USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Eastham > Town of Eastham Annual Report 1952-1956 > Part 11
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Paid Treasurer Account 1952
$1,080.74
Paid Treasurer Account 1953
8,745.23
Abated 1952
96.04
Abated 1953
763.50
Uncollected Motor Vehicle Excise Taxes (1953)
564.63
$11,250.14
Summary of Uncollected Taxes
1953 Real Estate Taxes
$4,235.10
1953 Personal Taxes
1,360.26
1953 M. V. and Trailer Excise Taxes
564.63
$6,159.99
Respectfully submitted,
L. ISABELLE BRACKETT,
Tax Collector
63
1953 Report of Fees of the Collector, Treasurer and Town Clerk
Board of Selectmen,
Town of Eastham,
Eastham, Mass.
Gentlemen :
I submit herewith a report of fees collected in the above offices, not previously reported, for the year 1953 :
Received in Collector's Fees (Tax Title fees included) $292.00
Received for Recording Fees
133.00
Administering Oaths
11.00
$436.00
Respectfully Submitted,
L. ISABELLE BRACKETT
Treasurer, Collector, Town Clerk
64
Report of Board of Assessors
The Assessors of the Town of Eastham ask that the voters bear in mind that it is they who decide the tax rate for the town by their approval of appropriations ot the Annual Town Meeting.
Following are the comparative figures of the Assessors for the years 1952 and 1953, which show an increased valu- ation of $256,888.00. It is estimated that the increase for the coming year will equal this amount.
Comparative Figures
Valuation of Town, January 1
1952
1953
Land
$ 666,370.00
$ 690,180.00
Buildings
2,181,390.00
2,385,430.00
Personal Estate
436,220.00
480,650.00
Real Estate, Land and Buildings,
December Assessment
30,410.00
15,850.00
Personal Estate, December Assessment
1,920.00
1,080.00
$3,316,310.00
$3,573,190.00
65
Taxes Assessed to December 31
1952
1953
Levied on Real Estate
$86,571.90
$95,343.41
Levied on Personal Estate
13,261.09
14,900.15
Levied on Polls
624.00
640.00
Motor Vehicle Excise
8,222.93
9,553.86
December Assessment, Including
Personal Estate
976.74
524.83
Rate of Taxation
30.40
31.00
Number of Polls Assessed
312
320
Number of Horses Assessed
4
5
Number of Cows Assessed
18
28
Number of Neat Cattle other than Cows Assessed
3
1
Number of Fowls Assessed
1,150
600
Number of Goats Assessed
7
Acres of Land Assessed
7,370
7,472
Respectfully submitted,
LUTHER P. SMITH, Chairman
MAURICE W. WILEY
BERNARD C. COLLINS
Board of Assessors
66
Report of Eastham, Brewster, Orleans Ambulance Association, Inc. For the Year 1953
-
RECEIPTS 1953
Brewster
$900.00
Orleans
1800.00
Eastham
900.00
Donations
799.60
Total Receipts
$4399.60
Balance January 1, 1953
322.66
Replacements
1568.36
$6290.62
Expenses 1953
Care of Ambulance
$480.00
Gas, Oil, Tires
698.75
Drivers
2300.50
Meals
98.47
Laundry
15.67
Repairs
132.05
Equipment, Supplies
23.20
Insurance
117.98
Miscellaneous
24.00
$3890.62
Balance January 2, 1954
831.64
Replacement Fund, January 2, 1954
1568.36
$6290.62
67
The ambulance is available for emergency use at any time, day or night, for which use there is no charge; how- ever the Ambulance Association is glad to receive any do- nations which aid in meeting the expenses.
Since the ambulance has been turned over to the As- sociation it has travelled 51,212 miles making the following trips :
Brewster 33, Orleans 75, Eastham 30; a total of 138.
If the present service is to be continued, and maintained the ambulance which is now being operated will have to be replaced.
Respectfully submitted,
CARROLL R. REED, President FRANK E. IRELAND,
Secretary and Treasurer
68
Report of The Appeal Board
-
To the Board of Selectmen:
The Board has held thirteen appeal hearings this past year, four of which were conducted by Mr. Lloyd Mayo, in the absence of the regular chairman. This is an increase of eight in the number of hearings held in 1952.
It has been necessary to refuse two appeals this past year, and in certain cases it was necessary to impose restric- tions in granting the appeal.
The reason for most of the appeals was the landowners desire to use small lots which they owned at the time the codes were adopted. It will most likely be some time before we are through with appeals resulting from this reason. We have found the appellants very co-operative in nearly all cases.
It would be a great help to us, and the Building Inspec- tor, if all property owners would have permanent bounds placed on the property before starting to build, as a stick or small stone is too easily moved or lost. Lack of reliable bounds could cost a builder considerably more than the placement of reliable boundary markers.
Respectfully submitted,
RICHARD H. WHITFORD,
Appeal Board Chairman
69
Report of Barnstable County Health Department
Board of Health
Town of Eastham
This is a brief narrative and summarized statistical re- port of the Barnstable County Health Department activities for the year 1953.
1
There were no extensive epidemics of the ordinary com- municable diseases in the County during the year.
Of the eleven cases of poliomyelitis reported, only three were permanent residents of the County. A limited supply of gamma globulin to be used in the prevention of the di- sease was so regulated, that only family contacts of cases under thirty years of age were to be given the inoculations. This regulation was very well observed by both the physi- cians of the county and the parents of children. The mater- ial was distributed from one depot located at the Cape Cod Hospital, Hyannis, and a total of six hundred and eight cu- bic centimeters of the material was furnished on the re- quisition of physicians. We wish to express our appreciation to the hospital administration for their assistance.
Routine work in the field of sanitation was carried on as usual. Private water supplies were examined in the labo- ratory on request. Licensed camps in the County were in- spected in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
In planning our inspections of food handling establish- ments, we have concentrated this year on those which were opening for the first time, those under new ownership, and
70
those whose record was unsatisfactory in the past. The per- formance of a few owners in sanitizing their utensils, was so unsatisfactory that letters were sent to Boards of Select- men requesting that licenses not be issued for the year 1954 until some assurance of improvement was given.
With changes constantly occuring in scientific know- ledge, and consequent changes in Public Health Practice, the continued training of personnel is very essential.
We have endeavored to keep the staff of this Depart- ment as much up to date as possible by group and individual conferences. Our Nursing Educational Director has carried out a plan of training for the nurses employed by the indiv- idual towns. In addition, three nurses attending the schools of Public Health Nursing at Boston University and Simmons College were given field training under the supervision of this department. They worked with the nursing personnel in the towns of Chatham, Falmouth and Sandwich.
Two recent graduates of the University of Massachusetts were given field training in the field of sanitation during the summer months.
Working with the Division of Maternal and Child Health, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, a train- ing program for hard of hearing pre-school children was instituted during the year. It is the aim of this training to rehabilitate some of these children so that they will be able to attend the regular schools of the County.
Stastical Summary
Administrative:
Automobile Mileage
53334
Individual Interviews
1706
Meetings Attended 198
Lectures etc. 25
71
Communicable Disease Control:
Visits to Cases
57
Smallpox Vaccinations
354
Diphtheria Immunizations
641
Whooping Cough Immunizations
449
Tetanus Immunizations
641
Typhoid Immunizations
5
Child Hygiene :
Preschool Children Examined 540
School Children Examined 162
School Children Inspected by Dental Hygienist
2834
School Children Given Fluorine Prophylaxis
1641
Total Fluorine Treatments
5366
Visits to Crippled Children's Clinics
298
Sanitary Inspections :
Water Supplies
161
Sewage Disposal
234
Schools
4
Camps
238
Rodent Control.
21
Nuisances
9
Restaurants etc.
1255
Markets and Groceries
178
Dairy Farms
13
Pasteurizing Plants
27
Bottling Plants
3
Laboratory Specimens Examined :
Water Supplies
157
Milk (Bacteriological)
83
Milk (Fats and Solids)
87
Milk (Coliform Tests)
14
Milk (Mastitis)
4
Cream
6
Food Handling Utensils
1696
72
Cases of Reportable Diseases :
Chicken Pox
99
Dog Bite
129
German Measles
34
Measles
13
Meningitis
9
Mumps
51
Poliomyelitis
11
Scarlet Fever
30
Tuberculosis
16
Whooping Cough
6
Infectious Hepatitis
13
Respectfully submitted,
F.L. MOORE, M.D., C.M., M.P.H. County Health Officer
Report of the Building Inspector
To the Board of Selectmen :
I herewith submit my report for the year ending De- cember 31, 1953.
The amount collected, and turned into the Town Trea- surer, was $374.00. This amount covers the cost of the 132 permits issued by me during the year. The estimated cost of these buildings, as made by the builders, is $346,015.00.
Inspections made totaled 359.
Respectfully submitted,
RALPH L. ROGERS, Building Inspector
73
Report of Civil Defense Director
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen :
In the Civil Defense Report of the year 1953, the year has shown that we have a good working staff and member- ship, which would run smoothly in case of need.
All Auxiliary Police, under the direction of the Chief of Police, have responded whenever a test Alert has been sounded from this area. The Auxiliary Firemen, in conjunc- tion with the regular Firemen, have also responded to all Alerts promptly.
In October they gave a demonstration at Great Pond in Eastham, with Fire Departments from several other towns. It was a great display, and proved the efficiency of our fire fighting equipment. It is the hope of this director that a res- cue truck, fully equipped, to be used in case of an emer- gency, and to be under the supervision of the fire depart- ment, can be obtained sometime in the near future.
In June, an alert was sounded, and the school children, instructed by their teachers, were shown how to proceed, and what to do in case of a real Alert.
Civil Defense has a very imposing list of First Aiders, which is gratifying for a town the size of Eastham. Many of these First Aiders have had special training, and would be among the first to respond if they are ever needed.
The Civil War Division of Civil Defense has developed during the year, under the leadership of Mrs. Dorrice Mayo and Mrs. Elizabeth Lloyd. A very able demonstration was given by the Barnstable County Welfare Association in the Town Hall on December 9th to show what this division of Civil Defense would have to do in case of any catastrophy.
74
It was the request of the Red Cross that a registered Nurse from the Town of Eastham be appointed to take what- ever course the Red Cross has for home nursing. Mrs. Jean Putnum, R.N., very kindly promised to act in that capacity.
A two-way radio has been purchased for use between all towns on the Cape ; this Radio being on a separate band from what the Police and Fire Department use, and is used for Civil Defense only.
I would like to thank the men who have acted as an ad- visory council, and also the Board of Selectmen and other official personnel who have been a great help to me by their advice and interest in Civil Defense.
Respectfully submitted
LUTHER BROWN
Civil Defense Director
75
Report of the Finance Committee
To the Board of Selectmen :
Transfers from the Reserve Fund to various accounts were as follows:
Treasurer, Collector, Clerk Expense
$500.00
Dining Room Equipment
200.00
Shellfish Propogation
200.00
Town Landings
1,200.00
Town Dump
100.00
Election and Registration
100.00
Interest
50.00
Library
350.00
Fire Department
287.94
Assessors' Abstracts
3.15
Total
$2,991.09
1953 Reserve Fund
$3,000.00
1953 Transfers
2,991.09
Balance $8.91
Respectfully submitted,
ANDREW C. MISKELLY, Chairman and Secretary
Howard L. Anderson
Delbert Johnson, Jr.
Arthur L. Benner, Jr. Robert O. Abbott
Alfred Nickerson Bernard C. Collins, Jr.
Oscar G Pierce
Prescott B. Cummings
76
Report of Fire Chief and Forest Fire Warden
To the Board of Selectmen :
Having been appointed to succeed Mr. James Johnston, .Jr., after his resignation on March 1st. I hereby submit the following report :
The eighteen members of the fire department have spent many hours learning the different types of fires, how to extinguish them, salvage methods, the proper use, laying and care of hose, life saving, first aid and the protection of their own lives. They spend two or three hours each month on drills, putting into practice knowledge they have gained and learning the proper use of the equipment at their dispos- al. I would like to extend my thanks to them for their dili- gence, cooperation and assistance.
The department was called 41 times this year, 34 alarms and 7 silent :
15 Wood and Grass Fires
2 House Fires
4 Chimney Fires
2 Automobile
8 Dump Fires
3 Oil Stove Fires
2 False
2 Lost Children
3 Rescues
Children playing with matches have been the cause of many grass fires. It seems that the time has come to give serious thought to holding the parents responsible for the expenses incurred by such calls.
The Forest truck was placed in North Eastham, at my place of business, during the summer months this past year, so that it could be on the road instantly upon receipt of a call. Several times this proved to be a time saving factor.
77
The Radio-phone, which was purchased and donated to the Fire Department by the Volunteer Firemen's Associa- tion, was installed in the Forest truck. It has proved to be an invaluable asset as it gives us radio and telephone contact with any person or Fire Department on the Cape.
As Forest Warden, I issued 355 permits for open fires. As in the past no permits were issued during the hours the State Fire Towers were open. This practice eliminates un- necessary investigation of smoke seen by the towers. I wish to express my thanks to the citizens of Eastham, and the summer visitors, for their cooperation during the periods the woods were closed by the State Fire Marshall.
In behalf of the entire Fire Department, I wish to thank the Eastham Volunteer Firemen's Association for their great interest in the department, and the protection of property, and for their gift of the Radio-phone.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN HILFERTY,
Fire Chief and Forest Warden
78
Report of Highway Surveyor
CHAPTER 81
To Appropriation
$3,900.00 By Payment
$14,625.00
By State 10,725.00
$14,625.00
Laborers' Wages $2,504.41
Surveyors' Wages 703.75
$3,208.16
Equipment Rental :
Trucks and
Operators
$3,228.75
Power Grader
697.50
Tractor Shovel 1,904.00
Bulldozer 97.50
Chip Spreader
62.05
Street Sweeper 37.80
Roller and
Transportation 122.00
Tractor and
Mower 119.00
Power Saw 35.00
$6,303.60
Material and Supplies :
Asphalt $4,567.27
Weed Toxin 85.00
Street Signs
18.00
Express 18.55
Cement, Lime, Brick 14.84
Grates and Frames 168.00
10 inch Pipe 48.00
Catch Basins 132.78
Axes 11.46
Paint, Brushes, etc. 49.34
$5,113.24
$14,625.00
79
The following roads were given asphalt treatment dur-
ing 1953 :
Herring Brook
.90 mile
Locust
.04 mile
Great Pond
.05
Mill
.47
Samoset
.04
Nauset
1.20
Govonor Prince
.04
Nauset Beach
.04
66
Bridge
.03 66
Brackett
.04
66
Meeting House
.06
Camp Ground
.03
66
Sunken Meadow
.68 66
Shurtleff
.02
66
Massasoit
.07
66
Kingsbury Beach
.02
Steele
.28
CHAPTER 90
To Appropriation
$1,000.00
By County
1,000.00
By State
2,000.00
4,000.00
By Payment
$3,999.94
Laborers Wages
$593.13
785.01
Surveyors Wages
191.88
1,579.75
Equipment Rental :
1,635.18
Trucks and
Operators
715.75
Power Grader
281.25
Tractor Shovel
500.50
Bulldozer
78.00
Chip Spreader
4.25
Materials :
Asphalt
1,635.18
$3,999.94
This money was spent on Ocean View Drive, the road is nearly completed with the exception of some shoulder work and slopes to be loamed, if we can use some of the Chapter 81 appropriation for this work.
Respectfully submitted,
NATHAN A. NICKERSON SR., Highway Surveyor
80
Librarian's Report
To the Board of Selectmen :
To the 7000 volumes already catalogued, 250 Adult and 50 Juvenile books have been added; a great many of them through the generosity of Miss Barnard, Orleans Librarian, and many more through the kindness of interested towns- people.
The outstanding purchase for the year has been a com- plete new set of Encyclopedia Brittianicca, much needed, and already being used by many of our pupils in the town.
We have been grateful for the opportunity to help, in a small way, the children in remote schools in the Ozarks, by sending them some of our discarded Juvenile books which were still usable. Through the coming year we shall be glad to receive donations of such books for this purpose.
Our books and magazines loaned for the year number 4,714.
Total fines and deposits from summer people amounted to $26.90.
Respectfully submitted,
NATHENA M. COLE Librarian
81
Library Trustees Report
The trustees of the Eastham library held seven meetings during the year.
Mrs. Charles N. Campbell was elected a trustee to suc- ceed Mrs. Nathan Clark. It was with regret that the trus- tees accepted the resignation, during the latter part of the year, of Mrs. Blanche Keefe, who was librarian for many years. Mrs. Harold Cole was appointed the new librarian.
The most important work of the trustees during the year was the acquisition of several hundred new books, most of which were donations from private individuals and from the duplicate collection of the Orleans library. In addition to the bound volumes, a collection of several hundred paper backed novels was acquired through donations, which are available to the public on a "Take five, bring back five" basis. Also, approximately 800 books, which were more than thirty years old, and had not been in circulation for several years, were removed from the library shelves.
The trustees would like to express their appreciation to those who donated books to the library and particularly to Miss Ruth Barnard, Orleans librarian, and to the trustees of the Snow library.
A new edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica was pur- chased to replace several other Encyclopaedias more than twenty years old.
The trustees will welcome suggestions which will in- crease the usefulness of the library to the public. During the early part of the year, the library was insulated to make the building more comfortable and to reduce the expense of heating.
Respectfully submitted,
DORRICE MAYO, Chairman MARGARET J. CAMPBELL NATALIE W. EATON, Secretary
82
Report of The Moth Superintendent
To the Board of Selectmen :
The Scouting and trapping program carried on in co- operation with the State and Federal authorities, for con- trolling gypsy moths, was particularly extensive this year because of the Worcester disaster. However, Eastham was most fortunate, as no gypsy moths were trapped here, al- though several other towns had quite an influx of moths due to the Worcester tornado.
The spraying program was as extensive as was possible with the available equipment and part-time help.
A survey was made of all of the Elm trees in Eastham, and they were sprayed several times, as Dutch Elm Disease was found in trees in nearby towns.
In order to conform with Section 11, Chapter 660, Acts of 1948 (as amended by Chapter 761, Acts of 1949), Gen- eral Laws, and the notification of the town's liability for the suppression program, as received from the Chief Super- intendent of Insect Pest Control, Department of Conserva- tion, it is recommended that the town appropriate the sum of $650.00 for control and suppression of gypsy moth, brown- tail moth, Oriental hag moth, tent caterpillars, canker worms and elm leaf beetles, all of which insect pests have been de- clared to be public nuisances.
It is also recommended that the town appropriate the sum of $200.00 for the control of Dutch Elm disease, under Section 14, Chapter 660, Acts of 1949, General Laws.
Although woodticks cannot be eliminated entirely, they can be suppressed to a great degree, and in order that this
83
program may be carried on, I recommend that $200.00 be ap- propriated for this purpose.
The fall web worm and oak worm are a constant threat and I would like to recommend that $300.00 be appropriated for the control and suppression of these insect pests.
The entire spraying program for the Town of Eastham was very much curtailed by the many breakdowns of the spray truck. Although the best care has been taken of it, it's ancient vintage makes it necessary to replace worn parts constantly, many of which are not available. This necessi- tates waiting for substitute parts, which is some cases didn't fit when they arrived. In order that the past program of spraying be maintained at the lowest possible cost, I would like to recommend that the Town purchase a truck, of not earlier date than 1947, and that $700.00 be appropriated for this purpose. When considering this recommendation it would be well to remember that the spray truck is not only a piece of equipment used for the suppression of various In- sect Pests, but is also a very valuable piece of fire-fighting equipment.
Respectfully submitted,
ROBERT L. SCHROEDER, Local Superintendent,, Insect Pest Control
84
Report of The Old Mill
To the Board of Selectmen :
The mill opened on June 15th and closed on September 26th, for the seventh consecutive summer, with the largest number of visitors yet. There were eleven thousand, three hundred and eighty-four people who signed the guest book, and several thousand more who did not sign. The donations were $480.90 and the sales amounted to $594.54.
Respectfully submitted,
HAROLD R. COLE Miller
Report On Town Hall Parking Area
To the Board of Selectmen :
I have had three meetings with Mr. Henry Guild, owner of the property in the rear of the Town Hall, regarding a lease to the Town for a portion of his property. Mr. Guild has agreed to lease a strip of this property, 125 feet deep and the length of the present town property, to the Town for a period of ten years, without charge.
This property will provide the Town with much needed increase in the parking area.
Respectfully submitted,
WINFRED J. KNOWLES Committee of One, Appointed by the Town.
85
Planning Board Report
To the Board of Selectmen :
During 1953 the Planning Board has met regularly, on the second Tuesday of each month, with additional meetings as have been required.
This year, there have been seven subdivisions submit- ted and approved by the Board. The lots in these subdivi- sions totaled about sixty-five.
On October 30, the Planning Board met in Hyannis with other Boards of this region to hear a discussion and explanation of the revised law regarding subdivisions, which was passed by the Legislature this year. There is one impor- tant feature of the law that affects local Boards. That is the power to regulate lot sizes in accordance with existing Zon- ing regulations.
The Planning Board has purchased, from the U. S. Gov- ernment, a set of aerial photographs of the entire town. With these it will be possible to compile a study plan of the town which will be both economical and satisfactory.
With respect to future planning, the Board feels that some of the following projects should be considered :
Development of the area on the new road between the Coast Guard Station and the Light. This consists of about eleven acres, and was taken by the Town at the last annual Town Meeting for an additional public beach and recrea- tion area ;
Study regarding a town road from the junction of Little Creek and Nauset Roads to the new Ocean Drive, mentioned above. There is already provision for such a road on the old
86
Eastham Land Co. plans. Construction of the road would provide access to and appreciably increase the value of scores of lots in that area ;
Study of the practicability of a Town Way, or Ways, into the area North of Cable Road and East of the Railroad. This is an area of roughly two thousand acres, from which no taxes of any consequences are taken. if by establishing roads the land values could be increased, and building in this section stimulated, it might well be worth the expense involved.
With the aid of the proposed study plan mentioned in a preceding paragraph, it is hoped that in another year, a definite logical program can be planned regarding the de- velopment of these unfruitful areas.
Respectfully submitted,
A. H. NICKERSON, Clerk
87
Report of The Chief of Police
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and the Citizens of the Town of Eastham.
I hereby submit my report of the duties performed by the Police Officers of the Town of Eastham :
1. PATROL DUTIES
Covering Town on weekends from May 1st to Sep- tember 15.
Halloween Night.
All large functions at the Town Hall.
2. PARKING AREAS
Parking cars in town lots at Nauset Light and Nauset.
Coast Guard Beaches on weekends only.
3. MOTOR VEHICLES
603 - cars stopped for various motor vehicle viola- tions.
27 - accidents investigated. 8 - persons injured. 221 - verbal warnings given by officers.
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