USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of Saugus 1955 > Part 10
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Number of premature births
20
Number of applications for assistance
6
Number of applicants assisted 0
None of these applicants were assisted as after investigation these fam- ilies were found to be financially able to take care of the bill or had a legal settlement elsewhere.
Contagious Diseases Reported to the Board of Health-1955-
Disease
Number of Cases
Measles
194
German Measles
2
Mumps
18
Chicken Pox
23
Scarlet Fever
58
Scarletina
7
Spinal Meningitis
1
Septic Sore Throat
3
Lobar Pneumonia
1
Salmonellosis
2
Poliomyelitis
10
Non-Paralytic 6
Paralytic
2
Deaths
2
Total
319
Reportable Non-contagious Dog Bites
171
Total
490
Respectfully submitted,
MILDRED H. DERRAH, R.N.
Approved by the Board of Health, PETER L. GRADY, Chm. EDWIN B. FAULKNER, M.D. HARRY H. WENTWORTH
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REPORT OF THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
To the Town Manager:
The Saugus Industrial Development Commission has accomplished or assisted in the following:
Assisted in bringing Robert Hall to Saugus.
Assisted in bringing in an Italian meat manufacturing plant. (Land is being cleared for this plant and will be completed in 1956.)
Completed tax title land survey and produced maps showing tax title lands, their valuation and book value.
Prepared a listing of private land that is for sale or for lease, and mailed to local realtors and industrial reality companies in the major cities.
Set up a mailing listing to parties that are interested in industrial de- velopment in Saugus.
Assisted in preparing articles for rezoning of the following petitions: Ace Welding Company, Eastern Oil Products Company, Fraser's Market.
Prepared articles for the Annual Town Meeting for zoning by-law changes in order to make it more attractive for business and in- dustry.
The following businesses and industries have been established in Saugus in 1956:
Robert Hall
Malden Welding and Grinding Company (This company is owned by a Saugus citizen who has great faith in the future of Saugus)
The following realtors and companies have been assisted by the com- mission in 1956 and are interested in locating in Saugus:
Defiance Engineering and Microwave Corp.
Scott, Hermon, Hosmer, Inc.
Allen Furniture Company Stop and Shop, Inc. Italian Meat Products (under construction)
Lynn Chamber of Commerce
Boston Chamber of Commerce
Anthony K. Chacos Co.
C. W. Whittier and Brothers Carlton S. Redmand Co. Russell Palmer Co. R. M. Bradley and Co., Inc. John E. Begley Co. Cabot, Cabot and Forbes Alfred J. Campbell
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Geo. Salisbury Construction Company (This company has been working with the commission and has spent a great deal of time and money in helping the commission)
Respectfully submitted, ASHTON F. DAVIS, Chairman
PAUL CORSON JOSEPH W. GERNIGLIA FIORI F. SACCO JOSEPH B. STAZINSKI
FRANK EVANS, 3RD, Director of the Saugus Industrial Development Commission
REPORT OF THE HARBOR MASTER
May 27, 1955 Mr. Penny of Everett, called to report that his son had not returned from a fishing trip with his outboard motor.
Went out in my boat and found him at ten o'clock that night. He had two other men with him and he said that his motor had quit. Took the three of them in my boat and brought them back to Saugus. Notified father that I had them.
June 5, 1955 Pulled in a Mr. Hoddie of Western Ave., Lynn, and brought him to Green's Landing. He had been out with his twenty-five H. P. outboard motor and it had quit on him. Found him off Nahant.
June 23, 1955
Went to the Lynn Yacht Club to gas up my boat and when I returned I found that an old hull across the street from Green's Landing had been burned up.
The hull wasn't any good anyway, so it wasn't much loss. The hull had been around here for the last ten years, and have never yet found the owner.
July 22, 1955 Mrs. Oleskey complained of a boat that was moored too close to her husband's boat, and that her boat was taking quite a beating.
Got in touch with the owner and had him remove boat.
July 24, 1955 Mr. John Berg of 11-B Barstow St., Malden, reported to me that two young boys stole his watch while he was working on his boat.
Checked into same and recovered watch.
July 25, 1955
Mrs. Bert Dineen of 42 Houston Ave. reported that a large boat was grounded in the rear of her home and that she wanted it removed.
Checked on same and found that the boat belonged to Paul Colette. Although it was on land owned by his father, it was removed within three days.
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July 26, 1955
Mr. Gus Hubbard reported that two men had drove stakes under his bedroom window at two-thirty in the morning to hold their boat and they were disturbing his family every night.
Checked into same and had them remove boat.
July 31, 1955
Pulled a Mr. Richard Deveney of Kirwin Circle, Lynn, out of the water in back of the Ballard Cafe in Saugus. I thought that the man was dead when we got him ashore, but after working on him for about fifteen min- utes and getting some of the water out of him he started to come to.
The Saugus police came about this time with the ambulance and Mr. Atkinson with a tank of oxygen. We administered the oxygen and then took him to the Lynn Hospital. They put him on the danger list and he stayed there for about three days and was discharged.
Aug. 1, 1955
Received letter from the Town Manager's office that the town wanted the Town Landing cleared of all boats. Also wanted all wrecks removed along the shore.
All boats and wrecks removed by Aug. 22, 1955.
Aug. 2, 1955
Ashton Allen of 18 Greystone Rd., Saugus, owner of the 4-L-184, ordered to remove boat from the Town Landing.
Removed on August 4, 1955.
Aug. 2, 1955
John Konicki of 431 Summer St., Lynn, owner of the 4-S-904 was given until Aug. 14 to remove his boat from the Town Landing.
Had to give him this time as he had planks removed and no stem. Boat was removed on Aug. 14, 1955.
Aug. 2, 1955
Henry Menier of 355 Mountain Ave., Revere, owner of an old Navy hull and a thirty-five foot speedboat that he had salvaged, was ordered to re- move same from the Saugus River within ten days.
Navy hull taken away. Speedboat burned.
Aug. 5, 1955
Stopped a Charles Kozinski of 24 River St., Lynn, on Friday, Aug. 5, at 3:15 P. M., as he was coming down the Saugus River at a very high rate of speed. Brought him over to my dock and told him to slow down.
He was very fresh, and while I was talking to him he took off again, going faster than before. I went to the address that he had given me and found that he had given me his wrong address. I located him on Saturday, Aug. 13 and summoned him to court. The judge gave him quite a lecture but as he had no other record, he placed his case on file.
Owner of boat was a Mr. Saco of 9 Bates St., Lynn.
Aug. 23, 1955
Mr. Menneir of Mountain Ave., Revere, reported that his boat, the "Wee Too" was broken into and one compass and one pair of binoculars were stolen.
Have not been located yet.
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Aug. 23, 1955
Mr. Herbert Johnson of the Dorothy J., reported that his boat was broken into and although nothing was stolen, he did find that a new one cylinder motor generator was taken out of the cabin and put in the cockpit with a rope around it and hanging over the side, ready to be taken.
Aug. 29, 1955
One 14 foot black boat, with high gunnells picked up between Fox Hill Bridge and the railroad bridge.
Owner found to be Mr. Frank Swain of 16 Lawndale Ave., Saugus.
Sept. 10, 1955
Received a report from Mrs. Lundin of Salem, that her husband had taken his boat, "The Greycourt," out from the Saugus River with another man and woman early that morning and had not returned. Received this call at about 10 P. M.
Alerted the Coast Guard and took off in my boat to see if I could locate them. I was out all night and located them at seven-thirty in the morning. A piston had let go and went through the block. Found him be- tween the Graves and Boston Harbor. Threw him a line and towed him back to Saugus. Radio telephoned his wife and told her that I had picked them up.
Oct. 5, 1955
Three hundred and fifty feet of 34" rope cut from block and tackle, and stolen from Green's Landing.
Stolen by former employee, but recovered.
Dec. 30, 1955
Received a call from the Saugus police in regards to a man who was stranded on the marshes opposite the Salem Turnpike.
Found a Mr. Frank Champa of 62 Johnson St., who had been duck hunting. The tide had caught him on an island and he had been stranded for three hours. Fire Chief Joseph Maguire came down with department life boat. Launched same and rescued man.
RICHARD PORTER
Harbor Master
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REPORT OF THE TOWN COUNSEL
To the Town Manager:
The cases requiring the attention of the Law Department during the year included a wide variety of causes of action, including among others, petitions for the assessment of land damages, petitions for writs of mandamus and certiorari, actions of contract and summary process and actions of tort for personal injuries and damage to property. There were also suits to enforce contribution to the support of parents brought by the welfare department and bills of complaint seeking injunctions for the en- forcement of the zoning by-laws brought by the Building Inspector, partic- ularly with reference to the kennelling of racing greyhounds in residential areas.
The Courts involved were the District, Superior, Probate and Supreme Judicial Courts, in the Counties of Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk.
No cases were argued before the full bench of the Supreme Judicial Court for the Commonwealth during the year, although the full time of this department for the last three weeks of the month of December was engaged in the preparation of briefs for that Court in two appealed cases to be argued during early 1956.
Beside countless consultations with various town departments, the giving of advice and oral opinions and the attendance at hearings, the records of this department indicate the following:
Written opinions to town officers and departments 50
Cases requiring attention of Law Department 52
Liens executed and recorded 17
Land takings 14
Notices of injury received 9
Counter notices sent 9
Discharges of liens executed 4
Discharges of bonds and mortgages 1
Deeds to and from the town (exclusive of tax title) 5
Amount collected for various departments $ 9,592.63
Respectfully submitted,
ALBION L. HOGAN
Town Counsel
113
REPORT OF THE PLANNING BOARD
To the Town Manager:
The Saugus Planning Board herewith submits its report for the year 1955.
This board held regular weekly meetings, went on many investigating trips in line of duty, and held a number of public hearings in reference to rezoning and subdivisions.
The new subdivisions in Saugus have received careful supervision by us. Some petitioners for subdividing land have withdrawn because they would not meet our requirements for streets and drainage.
The Saugus Planning Board regulations now require the finished sur- face of the streets in new subdivisions to have two and one-half (21/2") inches of bituminous concrete. This naturally makes for longer wear and less future cost to the town.
The Planning Board voted to follow the provisions of General Laws, Chapter 41, Section 81-FF, which states that unregistered land subdivided on paper only into house lots and streets before February 1, 1952, except for certain lots that may have been sold individually, must receive the approval of the Planning Board before being used as a subdivision. The board feels that this is very important because it compels a developer to post a per- formance bond and to install proper utilities, thus relieving the town of future financial burden.
Mr. Harvey Wasserboehr resigned as chairman in July, and Mr. Lewis O. Gray was elected to the vacancy. Mr. William A. Calhoun was appointed a member of this board January 1, 1955.
In the opinion of the Planning Board there will continue to be new subdivisions in 1956, with consequent increase of residential building. The board shall continue to require the best possible results in new streets and drainage.
Yours respectfully, LEWIS O. GRAY, Chairman HENRY SEAVER HARVEY WASSERBOEHR WILLIAM CALHOUN ALBERT DAY
114
REPORT OF THE PLAYGROUND COMMISSION
To the Town Manager:
The playground commission is very pleased to have the opportunity to submit this report to the people of the Town of Saugus.
Eight playgrounds were in operation during the 1955 season. Each playground was supervised and an extension of field and crafts activities were carried out under the direction of the following personnel:
Supervisor-William Nagle.
Assistant Supervisor-Barbara Linquist.
Instructors-
Margaret Scire-Bristol Street Playground.
Lucy Kasparian-Stackpole Field Playground.
Nancy Brown-Oaklandvale School.
Marilyn Stewart-North Saugus School. Sharon McDermott-Stocker Field.
Judith Currier-Hurd Avenue School.
Shirley Kyle-Lynnhurst School.
Geneveive Leggett-Anna Parker Playground.
Among the activities for children were arts and crafts programs, soft- ball, track, trips to beaches, puppet shows, free ice cream and prizes for various events, and trips to the Saugus Iron Works.
The playgrounds this year had the largest roster list in the history of the playground commission. Enrollment of well over 800 children tops all previous records for the summer programs.
The playgrounds this past season were equipped with the following:
Jungle gyms.
Sand boxes (for the tiny tots).
Swings.
Slides.
Beach area (cleared for children) (fill dumped and graded).
Flag poles (new swivel type).
Lighting (Anna Parker, poles installed and equipment purchased).
Tables (for crafts with benches).
Sanitary drinking fountains.
Backstop (Stocker Street).
Roadway (cut through from Stocker Street).
Backstop (Bristow Street).
Baseball field (completed at Bristow Street).
New fence (Bristow Street).
Painting (all equipment newly painted).
As the Playground Commission pledged itself to a program of con- struction and repair that would eventually give every section of our town a safe and properly equipped play area, the Stocker and Bristow Street areas, being the first two in the program, gives an idea of the Commission's intentions to their pledge.
The Playground Commissioners plan to continue to work sacrificially for even better and more modern playground facilities for our children and youth to the end that Saugus will be the leader in this crusade, to build finer Americans, physically and morally.
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It would be ungracious not to conclude this brief statement of our activities of the past season without sincere thanks to Walter E. Lawrence, Town Manager; Charles C. DeFronzo, Superintendent of Public Works; Joseph Vatcher, Superintendent of Forestry and Parks, and other town officials and citizens for their constant and generous co-operation which has greatly accelerated our efforts to this cause.
Respectfully submitted, THOMAS H. QUILAN, Chairman DAVID NAGLE DONALD R. REINIGER JOHN SCIRE Board of Playground Commissioners
REPORT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
To the Town Manager:
It is again my privilege to submit to you the annual report of Police Department, together with its doings for the year ending December 31, 1955. The roster of the department is as follows:
Chief Roland E. Mansfield
Captain Fred Forni Sergeants
James F. Maher Carl G. W. Pearson
Charles N. Wormstead, 3rd Ernest A. Dunham
Patrolmen
William F. Cahill
Rosario A. Bucchiere
Walter J. Elsmore
John J. McLaughlin
Edward J. Koschei
Joseph F. Taatjes
Joseph P. A. Collette
Joseph Markowski
James A. Monico Richard E. Eichel
John Reynolds, Jr. Reserve Officers
Warren G. Harding Edward A. Falasca
William A. Calhoun Richard R. MacDonald
Francis X. Meredith
Matron
Mabel D. Murdoch
There are also 15 special police officers who are uniformed and avail- able for duty when necessary.
During 1955, 553 arrests were made. Of these 518 were males and 35 females. Seventeen juveniles were arrested, mostly males. Of the total arrests made only 165 were residents of Saugus, the balance, 388 were non- residents. State police officers arrested and had confined in our lockup 26 prisoners during the year.
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John W. MacGlashing David C. Osgood
Edgar T. McKenney
Edward F. Newbury
William D. McNulty Ralph E. Pace
A breakdown as to offenses for which arrests were made by local offi- cers shows the following :
Violating town by-laws, 15; delinquency, 18; disturbing the peace, 1; keeping unlicensed dogs, 12; drunkenness, 175; idle and disorderly persons, 1; incest, 1; lewdness, 2; adultery, 2; operating while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, 32; operating to endanger, 16; leaving scene of an accident, 12; speeding, 56; all other motor vehicle laws, 109; neglect, 3; non- support, 12; stubborn children, 2; truancy, 1; unnatural acts, 2; carrying firearms without license, 12; escapees, 6; assault and battery, 2; rape or assault to rape, 4; robbery, 12; breaking and entering and larceny, 2; break- ing and entering with intent to commit larceny, 6; larceny, 21; larceny of automobile, 1; receiving stolen property, 1; trespass, 3; using motor vehicle without authority, 5; malicious destruction of property, 1; all others, 5.
The disposition of the above cases: pending, 1; arrested for other au- thorities, 26; defaulted, 4; discharged, 16; dismissed, 35; filed, 97; fined, 171; held for Grand Jury, 13; probation, 41; released, 94; House of Correction, 32; sentenced to Youth Service Board, 11; sentenced to State Prison, 12. Total fines and costs of Court assessed amounted to $4,400.00.
There were 5,053 reports and complaints received which included the following subjects: Accidents, 323; animals lost, 146; animals found, 98; ani- mals killed or injured, 222; animals killed by police, 27; assaults, 15; motor vehicles reported stolen, 27; stolen motor vehicles recovered, 33; B. and E. attempts, 77; defective street lights, 471; defective streets or sidewalks, 78; persons bitten by dogs, 101; disturbances, 285; domestic troubles, 86; doors and windows found open by police, 569; drunken persons, 75; fires discov- ered or responded to, 102; lanterns placed at dangerous locations, 4; larceny, 235; lights found burning, 76; persons reported as missing, 82; missing per- sons found, 67; notification or investigation for other authorities, 209; lost property, 87; property found, 170; property damaged, 274; prowlers and peepers, 32; runaway children, 10; women or girls accosted, 15; all others, 1,057.
Four hundred and nineteen investigations were made, 232 parking tags were issued, 849 summons were served and 286 persons were given convey- ance in the ambulance.
The total value of property stolen was $13,673.09 and the values of property recovered amounted to $5,901.26.
REPORT OF INSPECTOR
Sergeant Ernest A. Dunham, who has been an inspector in this depart- ment for the past few years reports that he has experienced another busy year, with a general increase in his duties.
He reports that there were fewer breaks than in 1954, and it feels that this can, to a great degree, be attributed to the alertness and general effi- ciency of the patrolmen. In 1954 there were 88 reports of cases of breaking and entering as against 77 in 1955 and it is pleasing to report that most of these cases were brought to a satisfactory conclusion. Reports of damage to property totalled 185, and nearly all of these were investigated and resti- tution made by the culprits and in some instances where it was deemed proper court action followed. One hundred and ninety-nine complaints of larceny out of a total of 233 were investigated and in many cases the
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offenders were apprehended. Nine cases of immoral acts were investi- gated and in 6 cases arrests were made. Among the varied duties performed were the investigation of 2 fires in which lives were lost and 3 fatal auto- mobile accidents.
There is one class of activity which is a great nuisance, this being the breaking of windows by youths. The most serious of these was one in which the total amount of damage amounted to $140.00. In this particular case those responsible were apprehended and restitution is to be made.
In addition to the above there were several hit and run accidents to be investigated and 37 cases of bad checks issued.
Sergeant Dunham remarks that for part of the year 1955, he was as- sisted by Officer Joseph F. Taatjes and they succeeded in bringing the cases of this department pretty nearly up to date, but the reassignment of Officer Taatjes to night patrol duty has placed a distinct handicap upon him as he is unable to cope with the situation alone. During the past year this department did all photography work for town departments requiring it, thereby saving a considerable sum of money.
In closing, Sergeant Dunham expresses his appreciation to members of the Police Department, School Department, employees and all others who rendered service and assistance to him during 1955.
ACCIDENT DATA
The following statistics relative to automobile accidents were compiled and submitted by Sergeant Charles N. Wormstead:
Total number of accidents, 436; personal injury reports, 224; property damage reports, 186; pedestrian accidents, 18; bicycle accidents reported, 8; persons injured, 264; number of operators involved in accidents, 790; local operators, 147; non-resident operators, 643; accidents occurring in A. M., 120; accidents occurring in P. M., 316; fatal accidents, 5.
Of the fatal accidents two took place on Broadway, two on the Salem Turnpike and one on private property. This will prove that our main accident problem lies on the two turnpikes traversing our town as 282 of the total of 436 occurred on these two roads and for quite a few years all fatal accidents in this town were on roads other than those of the Town of Saugus.
SUMMATION
It is my opinion that for the greater part of 1955 the morale and effi- ciency of the Police Department was exceedingly high.
In November of last year, by a directive of the Board of Selectmen, a general reassignment of personnel was made. This has had a bad effect as the changes brought about were unsatisfactory to many members of this department.
It included taking Officer Taatjes from the inspector's department and placing him on night duty. By doing this work which required not only full time duty by two men but required many extra hours, has now been placed upon the shoulders of Sergeant Dunham alone. This is humanly impos- sible, and I feel that you can realize the importance of proper investigation of crimes with the subsequent arrest of criminals. Your Police Department ranked among the highest in Massachusetts in regard to efficient police
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work. This is attested to by compliments paid it by judges, court at- taches, police officials and private citizens. It was most disheartening to me to see the department set back for at least a decade by the decision of the Board of Selectmen.
The directive issued by the Board of Selectmen also took an officer from the day division and he was placed on night duty. This leaves the day division extremely short-handed, for two men from one division in a department of this size is a serious cut. The day desk man position was eliminated and this required that in addition to his duties of day division commander and prosecuting officer, together with his other many duties, Captain Forni now must assume the duties formerly carried out by the man in that position. To me this appears as a distinct demotion of Cap- tain Forni and should never have occurred.
The rolling equipment of this department needs replacing. It is my expectation that the two cruising cars will be replaced in 1956 as planned. The ambulance should be replaced but more important would be the pur- chase of a new ambulance-patrol wagon combination. Our present wagon, a 1935 model is in deplorable condition and is extremely undependable, some times starting, other times not. We need a wagon as frequently several persons are arrested at one time and can only be transported with safety to themselves and to the police officers in a wagon. Further, the wagon responds to all accident calls, thus leaving the ambulance for hospital work or as an additional machine if more than one ambulance is needed, as is frequently the case.
For some time there has been trouble with the antenna of the radio. This should be repaired before it ceases to function and I would recommend that this be done in 1956.
The typewriters in this department should be repaired or replaced as they are all in poor condition, never in the past 17 years having had any corrective measures taken to keep them in proper working order.
The man power of this department is very weak. A survey of compa- rable communities will show that although we are called upon to perform more duties than any of them, we are at the bottom of the list as to the number of men in the department. This department should have 12 addi- tional men in order to give the inhabitants of Saugus the protection they are entitled to, and I recommend most highly that additional men be added each year until we reach the number required.
In closing, Mr. Manager, may I say it has been a pleasure working under your jurisdiction and I hope that this situation will remain for some time to come. I would like to thank you for your assistance and express my thanks to Mr. DeFronzo, Superintendent of Public Works, employees of the Building Department, School Department and all other town employees and private citizens who have assisted me during the past year in admin- istering the affairs of this department and have at times given me encour- agement when it was needed and appreciated.
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