USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1927 > Part 6
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22.77
Columbia Road Appropriation
2,000.00
Amount Expended
1,829.25
Balance
170.25
The following is an explanation of General Highways:
OVERHEAD
Salary
3,000.00
Office
478.68
Auto
260.87
Remodeling Stable
2,638.11
Vacations
1,474.50
Clerk
378.13
EQUIPMENT AND REPAIRS
Gravel Plant
4,120.00
Five ton Tractor
5,010.00
All Other
5,202.37
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TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
GENERAL MAINTENANCE
Patrol
1,082.23
Patching
5,840.37
SNOW
Labor
4,930.10
Trucks
2,366.13
Plowing
3,636.48
Material
3,910.32
STREET MAINTENANCE
Street Cleaning
Labor
1,737.65
Trucks
492.00
Tar and Sand
Labor
3,359.79
Material
18,215.09
Miscellaneous
7,572.78
REBUILDING AND RESURFACING
Labor
6,372.82
Trucks
1,291.00
Material
5,034.75
SIDEWALKS
Labor
6,811.89
Material
4,838.10
DRAINAGE
Labor
2,367.33
Material
2,627.97
Columbia Road was built this year, the money being appropriated in 1926. Ai light penetration road was built twenty six feet in width. This is a road that should stand up for years at a minimum cost of maintenance. Gravel sidewalks were built on each side of the street. This work was done under the betterment act, the abbutters paying one half the cost of the betterment.
Jordan Avenue was rebuilt this year with a permanent penetra- tion road. This is the first road of this type that has been built in
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REPORT OF HIGHWAY ENGINEER
Town and promises to be a cheap and durable road. The road-bed was smoothed up and four inches of two inch screened gravel spread over the surface. This was then penetrated with hot tar, sanded and then rolled. A seal coat of cold application tar covered with pea gravel was then applied and rolled in. This road was built to a width of twenty six feet and is two thousand feet in length. The cost of construction was $2016.00. This road should require but very little attention for a num- ber of years, situated as it is, with no great amount of heavy travel.
North Main Street, from Lowell Street to Bay State Road was built this year. This road was built with a mixture of one, inch screened gravel and tar. The material was mixed at the sand pit and trucked to the job, where it was spread upon the surface of the street.
Parker Road from West Chestnut Street to Elm Street was scari- fied and graded with gravel where needed and then a treatment of cold application tar applied.
Elm Street from Winn Street to Prospect Street was scarified, shaped, rolled and tarred.
Elm Street from Winn Street to the Reading line was scarified, shaped, rolled, and an application of oil was applied. The same treat- ment was performed on Elm Square.
Valley Street from Water Street to Nahant Street was scarified, shaped and rolled.
Melvin Street from Nahant Street approximately 400 feet was scarified, shaped and rolled.
The following streets were rebuilt with crushed gravel and sealed with an application of tar:
Byron Street-Albion Street to Jordan Avenue.
Summit Avenue-Park Avenue to Prospect Street
Broadway-From B. & M. R. R. to North Avenue.
Morrison Road-Shumway Circle to Prospect Street. Auburn Street-Cedar Street to Emerson Street. North Avenue-Winn Street to Reading line.
Cordis Street-Vernon Street to Pleasant Street.
Nahant Street-Main Street to Saugus line.
Farm Street-Nahant Street to Water Street.
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TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
Orchard Avenue-Oak Street to Greenwood Avenue. Pitman Avenue-Greenwood Street to Pine Street. Grafton Street-Main Street to beyond Howard Street. Cooper Street-Main Street to Myrtle Avenue. Hanson Street-Main Street to Renwick Road. Renwick Road-Hanson Street to Melrose line.
Stedman Street-West Chestnut Street 400 feet south.
The following streets were rebuilt with the co-operation of the Water and Sewerage Department, they paying for the tar that was ap- plied :
Greenwood Avenue-Pitman Avenue to Orchard Street Madison Avenue-Pitman Avenue to Greenwood Avenue. Melvin Street-Water Street to Richardson Street. Emerald Street-Vernon Street to Pleasant Street. Rockland Street entire.
Otis Street-Vernon Street to beyond Rockland Street.
Vernon Street from Otis Street to Salem Street was rebuilt with the co-operation of the Municipal Light Plant and the Water and Sewer- age Department. These departments paid the tar bill for the street.
The following Streets were tarred and sanded:
Main Street-Melrose line to Nahant Street. North, Main Street-Lowell Street to Reading line (heavy). Lowell Street-North Main Street to Reading line (heavy). Cordis Street-Pleasant Street to Vernon Street. Vernon Street-Salem Street to Lynnfield line. Wharton Park-entire.
Old Salem Street-Vernon Street to New Salem Street. Sweetser Street-entire. 1
Lawrence Street-Pleasant Street to Vernon Street. Church Street-entire.
Common Street-entire.
Vernon Street-Water Street to New Salem Street.
91
REPORT OF HIGHWAY ENGINEER
Nahant Street-entire.
Farm Street-entire.
Summer Street-entire.
Green Street-entire. Oak Street-entire.
Orchard Street-entire.
Greenwood Avenue-entire.
Pitman Avenue-Main Street to Pine Street.
(Grafton Street-Main Street to Howard Street.
Cooper Street-Main Street to Myrtle Avenue. Hanson Street-Main Street to Renwick Road. Grove Street-Hanson Street to Cooper Street. Humphrey Street-Main Street to Renwick Road.
Forest Street-Main Street to Stoneham line.
Merriam Street-Hawthorne Street to Evergreen Street.
Hawthorne Street-entire.
Laurel Street-entire.
Evergreen Street-entire.
Bartley Street-Albion Street to Lake Street.
Albion Street-Byron Street to Stoneham line.
Armory Street-entire.
Warren Avenue-entire.
Cedar Court-entire.
Dell Avenue-entire.
Fairmount Avenue-entire.
Gould Street-entire.
Lake Street-entire.
Prospect Street-West Chestnut Street to Stoneham line.
IMPROVEMENTS
The Highway barn has been completely remodelled. The lower floor which was lined on both sides with horse stalls is now, cleared and the inside is lined with sheet rock, which makes a modern fireproof garage of it. There are six tractors, one five ton truck, one one-ton truck and two Ford runabout trucks housed on this floor now. Previous to this
92
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
change the tractors were kept in the shed in the rear of the Fire Station on Mechanic Street. The Mack truck was housed at Barry's Garage, the other equipment was housed at Hughes' Garage. Not only is this change convenient, but it saves considerable in rents. A work shop has been added between the garage and the shed. A boiler room with a hot water heater is also an addition. The heater formerly in use at the tractor shed at the Fire Station was moved down to the garage and a series of coils put in place. This work was done by the department crew. The second floor of the barn has been partitioned off into lockers. These rooms are used to store tools and small equipment.
The metal garage which formerly was located at the old crusher on Valley Street was moved up to the yard. This building is used for stor- age purposes.
The grounds about the yard have been cleaned up. The brook which runs along the easterly boundary of the Highway lot has been piped with a double row of twenty four inch pipe. As these pipes were seconds and slightly damaged they were covered with cement. The pipes used for this purpose were traded for the horse harness formerly in use. A large amount of street cleanings, excavation from sidewalk work, and other fill was dumped over the pipe, and although the yard is not completely graded it has a better appearance to the passer by.
A telephone, Crystal 1732-R has been installed in the garage, and greatly increases the efficiency of the department.
The Department's new office in the rear of the former Light Plant Office is very much appreciated. The office is open daily from nine in, the morning until noon. A clerk is employed during those hours.
During the early Spring a one hundred and twenty five ton capac- ity gravel plant was installed at the gravel pit on Nahant Street. The stone crusher from Valley Street was moved down and placed in opera- tion. A drag line was also purchased and installed at the pit. This is a one man outfit but it was found advisable to place two men at the plant. A scoop bucket with a capacity of one half yard is hooked in the middle of an endless cable, a double drum hoist with a tractor for power, pulls the scoop out into the gravel bank. The bucket is then pulled in and empties its load into a hopper which feeds the stone crusher. The gravel is then crushed and carried up an elevator into a rotary screen which sorts out the different sizes of stone and allows them to fall into sep- arate bins. This plant will produce two inch gravel, one inch gravel, pea gravel, and sand. Or if necessary, for the purpose of covering tar the pea gravel and the sand can be mixed. This mixture is a very pop- ular cover for cold application tar as it has a tendency to add more body to the seal coat. The average cost of placing materials into the
93
REPORT OF HIGHWAY ENGINEER
bins during the year has been 32 cents per cubic yard. The trucking of these materials from the bins to the job has averaged about 8 cents per cubic yard. This makes the total cost of the material delivered on the job 40 cents per cubic yard. One truck will just about take care of the output of the plant if the haul is not a long one. It takes about five or six minutes for a truck to load from the bins, with about eight or nine yards, and the truck will make from fifteen to twenty trips a day with loads of this size. During the year we found that the particular bank that we were working from was not producing a sufficient amount of stone for the demands for road construction, therefore, we removed the rotary screen and let the straight gravel accumulate in the bins. This worked very satisfactory. This outfit has already paid for itself, and during the next few years the Town should save considerable in road construction by its use.
SIDEWALKS
Granolithic sidewalk and granite curbing has been laid in the fol- lowing places :
Bennett Street for a distance of 150 feet in front of Nos. 31-35-37.
Park Street for a distance of 100 feet in front of No. 14.
White Avenue for a distance of 130 feet in front of residence of Marcus Beebe 2nd.
Aborn Avenue on the northerly side of the street for a distance of 185 feet in front of the residence of Henry E. Jackson.
Curb and a Tar sidewalk was built on Main Street on the westerly side between Bryant Street and Park Street.
Tar sidewalks were patched on Eaton Street.
A Tar top was laid on the sidewalk on Main Street between Frank- lin Street and Summer Street.
Fairmount Avenue west side from West Chestnut Street to Fair- mount Terrace, a distance of approximately 300 feet.
Parker Road in front of the residence of P. R. Harmon a distance of 175 feet.
Albion Street from Upper Gould Street to end of former granolithic in front of the residence of Rossella Magee.
94
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
Main Street from Hanson Street to end of property of Catholic Chapel, a distance of 250 feet.
Mechanic Street, northerly side, from Main Street in front of prop- erty of W. T. Curley, a distance of 148 feet.
Curb was set and old curb reset in front of the Y. M. C. A. and Baptist Church on Main Street.
A concrete curb, gravel sidewalk with a stone dust binder was laid from Main Street to Traverse Street on Nahant Street.
Granite curb corners have been installed at the four corners of Francis Avenue and Greenwood Avenue.
A granolithic sidewalk has been laid on the southerly side of Bart- ley Street for a distance of approximately 400 feet from Lake Street westerly.
DRAINAGE
One catch basin was rebuilt and made considerably larger at the cor- ner of Sweetser Street and Pleasant Street. Four hundred feet of fif- teen inch pipe was laid across private land into the brook which empties into Lake Quannapowitt.
Three catch basins were installed at the corner of Hart and Melvin Streets.
Five catch basins were installed on Oak Avenue and Green Street. This job was to take care of the surface water from the corner of Green Street and Sherman Road along Oak Avenue.
Four catch basins were installed on Myrtle Avenue and drain into the Boston and Maine culvert.
A catch basin was installed on Main Street in Greenwood in front of the Pitman Estate.
One catch basin was installed on Broadway about half way between North Avenue and the Boston & Maine railroad tracks.
Three catch basins were installed at the corner of Jordan Avenue and Converse Street to take care of the water from Jordan Avenue.
95
REPORT OF HIGHWAY ENGINEER
One catch basin was installed at the corner of Byron Street and Al- bion Street to take care of the water from Byron Street.
Three catch basins and 800 feet of pipe were installed on Renwick Road near Overlook Road.
Three catch basins were installed on Myrtle Avenue.
450 feet of fifteen inch pipe was installed on Morrison Road West.
One catch basin and eight hundred feet eight inch pipe was in- stalled on Foundry Street from the corner of Broadway to the brook which crosses Foundry Street.
NEW EQUIPMENT
A five ton Caterpillar Tractor was purchased in April. This tractor is used to operate the gravel plant in the summer and will be used for snow removal in the winter.
A sidewalk plow has been purchased for the two ton Holt tractor, by means of which the department expects to increase the efficiency of sidewalk plowing.
In closing, I wish to extend my sincere thanks to the Honorable Board of Selectmen for their co-operation during the year.
Respectfully submitted,
HAROLD H. POWELL,
Highway Engineer.
96
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
Report of Library Trustees
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LUCIUS BEEBE MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Mrs. Florence L. Bean J. Oliver Beebe
Arthur H. Boardman*
Richard Dutton, M. D.
Arthur L. Evans
Winfield S. Ripley Mrs. Bertha Round Hervey J. Skinner Edson W. White Frank T. Woodbury, M. D.
* Ex officio, as Town Treasurer.
ORGANIZATION OF TRUSTEES
Chairman Secretary Treasurer
J. Oliver Beebe Mrs. Florence L. Bean Arthur H. Boardman
BOOK COMMITTEE
Edson W. White, Chairman
Mrs. Florence L. Bean J. Oliver Beebe Richard Dutton, M. D.
Arthur L. Evans
Winfield S. Ripley Mrs. Bertha Round Hervey J. Skinner Frank T. Woodbury, M. D.
BRANCH COMMITTEE
Richard Dutton, M. D., Chairman
Mrs. Bertha Round Frank T. Woodbury, M. D.
CHILDREN'S ROOM
Mrs. Florence L. Bean, Chairman Mrs. Bertha Round Edson W. White
97
REPORT OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES
CIRCULATION AND PUBLICITY
Frank T. Woodbury, M. D., Chairman
Richard Dutton, M. D.
Edson W. White
EXECUTIVE
Hervey J. Skinner, Chairman
Mrs. Florence L. Bean
J. Oliver Beebe
FINANCE
Winfield S. Ripley, Chairman
Arthur L. Evans
Hervey J. Skinner
HOUSE
J. Oliver Beebe, Chairman Mrs. Florence L. Bean Winfield S. Ripley
98
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
LIBRARY PERSONNEL
Librarian Helen Frances Carleton
Children's Librarian H. Gladys Mackenzie
Head Cataloguer
Louise E. Sheldon
1
General Assistants
Olive L. Eaton Etta F. Smith
Mrs. Katherine Madden Bertha Taylor
E. Adelaide Whittier
Part-Time Assistants
Ruth Ames Catherine Doucette Edward Liljestrom
Alice Crabiel Dorothy Flanagan Elinor Morrill
Julia Scammon
Janitors H. T. Mitchell, Main Library D. E. Pease, Greenwood Branch
99
REPORT OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE LUCIUS BEEBE MEMORIAL LIBRARY
The Trustees of the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library herewith pre- sent the seventy-second annual report for the calendar year 1927.
The Trustees look back over the past year as one of successful ac- complishment. When the Library was moved from the old quarters, there was an increased interest in every part of the library work. This was to be expected, but as shown by the statistics for the last few years, each year since then has seen a considerable increase in circulation of books and in the use of every department of the library. The past year has been no exception for, as can be seen from the Librarian's report, there has been a marked increase in circulation. This would seem to in- dicate that the Library is holding all the impetus given by the removal to the new building. It also means that the Library is not only main- taining a high standard of efficiency week by week, and year by year, but is also reaching out and becoming a still greater factor in our com- munity life.
It has always been the policy of the Trustees to cooperate with the schools in every way possible, and the year of 1927 has given many op- portunities. The school deposits already established have been continued and new ones have been placed at the Lincoln and Warren Schools. These deposits have been the means of introducing books of real worth to many boys and girls. They have also afforded the Library a means of establishing closer contacts with those who are sure, a little later, to be its loyal patrons. Believing that the period of school age is the most im- portant one for forming the reading habit, the Trustees are especially glad to do everything possible to make the paths to the Library easy and alluring.
Eight classes of the Lafayette School and the two eighth grades from Greenwood have visited the Library and have been given instruc- tion in its use by Miss Carleton.
Folders describing the resources of the Library were sent to all the teachers upon their return to school in September.
Lists of texts for collateral reading made out by the teachers of English in the High School are kept at the desk of the Library, where the pupils can consult them easily. Every effort has been made to sup- ply the books on these lists and duplicate copies of those most in demand have been purchased and placed at the High School. Though the High
100
TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
School maintains a library of its own, it has not the means to supply the many books to which teachers refer their pupils; hence at all times, the Beebe Library has been glad to extend wide borrowing privileges to Miss Kohl, the High School Librarian.
The Trustees have been glad to accept for the Town several gifts of money as well as gifts of books and flowers from friends of the Library. In February, Mr. George O. Carpenter of St. Louis sent a check for $1000 to establish a Trust in the Wakefield Trust Company, the income to be used as other Trust Funds, with the Children's Depart- ment receiving the benefit.
By the will of Rev. Thomas D. Emerson of North Adams, a former resident of Wakefield, in June the Library received the sum of $500.
The Mothers' Club gave $10 to be spent for books of benefit to mothers, as they have in other years. The Book Exchange Clubs of the Kosmos Club gave $7 to be spent for such books as the Librarian thought best.
To all of the friends thus contributing to the Library, the Trustees wish to extend their grateful thanks. The Trustees feel also that spec- ial thanks are due to Mr. Harris M. Dolbeare of the Daily Item for the generous space given to news concerning the Library.
Various exhibitions' have been held from time to time. Mr. Sidney Chase of Haverhill loaned a collection of his paintings which were hung in the Lecture Hall. They were much appreciated by the public.
Under the direction of Mrs. L. L. McMaster, the posters submitted in a contest held by the American Home Department of the Massachu- setts Federation of Women's Clubs, were exhibited in the Lecture Hall. It was a matter of congratulation that a Wakefield girl, Miss Dorothy Russ, was the prize winner.
The last of December an exhibition of small sculptures, a loan from the National Small Sculpture Committee of New York, was held. These models were entries for the annual competition of small sculptures for prizes given each year by the Procter & Gamble Company. Such an in- terest was shown in this exhibition that an effort will be made to make it an annual affair.
Children's Book Week was observed in November. An exhibition of books was arranged in the balcony; lists for children's reading were giv- en out; story hours were held at both the main Library and at Green- wood with a gratifying attendance. During November, also, all of the sixth and seventh grades, some six hundred pupils, visited the Library
101
REPORT OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES
and were shown how to use it. At Christmas time readings of Van Dyke's THE OTHER WISE MAN, illustrated with colored slides, were given at the main Library and at the Greenwood Branch with a large and appreciative audience.
A collection of books for the Merchant Marine was made by the Kos- mos Club in the spring and the members of the Staff were glad to help. Many books were left at the desk, others were collected by Kosmos mem- bers, but all were sorted and packed with the aid of the Library Staff.
That the efficiency of the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library is recog- nized outside of Wakefield boundaries was shown in May when forty-six Simmons students were brought here for a demonstration visit to the Library. At the close of the junior year at Simmons, each student in the Library School is required to gain practical experience in a public library, and as a further evidence of the recognized standing of the Beebe Library, it was requested that Miss Mildred Saunders be al- lowed to serve her practice time here.
The duties of the Staff of the Library are many and varied. Pass- ing a book across the delivery desk is but a very small part of the work. The routine of adding a book for circulation calls for something like twenty different operations after it is bought. Every book catalogued means that a minimum of from one to five cards must be typed. All children's books are shellacked so that they can be washed. Every book returned is examined and any needing attention are laid aside for mend- ing the next day. Sometimes sixty have been repaired i in one day. When a book is too worn for mending, it is put aside to be rebound if it is worth it, an expense often overlooked by the public. Shelves must be read frequently in order that books may be kept in their proper places. These are some among the many duties of the Staff. It is with much pleasure that the Trustees express their appreciation of the faithfulness and efficiency with which the Librarian and her Staff have carried on this complicated task.
The total circulation for the year is 159,417, an increase of 22,011 or 16% over that of the year 1926. The American Library Survey, pub- lished in 1926-27, considers seven books per capita circulation a high average. Wakefield this year has a per capita circulation of over ten books.
This increased service to the community seems to the Trustees more than to justify the cost of the Library to the Town.
For the year 1928, the Trustees recommend for the Library appro- priation $21,500.
FLORENCE L. BEAN,
Secretary to the Trustees.
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TOWN OF WAKEFIELD
REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN
To the Trustees of the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library:
For years a public library has been considered a depository of books from which townspeople may select and borrow as they choose. Today, in addition to this service, another important library feature is the pro- viding of material to the people on any desired subject, the clearing house for all kinds of information. The public library of the future will be the connecting link with every interest in the town, a social agency that does its part in every community activity, as well as a source of infor- mation, stimulation and inspiration to individuals.
In this library the work with children and every possible reference assistance are features which have been emphasized both at the main building and at the branch. The reference service during 1927 reached a higher peak than ever before. During the winter the reading room of the main Library was especially busy, and much of the time was crowded. Special collections of books were kept on the reference shelves for debates and programs, and also for the Teachers' Extension Course. Not always is it possible to give desired information from our own vol- umes, and in such cases every effort is made to secure the information from other sources. We especially appreciate the inter-loan library privi- leges which are maintained among the public, institutional and private libraries of Greater Boston.
Statistics are not available to show all that has been done in this reference department. During one week in March a record was kept of all the reference requests. These totalled over 135 and included material on: steamheated enameling ovens, melting point and specific gravity of various waxes, material on concrete construction, stories relating to early State history, genealogical data, as well as numerous subjects of current interest.
The use of school collections, as well, has been an effort on our part to foster the habit of reading early in the growing generation. "Among all of the gifts you can make a child, there is none more condusive to his present and future happiness and content, none more likely to add richness to his life, than the habit of reading." Frequent deposits were sent to the High School Library. Efforts also have been made to pro- vide for the pupils all the books on the High School reading list.
The work with the grammar schools has expanded from the begin- ning made last year. Deposit collections were sent to the class rooms
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