Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1951-1955, Part 29

Author: Acton (Mass.)
Publication date: 1951
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1262


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Acton > Town annual reports of Acton, Massachusetts 1951-1955 > Part 29


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Dr. Orma L. Clark, Chairman . 25.00


Herbert Leusher


15.00


Martin Duggan 10.00


Eileen Hale, Town Nurse .


2,880.00


Hazel Vose, Substitute Nurse . .


646.50


Town Dump payroll


2,602.37


Edward J. Higgins, Agent


323.00


Francis B. Whouley, Agent


25.25


Francis B. Whouley, Inspector .


211.75


6,738.87


Expenses :


Board Members


200.28


Nurse


660.00


Agent


448.25


Inspector


330.14


Dump


1,004.30


State Sanatorium


1,785.18


Medical Supplies


261.45


Clinic


142.62


4,832.22


Haynes Memorial Hospital - Special Article


1,340.10


Garbage Disposal


Henry Anderson, Contract


2,200.00


Administration Expense


83.70


2,283.70


Inspector of Animals


Salary :


Arno H. Perkins


150.00


Expense, Sundry


23.62


. ·


. .


173.62


163


HIGHWAYS


Village


Wages :


Russell C. Berry, Supt.


549.25


Payrolls


1,613.40


Expenses :


Trucks


216.00


Cold Patch


67.93


Granite Boundary Markers


150.00


Insecticide


58.60


Oil


67.86


Supplies and tools


237.26


Sundry


38.42


·


2,998.72


Chapter 81


Wages :


Russell C. Berry, Supt.


2,334.75


Payrolls


8,216.25


Expenses :


Trucks


837.60


Rental of Machinery


5,480.72


Cold Patch and Asphalt


4,968.59


Stone, sand and gravel


1,237.55


Calcium chloride


120.00


Cement and lumber


209.92


Cable guard and Posts


431.00


Brushkiller


43.40


Asphalt coated perforated bands


307.97


Catch Basin


36.18


24,223.93


Chapter 90, Maintenance


Wages :


Russell C. Berry, Supt. 63.00


Payrolls


183.60


164


.


Expenses :


Trucks


74.73


Rental of Machinery


178.15


Cold Patch and Asphalt


2,159.16


Stone, sand, and gravel


340.25


Chapter 90, Construction


Wages :


Russell C. Berry, Supt.


502.25


Payrolls


1,627.36


Expenses :


Trucks


172.20


Rental of Machinery


2,696.25


Cold Patch and Asphalt


4,330.67


Stone, sand, and gravel


1,811.82


Guard Rail and Posts


858.20


11,998.75


Highway Department Vacations


Payrolls


657.60


Signs and Lines


Painting Lines


212.00


Signs


165.68


377.68


Snow Removal


Wages :


Russell C. Berry, Supt.


813.75


Payrolls


2,343.75


Expenses :


Trucks


1,307.45


Sander


1,221.50


Plowing


2,187.25


Sand


589.48


Salt


1,210.00


Gas and oil


196.13


Forecast Service


150.00


Parts and repairs on equipment .


949.55


2,998.89


10,968.86


165


Road Machinery


Gas and oil 605.72


Parts and repairs on


equipment


1,121.05


Sundry


138.50


1,865.27


Highway Department Truck


International Harvester Co. ...


6,338.24


Spare wheel, etc. 155.69


6,493.98


Street Lighting


Boston Edison Co. 6,001.22


Sand Spreader


Sandberg Equipment Co. 1,372.00


Accessories 86.09


1,458.09


Granite Marker Restoration


Acton Monumental Co. 88.50


CHARITIES


Public Welfare


General Relief :


Cash


1,103.94


Medicine and Hospital


89.00


Funeral assistance


50.00


1,242.94


Administration


Nashoba Public Welfare District . 800.00


Acton Board Salaries :


Walter Stevens


85.41


A. Perry Marble 75.00


Lossie E. Laird


114.59


166


Expense :


Postage


. 15.00


1,090.00


Old Age Assistance


Town Funds :


Cash aid to individuals 41,000.00


Federal Grant:


Cash aid to individuals 16,091.03


Aid by other communities


2,660.11


Aid to Dependent Children


Cash aid to individuals -


Town Funds 5.000.00


Federal Grant


1,571.25


6,571.25


Disability Assistance


Cash aid to individuals -


Town Funds


3,500.00


Federal Grant


560.42


4,060.42


VETERANS' AID Veterans' Benefits


Salary :


Edward J. Higgins, Agent 150.00


Administrative:


Travel, expense, postage, and telephone 149.50


Cash Aid to Veterans


4,360.00


VETERANS' SERVICES


Salaries and Wages :


Theron A. Lowden, Director .. 735.00


Geraldene Prentiss, Clerk


71.50


806.50


Expense-Sundry


6.00


167


59,751.14


EDUCATION


Instruction


112,854.00


Textbooks and Supplies


6,779.73


Plant operation


22,547.18


Maintenance


990.25


Auxiliary agencies


10,303.49


General Control


8,664.47


Outlay


1,703.62


Contingency fund


471.38


164,314.12


School lunches


5,074.64


Athletics


1,781.37


Lighting Fixtures, West School


795.37


Vocational tuition


1,485.38


Nagog Regional School District


22,668.00


Elementary School Building ...


210,537.01


School land purchase


2,350.00


Blanchard Auditorium land


purchase


120.00


Sewage Disposal


3,686.00


Blanchard Auditorium and


Gymnasium Building . ..


116,514.77


Transportation-Special Article


2,675.00


Regional School District


226.59


Planning Committee


LIBRARIES


Salaries and Wages :


Librarians :


Mary H. Lothrop


894.00


Marian L. Piper


46.00


Edith A. Hopkinson


188.00


Barbara Nylander


17.50


Ina Milbery


30.00


Custodial services . . 374.50


.


1,550.00


168


Expenses :


Heat


460.40


Light


115.03


Water


25.00


Stationery and printing


134.48


Equipment and maintenance


180.44


Insurance


36.95


Sundry items


30.76


983.06


Library Books


Books and magazines


897.90


Redecoration of Memorial Library


Fullonton and Decker


375.00


CEMETERIES


Salaries and Wages:


Frederick S. Kennedy, Supt.


3,180.00


Payrolls


5,302.20


8,482.20


Expenses :


Fuel oil and heater service


221.52


Lights


39.44


Repairs to equipment


133.09


Seed, fertilizer, etc.


170.87


Gas and oil


63.97


Water


93.27


Hardware, pipe, paint, etc.


254.73


Lime, lumber and cement


120.14


Printing and stationery


34.25


Trucking


573.00


Flowers


36.25


Wiring outlets in Chapel


100.00


New equipment


234.13


Sundry items


222.66


2,297.32


169


Air Compressor


Dawson-MacDonald Co. ... 1,000.00


Mt. Hope Oiling


Asphalt and sand 415.01


Woodlawn Clearing and Grading


Payrolls


455.60


Equipment rental


668.80


Sand


180.00


Sundry expense


137.55


1,441.95


Perpetual Care


Payrolls


524.30


Flowers


59.55


Fertilizer, loam and seed


128.00


711.85


Susan Noyes Hosmer Fund


Payrolls


684.60


Mower


179.95


Asphalt 259.06


Sand and gravel


108.75


Peat moss, fertilizer and loam


186.15


Landscape work


157.90


Sundry expense


154.82


1,731.23


Private Trust Funds


J. Roland Wetherbee Fund


117.92


Raymond Fund


20.42


Georgia Whitney Fund


11.40


149.74


170


RECREATION


Playgrounds


F. W. Rimbach, Supt. 1.00


Payrolls


390.06


Gas and oil


61.40


Water


25.00


Salt and lime


19.10


Repairs and parts on equipment


101.87


Sundry


12.83


611.26


Water Safety


Laffin's Garage


450.00


Maturing Debt and Interest


High School Addition loan


1,000.00


Elementary School loan 15,000.00


Interest


5,875.00


21,875.00


Unclassified


Delivering Town Reports .....


20.00


Delivering Zoning Reports


77.15


Delivering Meeting Warrants


144.27


Advertising


69.60


Burglary Insurance


75.00


Planning Board By-laws


18.75


Plaque for Hayward


43.35


Legal Expense


63.35


Special Town Meeting expense .


75.00


586.47


Civil Defense


Communication equipment and


service 28.50


Blood Typing program


16.50


Worcester emergency


· 57.66


102.66


171


Town Counsel


Albert W. Wunderly .... 410.00


Town Reports


Concord Press, Inc. 1,316.00


Surety Bonds


Treasurer


198.00


Collector


389.75


Town Clerk


7.50


595.25


Insurance


Fire Companies


385.25


Workmens Compensation


1,598.52


Town Buildings .


1,922.62


Officer and Employee Insurance


967.27


4 823.66


1952 Unpaid Bills


General Relief


58.90


Old Age Assistance


455.60


Town Clerk, Salary


144.50


Town Clerk, Expense


44.23


Elections and Registrations,


Salaries


50.00


753.28


Memorial Day


23rd Infantry Band


225.00


Flowers and Wreaths


157.40


Refreshments


28.67


Flags


64.80


Buses


· 45.00


.


520.87


Planning Board


Maps


152.00


172


Clerical payroll


33.00


185.00


Zoning Committee


Map work


150.40


Duplicating paper


26.64


Sundry


10.70


187.74


Town Forest Committee


Surveying


80.00


Town Forest-Cutting Brush


Franklin Charter, Supt.


15.00


Payrolls


56.40


71.40


Pension and Military Service Fund


Middlesex County Retirement


System .


2,029.50


No Appropriation Accounts


Withholding Taxes


26,652.30


Massachusetts Hospital Service


2,874.30


Massachusetts Teachers


Retirement


5,588.42


Middlesex County Retirement .


3,257.63


Middlesex County Dog Licenses


1,022.80


Middlesex County Tax


10,880.89


Middlesex County Hospital Assessment


3,682.42


State Audit


1,925.61


State Parks


537.63


Refunds on Taxes


3,232.78


Trust Accounts


1,897.00


Interest on Trust Funds


6,286.19


Trust Fund Expenditures


1,611.49


173


Premium Received on Elementary School Bonds .


50.00


Total Disbursements


893,774.19


Cash Balance,


December 31, 1952


359,235.46


$1,253,009.65


Reserve Fund Transfers


Moderator 30.00


Fire Department,


Salaries and Wages


1,350.00


Fire Department, Expense ·


41.54


Police Department,


Salaries and Wages


175.00


Board of Health, Board Members Expense


100.00


Board of Health, Inspector of


Milk and Food, Salary ...


65.00


Board of Health, Inspector of


Milk and Food, Expense ..


85.00


Board of Health, Agent, Salary .


150.00


Board of Health,


Town Nurse Salary ·


15.00


Board of Health,


Substitute Nurse


450.00


Board of Health,


Medical Supplies


150.00


Board of Health,


Dump Salaries


752.37


Board of Health,


Dump Expense . . Board of Health,


405.00


Garbage Collections .


50.00


Town Collector, Salaries


200.00


Town Collector, Expense


200.00


Treasurer, Expense .


154.85


Proctection for members of Vol-


unteer Fire Cos. (Art. 17) .


35.25


174


Radios and Alternators Fire Dept. (Art. 26)


170.72 Elections and Registrations, Salaries and Wages 53.15 . Moth Department, Expense


15.02


Tree Department, Expense


5.32


Library, Expense


3.06


4,656.28


Road Machinery Fund


Balance, January 1, 1953


9,101.63


Received from rentals 4,980.58


Unexpended balance, Road Machinery Account


634.73


Unexpended balance, Highway


Dept. Truck Account


6.07


14,723.01


Transferred to Road


Machinery Account


2,500.00


Transferred to Highway Dept. Truck Account


6,500.00


Balance, December 31, 1953 . .


5,723.01


14,723.01


Cemetery Land Fund


Balance, January 1, 1953


2,510.35


Received from sale of lots .


170.00


2,680.35


Transferred to Woodlawn


Clearing and Grading


1,500.00


Balance, December 31, 1953 ...


1,180.35


2,680.35


175


BALANCE SHEET


DECEMBER 31, 1953


GENERAL ACCOUNTS


ASSETS


Cash


$359,235.46


Accounts Receivable :


Taxes:


Levy of 1948


Real Estate


31.20


Personal Property


267.07


Poll


4.00


$


302.27


Levy of 1949


Real Estate


130.66


Personal Property


300.80


Poll


12.00


Levy of 1950


Real Estate


421.28


Personal Property


336.52


Poll


14.00


.


771.80


Levy of 1951


Real Estate


317.46


Personal Property


763.75


Poll


24.00


1,105.21


Levy of 1952


Real Estate


8,066.63


Personal Property


791.35


Poll


18.00


. .


8,875.98


Levy of 1953


Real Estate


20,237.66


Personal Property


2,713.01


Poll


190.00


..


...


23,140.67


34,639.39


176


443.46


BALANCE SHEET


DECEMBER 31, 1953


LIABILITIES AND RESERVES


Payroll Deductions


$ 630.91


Tailings-Reserve for unclaimed checks .


144.81


Road Machinery Fund


5,723.01


Cemetery Land Fund


1,180.35


County Dog Licenses


5.40


Fire Apparatus Depreciation Fund


5,000.00


School Lunch Fund


1,803.10


High School Athletic Fund


475.86


Appropriation and Transfer Balances:


Highway Culverts


$ 4,000.00


Granite Marker Restoration


411.50


Laurel Court


69.14


Sand Spreader Body


41.91


Elementary School Building


15,306.64


Blanchard Auditorium-Gymnasium


Building


191,410.23


School Land Purchase


12,650.00


Auditorium-Gymnasium Land Pur- chase


9,413.75


Sewage Disposal


314.00


Mt. Hope Cemetery-Oiling


34.07


Mt. Hope Cemetery-Clearing and Grading


500.00


Woodlawn Cemetery-Clearing and Grading


1,058.05


Skating Rink


500.00


Surface Drainage


1,000.00


Zoning Committee


312.26


Civil Defense


1,738.08


Town Forest - Cutting Brush


...


281.42


Town Forest Committee


420.00


239,461.05


Trust Fund Income Transfer Balances:


Cemetery-Perpetual Care


457.67


J. Roland Wetherbee Fund


347.53


Hosmer Fund


345.99


Henry S. Raymond Fund


38.03


Georgia Whitney Fund


53.88


Library-Wilde Memorial Fund ...


6.65


949.75


177


Motor Vehicle Excise


Levy of 1947


17.78


Levy of 1948


156.29


Levy of 1949


719.62


Levy of 1950


. . ..


601.87


Levy of 1951


1,108.41


Levy of 1952


1,484.49


Levy of 1953


4,622.49


8,710.95


Tax Titles


79.37


Tax Title Possessiong


400.19


479.56


Departmental:


School


191.08


Veteran's Benefits


285.00


Old Age Assistance


365.57


Aid to Dependent Children


701.66


Cemetery


195.00


Highway


84.00


1,822.31


Other:


Ethel A. Davis, Former Collector and /or Boston Insurance Co.


1,319.34


Aid to Highways:


County


3,000.00


State


7,061.71


10,061.71


Under Estimates-1953:


County Hospital Assessment


263.13


State Parks


173.80


436.93


$416,705.65


-DEBT ACCOUNTS


.


.


. ....


. .


. . .


. ...


.....


.


......


...


...


. ..


Net Funded or Fixed Debt $379,000.00


178


Over Est:mate 1953-County Tax . Old Age Assistance Recovery


302.01


3,751.59


Federal Grants:


Old Age Assistance:


Administration .. ..


132.27


Assistance ...


7,431.91


Aid to Dependent Children:


Administration


161.56


Assistance . .


2,139.41


Disability Assistance:


Administration


1.34


Assistance


.... ... .


1,783.54


11,650.03


Reserve Fund-Overlay Surplus


6,409.52


Overlays Reserved for Abatement of Taxes:


Levy of 1948


302.27


Levy of 1949


443.46


Levy of 1950


771.80


Levy of 1951 . .


1,105.21


Levy of 1952


900.48


Levy of 1953


.......


5,987.08


9,510.30


Revenue Reserved Until Collected:


Motor Vehicle and Trailer Excise ....


8,710.95


Tax Title and Tax Possession


479.56


Departmental


1,822.31


Aid to Highways


10,061.71


21,074.53


Surplus Revenue


108,632.83


$416,705.65


DEBT ACCOUNTS


High School Addition Loan .... Elementary School Loan .


275,000.00


Blanchard Auditorium Notes ...


100,000.00


$379,000.00


.


. .


$ 4,000.00


179


TRUST ACCOUNTS


In Custody of Treasurer:


Henry S. Raymond Cemetery Fund ..


833.70


Henry S. Raymond Monument Fund .


2,238.26


Charlotte Conant School Library Fund


1,547.16


J. Roland Wetherbee Cemetery Fund . Hoit and Scott Cemetery Fund


10,613.45


565.58


Elizabeth White Charity Fund


27,046.78


Georgia E. Whitney Charity Fund ...


14,898.09


Wilde Memorial Library Fund


17,138.54


West Acton Firemen's Relief Fund ..


809.75


Acton Firemen's Relief Fund


6,154.97


Cemetery Perpetual Care Funds


66,763.49


Cemetery Surplus Fund


215.63


Luke Blanchard Cemetery Fund


1,585.55


Frank C. Hayward Cemetery Fund ..


1,131.13


Georgia E. Whitney Cemetery Fund .


1,640.66


Susan Noyes Hosmer Cemetery Fund


85,635.83


Betsy Ball Charity Fund


11,012.96


$249,831.53


In Custody of Trustees:


In Charlotte Goodnow Fund .


3,465.54


$253,297.07


180


TRUST ACCOUNTS


Trust Funds, Cash and Securities:


In custody of Town Treasurer In custody of Trustees


$249,831.89 3,465.54


--


$253,297.07


Respectfully submitted


DONALD O. NYLANDER,


Town Accountant


181


REPORT OF THE TREE WARDEN


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:


I herewith submit my report for the year 1953. The Department removed 143 trees of all species this year. Low or dangerous limbs were removed along the town roads.


The Department planted 36 Maple and Linden trees along the town ways.


The poison ivy around the public buildings and along the town roads was sprayed again this year. This work has reduced the amount of Ivy to a point where it is now pos- sible to cover most of the streets every year.


Respectfully submitted,


FRANKLIN H. CHARTER,


Tree Warden


REPORT OF THE CEMETERY COMMISSIONERS FOR THE YEAR 1953


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen :


We hereby submit the following report for the year ending December 31, 1953.


The account of the town treasurer shows that during the past year the cemetery department has received and paid into the treasury the sum of $1,423.00 which can be found itemized in the town treasurer's report. Also in the town collector's report you will find the sum of $679.50 collected for the annual care of lots, which is credited to the cemetery department receipts.


182


There has been added to the perpetual care account the past year, in new and additional accounts, the sum of $1,625.00.


A section of land in the new section of Woodlawn Cemetery, has been cleared of the trees and the stumps and the stone walls removed, also the roads for this section have been laid out and filled in with gravel. The remaining cleared area has been semi-graded in preparation for the final grading and the seeding down with grass seed in the spring.


We plan to clear a section of land in Mt. Hope Cemetery this spring so that additional lots can be made available in that cemetery this coming year.


Respectfully submitted,


RAY L. HARRIS


HOWARD F. JONES


HARRY E. HOLT


Cemetery Commissioners


REPORT OF THE ACTON MEMORIAL LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES


Carl A. Christofferson, Chairman


Alden C. Flagg, Sr. Florence A. Merriam


Wilfred W. Forbes, M.D.


Mrs. Edward W. Moore


Eugene L. Hall


Mrs. Marion C. Reed


Frederick T. Heyliger


Mrs. David W. Thompson


Librarians


Mary Lothrop Memorial Library


Marian L. Piper; Assisitant Memorial Library


Edith Hopkinson West Acton Branch


Custodian Glenn Pasanen


183


Early in the year, Boxboro lost its Library and contents by fire, and we are proud that we were among the first to offer help. We gave them several hundred duplicate or sur- plus books and rejoice that so many other Towns later responded to their needs.


At about the same time, we lost by death, Arthur F. Davis, who had been Librarian here for forty-three years and was a Trustee at the time of his passing.


In March, South .Acton Cub Den No. 2 (12 boys and 2 leaders) called by appointment, so that they might see the Library and its contents, listen and talk without interruption. As usual, the boys riveted their attention on the guns. Mrs. Nordberg and Mrs. Jarvi expressed appreciation, and the boys behaved beautifully.


In May, the State Certificate Honor Winners held the usual party at the Woman's Club to whom we send our thanks. Also, our gratitude goes out to Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Allen and their son Charles of Concord, who showed us fine pictures. Mr. Allen said he had sufficient thanks when one child laughed so hard that he fell out of his seat. ,


The paint job and re-arrangement of the furniture have met with much approval on all sides. Many of our treasures are still packed away, to be brought out and suitably placed when there is sufficient room and protection.


Mrs. Edward Moore gave us andirons for the fire-place and the public comments favorably on the home atmosphere. With the excellent care which Glenn Pasanen takes of the building, it looks as if it were renovated just yesterday.


We are grateful to all our friends who have helped in various ways. Mr. and Mrs. Stanley J. Olsen exhibited a fine collection of military buttons. Mr. Olsen repaired a Leather Hat that was used in the War of 1812. Also, he and Professor Phalen and Mr. Christoffersen helped us discard outmoded books, each in his own line. It was a tremendous help to those who had discarded general subjects through the winter.


184


Especial gratitude and deep appreciation go to all Trus- tees and their families, and friends in general, who gave a lift during our period of rapid growth. When the growth was established, the Trustees appointed Mrs. Ralph W. Piper as Assistant Librarian. The Librarian thanks every one for his consideration, particularly since few realize until told, that the return and issuance of books is a small part of the job. There is cataloguing, buying, putting away and mend- ing, and every two weeks twenty or thirty books are selected, stamped and listed and taken to the West Branch. The hardest part is to find books which they have not already had. Newcomers and beginners need help in finding what is desired. We are always glad of constructive criticism. The esprit de corps is 100 percent, and the success of the year just over is due partly to that and partly to the growth of the town.


All non-fiction is being re-indexed according to the most recent Classification of the Dewey Decimal system. Conse- quently, the card catalogue system is being re-made entirely and cross-indexing is being introduced. Plans have been made for concentrating all Juvenile material in the Reading Room for the children. This will free some shelf space in the main stack room for adult accessions. We contemplate creating shelves on the main floor for the display of books displaced by new acquisitions but too recent to be shelved in their final homes. We feel it is a help to keep Mysteries in one section and Westerns in another.


The great increase of persons coming and going about the old-fashioned counter-style desk, with its inconvenient approach through the Children's Room, has led to difficulty in the receiving and issuing of books, and great awkwardness in traffic. To remove this confusion and smooth out the problems of the Librarian and the public both, the Trustees wish to have removed the present counter-desk, and, to serve in its place, install a modern semi-circular library desk which will face the Library entrance, and lie against the wall facing the entrance. This will open up a free passage to the whole floor, speed up the handling of books, and


185


ultimately, (when the current Re-cataloguing of non-fiction has been completed) make available for use by the public, the card catalogue.


To look ahead, it is clear that the Library is going to have to be enlarged in proportion to its greater use by the enlarging population. There is virtually no room for further shelf space for new accessions. This problem has been stayed temporarily by the recent review of each individual book in the Library from the standpoint of being useful and up-to- date and the disposal of all found to be obsolete or outmoded. While such evaluation will always be maintained, there will not again be any substantial gain of shelf space as a result.


Also, the Library owns objects of Historical interest which call for display, and which are now stored in order to make shelf space for books. With adequate room, the Library could exhibit these objects, and would encourage the display of similar objects on a loan basis. The Library logically could and would serve as a means of satisfying interest in local history by such displays.


Therefore, if we are to continue adequately to serve the increasing needs of the Town, it will become necessary some time in the near future to consider extra facilities both in personnel and in space for work and storage.


Accession-Number of volumes in Library January 1,


1953 21,119


Increase by purchase


263


Increase by gift


347


Withdrawn from circulation


2,153


Number of volumes January 1, 1954


19,576


Circulation-Number of days Library was open


149


Number of volumes circulated


23,215


Largest daily circulation (November 14)


454


Smallest daily circulation (June 17)


52


Daily average


plus 155


186


The circulation shows a gain of 2,115 over the best year we ever had which was 21,100 in 1951; and a gain of 2,369 over 1952.


The Circulation break-down is as follows:


Fiction 11,292, Juvenile 8,565, Non-Fiction 3,358


We attribute this gain in part to the many new people coming in, at the rate of several each week, or one or two each day. We are happy to have them find what they like and will continue to try to supply the right material.


The Library acknowledges with gratitude, gifts from the following :


Books


Miss Corinne Smith 1; Mrs. Belle Libby Hinckley, 14 and magazines ; Mrs. Mildred Pope Moore, 90 and magazines ; Com- bat Forces Press 1, Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Olsen 2, Mr. and Mrs. Safford Sweatt 6; Elizabeth Condon 1; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Darling 7; Stanford War Library 1; Susan Collins 12; William Flagg 27; Mrs. Robert Colby 1; Dr. and Mrs. Forbes 51; Mr. and Mrs. John Kimball 36; Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. MacPher- son 40; Commonwealth of Massachusetts 8; Miss Romona Davis 6; Acton Cub Scouts 3; Mr. and Mrs. Norman Collins 2; Mr. and Mrs. John Pederson 1; Mr. and Mrs. Julius Roth 7; Mr. and Mrs. Warren Hartwell 1; Mr. and Mrs. R. V. Clark 10; Mrs. Laura Forbes 1; Roberta Davis 1; Marion Willett 8; Miss Jessie Knowlton 1; Caroline Pfeiffer 2; Mary Lothrop 1; Mr. and Mrs. Carl Christofferson 1; Theodore Steinway 1; Lois Hall 3; Mr. and Mrs. Richard Firth 3; Mr. and Mrs. McGarigle magazines and Walter B. Stevens magazines.


Financial Receipts


Fines


$196.38


Miscellaneous


12.50


Books sold


14.41


Total


$223.29


MARY LOTHROP,


Librarian


187


REPORT OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY EXTENSION


The Middlesex County Extension Service is a publicly supported, educational institution to serve all the towns of the county in agriculture and home economics. In agriculture the work is developed county-wide under the direction of county councils made up of leading farmers in each of the main commodities as vegetables, fruit, poultry, dairying, live- stock, and commercial flowers. A County Bulletin is mailed monthly to all cooperating farmers and timely information sent to anyone on request.


4-H Club Work is developed under a town committee and leaders, and the home economics work is available through a town director, organized groups, or direct requests. Your town director furnishes counsel to the Extension Office on the needs of the towns, services desired, or leadership needed.


Information and assistance were made available on the planning and operation of a poultry farm or enterprise covering the subjects of poultry housing and equipment, ven- tilation and litter management, brooding and rearing, market- ing and management for egg production.


Specialized information on turkey and poultry health was made available through the 1953 Middlesex Flock Health Program. F. Wendell Putnam, Jr., served as a member of the Extension Poultry Advisory Committee, and as President of the Middlesex County Poultry Association which holds monthly meetings in cooperation with the Extension Service in the Acton Town Hall. Mr. Putnam also participated in the 1953 Middlesex Flock Health Program.


The Middlesex County Extension Service renders many services to the dairymen in this area. There are, in the county, herd testing facilities which include complete herd records, pasture, hay, and silage production programs which aim at producing more and better roughage at a lower cost,




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