USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Town annual report of Middleborough, Massachusetts 1952 > Part 3
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Article 2: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for the purpose of acquiring land for and constructing, originally furnishing and equipping a new High School building, deter- mine how the money shall be raised, whether by borrowing under the provisions of General Laws Chapter 44, and Chapter 237 of the Acts of 1948 as amended by Chapter 374 of the Acts of 1950, by taxation, by transfer from surplus revenue, or otherwise, and take any action rela- tive thereto.
The following motion was made:
Moved: That the sum of $1,175,000.00 be appropriated for acquiring land for and constructing, furnishing and equipping a high school build- ing, and to meet said appropriation the sum of $58,000.00 be hereby transferred from the Post-War Rehabilitation Fund (and that Treasurer with the approval of the Selectmen is authorized to convert assets of that fund into cash for that purpose), the sum of $17,000.00 be hereby transferred from the Excess and Deficiency Fund, and that Treasurer with the approval of the Selectmen be hereby authorized to issue not exceeding $1,100,000.00 bonds of the town, $1,000,000.00 thereof under Chapter 237 of the Acts of 1948 as amended by Chapter 374 of the Acts of 1950 and $100,000.00 thereof under Chapter 44 of the General Laws.
That the Selectmen be hereby authorized to acquire by gift or purchase or take by eminent domain the following described land for a high school building, the cost hereof to be paid from the appropriation heretofore made for that purpose:
Beginning at a bound in the easterly line of North Main Street marking the west corner of the present Middleborough High School lot and the north corner of the land of Alice H. Cornish, said corner bearing
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northeasterly and being distant one tenth of a foot from a drill hole in said corner bound; thence in line of said Town of Middleborough land south 39º 59' east 298.28 feet to the concrete bound marking the south corner of said Town of Middleborough land and continuing same course by land of the Estate of Thomas S. Peirce 51.78 feet to a corner bearing south 46° 49' 30" west 0.12 feet from a small drill hole in the south- west end of a concrete parapet wall; thence still in line of land of said Estate of Thomas S. Peirce south 43° 30' 30" west 383.67 feet to a corner; thence north 46° 27' west 246.30 feet by said Peirce Estate land and land of the Town of Middleborough Fire Station lot to a corner; thence north 46° 50' East 35.00 feet to a corner; thence north 43° 10' west 20.00 feet to a stone bound; thence north 46° 40' East 75.00 feet to a corner; thence north 43° 10' west 120.00 feet to the easterly line of said North Main Street as laid out by the County Commissioners in 1893; thence in said easterly side line of said North Main Street, north easterly 45.00 feet; thence south 43° 10' east in line of land of Merle C. Washburn 120.00 feet to a corner; thence north 46° 50' east 129.50 feet, more or less, by land of said Washburn and Alonzo D. Dealtry, to land of said Alice H. Cornish; thence north 39° 59' west, by said Cornish land, 117 feet, more or less, to said easterly side line of North Main Street; thence by said easterly side line of North Main Street, north- easterly 126.26 feet, more or less, to the point of beginning. Together with a right of way, for vehicles and pedestrians, 30 feet in width run- ning from the southeasterly line of the above described parcel to Jackson Street, the westerly side line of which right of way is described as follows:
Beginning at a point in the southeasterly side line of the above described parcel 335.65 feet distant from said concrete parapet wall; thence south 3º 54' 30" west 200.35 feet to a point; thence south 40° 38' .30" west 166.30 feet to said Jackson Street.
The Selectmen are authorized to accept a deed of the parcel of land owned by Alice H. Cornish, subject to the reservation of a life estate in such part of the said parcel as may be acceptable to the Building Com- mittee.
That the present Building Committee consisting of Arthur Saccocia, Ralph E. Nourse, James J. Mahoney, James Brennan and Charles P. Washburn be directed to construct the new high school substantially in accordance with the plans and specifications as submitted in the report of the School House Building Committee and to furnish and equip the same; and that said Committee be authorized and empowered to enter into any agreements and contracts and to do all things necessary for said purpose.
The following amendment was voted:
I move that this motion be amended so that action upon the motion be taken by Australian ballot, that this meeting, after deliberation, be adjourned to Wednesday, January 30th, at which time the motion, under Article 2 be voted upon at the Town Hall by use of the Australian ballot and that polls be kept open from 12 noon to 8 P.M. for that purpose.
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ADJOURNED SPECIAL TOWN MEETING January 30, 1952
The meeting was called to order at 12 noon by Moderator Clark.
Elisha H. Shaw, Laura Norris, Gertrude B. Martin, Annie C. Healey, Stella R. Fickert, Walter H. Gillis, Harold A. Williams, Mildred C. Teel- ing, and Esther M. Robidoux were sworn in as election officers. The polls kept open from 12 noon to 8 P.M. to vote on the motion which was before the meeting at its adjournment last Monday evening.
The result of the vote was Yes 826 No 1603
Blanks 2 Total 2431
The result of the vote was announced at 9:10 P.M.
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING March 18, 1952
Article 1: To see if the town will vote to appropriate additional sums of money to provide for increases in salaries and wages of town officers and employees, and act thereon. (By request).
Voted that all Town Employees, who were granted the one hundred dollar cost of living bonus or salary increase in the various town departments as voted at the Annual Town Meeting, February 11, 1952, be granted in addition thereto, a three hundred dollar increase in salaries or wages as the case may be; and that all part time employees who were granted a five per cent cost of living bonus or salary increase as voted at the Annual Town Meeting, February 11, 1952, be granted an additional five per cent increase in salaries or wages as the case may be; and that for this purpose, I move that the Town raise and appro- priate by taxation the sum of $24,890.59 and the above increases shall be made retroactive to January 1, 1952.
The original motion was for $21,100 but the amendment was voted in the sum of $24,890.59.
A motion to refer to later date to be set by Moderator and then vote by Australian ballot was lost.
Article 2: To see if the town will vote to consider, section by section, the report submitted by the Committee to Study Town Charter, at the last Annual Town Meeting and to act anything thereon.
Voted the amendment to the Town Charter so that Section 1 shall read as follows: "The annual town meeting of the Town of Middleborough shall be held on the third Monday of January. All matters to be considered at the annual town meeting other than the election of town officers, the question of granting licenses for the sale of intoxicat- ing liquors, and such other questions as may legally appear on the
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printed ballot, shall be considered at an adjournment thereof, to be held on the second Monday of March next, at half past seven o'clock in the evening, and to adjournments thereof if required for the completion of the business, be approved and that the Selectmen be and hereby are authorized and directed to take all necessary action to affect this change in the Town Charter.
Voted to amend section 2 so as to read as follows: "At each annual town meeting following the acceptance of this act the voters shall elect by official ballot, in place of those Selectmen whose terms are about to expire, an equal number of Selectmen, each to serve for three years. The Selectmen shall serve until their successors are elected and have qualified. If, unless as the result of a recall election, a vacancy or vacancies shall occur in the membership of the Selectmen, the remaining members shall call a Special Town Meeting to fill the vacancy or vacancies for the un- expired term or terms, except that if such vacancy or vacancies occur less than three months prior to the annual meeting, and not less than three Selectmen remain in office, the same shall remain unfilled until such annual meeting. Any vacancy resulting from a recall election shall be filled as hereinafter provided in this act, and that the Selectmen are authorized to take all necessary action to affect this change in the Town Charter.
Article 3: To hear the report or reports of the Committee of Fifteen appointed to Study School Building Needs, and to take any action rela- tive thereto.
Mr. Clifton A. McCrillis read the following report of the Committee on School Housing:
"Your committee on school housing needs has held at least one meet- ing each week since its appointment. As many as possible of the com- mittee have visited several of our schools during school hours. As many as possible of the committee likewise went to Boston to confer with the School House Building Assistance Commission. We have also tried to have a man here from the Dept. of Public Safety who has to approve any school building before it can be used but as yet their representative has not been able to come here.
The Committee has tried to consider three angles of the problem, namely; first, the need for new school rooms this coming Fall which is not less than three more rooms and preferably five; next the needs within two or three years; and then the needs four to ten years hence.
To solve the needs for this Fall it would appear some remodeling of existing structures or building of some quickly built additions are the only solutions. With this in mind we have tried to find a way of using the extra space in the West Side School. However, the necessity for an eight foot corridor through the building if we were to make four rooms on each floor would reduce the classroom size to the point where we would increase the seating capacity of eight rooms over the present capacity of four by only some 15 or 20 pupils which seems hardly advis- able. We have tried to increase to four rooms on each floor by addition of stairways on each side directly on the outside of the building but en- closed and heated, thus eliminating the need for corridors but this looks
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doubtful as it would be necessary to provide some other means of exit from each room. However we wish to talk with the Dept. of Public Safety and have him go over the possibilities at this school. If tihis cannot be done possibly the easiest and cheapest way to provide added rooms for this Fall would be a new unit side of the West Side School, connected to it by a corridor; the construction to be similar to the present West Side School. The committee does definitely recommend, for use this Fall an addition to the So, Middleboro School provided it is approved by the Dept. of Public Safety.
There are many opinions among the committee regarding the solu- tion to the problem of two to four years from now. It is possible to add rooms almost indefinitely to many school buildings if that is desirable and most of the committee does feel we should have additional rooms added to the present high school within four years as it would appear the present high school would be adequate for another three to four years as far as classrooms are concerned but no longer. As to needs of Elementary and Junior High for the next two to four years we have not yet reached any agreement as to what to recommend. It would appear to many of the committee that a building of eight to ten rooms to be used as an elementary school but placed in such location and con- structed in such manner that within another three to five years or when needed, a similar unit can be constructed and together with a gymnasium and auditorium combination and cafeteria make a compact set of new buildings on which we might get assistance from the State; this whole set of new buildings to be used eventually as either an elementary school or junior high school. In connection with possible state assistance the group from our committee which conferred with the State Building Assistance Commission were told the Commission could not commit it- self but the group gathered the impression that a building of 12 or 14 rooms with a gymnasium, cafeteria and shop might get 50% State Aid if the State approved of the plans. The Commission did strongly re- commend that we try for a Regional School and get 65% State Aid.
This committee realizes it has authority to recommend only addi- tions to present buildings but if we determine you do need a new building for elementary school use we believe we should so inform you.
We are at present trying to correlate all our ideas into a plan for immediate use that we may in some suitable way house all the pupils this fall. We are not sure we can do this within the two months allowed the committee but with your approval we will continue and have definite plans for a special town meeting and ask you to approve the plans we present and appropriate the necessary amount to do the work.
I wish to express our appreciation for the cooperation of Mr. Cushing, the School Committee, Mr. Stanley Alger, Jr., Mr. Gaffney of Hyannis and others who have given so freely of their time and ex- perience.
Respectfully submitted,
CLIFTON A. McCRILLIS,
Chairman."
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Other members of the committee were also heard on this question: It was voted that the report of the Committee be accepted.
Article 4: To see if the town will vote to accept the provisions of chapter 781, Acts of 1951, providing for an increase in the annual amounts of certain pensions for town employees, separated from the service by retirement prior to November 1, 1949, with fifteen years of creditable service at time of separation and act thereon.
Voted to adopt.
Article 5: To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money by taxation or from free cash now in the treasury, for the purpose of purchasing a sidewalk plow for the Highway Department, and act thereon.
Voted to raise and appropriate the sum of $4350.00 by taxation for the purpose of purchasing a sidewalk plow for the Highway Department. The Finance Committee recommends favorable action.
Article 6: To see if the Town will vote to transfer the sum of four hundred dollars from the Dump Truck and Body account in the Highway Department appropriation and the sum of two hundred dollars from the New Cruiser account in the Police Department appropriation to the Truck and Equipment Account in the Water Department appropri- ation, and act thereon. (By request)
Voted to adopt.
Article 7: To see if the Town will vote to accept Wilder Street, Summit Street, Summit Court, View Street, and Sand Street, all as shown on a plan entitled "Plan of Summit View revised May 1951", and filed with the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds on June 14, 1951, as public ways. Said Streets and Court are together bounded and described as follows:
Beginning at a point in the Northwesterly side line of East Main Street, which point is also the Easterly corner of Lot 2 as shown on a Plan entitled "Plan of Summit View, Revised May 1951", which Plan is duly recorded with Plymouth County Registry of Deeds, said point being also 140.06 feet from an iron pipe marking the Southerly corner of Lot 1 as shown on said Plan; thence North 53° 18' 10" West 644.61 feet by Wilder Street to View Street; thence South 36° 41' 50" West, 225 feet by the Southeasterly side of View Street; thence North 53º 18' 10" West 40 feet; thence North 36° 41' 50" East by the Northwesterly side of said View Street, 225 feet to said Wilder Street; thence North 53° 18' 10" West, 275 feet to Sand Street; thence South 36° 41' 50" West by the Southeasterly side of said Sand Street, 225 feet; thence North 53º 18' 10" West 40 feet; thence North 36° 41' 50" East, 485 feet to a concrete bound; thence South 53° 18' 10" East 40 feet; thence South 36° 41' 50" West by the Southeasterly side of Sand Street, 220 feet to Wilder Street; thence South 53° 18' 10" East by the Northeasterly side of Wilder Street, 275 feet to a concrete bound; thence North 36° 41' 50" East by the North- westerly side of View Street, 220 feet to a concrete bound; thence North by the Southwesterly side of Summit Street 53º 18' 10" West, 315 feet to a concrete bound; thence North 29° 34' 10" East 40.31 feet; thence by
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the Northeasterly line of Summit Street, South 53° 18' 10" East, 1,004.80 feet to the Northwesterly side line of said East Main Street; thence Southwesterly by said East Main Street, 40.9 feet; thence by a line par- allel to and 40 feet from the line described as the Northeasterly side line of said Summit Street, North 53º 18' 10" West 642 feet; thence by the Southeasterly side of View Street, South 36° 41' 50" East 220 feet; thence by the Northeasterly side of Wilder Street, South 53º 18' 10" East 275 feet to a concrete bound; thence by the Northeasterly side line of Summit Court North 36° 41' 50" East, 220 feet to a concrete bound; thence South 53° 18' 10" East 40 feet; thence South. 36° 41' 50" West by the Southeasterly side of Summit Court 220 feet; thence by the Northeaster- ly side of Wilder Street South 53° 18' 10" East, 328.45 feet to said Northwesterly side of East Main Street; thence Southwesterly by said East Main Street, 40.02 feet to the point of beginning.
And to raise and appropriate the sum of $3,500.00 by taxation or transfer from Free Cash now in the hands of the Treasurer, for the purpose of improving same, and act thereon.
Voted to accept and raise sum of $3,500.00 by taxation.
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING April 28, 1952
Meeting called to order at 7:30 P.M. by Moderator Clark.
Article 1. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate money for constructing, furnishing and equipping an addition to the South Middleboro School, and act anything thereon.
Voted that the sum of $7,500.00 be appropriated for constructing, furnishing and equipping a one room addition to the South Middleboro School, and to meet the said appropriation that the sum of $7,500.00 be trasferred from the free cash in the treasury; and, that a committee of five be appointed by the Moderator to obtain plans and specifications for and construct, furnish and equip such addition and that said committee be authorized and empowered to enter into any agreements and contracts and to do all things necessary for said purpose, also that the addition be added as a wing on the back of the present building with full basement under this new wing, also included in the motion was that the committee of five to be appointed consist only of residents of South Middleboro.
This covers the original motion with amendments.
The motion that the committee be appointed at the assembly tonight was lost.
The Committee of five: James Brennan, Lucy B. Sisson, Harold A. Williams, Melville Matthews, Ralph Tripp
Article 2. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate money for constructing, furnishing and equipping an addition to the West Side School and act anything thereon.
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Voted that the sum of $25,000.00 be appropriated for constructing, furnishing and equipping a four-room addition to the West Side School, and to meet the said appropriation that the sum of $25,000.00 be trans- ferred from the free cash in the Treasury; and, that a committee of five be appointed by the Moderator to obtain plans and specifications for and construct, furnish and equip such addition and that said committee be authorized and empowered to enter into any agreements and contracts and to do all things necessary for the said purpose.
\The Committee of five: Manuel J. Silvia, Charles V. Giberti, Joseph Brown, Richard Rockwood, Clifford Lovell.
Article 3. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate money for constructing, furnishing and equipping an addition to the High School, and act anything thereon.
A motion was made to appropriate the sum of $3,000.00 for plans and specifications for an addition to the High School and that a com- mittee of five be appointed by the Moderator. This motion was lost.
An amendment that this matter be laid indefinitely on the table was also lost.
Article 4. To see if the Town will vote to amend the Town Charter in accordance with the recommendations contained in Section 5 of the report of the Committee to Study the Town Charter presented to the 1952 Annual Meeting of the Town.
Voted to amend section 5 of the Town Charter so that it shall read as follows:
Section 5. The Finance Committee shall consider and advise as to all matters relating to proposed appropriations and the manner of rais- ing the amounts appropriated, and shall report in writing at each town meeting on all articles in the warrant relating to the appropriation or borrowing of money or the indebtedness of the Town, with the exception of its action on the Annual Budget.
It shall submit to the Town at the annual town meeting a report showing appropriations recommended for each fund or department, the estimated income from all sources exclusive of taxes on property and poll taxes, the amount required to meet charges for interest and maturing indebtedness, and the estimated amount to be levied and raised by tax- ation to meet all expenses and liabilities of the Town. Said report shall also be filed with the Town Clerk and made available to the public on or before the first Monday of March in each year. The Committee may make recommendations in writing at any time to the Town or to the Board of Selectmen, relating to the financial affairs of the Town. The validity of appropriations made by any town meeting shall not be affected by the failure of the Committee to report as herein provided.
For the purpose of enabling the Committee to perform its duties, all Boards, Committees and Officers of the Town shall, on or before the 20th day of January of each year, submit to the Committee in writing a detailed estimate of the appropriations required for the efficient and proper conduct of the departments under their charge during the ensuing
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fiscal year and of all items of income to be received by such departments during said year and shall at any time, furnish any other information relative thereto in their possession which may be requested in writing by the Committee.
The Committee is hereby authorized to incur such expenses as it may deem necessary, including the cost of the employment of experts and other assistants and the cost of printing its reports; provided, that such expenses shall not exceed, in the aggregate, the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars in any one year; unless a larger amount shall be ap- propriated for the purpose by the Town; and expenses so incurred shall be paid by the Town on requisition by the Committee.
Nothing herein shall be construed as limiting the power of the Town to impose additional duties on the Committee, in accordance with section sixteen of Chapter Thirty-nine of the General Laws.
Article 5. To see if the Town will vote to establish a Planning Board of 5 members as provided by General Laws (Ter Ed) Chapter 41 section 81-A (as inserted by Acts 1947 Chap. 340 Sec. 4) and to provide that the members of the Planning Board now in office shall serve as members of the Planning Board established under this section until the next annual town meeting, and act thereon.
The following motion was made that the Town establish a Planning Board as provided by General Laws (Ter Ed) Chapter 41 section 81-A (as inserted by the Acts of 1947 Chapter 340 section 4) and provide that the present members of the Planning Board shall act as members of the Planning Board established under this section until the next annual Town meeting.
This motion was lost.
As an amendment it was voted to postpone action on this motion until pamphlets, giving the contents of this particular legislative act, are printed for the voters. This motion was carried by a vote of Yes 93 and No 80.
Article 6. To hear the report of any committees or officers of the town, to appoint any committee or take any action relative thereto.
Mr. Clifton McCrillis submitted the following report for the School Building Committee:
Report of Special Committee on School Housing Needs
Your committee has tried to make a thorough study of school housing needs for the next ten years and will try to give you what we believe is the most feasible and desirable ways to meet this need.
In the South Middleboro-Rock area Rock School of two rooms houses first and second grades for children in that area. South Middleboro school of one room houses third and fourth grade pupils of the same area in one room. This coming September the third grade will be too large to put with the fourth grade in one room. To meet this and prevent the fourth grade from that area being brought into the center schools,
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