Town of Lynnfield, Essex County, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, annual report 1961-1970, Part 68

Author: Lynnfield (Mass.)
Publication date: 1961-1970
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 1002

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Lynnfield > Town of Lynnfield, Essex County, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, annual report 1961-1970 > Part 68

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3. The Hudson Farm. 35 acres of old field, swamp and woodland. Best access: the road beside the Shopping Center; other access at the end of Carter Road.

4. The Pine Hill lot - between King James Grant and Wing Road - 10 acres of pine woods. Access from Mirabeau Road (off Main Street).

5. 28 acres in the middle of Reedy Meadow marsh. No access.

6. 8 acres; all of it is underneath Pillings Pond except 100 feet of shoreline.

7. 4 acres along Hawkes Brook - access along the brook from Timberhill Lane.

8. 50 acres along Bow Ridge. Best access from the end of Ledge Road.

There are a number of projects that well might be undertaken with these properties; unfortunately most of them cost money. These lands represent an important asset to the Town of Lynnfield. In the future, as open land becomes scarcer, its value to the residents will increase markedly and may well call for increased development. For the present, we have no plans except for modest beginnings on nature trails, wild flower gardens, etc.

Bennett R. Keenan, Chairman

MUNICIPAL LAND ACQUISITION COMMITTEE

This committee was appointed by the Selectmen in July and August of 1965 to investigate and to recom- mend to the selectmen acquision of property that the town might need for future development.

With the town planning firm of Shurcliff & Merrill the committee recommended that the town purchase the four acre Pearson property adjoining the Town Hall.

Acting on this recommendation the selectmen introduced article 29 at the annual town meeting in March, 1966, to have the land appraised and at a special town meeting in June the town voted to acquire this property.

The committee is now considering a future site for a garage and storage space for the Highway Department. The present location behind the Town Hall is now adequate, but as the town grows more area will be needed.

This committee is of the opinion that all of the area in the vicinity of the Town Hall should be acquired for future use. The Rideout, Haskell, and Donahue properties, together with property now owned by the town, would provide an ideal area for the expansion that is bound to come and the amenities that will be demanded.

John E. Harriss

MUNICIPAL LIGHT STUDY COMMITTEE

The Municipal Light Study Committee was named in April, 1962 to study the possibility of a Municipal Light Department. Its report was made to the Annual Town Meeting in March, 1963 at which time the Committee asked that it be discharged. The Town, however, decided to retain it on a stand-by basis, its present status. The Committee has had no activity during the year 1967.

Oscar S. Bray

METROPOLITAN AREA PLANNING COUNCIL

Since last reporting, the Council has accepted 12 additional cities and towns to bring the total member- ship to 91 communities.

The following is a summary report of the projects now being undertaken by the Planning Council.

Length %

Starting of Com-

Project

Date Project plete

Solid Waste Disposal Program October, 1965 2 yrs 98

Open Space and Recreation Program October, 1965 2 yrs. 95

Comprehensive Land Use Planning

(Mass. P-34 Proj.) February, 1966 18 mos. 99

Metropolitan Housing Plan & Program March, 1967 3 yrs. 15

Metropolitan Airport System Plan March, 1967 1 yr. 45

Community Assistance Program March, 1967 continuing

Continuing Comprehensive Planning July, 1967 continuing

Census Mapping & Coding July, 1967 1 yr. 5

Health-Welfare Facilities Planning - Brockton July, 1967 1 yr. 20

Educational Facilities Planning October, 1967 1 yr.

Highway & Transit Programming June 1, 1967 18 mos. 20

Westwood Conservation Plan

July, 1967 6 mos. 40

Transit Impact Study-MBTA October, 1967 6 mos.

Review of Community Facilities Applications July, 1967 continuing Long Range Transit Planning - MBTA (In developing stages) Howard A. Bouve, Jr.

RECREATION COMMISSION

The Recreation Commission came into being by action of the Lynnfield Town Meeting of March, 1967. Members are Robert B. Kautz, Chairman, War- ren Morton, Vice-Chairman, C. Maxwell French, Helen Eckert, and George Levey. Clerk of the Com- mission is Marguerite Brennan. Meetings are held in the Town Hall on the first and third Thursday evenings of the month.

Considerable time was spent researching recrea- tion programs for the entire town, and after taking time and budget limitations into consideration the Commission decided to put emphasis on a worthwhile summer playground program, since prior canvass proved this to be a real need in Lynnfield.

A six week playground program for first through sixth graders, at two playgrounds at opposite ends of town, was planned and carried out under the direction of a Northeastern University student majoring in recreation, Miss Barbara MacMurray of Clinton. Eight Lynnfield High School students were hired as playground leaders, and considerable sports equip- ment and craft material was purchased. The program included a series of day trips to nearby points of interest and amusement parks, nature hikes, arts,

crafts, games, and dancing, as well as a varied sports schedule. Outside of the cost of the day trips, the only charge to residents was a one dollar registration fee, as a result of which $251.00 was turned over to the Town.

The morning playground program was acknow- ledged by parents to be highly successful, and this was also indicated in the high rate of attendance at both playgrounds.

During the six weeks from July 10 - August 18 an informal evening sports program was sponsored by the Recreation Commission; there were two evenings of basketball at the junior high school, one evening of soccer at Newhall Park, and an evening of softball, as a result of which an informal six team league has developed and is active in the Town. This aspect of the program was also well received and attended.

For its Fall and Winter Program, the Recreation Commission has sponsored a physical fitness program for adults three nights a week at the Senior High School gymnasium. Mr. Robert Macleod, of the High School physical education staff, has been engaged to oversee this enterprise, which has proven quite popular. Badminton, ball games, organized exercise, and free use of the extensive gym equipment, including the trampoline, have been the highlights of this activity.

Robert B. Kautz, Chairman

But "whiffle ball" is just as much fun, and there's no danger of "high flies" becoming "bean balls." Jeff Strout, a junior member of the school's junior varsity basketball team, shows Scott Franklin the proper grip.

Peter Grady, like all the teen boys selec- ted for Lynnfield's playground staff, is active in athletics - but just in case the game to be played is unfamiliar, in- structions are available on 3 x 5 cards (100 of them). Information includes rules of the game; how to teach it; how to organize the players and ages of the children most likely to enjojy it. That's Steve Rosenthal receiving a pitching lesson.

Jean Northrup (at right) blew up LOTS of balloons because they were needed for an arts and crafts lesson. Jean, an instructor, supervised while her pupils covered the ballons with papier-mache, then popped them to leave a hollow container.

"DUCK WALK RELAY" - It's a race, just one of many games Janet Jordan plays with first grade boys and girls as a member of the Lynnfield playground staff. Since small children tire easily, great emphasis is placed on arts and crafts. Janet took a special course to learn simple games and teaching tech- niques before starting the job of in- structor.

Above, Lynnfield's recreation director Barbara MacMurray (center), takes over from teen instructors to conduct special activities like the informal dramatic lesson in progress here. Frof left are: Susan Panarese, Susan Madden, Miss MacMurray, Diane Conte and Heidi Nielsen.

Since Carey Burns (left, below) and "Chip" Stephen loved active sports as children, they place heavy emphasis on an athletic program for their charges at Lynnfield's playground. Carey supervises second and third grade boys and Chip directs activities of boys in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades. As a change of pace, they take hikes or work with arts and crafts.

SANBORN A. CALDWELL Dog Officer

DOG OFFICER

At the present time, there are 1091 licensed dogs and 3 kennel licenses in the Town of Lynnfield.

Thirty-seven dogs were picked up and returned to their rightful owners ;

Three dogs from out of state were picked up and their owners were notified ;

Nine dogs were picked up on town highways and were humanly disposed of ;

Homes were found for four dogs, and which were later duly licensed.

ALL DOGS THREE MONTHS OR OLDER MUST BE LICENSED ON OR BEFORE APRIL 1 OF EACH YEAR.

Sanborn A. Caldwell

CAPITAL BUDGET COMMITTEE

The committee published four charts in the 1967 "Recommendations of the Finance Committee" for the Annual Town Meeting. These charts projected total town expenditures and debt service costs and in addition listed possible large capital expenditures and miscellaneous statistics covering population growth, real estate valuation projections, tax rate projections and others.

The committee was limited in its ability to project tax rates because of the lack of information available from any source on sales tax disbursements to the town. For 1968 we have one full year experience on sales tax revenues and therefore it will be somewhat easier to predict a reasonable accurate tax rate pro- jection.

The committee will also publish in early 1968 a complete history of revenues and expenditures by departments from 1958 to 1967. This will be distri- buted to all town department heads so that they may help the committee in making detailed projections by department through 1973.

The committee plans for 1968 call for the pub- lishing of general trends of statistics for the annual town meeting, much the same as it did in 1967. In later years it is hoped that a much more detailed report can be published for town wide distribution.

H. Joseph Maney, Chairman

TRADIT

BROOK

NOS

DEER

CROSSING

1 1

TOWN HA!

Conservation Land

Now Owned

Map of the Town of LYNNFIELD

Land Desired

Massachusetts

FP = Flood Plain

SUNTAUG LAKE

SCALE IN FEET

fe A as

PARK & CEMETERY COMMISSION

The year 1967 brought out the results of the fertilizing program which was started four years age. Needless to say, we will continue work on the area assigned for the above program, which are as follows :

The Common

Newhall Park

Essex Street Ball Field

Glen Meadow Park Area Grassed Area at old Salem Street The Five Cemeteries

Town Hall and South Hall entrusted to our care.

The flag pole on the Common has been moved back to allow room for the new Veterans memorial.

The Common has been the setting for a great many local organization gatherings this year, which included : Rotary Club Lynnfield Chapter No. 222, Order of Eastern Star, The Historical Society, Book Sales, etc.

Dandelion control on the Common and in the cemeteries is doing a good job retarding the growth of the blossoms. More weed killer will be used during the coming season.

The stone wall at Newhall Park has been com- pletely re-pointed and rebuilt where necessary.

During the past year the rear section of Forest Hill Cemetery has been developed for the sale of additional lots.

During 1967, Newhall Park was the scene of much vandalism - the total destruction of the pre-cast marble drinking fountain and the block of swings, which were used by the children.

At this time, I extend my thanks to Chief Ganley and his men for the many hours spent keeping New- hall Park under control.

Recreation :

For the year 1968 - Plans are underway for the installation of one full size tennis court for Glen Meadow Park; also areas are to be set aside for family recreation and cook-outs.

At Newhall Park, we will put up approximately 150 feet of chain link fencing to keep cars off the grass and the baseball diamond.

At the Essex Street Little League Ball Park, the Commissioners are planning to rebuild the back stop.

The following is a breakdown of the receipts which were turned in for the year 1967 :

Cemetery Lots sold $ 675.00

Amounts added to Park and Cemetery Perpetual Care Funds 850.00

21 Interments 760.00

Foundations 71.00

7 Liners furnished

182.00

Interest transferred to Town of Lynnfield 1,499.29

Total :

$4,037.29

Sanborn A. Caldwell

SCHOOL PLANT NEEDS COMMITTEE

Last fall, enrollment in the Lynnfield elementary schools had reached a level such that the need for expansion of facilities was clear. Accordingly the School Plant Needs Committee sponsored an article in the Warrant for the 1967 Annual Town Meeting calling for the creation of a building committee to prepare plans for additions to the Huckleberry Hill and Summer Street Schools. Passage of this article and the subsequent authorization to proceed with construction takes care of the immediate future, however we should not forget that further action will be necessary as the town continues to grow.

Projections made by the School Plant Needs Committee indicate that more classrooms must some day be provided at the High School, Junior High School, South School, and Center School locations, but these alone will not be enough. At least one additional elementary school will eventually be required, there- fore good planning dictates that another site be obtained while suitable land is still available. In order to make the acquisition of a new site possible if the Town so desires it, a Site Selection Committee has been created and will make its recommendations at a future date.

Arthur E. Foulds, Chairman Robert Kautz William Shapiro Parker Holloway Robert Sperry Frederick H. Manchester Louis D. Savage

THE PUBLIC SCHOOL --

SCHOOL COMMITTEE

With continuing increases in school enrollment and expanded programs, our staff requirements con- tinually become larger. This past year has seen the addition of ten more people to our professional teaching staff. Athletically, as well as academically, we also have experienced growth in the programs offered.

One of the most interesting programs recom- mended by the School administration, and enthusias- tically endorsed by your School Committee, was a one-week camping program for all fifth grade students at the Otter Lake Conservation School in Greenfield, New Hampshire. We think this program provides a truly inspiring educational experience for our school children and the response to the first year's participa- tion, as compiled from a questionnaire sent to all fifth grade parents, has been both enthusiastic and pleasing.

Townspeople are all too familiar with require- ments for added school facilities and have proved most understanding and generous in meeting this need. Your Committee in order to support the School Plant Needs Committee, authorized and obtained a pro- fessional report by an independent and well-qualified consulting organization, Hill Associates, to up-date, on the basis of present circumstances, both the current as well as the long-term future needs of the town for school facilities. This report has proved most helpful to all concerned in analyzing the various alternatives available. The additions to the Summer Street and Huckleberry Hill Schools, as voted at the November, 1967 special town meeting will assist significantly in alleviating the pressure on our elementary and junior high school facilities, but the end is not in sight. The report of the Planning Board will tell of several new residential building developments with the certain growth in the number of homes and school children. It is with this knowledge that a new school site com- mittee has been activated to search out land with the potential for added school housing.

In discussing space requirements, your Committee would be remiss in not mentioning the subject of public kindergartens. During the past year we have received two petitions signed by several hundred Lynnfield citizens requesting the immediate establish- ment of public kindergartens. However, your Com-

mittee is of the opinion that the interests of grades one through twelve must be given first priority, both in respect to school facilities and programs offered. It is recognized, however, that it will someday be a state requirement for towns to provide kindergarten training and accordingly the two new additions to the Summer Street and Huckleberry Hill Schools have been designed with this in mind. If it is determined in the future that kindergarten classes should, or must, be provided in these schools these can be pro- vided without significant additional building costs.

At the time of writing this report, your School Committee has already completed many, many hours in preparing for, and negotiating with, the Lynnfield Teachers' Association (the local unit of the Massa- chusetts Teachers' Association and the unit recognized as the bargaining representative for all teachers and principals) and the State Council for State, County and Municipal Employees, Local Council No. 41, AFL-CIO, which is the union representing all cus- todia and cafeteria personnel. Initial contracts covering wages, hours and conditions of employment will be entered into with these two organizations as a result of the many bargaining sessions. Your Com- mittee has not used outside professional assistance in conducting its negotiations with the two groups in- volved because it is the opinion of the Committee that it should maintain a close relationship with its employees. The relations to date have been amicable and it is hoped that the results will be consonant with a good school system and will continue harmoniously in the future.

As always, the School Committee's most difficult task is to establish a budget which provides adequately for continuing the excellent school system which we now enjoy and yet keeps costs within bounds. Many hours are spent on this task with careful consideration given to each request. The cooperation, assistance, suggestions and guidance of the Finance Committee in this time-consuming endeavor is most appreciated.

More detail reports of each of the areas of our school system will be found elsewhere in this annual Town Report, but the School Committee welcomes any questions or comments which any citizen may have and will endeavor to see that appropriate responses are provided in all cases. You are always welcome at School Committee meetings which are held regularly on the first and third Mondays of the month.

Richard L. Hobbs, Chairman

SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT

As Superintendent of Schools, it is my pleasure to provide this report on the progress of your Lynn- field schools during this past year. While it is not possible to provide a fully detailed account of every aspect of our school operation, a review of the various school reports should provide the reader with a com- prehensive overview of our major current efforts and accomplishments. As in the past, I would like to call your attention to certain highlights of our year's effort covering, in particular, our curriculum, the professional staff, new programs and practices, as well as the status of our school facilities, for it is within these contexts that we fulfill our primary purpose, the education of our Lynnfield youth.

Educational Program

One of the most important of our school responsi- bilities is the consistent review, evaluation, and re- vision of our educational program in order to insure its relevancy and effectiveness in meeting the present as well as preparatory needs of our students. This aspect of our concern presents particular problems in a school system such as Lynnfield's which does not include an extensive central office staff to deal full time with curriculum improvement and program supervision. Our current major approaches have in- cluded teacher meetings after school hours for cur- riculum projects and in-service training activities, as well as the scheduling of summer workshops where small groups of teachers and administrators work full time from two to six weeks in an in-depth effort to improve a particular subject area. Workshops held last summer dealt with such areas as the improvement of reading, writing, and spelling on the elementary level, organization of a team teaching program in social studies, the development of a more meaningful pro- gram in English for the general student in grades 7 - 12, applied science-physics, creative and technical arts, and the improvement of our elementary art appreciation program.

While some of these curriculum efforts result in completely revised programs, others merely establish the framework by which we can pursue long-range plans of curriculum improvement and, of equal im- portance, implementation of the program through im- provement in staff understanding and teaching skills. Our elementary arithmetic program is one example of such long range efforts. Following a summer study

group effort, the system is now in the process of trying out two major new arithmetic series. After this evalua- tive effort we shall, with School Committee approval, select an improved series which will be introduced concomitantly with in-service training for our elemen- tary teachers. Further discussion of these curriculum efforts will be found in the individual reports which follow.

New additions to our educational program which were introduced during the past year included an in- novative reading program at the Junior High, with personnel and equipment costs fully underwritten by federal funds, and the extension of our natural science program to include a week of outdoor education at the Otter Lake Conservation School. Both of these programs are described in considerable detail else- where in this report, but I do wish to add that, from the Superintendent's standpoint, it was most hearten- ing to see the truly enthusiastic parental and pupil response to these new programs.

Another addition to our program which was recently acted upon by the School Committee is the provision of an introductory course in data processing to commence next September at the Senior High School. This expansion of our offerings in the business education area will provide, I believe, a meaningful beginning in developing our pupils' understanding of this rapidly expanding field. Initial cost of materials for this program will be underwritten by the provisions of the Vocational Act of 1963.

Other areas of the overall program which have been expanded during the past year include the ad- dition of winter and cross country track, and the continued growth of the fall soccer program. I refer you to Mr. Cooney's report, in particular, for an understanding of the many rich opportunities avail- able to our pupils in the music area. Student publica- tions now have been expanded to include a senior high school literary magazine and a separate news- paper on the junior high school level. While these are but recent additions to our program, they do serve to highlight the fact that the schools offer a remark- ably wide program for the personal enrichment of every student extending from music and athletics to art, writing, debating, homemaking, drama, and all types of special interest clubs in such areas as French, mathematics, photography and physical education.

The Summer School program provides another educational opportunity which serves many of the specialized needs of our students. A total of 380 pupils attended summer classes this year. In addition to the new federally funded developmental and remedial reading program on the junior high school level, course offerings included :

Elementary

Secondary

Reading

Arithmetic Typewriting Music

Junior High School Arithmetic Algebra I and II Foundations of Algebra

Biology Junior High School English

Senior High School English French Typewriting Music

Costs for this program were partially under- written by a modest charge for enrollment.

Professional Staff

The 2700 pupils presently enrolled in our Lynn- field schools are served by a teaching staff of 123 classroom teachers and 19 other specialists who pro- vide additional services in the area of reading, library, music, speech therapy, art, physical education, guid- ance, and audio-visual education. Private instruction is provided for those who are confined to the home for prolonged periods. Seven full-time principals and one part-time assistant principal serve to guide and co- ordinate the efforts of the professional staff.

A large portion of your superintendent's time is devoted to the recruitment of a well qualified profes- sional staff, for it is only in the effectiveness of each individual teacher's work that we can hope to attain our educational goals. Department heads and princi- pals assist the superintendent in screening and select- ing candidates for nomination to the School Com- mittee. A tally of the total number of hours devoted to the recruitment process was made for the school year 1966, and it was learned that close to 500 hours of administrative time had been devoted to narrow- ing the field down to a final selection of some seventeen teachers. In our view, the selection of a capable staff, one which is sincerely interested in our Lynnfield youth, is probably the most important service which this office performs.

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Town of Lynnfield, Essex County, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, annual report 1961-1970, Part 68

Author: Lynnfield (Mass.) Publication date: 1961-1970 Publisher: The Town Number of Pages: 1002

Author: Lynnfield (Mass.)
Publication date: 1961-1970
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 1002