USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1938 > Part 5
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
417
* Archie M. Howland, 33 Kimball Rd. 419
*Mabel H. Winn, 57 Summer St .. 408
Precinct Nine - One Year
*John B. Byrne, 17 Chestnut St .. 383
*William Gratto, 33 Russell St .. 388
* Archibald C. Loveys, 42 Draper Ave. 406
*Frank W. Tucker, 33 Fairview Ave. 399
*Clifford D. Strout, 90 Falmouth Rd. West. 398
Brewster Ames, 181 Mystic St .. 359
Victor R. Guilbault, 223 Mystic St. 292 Blanks 3457
67
TOWN RECORDS
Precinct Ten - Three Years
*John A. Carr, Jr., 88 Glenburn Rd .. 557
*Melvin H. Chapin, 235 Gray St .. 626
*Herbert M. Dutcher, 28 Walnut St .. 589
*Charles P. Lowell, 163 Highland Ave. 644
*Charles M. Sawyer, 39 Highland Ave. 619
Herbert B. Sprague, 73 Highland Ave. 420
*J. Milton Washburn, Jr., 24 Coolidge Rd. 558
1
Horace N. Clark.
Edith Hearsey 1
Blanks 1229
Precinct Ten - One Year (To fill vacancy)
* Abram Genge, 188 Newport St. 614
*Thurston C. Trueworthy, 23 Moulton Rd. 633
Blanks 501
Precinct Eleven - Three Years
"Robert M. Boyd, 25 Ronald Rd .. 462
*David Buttrick, 115 Summer St. 450
*Dennis I. Donahue, 93 Overlook Rd. 494
*Frank E. Kenney, 85 Forest St .. 457
*John J. A. MacNeil, 87 Overlook Rd. 453
*Edward L. McHugh, 167 Summer St .. 468
Precinct Eleven - Two Years
*Leo V. Clark, 285 Washington St. 436
* Dennis J. Collins, 12 Schouler Court. 449
*Ralph Hoffman, 27 Edmund Rd. 432
* Albert R. Klinger, 117 Overlook Rd. 431
*Harry J. Patterson, 46 Peter Tufts Rd. 431
* William R. Purrier, 129 Overlook Rd. 430
Precinct Eleven - One Year
*Warren Lindberg, 1055 Mass. Ave .. 414
*Frank W. Marshall, Jr., 174 Brattle St. 419
68
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
*William A. Otterson, 31 Ronald Rd. 388
*William E. Taylor, 34 Governor Rd. 426
*James A. Ryan, 65 Richfield Rd .. 390
*James F. Younie, 210 Mountain Ave. 405
Carl W. Sternfeldt, 1 Carl Rd. 1
Fred Wilson, 35 Brand St. 356
Blanks 5362
Precinct Twelve - Three Years
*Herbert O. Alderson, 29 Appleton St. 571
*J. Howard Hayes, 27 Ashland St. 548
*Elliott B. Hughes, 76 Oakland Ave. 568 Harrie H. Dadmun, 56 Robbins Rd. 378 George E. Moore, Jr., 62 Fountain Rd. 385
*Sherman H. Peppard, 7 Gray Circle. 553
*Irving Poole, 210 Park Ave. 557
*Elmer C. Schwamb, 6 Gray Circle. 539
*I. Frederick Wood, 10 Farmer Rd. 541 Blanks 1415
Precinct Twelve - One Year
(To fill vacancy)
*William F. McClellan, 87 Quincy St. 636
Blanks 229
Precinct Thirteen - Three Years
Walter Armstrong, 67 Bow St. 244
*Richard T. Broeg, 2 Crescent Hill Ave .. 357
*Paul H. Burke, 110 Crescent Hill Ave. 387
Neil H. Campbell, 15 Park Ave. Ext. 276
*Edward M. Cartullo, 1187 Mass. Ave. 336
334
Peter L. Frazer, 18 Forest St. Place
*Charles Frederick, 207 Lowell St. 344
*Basil L. Giffin, 47 Park Ave. Ext. 390
William S. Patterson, 35 Peirce St. 282
Edward L. Quinn, 50 Summit St. 267
*Walter N. Stevenson, 38 Park Ave. Ext. 374 Blanks 1215
69
TOWN RECORDS
Precinct Fourteen - Three Years
*Alonzo Adams, 202 Florence Ave. 434
*Joseph F. Beecy, 152 Hillside Ave .. 460
George P. Down, 231 Wachusett Ave. 363
*M. Edward Gaddis, 221 Wachusett Ave. 424
*Louise S. Gruber, 6 Wachusett Ave .. 412
*William J. Henderson, 344 Appleton St. 456
Lillian M. Huston, 69 Tanager St. 351
Ernest S. Johnson, 263 Park Ave. 388 Carl N. Quimby, 60 Hillside Ave. 392
*Hallam T. Ring, 179 Hillside Ave. 414 Michael B. Scannell, 33 Woodbury St. 283 Blanks 1041
Precinct Fourteen-One Year (To fill vacancy)
*Ernest R. Brooks, 103 Claremont Ave. 465
John H. Brooks, Jr., 20 Dow Ave. 151
Katherine J. Marshall, 65 Hillside Ave. 170
Blanks
117
All ballots, used and unused tally sheets, total tally sheets, copy of Precinct Records of Election, and all other records pertaining to the election were placed in the possession of the Town Clerk, to be preserved for the period required by law.
A true record of the election, Attest:
EARL A. RYDER,
Town Clerk.
70
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
ANNUAL MEETING
Arlington, March 15, 1938.
Pursuant to the Warrant of the Selectmen served accord- ing to law upon the inhabitants of the Town by a Constable of said Town, notices having been sent by mail by the Town Clerk seven days before the day of meeting to the Town Meet- ing Members elected and qualified to act in Town Meetings, in Arlington, and advertised in two local papers, the Town Meeting Members met in the Robbins Memorial Town Hall in said Town on Tuesday , March 15, 1938, at eight o'clock in the evening.
Lists of the duly qualified Town Meeting Members were used at the entrances of the meeting place and were in charge of Philip T. Robinson and James E. Sweeney.
The lists contained the names of two hundred and fifty- seven Town Meeting Members.
The check lists filed with the Town Clerk at the close of the meeting showed that one hundred and ninety-nine mem- bers attended the meeting.
The Moderator called the meeting to order at 8:05 P. M.
Town Meeting Members not previously sworn were sworn by the Moderator.
The Clerk read the call and the Constable's Return of the Warrant, the reading of the remainder of the Warrant being waived by consent of the meeting.
Mr. Lowe requested that Selectman Estabrook, Secretary of the Board of Selectmen Mr. Golden, Town Counsel Mr. White, and Mr. Loren Marsh of the Board of Public Works,
71
TOWN RECORDS
be permitted to sit with him. There being no objections the Moderator granted his request.
On motion of Mr. Lowe, duly seconded, it was unani- mously
Voted: That if all the business of the meeting as set forth in the Warrant is not disposed of at this session, when the meeting adjourns, it adjourn to Wednesday evening, March 23, 1938, at S o'clock.
On motion of Mr. Lowe, duly seconded, it was unanimously
Voted: That at 8:27 the Annual Meeting be recessed until the business of the Special Meeting called for 8:30 P. M. is completed and that in no event shall the recess of the An- nual Meeting extend beyond the time at which said Special Meeting adjourns.
On motion of Mr. Lowe, duly seconded, it was unanimously
Voted: That Article 2 be taken up.
Article 2 taken up. (Choice of other town officers.)
On motion of Mr. Lowe, duly seconded, it was unanimously
Voted : That the following be appointed Measures of Wood and Bark :
Arthur B. Peirce Charles E. Hale Patrick F. Brosnahan
There being no further business under Article 2 the Mod- erator declared Article 2 disposed of.
On motion of Mr. Lowe, duly seconded, it was unanimously
Voted: That Article 3 be taken up. (Reports of Select- men, other Town Officers and Committees.)
72
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
On motion of Mr. Lowe, duly seconded, it was unanimously
Voted: That the reports of the Selectmen and of the vari- ous Town Officers and the committees heretofor appointed, to- gether with the statistics of the Assessors as printed in the Town Report, be received.
On motion of Mr. Higgins, duly seconded, it was unani- mously
Voted: That the report of the Finance Committee as pre- sented in its printed form be received.
Mr. Bixby offered the following report of the Committee of Ten appointed to investigate the Recreational Facilities of the Town.
Mr. Moderator and Citizens of Arlington: Your Commit- tee of Ten appointed to investigate the recreational facilities of the town submits what will probably be its final report.
The Committee was faced with three kinds of problems. First, there was danger that, with the rapid increase of our population, the children of future generations would find in- sufficient land provided for playgrounds. Second, there was and still is need of more and better co-ordinated recreational supervision. In the third place, there was and still is a need of more equipment and development for our playgrounds.
As to land requirements, we found that except in East Arlington the Town had sufficient land for its present needs, but it was evident that the probable growth of our population would leave the children of the future without proper play- grounds. Accordingly, we recommended to the last regular Town Meeting the purchase of five parcels of land. Our recommendation was accepted and four of these playgrounds are now owned by the Town. The Park Commission has not yet succeeded in arranging a proper price for the purchase of the Dickson property. In connection with the Margaret St.
73
TOWN RECORDS
Playground, your Committee would recommend that the Town try to make an even exchange, giving the strip of property owned on tax title which is next to the McPhee mill for a strip of similar size next to the playground which is or was owned by the Arlington Construction Co. This exchange would bene- fit both parties. We know of no other important purchases of real estate which we feel should be made at the present time.
We feel that the School Department should remove as many as possible of the restrictions on the use of the school playgrounds. These restrictions seem to be due partly to a desire to preserve the school property and partly to avoid complaints from neighbors. To us, it seems that the oppor- tunity for children to play should, to a reasonable extent, come ahead of either of these considerations. Moreover, most of these objections can be overcome by proper supervisions.
At present, many playground supervisors are employed by the W.P.A. When and if the Federal Government with- draws from this activity, we must be prepared to take it over. As a step in this direction, members of our committee as in- dividuals were largely responsible for the organization of the Arlington Boys' Club. In some way we should probably fol- low the lead of Belmont and other neighboring towns by hav- ing a town director of recreation.
The Park Commission has a plan for the development of tennis courts throughout the Town which we heartily recom- mend. In the east end of Arlington, there are at present no tennis courts and in view of the closing of the Crosby Play- ground to baseball by court order, we urgently recommend that three tennis courts be constructed on this land as planned by the Park Department and that the appropriation asked by them for this purpose be voted at this meeting.
The swimming situation will be greatly helped when the M. D. C. succeeds in making the water of the Mystic Lakes safe. Big Sandy Beach has always been a great resort for
74
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Arlington children. The Heights Reservoir is a good place for swimming, but needs constant supervision and a small fireproof bath-house and toilet building. We do not feel that this should cost over two thousand dollars, and strongly recommend that it should be built this year. Linwood Beach should also be developed for swimming as soon as it can be made safe.
We feel that the work of this committee should be con- tinued. Under Article 34 the Park Commission has asked that a permanent committee of seven be appointed for this work. Therefore, we recommend that a resolution be now passed dis- charging this committee if and when this new committee shall be appointed.
For the Committee.
(Signed) WARREN N. BIXBY, Chairman.
On motion duly made and seconded it was unanimously Voted : That the report be received.
On motion of Mr. Bixby, duly seconded, it was
Voted : That if a Committee of Seven or any other number be appointed under Article 34 of this warrant, that the Com- mittee of Ten be thereupon discharged, and that their records be turned over to the new Committee, but if no committee is appointed under Article 34, that the Committee of Ten con- tinue to function until further action by the Town Meeting.
Mr. J. Howard Hayes offered the following report of the Committee to investigate and study Public Library Accommo- dations at Arlington Heights.
Under vote of the Town, May 26, 1930, a committee was appointed to investigate and study Public Library Accommo- dations at Arlington Heights. Under vote of the Town July
75
TOWN RECORDS
15, 1931, the membership of this committee was enlarged to include the Chairman of the Trustees of the Robbins Library and the Inspector of Buildings, and the committee was author- ized to procure plans and estimates for altering, repairing or adding to the building on land of the Town situated on the corner of Park Avenue and Paul Revere Road, and/or con- structing a new building on said land. At the same time the Town appropriated the sum of three hundred dollars for the use of the committee which has been expended as follows: The sum of two hundred and fifty dollars was paid to the architect for his plans and estimates and the sum of fifty dollars was re- turned to the Town.
This committee having completed the work for which it was appointed respectfully asks to be discharged.
Signed: SARAH R. VAUGHN J. HOWARD HAYES PAUL H. MOSSMAN WILLIAM A. MULLER VITTORIA C. DALLIN, Chairman
On motion, duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
Voted: To accept the same and that the Committee be discharged.
On motion of Carl H. Bunker, duly seconded, it was un- animously
Voted : That the Committee on the Pheasant Ave. School Building be discharged.
Mr. Loren M. Marsh offered the following report of the Committee on the Methods of Disposal of Ashes, Rubbish and Offal which was directed at the last Town Meeting to report a plan for a central reclamation plant.
76
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
REPORT OF COMMITTEE Appointed at MARCH MEETING, 1937, TO BRING IN PLANS for a CENTRAL DISPOSAL PLANT FOR RUBBISH
This committee submitted a report to the 1937 Town Meeting, with recommendations based upon conditions found at that time. The report was placed only, in the hands of the Town Meeting Members, on account of lack of funds required for more general distribution. The local newspapers reprinted the report, but the matter was not given as widely distributed publicity as was considered necessary for a complete under- standing on the part of the Town as a whole. Therefore, your committee believes that this original report should be re- printed as a part of this present report, as the facts found a year ago are as pertinent now as they were when originally sub- mitted. The present conditions have been found to be even more urgent in their demand for correction.
The conclusions of the Original Report were substan- tially as follows :
The Town, by protest from one district after another, against the continuance of our present practice of burning rubbish upon open dumps has declared itself opposed to these conditions.
By vote of the Town Meeting, this committee was directed to bring in a plan for a central Rubbish Disposal Plant, to the next annual Town Meeting. Pursuant with this vote, the following report is submitted.
Since last year, when the original report was submitted, conditions have changed and become more acute. These con-
77
TOWN RECORDS
ditions must have immediate bearing upon consideration of this present report and are stated for this purpose.
For a part of the year 1937, the Public Works Department had the privilege of using two dumps. At the request of the Park Commission rubbish and ashes were used as filling at Meadow Brook Park. The rubbish was not burned, but was immediately covered with inexpensive filling of dirt from two sources. After a Public Hearing of Protest, filed by near-by residents, the Park Commission abandoned the practice, and the Public Works department was forbidden further use of the Meadow Brook Reservation.
The second dump, which has been in use for more than a year, located at the Arlington-Lexington line near the old Reservoir, then became the only available dump for the Sani- tary Department. This made it necessary to haul all rub- bish and ashes from the most remote sections of the town into the Town of Lexington. The most thickly settled portion of Arlington is near the Cambridge line, and it is approximately three and one-half miles through the town to the Lexington dump. It is estimated that the cost for this long haul added more than $2,000.00 to the total cost of collections.
Protest has now been made against the further use of the Lexington dump, by the Town officials of Lexington as well as nearby residents of Arlington. These protests will soon be unnecessary, for the dump is going to be filled by June of this year.
When this dump is abandoned, if the Town does not pro- vide some alternate method of disposal, it will become neces- sary, in spite of protests, to turn to one or more of the dumps which have been abandoned in the past because of the nuisance experienced.
It is, therefore, in the opinion of the committee, absolutely necessary for some positive action to be taken at this annual Town Meeting, to correct the conditions.
78
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
The committee presents what in their opinion is the most economical method of disposal, and one which may be accomplished in the least possible time. Time is of the es- sence of the problem, if renewed nuisances are not made nec- essary upon the old abandoned dumps.
Supplementing the Original Report of the Committee in 1937, some further investigation has been made of a plan which was not suggested in the original report. This is the Private Contract System, under which the collections are made by a private contractor, under contract with the Town to make complete collections, the cost to be levied from General Tax. We are informed that in towns where this method is em- ployed, that there is some dissatisfaction with the service. The cost to the Town, in the event of our prohibiting the burning of refuse upon dumps within the Town, would surely be more than the present method, for it would certainly cost some one a lot of money to haul forty to sixty tons of rubbish and ashes each day to some outlying community. Ultimately this cost must of course be borne by the Town.
Another factor was considered carefully in this connec- tion, viz: If any such radical departure from present prac- tice should be undertaken, there would be about fifty active employes of the Town Sanitary Department thrown out of employment. We, as a committee, are opposed to any such plan and do not recommend it.
The recommendation of the committee stands as stated in the original report.
The Public Works Department has contracted for the disposal and sale of offal at a new rate of $5400.00 per year, as against the previous rate of $2,000.00 which was the rate for many years. This means an increase in revenue to the Town of $3400.00 per year in the sale of offal. Your com- mittee believes that the present practice of sale of offal is most advantageous to the Town and that for a long period of years, it will be possible to continue with this plan.
79
TOWN RECORDS
Our recommendation for change is therefore limited to the disposal of rubbish only. The rubbish is to be so handled that it may be sorted and the valuable materials therein sal- vaged, and the residue disposed of by burning under controlled conditions at no expense or nuisance to the Town. Under no circumstances shall this plant be convertible into a plant where offal may be reduced or destroyed. We believe that this assurance will be appreciated by all citizens of the Town.
No further mention will be made regarding the matter of collection and disposal of offal, for we believe that the present method is most advantageous to the Town.
The collection of rubbish and ashes by the Town Sanitary Division should be continued, with very minor changes neces- sary for the proper separation of materials by the householder.
The materials are to be hauled as follows, ashes direct to any number of dumps where they are never a nuisance, and rubbish hauled to a central reclamation plant to be located within the Town Yard. This reclamation plant should be erected upon Hobbs Court extension, about twenty-five feet from property line and laid out approx. Thirty-five feet from and parallel to the Boston and Maine R. R. right-of-way. This selection of site for building was determined after con- sideration of the configuration of the ground, location of ad- joining structures, roadways, gasoline storage tanks, future possible spur track extension, and also yard storage space, the whole details of which would be tedious to present in this formal report.
The type of a structure and equipment are similar in many details to one which has been in operation in the city of Springfield, Mass., for many years. The layout of our pro- posed reclamation plant is, however, somewhat simpler in mechanical equipment, the design of which has been approved by the contractor who operates this plant, as well as ap- proved by the city authorities, who very kindly assisted us in our investigations.
80
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
The contract which the city of Springfield lets to the oper- ator of the plant, obliges the contractor to agree to destroy within the plant all the combustible refuse which is of no value. The contractor is given the right to salvage all valu- able materials which are to become his property, to dispose of as he may see fit, all of which shall be removed from the plant without expense to the city. The city furnishes the building, with conveyor system and furnaces for burning dry combusti- ble wastes of no value. Two or three private rooms are pro- vided for the convenience of the employes. The contractor assumes all operating costs of equipment and the city does not have any employes working upon the premises at any time with the exception of the truck crews, which come to the plant with loads of rubbish.
It is proposed, that the Town of Arlington enter into similar contract in connection with the erection of the pro- posed reclamation plant.
The plan which we recommend does not call for any in- crease in the payroll of the Public Works Department. On the contrary, it calls for a reduction of two men for each dump in operation at the time of transfer to the new plan. THE CONTRACTOR PAYS FOR ALL LABOR AT THE PLANT.
The operation of the plant may be simply described as follows :
The Town trucks dump their loads upon a large concrete floor area at the ground level. Some of the larger pieces of refuse are separated at this point, but the majority of the refuse is pushed across the floor to a conveyor which carries it to the next floor above. Here, the more valuable paper stock is sorted into two large bins, which extend down to the first floor. This sorted stock is then lowered to the basement, where it is baled and stored ready for shipment.
The wastes of no value are dropped off the end of the conveyor after the valuable stock is removed, down to a con-
81
TOWN RECORDS
crete floor over the furnaces or burners. The firing openings of the furnaces are in the concrete floor and are provided with suitable rolling covers which protect openings with suitable railings.
The combustible wastes are practically 100 per cent con- sumed. There is little or no smoke, even when starting the fire. The ashes from the furnaces amount to so little bulk that there is no necessity for ash conveyors to loading hopper. It can be done by hand by the contractor with very little labor.
In design of the plant, we have considered the maximum and minimum collections which have been sworn to by ac- credited weighers.
The maximum collections in January 19 to 25, 1937, showed a gross weight of rubbish of thirty tons per day, of which 60 per cent is reclaimed, leaving a maximum load of 12 tons to be burned each day. The minimum collections in mid- summer from July 26 to 31, 1937, showed 8.6 tons to be burned each day.
We therefore submit a design for a burning plant con- sisting of three six-ton furnaces. Two furnaces will take the maximum load at present. The third furnace will be held in reserve for extra heavy load, or shut-downs for repairs, etc. A fourth foundation will be provided for one furnace which may be necessary at some future time. From a study of the possible growth of the Town, we believe that this burner lay- out will provide for future expansion for a period of twenty years. We think that this is far enough in the future for present recommendations by this committee.
The smoke stack required for such a plant, must be 100 feet high. This great height places all gases in an upper strata of air, insuring against annoyance from the light smoke. We have watched the smoke at Springfield, Newton and Som- erville plants of similar design and were unable, at any time,
82
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
to detect objectionable smoke coming from any stack, even though new fires were made for us.
There is no expensive equipment of any kind to be period- ically renewed, other than furnace linings and grate bars.
Your committee does not feel that it is empowered to submit with this plan for a reclamation plant, an additional plan for a heat conserving plant in the nature of a central heating plant to be supplied with hot gases from the furnaces of the reclamation plant. We are advised that the waste heat from the furnaces will be sufficient to furnish required heat for a 60 to 65 horse-power steam boiler. We believe that this would be ample to furnish heat for all the present buildings upon the Town Yard in addition to the new building in which it will be produced. No studies have been made of this prob- lem. We have, however, come to the conclusion that, in- asmuch as we now have adequate heating plants in each of the present buildings, it would be inadvisable to make the alteration in heating plants at this time. If later on there should be trouble with existing plants, the problem of con- solidation could then be taken up in detail.
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.