USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > West Bridgewater > Town annual reports of the selectmen, overseers of the poor, town clerk, and school committee of West Bridgewater for the year ending 1955-1959 > Part 54
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63
In keeping with the policy of the Department with respect to doing our own maintenance, considerable work was done to upgrade the efficiency of the Bell Alarm system by Fire Alarm maintenance man with assistance from several of the members. Much of the system was rewired with new wire. Extensions were made so that more of the members now have Bells in their homes, thus reducing the number that would necessarily have to be con- tacted by phone. The system was further improved by tieing elec- tric power supply from the sections of the Town, to provide source of power from different sections in the event that any one section should have any temporary failure. Also, a great deal of work was done in and around the Station, to mention a few of the many things which have been completed at this writing; painting and caulking windows on the outside, some painting inside and regular cleaning, washing and waxing of floors and woodwork. Shrubbery has been placed at front of the building, all of which has been done by the men at a minimum of cost to the Town. Much more should be done as time goes on, in order that the building may be kept in good as new condition.
A 5 KW motor driven stand-by Generator was purchased from Army Surplus, with the use of funds from Civil Defense Account. This may at any time prove a valuable addition to the Station's equipment.
The members of the Department have purchased, with money collected amongst themselves, a 3/4 ton pickup truck, to be used to transport the Generator, and an article in the warrant will ask the Voters to accept this truck as a gift from the members of the Department.
87
The Drill and Training program is of inestimable value, not only to the members of the Department but to the Townspeople that they serve. Under the direction of Captain Richard Keith, forty-one drills and training sessions were conducted during the year. These classes covered many phases of firefighting, from appliances and their use, to lectures and demonstrations by industry representatives, and specialists in First Aid and numerous rescue procedures. The Town can be justly proud to have one of the best trained call fire departments to be found anywhere.
In order that the Department may continue to maintain its high degree of efficiency, and serve all of the townspeople effectively in the protection of life and property, I submit the following recommendations for the consideration of the voters:
1. The 1945 Chevrolet Combination, which has been the workhorse of the Department, should be completely overhauled. The motor and transmission need immediate attention, as does the water tank which has been leaking. If this work is done before the spring fire season, it is reasonable to assume that we will get sev- eral years of service from this truck.
2. A small sum of money is necessary to adapt the Generator, for connection into the electric system at the station. In the event of a prolonged power failure these connections could provide auxiliary power to operate the alarm system, radio, lights and heat at the station for both the Fire and Police Departments.
3. To improve the effectiveness of the two Pumping engines, and to provide the Department with a necessary heavy stream, especially during the time when the available manpower is limited, a Deck Gun, to be mounted on the new engines is a compara- tively inexpensive piece of equipment that should be added this year.
4. A real problem faces the Department in the suppression of Oil and Gasoline fires. I would therefore recommend that a Fog- Foam nozzle be purchased this year.
5. We also find it necessary to have an adapter for inter- connection on Suction hoses. This appliance being a far more reasonable cost than to have to purchase an entire new set of costly suction hoses.
88
6. The Town owned area at the rear of the Station which now serves as our Drill Grounds should be improved. Drainage and fill are the immediate needs. Certainly a small amount of money expended on the area will return good value to the Town. With the co-operation of the Highway Department, this can be accom- plished without excessive expense to the Town.
7. We must all recognize the continued growth of the Town, and in accordance with the recommendations of the New England Rating Bureau, and the recommendations that I have made in two previous annual reports, give serious consideration to manning the Station on a full time basis. Your Fire Department is made up of Call Men, who are able, well trained and are happy to serve. However, as time goes on, there are more and more demands made of the Department; more fires, more housing and buildings, emergency calls, accidents on the highways and in the homes and places of business, first aid, drownings, resuscitator calls for heart and asthmatic cases, and other situations where the Fire Department is called upon to assist, and it becomes very important to realize that more and more of the men who were available might not be available in the time of real need. In the past, most of the members of the Department were either self-employed or at work in the Town, and were able to answer Fire calls at any time. This is no longer the situation, and during the early morning hours, a serious shortage of available manpower is evident. This is a matter for the voters to decide.
In closing: to my Officers and Members, the Town Officials and all citizens, my thanks for your confidence and support as chief of your Fire Department.
ANTONE SOUSA Fire Chief
CIVIL DEFENSE REPORT, 1959
The praiseworthy activities of the nursing corps and of the radio communications staff have been carried on as in the past, to the real credit of the devoted persons involved. Mrs. Kenneth Buker and Mr. Richard Packard, and their hardworking colleagues,
89
continue to earn the admiration of all who know their unflagging efforts to be ready when need arises.
A plan for this town's functioning in the event of enemy attack was submitted early in the year; it made part of the state- wide planning under the Massachusetts Civil Defense Agency. However, in later months the shortage of Commonwealth funds cut back the activity of that Agency for some time. More recently, the Natick headquarters has been again active, largely on the volunteer basis.
A five-kilowatt generator has been obtained from Government Surplus at very low cost to the town. Steps have been taken toward acquiring more equipment, on the same basis, to enable West Bridgewater better to meet such catastrophes as may arise. Supplies and equipment for a 200-bed hospital, and possibly even an ambu- lance, are planned for in this connection.
Respectfully submitted, CHARLES S. MILLET Director of Civil Defense.
DEVELOPMENT AND INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION
The word that might best describe the work of your Develop- ment and Industrial Commission is "Patience." Ours is an activity which grasps at the slightest lead and pursues it diligently and hopefully through its stages to some form of conclusion. The percentage of times that the leads come through to a happy ending for a community are at great odds hence the need for patience for the next pursuit.
For every prospective new business that looks at Massachu- setts there are over 350 cities and towns that put their best feet forward to entice the newcomer to stop searching and settle with them. Considering the numerical possibilities of landing a client
90
it becomes apparent that the more contacts that are made the stronger the chance of landing one. In this regard 1959 has been our most active year to date.
We have been in contact with six different nationally known companies who have shown varying degrees of interest in our town.
Ten local leads have been pursued either by personal contact, field examination of prospective sites, or by mailing information requested by the client.
Two developers of industrial properties have met with us and have given West Bridgewater a long look.
Two large realtors have inspected our sites.
We have had meetings with three of the largest landowners in our industrial zones.
We have met with the Assessors and the Water Board and also the consulting engineers that serve the Water Board for an exchange of ideas.
We have a committee made up of men outside the Com- mission who will advise us on the possibility of future airport or heliport facilities.
A field trip was made by the Commission to study the many industrial parks on Route 128 and its vicinity.
Our successful Brockton Fair exhibit was set up and shown at a three day industrial fair in Whitman, Mass.
With the help of Congressman Hastings Keith we were granted an interview with the Federal Highway Engineer for this area and discussed the possibility of having Route 495 extended so as to service the Greater Brockton area and the south shore. We also discussed the plan with Brockton's City Manager Gildea and Chamber of Commerce Secretary Vincent Choate. At present we are in contact with the towns involved in the proposed highway extension.
We received permission from the New York Times to reprint the article about Randy Barker, our number one industrial plant owner.
91
Recently we have had at least one of our members attend each special Industrial Development meeting by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
An effort is made to send at least one representative of our group to every seminar or conference from which we might obtain new information regarding prospects or methods.
We haven't landed one yet but we are trying very hard and in conclusion we make the following request of our citizenry. Keep your eyes and ears open for leads, find out as much as you can and get in touch with any of the men on the Commission or the Advisory Board. We'll keep your prospect in confidence and apply our ever improving procedures to see if we can bring the prospect home to West Bridgewater.
Advisory Committee
Francis LeBaron
Leon F. Beaulieu
William W. Phillips
Edward D. Cross
Ronald Brodrick
Development & Industrial Comm. Merton H. Ouderkirk, Chairman
George V. Hollertz, Secretary
Frank S. Miller
Lawrence T. Moneghan
Herbert G. Gordon
INSECT PEST CONTROL
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
I hereby submit my report for the year 1959.
The department this year sprayed all the roadside shade trees twice with 6% DDT and in some places with Malathion, wherever it was deemed necessary to use it, also, in an effort to control the spread of Dutch Elm Disease, all elms were sprayed three times, once in the spring and two foliar sprays during the summer. The woods along the roadsides were sprayed throughout the town.
The new mist blower has worked out very satisfactory and all spraying was done at night and early morning hours when the wind current is advantageous and also, when road traffic is at a mini- mum.
92
In conjunction with the Board of Health, 1200 acres in town residential districts were aerial sprayed for control of mosquitoes. 1959 was a very bad year for this pest because of so much rainfall. The department's mist blower was also used nights for mosquito control. It is my request that more acres and more frequent aerial sprayings be undertaken in 1960 for mosquito control; coupled along with the very fine work of the Plymouth County Mosquito Control Project has accomplished.
Protective measures against tent caterpillars, elm leaf beetles, elm bark beetles, fall web worms, wood ticks, pine and hemlock loopers, Japanese beetles, hag moths, gypsy moths, brown tail moths, and canker worms are handled by the town's Insect Pest Control Department.
POISON IVY ERADICATION
Poison Ivy is widely distributed and a serious health menace to those susceptible to its poison. With the plant almost com- pletely killed along the roadsides by the department's yearly spraying, we are now in the process of going deeper on private property spraying Poison Ivy as allowed by State law. All the depart- ment requests is that the land owner contact the Superintendent and inform him of the location of the Ivy early in the Spring.
The two hormone-like materials, 2, 4-D and 2, 4, 5-T are used and applied as an overall spray during the hot, summer months. Yearly, a close check is kept on our roadsides to determine any reoccurrence of ivy there and if so, spot spraying of such is done. I would advise all home owners to search their property for signs of Poison Ivy and if any is found, it can be eradicated by this department at no charge.
Respectfully submitted,
THOMAS B. MacQUINN Superintendent of Insect Pest Control
TREE WARDEN
To the Citizens of West Bridgewater:
I hereby submit my annual report for the year 1959 as Tree Warden.
93
Tree removal this year has been the largest time-consuming job. Three oak, two pine, twelve maples, seven hickory, two hackberry and two ash trees were removed and stumps cut below the ground level so that there would be no public hazard involved. The occurrence of ills in our shade trees will continue to show up for many years to come and while we endeavor to head off this type of work by concentrating on what appears to be dangerous, half of the trees involved are overage trees and while they appear to be in good health, they are physically on the decline.
Besides the above mentioned removals, seventy-three elms were removed in the town of West Bridgewater, a large job in itself. The report of this work is contained in the report on Dutch Elm Disease Control.
The mechanical equipment of the department consists of one two-man power saw, two one-man saws, one portable gen- erator with flood-lights for emergency work and power drill which is used in fertilizing and bolting weakened trees, one 1956 platform dump truck which is used by Highway Department in its work of plowing during winter months and a 1950 pick-up truck which is equipped for emergency duty at all times.
Many blind corners and curves were cleared and in some spots, deepened to allow motorists a safer view. The spraying of roadside brush with a chemical brush killer in the past years has greatly reduced the work load of the department's job of cutting brush by hand. Each year this program must be continued to keep our roadsides neat and give motorists a safer view.
Tree pruning, removal of dead wood and "hangers" were done on many streets. This work has increased largely because of severe wind storms in the past and an aftermath of the hurricanes. Large limbs caught or hanging in the tops of trees present a serious danger. Climbing of each tree is necessary and often times there is no safe place for the workman while he is engaged in the removal of such limbs. For this reason, I am employing more often now, the services of a Skyworker. This hydraulically operated bucket allows the operator to be safely at work in the highest trees, whether they are over wires or not.
94
It should be kept in mind that our plans must be changed many times in the course of a year to meet situations that arise from:
1. The extension of services to new areas.
2. Climatic conditions and changing seasons.
3. Biological factors affecting trees and plants.
4. Unforeseen emergencies which continually present them- selves.
These many and varied situations call for great flexibility in our work program, namely, the ability to put one project aside without hesitation, to take on a more urgent calling in the hope that we can return to the uncompleted project in the near future.
The department's Shade Tree Nursery in the rear of Memorial Field enables us to raise our entire supply of tree stock in various stages of development to provide an annual output of 60-90 selected trees over a ten year period. 88 of these trees were set out along the town's roadsides in 1959. There are over 500 trees of various species and sizes in the nursery at the present and as we draw from these for roadside planting, new small trees are added and by care- ful fertilizing, pruning and cultivation, in a few years these will attain the size for street planting.
In closing I would like to remind all that we are striving to the utmost to serve well, to go forward with advancements in our varied services, to make our town an ideal place to live. Our limi- tations are the townspeople's acceptance of forward planning and their ability to pay, not a lack of progressive thinking, planning and achievement.
I wish to express my sincere thanks to all other town depart- ments for their fine cooperation throughout the year, also, my thanks to the workmen of my department for their fine, precise work and loyalty which certainly deserves praise.
Respectfully submitted,
THOMAS B. MacQUINN Tree Warden
95
TOWN FOREST COMMITTEE
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:
The townspeople are again reminded that they have a Town Forest of 10 acres at their disposal at the rear of the Memorial Field. The committee welcomes any use of the forest by either Boy or Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts or any other organizations for their respective needs.
This year, an area of undergrowth was cleared by the Town Forestry department allowing for a better view and also, giving the remaining trees a better growth. Any low hanging or broken limbs on the Forest's pines were removed and the area in general kept tidy throughout the growing season.
All high grass and underlying brush were cut in the whole area during the 1959 season. Poison Ivy in various spots was sprayed with Brush killer to eliminate this menace. This forest can, in the future, be made into an attractive picnic and recrea- tional area with a little labor and expense. The committee wel- comes any suggestions from the townspeople on this project.
Respectfully submitted,
THOMAS B. MacQUINN ELMER HUNT ANTONE SOUSA Town Forest Committee
DUTCH ELM DISEASE CONTROL
This disease still continues to rob our town of many of its beautiful elms. Besides the large cost of removal, the loss of the trees brings the loss of charm and character to the community. There is no positive cure for the dread disease. There is constant experimental work being done throughout the United States on this disease which now extends over most of the country although it started here in Massachusetts in the early 1900's.
96
This past summer, samples were taken from 73 suspected elms and sent to the Shade Tree Laboratory at the University of Massa- chusetts and after analysis, found to be infected and slated for removal.
Many of these trees, because of being over utility wires and private property, required the services of either tree climbers or the Skyworker, the newest machine allowing a man to safely remove limbs. The high cost and danger of elm removal is not yet apparent to most townspeople. All diseased elm wood, by state law, must either be burned or buried immediately since the diseased bark harbors the grubs of the elm bark beetle, the carrier of the fungus disease on its body.
Three sprays, one dormant of 12% DDT, and two foliar, of 6% DDT plus Malathion, were placed on all town elms by the mist blower this year and as many private elms were sprayed as the insecticide supply would allow. Many street elms were fertilized since a healthy elm will more likely ward off the disease.
We are now fighting the Elm disease in the three recom- mended ways: by making the trees more resistant by fertilizing, controlling the disease carrier, the Scolytus beetle, by spraying and by combatting the fungus which causes it in destroying the wood.
Respectfully submitted, THOMAS B. MacQUINN Supt. of Insect Pest Control
PLYMOUTH COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL PROJECT
In reporting on the project's activities and accomplishments in 1959, our second year of operation, there have been successful advances made toward the program's number one objective. Namely, the best possible control of species capable of transmit- ting encephalitis or other virus.
97
Naturally we were disappointed that the overall reduction of nuisance type mosquitoes was not evident. As in all eastern states this past summer, the mosquito population ranged to an all time high. Up to mid-July this region had 15.16 inches of rainfall in fifty days and with the normal quoted as 5.63 inches, the mosquito breeding went beyond any normal control.
EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS
This subject continues to be vital to southeastern Massachu- setts and current research in the area shows that virus activity is yet present in wild bird life. Until this year the only outbreak of human cases was in this region and it was assumed that we were most vulnerable to future outbreaks.
Therefore, we continued to emphasize our surveys toward the location of breeding sites of the vector species of mosquitoes and in no instance did we hesitate to expend monies toward that goal. This meant treating some water areas weekly and each week we were locating new areas that were contaminated by sewage water seepage or its being directed to same, even the storm sewer catch basins were not immune to this contamination.
While we did not have a single reported case of encephalitis in humans or horses in this state, the 1959 New Jersey outbreak with 28 human cases and 19 deaths should prove to us and con- vince the responsible officials, that if necessary the entire budget should be concentrated toward the prevention of even one such loss of life.
DRAINAGE
This phase of control continues to be the best investment on a long range control program, it not only eliminates the source of breeding but it gradually reduces the repeated and costly applica- tions of insecticide on wetland and urban areas. The project is now equipped with a power trencher, mounted on a tractor de- signed for use in swamps and salt marshes. This unit will produce drainage ditching that would not be possible with seventy addi- tional men.
AERIAL SPRAYING
This operation is very important where a serious nuisance develops and immediate results are necessary. Financially, the
98
project was not designed to expend large sums on this type of temporary control, yet we find it a valuable supplement to our long range efforts and must budget part of our funds for such.
SUMMARY
With all of our personnel having had two seasons of experi- ence, plus the accumulated data obtained on breeding sites throughout the county and the addition of our power trencher, we should in a summer of normal rainfall readily realize the progress of our program.
We have continued to work cooperatively with all related municipal agencies and with these pooled resources, the public's confidence will never be betrayed by indifferent service or any abuse in the use of insecticides.
Respectfully submitted,
WARREN G. HARDING, Superintendent
EXTENSION SERVICE
By Robert B. Ewing, County Agent-Manager
The Plymouth County Extension Service, located in the Court House, Brockton, Mass., in cooperation with the University of Massachusetts and the United States Department of Agriculture, supplies information concerning the Home, 4-H Club Work, and Agriculture to any citizen residing in Plymouth County.
The Extension Service, through its Agricultural Agents, pro- vides Plymouth County farmers with information pertaining to all phases of commercial agriculture, including Farm Management, Production, Marketing, Insect and Disease Control Programs, etc.
More people continue to move into our Plymouth County towns. Many of these folks, coming from urban areas, make their first contact with "Agriculture" when they arrive here. Each year
99
we receive an increasing number of requests from this group for information about the Home - Lawns and Home Grounds. We endeavor to provide the information.
While we have always been asked to identify insects, along with injury caused by insects and diseases, this year we have re- ceived an exceptional number of requests for assistance in control- ling or eradicating squirrels, raccoons, skunks, flies, ants, and woodticks.
4-H Club Members continue to amaze adults with their ex- cellent project work, programs, demonstrations, and activities. More people see 4-H club members in action at our southeastern Massachusetts fairs than in any other manner. At these fairs some four hundred Plymouth County 4-H club members participated in livestock and home economics exhibits as well as demonstrations and contests. One outstanding Plymouth County 4-H dairy club member, Clinton Leonard, of Willow Street, West Bridgewater, was selected as one of five in the United States to receive a $400.00 scholarship in the National 4-H Dairy Program. Many people fail to realize that 4-H Club Work is the Extension Service's youth program.
Programs of the Home Department, primarily for adult women, are not limited to any one particular group in the com- munity. Some have the mistaken impression that only one group can be organized in each community. Your community or town can have just as many homemakers' groups as it can provide leadership for.
Along with the regular programs, agents in the Home Depart- ment conducted two outstanding programs this year that were of interest to many women in Plymouth County. The first was a Home Finance Forum where such topics as Use of Credit, Financ- ing a Home, Insurance, Social Security, etc. were discussed. The second one in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Commerce had for its theme "How the Homemaker Can Supple- ment the Family Income."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.