USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Fairhaven > Town annual report of the offices of Fairhaven, Massachusetts 1953 > Part 10
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Town Meeting members present :
Precinct 1 37
Precinct 2 . 42
Precinct 3 . 45
Precinct 4 - 39
Precinct 5 - 43
At Large - 26
232
WATER MAINS
ARTICLE
1 Unanimously voted to divide the article into 6 sections so that there will be no question that each section is voted on its merits.
Camel Street. Unanimously voted action be in- definitely postponed for installation of 6-inch water mains.
Pequot Street. Unanimously voted action be in- definitely postponed.
Sippican Street and Monondack Avenue.
Unanimously voted that action be indefinitely postponed.
Chamber Street. Unanimously voted that ac- tion be indefinitely postponed.
Shore Side Drive. Unanimously voted that ac- tion be indefinitely postponed.
LIQUOR REGULATIONS
ARTICLE
2 The Moderator explained that he will rule out action on rescinding vote of the Special Town Meeting of October 9, 1952. It would re- quire a two-thirds vote to change an expression of opinion, the Town Meeting having no au- thority to complete the action.
Ruled that action should be taken on Article 3
191
LIQUOR REGULATIONS
ARTICLE 3 Vote on motion to change closing hours of liquor establishments from 12:00 Midnight to 1:00 A. M., -- not a vote.
STREET LIGHT
ARTICLE 4 Unanimously voted that street light presently located on the pole south of Camel Street should be moved to the intersection of Sconticut Neck Road and Camel Street. Request to reconsider.
On vote to reconsider action, 89 in favor ; necessary to vote 122. No action taken on re- quest.
RENT CONTROL
ARTICLE
5 Motion for appointment of a Rent Control Board and transfer of $4,000. from available funds - unanimously defeated.
Amendment offered for adoption of the ar- ticle with no money. Not a vote.
SEWERS
ARTICLE
6 Unanimously voted to postpone action on con- tinuation of sewer from present terminus in Spring St. to Rogers Street and Rogers Street north from Spring Street until the next An- nual Town Meeting at which time it will be in- cluded in the Annual Warrant.
DRAINAGE ON ELIZABETH STREET
ARTICLE
7 Unanimously voted that $4,000. be transferred from the Excess and Deficiency account to put drainage on Elizabeth Street to correct the puddles which are a health menace and ice which is a traffic hazard, according to the re- commendations of the Superintendent of High- ways and plan of Samuel H. Corse.
$4,000.00
RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY
ARTICLE 8 Unanimously voted to acquire or take by right of eminent domain, or by either or both meth- ods, the following described parcel of land to be used for such municipal purposes as a pub-
195
lic parking place and location for sewer pump- ing station, sewer mains, surface water drains and highway purposes :
The land in Fairhaven owned by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Com- pany or occupied by it as the location of its Railroad extending from land of Hathaway- Braley Wharf Company, Inc., at the west line of Water Street easterly to the Fairhaven- Mattapoisett line, bounded northerly and south- erly by various abutters, subject to existing rights of way and public crossings. Also voted the appropriation of $5,000. from Excess & Deficiency for the above purpose.
$5,000.00
WEST ISLAND
ARTICLE 9 Unanimously in favor (with exception of 2) of appropriation of $1650. for the purpose of pur- chasing from the United States of America, represented by the General Services Admin- istration, West Island Fire Control Station at Fairhaven, Mass. D. Mass. 419 also known on the Assessors' records as Plot 43, Lot 207, containing 14.20 acres, more or less, and trans- fer from available funds the sum of $1650. to pay for the same, and to be used for beach. park, and recreational purposes, and that the Chairman of the Selectmen is hereby directed and authorized to sign all necessary deeds or papers on behalf of the Town of Fairhaven to complete this transaction and the Chairman of the Selectmen by his signature binds the Town to the reservations, conditions and covenants therein contained.
$1,650.00
AMENDMENT TO ZONING MAP
ARTICLE 10 (a) Voted not in favor of change from Single Residence to Business land on souther- ly side of Brown Street beginning at inter- section with the westerly line of Houle Street.
(b) Unanimously voted in favor of extending an existing Business District to include property on the northwesterly corner of Alden Road and Morgan Street. Recom-
190
mended by the Planning Board as a logi- cal extension in the public interest.
(c) Unanimously in favor of change from Resi- dence to an Industrial District approxi- mately eight and one-half acres of land located in "Turkey Grove."
SEWAGE DISPOSAL
ARTICLE 11 Motion to divide the article.
(a) Vote to rescind action under Article 55, meeting of March 4, 1951 -- 148 in favor.
(b) Unanimously voted that $55,000. be ap- propriated; $5,000. to be transferred from Excess & Deficiency and $50,000. to be bor- rowed under 5-year notes for the purpose of plans and specifications and the over-all planning for an outfall sewer system.
(This action later disapproved by the Di- rector of Accounts)
$55,000.00
WATER DEFICITS .
ARTICLE 12 Unanimously in favor of the transfer of $1000. from the Winsagansett account to the Wilbur's Point Account; also $288.45 from the Tecumseh and Samoset accounts to the Wilbur's Point Ac- count and $700. from the Tecumseh and Samo- set Accounts to Cushman and Nelson Avenue Accounts for installation of water mains.
$1,988.45
PURCHASE OF AUTOMOBILE
ARTICLE 13 Unanimously voted that $1,710.59 be transferred from the Police Automobile Account for pur- chasing a 2-door sedan for the Chief of the Fire Department, and that the old car be traded in.
$1,710.59
AMENDMENT TO THE BY-LAWS
ARTICLE
14 Unanimously in favor of amendment to the By- Laws as follows: No person shall bring into the Town or transport through the streets of the Town any garbage from outside the Town.
197
COMMITTEES
ARTICLE 15 Report read by Mr. Stanton for the Committee on Taking over the Fairhaven Water Company :
REPORT OF FAIRHAVEN WATER COMMITTEE AS MOVED AND UNANIMOUSLY VOTED BY SAID COMMITTEE AT MEETING OF JUNE 10, 1953.
After hearings, investigation of the facts, and general study of the legal problems involved, it is the sense of this Committee that unless a definite change appears in the effciency and profit of the Fairhaven Water Company, the Town of Fairhaven should be prepared to take over the Water Company, if it is legally and economically sound to do so.
The Committee further wishes to report to the Town Meeting that the legal and financial problems involved in any plan designed to permit the Town to take over the Water Company, including the problems involved in the structure and setup of the Millicent Library present ques- tions which are beyond the capabilities of this Committee to properly investigate and evaluate without the avail- ability of funds to pay for necessary investigation.
Your Committee recommends that a sum of money of not less than $500.00 be raised and appropriated to be ex- pended for necessary legal and legislative investigation of a plan by which the Town of Fairhaven might take over the Water Company and the Millicent Library, such investigation to be carried out with the assistance of coun- sel designated by the Town, and further that this Com- mittee be continued with the present membership, in so far as may be possible, to meet from time to time and to report to the Town Meeting, not later than the Annual Meeting of 1955.
Armand A. Guilmette Charles W. Knowlton
Elizabeth I. Hastings Robert R. Norris Clarence M. Cory G. Winston Valentine
John M. Reilly Lawrence B. Maxfield
Harry Rogers Gerald P. Walsh
Albert F. Stanton, Chairman
Unanimously voted the report be accepted and placed on file.
198
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
John Harrison, member of the Committee appointed for this purpose, read the following detailed report :
INTERIM REPORT OF THE FAIRHAVEN SCHOOL. BUILDING COMMITTEE FOR THE PURPOSE OF PLANNING A JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL.
This committee was appointed by the Moderator of the Town Meeting pursuant to a vote passed at the adjourned Annual Town Meeting held March 21, 1953.
The Vote reads as follows :
Voted: the appointment of a School Building Committee of seven members, of which not more than two may be from the School Committee, to be appointed by the Mod- erator, for the purpose of planning a Junior High School. and making a report and definite recommendations on the subject to a Special or Annual Town Meeting.
In accordance with the foregoing vote, a Committee con- sisting of the following members was appointed on April 10, 1953 by the Moderator :
Precinct 1-John L. Harrison, Chairman
Precinct 2-George C. Perkins
Precinct 3-James J. Medeiros
Precinct 4-Fletcher J. Long
Precinct 5-Sherman H. Rounseville, Sec.
School Comm .- Edith M. Moore and Albert M. Gon- salves.
Your committee would like to review briefly the back- ground of the present committee in order to recall to the meeting the events leading up to the appointment of this committee.
The previous School Building Committee authorized by the Town Meeting held April 24, 1950 employed Educational Service Associates to survey the school building needs of the town. As a result of the survey and their own study, the committee recommended a three-phase plan as follows :
A. Immediate construction of additions to the Oxford and East Fairhaven schools.
B. Future construction of a complete new Junior High School to be ready for occupancy in 1954 or 1955.
C. Future construction of a new High School Gvm- nasium.
199
Although the financial limitations imposed upon that committee had led them not to recommend the immediate construction of a Junior High School, such immediate con- struction was recognized as the best possible solution to the problems found during the survey.
Pursuant to the previous report recommending the pur- chase of a site for a Junior High School, an article was inserted in the warrant for the Town Meeting of March 21, 1953 providing for the appropriation of funds for the acquisition of land on Washington Street. Discussion of the Article by the Town Meeting led to the appointment of this present committee to advise the meeting upon the need for a Junior High School.
Your Committee has been meeting approximately every two weeks since its appointment. It has availed itself of all statistical material and other information compiled by the previous committee but in order to substantiate all statistics and to bring them up to date, all the pertinent data in the former reports has been reviewed.
Your Committee has taken the birth and enrollment figures from the previous report and revised them to take account of the actual experience since 1950 and has re- vised the estimates of future enrollment in the light of such experience. We have also compared our figures with those forecasts compiled by the State School Assistance Commission.
We have studied the Fairhaven population trends from the viewpoint of actual increase in numbers and of the shifting of population within the town itself. We have analyzed certain information from the Board of Assessors, noting particularly the increase in valuations of the Town, the total number of dwellings assessed, and, as an aid in predicting future enrollment, the number of family unit building permits granted and the valuations of such units.
In addition, we have had a preliminary conference at Boston with "The Massachusetts School Building Assist- ance Commission" concerning Fairhaven School building needs.
Our studies indicate that in the present school year which started yesterday, the rated capacity of our ele- mentary schools has been exceeded and in addition, the situation is aggravated by uneven distribution within the school districts. The School Committee is now considering temporary means to alleviate this problem. In addition,
200
our forecast indicates that the High School will attain its capacity during the school year commencing in the Fall of 1954.
While your Committee is still working on its recom- mendations as to the size and facilities of any new school building, your Committee is unanimously of the opinion that the best solution of the problem is the immediate construction of a Junior High School to accommodate grades 7 and 8 and whose size will be based on the pre- dicted requirements of those grades subject to later in- crease, if necessary, to accommodate grade 9.
There are a number of advantages to the Junior High School plan which led your Committee to favor adoption of this solution to the Fairhaven problem.
First. The elementary school necessarily deals princi- pally with the field of childhood; the Senior High School with young men and women. Each can deal more ef- ficiently with its own problem when relieved by the Junior High School of the problem of early adolescent educa- tion. To put it more simply, the children in the 7th and 8th grades are too old for the elementary schools and are too young for the High School.
Second. An additional advantage is that the Junior High School enables the school system to offer an enriched curriculum for the 7th and 8th grades including vocational training, shop work, domestic science training as well as wider training in art, music and similar fields.
The new curriculum in the 7th and 8th grades includes guidance which covers the common problems which all pupils must face. The result is that direction can be ob- tained and suggestions offered from a knowledge of the individual child at a time when it is most important. This guidance reduced to a great extent early withdrawals from school and to some extent the number of failures.
Having become convinced of the need for a Junior High School, your Committee undertook to investigate a num- ber of potential sites. These sites were evaluated according to a scoring method devised by State Authorities which covered all factors governing the choice of school sites. We actually inspected all of the suggested sites. Your Committee has met jointly with the Planning Board in order to narrow the choice and to select the most de- sirable site.
201
The joint recommendation of the Planning Board and this committee was a site north of Huttleston Avenue and west of Rogers Dairy consisting of lots 12 and 121 of Plat 24.
This site would provide an excellent environment with clean and quiet surroundings. It has a large area set off from the highway ; is attractive; and may be entered con- veniently and safely from School Street. It is located near the center of population of the town and would require the least amount of transportation of all sites considered. The possibility of the inclusion of adequate gymnasium facilities in any new building, makes its proximity to the High School a desirable feature. There is sufficient usable land for all activities and for future expansion with a minimum of grading and drainage required. The arca is convenient to all utilities.
Your committee will continue its work on the final de- tails of planning in order to present our final report and recommendations to the next Annual or Special Town Meeting.
Unanimously voted to accept the interim report. with applause for the excellence of it.
RECREATION AREA
Proposal presented that a Committee of Five be ap- pointed to look into the possibilities of a recreational area on Sconticut Neck.
Amendment offered that the present Recreational Com- mittee be empowered to study this and that two members of the Sconticut Neck Improvement Association serve with them.
Inasmuch as a Recreational Committee now exists and is functioning very well, Moderator would not accept motion to set up another committee to do similar work.
Meeting adjourned at 9:48 P.M.
202
SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATIONS
Article 7 Elizabeth St. Drainage
E & D
$4.000.00
8 R. R. Right of Way
E & D
5,000.00
9 West Island
E & D
1,650.00
11 Sewage Disposal
E & D
5,000.00
Five-year notes
50,000.00
12 Wilburs Point Water Mains
Tr. Winsegansett Water Mains
1,000.00
Wilburs Point Water Mains
Tr. Tecumseh & Samoset Water Mains
288.45
Cushman & Nelson Water Mains Tr. Tecumseh & Samoset Water Mains
700.00
13 Fire Department
Tr. Police Auto Acct. 1,710.59
$69.349.04
$50,000.00
To be borrowed
$19.349.04 Transferred
203
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING (Second Session)
March 21, 1953
Meeting called to order at 1:40 P. M. Stuart M. Briggs, Moderator. Louis T. Brock, Sr., Harold L. Hoxie and Eliot R. Mowat were sworn in as Tellers by Michael J. O'Leary, Town Clerk.
Town Meeting Members present :
Precinct 1 - 50; Precinct 2 - 39; Precinct 3 - 30; Precinct 4 - 52: Precinct 5 - 42; at large - 24. Total - 237.
The first business to come before the meeting - Section D. of Article 16, Water Extensions.
At this point a motion was made to rescind action on Article 3. Section 11, appropriation of $47,514.82 for the Police Department, and that the larger sum of $53,698.16 be allowed.
After discussion :
Voted on Article 3, Section 11, Police Department, reconsideration, for appropriation of $53,698.16.
Motion lost, - only 89 in favor.
WATER EXTENSIONS
ARTICLE 16 ((1) Wilbur's Point
Unanimously voted in favor of materials to come out of inventory (10" or 6" pipe), the sum of $1,700. to be taken out of Scon- ticut Neck Water Project Loan Account $1,700.00
CONSTRUCTION OF SCONTICUT NECK ROAD
ARTICLE 33 Voted unanimously the appropriation of $8500. for construction of Sconticut Neck Road as the Town's share and in addition the sum of $17,000. for the State's share and $8,500. for the County's share, to be transferred from available funds in the treasury.
Town's Share $8,500.00 $17,000.00 $8,500.00
State's Share County's Share $8,500. from Tax Levy Balance from E & D Account
204
CHAPTER 90 MAINTENANCE
ARTICLE 34 Voted in favor of the appropriation of $1,000 to meet the Town's share according to Chapter 90 maintenance, in addition that $1,000. be trans- ferred from available funds to meet the State's share and $1,000. the County's to do part of the work, reimbursement to be registered upon receipt of available funds in the treasury.
$1,000.00
Town's share Transferred from available funds- State's Share $1,000.00 $1,000.00
County's Share
ENGINEERING
ARTICLE 35 Voted unanimously in favor of the appropria- tion of $3,500. for engineering services, plans and blue prints. $3,500.00
PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING
ARTICLE 36 Unanimously voted the appropriation of $2,500. for Public Health Nursing. (This includes $500. to follow up any cases of T. B. discov- ered by the Chest X-Ray Program) $2,500.00
WOODSIDE CEMETERY
ARTICLE 37 Unanimously voted the appropriation of $150. for Woodside Cemetery. 150.00
MILLICENT LIBRARY
ARTICLE 38 Unanimously voted the appropriation of $24,- 078. for the support of the Millicent Library. 24,078.00
DOG CARE
ARTICLE 39 Unanimously voted in favor of transferring $183.00 from Dog Care Account to Dog Care Account at the Animal Rescue League. 183.00
SMALL CLAIMS
ARTICLE 40 Unanimously voted to postpone indefinitely action on this article for settlement of small claims.
205
SIDEWALKS
ARTICLE 41 (1) Granolithic Sidewalks.
Unanimously voted the appropriation of $2,000. for Granolithic Sidewalks. 2,000.00
(2) Sconticut Neck Road.
Voted to postpone indefinitely action on sidewalks for Sconticut Neck Road.
(3) Weeden Road.
Unanimously voted the indefinite postpone- ment of action for sidewalks on Weeden Road.
(4) Manhattan Avenue.
Unanimously voted the appropriation of $3,500. for curbing and gravel sidewalks on the north side of Manhattan Ave. 3,500.00
SNOW PLOWS
ARTICLE 42 Voted the indefinite postponement of action on purchase of two (2) snow plows.
CURBING
ARTICLE 43 (a) Unanimously voted indefinite postponement of action on curbing - Middle St.
(b) Unanimously voted in favor of appropria- tion of $5,000. for installing curbing on the west side of Sconticut Neck Road on the section to be reconstructed in 1953 under Article 33 and any balance remaining to be used to construct curbing north from the reconstruction of 1953.
5,000.00
SEWER EXTENSIONS
ARTICLE 44 (a) Voted for indefinite postponement of action on sewer in Rogers Street.
(b) Unanimously voted appropriation of $1,500. for sewer in Tripp Street.
(c) Voted indefinite postponement of action on sewer in Haste Street.
1,500.00
(d) Unanimously voted indefinite postpone- ment of action on sewer in Nicholas Street.
(e) Voted indefinite postponement of action on sewer in Harding Street.
200
DRAINAGE
ARTICLE 45 (a) Unanimously voted that the engineers sur- vey Elizabeth Street and report: also that a recommendation of a sum of money be presented at the next Town Meeting, for drainage on Elizabeth St.
(b) Unanimously voted that action on drainage on Raymond Street be indefinitely post- poned.
BUILDING LAWS
ARTICLE 46 Unanimously voted to authorize the moderator to appoint a committee of three to revise the building laws and that the town counsel be a member of said committee.
AUDITORS
ARTICLE 47 Almost unanimous vote to abolish the office of town auditor in accordance with Chapter 41, Section 55, of the General Laws.
CIVIL DEFENSE
ARTICLE 48 Unanimously voted the appropriation of $3,600 for Civil Defense
3,600.00
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
ARTICLE 49 (a) Appointment of Committee. Article divid- ed in two parts.
Heavy vote in favor of motion that seven (7) Members be appointed by the Moder- ator, not more than two (2) from the School Committee ; for the purpose of planning a Junior High School and making a report and definite recommendations on the sub- ject to Special or Annual Town Meet- ing.
(b) Voted to appropriate $500. for the use of the committee appointed.
(c) Motion to purchase or take by right of eminent domain Plot 26, Lot 16 and Plot 26, Lot 17 on Bryant Lane, - $9,000. for first parcel and $3,000. for second parcel, for Junior High School. Not a vote.
500.00
207
MARSH ISLAND PLAYGROUND
ARTICLE 50 Unanimously voted to postpone indefinitely action on Marsh Island Playground.
FIRE AND POLICE STATION
ARTICLE 51 Unanimously voted that a committee be ap- pointed of nine (9) members, one each by the chairman of the 5 precincts, the Finance Com- mittee, the Board of Selectmen, the Board of Fire Engineers and the Chief of Police, to study the matter of a combination Fire and Police Station and to consider the advisability of combining the Civil Defense headquarters in the same building and to make its report at the next special or annual Town Meeting.
VETERANS' MEMORIAL
ARTICLE 52 On motion for appropriation of $30,000. for Veterans' Memorial, $5,000. to be placed in the Tax Levy of 1953; $25,000. to be borrowed on five-year notes or bond : 2/3 vote required. Motion lost, 110-85.
TOWN FOREST
RTICLE 53 Voted for indefinite postponement of action on purchase of Plot 39, Lot 10, in Turkey Grove to become a part of the Town Forest.
AMENDMENTS TO ZONING BY-LAWS
TICLE 54 (a) Voted indefinite postponement of action on petition of Manuel C. Medeiros to change from residence to business Plot No. 28-A, Lot 118. 2/3 vote required.
(b) Voted in favor of re-zoning on westerly side of Sconticut Neck Road at Manhat- tan Avenue. 23 vote required. Vote 71 to 25. Petition of Antone Faustino
(c) Unanimously voted adoption of section C -to extend an existing Park and Recrea- tional District on easterly side of Green Street. Petition of Augustus H. Xavier. (d) Unanimously voted adoption of section D - to extend business district now on
208
the westerly side of Sconticut Neck Road between Orchard and Grape Streets. Pe- tition of Manuel V. Dutra.
(e) Unanimously voted adoption of section E - to change from Single Residence Dis- trict to Business land on the southwest- erly corner of South and Pleasant Streets. Petition of Howard S. Bates.
(f) Unanimously voted adoption of section F - to change from Single Residence District to Business land on northerly side of South Street. Petition of Howard S. Bates.
(g) Unanimously voted adoption of section F - to extend existing Business District on northerly side of Center Street. Pe- tition of First Congregational Society of Fairhaven.
AMENDMENT TO TOWN BY-LAWS
Plans for Street Layouts.
ARTICLE 55
Unanimously voted in favor of. this article which reads: "Except in the case of proceed- ings for the laying out or acceptance of streets and town ways initiated by a board of elected town officers, suitable plans shall be prepared at the expense of the person or persons petit- ioning for such laying out, in accordance with such rules and regulations as the Planning Board and Board of Selectmen may prescribe, and filed with the petition."
BENOIT SQUARE
ARTICLE 56 Tremendous vote in favor of appropriation of $11,000. for re-construction of Benoit Square
$11.000.00
SEWAGE DISPOSAL
ARTICLE 57 Report of the Sewage Disposal Committee read, also their recommendations.
Voted unanimously in favor of extending to the next special or annual Town Meeting the term of a special committee, that they be authorized to bring in plans and speci- fications for an outfall sewerage system. If
209
vacancies occur they are to be filled the same way as previously and by the same authority. Also to instruct the Selectmen to request a Special Act of the State Legislature to con- stitute the present Sewerage Committee as the authority to engage engineers, purchase engineering plans and specifications and to control and dispense any and all sums for the construction of the proposed new sewerage system as the Town Meeting may, from time to time, appropriate and to act with full au- thority for the Town in all matters involving this construction until such time as the system is completed with approval by them, at which time the authority and responsibility for the system shall be relinquished to the Board of Sewer and Water Commissioners.
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