USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Ipswich > Town annual report of Ipswich 1955 > Part 3
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
Four hundred and fifty five catch basins were cleaned out using the new truck mounted catch basin cleaner and 40 new metal street signs were set up. The high- way garage was painted and about 700 yards of gravel was used in repairing Gra- velly Brook Rd. and 625 yards on Cape View Rd. at Great Neck.
A traffic beacon was set up at the junc- tion of High, North, Main and East Sts., and curbing set from the corner of East and County to Summer St. The curbing was removed and Central St. widened from
Highway Department setting curb on County Street
the corner of Manning and Central to the Baptist Church lane.
A total of 28,275 gallons of gasoline was supplied to the different departments from the highway tank.
The retaining walls on Choate Bridge were
26
repaired and repointed and with Chapter 90 Main. funds a section of Linebrook Rd. was patched and given a coat of asphaltic oil and peastone.
WINTER MAINTENANCE: A total of 90 tons of salt and 1300 tons of sand was was used in clearing ice and snow from the roads. Snow removal was done this year almost wholly with town owned equipment, and the total time worked by outside plows was only 341/2 hours for the whole season. In December of this year 850 feet of new snow' fence was purchased to replace some beyond repair, and the grader was equipped with lights so that it can be used at night in snow removal work.
NEW EQUIPMENT: A new catch basin cleaner, a pickup truck and another Flink hydraulic material spreader for sanding were purchased this year.
NEW CONSTRUCTION: Chapter 90 work on Argilla Rd. was continued this year. On the 1955 section of this project four catch
basins and two drop inlets were built, and approximately 1600 ft. of drainage pipe laid. A total of 8613 yards of gravel was brought in and a small section oiled before it grew too cold to do more oiling.
About 500 ft. of drainage pipe was laid and five basins were built on Perley Ave. North. One catch basin was built at Broad- way and Washington and two on Kimball Ave. At Hovey St. the pipe into the river was extended and the road widened by several feet at this point.
About 600 ft. of pipe was put in on Up- per River Rd. and two basins constructed. A bad curve on Linebrook Rd. across the Turnpike was removed, the road widened there, and 500 ft. of new steel cable guard rail set up. A new chain link fence was installed on both sides of Green St., Bridge, and new wooden rails put up Linebrook Rd., Avery St. and Sagamore Rd. Jeffrey Neck causeway was oiled and honed and one catch basin and 320 ft. of drain put in on Arrowhead Trail. In addition to this a sec- tion of Little Neck Rd. was given a coat of asphaltic oil and peastone.
FORESTRY, DUTCH ELM AND MOTH DIVISION
Edward Poirier, Foreman
Dutch Elm Disease caused the loss of 35 trees throughout the Town during the past year. Some of these trees were badly weakened by the hurricanes of last year, and these were very easy prey for this dread infection. Fortunately, the excellent spray procedures of the past and the careful pruning out of dead wood has kept the major portion of the elms of the Towns in excellent condition. On the credit side of the ledger of tree population, the de- partment planted 56 sapling shade trees. Of these trees, 50 were maples and 6 were elms. It is planned that additional plantings will have a greater number of elms. How- ever, it is perhaps better practice to intro- duce other species than the elm until a cure or prevention of Dutch Elm Disease has been developed.
During the year a Citizens Committee was formed, with Doctor Daniel Norman as Chairman and Mrs. Daniel Lunt and Mrs.
Lovell Thompson as members, to advise the Executive Secretary on conservation and disease control procedures. This committee has studied the Dutch Elm control proce- dures and replanting progress carefully and has made many valuable recommendations.
Roadside mowing and brush cutting was carried on throughout the Town during the summer. The dam at Dows Reservoir was cleared of brush and mowed by machine and by hand. Considerable work was done for the Highway Department in removing trees and clearing brush for the construc- tion of the new section of Chapter 90 work on Argilla Road and on the Linebrook Road across the Turnpike. Line clearing was done for the Electric and Water Departments. The spring and early summer was spent clearing trees of broken branches, removing shattered trees and burning brush at the Town dump to prevent the spread of the elm bark beetle. carrier of the Dutch Elm Disease virus.
27
PEST CONTROL: The Dormant D.D.T. spray of 12 per cent solution was applied by helicopter early in April despite repeated delays due to rainy weather. In early June a second aerial spray was applied to control the elm leaf beetle. The success of these sprays was attested by the excellent foliage on our elms during the summer and the complete absence of the elm leaf beetle. The early summer saw use of the hydraulic spray equipment of the Town for the con- trol of the Tent Caterpillar and Browntail Moth. The virtual absence of these pests was due in great part to the effectiveness of these sprays. Toward the end of the summer the Town was invaded by swarms of mosquitoes. The Mist Blower and Hy- draulic Sprayer were both used to cut down the number of these pests. The Town once
again sprayed Castle Hill for the Trustees of Public Reservations to eliminate mos- quitoes at their outdoor concerts. The Town was reimbursed for the labor and use of equipment involved, and the Trustees pro- vided all materials necessary for the spray.
-
In keeping with the program to eliminate Dutch Elm Disease from Ipswich, 19 sam- ples were forwarded to the Shade Tree Laboratories in Amherst for diagnosis. These samples are taken from trees which appear to be diseased as evidenced by yellowing of the foliage. Those which were reported as containing the Dutch Elm fungus were either removed completely or were pruned radically to eliminate the infected portion of the tree, thus preventing infection of neighboring elms.
WATER DEPARTMENT
Norris W. Stilphen, Manager
OPERATION: The general prosperity and high level of business activity in Ipswich was graphically reflected in the operation of the Water Department during the past year. Income from metered services in- creased by $4,000 over that of last year, and all other activities of the department were at record highs. Two hundred and seventy-one million gallons of water was pumped during the year, 9,195 feet of 6 inch, and 206 feet of 8 inch mains were installed, 133 new services were installed and 7 were changed from summer to winter lines, and 8,398 feet of service pipe was laid. A total of 63 meters were installed on services which were formerly unmetered in addition to the 164 meters which were changed in line with maintenance work. As the above figures indicate, there were more services installed than new meters added to the system so actually we fell behind in our metering program. The bud- get for the coming year has provisions for the purchase of over 300 meters to bring the system practically to the point of 100 per cent metering. From the studies con- ducted in the past, it would appear that it will not be economically practical to meter ali summer services. However, where ex- cessive usage is noted, a meter will be in-
stalled. Metering of these additional services will increase the revenue of the department, will reduce the amount of water used, thus strengthening the system in two ways; and will eliminate the inequity caused by flat rate sales to some users and metered sales to others.
DISTRIBUTION: Over 50 years have elapsed since the water system was installed in Ipswich, and it is to the credit of the de- signers that major distribution difficulties did not occur until recently. Last summer a combination of a dry summer, and many newly constructed homes in the Neck area caused several homes on high elevations to be without water for several hours each day on weekends. Other homes in the area had water, but often only a trickle. This caused serious inconvenience in the prepa- ration of food and in general sanitation, however, this inconvenience, serious as it was, actually was nothing compared to the danger created by lack of water for fighting fire. Fortunately, the people of the com- munity have taken steps to eliminate this dangerous situation by voting funds to im- prove the entire system serving the Neck Area. Also voted at the same time were funds to install a badly needed force main from Brown Well to the reservoir main on High Street. This addition will enable the
28
Town to derive approximately one million and a half gallons of additional water from this well every week.
Other areas of the Town are beginning to experience reduced pressures during pe- riods of high demand. This points to the need for improvements to the system by the installation of mains of greater capacity to reinforce the present mains. It is hoped that this program of main reinforcement can be started in a year or two and carried along as a long range improvement pro- gram. In this way the finances of the de- partment will not be strained to the point where a rate increase will be required. However, should the Town continue to grow at a rapid space, it may not be pos- sible to accomplish this improvement by the stage construction method.
GENERAL: Due to the need for funds to improve the system, it was necessary to eliminate the policy of sharing the cost of
main installation with sub-dividers. By taking this action, your Board of Selectmen acting in their capacity as Water Commis- sioners assured that sufficient funds would be available to amortize the debt incurred without changing the water rates.
The new well installation near the Old Browns Well was placed in operation as the heavy demand for water developed last summer. This well has proved! to be very efficient and performed in excellent fashion throughout the year. Since this water is relatively hard, it is not used during the Fall, Winter, and Spring unless an emer- gency occurs. The changes made in the cooling system at the Pumping Station saved millions of gallons of water from Dow's Reservoir and kept the level much higher than otherwise would have been the case. It would appear that the Town has ample supplies of water for several years to come.
Treasurer and Collector's Office, left to right: Barbara Bruni, Gladys M. Poole, Alice DeStefano.
29,
LIST OF JURORS
These are the citizens who are eligible to be drawn for jury duty during 1956
William O. Moseley Charles S. Bird, Jr.
Spring Street
Farmer
Waldingfield Road
Investments
Lela M. Johnson
9 Ward Street
Housekeeper
Charlotte A. Tyler
Newmarch Street
Housekeeper
Adele C. Robertson
Argilla Road
Reporter
Harriette F. White
Clarence J. Dupray
Spencer W. King
Vera R. Ross
104 High Street
Housekeeper
Harry F. Cole
36 High Street
Retired
William N. Karstones
7 Lafayette Road
Manager
Christopher Karras
19 High Street
Proprietor Laborer
Peter A. Johnson
10 Putnam Road
Clam Dealer
Lillian Soffron
Town Farm Road
Housekeeper
John H. Hill
17 Turkey Shore Road
Merchant
Consuelo B. Hills
Labor-In-Vain Road
Housekeeper
Gladys M. Hulbert
Town Farm Road
Housekeeper
Raymond T. Hull
Newmarch Street
Fisherman
Ruth R. Van Wyck
Argilla Road
Housekeeper Retired
George H. Chadwell
94 High Street
Charles W. Herrick
Old Wright Road
Salesman
James M. Stewart
5 Sawyer Street
Cemetery Dept.
Gardner A. Bolles
12 Woods Lane
Merchant
Carrie B. Ladd
53 North Main Street
Curator
John R. Pickering
High Street
Supervisor
George Lampropoulos
8 Hammett Street
Clam Dealer
Lillian B. Kyes
1 High Street
Housekeeper
Joseph H. Leet
Paradise Road
Retired
Clarence E. Miller
56 East Street
Painter
Janice V. Snow
Topsfield Road
Housewife
James Siamatas
104 Central Street
Real Estate
Philip A. Mack
Eagle Hill
Manager
Daniel S. Wendell
Jeffreys Neck Road
Artist
Richard F. Manthorn
Ja Woods Lane
Laborer
Arthur P. MarcAurele
34 Central Street
Clerk
Lot N. Hamlin, Jr. Octavia P. Hamlin
Argilla Road
Housewife
Gladys B. Woodman
29 Kimball Avenue
Hairdresser
Ava Louise Matheson
21 North Main Street
Clerk
Dorothy K. Parsons Barbara Cole
Woods Lane
Housewife
George O. Hall Louise F. Haskell Irad S. Mullen
34 Central Street
Cafeteria
Stanley E. Eustace
15 Argilla Road High Street
Knitter
Mary M. Sullivan
74 County Road
Housekeeper
S. Harold Perley
Linebrook Road
Salesman
Gardner W. Hazen
Water Street
Carpenter
Albert H. Langmaid
27 Summer Street
Draftsman
Albert C. Burrage, Jr.
Heartbreak Road
Retired
George W. Ford
9 Labor-In-Vain Road
Foreman
Barney J. Bialek Stella Kaszuba Horace L. Dunbar
61 Topsfield Road
Housewife
40 East Street
Proprietor
Constance M. Dupray Jennie F. Antonucci Albert H. Sheppard Chester L. Stone Charles A. Mallard Bernie E. Spencer
11 Manning Street
Retired
47 County Street North Ridge Road
Retired
Charles W. Price
Retired
Mildred H. Watson
Eagle Hill
Housewife
Marie E. Steele Samuel W. Atherley
North Ridge Road
Woods Lane
Secretary
Linebrook Road
Housekeeper
Clerk
68 High Street Island Park
Retired
Housewife Retired
30
15 Woods Lane
Housewife
Liberty Street
Bank Work
Foreman
7 River Court
United Shoe
1 Linebrook Road
Reporter
52 High Street 1 Linebrook Road High Street
Electrician
Poultryman
Anthony P. Gillis
Topsfield Road
Argilla Road
Farmer
THE MUNICIPAL FAMILY
December 31, 1955
TOWN MODERATOR Edmund Kelleher
BOARD OF SELECTMEN Nathaniel M. Quint, Chairman John F. Conley Harry E. Munro Frank J. O'Malley Arthur H. Steele
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Robert T. Bamford, Chairman Wilmot E. Hall Ernest F. Stone Leon B. Turner George A. Pechilis Timothy F. Carey, Jr. James W. Austin Richard W. Davis Stephen Tlumacki
BOARD OF HEALTH
Lawrence M. King, Chairman Frank L. Collins, M.D. Ernest J. Smith, D.M.D.
BOARD OF ASSESSORS Seward S. Tyler Stephen J. Prescott David Claxton
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
C. Louise Richardson, Chairman Robert E. Waite John V. Hubbard, Jr. Thomas H. Goodgame Paul D. Con'ey
Frederick C. Wilder Leo P. Marc-Aurele
REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT PLANNING COMMITTEE Russell E. Dreikorn George J. Geanakos Thomas H. Goodgame
PLAYGROUND COMMISSION John Bialek, Chairman Louise Hodgkins Barbara Cole Robert Savitt Robert W. Mansfield
BOARD OF REGISTRARS Henry F. Hills, Chairman John A. Kobos James Lampropolous
TRUSTEES OF TRUST FUNDS Edward J. Marcorelle Charles E. Goodhue George C. Parsons
BOARD OF PUBLIC WELFARE George R. Hovey, Chairman William T. Dunbar J. Alcide Lombard
PLANNING BOARD Chester J. Patch, Jr. Rev. C. Daniel Boone Bernard M. Sullivan Donald F. Whiston Richard R. Mansfield
HOUSING AUTHORITY George S. Ewing Glenfred A. Wanzer Fred G. Whittier, Sr. Dona'd C. Hazen Christopher Karas
SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE Russell E. Dreikorn George J. Geanakos Stanley J. Caren John V. Hubbard, Jr. (One vacancy)
COMMITTEE TO SUPERVISE ERECTION OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BUIL- DING ON THE WINTHROP SCHOOL SITE School Building Committee School Committee Executive Secretary
THE TOWN ADMINISTRATION
Executive Department
Norris W. Stilphen, Executive Secretary
Accounting Division
Assessing Department
Civil Defense Department Collection-Treasury Division
Constable
Electric Department Generation Engineering Department
Finance Department
Fire Department
Health Department Legal Department
Personnel Department
Police Department
Cemetery Division
Moth-Dutch Elm Forestry
Highway Division
Refuse Division Purchasing Department
Records Department Recreation, Playgrounds and Parks School Department Warren Pressley Bertram Bennett Bertram Bennett Lena J. Atherley
Norris W. Stilphen, Purchasing Agent Anthony A. Murawski, Town Clerk Pennell S. Eustis, Director Robert Savitt, Superintendent High School Principal Burley Winthrop School Principal Shatswell School Principal School Principal School Doctor School Nurse Lionel Sheppard, Sr., Director
Frank L. Collins, M.D. Violet DeMille
Shellfish-Harbors Department
Veterans' Services Department Water Department
Weight and Measures Division Welfare Department
Anthony A. Murawski, Veterans' Agent Norris W. Stilphen, Manager Ernest Romano, Sealer Walter Callahan, Director
THE MUNICIPAL COURT
Judiciary
Clerk of Court
Thomas A. Johnson, Judge Robert Bamford
Wayne Briggs, Accountant Seward S. Tyler, Chief Assessor Harold Bowen, Director G'adys M. Poole, Collector-Treasury Boley S. Radzinski Alfred L. Tobiasz, Superintendent Ralph Wetmore Paul A. Polisson Wayne Briggs, Finance Director Russell Scahill, Chief Ernest Romano, Health Officer William Hayes, Town Counsel Norris W. Stilphen, Personnel Director Stanley Surpitski, Chief Benjamin Homans, Superintendent Joseph E. Poirier, Foreman Joseph H. Doty, Foreman John Ladderbush, Foreman
OBJECTIVES
The 1955-1956 Ipswich School Committee
SCHOOL COMMITTEE REPORT 1955
SCHOOL COMMITTEE REPORT
Term Expires
JOHN V. HUBBARD, JR. 1958
C. LOUISE RICHARDSON 1958 DR. ROBERT E. WAITE 1958 PAUL D. CONLEY 1957 LEO P. MARC-AURELE 1956 DR. FREDERICK C. WILDER 1956 C. LOUISE RICHARDSON, Chairman
Meetings of the Committee:
Regular meetings of the School Com- mittee are held on the first Thursday of each month at the office of the Superintendent at 7:30 p.m., at the Ipswich High School. DR. ROBERT F. SAVITT
Superintendent of Schools BERNICE B. ARSENAULT Secretary OFFICE Ipswich High School
OFFICE OPEN-School days from 8 to 4 and by appointment
STATEMENT OF THE IPSWICH SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Citizens of Ipswich:
The School Committee takes pleasure in presenting to you their annual report to- gether with the more comprehensive reports of the Superintendent, Principals, Guidance Director and Supervisors. We trust you will take the time to familiarize yourself with the activities of your schools through these pages.
We of the Committee are proud of our established philosophy of education-that of education for all children-and are steadfastly moving ahead in this belief. Parents who have two or more children will be the first to realize that each child is an individual with varied abilities and this presents the challenge that each staff member is dedicated to meet.
This may be an excellent opportunity to speak briefly but sincerely of the tremend-
33
ous amount of study and work accomplished by the school personnel. It is a false im- pression that the teacher's day starts and ends when the bell rings. They must prepare numerous reports ; professional study com- mittees are a vital part of the growth in our educational plans. Parent-teacher con- ferences which are extremely profitable are at a very high average and are time con- suming.
The students' shortened school day, if anything, makes the teacher's day longer because of the necessity of always seeking a better way to cover the educational re- quirements in less time. It is our sincere belief that our Staff is devoting more time and service to our Town than is generally understood or appreciated.
The educational reports prepared by our Staff members are many times requested and widely circulated in educational fields.
School housing is still a problem we must face. The new Winthrop School, voted by the Town last February, so far has gone on a schedule which should make it ready for occupancy next September and relieve us of the anxiety of housing students in the old wooden Winthrop School. It is unfortu- nate that next September the 7th and 8th grades, numbering approximately 235, will be crowded out of our available buildings into an afternoon session, but the School Building Committee is working diligently on plans for new housing for our older students. Educational specifications were prepared by Staff and Dr. Savitt and have received high praise from officials who have studied them. We of the School Committee are well aware of the many financial drains on our Town but if we want to prepare our children to face a highly competitive world -we must educate them all well but not extravagantly.
Again our school budget for 1956 is over the amount appropriated for the year 1955 but this is necessitated by our ever growing school population, hence the need for seven new teachers text books, increased trans- portation and greater services to our youth.
We close with a sincere word of apprecia- tion to the Superintendent and the entire Staff for the splendid loyalty to their pro- fession, devotion to the youth of Ipswich and cooperation with the School Committee
which is the educational policy making body representing the Town.
Respectfully submitted,
J. V. Hubbard, Jr.
R. E. Waite, D.M.D. Frederick C. Wilder, D.M.D.
P. D. Conley Leo P. Marc-Aurele
C. Louise Richardson, Chairman
Change in Teaching Personnel:
The following persons terminated their employment since the last annual report was submitted:
Rhoda E. Goldstein, Grade 2 teacher at the Shatswell School, resigned June 30, 1955 following her marriage.
Mary L. Kilfoyle, Grade 2 teacher at the Burley School, resigned August 31, 1955 to accept a teaching position in Danvers, Mass.
Frank J. O'Malley, Grade 7 teacher in the Ipswich High School, resigned April 22, 1955 to enter private industry.
Sally A. Schoen, Grade 3 teacher at the Burley School, resigned February 3, 1955 to move out of this area.
Bruce E. Wells, Grade 6 teacher at the Burley School, resigned June 30, 1955 to accept teaching position in Worcester, Mass.
Eleonore Richardson, School Nurse, re- tired September 6, 1955.
Adelaide O. Hodgkins, Secretary to the School Superintendent, retired January 10, 1956.
Elected to the Teaching Staff Were the Following:
Julia T. Bennett, B.S., in Education, Gor- don College, was elected and assigned to Grade 3, Winthrop School.
Laureat Bernard, A.B., M.A., University of Maine, was elected and assigned as His- tory Teacher in the Ipswich High School. (Mr. Bernard resigned January 25, 1956 to accept a position as Instructor of History at Boston State Teachers College.)
Janet W. Boyd, B.S., in Education, Gor- don College, was elected and assigned Grade 4 teacher, Shatswell School.
34
John M. Curley, A.B., University of Massachusetts, was elected and assigned as Grade 5 teacher, Winthrop School.
George M. Garrity, B.S., M.Ed., Boston College, was elected and assigned Grade 7 Social Studies teacher in the Ipswich High School.
Sally E. Hutton, B.S. in Education, In- diana State Teachers College, Pennsylvania, elected and assigned as a permanent substi- tute teacher in Grade 3, Burley School in January, 1955 and was elected and assigned as regular Grade 4 teacher, Burley School, effective September 1, 1956.
Rosamond M. Hughes, B.S., Simmons College, elected and assigned as Grade 1 teacher, Burley School.
Marion S. LaClair, B.S., Northeastern University, was elected and assigned as Grade 6 teacher, Ipswich High School.
Elmer Michelson, A.B., M.A., Harvard University, elected and assigned as History teacher in the Ipswich High School on Janu- ary 25, 1956.
Marie T. O'Donnell, B.S. in Education, Salem Teachers College, elected and assigned as Grade 2 teacher, Burley School.
Mary L. Williams, Salem Teachers Col- lege, Boston University and Harvard, was elected and assigned as Supervisor of Special Education.
Violet DeMille, R.N., was elected and as- signed as School Nurse.
Bernice B. Arsenault, was elected and as- signed January 10, 1956 as Secretary to the Superintendent of Schools.
Florence Dove, was elected and assigned, January 16, 1956, as part-time bookkeeper for the Ipswich School system.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the School Committee and the Town of Ipswich:
In conformity with the by-laws of the School Committee, I present the annual re- ports of the public schools for the fiscal year 1955. The reports of the administrators and supervisors are included to provide de- tails of the many activities and achievements of the past year and to describe the chal- lenges that lie ahead.
. A LOOK BACKWARD
During the last several years many im- portant challenges have confronted the Ipswich School Committee, School Staff and School Superintendent. These challenges are similar to those being faced in other com- munities during a period of rapid school expansion and analysis of the offerings of the public schools. In the paragraphs to follow, an attempt is made to summarize steps taken in Ipswich in the last several years toward meeting these educational chal-' lenges.
Attracting and Retaining Competent Teachers -
In the last two years alone, more than twenty new staff members have been secured to replace teachers leaving or to fill positions
created because of increased enrollments. In the coming year a minimum of seven new teachers will have to be attracted to Ipswich. The securing of competent teach- ing personnel is a serious problem in these days of teacher shortage. Members of the graduating classes in teacher training insti- tutions have the opportunity to choose from several positions offered. As a result, a com- munity like Ipswich, has to compete with larger and better paying communities in seeking new teaching personnel.
The procedure followed in Ipswich in seeking out new teachers is lengthy and thorough. Months in advance of the date that the vacancy will actually exist, place- ment offices at colleges are personally con- tacted and teacher placement agencies are notified of the positions open in Ipswich. In addition, word is circulated through profes- sional circles of vacancies that will exist.
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.