USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of the officers of the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts for the year ending 1927 > Part 51
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A. W.
8
57 oz.
72 oz.
126
Never underweight. Ad- mitted for nervousness. Improved.
M. G.
11
76 oz.
32 oz.
42 7% below the Av. Wt. to attend Summer Camp.
L. B.
7
57 oz.
108 oz.
189 Gained 11/4 in. in height.
A. R.
10
76 OZ.
64 oz.
84 10% below Av. Wt. but not undernourished.
E. H.
11
76 oz.
88 oz.
115
Was 10% below Av. Wt. in Sept. Now in normal zone.
All the children in the school received teeth tags having had all necessary work done at the Dental Clinic. One pupil received the 100% medal. With one exception all were promoted to their respective grades.
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REST AND NUTRITION CLASS
The Rest and Nutrition Class organized in the Cornish- Burton group in September 1928 has supplemented the Fresh-Air-School and now supersedes it. It has the great advantage of allowing the pupils to continue their work in their own school rooms with their usual school com- panions and teacher.
The following computation of gains from October to June shows the relation of the actual gain to the expected gain of each child expressed in percentages with remarks on each case. The percentages of gains range from 76 to 352. All but three of the seventeen members of the class made better than their expected gain.
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GAINS IN REST AND NUTRITION CLASS OCTOBER TO JUNE 1928-9
Name
Age
Exp. Gain
Act. Gain
Percent
Remarks
Was 10% below average weight in Sept. Now in normal zone.
Was 10% below average weight in Sept. Now in normal zone.
Was 10% below average weight in Sept. Now in normal zone.
Poor posture. Nail biter. Still 10% below Average Weight.
M. M.
9
68 oz.
52 oz.
76
V. B.
9
68 oz.
128 oz.
188
M. L.
12
102 oz.
88 oz.
86
Has carious teeth and en- larged tonsils.
R. K.
10
68 oz.
156 oz.
229
Had tonsils and adenoids removed. Still has carious teeth.
G. C.
8
68 oz.
84 oz.
123
T. P.
10
68 oz.
158 oz.
158
L. P.
11
102 oz.
188 oz.
184 Gained 21/2 inches in height. Poor posture.
K. L.
11
102 oz.
96 oz.
94
Was 10% below Av. Wt. in Sept. Now 7%, Nervous- ness improved.
M. B.
11
102 oz.
200 oz.
196
J. G.
11
102 oz.
144 oz.
141
Was 10% below Av. Wt. in Sept. Poor posture.
G. R.
14
68 oz.
240 oz.
352
E. W.
11
102 oz.
168 oz.
164 Was 10% below Av. Wt. in Sept. Now in normal zone.
E. K.
13
102 oz.
208 oz.
203
Was 10% below Av. Wt. in Sept. Now in normal zone.
B. H.
7
51 oz.
76 oz.
149 Was 10% below Av. Wt. in Sept. Has carious teeth.
E. B.
13
102 oz.
272 oz.
266
L. S.
8
51 oz.
135 oz.
264
M. K.
12
102 oz.
128 oz.
125
Was 10% below average weight in Sept. Now in normal zone.
Has carious teeth and en- larged tonsils. Over 10% below Av. Wt.
Has carious teeth and en- larged tonsils.
Was 10% below Av. Wt. in Sept. Gained 234 in. in height.
Over 15% below Av. Wt. in Sept. Gained 2 in. in height.
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On Monday, September ninth, a new class was started with seven pupils, all former members of the class. By the following Monday the nurse had weighed and meas- ured all pupils in the group and those who were under- weight or otherwise delicate were referred to the school physician who selected from them those who, in his judg- ment, would benefit by joining the class, certain indi- viduals being held back until defects could be remedied and they should be "free to gain."
The following table shows the progress of the indi- viduals in the class from September to December 1929. All but two of the pupils made better than their expected gain, the percentages running from 40 to 571.
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GAINS IN REST AND NUTRITION CLASS SEPT. TO DEC. 1929
Name
Age
Exp. Gain
Act. Gain
Percent
Remarks
Entered class Oct. 21. Ca- rious teeth 4. Undernour- ished 10%.
Entered Sept. 9. Carious teeth 7. Undernourished 15%. Slight lateral cur- vature of spine. Nutrition improved. Has had work done at Dental Clinic.
Entered Sept. 9. Ner- vousness. Not undernour- ished. Nervousness im- proved.
Entered Sept. 11. Has asthmatic attacks. Has enlarged tonsils and ade- noids. Nutrition improved.
Entered Sept. 9. Nervous- ness. Undernourished 10%. Improved.
Entered Nov. 8. Under- nourished 10%.
M. M.
10
35 oz.
56 oz.
160
J. S.
10
31 oz.
36 oz.
116
R. P.
10
14 oz.
80 oz.
571
R. D.
11
45 oz.
96 oz.
213
E. J.
11
26 oz.
48 oz.
184
7
22 OZ.
96 oz.
436
E. B.
9
22 oz.
52 oz.
236
W. G.
10
22 oz.
44 oz.
200
F. M.
9
10 oz.
4 oz.
40
Entered Sept. 9. Under- nourished 15%. Slight lat- eral curvature of spine. Nutrition improved. Has had work done at Dental Clinic.
Entered Sept. 10. Under- nourished 15%. Poor pos- ture. Carious teeth.
Entered Oct. 27. T. and A. operation in Sept. Now over av. wt. for ht.
Entered Sept. 10. Under- nourished 10%. One cari- ous tooth. Nutrition now satisfactory. Teeth put in condition at Dental Clinic.
Entered Sept. 11. Defective teeth, poor posture, under- nourished 15%. Posture now improved, nutrition satisfactory. Teeth put in condition at Dental Clinic.
L. B.
7
11 oz.
32 oz.
290
M. B.
9
22 oz.
48 oz.
218
W. I.
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D. K.
10
29 oz.
80 oz.
276
A. R.
11
27
oz.
32 oz.
118
E. S.
9
31 oz.
64 oz.
206
H. S.
11
43 oz.
88 oz.
205
A. Z.
11
20 oz.
64 oz.
320
G. B.
11
14 oz.
32 oz.
260
R. H.
11
18 oz.
32 oz.
177
D. P.
11
27 oz.
16 oz.
59
Entered Sept. 27 with cari- outh teeth. Undernour- ished 10%. Nutrition now satisfactory.
Entered Sept. 12. Under- nourished 15%. Nutrition improved.
Entered Sept. 10. Under- nourished 10%. Carious teeth. Nutrition now sat- isfactory.
Entered Sept. 10. Under- nourished 10%. Carious teeth. Nutrition now sat- isfactory.
Entered Sept. 10. Under- nourished 10%. Carious teeth. Nutrition now sat- isfactory. Has had seven teeth extracted at Dental Clinic.
Entered Sept. 12. Under- nourished 10%. Cardiac. Nutrition improved.
Entered Sept. 27. Under- nourished 10%. Carious teeth. Nutrition improved.
Entered Oct. 4. Under- nourished 15%. Carious teeth.
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THE SCARLET FEVER EPIDEMIC
During the year 1928 occasional cases of scarlet fever were reported by the Board of Health, the total being forty-one cases. In January 1929 there were six and in February fourteen.
Suddenly in March the incidence of the disease rose sharply. On March seventh and eighth thirteen cases were reported and on the ninth thirty-six which was the peak. On March eleventh there were twenty-three cases reported, ten on the twelfth, seven on the thirteenth, none on the fourteenth and four on the eighteenth, three on the twenty-second and one each on the twenty-third and twenty-seventh.
At a meeting of the Board of Health with the School Committee on Sunday evening, March tenth, it was de- cided to close the schools for at least a week and put a ban on all public meetings. On Friday evening, March fifteenth, at another joint meeting, it was decided to continue the closing and ban on public meetings, opening the schools on March twenty-first.
At a regular meeting of the School Committee on Tues- day evening, March nineteenth, the school physician was asked to make recommendations to safeguard the pupils and prevent the spread of contagion in the schools when opened.
INSTRUCTIONS TO PRINCIPALS
The recommendations included (1) the appointment of four temporary school physicians, (2) a morning inspec- tion of every pupil, (3) typewritten instructions issued to all examiners describing their duties in detail, and (4) typewritten instructions issued to principals.
These recommendations were approved by the School Committee and were adopted and temporary school phy- sicians elected.
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During the recess janitors had been instructed to wipe all furniture used by pupils with disinfectant.
The inspection was carried out with some modification due to the illness of one of the examiners and passed off smoothly interfering very little with the school work.
A few pupils were kept out under observation because of exposure or because of illness but no positive cases of scarlet fever were found in the schools during the three days of general inspection or since.
The epidemic subsided as quickly as it came on lasting as far as the reporting of cases was concerned just about one week. This sudden rise and decline with few con- tact cases is rather typical where the contagion is milk- borne.
AUDIOMETER TEST
A test of the hearing of all children in the regular grades of the public schools including the Junior High School were made through the service provided by the Plymouth County Health Association using an instru- ment manufactured by the Western Electric Co. The instrument, called an audiometer, is the result of a study of methods of testing the hearing of school children made by a committee of the American Federation of Associ- ations for the Hard of Hearing which has the endorse- ment of the American Medical Association.
Actually 1514 pupils were tested but these figures include the "Individual School" of 23 pupils so that the total for the purposes of this report will be 1492. Of this number 235 scored 9 sensation units or more of loss on the first test. A retest of this 235 eliminated more than half who for one reason or another had not done as well as they should on the first test. Exactly 108 showed a hearing loss of 9 S. U. or more in one or both ears on the retest, 83 in one ear and 25 in both ears. The test has shown that seven out of every hundred of our school children above the second grade are deafened enough to require attention.
The following notice has been sent to the parents of each of these children :
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To the Parent or Guardian:
A recent test of hearing with the 4-A Audiometer (an instrument sponsored by the American Federation of Organizations for the Hard of Hearing Inc. of Wash- ington, D. C.) shows that is deafened in (one) (both) ears more than can be ac- counted for by normal variations and you are urged to arrange with your family physician to have (her) (him) sent to a competent ear specialist or clinic to determine what can be done, if anything, to improve the hearing or prevent the progress of the disease. So far as possible children who are shown to be deafened will be placed in the front of the school room, those most seriously affected being given the preference.
(Signed) J. HOLBROOK SHAW M. D. School Physician.
Plymouth Twenty-three
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The full statistical report by schools is given in detail herewith :
Score 9 S. U. or more Score 9 S. U. or more on retest
Name
No. tested
on first test
one ear
both ears
total
Hedge,
277
37
16
5
21
Knapp,
152
22
7
3
10
Cold Spring,
23
3
0
1
1
Oak Street,
54
3
1
0
1
Mt. Pleasant,
182
28
9
0
9
Wellingsley,
11
0
. .
. .
. .
Cliff Street,
18
0
. .
Russell Mills,
18
1
1
0
1
Manomet,
32
4
0
0
0
Cedarville,
18
3
2
0
2
Junior High,
451
94
32
12
44
Totals,
1,492
235
83
25
109
In order to determine as nearly as possible what rela- tion exists between enlarged and diseased tonsils and deafness an investigation was made in the larger schools to find out how common this condition might be among those found to be deafened with the following result.
Of the 44 found deafened at the Junior High School 8 had diseased tonsils and adenoids.
Of the 10 found deafened at the Knapp School 1 had diseased tonsils and adenoids.
Of the 9 found deafened at the Mt. Pleasant School 3 had diseased tonsils and adenoids.
Of the 19 found deafened at the Cornish School 2 had diseased tonsils and adenoids.
Of the 21 found deafened at the Hedge School 6 had diseased tonsils and adenoids.
Of the total of 103 children in this group found to be deafened only twenty or less than twenty percent have been found to be suffering from diseased tonsils and adenoids to an extent deemed sufficient to require a notice sent to the parent or guardian.
A test of the students at the High School was begun in December but owing to failure of the instrument it could not be completed.
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STATE CLINICS
A so called re-examination clinic was held at the Cor- nish School by the State Department of Health, Division of Tuberculosis on May sixth. The report shows that twenty-two children were recommended for re-examin- ation the previous year, sixteen or seventy-three percent of the twenty-two coming from the High and Junior High Schools. Three were absent, had moved away or left school and four refused examination, leaving fifteen to be re-examined. Of this fifteen who were re-examined, fourteen were found to be improved and one unimproved.
The one who is unimproved is recommended for X-ray and sanatorium treatment. This boy has been under observation for several years.
The Division of Tuberculosis provides forms for all children to be re-examined and these forms are kept by the nurse who weighs and measures the children each month recording the result. Fourteen such forms are now being kept by the nurse and all but one of the chil- dren are doing well.
Dr. Patterson, psychiatrist for the State Department of Mental Diseases, arrived with her assistant December first and examined about fifty retarded children. Twenty of these were examined last year and a re-examination requested by the examining psychiatrist. No report has been received on this last examination.
The report of the examination of a year ago received in January showed that forty children were examined and that of that number fourteen had an I. Q. of 75 or lower.
Five of the children examined were three to five years retarded i. e. they were three to five years behind normal children in mental ability to do school work. Five were five or more years retarded and one of these was six years and seven months retarded. Eleven of the children examined were recommended for a special class such as we have in our "Individual School."
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PRE-SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS
During the month of May physical examinations of children about to enter school in the fall were held at times and places advertised in the "Memorial" and by circular.
One hundred and seventy-two children were examined and two hundred and fifty-one defects found as follows :
Overweight (20% or more) 3
Underweight (10% or more)
8
Posture 26
Skin
3
Teeth 130
Eyes (diseases) 4
Ears (plugged with wax) 10
Nose and throat 58
Glands (cervical)
2
Feet (fallen arches)
7
Total defects 251
CONFERENCES WITH TEACHERS
In order to keep in touch with his teachers the school physician finds a half hour monthly conference helpful.
The subjects taken up at these conferences during the year were as follows:
January-"Treatment and Prevention of Colds."
February-"The Teacher's Relation to the Posture Problem."
March-Conference omitted.
April-"The Newton Plan for Health Education." (Pamphlets distributed) .
May-Conference omitted.
June-"Importance of School Medical Service and Health Education in Fight Against Tuberculosis."
September-"Vaccination and the Sight and Hearing Test."
October-"How Correlation of the Health Idea Vital- izes the Teaching Program."
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November-"Hygiene of the School-room."
December-"Report on Health Conference at Bridge- water."
MOTION PICTURES FOR HEALTH
Each month a motion picture which teaches some- thing helpful related to health is shown to some twelve hundred children. If interest is a vital factor in teach- ing, our pictures are scoring heavily.
The program for the past year has been as follows :
January-"Highland Lassie" and "Team Work." Two films loaned by the New England Food and Dairy Coun- cil on the production and distribution of milk.
February-"Sniffle Snuffle." Showing how colds are transmitted through carelessness.
March-Picture omitted.
April-"Our Common Enemy." Showing how flies transmit disease.
May-"The Spirit of Play." Showing how animals play and that play is natural and necessary.
June-"Just Pals" and "What Makes It Go." Two films to interest children in drinking milk.
September-"Posture Clinics." A splendid exposition of what correct posture is and how to get it.
October-"The Turn of the Road." Showing the neces- sity for cleanliness in handling milk.
November-"The Flying Bandit." An interesting car- toon giving many interesting facts in the natural history of the fly.
ORAL HYGIENE AND DENTAL CLINIC
A general examination of the mouths of the whole school population with the exception of the Senior High School pupils was made by the dentists at the beginning of the school year. The results which are given with the figures for 1927 and 1928 for comparison indicate a grat- ifying decrease in the number of carious temporary teeth
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each year which is due to the stressing of nutrition, as it affects the teeth, in all our health teaching but especi- ally in the early grades.
The fact that the improvement in the temporary teeth is not as great as in 1928 and the further slight increase in the number of cavities found in the permanent teeth is undoubtedly to be attributed to the economic situation which has resulted in fewer children having their teeth repaired.
The examining dentists assure us that the mouths ex- amined looked better than last year and that there was a noticeable absence of large cavities, also the 607 teeth "tags" distributed by the dental hygienist at the "Health Day" exercises in June to children who had had all neces- sary work done compare favorably with the 479 given out the year before.
ORAL HYGIENE AND DENTAL CLINIC
Number Examined
Defective Permanent Teeth
Defective Temporary Teeth
Number Free From Cavities
1929
1928
1927
1929
1928
1927 2,002
1929
1928
1927 2,300
24
20
3
Cornish and Burton
347
349
348
1,111
867
1,068
975
1,176
1,184
1
32
25
Knapp
216
246
243
646
830
991
912
990
1,057
16
11
11
Mt. Pleasant
232
240
219
776
535
617
929
718
909
9
33
13
Cold Spring
43
46
49
113
85
162
185
164
255
0
7
0
Manomet
58
56
48
183
144
122
244
208
204
26
5
0
Small Schools
200
213
210
517
462
624
808
964
1,078
29
11
3
Totals
1,520
1,593
1,563
4,733
4,624
5,586
5,535
5,942
6,987
105
119
55
Number Examined
Defective Permanent Teeth
Defective Temporary Teeth
Number Free From Cavities
1929
1928
1929
1928
1929
1928
1929
1928
Junior High School
431
465
2,146
2,287
96
162
42
41
1928 1927
Hedge
424
443
446
1,387
1,701
1,482
1,722
..
...
..
Note -> The economic situation is reflected in the figures for 1929, fewer parents being able to have work done on the teeth of their children. The improvement in the number of cavities in the temporary teeth in spite of this situation shows the effect of nutrition teaching in the early grades.
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ORAL HYGIENE AND DENTAL CLINIC
1929
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TEACHING ORAL HYGIENE
The dental hygienist follows a well arranged program of teaching throughout the school year each month stressing some particular phase of the subject using various projects to interest the children.
The proper use and care of the toothbrush is taught and much attention is paid to nutrition, attempting to assist in formation of good food habits.
The visits of the hygienist are the occasion for an informal talk with the children and for leaving material with the teacher which she can use in developing the subject. The number of such talks which have been given in the school-rooms during the year was 303.
The dental hygienist continues to give a thorough cleaning of the teeth to each child who does not have it done by his own dentist. This makes a deep impression on the child which carries over into the home and is invaluable as educational incentive. The number of such cleanings given partly at the Gov. Bradford Building and partly at the Hedge School was 1007.
DENTAL CLINIC
At the usual dental conference which was held at noon on Friday, September sixth, in the Governor Bradford Building, no member of the Board of Health was able to be present but word was received that the Board were . entirely in accord with the present administration of the clinic. Those present were the superintendent of schools, school dentists, dental hygienist and school physician.
It was agreed that no material change in the policy or procedure of the school dental program or clinic was advisable or desirable.
There was some discussion relative to the dental exam- ination of children applying for the pre-school physical examination. The dentists generously offered their serv- ices, the details of the examination to be arranged with school physician.
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STATISTICAL REPORT ON WORK OF DENTAL CLINIC
Number of examinations 1988
Number of extractions of temporary teeth 197
Number of extractions of permanent teeth 18
Number of fillings 175
Number of treatments
39
Number of children discharged (all work com-
pleted) 61
Number of operations 361
Money received by dental hygienist and at clinics From "Cleanings" by dental hygienist $98.15
From sale of tooth brushes 50.64
From fillings and extraction at clinics 25.65
$174.44
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AMERICANIZATION AND EVENING SCHOOL CLASSES
The classes meet three evenings a week from seven- fifteen to eight-forty-five at the Knapp and Cornish School Buildings for a term of sixty nights.
The classes are really divided in two groups :
1. Those required to attend because of having left school before the completion of the sixth grade.
2. Adults who are learning English or studying to pre- pare themselves for naturalization.
In the first group the work is carried on as in the day schools, except that fewer subjects are taught. The work is largely individual and a pupil may advance as rapidly as he or she is able.
The second group comprise Americanization Classes, and are graded as : Beginners, Intermediates, Advanced and Citizenship. They are made up of earnest men and women, who are doing excellent work, and trying their best to become familiar with our language, history, civics and workings of our government.
Beginners
Type of work presented to these are:
1. . Lessons in understanding and speaking English.
2. Lessons in reading English.
3. Lessons in writing English.
4. Good Citizenship.
Intermediate
Here work of the Beginners is continued but with a wider range of subject matter. Pupils write from dicta- tion, express their thought through letters and short written themes. Some history and government are taught.
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Advanced
Pupils here have very good understanding of English but wish to study farther. More advanced work is given and more of history and the workings of our government. Citizenship
The Citizenship Classes follow a course outlined by the State Department. Some of the aims are:
1. To show the functioning of our American form of government.
2. To teach those facts of history and government which have significance in their bearing on good American citizenship.
3. To trace growth of our American institutions.
4. To stress right civic conduct.
5. To teach American ideas, ideals, principles of gov- ernment and abiding beliefs.
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SUMMER SCHOOL REPORT
During the summer of 1929, seventy pupils were en- rolled for special duty under the supervision of Miss Ellen M. Downey, Miss Helen F. Perrier, and Mrs. Miri- am A. Raymond, the Principal.
With the aid of data submitted by the regular teacher, and the terminology used in giving this data has now become more uniform, the summer school teacher gave each pupil class instruction and individual work in a given subject for a fifty-minute period. Then, in cases where it would prove beneficial, highly individual instruc- tion was offered for as much of a second fifty-minute period as was deemed necessary. Results demonstrated that improvement by this method is fairly certain, pro- vided a pupil is deficient in certain phases of a subject rather than in the whole subject.
As in the past, most of the pupils attended school reg- ularly and showed a willingness to work in return for the opportunity extended to them. When these and other positive characteristics were not to be found, an attempt was made to establish them. Special emphasis was placed upon punctuality, neatness, pride in work.
At the end of the term, the summer school teacher gave each pupil a grade in Accomplishment, Attendance, and Attitude, this record to be returned to the regular teacher, who would grant or withhold promotion. In some classes it was found feasible to return to the regu- lar teacher sets of papers showing the type of work done by the pupil during the summer.
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DISTRIBUTION OF EXPENSES
During the past two years the school department has kept a careful record of the distribution of expenses for the several schools. (See accompanying tables.) The figures for 1929 are more accurate for some schools than those of 1928, as many supplies were sent to the Cornish School and were then sent to the small schools, thus mak- ing this cost higher at the Cornish than it ought to be. The general office expense and the cost of the health depart- ment were apportioned according to the number of pupils. Tuition and transportation for out-of-town pupils, Amer- icanization and evening school and the cost of the Fresh Air or Rest and Nutrition Class were not included.
From a study of these figures certain facts are evident.
1. The large schools are run economically.
. The schools with a small number of pupils per teach- er are expensive.
3. Maintenance costs are very variable in any one school, depending on the amount of repairs or painting done in that year.
4. The costs of transportation are high, due to pupils coming from long distances, i. e., from Vallers, Man- omet, Chiltonville, Russell Mills, Long Pond and Darby.
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