USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of the officers of the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts for the year ending 1944 > Part 20
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STREET CLEANING
The usual work of cleaning streets has been carried out. Catchbasins were cleaned, drains cleaned and flushed out with the new pump purchased from the government that was used for Civilian Defense work.
ASPHALT SIDEWALKS
With materials released by the War Production Board, 3500 sq. yds. of sidewalk was rebuilt on streets that were in a dangerous condition. Other sidewalks were repaired where tree roots have broken up the surface. These will be resurfaced this coming year.
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HARD-SURFACING STREETS
The following streets were resurfaced, with no new construction allowed by the WPB: Chilton St., resurfaced with K.P. tar and peastone, mixed and rolled, Forest Ave. Crt., resurfaced with K.P. tar and peastone, mixed and rolled, Bay View Ave., resurfaced with K. P. tar and peastone, mixed and rolled, Town Wharf, resurfaced with K.P. tar and peastone, mixed and rolled. White Horse Road, the west side of the road from Taylor Ave. to Ave. A was brought to grade with gravel and hard- surfaced with K.P. tar and No. 2 stone, sealed with asphalt and sand. The clay was removed from the shoul- ders in front of the cemetery and brought to grade with gravel. Shoulders were hard-surfaced with K.P. tar and No. 2 stone, sealed with K.P. tar and peastone, mixed and rolled. Long Pond Road, two miles of mixed-in-place top of gravel sand laid in 1944 was sealed with asphalt and sand. One mile more of this type of road will be laid this coming year if materials are available. Wel- lingsley Ave., this road was widened from 18' to 22' on the south side, a distance of 400'. Clay removed and brought to grade with gravel and hard-surfaced with K.P. tar and No. 2 stone, sealed with tar and peastone. All gravel roads were scraped in the spring and summer seasons and brought up to grade with gravel. Calcium choloride was applied to the gravel roads to lay the dust.
SPECIAL BUDGET
Great Herring Pond Road, Chapter 90 Maintenance, one and one-tenth miles of mixed-in-place top 2" thick was placed over the old road from Lake Croft Inn to the state highway at Swift's corner. This top was gravel mixed with M.C.3 asphalt, mixed with graders and placed over old surface, sealed with asphalt and sand four weeks later. The following roads were sealed with sand and M.C.3 asphalt under Chapter 90 Maintenance: Federal Furnace Road, two miles, Route No. 44, one mile, South Meadow Road, one and one-tenth miles. The dangerous curve on Billington St., opposite the Standish Mills prop-
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erty, was cut back 30' at the deepest point for a distance of 200 feet. This coming year when the electric light poles are moved back this section of road will be brought up to grade and hard-surfaced with stone and tar and the high bank sloped to prevent washing by heavy rains.
CEMENT SIDEWALKS AND CURBING
With all material being held by the WPB and not re- leased until late in the season, very little cement work was done this past year. Several bad places in sidewalks from Main St. Ext. to Plymouth and Kingston line were repaired where tree roots had lifted the slabs. This work will continue in 1946.
NORTHEAST GALE OF NOV. 29, 1945
There was considerable damage done along the water- front at Mabbett's Mill, Eel River, Plymouth Beach and Bartlett Brook at Manomet. At Eel River, in front of Hornblower's property a distance of 500 ft., the river was washed full of sand 6 ft. deep blocking the river so the water backed up into the cellars on River St. in Chiltonville. A shovel from A. K. Finney was hired to dig out the river at a cost of $230.00, Bartlett Brook was dug out by hand labor, a distance of 300 ft. from the shore to bridge at Taylor Ave. The water was backed up around the cottages on the west side of Taylor Ave. 3 ft. deep blocking the entrances so people could not go in or out of them. Little damage was done in this area. At Mabbett's Mill, the high sea washed under and over the seawall and undermined it for a distance of 300 ft. In this distance, it settled from 1 ft. deep to 5 ft. deep and the wall pushed out approximately two feet. The wall is in such bad condition it will require tearing down and be rebuilt over. Several roads that were washed out in the outlying districts were filled with gravel and brought up to grade.
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Lines and grades for street and sewer work have been supplied by the Town Engineer, Edward Chase, and records of same filed at his office.
Requests that have been made for road and sidewalk repairs will be taken care of at the proper time this coming year.
Respectfully submitted,
ELMER C. CHANDLER, Supt. of Streets and Sewers.
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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PLYMOUTH BOARD OF HEALTH 1945
Although the work of a local board of health is un- spectacular it is intimately connected with the general health of the community and your Plymouth Board of Health conducts all of its activities with this object in mind.
Regular inspection of all eating establishments have been made at periodic intervals of time. The local res- taurants have been found to be on the whole operating in a sanitary manner although the lack of help has been a handicap to many of them. Our board has always had excellent cooperation from the local restaurant operators.
The collection of garbage has caused us some concern as many complaints have been received due to the addi- tional territory that we have had to cover in the north part of the town due to the suspension of a local garbage collection in that part of Plymouth. We hope to solve this problem before the beginning of the summer season, either through the hiring of one or two more men or by adding to the present equipment. The collection of garbage in Manomet has been satisfactory with very few complaints. This collection is done by a local con- tractor to whom the town pays a flat yearly figure for his services.
The problem of dumps will always be with your Board of Health. We have succeeded quite well in caring for the local dumps and would do even better if those who dump rubbish would cooperate with us in assisting in keeping the dumps in an orderly condition.
The Obery Street dump has now been closed after a long period of years and a new dump has been estab- lished on Long Pond Road on property which we have
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leased from Plymouth County for fifty years at a rental of one dollar a year This will make a splendid dump. A transfer of funds from the Finance Committee enabled us to drive a well and to install a pump so that water will be available for keeping down the hazard of fires. This dump is now in use and further dumping has been prohibited at the former Obery Street dump.
Weekly clinics are held at the Board of Health rooms on each Monday, which takes care of venereal diseases, vaccinations, etc., of persons unable to pay for treatments.
Once each year a clinic is held at the Board of Health rooms for immunization against diphtheria. There has been a slight but definite upturn in the number of cases of diphtheria in Massachusetts during the past two years. We are of the opinion that there is far too little immuni- zation against diphtheria being done by the family physi- cian. Parents rely too much on the free clinic. Since the program has been taken out of the schools mothers are urged to have their children immunized in infancy after 6 months of age. The State Department of Public Health recommends a single booster dose given a child on enter- ing school.
We have continued to use the Haynes Memorial Hos- pital in Brighton for all contagious cases as the lack of nurses has not permitted us to use the facilities of the Jordan Hospital, although we still contribute to the maintenance of the contagious wing at the Jordan Hos- pital.
We wish to emphasize the necessity for all contagious diseases being reported to the Board of Health. The General Laws require that all cases of contagious diseases be reported to the board of health by the attending phy- sician. If there is no physician called a member of the household must make such a report. The following table shows the number of contagious diseases reported to the office of the board of health.
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Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept. Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Anterior Poliomyelitis
0 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1 0
1
0
1
0
2
0
0 2
German Measles
2
0
0
0
3
0
1
0
0
0 0
1
7
Lobar Pneumonia
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 2
Measles
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0 6 2 15 4 0 0
0
1
Pul. Tuberculosis
0
0 0
1
1
0 0
0 0
0 1
0
0
0
0 0
6 1
Whooping-cough
3
9 1
0
7
0
3
2
1
0 0 0 0
0
4
Syphilis
1 0
1
3
1
1
0
1
1
2
11
Last year we had a serious outbreak of scarlet fever which caused us great concern. After careful considera- tion we decided to close all schools and public meeting places to persons under 19 years of age. This resulted in a precipitous drop in the number of cases that were being reported. Although the drastic action which we took was not approved by the State Department of Public Health we feel that the record of what resulted more than justified our action as when the ban was lifted we had the scarlet fever situation well under control.
All milk sold in Plymouth is analyzed regularly and examined by the Steele Laboratory in East Bridgewater. Mr. Steele consults with us regularly for the purposes of keeping our local milk at a high standard and free of contamination.
Our department has kept well within its annual budget and in fact has each year returned a substantial sum to the town.
MEDORA V. EASTWOOD, M. D.,
Chairman. HERBERT S. MAXWELL, Secretary. PAUL W. BITTINGER
Total
Chicken-pox
4 0 2 14 10
Dog Bite
2
1
1
6
3
2
4
0
0
0
0
0
Meningitis
1
0
1
0
0
0 1 0
0
1
1
0
0
1 1 0 0 0 3 0 4 134
Scarlet Fever
30
8 13 24 14 15
Tetanus
0
0 0 0
0
0
0
1
2
1
1
All Other Forms
0
0 0 0
0
Gonorrhea
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0 7 4
0 1 43
1
0
0
2
1 25
Mumps
1
2
0 26
.....
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REPORT OF THE PLYMOUTH VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
To the Citizens of the Town of Plymouth:
The Plymouth Veterans Advisory Committee was established in compliance with a vote of the citizens of the town at the annual meeting held March 24, 1945. The purpose is stated in an Act passed by the' General Court, Chapter 723, Legislature of 1945, as follows: to furnish "such information, advice. and assistance to veterans of World War II, or other veterans as may be necessary to enable them to procure the benefits to which they are or may be entitled relative to employment, vocational or other educational opportunities and hos- pitalization, medical care, pensions and other veterans benefits."
The committee, appointed by the moderator, first met on April 27, 1945 for the purpose of organization. By far its most important task was the appointment of an executive secretary qualified to serve as a counsellor for veterans and to manage an office designed to serve their many needs. The committee felt highly fortunate to secure Col. Carr, a veteran of three wars, and a man with wide contacts in Veterans Administration circles to undertake this responsibility.
The uniformly favorable comments received from State Rehabilitation officials as well as Veterans Administra- tion officers regarding the success of our office and the manner of its operation is attributed largely to the extra- ordinary resourcefulness of Col. Carr and to the tireless devotion to duty which he has displayed at all times. For a salary of only $1800. he has rendered services of professional quality which ordinarily would command far higher remuneration and he has done so with a sincere and ardent spirit of service to each veteran who has
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come to him for assistance. He has never been content to serve merely as an advisor or as a referral officer but has, whenever possible, seen every veteran through to a solution of his problem even when it required trips to Boston or other activity long after office hours.
The broad scope of the work done through the office at the Memorial Building, since its opening on April 28, 1945, is shown in the statistical report of the executive secretary as follows:
Affidavits 54
Apprenticeships 36
Candidates for Admission to Schools and Colleges 62
Interviews 472
Letters Sent 1038
Pension Applications 69
Telephone Calls Received and Sent 92
Bonus Forms 980
All Other Forms
93
Employment Referrals, 34
Placements Made 24
Hospitalized 13
Letters Received 169
Loan Applications
22
Visits by Secretary to Veterans Administration, Dis-
abled Veterans, Hospitals, etc. 44
In addition to work done for the veterans by Col. Carr and his office assistant, Mrs. Esmeralda V. Brenner, other members of the committee have served as counsellors in special capacities as follows: Mrs. Edward W. Burgess, Red Cross Home Service; Franklin A. Hebard, loans; Edgar J. Mongan, Education and Vocation; Dr. Frank J. Abate, Medical Care; Walter B. Haskell, Public Rela- tions; John D. Brewer, Liaison, Selective Service; Mrs. Margaret E. McLean, Employment; Albert A. Saunders, State and Federal Aid and Carl Knudsen, Personal Problems.
It will be noted that a large part of the service ren- dered to veterans by the executive secretary and his
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assistant has been the drawing and execution of claims for insurance, educational or apprenticeship training, unemployment benefits, pensions and the state bonus. In this connection Col. Carr secured, without expense to the town, the services of a contact representative of the Veterans Administration who has office hours at Memo- rial Building on Tuesday and Thursday of each week. In most offices of this kind veterans are given long and involved blank forms and told to take them home for completion. In our office these forms are completed for the veterans while they wait. They are then notarized and forwarded immediately to proper destinations. This is not only much more pleasing to the veteran but pre- vents long delays due to improperly executed forms, bound to occur in other circumstances.
We are gratified to see that so many of our veterans have entered college or other educational institutions through the aid of the executive secretary; also that so many have been led to take apprentice positions in town with the aid to the various provisions in the so-called "G. I. Bill of Rights." As to employment, the State Re- habilitation officials constantly emphasize that this is distinctly the function of the United States Employment Service and that our office should merely serve to advise veterans regarding employment or should refer them to the "USES" for positions.
While such referrals have been made at times it has been the inclination of our executive secretary to go far beyond the call of duty and to find employment for veterans personally whenever possible. It is at this point that all of us, committee members and town citizens alike, are most deeply concerned. It is not always pos- sible to find employment commensurate with the abili- ties of veterans or at the compensation which they merit in the light of their newly acquired skills and their en- hanced capacity to assume responsibility. Our veterans deserve the utmost .cooperation of every prospective employer in this respect and we solicit the interest of every citizen to this end.
.
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The financial statement of the committee, as prepared by the chairman of the sub-committee on finance, Mr. Franklin A. Hebard is submitted herewith:
REHABILITATION COMMITTEE
$3,500.00
Appropriation Payments:
Salaries
Executive Secretary
$1,277.50
Clerical Assistance
504.80
1,782.30
Other Expenses Stationery, Printing, Postage
158.44
Telephone
37.69
Sign
12.00
Lunches (for visiting speakers)
6.11
Typewriter Repairs
3.35
217.59
Total Payments to Dec. 31
1,999.89
Balance Remaining
$1,500.11
Respectfully submitted,
Mrs. Edward W. Burgess, Franklin A. Hebard, Edgar J. Mongan, Dr. Frank J. Abate, Walter B. Haskell, John D. Brewer, Mrs. Margaret E. McLean, Secretary to the Com- mittee; Albert Saunders, Vice-Chairman; Carl Knudsen, Chairman.
It is with the utmost sincerity that I thank each mem- ber of the Committee for their outstanding cooperation, assistance, advice and support given me during my serv- ice as Executive Secretary.
ANDREW J. CARR,
Executive Secretary.
.
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REPORT OF REGISTRARS OF VOTERS
The Registrars of Voters herewith submit their report for the year 1945.
Added to Voting List
Men Women
By Registrations
11
43
By Error
4
Removed from Voting List
Not Listed in January, 1945
59
58
By Reason of Death
56
30
Change of Name by Marriage
68
Registered Voters of the Town
At Town Election, March 2, 1946 3437 3281
In accordance with the requirements of Chapter 440 of the General Laws, listing was made of all persons, male or female, twenty years of age and older.
Such Assistant Registrars as were necessary to carry out the provisions of this act were appointed, and addi- tional clerical help was engaged to compile and complete this work, which has now become the duty of the Regis- trars by legislative enactment. Alphabetical lists were prepared and printed in pamphlet form for use of the Assessors and public distribution, as provided in Section 4 of this chapter. ,
ENRICO FERRARI, JOSEPH R. STEFANI, WALTER R. ROBERTS, HERBERT K. BARTLETT, Board of Registrars of Voters.
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DEPARTMENT FOR THE INSPECTION OF BUILDINGS
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen
Gentlemen:
I hereby submit my annual report on building activ- ities within the Town of Plymouth for the year ending December 31, 1945.
No.
Kind Est. Cost
5 One-Family Dwellings
$23,500
23 Summer Camps
28,000
12 Garages
11,350
11 Other Buildings
15,300
21 Alterations and Additions to Dwellings
15,550
13 Alterations and Additions to Other Buildings
57,025
-
85
$150,725
Respectfully, THOMAS A. BODELL, Inspector of Buildings.
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REPORT OF THE PARK COMMISSIONERS
The Board of Park Commissioners presents their report for the year 1945.
Parks and gardens have had their usual care this past year. Owing to weather conditions, it has kept the per- sonnel quite busy, mowing lawns. All lawns have had to be mowed on an average of once a week, from the first of April to late in November.
The Japanese Beetle, which has caused considerable damage at Brewster Garden, has been brought under control by spraying the lawns with a strong solution of arsenic of lead, for the past two years. Upon questioning a government man about hunting grubs in the garden, it was learned that he found very few this year as com- pared with the past.
The department wishes to thank Dr. Helen Pierce and the Town Brook Society for the interest they have shown in Brewster Garden, and also the Woman's Club, for the trees, shrubs, and vines they bought to replace those destroyed by the hurricane.
We also wish to thank the Garden Club for their help, especially Mrs. Barke, who has been a great help to the department. With Mrs. Barke's help and donation of flowers, three flower beds were set out at Bates Park, greatly improving the appearance of the park, as well as keeping it from being used as a playground. Mr. Ken- nedy, the tree warden, has also been very co-operative.
The playgrounds and beaches have been well attended this year. The playground equipment the Town voted last year has been erected and enjoyed by the children during the season. The department hopes the Town will vote to buy more equipment this year, as the Holmes Memorial Playground, on Summer street, has no equip- ment and the South Street Playground very little.
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Three of our playgrounds have had recreational super- visors this year, which has been very successful. At Nelson Street and at Stephens Field, Red Cross swimming lessons have been given. The following is a report of Miss Helen Whiting, supervisor:
The activities carried on at Nelson Street Playground in 1945 were as follows: Badminton, archery, softball, swimming and also participation on the swing, see-saws, slide and horizontal ladder. The new equipment seemed to draw more children to the playground. Instructions were given in badminton, archery, softball and swim- ming; the numbers in classes varied, due to the children at the camping grounds who were transients or who only stayed for a short time, while camping. The swimming classes had an enrollment of about 35 pupils. This varied because children left to attend private camps for one or two weeks. Softball was a favorite team sport enjoyed by children of all ages. Teams were organized at Stephens Field and Nelson Street and games were played at both fields and the competition was great. At the close of the season the children at Nelson Street went to Stephens Field for a picnic and they enjoyed playing tennis, volley ball, softball and swimming. The playground equipment was used a great deal and on good days with a high tide, as many as 80 people or more were seen patronizing the beach and playground.
Veterans Field report: I wish to report to you the attendance during the summer as an average of 200 children daily. A program of folk dancing, group singing, story-telling and games was carried out, and one band concert played by the American Legion Band. The United States Coast Guard Band had planned to give a concert, but were unable to do so because of so many engage- ments. - Ella S. Donovan, supervisor.
Stephens Field: Total swimming enrollment, 60 pupils; number receiving certificates, 11. We had hoped to have a larger number graduating, but due to the children leaving for camp, returning to their winter homes, get-
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ting summer jobs, the enrollment was constantly chang- ing. Many pupils showed marked improvement but were unable to earn certificates. The children were super- vised while playing tennis, softball, archery, badminton, volley ball and baseball. The playground was weil attended but as the children were constantly changing, it is impossible to give an accurate estimate. - Dorothy Morton, Playground, Supervisor.
Softball has been featured at the Nelson Street Play- ground by the Softball League. The Plymouth Town Team conducted baseball games at Stephens Field each Sunday afternoon.
The Plymouth High School featured baseball and foot- ball. The football games this year attracted a larger crowd than ever before.
The last football games of the season was sponsored by the Kiwanis Club, managed by Walter Haskell. Two all service teams were in the line-up, an all-time record was set for attendance. The department has done all that it could with its limited equipment and personnel to make these events a success.
The bathing beaches and camping sites have had as much attention during the season as possible under war- time conditions, the hurricane, easterly gales and gas rationing.
Receipts from:
Nelson Street Camping and Bathhouse $1,262.35
Indian Reservation 381.00
Beach Park Bathhouse 352.78
Stephens Field 10.20
Morton Park 32.70
The northeast gales in November caused great damage at Beach Park, completely destroying the breakwater in front of the parking space and washing out the parking space north and south of the bathhouse, filling in the river bed, and causing much damage to the bathhouse. The department wishes to thank the Selectmen and their
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Highway Superintendent for their co-operation and help. Mr. Armstrong, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, had just succeeded in having plans drawn by the State to protect the sea wall and property at this point. Now the situation calls for new plans and until the survey has been made it is not possible to say just what the damage is, in dollars and cents.
An estimated $400.00 damage was caused by the storm at Nelson Street. While not damaging the sea wall to any great extent, the area in back of the wall washed out. With the co-operation of the Highway Department, we were able to put our truck under the power shovel and fill this area ourselves. There was considerable amount of washing out at Stephens Field but nothing serious. Damage caused to the building by the hurricane has been repaired and a new roof covering put on the Morton Park Bathhouse and on the garage at Stephens Field.
The new sea wall at Nelson Street has been erected as voted by the Town.
The plan for the playground at Standish Avenue has been completed as voted by the Town and anyone interested may inspect same by contacting the Super- intendent.
EDWARD J. E. HAND, Chairman JOHN SIEVER WILFRED SLOANE Board of Park Commissioners.
NINETY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT
of the
Water Commissioners
and
Superintendent
of the
Town of Plymouth
1020
For the Year Ending December 31, 1945
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REPORT OF THE WATER COMMISSIONERS
The Board of Water Commissioners presents its ninety-first annual report covering the year 1945.
The water supply conditions during the year were much more favorable than in 1944 and throughout the year the level of Great South Pond remained above that of the corresponding date the previous year. At the end of the year it was at elevation 104.0' against 102.3' at the beginning of the year.
Total rainfall amounted to 55.45" which was 10.15" more than the average of 45.30" for the preceding ten years.
ENGINEERING SURVEY
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