USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Agawam > Town of Agawam, Massachusetts annual report 1951-1955 > Part 45
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Our Well Baby Conference is doing wonderful under the fine supervi- sion of Dr. Mildred Hausmann, whom we are most fortunate to have as our clinic doctor. We had 24 clinics. They are held every other Wednes- day from 10 a. m. to 12 noon. Appointments must be made.
Total visits made by babies to clinic 519
Total of triple antigen, 1st boosters
90
Total of triple antigen, 2nd boosters 28
Total of vaccinations 73
Total of 1st triple antigen injections 60
Total of 2nd triple antigen injections
51
Total of 3rd triple antigen injections 55
Total of 4th triple antigen injections
2
Diphtheria and tetanus 1
Check visits made 159
Fifty-five out of 60 babies completed their three shots. The above vac- cine and serum is furnished by the state, our town and surrounding towns and cities give this service free to all who do not have a private doctor.
I would like to thank all volunteer ladies who have given so generous- ly of their time to drive or work in the clinic room.
Forty-six appointments were made at out-patient department in hospi- tals and taken to doctor's offices.
Miss Margaret Sullivan, state supervisor, made three visits to our office. Mrs. Gerda N. Horst, state public health nutrition, made two visits. These visits are most helpful.
Mrs. Cascella and I attended several interesting meetings throughout the year. We took a six-week course in new trends in medicine at Wesson Memorial Hospital. We attended seven meetings on In Service Education for Nursing Personnel in Hospital and Public Health Nursing at Amherst.
May 21st two of the highway men were given their yearly booster shots or typhoid. On July 2, four men were given their tetanus booster shots.
February, June and December trips were made to Monson State Hos- pital with clothing and toys. I do wish more of our people would help and
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visit this hospital to see what wonderful work is being done there. These patients so often are a forgotten group.
The Congregational Church gave canned food which was distributed at Thanksgiving time to eight families. The Lions Club gave money and we had made up nine baskets for shut-ins.
The Agawam Health Council held four meetings during the year end- ing with a dinner in May. Dr. Hiscock was the speaker. The governing board had two meetings and at the March meeting it was voted to dissolve.
In June Mr. Murphy gave an excellent course in Sanitary Food Service which Mrs. Cascella and I attended.
I am very proud to say the Nursing Department purchased an auto clave. This protects all patients and babies receiving hypodermic injections. It is felt that boiling does not sterilize completely. We are now carrying out rules set up by the state. First we wash all hypo in clear running water, boil them 10 minutes then put them up in paper packets and auto claved for 30 minutes under 15 pounds pressure. So we know they are sterile. We take these packets out on the district. We find this saves time in our homes.
The Agawam Town Nursing Service provides care and counsel for families when professional assistance is needed, and can be given during a brief visit and when a physician is in charge.
In closing I would like to thank all who have been cooperative with my department throughout the year.
Annual Grade School Band Concert
Photo by Charles DuBois Hodges
De
Highway Department
The following is a report of the Highway Department for the year ending December 31, 1954.
The usual patching, scraping and brush-cutting was done and most of the unsurfaced roads were treated with dust layer.
Thirty-four of the hardened streets were treated with asphalt and stone. Eighteen streets were gravelled and hardened with asphalt and sand or stone cover.
Signs of different types, including new speed limit signs on Suffield and Springfield Streets, were erected.
The Chapter 90 account was used for resurfacing, drainage and the leveling of Suffield Street, from Cooper to Mill Street with type I mix.
The rubbish collection is growing by leaps and bounds and our col- lection program will have to be revised in the near future. The new rubbish truck has been of great help.
The new street sweeper will be very useful in keeping our streets cleaner and removing the winter sand earlier in the spring. It will also pick up the surplus stone after the streets have been surface treated.
The use of sand and salt has increased considerably with the great increase in traffic throughout the Town.
Sidewalks have been improved by the removal of broken and heaved sections and replaced with new concrete.
There were numerous catch basins built and culverts installed by the Sewer Department as well as the cleaning of main lines and house services. One hundred thirty-nine blocked house services were freed. There were one hundred fifty-seven new house services installed.
We have two trucks that should be replaced one five years old and one six years old.
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Town Engineer
The following is a report of the Engineering Department for the year 1954, during which time the Town carried out more construction than any other period excepting W.P.A. The following is an itemized list of the accomplishments:
SANITARY SEWERS INSTALLED
Silver Street
1167.9 feet
North Westfield Street
1250
feet
Cooper Street
1138.3 feet
Samuel Street
250
feet
Woodside Drive
1103
feet
Highland Street
1150
feet
Hastings Street
1025
feet
Lealand Avenue
915
feet
Carr Avenue
1113
feet
Senator Avenue
520
feet
STORM SEWERS INSTALLED
Letendre Avenue
840.8 feet
Homer Street
658.8 feet
Cooper Street
1048.8 feet
Federal Avenue
1106 feet
Senator Avenue
520
feet
SIDEWALKS EXTENDED
Springfield Street
653
feet
Southwick Street
1515
feet
Walnut Street
560
feet
Leonard Street is under construction at the present time to provide surface drainage and a new highway for about one-half of the distance of the old road. This work will be completed by June 1st, 1955.
The Engineering Department has had a considerable amount of inspec- tion work required due to the new and numerous developments within our Town. We have, during the year, had the following new streets added to our system:
Parker Street; Raymond Circle; Dartmouth Street; Deering Street: Dover Street; Autumn Street extended; Campbell Drive; Channel Drive: Simpson Circle; Franklin Street extended and Memorial Drive extended.
All of these streets have come under Planning Board control and have, wherever possible, had sanitary sewers and surface drains installed.
Other miscellaneous work carried out by the Department included traffic control surveys, street numbering and laying out of public streets.
54
Board of Public Welfare
The Board and Bureau were both organized early in the year with Mr. Rising as chairman of each division. Meetings were called when neces- sary and all categories were discussed at each one.
In meeting the necessary legal requirements, we have always tried to practice economy while still maintaining efficiency.
Welfare Agent
In spite of proposed changes in our law, the local board still has the administration of all forms of relief.
Our general relief roll was somewhat higher in the past year and the cost increased in proportion.
Sickness and unemployment were factors, of course, and the former was the cause of some rather expensive cases, but as in other years separa- tions, desertions and delinquency have played a major part in supplying new cases for general relief and aid to dependent children. Even veterans families come to us under these circumstances because of legal reasons.
Responsible parties have been forced to help out whenever possible but they cannot always be located.
Aid to dependent children is a category that requires a lot of attention and supervision because of laws and state policies. Private agencies and courts are very helpful in furnishing applicants for this form of aid.
Disability assistance will never be what was expected of it because so few are accepted by the state medical panel.
Old Age assistance is as usual our largest and most costly category, and while the caseload has not been increased materially the cost per case has become higher because so many of the recipients are very old and need much more medication and hospitalization which are the most expensive items that we encounter.
Again I take this opportunity to express my thanks and appreciation to other departments and fellow town workers for help extended to us. The Health Department and nurses, the Police and Highway Department have helped us countless times and our janitor has rendered many services. The Welfare Board and Finance Board have been very patient and understanding and have helped us at every point. These favors are more appreciated because I am not able to return them.
55
Veterans' Agent
I herewith submit my annual report as Agent of Veterans' Benefits and Services.
In the year 1954 there has been a very large increase in the Veteran population of the Town. This has increased the work of the Veterans' Agent to the extent that a great deal of his time is spent away from the office - investigating and tracing settlements of veterans or their dependents applying for aid, who come from other cities or towns. Many come to this office for service and find it closed because of this fact.
There is a great deal of correspondence that has to be written between the State Department and this office regarding cases and settlements. A part- time clerk for this department would keep the office open at all times and help expedite the filing of applications and keeping records up to date. One hundred and twelve Korean Veterans applied at this office for their State Korean Bonus. Sixteen veterans were admitted into the Holyoke Soldiers Home for either out patient or domicilliary care, and eight veterans were admitted to local hospitals. Twelve veteran deaths were recorded in 1954, assistance was given the widow or next of kin in getting any Federal or State Aid they might be entitled to. One hundred and fifty-six veterans with 10% or more disability, their widows, Gold Star Mothers, or holders of the Purple Heart applied for the $2000 real estate tax exemption.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Board of Selectmen, all department heads and Veterans of all wars for their patience and cooperation in 1954 which made it possible for this department to function so effectively.
Parks and Playgrounds
We had an increase of 13% in our total attendance over the year 1953. For the summer of 1954 a total of 9,900 children attended our play- grounds. The breakdown by playground is as follows:
Phelps
2,943
Reed
1,000
Danahy
1,370
Sheas
1,600
Springfield
1.375
Granger
1,612
TOTAL
9,900
Eight hundred eighty-one children were taken to Babb's Beach for summer swimming under a policy change which alloted one day to each major area for swimming with Reed and Danahy doubling up with one
56
of the other Playgrounds. This gave us much more control over the children and increased our safety precautions.
We continued our Riverside outing trip with the gracious help of the management of the park who donated 4500 free ride tickets. The playground commissioners again purchased meal tickets worth 30c for each child at- tending. This is one of our most popular events and we took 450 children to the park.
Reed and Danahy were two new playgrounds opened this year. We did run into some difficulty at Danahy because of the limited space in the rear of the school. It was planned to have only younger children at these new areas but many older boys and girls attended and we tried to take care of them as best as possible.
We continued our program of Arts and Crafts under the able direction of Miss Barry who went to each playground twice a week for a half day. Here the children paid a small charge for the materials they used.
Checker tournaments and various other games were held at all play- grounds including a few softball games but here again we ran into trans- portation difficulties. We had a field day for all playgrounds held at Phelps School with over 400 children participating. Held were races of all kinds, doll parades, bicycle parades, and many other field events. This proved very popular and next year it is planned to include one of these field events each month.
Under consideration for the future is the rapidly expanding area along the River Road. Here they have no facilities to play for the many children in the new housing areas there.
The Commissioners would like to commend Director Francis Rosso. Asst. Miss Barry, and the rest of the staff for an excellent job.
For the coming year 1955 the Commissioners will endeavor to continue to better our play areas to serve the children of Agawam. We feel that the children had an enjoyable summer and that it is money well spent.
Planning Board
The Agawam Planning Board herewith submits the annual report for the year ending December 31, 1954.
The Board had an extremely busy year holding 12 regular monthly meetings and 10 special meetings. Twelve zone changes hearings were held and seven subdivisions involving a total of one hundred and thirty-five (135) houses were approved. Two hearings were held on proposed changes in pur Zoning By-laws.
After a meeting with Charles A. Downe of the State Department of
57
Commerce new subdivision rules and regulations were adopted which re- quires that the developer build excellent roads and sidewalks, install sewers, water, hydrants, storm drainage, and street lighting. A comparison of these regulations with those of other nearby towns shows that Agawam require- ments are greater than most.
An increase of lot size requirements in residential zones has been in- stituted and will be voted on at the Annual Town Meeting early next year. It is felt by your Board that a maximum of control over subdivisions will be attained with the increased lot sizes together with the above-mentioned sub- division regulations.
Your Board, because of the great amount of subdivision building and the many zone changes resulting in many hours of regular and special meetings, regrets that it has been unable to perform many planning func- tions it would wish to perform in order to make Agawam an even better place to live.
Interested citizens are invited to attend the regular meetings of the Board on the first Thursday of each month and constructive ideas will always be welcomed.
Soapbox Derby sponsored by Lions Club
Photo by Charles DuBois Hodges
Library Report
All three Public Libraries have been open as usual, Agawam Center three afternoons and evenings a week, and North Agawam and Feeding Hills one afternoon and evening.
With two sessions of school it is impossible for some of the children to use the libraries unless their parents bring them in the evening.
Television has taken the place of reading in some homes which re- duces the circulation a little.
Book prices are higher all the time.
We are striving to serve the community the best we can and are glad to welcome newcomers.
Feeding Hills 660
Agawam 1,061
North Agawam
No. borrowers
811
No. books
8,096
8,400
4,823
Circulation
4,768
13,689
11,621
Board of Appeals
Twenty-seven petitions asking variations from the requirements of the Zoning By-laws or the Building Code were filed with the Board during 1954.
Fourteen meetings were held at which hearings on these petitions were given to the petitioners and other parties deemed interested under the terms of the laws.
One petition was withdrawn, three were denied, and twenty-three were granted. In several cases where the petition was granted the Board included in the decision such restrictions as they considered necessary to protect the best interests of the Town and neighborhood.
Due to the new construction there were several petitions filed request- ing permit to remove fill in large quantities. The Board has established a policy which requires the person selling the fill to enter into an agreement with the Town, which agreement contains a provision for the filing of a bond to protect the Town during the removal of the fill and the restoration of the property for the protection of the Town.
We wish once more to remind persons considering the purchase of a building lot or existing buildings to make sure that plans they may have for future use of the property are in compliance with the various By-laws of the Town.
59
Civil Defense
In 1954 Mr. Paul Langlois, who is one of our Civil Defense Medical Aides, was sent to Framingham to preview the film 'Operation Ivy'. This is a film on the H-Bomb, and all reports indicate that it is a very instructive film, and should be seen by all.
Later in the spring, Sergeant Romeo H. Borgatti and Officer Louis R. Tatro were chosen to attend the Civil Defense Rescue Training School; for Instructors at Olney, Maryland, for a two weeks course. They gathered quite a bit of valuable information from this course and hope to be able to start classes in rescue work in the very near future. The old fire truck from Agawam Center has been transferred to our department to be used as a Rescue Truck in the training of our Rescue Team.
New radios have been purchased and installed in the three police cruisers, on a Matching Funds basis, through this department, and the three radios that were in the cruisers have been transferred to the Fire Department trucks.
In June there was a Test Air Raid Alert. On close check, we found that people in several sections of our Town were unable to hear the alert. We have now purchased, on a Matching Funds basis, an Alert Warning System for the Town, to overcome this inability to hear, and we feel more secure as this will be audible over the complete Town. The installation of this system is just about completed and in a very short time we hope to have a test alert.
I have attended several meetings this past year, both locally and in other cities and towns throughout the State. The Police, Fire, Highway and Engineering Departments were represented at some of these meetings also.
We have experienced considerable difficulty with the Army Air Corps over the type of building for housing our Observation Post, the building finally being condemned for use by that Department. However, after sev- eral conferences with the School Committee, permission was granted to use the roof of the High School, upon which we hope to erect a new Ground Observer Post.
In the past our planning was to provide shelter in the event of an air raid. Consequently we are faced with the need of making plans for the complete evacuation of the Town should an air raid take place. We will immediately make plans to try to educate the people of Agawam regarding this danger, and acquaint them with the means at our disposal. to avoid serious physical disaster.
It has been discovered by Federal Authorities, that some phases of our Civil Defense planning of the past has now become obsolete with the knowledge that the bombs now in possession of our enemy are 1000 times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Nagasakee and Hiroshima.
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..........
Agriculture Department
The Trustees For County Aid To Agriculture consists of a board of nine unpaid members appointed by the County Commissioners. These Trustees are empowered by law to maintain one or more agents or instruc- tors in Agriculture, Home-making and Country life, who shall meet the residents of the County, individually and in groups, for the purpose of teaching and demonstrating better practice in Agriculture and Home- making, the benefits to be derived from cooperative efforts, better methods of marketing farm products, and the organization of communities to build up country life. The statutes further allow the Trustees to receive on behalf of the County, money appropriated by any town or by the Federal Govern- ment ... or by the General Court for any County ... and may enter into any agreements ... relative to Extension Work with adults and with boys and girls in Agriculture, Home-making and Country life. (G. L. Ch. 128)
In accordance with the above, the Hampden County Trustees during the past year maintained agents who have been of service to all residents of the County. These agents have conducted meetings and demonstrations and made individual farm and home visits in connection with many phases of Agricultural and Home-making practices in all cities, towns and com- munities in Hampden County. Some of these practices included Better Farm Management, Better Livestock, Insect and Disease Control, Marketing, Soil Testing, Food Preservation, Financial Facts on Buying, Building and Improving the Home, Canning, Gardening, Crafts and Community Organ- ization with Farmers, Homemakers, and Boys and Girls 4-H Club Work both rural and urban. Their counsel and assistance has been available to all citizens of the County without charge.
Our agents have made contacts in every city, town and community in Hampden County during the past year in one or more projects and have been ably assisted by local committees or individual voluntary leaders as the occasion required.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
1954 Appropriation $150.00
1953 Unexpended Balance 39.61
Total Available for 1954 189.61
Total Expenditure in 1954 112.73
1955 Balance Available 76.88
1955 Recommended Appropriation 150.00
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Water Department
We herein respectfully report to you, a summary of the activities o; your Water Department for the year ending December, 1954, and an outline of proposed new construction work for 1955.
WATER CONSUMPTION:
Water consumption for the year 1954 again exceeded any previously recorded usage with a total of 298,614,500 gallons: which averages 818,000 gallons per day. The highest single day's consumption was 1,973,500 gallons. the lowest daily consumption recorded at 571,200 gallons.
REVENUE:
The Water Department had total receipts of $97,857.10, which was about 5% higher than revenue taken in during 1953.
This is broken down as follows: Water Committments $84,132.01
New Water Connections and Service
replacements 13,725.09
$97,857.10
New Water services again ran higher than expected with a total of new connections 288. Of this total, 129 were installed by the Water De- partment crews and the balance by developers.
NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS:
Size of
Street
Footage
Main
Hydrants
Cost
Fairview Avenue
1,200
6"
2
$ 3,487.34
Hastings Street
600
6"
2
1,641.74
Oak Hill Street
600
6"
1
1,113.38
Woodside and Samuel Streets
1,350
6"
3
4,403.70
Southwick Street
600
6"
1
1,510.01
North Street
485
8"
1
1,624.51
Hydrant Installations:
North West Street
Shoemaker Lane
Highland Avenue
Norris Street
Gate valves for Meadow Street cut-in
1,614.09
$15,394.77
Our distribution system picked up a total of 10,900 lin. ft. of
62
6" water mains installed by and at the expense of various builders and developers who opened up new streets in Agawam in 1954.
Proposed Construction work for 1955:
Greenock Street
600'
6" 6"
2 hydrants
Reed Street
500'
Ralph Street
600 6"
2
Fairview Avenue
500' 6"
1
Garden Street
500'
6"
1
Silver Lake Drive
1,000'
6" 2
Maynard Street
1,000'
6"
2
During 1954 Agawam put in service the third tie-in connection to the City of Springfield's transmission main. This connection was made at the Main and Meadow Street intersection the latter part of last year, and made available early in 1954. Immediately a very noticeable increase in volume and pressure was experienced, particularly in the Feeding Hills area, previously without proper volume of water during heavy consumption in the east and south parts of the Town.
In this year's warrant the Water Department has an article requesting a new pick-up truck, equipped with two way radio service. During emer- gency work, particularly at night, the lack of such equipment has been a serious handicap to faster and more efficient completion of repairs and resumption of service. The radio unit will be tied into the Police Department system.
Agawam Housing Authority
On behalf of the Agawam Housing Authority, I submit the following port for the year 1954:
The present admission and income limits as set by the State Housing oard are as follows: One minor dependent, $3,650.00; two minor dependents. 3,775.00, and three or more minor dependents, $3,900.00. The continued cupancy limits are $3,900.00, $4,025.00 and $4,150.00 respectively. The verage cost of shelter rent for two or three bedroom units (without heat. hot water furnished) is $42.60 per month. Each unit is furnished with h electric refrigerator and electric range. Fourteen vacancies during the ear were filled from applications on file.
During the year the main lawns in the front of the buildings were re- built by plowing under the old lawn, placing of new loam, and grading and
63
seeding. The Authority has consulted with the State Heating Engineer re- garding correction of major difficulties experienced with the oil burners. Adjustments are now being made to insure proper future operations. A con- tinued policy of systematic painting and repairing the interiors of the dwell- ings has been followed throughout the year. The Authority has granted permission to the Parks and Playgrounds Commission of the town for the use of land in the rear of the project for recreational purposes.
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