USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1940 > Part 25
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12,066.96
Pension Accumulation Fund - Group I
28,640.51
Pension Accumulation Fund - Group II
12,557.18
Annuity Reserve Fund - Group I.
1,025.85
Annuity Reserve Fund - Group II
90.59
Expense Fund
118.54
Profit on Sales.
1,442.73
$ 89,179.79
SCHEDULE OF BONDS OWNED DECEMBER 31, 1940
Description of Bonds Coupon Rate
Date of Maturity
Amortized Value
C. B. & Q. R. R.
4 %
Mar. 1, 1958
$10,124.42
The Penn. R. R.
3 34 %
Apr. 1, 1970
4,408.00
N. Y. Central
3 1/2 %
July 1, 1997
4,208.95
Southern Railway
5%
July 1, 1994
4,613.28
$23,354.65
334
PAYMENTS TO PENSIONERS IN 1940
Joseph A. Rogers $ 480.00
Jeremiah Donovan $ 480.00
George S. Smith
480.00
Hugh C. Gilker
480.00
Fred L. Glover
480.00
Emil J. Olson
480.00
Miles P. Keene
785.28
Henry W. Blanchard 480.00
Thomas Sweeney
667.56
John F. Fogarty
480.00
John H. Smith 822.00
James F. Mitchell 480.00
James P. Maguire
480.00
William D. Coleran
38.04
Charles E. Dunbar
361.92
Danena E. Blanchard
2,235.49
Frederick W. Stoddard
372.60
Thomas Shea
139.50
James J. Higgins
480.00
Frank E. Larmey
54.00
Charles F. Coolidge
1,131.60
Respectfully submitted,
FRANCIS L. GAUGHEN, Chairman
EMERSON R. DIZER, Secretary
HAROLD S. GARDNER,
Weymouth Retirement Board.
335
REPORT OF THE PLANNING BOARD FOR 1940
To the Town of Weymouth :
Your Planning Board has been vitally concerned during the past year with many problems concerning the future welfare and needs of your town. The keen interest of all members has been reflected in the fine attend- ance at the meetings held at monthly or more frequent intervals.
The possibility of the establishment of Municipal Parking Areas off Washington Square in Weymouth Landing and in the so-called Bicknell Meadow off Jackson Square, East Weymouth, was studied further in accordance with the request of the 1940 Town Meeting. Our study of these matters clearly established the fact that the success of such parking spaces would be directly dependent upon the ease with which motorists could enter and leave such areas. Although several conferences were held with certain abuttors and interested persons it is to be regretted that up to the time this report is made, no definite recommendations as to the necessary and advisable land-takings can be made. However, the matter will again be presented to the Town at the 1941 Town Meeting and it is hoped that some action may be taken which will further these progressive and business- building projects.
Another matter which has concerned the Board again as in previous years is the construction of a sea and retaining wall along Wessagusset Road near the Yacht Club in North Weymouth. The construction of a portion of the proposed wall is recommended at this time and it is hoped that the Town Meeting members will approve this recommendation.
The Board during 1940 recorded itself as in favor of the following additional matters:
1. Elimination of hazardous parking on Main Street, South Weymouth, near the Hospital and Nevin School.
2. Development of the Weymouth Herring Run Project.
3. Installation of a two-way radio and purchase of additional prowl car for the Police Department.
4. Development of a Municipal Airport.
5. Consideration of adoption of limited parking in Columbian Square, South Weymouth.
6. Straightening Pleasant Street from Police Station to junction of Pleasant and Water Streets.
7. Skating facilities for unfinished corner of Stella Tirrell Park.
8. Survey of School Needs under W. P. A.
At one of our meetings this year we were fortunate enough to have as our guests, Mr. Duffy and Mr. Edwards of the Massachusetts Division of Metropolitan Planning. Among the many proposals with which their Board is concerned were several of much interest to Weymouth. One was the development of a by-pass to go around Washington Square, Weymouth Landing, for the purpose of relieving traffic congestion at that point. An- other was the possible extension of circumferential highways on the South Shore to take some of the traffic burden from the State Roads in our Town. It is hoped that similar meetings in the future may eventually result in a program of advantage to Weymouth.
Of more far-reaching importance have been the problems of the imme- diate future with which the Board has been deeply concerned. In addition
336
to giving every consideration to any part Weymouth may play in aiding national defense in the present world crisis, it has been felt that great care must be taken now to preserve for this Town all the desirable features which make it one of the finest suburban communities.
Our location in the center of certain vital units of national defense can but result in an immediate residential housing expansion almost beyond belief. Unless care is exercised now such developments may in later years prove disastrous to the well being and further growth of the Town. With this in mind, certain changes in the Zoning Law, just adopted this year, and in the Building Laws will be recommended at the 1941 Town Meeting and it is the earnest recommendation of the Board that they be given most careful consideration.
For several years it has been the opinion of the Board that it would be to the best interest of the Town if the Planning Board was re-established by the adoption of Chapter 211 of the Acts of 1936. Many other communi- ties have adopted this Act and it is hoped that the 1941 Town Meeting will take advantage of this progressive legislation.
In conclusion, the Planning Board extends thanks to all those who have offered their help and assistance during the past year as it is only through cooperation that your Board can achieve its goal-"A Better Weymouth."
Respectfully submitted,
ROY H. ROSEWELL, Chairman RAYMOND O. HOLLIS, Clerk CHARLES GRIFFIN THOMAS J. KELLY RUSSELL H. WHITING CHARLES A. JORDAN HENRY R. SARGENT
REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF MILK AND DAIRIES
East Weymouth, Mass. January 3, 1941
Weymouth Board of Health Middle Street East Weymouth, Mass. Gentlemen :
I herewith submit the following account of dairy and milk in- spections :
51 Store Licenses 46 Dealers Licenses 11 Oleomargarine
Samples of milk and cream have been taken directly from the dairies and wagons. They have been Laboratory tested for fats, solids, bacteria, added water and garget. The phosphotase test has also been used to determine whether milk or cream was raw or pasteurized.
Pasteurization plants have been inspected regularly. Also ice cream plants.
Very truly yours, HENRY F. GODIN, Inspector of Milk and Dairies.
337
REPORT OF THE WEYMOUTH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT COMMITTEE
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen,
Gentlemen :
We hereby submit the report for the year 1940.
The first of the year the efforts of the Committee members were directed to the business of obtaining options on the land needed for the airport. Although option forms were mailed out to the numerous owners, the results were unsatisfactory. Many of the forms were not returned, others were returned because addresses or persons were unknown, or people had moved. The idea of obtaining options is held by the Committee to be impractical, and it is their recommendation that the Town should take this land by right of eminent domain.
The area proposed to be taken comprises about 335 acres and is shown on a plan entitled "Plan showing lands on proposed airport site, Weymouth, Mass." made by Russell H. Whiting, Town Engineer, dated March, 1940, revised in part December, 1940.
Mr. Whiting's report states, "The land proposed to be taken is of little value, practically vacant, and to a large extent surrounded by other vacant land.
"Of the 83 parcels considered, only three have buildings thereon and these buildings are situated outside of the runways or total space to be ultimately used.
"In general the proposed site lies between the town line between Weymouth and Rockland on the southeast and Main Street on the West, and between the Old Colony Railroad location on the south- west and extends nearly to Union Street on the northeast.
"The final development contemplates a runway approximately 6900 ft. in length between said town line and Main Street, a runway ap- proximately 5700 ft. in length between the railroad location and Union Street, and a third runway running nearly north starting at said town line crossing both of the aforesaid runways and extending a distance of approximately 4700 ft."
The site for the proposed airport was surveyed by Mr. Adrian M. Mathews, and from his notes a complete topographical map was drawn up:
Mr. L. P. Henderson, Civil Engineer for the Civil Aeronautics Au- thority, made the final plans for the airport, including cuts, fills, run- way layout, hangar sites, parking areas, buildings, paving, clearing and draining.
The Committee made a study of the publicized War Department appropriation for airports. It was found that this money was to be spent for airports already constructed, or in the process of construc- tion. Therefore, until Weymouth takes steps to start actual work on the airport, War Department funds will not be available.
The cost of building three runways each 3500 ft. long would be $520,245. This figure would include clearing, grubbing, cuts and fills, finish grading, drainage, catch basins, trench excavation, gravel back- fill, seeding and sodding, top soiling, runway paving, taxi strips and aprons, lights, wind tee and cone, hangar, administration building, parking area and road to parking area.
338
Of this total cost the Town would pay from 10 to 25%, the rest of the cost would be shouldered by the Government through W. P. A. funds and/or outright grants.
The Committee recommends constructing one runway, northeast by southwest this year, at a total cost of $142,758., the other runways to be completed during the next three years. When completed this will give Weymouth the largest airport in New England.
The Committee also recommends that the airport be con- structed by the W. P. A., and have turned over all available informa- tion and plans to the town W. P. A. Committee for further study and to draw up a project.
Respectfully submitted,
RONALD L. WHITE, Chairman
WESLEY WILLIAMS
STANLEY HEALD CHARLES BURKETT RAYMOND HOLLIS
REPORT OF THE PARK COMMISSIONERS
Honorable Board of Selectmen:
Gentlemen:
The Park Commissioners submit the following report for the year ending December 31, 1940.
The routine work of the Park Department has been continued as usual.
Care and maintenance` has been given all parks. Greens at inter- secting streets have been mowed and a small garden planted wherever possible.
The Weymouth Bath House was reopened this year after the State Board of Public Health had made tests and found the water safe for public bathing.
The Park Commissioners feel that greater consideration must be given to the protection of the park properties during the evening hours.
A greater number of persons enjoyed the use of the parks this year than ever before.
We include the Playground Report. The Playgrounds were open for a six weeks period and the children instructed in games, safety and hand work.
Respectfully submitted,
EVERETT J. McINTOSH, Chairman CHARLES W. BURGESS, Clerk ARTHUR I. NEGUS
Park Commissioners.
339
TOWN COUNSEL'S REPORT
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
Gentlemen :
I hereby submit the report of the Town Counsel for the year end- ing December 31, 1940.
The Town has been made defendant in the usual number of cases before the Courts of the Commonwealth, chiefly because of alleged acci- dents, but none of these have assumed major proportions and the sum total paid by way of judgment was not large. There were many other instances of claims being made against the Town which fall within the classification of small claims that have been adjusted to the mutual satisfaction of the Town and the claimant without the necessity of liti- gation. I suppose these types of cases will always be before us. In one case, the Town has been successful in having received over $700 in settlement of a claim brought against the estate of a deceased resi- dent who had received welfare assistance from the Town. The defend- ant's estate was petitioned into insolvency and while the amount recov- ered was not the complete sum that the Town has expended, it was a large percentage of it.
The one case that continues to attract the attention of the Town's people and which is of major importance is the Laban Pratt Hospital case-so called. Heretofore in this Town Report is set forth under Article 28 of the annual Town Meeting the vote passed by the Town on this question, hence I do not present it here. By so voting, the Town altered its previous position upon this matter and my interpre- tation of the vote is that they wished the Town Counsel to prosecute the legal questions impending to a conclusion. In accordance with this viewpoint the matter was assigned for hearing and was argued early in January. The single question before the Court was the defendant's (Town of Weymouth) demurrer to the bill of complaint of the com- plainant. At the hearing the Attorney General's office was represented and arguments were concluded, the Court extending to each side a week within which to file briefs. These have been filed and a decision should come down quite soon. In case the demurrer is sustained, a motion requesting the dissolution of the present injunctions against the funds in the various institutions has been filed. I might add that I reminded the Court of the nearness of the next annual Town Meeting and suggested that, if possible, the decision be speedily made, a sug- gestion which the Court accepted graciously. If the verdict is favorable and no appeal is taken, it is my belief that the Town will be ready to take definite action on this question at its annual meeting.
May I say that, as usual, the Legal Department has enjoyed the confidence and received the sympathetic assistance of various Town officers and boards, for which I wish to offer my sincere appreciation.
Respectfully submitted,
KENNETH L. NASH,
Town Counsel.
340
REPORT OF W. P. A. COMMITTEE
To the Town Meeting Members and Citizens of Weymouth:
IN MEMORIAM
The W. P. A. Committee pauses to pay trib- ute to one who served his community faith- fully and impartially, who devoted his best efforts to every task assigned to him, and whose intellectual honesty and sympathetic understanding of the ills of his fellow man, endeared him to his subordinates: Archie
McLellan, deceased, June, 1940.
As is annually the case, the beneficence of the Committee was dis- tributed among all departments that desired its assistance. The appro- priation was apportioned approximately as it has been in the last four years, with the exception being the School Department, which replaced the Park Department in the financial standing.
This change was due to an enlargement of recreational facilities for school children, while the development of park features was reaching its conclusion. It is gratifying to know that the townspeople have responded to our activities by noticeably patronizing in increased num- bers the new playgrounds at their disposal. With the passing of last year, it is fair to say that except for occasional installations, the Park Department will make less demands on us for assistance, while the School Department will draw more heavily on our resources.
As for the Street Department activities, with W. P. A. help, there will always be a real work for us to do with and in that branch of municipal endeavor. The Committee feels that every dollar spent for highway development is easily justified on the grounds of public con- venience, safety or welfare; and that, as the benefits accrue, the roads will be more presentable and inexpensively maintained.
To be sure, the expenditures on Water Department Projects are not great, but they do not indicate the extensive scope of the work-all of which redounds to the advantage of the citizenry in that everything spent at Great Pond Watershed is for additional precautionary measures to safeguard the water supply.
The other departments may be collectively said to benefit in propor- tion to their activities, few of which can be aided by W. P. A. efforts. Our work might be summarized by saying that white collar surveys constitute the greatest amount of our assistance to them.
A list of all the projects operated this year is herewith presented with a brief description of the work done. Recourse may be had to the Town Accountant's Report in this book for sums of money spent on each project.
A. Park Department:
The work done at Weston Park involved a minor amount of grading and seeding while the work done at Stella Tirrell Playground constituted the completion of certain asphalt walks, and loaming, grading and seeding in the southwest section of the park on Central Street.
341
B. School Department:
Under the jurisdiction of the School Department the Bicknell School Playground was completed, and in the process thereof, seven tennis courts were installed that are used in the winter time for a skating area; the baseball field was completely rebuilt and necessary equipment, such as fences, backstop, fountains and walls were installed. There were also about two acres of seeding and loaming done to beautify the sur- rounding grounds. The field across the street from the High School has been designated as a Girls' Athletic Field, and while the job is at present one-third completed, when it is done, it will have necessitated the con- struction of bleachers, fences, field hockey area, horseshoe courts, shuffleboards, baseball diamond, a portable running track, fountains, benches and incidental shrubbery. At the Nevins School a project has been started to grass over the area in front of the school, to provide asphalt walks and drives, to enclose the play area with fences. to build a new playground in the rear of the school along Kirkland Road, to provide a 200 car parking area behind the school, and to provide facili- ties for the storage of bicycles during school hours. At the Pratt School there was installed a rather extensive retaining wall, which provided about 40% more parking and playground area. The High School and the Lincoln School were renovated and painted, with most of the work at the High School being done in the halls, class rooms and basement.
C. Street Department:
The work done in the Street Department was constituted under three main headings: (1) Beautification, (2) Drainage, and (3) Side- walk and Curbing Installations. Beautification work involved regrading sidewalks, sloping banks and repairing streets where they constituted a nuisance to the adjoining property. The following is a partial list of the streets that had this type of work done on them: Chard Street, Clinton Road, Curtis Street, Elinor Road, Forest Street, Hill Street, North Street, Randolph Street, Winter Street. Under the second cate- gory the following streets may be named as locations of W. F. A. activity: Cain Avenue, Homestead Avenue, Kinman Avenue, Middle Street, Pilgrim Road, Ralph Talbot Street, and Union Street. In the third classification of Sidewalk and Curbing Installation, projects were operated on Bayview Street, Commercial Street, Curtis Street, Fairlawn Avenue, Front Street, Great Pond Road, Glendale Street. Kirkland Road, Pleasant Street, Princeton Avenue, Roosevelt Road, Rosemont Road. Shaw Street, Sycamore Road, Union Street, Washington Street, and West Street.
D. Tree Department:
In the Tree Department a substantial amount of money was spent for Gypsy Moth control and general pest elimination, and for tree re- habilitation work. The first is self evident, the latter was primarily to preserve the trees on the Town of Weymouth property.
E. The Water Department:
The Water Department expended about $2500 in creating fire lanes to protect the standing timber in the most approved manner and for cleaning out the low spots, rip-rapping around the intake, and for walls.
F. Miscellaneous :
Under the control of the Secretary of the Committee, an Index of Town Meeting Records was made, which provides ready access to all motions ever taken at a Town Meeting from 1639 to date, under depart- mental headings and under generic headings. The N. Y. A. has done a substantial amount of work and a little further along in this report, the products it manufactured are listed. There were also operated, a dis- tribution of Federal Surplus Commodities Project, a Housekeeping
342
Aid Project, which provides assistance to needy families, a Sewing Project for the women, and a recompilation and mapping of Veterans' Graves.
For the coming year the following work has been laid out for operation :
Bicknell School Improvement
Central Fire Station
Curtis Street (S. & C.)
Fire Lanes on Watershed
Girls' Athletic Field
Hingham Arsenal Transportation
High School Improvement Homestead Ave. Drain & Street
Housekeeping Aid Musicians Project
Hunt School Improvement Kirkland Road (S. & C.)
National Youth Administration Sewing Unit
The significant work features of 1940 were: the completion of Stella 'Tirrell Playground and Bicknell School Playground, the installation of 22,000 feet of sidewalk and curbing, the Indexing of Town Meeting Records, the locating and mapping of Veterans' Graves, the extension of protective measures on the Watershed, and the work of the National Youth Administration.
Considering that the average age of the boys on the N. Y. A. was 22 years, the list of products made for consumption by various municipal departments, is enlightening. Undoubtedly their prize effort was the construction of a board running track for the High School boys-a piece of equipment now erected and in use. Other items of manufacture are as follows:
1
Building 20 x 30 feet Storage yard for concrete products
1
7193 ft. Concrete curbing
60 Throat stones
171 Park bench supports
146 Curb corners
12 Bubblers complete with foundations and steps
86 Triangular fence posts
98 Square posts
210 Signs
24 Tool boxes
63 Street, Water and Park horses
20 Saw horses
1 Score board (Baseball)
1 Polling booth rail
2 Portable toilets
8 Horseshoe pits
2 Sets of shelves
1 Bulletin board
1 47-foot flag pole (Metal).
In passing, the N. Y. A. girls should not be overlooked, for although their work is not so open to public inspection, their stenographic efforts for town officials are worthy of commendation.
For 1941, the Committee hopes to highlight its work by completing the Girls' Athletic Field, remodeling the grounds of the War Memorial, providing a 200 car parking space near the Trade School, constructing a Recreational Room in the basement of the Washington School, install- ing a playground and parking area at the Nevin School, and making a survey of school needs.
343
Legion Field Bleachers Nevin School Improvement
Pleasant St. (S. & C.) Tree Rehabilitation
Washington School Improvement Veterans' Graves Location
Commodity Distribution
To continue the plan established in last year's report, the following figures for comparative purposes as public records are herewith incor- porated for the year 1940:
Men Working on Weymouth W. P.A.
Federal Gov't Contribution
W. P. A. Departmental Expenditures
Jan.
466
Jan.
$23,408.67
Gen. Adm.
$3,196.00
Feb.
459
Feb.
25,084.11
Fire Dept.
6.96
Mar.
437
Mar.
24,665.62
Park Dept.
2,093.46
April
345
April
30,972.94
School Dept
18,602.86
May
278
May
15,342.00
Street Dept.
29,804.02
June
221
June
16,152.81
Tree Dept.
2,788.44
July
256
July
13,450.71
Water Dept.
2,248.89
Aug.
230
Aug.
Sept.
237
Sept.
20,258.50
Oct.
272
Oct.
15,146.01
Nov.
300
Nov.
16,007.88
Dec.
302
Dec.
16,280.55
Aver.
317
Totals
$232,183.51
$71,855.67
Respectfully submitted,
RAYMOND STEIN, Chairman
SYDNEY BEANE
THOMAS DELAHUNT
THOMAS KELLY
EVERETT McINTOSH
ROY ROSEWELL
CHARLES THIBADEAU
CHARLES GRIFFIN, Secretary.
344
&
White Collar Misc.
13,115.04
15,413.71
WEYMOUTH PLAYGROUND REPORT - 1940
The playgrounds of the Town of Weymouth opened for supervised play on Monday, July 1, 1940, and closed Friday, August 9, 1940. They were open for the usual period of six weeks. The following per- sons formed the personnel for this year:
Beal's Park-Charles Wintermeyer, Supervisor and Miss Elizabeth Leseneschal.
Bradford Hawes-Miss Leona Gregory.
Lake Street-George Pardo and John Mulligan.
Pond Plain-Miss Lucille Trenear.
Stella Tirrell-Miss Stefani Konrad.
Stetson Field-Miss Phyllis Pray.
Webb Park-Miss Mary Harrington.
Weston Park-Miss Marie Keohan and Miss Charlotte Clark.
Co-ordinators-Warren Heffernan and Joseph Crehan, Jr.
In addition to the individual instructors at each playground, the co-ordinators carried on the coaching of baseball and softball. They also managed sports contests between the playgrounds, transported the various teams from playground to playground and supervised the transportation of the children to and from the playground outings, both at Wessagusset Beach and National League Field.
Equipment was supplied for the usual activities which included the following: Baseball, Softball, Basketball, Punchball, Volleyball, Paddle Tennis, Dodgeball, Quoits, Horseshoes, Croquet, Ring Toss, Shuffle- board, etc.
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