USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Swampscott > Town annual report of Swampscott 1943 > Part 5
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FOR FIRE, CALL LY 2-0082 FOR BUSINESS, CALL LY 5-4050
Department Records
Swampscott
Box Alarms
87
Still Alarms
302
Lynn Alarms
13
Marblehead Alarms
15
417
Equipment Used
21/2-inch Hose
14,200 feet
11/2-inch Hose
7,900 feet
3/4 -inch Hose (Booster)
5,800 feet
Booster Tanks
218
Indian Pumps
352
Ladders Used
1,352 feet
Fyre-Fyters
5
Hand Chemicals
1
Foamites
7
Salvage covers Spread
7
Hours of Duty
258 Hours, 19 Minutes
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TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
Fire Loss Record
Value of Buildings
$379,000.00
Damage to Buildings
7,150.00
Damage to Contents
2,450.00
Insurance paid on Buildings
7,100.00
Insurance paid on Contents
2,450.00
Insurance Loss on Buildings
50.00
Insurance Loss on Contents
None
Permits Issued
Blasting Permits 3
Inspections
All mercantile, public buildings and hotels were inspected at regular intervals. Records made as to conditions found, recom- mendations made and follow up inspections. I found that consider- able difficulty arose in the enforcement of some phases of the law. I feel that some provision should be made in the By-Laws of the Town to cover such situations as they present themselves.
Drills
Fire drills were held in all schools in conjunction with Fire Prevention week. Talks were given by Luke E. Thompson. We found the students well trained and a credit to the faculty which trained them. Drills were held for permanent firemen. Auxiliary Firemen were drilled extensively under their respective officers. Many dan- gerous areas were eliminated or reduced during these drill periods.
First Aid
Under the supervision of Luke E. Thompson our First Aid Divi- sion did some fine work. Numerous INHALATOR cases were handled along with some first aid cases and ambulance assistance provided to the medical profession. For this work we have received letters of commendation. Our men and equipment are available to the citi- zens of the town at all times. You only have to request it.
Fire Alarm
Our Fire Alarm System is in fine condition at the present time. Due to the war emergency any extension or major changes are of course necessarily postponed. Under the care of Mr. A. L. Stover and Mr. W. A. Davis our system is functioning well. At this point I want to thank Mr. F. T. Burk for his co-operation and help in clearing our fire alarm wires.
In order that the batteries which maintain our system do not fail us all at one time a yearly replacement program was started this year. We have 8 circuits, 24 batteries to a circuit. The life of these batteries is approximately 6 years. This year 48 batteries or 2 circuits were replaced. Next year 1 circuit will be replaced. In this manner the majority of the batteries will be new.
I suggest a Post-War 'Program be enacted which would cover the extension of our system, installation of new boxes, panel in fire alarm room and a new transmitter for fire alarm boxes.
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FIRE CHIEF'S REPORT
1943]
Buildings
Phillip's Beach
This building is badly in need of repairs. Some of this work will necessary have to be postponed until conditions improve, but I feel that work on the interior should be done as soon as possible. This includes painting and some carpentering.
Central House
This building should be painted on the outside. With the ex- ception of the repair room, the rest of the interior is in good con- dition.
Permanent Men
I feel that at this time more permanent men should be added to our department. Our town is a residential town. We are unable to maintain a call force. Our modern equipment is useless unless there are men to operate it. We need men when we arrive at fires. We have 5 call men at present. These men are useless unless the fire is of great magnitude, or occurs after working hours, so that they may have time to arrive. This condition should be remedied. We have 20 permanent men. Chief, Deputy Chief, 3 Captains, 15 Permanent Men. 10 men on a shift. 2 men on a shift at Phillip's Beach. 8 men on a shift at the Central House. It is impossible to operate any one of our major pieces of apparatus with two men. We are now operating three of our machines under this handicap. I feel that 6 permanent men should be added to our force to eliminate this condition. These along with our off shift would assure me a working department.
Apparatus
We have 1-1000 Gal Pumper, 1-600 Gal Pumper, 1-500 Gal Pumper, 1 Ladder Truck (72 years old), 1 Fire Alarm Truck, 1 Chief's Car, 1-350 Gal Pumper (Chevrolet) Spare. This equipment is in fine condition with the exception of the Ladder Truck. This machine has reached a state of condition that I feel is unsafe for regular duty I have already condemned this machine and recommend some emergency action be taken at this time for it's replacement.
During the year we received from the O.C.D. two skid pumps and one trailer pump. The skid pumps were mounted on trucks, one on a G.M.C. Chassis at the cost of approximately $430.00, the other on an International Chassis. The trailer was adapted to our fire alarm truck. These machines along with their equipment have added materially to our department in case of emergency. Along with a crew of trained Auxiliary Firemen, these units have and will in the future prove an asset to our town.
Equipment
We are about 2,500 feet of 21/2 hose short of our required needs. I feel that 1,000 feet should be purchased if available and that a re- placement program be adopted for the following years.
We should purchase 6 Rockwood Fog Adapters. 3 for our 11/2 inch lines and 3 for our Booster lines. These are expensive units and mean an expenditure of approximately $300.00.
The Chief's car should at this time be equipped with some fire fighting equipment. This would make it available for use for some of our incipient fires. Approximate cost $100.00.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
Military Service
We have four permanent men in the service of the U.S.A. Cap- tain W. M. Champion, Jr., Firemen, Arnold Milberry, Roy Johansen, and George Balthaza. Carl Pagano has returned to the service of the department by means of a Medical discharge. The above posi- tions are being covered by Military Substitutes, Arnold Spediacci and Sidney C. Cole, and Provisional Fireman John A. Boston. As Mr. Balthaza was our mechanic, it has been impossible to replace him at this time. Mr. E. G. Dykeman should be commended for his vol- untary service to our Auxiliary Coast Guard service during his time off.
War Emergency
In line with other communities we have enlisted and trained an Auxiliary Fire Department. These men are fully equipped and assigned to Automotive equipment namely Auxiliary No. 1, Auxiliary No. 2, Auxiliary No. 3, Auxiliary No. 4 and a trailer pump. These units are located at strategic parts of the town and are under the supervision of Auxiliary Chief Roy Olson, Deputy Chief John Blod- gett, Deputy Chief Winthrop Sears, Captain Jacobs, and Captain Rodgers. Much fine work has been and will be performed by these units when and where the emergencies arise.
Recommended
I recommend that the following articles be placed in the Annual Town Warrant.
1. Central House repaired and painted. (Exterior)
2. Ladder No. 1 be replaced by an Aerial Ladder Truck.
3. 1000 feet of 21/2 inch Double Jacket Hose be purchased.
4. 6 Permanent men be added to the regular force.
I want to thank the Board of Fire Engineers and the regular personel of my department at this time for their support and co- operation during the past year. I want also to voice my apprecia- tion for the remarkable spirit of co-operation from all other depart- ments, without which, our operations would have been less success- ful.
CHARLES H. LAMPARD
Fire Chief.
Town Engineer
December 17, 1943
To the Board of Selectmen:
I herewith respectfully submit my third annual report of the services rendered by the Engineering Department for the various departments for the year ending December 31, 1943.
The Engineering Department has had charge of the following line of work: the designing and superintending of the construction of all sewers and drains; resurfacing of all streets built by contract
51
TOWN ENGINEER
1943]
or by the Highway Department, together with the specifications and estimates for the same; the establishing of street lines and the grades for curbing and sidewalks; and all engineering questions which come before the several town departments.
Sewers and Drains
A drain was built from Ellis Terrace to the twenty four inch surface water drain in Norfolk Avenue a distance of 155.00 lin. ft.
The building of this drain has eliminated a bad surface water condition that existed at the end of Ellis Terrace and adjoining property on Norfolk Avenue.
There is need of a sewer on Windsor Avenue near the Lynn line, and we have applied and received the permission to enter the Lynn Sewerage system as soon as the town appropriates the neces- sary money to build this sewer.
Several drains carrying surface water were blocked during storms this year and were cleaned and in some cases relaid. In one case it was found that a catch basin had been plugged with news- paper add sheets.
Curbing and Sidewalks
This being another year of priorities and limitations on build- ing, we have been unable to procure the necessary materials to carry out our usual sidewalk program, and with the shortage of man- power it looks bad for such a program in 1944. I have contacted curbing contractors and they can not let me know before April of 1944 as to how they stand on furnishing us with curbing.
Town Parks
The Park Department have three parks in the town which re- quire a great deal of attention and as the W.P.A. program left us with an unfinished Park Project, there is much to be done to finish the program as laid out by the Park Board.
Phillips Park:
The present football field has settled about fourteen inches and requires some grading in the near future. The wooden stands on the West side of the field have been ruled as unsafe and have been taken down and should be replaced with semi-permanent bleachers.
With the grading of Phillips Park there is now arising a drain- age problem on the South boundary line of the Park. Along this boundary line is a brook which takes the watershed of the Park and East and South of the same. This brook is slow moving and runs about fifteen hundred feet West of the park to an outlet on Fisherman's Beach opposite Orient Court. It would be better if the water collecting in this brook could be carried South over private land across Puritan Road onto Whales Beach a distance of about five hundred fifty feet.
In order to do this, easements would have to be obtained and permission to empty the same onto the beach from the State Depart- ment of Public Health. As this is only surface water, permission might be granted for the same.
The parking area and baseball field still needs fill to bring it to the finished grade.
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TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
Assessor's Department
The yearly routine work necessary to bring plans and the card index of this department has been completed and there were about eight hundred abstracts from the Registry of Deeds for the year 1943.
Water Department
We have spent much time this year in the field making surveys for new Water Pipe Plans. These plans when completed will show the necessary data for each street of the town.
Selectmen's Department
War Gardens were laid out on the Palmer Estate corner of Hum- phrey and Salem Streets at the request of the War Garden Com- mittee and not all the available garden space was taken, but some fine gardens were made and much garden stock obtained from the same.
Essex Street Bridge was resurfaced and later rebuilt by the Boston and Maine Railroad.
Danvers Road Bridge was to be rebuilt this year but due to a legal dispute as to whether the Town of Swampscott should stand the total cost of this bridge, or the cost be divided between Essex County and the Boston and Maine R. R., nothing has been done. This dispute is now in the hands of our Town Counsel and is being heard before a commission to decide who will rebuild and how the cost will be divided for this bridge.
Respectfully submitted,
HOWARD L. HAMILL, Town Engineer.
Surveyor of Highways
To the Citizens of Swampscott:
I herewith submit my annual report for the year 1943.
All the hay, grain, gasoline, road oil and tar, sand and gravel was bought under contract.
The streets sealcoated this year by spraying hot tar and cov- ering same with sand were as follows: Bay View, Fuller, Plymouth and Prospect Avenues, Banks, Cedar Hill, Fuller, Humphrey, Ingalls, Sheridan Terraces, Devens, Millet, Ocean View, Sherwood and Sheri- dan Roads, Berkshire, Bond, Hampden, King, Pleasant, Rose and Rockland Streets, Bay View Drive, Phillips Circle, Mapledale Place, Banks Road from Redington Street to Walker Road, Middlesex Ave- nue from Norfolk Avenue to Ellis Road.
Sidewalks repaired were those on Bay View Drive, Elmwood Road, Norfolk Avenue, Berkshire and Burrill Streets.
Paved gutters were filled with our patch material on the fol- lowing streets: Highland, King, Pleasant, Redington, Rockland and
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SURVEYOR OF HIGHWAYS
1943]
Rose Streets, Devens, Millett, Ocean View, Puritan, Sheridan and Walker Roads, Greenwood Avenue and Mapledale Place.
On Norfolk and Stetson Avenues tree roots had pushed up the gutters stopping the flow of water when it rained. This was over- come by cutting the roots out and patching the holes with asphalt patch.
On Prospect Avenue the sidewalks and street were put to grade and resurfaced using the following material: 400 gallons of tar T 4 and 19 cubic yards of sand, 82 tons of patch material, 132 feet of curbing and 25 tons of bank gravel.
On Lexington Park the sidewalk and street were put to grade using 50 tons of patch material.
At the foot of Ellis Terrace a drain was laid and 3 manholes and a catch basin were built using the following material: 132 feet of 12 inch reinforced concrete pipe, 7 tons of fine sand, 4500 common brick, 33 bags of cement, 3 Lowell type manhole frames and covers, 1 D frame and grate and 9 tons of patch material. This has stopped the flood conditions in this section.
On Forest Avenue at the corner of Lexington Circle a catch basin and drain were built using the following material: 1200 com- mon brick, 3 tons of fine sand, 10 bags of cement, 1 D frame and grate, 60 feet of 12 inch reinforced tongue and groove concrete pipe and 10 ton of bank gravel.
Catch basins were repaired on Fuller, Puritan Avenues, Burpee Road and Hampden Streets.
At Essex Street near Eastman Avenue a broken surface drain was replaced using the following material: 12 feet of 12 inch rein- forced concrete pipe, 10 bags of cement and 2 tons of fine sand.
At Pleasant and Humphrey Streets a broken drain pipe was replaced using one length of 10 inch pipe and 2 bags cement.
On King Street a broken surface drain running through the Cobb property was replaced using 3 .feet of 6 inch pipe and 1 bag of cement.
On Puritan Road near Galloup's Point a broken surface drain was replaced using 4 feet of 6 inch pipe, 3 bags of cement and 21/2 tons of 2 inch stone.
On the sidewalk in front of number 505 Humphrey Street a new special cement cover was made to replace the broken iron cover over the drain there.
There are about 630 catch basins in town. These are cleaned out at least three times a year with our catch basin digger.
All streets in town were cleaned at least twice during the year and more often where needed. 1
Stone dust was put on the sidewalks as follows: Columbia and Mostyn Streets, Curry Circle, Atlantic, Beach Bluff, Bradlee, Har- rison, Puritan Avenues, Bellevue, Morton, Manton, Puritan, Shelton and Stanwood Roads and Humphrey Street from the Marblehead Line to Salem Street.
Town fences painted this spring were as follows: at Blaney Beach on Humphrey Street, Forty Steps between Ingalls Terrace
54
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
and Rockland Street, under the Burrill Street Bridge, Banks Ter- race, Essex Street Bridge, Highland and Rockland Streets.
This spring and fall the department plowed and harrowed the victory gardens. Also it helped on the scrap metal and tin drives.
Streets where hay and small brush were cut down with our small Waverly tractor were as follows: Bay View Drive, Lincoln Circle, Bradlee, Dennison, Fuller, Linden, Ocean, Phillips and Stetson Avenues, Cherry, Dale, Essex and Salem Streets, Allen, Elmwood, Hawthorne, Manton, Nason, Puritan, Stanley, Shepard and Sumner Roads.
The shoulders of the road were cut back about two feet on the following streets: Ocean Avenue from Atlantic to Bradlee Avenue, Bradlee from Atlantic Avenue to Shepard Road and Salem Street from Humphrey Street to Tedesco Road in Salem.
In the Fall of the year the department is kept busy cleaning up leaves on the streets that have fallen from the trees. This is done to prevent the drains from clogging up causing serious floods.
During the months of June, July and August both Fisherman's Beach and Whales, the latter being in front of the New Ocean House were cleaned every working day. The beaches in front of the Beach Club and Hotel Preston were cleaned when needed.
The steps on the Puritan Road side of Fisherman's Beach were put up on June 1 and taken down October 11th.
All the Highway buildings and sidewalk snow plows have been repaired and painted. A new body for our stone bogie, a body and also four poles for our double team carts was purchased, also a new set of harness. Four new ventilators were put on our sand shed roof and one on our oil shed.
Our snow fighting equipment includes: one 1927 5-ton, one 1936-5 ton and one 1940 31/2 ton White trucks, one 1934 11/2 ton Ford, one 5-ton tractor bought in 1927 and three sand spreaders. All trucks are equipped with removable bladed plows and the tractor has a V one. We have 14 horse drawn sidewalk plows and one large V plow that can be attached to our large trucks. On hand at the yard is about 425 cubic yards of sand treated with calcium chloride to be used on slippery streets.
Snow fences this year were taken down in April and put up in December as follows: Salem Street, Crossman and Linden Ave- nues, Stanley and Sumner Roads, Dale Street and Dennison Avenue.
All our equipment was overhauled and put in good condition for the winter. This includes four trucks, three mixers, catch basin digger, tractor and compressor.
The bridge on Essex Street was rebuilt late this fall using the following material: 6000 board feet of lumber, 4 kegs of spikes, 1 drum of emulsion and 1514 tons of bituminous concrete.
Two of the personnel of this department have been retired this year: Stephen Madden and Fred Chapman.
Two of our men who were on the retired list passed away this year: Patrick Dunn and Edward Roberts, Sr.
In 1931 a new barn was built in the department yard for the horses but it did not include a locker room for the men. Since that
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TOWN COUNSEL'S REPORT
1943]
time the men have been forced to eat their noon lunches and keep their rubber coats, boots and clothes in the dryer room in the base- ment. This is where storm blankets and wet horse blankets are hung to dry, and conditions are anything but sanitary. I therefor recommend that the Town build a new locker room for my men.
I wish to recommend that the town resurface Salem Street from Humphrey Street to the State Road as it is a heavy traveled street and is in very bad condition.
Respectfully Submitted,
TIMOTHY J. RYAN, Surveyor of Highways.
Town Counsel's Report
To the Board of Selectmen:
I herewith submit my report as Town Counsel, from January 1, 1943 up to and including December 31, 1943.
I have submitted several written opinions to the various Town Departments during this year. The increase in the number of opinions rendered was no doubt due in part to war legislation.
I have tried and settled several cases for, and in behalf of, the Town.
In addition to the foregoing, and at your direction I compiled and edited our Town By-Laws which compilation was submitted to the Town Meeting members in pamphlet form, Copies of these By- Laws may be obtained at the office of the Board of Selectmen for the use of the taxpayers. This work involved a large amount of my time as it was not only necessary for me to examine the records of the Town Clerk for the preceding sixteen years, but also to bring up to date the several law citations contained therein.
Trial has been finished before the Commissioners appointed by the Superior Court in the so-called Danvers Street Bridge case. This Street, or Road, as it is sometimes called, was laid out by a decree of the County Commissioners in 1847. Swampscott was not in- corporated as a town until 1852. On August 24, 1943 the County Commissioners decreed that public convenience and necessity re- quires that this Bridge be altered and made stronger. Ninety per- cent of the heavy traffic over this bridge is delivered to towns and cities in Essex County, not including Swampscott. Even if the Town of Swampscott has heretofore paid the entire cost of the repairs in this bridge nevertheless it is my opinion that it should not continue to do so and the cost of these alterations should be equitably appor- tioned between the County of Essex, the Boston and Maine R. R. and the Town of Swampscott.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE H. LUCEY,
Town Counsel.
GHL:JMS
56
TOWN DOCUMENTS
[Dec. 31
Board of Appeals
January 1, 1944
Board of Selectmen, Town Hall, Swampscott, Mass.
Gentlemen:
The Board of Appeals submits herewith its report for the year 1943.
In addition to hearing and disposing of two appeals in the regular routine of its business the Board reported in writing to the Board of Selectmen, at the latter's request, an inventory of its equipment as of April 3, 1943; and also on May 8, 1943 made a detailed written report "as to the hours of work and compensation of the personnel and a statement of their duties, responsibilities, training, experience, skill and ability." Further, at the request of the State Planning Board, a questionnaire was answered and fur- nished as to this Board of Appeals, personnel, activities etc. This data was furnished by all the Boards of Appeals within the Com- monwealth and the information was used in compiling a Board of Appeal number of the State Planning Board's publication entitled "A Planning Forum." This Board was furnished with a copy of such number. Copies of the issue may be obtained at the Depart- ment of Public Documents at the State House or the State Plan- ning Board at 11 Beacon Street, Boston.
On September 17, 1943 a hearing was held on the petition of Edwin Johnson of 1 Arbutus Road. Petitioner sought to vary the "application of the zoning by-laws so as to permit him to relocate his garage on Sargent Road to approximately seven feet from the street line. After consideration the Board found on all the evidence that the relief sought by the petitioner could not be granted with- out substantially derogating from the intent and purpose of the by- law and the petition was unanimously denied.
On November 8, 1943 a hearing was held on the petition of Louise B. Marsdale who sought to vary the application of the zoning by-law, known as "Lot Area Regulations adopted May 9, 1939" so as to permit her to erect a building designed as.a dwelling on pre- mises located at 52 Harrison Avenue, rear of 974 Humphrey Street. Question was raised as to how far this Board was limited by these "Lot Area Regulations" in exercising its jurisdiction to grant the relief sought. A ruling was asked for and given by George H. Lucey, Esquire, Town Counsel. His ruling was that the Regulation is a valid and legal amendment to the Town By-laws and that it does not illegally restrict or limit the powers conferred on the Board of Appeals by the Massachusetts General Laws. After hearing and consideration the Board found on all the evidence that; (a) adjoint- ing areas have previously been generally developed by the construc- tion of houses on lots generally smaller than is prescribed by Lot Area Regulations (May 9, 1939) and the standard of the neighbor- hood so established does not reasonably require a subdivision of the applicant's land into lots as large as is thereby prescribed; and (b) lots as large as is prescribed by said Lot Area Regulations would not be readily salable or advantageously used for building purposes because of the proximity of the land to through ways bearing heavy traffic and to a railroad and because of other physical conditions and characteristics affecting it but not generally affecting the zon-
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REPORT OF FOREST WARDEN
1943]
ing district in which it lies; and (c) that such special exception to the terms of said Regulations may be made without substantial detriment to the public welfare and that the relief sought by the petitioner can be granted without substantially derogating from the intent and purpose of said by-law, and thereupon unanimously granted the petition.
Attention is called to the fact that these Lot Area Regulations require the Board of Appeals to make certain specific findings (as above) before it may exercise jurisdiction, irrespective of the gen- eral merits and justice of the particular case involved. The recent appeal of Edith Childs which came under these Regulations con- cerned property at the junction of Beverly and Shelton Roads. Be- cause of the Board's inability to make all of the required findings, the petition was denied and the Town was put to the expense of unsuccessfully opposing an appeal to the Superior Court which is not limited by these Regulations but, according to Statute, shall make such decree "as justice and equity may require."
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