USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1931 > Part 12
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RUFUS CLARK PARK
The grass was kept mowed and the grounds cared for during the summer.
139
WEYMOUTH HEIGHTS MALL
The grass was kept mowed and a number of the large trees were trimmed up, cutting out a lot of the dead wood, we are recommend- ing that these last two parcels be taken care of under the super- vision of the Superintendent of Streets.
WEBB PARK
The usual care of grounds and fences has been attended to and we feel that some money should be spent on the equipment there. But in view of the effort of us all toward economy this matter can wait. The supervised play was carried out very successfully, and a great number of children had the advantage from that district.
WESTON PARK
The usual work was carried on in Weston Park.
The loss of the flower garden on the Washington Street side of the Park has been commented upon in an uncomplimentary manner, because the cost would have been so small and the pleasure to many so great that we hope this item will not be omitted another year.
At a great sacrifice and through the generosity of the Weymouth Asphalt Cement Company and others we were enabled to have one of our Tennis Courts surfaced and made permanent which has been tremendously appreciated by the many lovers of Tennis. And be- cause of the saving by this form of Court we hope to be enabled to have the other Court surfaced that so many more may have the privilege and pleasure of the game. At an overcharged, unsuccessful job of piping the Town Sewer through Weston Park, leaving a space that we hoped to be a safe skating pond for the children, we will be unable to use the pond because of the unsatisfactory way the work was performed by the Street Department. In our desire to give work to the unemployed and others, all we have to show is a bad job which takes care of sewer and street drainage for the Street De- partment, and which took most of our Park Appropriation to have it done. We would recommend that if the Town cannot furnish com- petant workmen for this kind of work, that we better not waste the Tax Payer's money in this way.
GOLF
The Park Department appreciating the work of the Golf Com- mittee in the location and final outcome in securing a figure, do rec- ommend that this land be taken for Park purposes where Golf. may be developed at the convenience of the Town, and to that end rec- ommend a sufficient sum be raised and appropriated for this purpose.
LOVELL'S CORNER PLAYGROUND
The Lovell's Corner Playground has been kept in good condition the past year.
Although there are some children and older ones that are de- structive, we think the children and older boys and girls are to be
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commended for the way that our grounds and equipment are used.
Baseball seems to have given way to tennis, and any pleasant night in summer you will find from fifty to one hundred at the dif- ferent sports and equipment.
A miniature Golf Course has been installed in Hawes Grove at little cost to the Town.
A good share of Hawes Grove has been cleared and in future years will be a great asset to the Town.
Band Concerts were held during the summer under the auspices of The Lovell's Corner Improvement Association. Five evenings a week in the Fall, football practice was held on a lighted field.
A Tennis Court is much needed, also a new foundation for the sixty foot shelter that was put up by the people of Lovell's Corner.
The Park Commissioners feel that the money invested in play- grounds is money invested in life. The popularity of the playground is increasing as the new equipment is added. Tennis at present is the most popular sport, and drastic rules have to be made in order that the time for playing may be equally adjusted. We have five Courts in Town which have been used to capacity. Great Hill with police supervision has been little trouble and much used. There are many features that we feel should be added to our playground work, but we feel that strict economy should be used this year.
It has been our purpose to put as much of our money into labor as possible.
GREAT HILL PARK
A considerable amount of parking area was materialized on the top of the hill this last summer, all the loam being excavated and gravel filling put in making a nice dry area.
A very spectacular bonfire was sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars the night before the fourth on top of the hill which could be witnessed for miles and much credit is due the boys.
The bath house was well patronized last summer and the muni- cipal bathing beach is a very popular place for young and old from all parts of Weymouth, it is not an unusual sight to see 500 bathers on the beach and often times more, there was one day last summer, on August 3rd, when there was an attendance of 900 on the beach and 350 used the bath house lockers. The bath house was open daily from June 5th to September 7th. The Park Commissioners have a record of each day's attendance with the weather conditions if any citizen would like to see it. .
Jackson Square Plot has been kept mowed, and water installed on the grounds.
We believe these small plots should be in the hands of the Street Department.
WEYMOUTH'S PUBLIC BATHING BEACH
LAKE STREET PLAYGROUND
These grounds were graded and the summer house painted. A good float should be added to our equipment here.
STETSON'S FIELD
Some repairing and replacement of parts on the equipment was done this year.
POND PLAIN PLAYGROUND
The Pond Plain Playground is much appreciated by the children and young people in the community.
The enclosure for the Tennis Court, the new Summer House, and the painting of the equipment was money well spent.
BAILEY GREEN
Bailey Green has been kept in good condition and one new bed of Evergreens planted.
PARK AVENUE SKATING PARK
The Leary and Bauer Meadow was cleared of grass and rushes.
One hundred and fifty feet of cement wall was built on the street line and a dam installed.
One hundred and fifty feet more wall should be built this year and the meadow should be ditched.
FRANCIS W. REA JOSEPH KELLEY CHARLES W. BURGESS, Clerk
Park Commissioners.
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REPORT OF PLAYGROUNDS
Weymouth Playgrounds opened on June 29th and closed Aug- ust 6th making a term of six weeks. Many activities are crowded into the short season. Each playground has a special activity day every week. These include doll carriage, cart and costume parades, athletic events and an exhibition at the end of the season.
The attendance this year was exceptionally good. The total of the first weeks attendance was 4,696 children attending all play- grounds. Lake Street Playground led all the others with a high total of 1,493 children for the week ending July 31. The following figures are interesting to note :
Year
Attendance opening day
1928
530
1929
1,386
1930
1,498
1931
1,734
There are two more playgrounds this year than in 1928.
The inter-playground games consisting of volley-ball, baseball, quoits, paddle tennis and tennis were very popular. There' seems to be great rivalry and keen competition between the various play- grounds.
This year the Junior baseball championship was won by Bicknell and the Senior by Lake Street. They were awarded the Lions Club and Playground Trophies.
The girls volley-ball championship went to Beals Park.
The Athletic Badge Tests are a set of tests and requirements given out by the Playground and Recreation Association of America.
Athletic Badge Tests for Girls were:
1st Test-Balancing on 12 foot beam, 1 knee bend;
2nd Test-Book on head and 1 knee bend;
3rd Test-Book on head and 3 knee bends, hands on hips;
Second Test : 50 yard dash-8 seconds, 2nd 7 3/5, 3rd 7 1/5 seconds. Basketball Throw: 35 feet, 2nd 45 ft., 3rd 55 ft .; Fourth : Volley Ball serve 2 in 5 trials, 2nd 3 in 6 trials, 3rd 3 in 5 trials.
Athletic Tests for boys were :
1st Chinning-(Boy 12 or under) 6 times; 2nd Standing Broad Jump-5 ft., 9 inches, (12 or under) 6 ft., 6 inches (Boys 12 up to high); 3rd 600 yd. dash-9 seconds (12 and under) 8 seconds; 4th Baseball Throw-130 feet. (12 up to high) 190 feet.
Third Test for boys of High School Age:
Chinning-9 times; Running High Jump-4 ft., 4 inches; 3rd 100 dard dash-12 3/5 seconds; Baseball Throw-220 feet.
Those passing the tests were :
Eleanor Brayshaw, Irene Noble, Margaret McCullock, Jenny Lilla, Mary Byrne, Mary Brown, Esthia Burke, Ida Ohman, Albinia Gailus.
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Ernest Fisher, Frank DiLorenzo, Martin Rinaldo, Herbert Brown, Thomas Picarro, Arthur Dexheimer, Elston Dunbar, Leonard Rubo- lino, Michael Striano, John Zeoli, Thomas Sparta, Joseph Pomarico. Betty Condon, Louise Tormey, Mary Harrington, Evelyn Gorham, Alice Tirrell, Marjorie Doble, Muriel Doble, Ellen Sjoberg, Florence Condrick, Anna Murphy.
Earl Maxwell, James Stevens, Francis Callahan, Eugene Duncan, Charles Marsh, Carlton Wing, Roger Gorham, William Noble, Wil- liam Hynes, Samuel Burns, John Frazier, Walter Williamson, Alex- ander McDonald, Guido DiGravion, Thomas McNamara, Bernard Sjoberg and Burton Poole.
Novelty Athletic Contests were held on each ground. Two teams the Red and Blue competing.
Events were:
Boys-Elephant Walk, Camel Walk, Wheelbarrow Race, Leap Frog, Eskimo Roll, Potato' Race, Rooster Fight, Horse Race and Horse Fight.
Girls-Balancing book on head (20 yards), Shuffle Relay, Deep knee bending, Backward Race and Three Legged Race.
The Annual Paddle Tennis Tournament was held at Stetson Field. This field affords an ideal place for the event. Final cham- pion matches were between the following:
Junior Girls-Lovells vs. Weston : 3 to 1 in favor of Lovells. Contestants : Catherine Reid and Muriel Doble-Lovells Mary Berry and Dorothy O'Connor-Weston
Senior Girls-Beals vs. Bicknell: 3 to 1 in favor of Beals Contestants : Eleanor Brayshaw and Kathleen Mathewson-Beals Maude Hunt and Frances O'Leary-Bicknell
Junior Boys-Weston vs. Webb : 3 to 1 in favor of Weston Contestants : Daniel Clancy, Jr. and Walter Williamson-Weston Edward Duncan and Roger Gorham-Webb
Senior Boys-Bicknell vs. Beals : 3 to 0 in favor of Beals Contestants : William Boudreau and Thomas Bleakney-Beals Anthony Guiduci and William Leary-Bicknell
Through the co-operation of Tufts Library it was possible to have reading periods. Seven boxes of books were kept in rotation of the different grounds enabling those who wished to read to do so and were given credit for same.
Handwork is always popular. Many children painted flower pots with pretty designs, bead work, embroidery, basket work, silk braided mats and oil cloth pillows and door stops.
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During the closing week each ground held a party day. Re- freshments were served, games played and the handwork made dur- ing the playground session placed on exhibition.
The picnics at North Weymouth Beach are always well attended. The children are taken by bus and arrive at an early hour with lunch box and bathing suit in hand. After a day of games and water sports they come home tired but happy.
Please accept my sincere thanks for the splendid support of the parents, the Lions Club for donating a baseball trophy and the Weymouth Gazette and Transcript for their generosity in giving paper space for reports and notices.
Respectfully submitted,
EVERETT J. McINTOSH Director of Playgrounds.
REPORT OF THE REGISTRARS OF VOTERS
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen of the Town of Weymouth, Gentlemen :
The Board of Registrars of Voters respectfully submit the fol- lowing report :
The total number of registered voters at the close of registra- tion on the last date of registration April 9, 1931.
Precinct
1 Male
748
Female
645 512
Total
1,393
2
624
1,136
3
861
788
66
1,649
4
335
275
610
5
907
66
926
66
1,833
6
66
687
618
66
1,305
7
66
328
279
607
8
66
256
66
239
495
4,746
4,282
9,028
EDWARD P. MURPHY, Chairman JOHN F. REARDON
JOSEPH CREHAN
CLAYTON B. MERCHANT, Clerk
145
REPORT OF TOWN ENGINEER
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen of the Town of Weymouth, Gentlemen :-
My twenty-fifth annual report on surveying and engineering, covering the work done for the Town in 1931 is submitted herewith.
The yearly revision of the Assessors' maps was continued, the usual routine surveying work for various departments of the Town attended to and also special work ordered by your Board, or by other Town officials was done during the year.
All of the work, supplies and expenses necessary or appurtenant to the complete revision of the 65 Assessors' maps for an entire year ending April first is charged to the appropriation for the Town survey work.
This work includes copying all transfers, tax titles, takings or releases ; measuring and locating all new buildings; measuring all material exterior additions to existing buildings; noting the elimina- tion from any cause of the whole or part of any existing building; locating all new streets and land subdivisions either from surveys or otherwise; and obtaining any other data of interest or assistance to the Assessors in their assessment of taxes.
All of the above is entered on the maps, the necessary erasures. changes and additions being made thereon.
In the revision for the year ending April 1, 1931 about 1200 trans- fers, takings or releases, and about 45 probates were copied; about 70 dwellings, 165 other taxable buildings and approximately 130 exterior changes in existing buildings measured and located; and each one entered or plotted on the maps.
The municipal buildings entered on the maps included the new Central Fire Station at East Weymouth, and an addition to the Bicknell School at North Weymouth.
The method of revising the office tracings by erasures, etc., has been explained in many previous reports; as the entries are made in ink in order that proper negatives and subsequent prints from ยท these negatives may be taken, it is apparent that the tracings will have to be renewed from time to time.
While the transfers and new buildings are fairly evenly dis- tributed each year throughout the entire Town, it is obvious that those sheets which cover the more thickly populated portions of Weymouth will show the most wear and require the earlier replace- ments. Also those sheets on which the various land company de- velopments are situated show yearly wear owing to constantly chang- ing ownership either through sales in prosperous times or mortgage foreclosures in times of depression.
However there have been less than one-half dozen sheets re- placed as yet, two of which were redrawn the past year.
146
A set of corrected prints from negatives taken of the revised tracings is furnished the Assessors and by means of these negatives the Town is able to furnish at cost a print of any or all of these maps to anyone who may desire same. Some of these prints are sold each year.
I am glad at any time to go over any deed or plan which is Drought to my office by any one who thinks it may assist in locating a boundary line which we have been unable to definitely fix on the maps.
Also I hope that anyone holding an unrecorded deed will place the same on record, as we are obliged to show the owner of record on the maps.
An appropriation of $500. was made as in former years for the purchase and setting of stone bounds on existing Town streets and this has been utilized in setting bounds on street angles or points of curvature which it was necessary to establish by stakes on the ground in the course of work done for other purposes, thus saving the cost of a special subsequent staking for the stone bounds.
The appropriation for the Town survey work during several years past has been $2,500. and as stated above on bounds $500. of a total of $3,000.
I would recommend that they be combined the coming year and that an aggregate appropriation of $3,000. which is the same as here- tofore be made to cover both items.
During 1931 over 150 stone bounds for which special provision was made were set on the new streets and takings or widenings laid out at the March meeting of that year. These included Puritan Road, Sycamore Road, White Park, Pierce Road, Mt. Vernon Street East, Mt. Vernon Street West, Mt. Ida Road, Woronoco Road, Lakehurst Avenue, Drew Avenue, Glendale Avenue, Iron Hill Street and on six corner junctions. In addition several old bounds which were in danger of being lost through grading operations or otherwise were reset.
During the past three years $500. has been appropriated each year for the expense of surveying various cemeteries and making plans of same on which should be shown the location of the graves of the Veterans of all wars. Many of these plans have been finished and prints furnished your Board. Others are in process of con- struction, and some if not all can be finished this year.
No money is recommended by your Board for 1932, but I hope that the larger cemeteries will be completed with the money still available.
147
Perhaps the most outstanding special work ordered by your Board was a survey and plan showing a proposed widening or re- location of Broad Street with a width of 66 feet extending from Central Square to Jackson Square, and while two new structures have been built or are in process of construction, near Jackson Square in which the fronts of the buildings are on the present line, I understand that in each case an agreement with the Town has been recorded that when and if such a widening is made the fronts will be moved back to the proposed line and that the Town will be under no expense therefor, or for the land taken.
Routine work covered the following: giving street lines for abut- tors; giving lines and grades for curbs; giving lines and grades for sidewalks; taking street profiles; staking line and giving grades on Winter Street, on Middle Street, etc., for the work of the welfare department; staking and giving grades for the new streets accepted by the Town; surveys and plans of proposed streets and relocations of corner junctions as requested by your Board; staking and giving grades for sea wall at Fore River; lines and grades for culvert at Columbian Street; lines and grades for major street drains, such as in the Great Pond Park section, at Central Street, at Middle Street, and at Neck Street; together with other minor drains; surveys and plans of drain easements; surveys of cemeteries ; and other work, all of which was done under instructions from your Board or from the Superintendent of Streets; topographical survey and plan, design for grading, and staking and giving grades at the Bicknell School; topographical survey and plan of the site of the proposed school build- ing at Weymouth Heights; staking and grades for a drain at the Nevin School; staking and grades at Legion Field, all for the School Department or for a specially appointed Committee; surveys and staking at Great Hill Park, Weston Park, Beals Park and elsewhere for the Park Department; topographical survey and plan at the site of the proposed water tower at North Weymouth, and staking the water tower; surveys of land takings around Great Pond, these lat- ter under instructions from the Superintendent of the Water De- partment; surveys and attendance at Court; and a survey and pre- liminary plan made for the Planning Board of a suggested thorough- fare over West Street and Middle Street from the Braintree-Wey- mouth Town line to Central Square.
To your Board, to all Town officials and to many other citizens of the Town, I wish in closing to extend my thanks for the courtesy shown and assistance rendered both to me and to my assistants in our work throughout the Town.
Respectfully submitted,
RUSSELL H. WHITING
Civil Engineer.
1
148
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COLLECTOR OF TAXES
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen of the Town of Weymouth :
I am pleased to submit to you, and through you, to the citizens of Weymouth, my annual report of the Taxes and Interest collected by me, as Collector of Taxes, during the year 1931. These collections, as made and paid over to the Town Treasurer, apply to the several lists as committed to me for the years 1929, 1930 and 1931, and in- clude assessments of Real and Personal property, Moth, Sidewalk, Polls, Old Age Assistance and Motor Vehicle Excise.
1929 TAXES
Balance Outstanding Jan. 1, 1931 (Includes all 1929 Taxes
$29,354.60
Interest Charged and Collected during 1931; Personal and Real Estate
$1,903.06
Motor Vehicle Excise
42.44
1,945.50
Special Re-assessments :
Feb. 1931-Personal
$201.02
Apr. 1931-RealEstate
14.70
July 1931-Real Estate
49.00
264.72
Total
$31,564.82
Less Collection on 1929 Taxes :
Personal and Real Estate
$25,757.80
Moth
29.50
Motor Vehicle Excise
274.53
Interest on Above
1,945.50
Total
$28,007.33
Less Abatements on 1929 Taxes :
Personal and Real Estate
$2,491.09
Moth
5.00
Motor Vehicle Excise
1,061.40
Total
$3,557.49
Total Collection and Abatements
$31,564.82
Balance Outstanding December 31, 1931
None
1930 TAXES
Balance Outstanding Jan. 1, 1931 (Includes all 1930 Taxes) $337,301.18 Interest charged and Collected during 1931:
Personal and Real Estate
$10,612.46
Motor Vehicle Excise
441.55
Polls
4.35
11,058.36
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Special Re-assessments :
Apr. 1931-Real Estate July 1931-Personal
$ 71.50
275.00
Commitment No. 5 on 1930 Motor Vehicle Excise
36.74
Additional Charge on Commitment (Real Estate)
.25
Total
$348,743.03
Less Collection on 1930 Taxes ;
Personal and Real Estate
$277,987.23
Moth
499.25
Motor Vehicle Excise
15,332.41
Polls
152.00
Interest on above
11,058.36
Total
$305,029.25
Less Abatements on 1930 Taxes ;
Personal and Real Estate
$6,983.83
Moth
8.75
Sidewalk
8.76
Motor Vehicle Excise
2,033.15
Polls
180.00
Total
$9,214.49
Total Abatements and Collections
314,243.74
Balance Outstanding December 31, 1931
$34,499.29
Summary :
Personal and Real Esate
$34,161.04
Motor Vehicle Excise
338.25
Total
$34,499.29
1931 TAXES
Commitments to Collector :
Polls :
June 25, 1931
$12,986.00
Dec. 10, 1931
124.00
$13,110.00
Old Age Assistance :
June 25, 1931
$6,555.00
Dec. 10, 1931
61.00
$6,616.00
Personal and Real Estate :
Oct. 13, 1931
$1,126,407.86
Dec. 17, 1931
138.83
Dec. 21, 1931
164.90
$1,126.711.59
346.50
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Moth :
Oct. 13, 1931
$1,734.65
Sidewalk :
Oct. 13, 1931
$11.00
Motor Vehicle Excise :
April 1, 1931
$26,013.77
Sept. 15, 1931
18,268.87
Dec. 1, 1931
3,590.40
$47,873.04
Total of all 1931 Commitments
$1,196,056.28
Add Interest Charged and Collected : Personal and Real Estate
$366.31
Motor Vehicle Excise
185.28
Polls
9.73
561.32
Total
$1,196,617.60
Less Collection on 1931 Taxes :
Personal and Real Estate
$840,717.75
Moth
1,224.40
Sidewalk
11.00
Motor Vehicle
38,817.75
Polls
11,872.00
Old Age Assistance
6,016.00
Interest on Above
561.32
Total
$899,220.22
Less Abatements on 1931 Taxes :
Personal and Real Estate
$3,085.64
Motor Vehicle Excise
1,563.56
Polls
354.00
Total
$5,003.20
Total Collections and Abatements
904,223.42
$292,394.18
Balance Outstanding December 31, 1931 Summary :
Personal and Real Estate
$283,418.45
Motor Vehicle Excise
7,491.73
Polls
884.00
Old Age Assistance
600.00
$292,394.18
Respectfully submitted, FRANK W. HOLBROOK Collector of Taxes.
151
ESTIMATE OF CONSTRUCTION OF A 9 HOLE GOLF COURSE
December 11, 1931
Mr. Joseph P. Kelley,
Park Commissioner,
Chairman Golf Committee
Weymouth, Mass.
Dear Mr. Kelley :-
In accordance with your request, we are submitting an approx- imate estimate for the construction of the 9 hole golf course for the Town of Weymouth.
APPROXIMATE ESTIMATE
Grass seed for Fairways
$1,250.00
Fertilizer for Fairways
600.00
Grass seed for Greens
900.00
Fertilizer for Greens
50.00
$2,800.00
Water pipe for water system
1,000.00
Gas and oil and repairs
800.00
Tools and Equipment
2,500.00
Drain tile for drainage system
1,000.00
Team hire
1,200.00
Supt of construction
1,200.00
Professional Fee for design and supervision
2,000.00
$12,500.00
$11,000.00
Amount for Labor
If unemployed labor is used add 10% to labor item.
If partial time unemployed labor is used as described below, add another 8% to the labor item.
The above figures include the purchase of a couple of tractors, which will have a salvage value at the end of the job of from $500.00 to $1,000.00. That amount, of course could be deducted from the total cost. You will note that we have added a 10% increase to the labor item if the unemployed labor is used. It has been our exper- ience with the seven municipal courses that we have built this year, where the unemployed have been used, intermittently on the job, that it will cost about 8% more than the 10% stated above. By this I mean that, for example on Monday we might have ten men, on Tuesday 25 and on Wednesday 15, etc. In other words, the work was so doled out to the men that it did not give us a consistent working force for the entire period of construction. Naturally, the men do not become accustomed to the work in this way and it is bound to cost more.
152
The wages paid for the welfare help in the various cities varies from $2.50 per day to $3.00 per day, but where regular laborers are employed from the start of the job to the finish a higher sum is paid, which is the prevailing wage rate of all laborers in the vicinity, usually around $4.00 per day.
We have had this unemployed labor on practically every muni- cipal job we have done this year and they have handled the work in good fashion but it naturally takes longer or needs more men to do the same work. We feel that it would be wise to have a time- keeper employed on the job in order to keep accurate account of the expenditures. This of course has been included in the labor figure.
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