the Patriot Ledger, Braintree News, and local Radio Station W.J.D.A. in presenting the water problem to the people of Braintree, together with about 95% cooperation from the Braintree water users enabled the Water Department to supply an adequate supply of water for normal use and Fire Protection during 1965.
For several years, the Water Department has been searching for additional sources of water to meet the need created by the growth of Braintree. One location that was surveyed was the Crowley Pit area located in South Braintree near the Randolph boundary. After a complete engineering study and consul- tation with State officers, it was voted to purchase the land in this area for a future reservoir. Several attempts were made to reach an agreement as to the price with the owners of this land. The land which totaled 30 acres was finally taken by eminent domain. A contract was let to a competent contractor to start excavating for a new reservoir. When completed, this will afford Braintree with an excellent source of additional water.
A survey has been completed of Bear Swamp in Randolph to determine if it would be possible to increase the runoff from this area to Norroway Brook, a
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a major supply of water to the Upper Pond. The development of this survey is now in the planning stage.
Blue Hill River was used as a source of supply to Great Pond and proved very effective in holding the Pond level.
Work has started at the West Street End of Great Pond on a new clay dam which, when completed, will stop the loss from leakage when the Pond is full. This new dam will also increase the storage capacity of Great Pond. During the year, two contractors have been excavating the bottom of the Upper Pond which will increase the storage capacity in this area.
A new well site was located and tested. This well will be used during the 1965 Season if the drought should continue. Several other potential water sources are being studied and will be developed if proven to be adequate in quality and supply.
Words cannot express the tremendous gratitude that your Water Commis- sioners have for the excellent manner in which Water Superintendent, Donato T. Richardi, handled the many unusual problems which developed during the year. His planning, knowledge, and his ability to accomplish the impossible enabled the Department to overcome many serious obstacles. The Commis- sioners wish to say "thanks" for a job well done to the men and girls of the Department for the extra effort they displayed during the year in keeping ahead of the water problem during 1964.
Respectfully submitted,
THOMAS H. MATTHEWS, Chairman ARTHUR L. WHITTEN HOWARD J. ROSE Board of Water Commissioners
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
To the Board of Water Commissioners:
As Superintendent of the Water Supply System, I am pleased to submit the 74th Annual Report showing the present condition of the Department and all the extensions and improvements made together with a statement of operating the system during the year.
This year 10,034 linear feet of new main pipe and 12 hydrants have been added to our distribution system along with the installation of 187 new ser- vices. Our forces repaired 43 services in the street and they renewed 21 house services.
A Contract for the installation of the Centrifugal High Lift and Low Lift Pumps was awarded to the lowest bidder. These pumps are operated by electric motors. We replaced the low lift pump which had a 25 horsepower motor and a pumping capacity of 2000 gallons per minute with a new 125 horsepower motor with pump attached and the pumping ability is 4000 gallons per minute. The old high lift pumping unit had a 100 horsepower motor and pumped 2000 gallons per minute only. This has been replaced by a 500 horse- power motor with a pump attached and is capable of pumping 4000 gallons per minute. We also have a Continental Gasoline Engine attached to the low lift
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pump which will be utilized in case of power failure. This new Equipment will more than prove its' worth by the increasing demand for water by consumers.
The severe drought that existed throughout the entire country also plagued our reservoirs and they were taxed to capacity this year due to the hazardous dry spell we encountered during the Spring, Summer and Fall months of 1964. This drought prompted our department to enforce a rigid ban on the watering of lawns and the washing of automobiles. The water restriction became effec- tive as of May 25, 1964. Hand watering by hose was allowed in the evening hours specified by the Water, Department. The use of lawn sprinklers was prohibited. The Police Department assisted us on this ban. Public notice of the ban was made possible to the citizens of Braintree by means of Radio Station W.J.D.A. of Quincy and the Quincy Patriot Ledger and also the Brain- tree News. Their coverage on the ban was most complete and thorough.
We are most grateful to the citizens who cooperated in observing the water- ing hours as the drought was one of the worst during the last decade.
In the year 1964, our men installed numerous sprinkler lines and hydrants for new industries. We are still spending considerable time relocating ser- vices and repairing services that have been damaged by various construction companies.
Due to the great amount of water we have lost, construction of a new dam on the westerly side of Great Pond has been started. This project is approxi- mately 5000 feet long and will consist of a clay core banking with rip-rapp when completed in the year 1965. This project is being performed by the Water Department personnel.
Frank Darche one of our Pumping Station Operators passed away on No- vember 21st of this year. He was a loyal and conscientious employee.
At this time, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Board of Water Commissioners and the employees for their cooperation and assistance during the year.
Respectfully submitted,
DONATO T. RICHARDI, Superintendent
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Balance, January 1, 1964
$ 57,735.84
Collections
451,096.90
$508,832.74
DISBURSEMENTS
Maintenance and Operation
$404,879.15
Amortization on Debt
43,000.00
Interest on Debt
10,300.83
Commissioners
300.00
458,479.98
Balance, December 31, 1964
$ 50,352.76
Unexpended Balance on Article 16 - Crowley's Pit
$ 25,407.52
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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BRAINTREE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
During 1964, the Braintree School Committee held ten regular and twenty- four special committee meetings, many of the latter necessitated by the preparation of the 1965 budget, and a number of "information" meetings when we were briefed on the work and future plans of several special departments. By action of the Town Meeting of October 29, 1963, a seventh member was elected to the Committee in the March election, and Robert T. Smart has been a faithful, contributing member of the Committee.
In July, Arigo L. LaTanzi resigned as Assistant Superintendent of Schools to become the Superintendent of Schools in Rockland. Mr. LaTanzi had been a teacher and football coach at Braintree High School for thirteen years, and had held the position of Administrative Assistant and, later, Assistant Superin- tendent, for four years and had established himself as a had worker and a capable assistant. On November 10, Carmen P. Rinaldi began his service as Assistant Superintendent and brought to his new position a wide experience as classroom teacher, assistant high school and high school principal, and sum- mer school director in Westwood, Brookline and Ayer, Massachusetts.
A much needed ten room addition to the Liberty School was ready for the opening of school in September, providing a total of twenty-one classrooms, a much needed library and a new gymnasium for the now largest elementary school in Braintree with a capacity of six hundred pupils. The appropriation for this addition was approximately $379,000 which included the cost of con- struction, complete equipment, as well as landscaping and the development of a new playground. In late May, the Noah Torrey School kitchen was completed and opened for use at a cost of $86,000. This attractive, efficient kitchen has made it possible for the pupils of the two Noah Torrey buildings to participate in the school lunch program in a first class manner.
In the early fall, a school census was taken and the change made in the in- formation garnered in this procedure will provide the Superintendent with working enrollment figures beyond next fall since we now have the statistics concerning all children from birth to kindergarten age now residing in Brain- tree. This information will also help the Superintendent and the School Com- mittee, with the assistance of the report of the School Survey Committee, to determine where a new elementary school will be needed. It is generally agreed that the Highlands district, particularly between Grove Street and East Braintree, is showing the greatest expansion in school population but the final location of a new building has not been determined. However, additional class- rooms will be an absolute necessity by the fall of 1966.
Teacher resignations and increased pupil enrollment necessitated the hiring of forty-nine new teachers for the 1964-65 school year, bringing the total number of teachers to 384. Of the new teachers, an unusually high number (over 77%) were graduates of liberal arts colleges other than state teachers' colleges. One new position, a speech teacher was created in the fall and has proven to be very beneficial in aiding over one hundred cases of speech diffi- culties referred by classroom teachers.
The experimental program of providing recreational activity in the High School and Junior High gymnasiums during the Christmas vacation proved to be very popular and filled the need for a place for both junior and high school age students for informal recreation and also as a place for college students home for the holidays to enjoy gymnasium activity. The Director of Physical Education is to be commended for the manner in which the program was car- ried out using school property during other than regular school hours, at a reasonable expense to the town.
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Approximately 80% of the yearly school budget is allocated for teachers' salaries and expenses of instruction, such as textbooks, libraries, administra- tive positions, etc., and of the remaining 20% the largest items are pupil transportation, operation of the plant (heat, light, water, telephone, custodians' salaries) and maintenance (salaries, repairs to equipment, and specific re- pairs to buildings). We have continued the programmed painting of exteriors and interiors of school buildings, and the periodic updating of plumbing and heating equipment, as needed. The appreciation of the School Committee is hereby expressed to the continued cooperation and outstanding work of the Administrative Assistant in Charge of Buildings and Grounds and to the Ad- ministrative Assistant for Business Affairs for the economies they have effected in all phases of their work.
We also wish to express our gratitude for the cooperation and willing help of the entire faculty, the administrative staff, the maintenance and custodial staff, the secretaries, nurses and cafeteria workers in carrying out the work of the whole system.
We are especially grateful to the Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Young, for his help and guidance in the work of the School Committee, and for the fine manner in which he has conducted the business of administering such a large system as ours, introducing new ideas and making changes when needed, resulting in a continuing outstanding school system of which the citizens of Braintree can well be proud.
Respectfully submitted,
RUTH W. SHUSTER, Chairman JOHN D. CALLAHAN, Secretary ROGER W. ARNOLD ALMEDA W. CAIN ROBERT J. BARRETT REUBEN H. FROGEL, M.D. ROBERT T. SMART
ANNUAL REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS January, 1965
Modern technology, in changing so rapidly, has brought about great changes in subject content and also in methodology or the way in which subjects are taught. Whether technological change has brought about the rejuvination in education or the changes in education have brought about the advances in tech- nology is a debatable issue. We do know, however, that the American School System has educated the great minds and has been responsible for the growing accumulation of scientific information and this should somewhat retard the debunkers of the American system of education. Given the intelligent and conscientious School Committee members, well-trained and experienced teachers and the buildings and facilities with which to work, one finds the reason for Braintree's pride in being one of the better school systems in the Commonwealth.
Considerable progress has been made in 1964 in the area of curriculum development. The Articulation Committees which were basically established to coordinate the subject programs over a series of school years, by so doing bring about the improvements in course content as well. The courses of study in our schools are thereby kept up to date, are properly adjusted to the grade
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level, and are thus designed to fit within the general comprehension of chil- dren of a given age.
These teacher committees have taken their responsibility seriously and keep, among other things, a look-out for new and revised textbooks. When a new textbook is published, it will be evaluated and if found worthy of use, it will be presented to the School Committee for adoption. Since it is the School Committee's responsibility to prescribe the courses to be studied and their content, the acceptance or rejection of proposed textbooks becomes an impor- tant function for the School Committee. The Articulation Committees, there- fore, become advisors to the School Committee with regard to courses and textbooks. If it were not for the teacher committees advising, the School Com- mittee would find it virtually prohibitive in terms of time to keep informed of the constant curriculum changes necessary for educational progress.
Curriculum Changes
In Social Studies, grades 7 through 12, the following changes were approved: World History became an elective in grade 9 while Civics was dropped. To prevent absence of civic knowledge, units were created to include the study of local, state, and federal governments. In high school, students will study American History in grade 10, Constitutional Government and World Civiliza- tion in grade 11, and World Civilization-International Relations in grade 12. Non-college students study Commercial Geography in grade 10, American History in grade 11, and Problems of Democracy in grade 12.
The correlation this past fall of English and Social Studies in the high school brings American Literature to the student at the time he studies American History; English Literature correlates with a study of Western Civilization in grade 11; and lastly, World Literature is studied along with World Civilization and International Relations in grade 12. This was the cul- mination of several years of study by the joint articulation committees work- ing toward better unity in bringing these two subjects together. This is a good example of team teaching.
Learning about the geography and history and literature of a people at a given time ties a student's understanding of cause and effect more succinctly than when such subjects are treated in a completely unaligned fashion. Asso- ciated with this coordination of different subjects, sixty college preparatory sophmores are carrying five major subjects. The principle underlying this move is that of appreciating the ability of good students to absorb more and to move faster than has been possible when advantaged students are held to the limiting restrictions of the average student.
With a change at junior high school from a six to a seven period day, many desirable possibilities will be achieved. English is increased from five periods a week to six in grades 7 and 8. Later French Level I in grade 7 will be increased from two to three times a week. Traditional Algebra is dropped from the 9th grade curriculum and in its place a First Course in Algebra (S.M.S.G. Modern Mathematics) is being offered.
In other areas the School Committee introduced Stenotype in the Business Department of the High School to make possible the beginning skill in a new system for stenographers. A key punch machine was incorporated also in this same department as the initial step in the training for appreciation of the field of data processing. The key punch serves a practical purpose as well as being a teaching tool since it is used to make the individual cards for each high school student from which the principal, through a computer, schedules his entire high school. This is the second year the high school has used data
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processing programming for the individual high school students in place of the out-moded hand method of scheduling each student.
Honors
During this school year Braintree High School has had six students cited as National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists on the basis of College Board ex- aminations. This record completely outranks the high schools on the South Shore and is one of the outstanding accomplishments in the State of Massa- chusetts.
In somewhat the same academic vein our Mathematics Club has competed with the high schools in the metropolitan Boston area and the team has suc- ceeded in vanquishing nearly every competitor. This Club each year has placed first in the Southeast region since its inception.
Athletics
The ability of the coaching staff in our schools has led to unusual success for a number of teams. Because the physical exercise of a child's body is a part of our educational system and because the athletic schedules are a by- product of that program, the community has the right to be proud. Not that success in athletics is "the goal" we seek but rather that the physical and moral development gained from the gymnasium program has its outlet on the playing field. Learning to lose graciously is as fundamentally sound as learn- ing to win with dignity. The men and women associated with our boys and girls in coaching are the genuinely fine examples with whom we want our youth to be associated. By their character and attitude they set the examples of sportsmanship and behavior that may be observed in the student players, es- pecially under stress.
Good fortune, good players, and good coaching all worked to our advantage in the following record: the Cross Country Team won the Bay State League Championship as did the Basketball Team, the Gymnastics Team, the Baseball Team, and the Girl's Softball Team, with the Boy's Soccer Team tieing for the League Championship.
The total record of the six League Championships in one year is rather unusual. Expressing the record in different terms, we might show that in the fifteen sports offered boys and girls at the varsity level, the teams won 131 games, lost 44, and tied 5. Future strength is indicated at the junior varsity level in which the teams won 68 games, lost 13, and tied 1.
Still another benefit of the good coach - student relationship has been the help and encouragement our students have received in going on to two or four year colleges. Seventy-five percent of the senior athletes were accepted for further education. Furthermore, forty percent of the student body at Brain- tree High School took part in some phase of the athletic program.
The Administrative Assistant in Charge of Business Affairs
As we emerged after World War II from a small town into one more like a city, the school system grew by leaps and bounds and more help was required in the central office. The position of Administrative Assistant in Charge of Business Affairs was created to unburden a heavy responsibility from the Superintendent which took more and more time. In the seven years this posi- tion has existed, purchasing and the other business affairs have been more efficiently handled than could have been done by a Superintendent saddled, among other things, with the minutia of such detailed work. Through study and research of materials and products by a person extremely well skilled in
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his work, we have benefitted by economies that have more than made up for the salary of the position. We have the assurance that purchase orders are scrutinized carefully and buying procedures are economical. People needing supplies turn with confidence toward this office knowing they will receive full money's worth and good judgment.
Staff
A distinct impression one gains from visits to our schoold and by talking with teachers and other staff members is the strong loyalty to the school system. The pride workers have in doing their work well is quickly noticed by the neat appearance of classrooms, buildings, kitchens, and offices. This spirit of loyalty and devotion is not easily come by. It shows a satisfaction and pleasure in every man and woman having a definite assignment and being given the opportunity to fulfill his task without overbearing supervision but with a feeling that he is trusted and is being given the opportunity to show initiative. The School Committee and the Superintendent deeply appreciate the cooperation and devoted service shown.
At the close of the school year 1963-1964 a revision in the elementary school districts was approved by the School Committee. This reduced the four districts to two and made four of the larger schools independent each with its own supervising principal. Thus Noah Torrey-Colbert Schools are now headed by Thomas E. Brunelle while Liberty has for its principal John H. Stella. These two men had been East District and West District Principals respectively. Miss Olive Fisher was promoted from Teaching to Supervising Principal of the Ross School and Miss Eleanor Brown was promoted from Teaching to Supervising Principal of Penniman School.
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