USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1935 > Part 11
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The 31/2 ton Autocar truck was also laid up twice for repairs dur- ing the storm, once with a broken connecting rod, and once when the magneto went dead.
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The Chevrolet K. P. truck had to have a new clutch, and the en- tire rear end assembly, including the drive shaft.
The Ford Air Compressor truck was in several times for minor re- pairs, but this piece of equipment, together with the new 21/2 ton Dia- mond T truck, were the only two pieces of truck equipment on the road during the bulk of the storm, and turned in a truly creditable perform- ance.
The new Caterpillar tractor also ran through the entire storm with- out a breakdown, but the deep snow rendered the wooden plow it drags ineffective, the plow riding over the snow instead of throwing it aside.
The snow continued to fall heavily throughout Wednesday night and Thursday morning, clearing off around 11:00 A. M. Thursday, Jan- uary 24, with a fall of approximately 18 inches, drifted to depths of four and five feet in places. By that time the combined efforts of the snow fighting equipment remaining in operation was concentrated on keep- ing the main traveled roads passable. Woburn, West, Prescott, Sum- mer Ave., Bancroft Ave., Salem, John, Village, Haven Streets were kept open, with other streets being opened in order of their import- ance.
Calls for streets to be plowed to permit doctors to call on sick pa- tients, houses in need of coal and fuel oil, and ambulance cases to be taken to hospitals, were received and every effort made to open streets where such a request was received, was made. The sub-zero tempera- ture following the blizzard caused great anxiety to house-holders short of fuel and provisions. Over 150 telephone calls were received at this office on January 24, approximately 175 on January 25, and 65 calls on January 26, all from persons living on unplowed streets. Of these calls, six were emergency calls, and eight urgent, which were all taken. care of at the earliest possible moment.
Thursday morning at 11:00 A. M., the large tractor plow belong- ing to the State Department of Public Works, was obtained, and, man- ned by a crew of Highway Department men, opened Franklin, Grove, and Lowell Streets. Orders came through for it to go on State work in Billerica, however, and its services were lost throughout Thursday night. It returned early Friday morning, and plowed Charles, Haver- hill, Ash, Brook, and Summer Ave., east of Main Street. From there it went away again on State work, and returned early Saturday morning. It was then used to plow Walnut, South, Curtis. Oak Streets, County and Longwood Roads, West Street, to the Wilmington line, and many other short streets nearer the center of town.
By Saturday morning most of the streets had been opened, and snow removal from Reading Square begun. A fleet of hired trucks were used to carry the snow away, and a number of men employed as shovelers. Work progressed rapidly, and by 5:00 A. M. Sunday the
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Square had been cleared of snow. Haven Street was also cleared on Sunday, as well as parking places in front of the churches.
Owing to the blizzard and following cold wave, there was no school on Thursday and Friday for all grades, and on Monday no school for the primary grades. The schools were plowed out over the weekend .. as much as possible, and shovelers cleared the walks and foot-paths.
Sidewalk snow-plowing was limited to sidewalks on the main thoroughfares, churches, schools, and the depot. The snow drifted to such a degree that shovelers were required to break the snow ahead of the horse-drawn plows, and even then these wooden plows could not. work efficiently.
A sidewalk snow plow was procured and attached to the Caterpil- lar tractor. This proved more efficient than the horse plows, and, with a crew of shovelers, proceeded to clear the remaining drifted sidewalks ..
An E. R. A. project for emergency snow-removal was granted, and these men used in shoveling sidewalks on North and South Main Streets and other important thoroughfares
At the March Town Meeting, the Board was authorized to pur- chase a truck for snow plowing. After careful consideration a Walter Four Wheel Drive truck was purchased, and equipped with a suitable plow. This truck is specially suited for heavy duty plowing, and is a valuable addition to our snow fighting equipment. A plow has been rigged on the Sewer Department truck, and a new plow purchased for the Diamond T truck. All trucks, tractors, and sidewalk plows have- been overhauled and repaired.
No snow plowing was necessary in the latter part of 1935, although: icy streets and sidewalks were sanded several times.
General Highway Maintenance
The severe winter, with intense cold and heavy snowfall, resulted in the breaking up of the surfaces of many roads. Maintenance work was started early in May, with the streets in poorest condition re- ceiving attention first.
The wooden road-hone, constructed and used successfully in 1934,. was again used to advantage on certain streets. Other streets were scarified, graded and rolled and treated with Tarvia B. A total of 30,042 gallons were applied to roadways.
K. P. patching was carried on when conditions permitted through- out the year. Lack of funds prevented purchase of cold patch ma- terial in sufficient quantities to properly patch all roads, even though. gravel in lieu of pea stone has been used as a base for the K. P. liquid .. In all, some 6,986 gallons of Tarvia K. P. and Socony Cold Patch As- phalt was used.
The following public ways were relocated or altered at the Annual Town Meeting held March 11, 1935:
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Grove Street, from Lowell Street to Criterion Road, and from Henzie Street to Forest Street, a relocation of 1600 feet.
Willow and West Streets, relocation of curve at intersection.
Bancroft Avenue and Lowell Street, relocation of curve at South- westerly corner.
Grove Street, northerly from Forest Street, was relocated as an E. R. A. Project in 1934. The 1935 relocation ties in with the first lay- out and, when completed, will have widened the present roadway and straightened the curve north of Henzie Street. Because of objections raised by abuttors, the curve north of Henzie Street and south of Cri- terion Road was not relocated.
At the intersection of Willow and West Streets, the former dant- gerous condition has been eliminated by filling in the low land at the point of intersection and rounding the corner with a greater radius. Drainage facilities were provided for the ground water on the pro- perty effected by this relocation, and cement posts set for a guard rail defining the roadway.
A blind corner, shielded by a hedge which encroached upon the highway at the southwest intersection of Bancroft Avenue and Lowell Street, was relocated by rounding the corner on a longer radius. The. aforementioned hedge was removed and replaced in its proper location. A gravel sidewalk surfaced with stone dust, was built in the new lo- cation.
At the adjourned Town Meeting held March 18, 1935, a portion of Franklin Street was relocated, and Colburn Road and a portion of Winthrop Avenue, both Private Ways, were accepted as Public Ways, under the terms of Chapter 83, Section 26, General Laws, which au- thorize the assessment of betterments for road construction.
On Franklin Street, a short section from Main Street, westerly was relocated at the request of the owner of abutting property.
Colburn Road construction was begun early in May, as an E. R. A. Project. Colburn Road, which is located from Forest Street 1500 feet northerly, was a very rough and narrow Private Way. Ledge, boulders, stumps and trees were encountered in its construction. A steam shovel was hired to rough excavate the road, as well as trucks to haul filling. A particularly hard ledge was blasted through in one sec- tion. The roadway has been rough graded, banks sloped, gravel side- walks built, and shoulders cleaned up. In the Spring, a coating of Tar- via will be applied and the road completed.
The section of Winthrop Avenue accepted from the acceptance of 1932, northerly across Hartshorn Street, has been excavated, graded, and rolled, and will be surfaced with Tarvia in the Spring.
Chapin Avenue accepted as a Public Way in 1934 under the Bet- terment Act, and partially constructed, was completed early in the Spring. A storm water drain was laid from Ordway Terrace to Elliott
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Street, thence Southerly to Green Street. The roadway was then grad- ed with gravel, rolled, and surfaced with Asphalt.
Grove Street relocation from Franklin Street to Forest Street, has been completed. Curves were straightened, ledge and rock removed, a narrow "bottle-neck" eliminated by lengthening a culvert and filling in a gully, and some 2,600 feet of stone walls averaging three feet in height by two feet in width were built to replace walls taken down dur- ing the process of relocation. The traffic hazard at the intersection of Grove and Franklin Streets, where a high ledge obscured the view of approaching motorists, was partly eliminated by blasting away a sec- tion of the ledge. The roadway from Franklin Street to Forest Street has been scarified, graded, rolled, and treated with Tarvia B.
The relocation of Franklin Street, from Main Street to Grove Street, started in the fall of 1934, as an E. R. A. Project, continued throughout the year. A steam shovel was employed in excavating the deepest cuts, and roughing out the entire length.
The roadway has been graded, rolled, and surfaced with Tarvia. Gravel sidewalks have been built on both sides of the road, shoulders fine graded, and 9,500 odd feet of stone walls erected to define property lines and replace walls removed by the relocation of street lines. Stock fence was put up where necessary, and cement guard rail posts install- ed.
From a narrow, crooked roadway Franklin Street has been de- veloped into a fine highway, with wide curves and clear visibility on curves and grades.
No Chapter 90 construction was done in 1935. At the March Town Meeting, the Board, under Articles 38, 39, and 40 of the warrant, asked for appropriation under Chapter 90 to construct portions of West, Wo- burn, Lowell, and Main Streets. However, they were not approved.
The Town has been awarded an outright grant as its portion of a State bond issue for road construction, and it has been decided to ex- pend same on Lowell Street from Grove Street to Grand Street. The County Comissioners have surveyed and staked the road preliminary to the construction, which will be started in the Spring of 1936 with WV. P. A. labor with the bond issue allotment being used for materials and equipment only.
Granolithic Sidewalks
Construction of granolithic sidewalks was somewhat less than in previous years. 282.56 square yards of granolithic sidewalk on a total frontage of 475.90 feet were laid, abutting seven separate properties, all being installed as betterments.
A granolithic sidewalk was laid abutting the Prospect St. School on Woburn and Prospect Streets, totaling 253.1 square yards.
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Four applications for granolithic sidewalks totaling 222.70 feet front- age, are on hand for 1936 construction, lack of funds preventing their installation in 1935.
Granolithic Sidewalk Construction By Streets-1935
Street
Frontage Square Yards
Bancroft Avenue
70.00
57.16
Highland Street
82.90
50.72
Longfellow Road
248.00
135.88
Prospect Street
291.80
177.80
Washington Street
75.00
38.80
Woburn Street
135.50
75.30
Totals
903.20
535.66
Stone Dust Sidewalks
Stone dust was used to cover 4,065 square yards of sidewalk sur- face on a total frontage of 7052 lineal feet. 68.0 tons of stone dust were used on sidewalk work.
Gravel Sidewalks
Gravel sidewalk construction covering 2,520 square yards of surface, and 3,563 lineal feet in length, has been accomplished. The gravel sidewalks built by E. R. A. and W. P. A. labor on Franklin Street and Colburn Road are not included in these figures.
Street Signs
Street signs were installed as needed to replace broken ones, and to mark newly accepted Public Ways. New street signs have been made of wood and lettered by sign painters on the Welfare Department rolls.
Bound Stones
Stone Bounds have been set to establish the street lines, as required by law, in the following locations :
South-West corner Lowell St. and Bancroft Ave. 2 bounds set South-East corner Highland and Locust Sts. 1 bound set
Granite Curbing
Granite curbing was installed under the Betterment Act at two lo- cations, totaling 111.6 feet in length.
Radius curbing was set at the intersection of Deering and Lowell Streets, as relocated in 1934; at the south-easterly corner of Green and John Streets, and at the north-easterly corner of Washington and Main Streets.
On Woburn and Prospect Streets, abutting the Prospect Street School, 18.5 feet of radius and 278.5 feet of straight curbing was re-set. On Linden Street, east side, south of Woburn Street, it was necessary to reset 72.5 feet of straight and 4.0 feet of radius curbing :
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Storm Water Drainage
The storm water drainage system was advanced 1729 feet during the year. E. R. A. and W. P. A. projects were used to good advantage on this work.
The drains on Highland and Locust Streets, started in 1934, were completed early in January, 1936. The open ditch between Ridge and Hillside Roads has been piped and filled in and the open ditch off King- ston Street is being piped.
In November, a W. P. A. Storm Drain project was granted, and a number of necessary drains are to be installed through the project.
A table showing all drains installed in 1935 follows :
Location Size and Length of Pipe Installed B H I Totals 30" 24" 21" 18" 15" 12" 10" 8" 6" 312 24 2 336
Locust St.
Hillside Rd. .
186
186
Ridge Road . . .
47
47
Elliott St.
140
1
1
1 140
Chapin Ave. .
283
2
288
Willow St.
36
36
Franklin St. 96
96
Curtis St.
48
48
Winthrop Ave.
48
48
Kingston St. ..
102
1
102
King Street ...
150
250
400
36 102 96 150 469 850
24
5
2
1
1727
Open Ditches
An E. R. A. Project for eliminating breeding places for mosquitoes was instrumental in the cleaning out of a number of open ditches in the following sections : Off Cross St. and Summer Ave., Knollwood Road, Pinevale and Percy Aves .; Oak, Walnut and South Streets West St. and County Road, and Birch Meadow.
Brooks and ditches were cleaned and deepened, small pond holes drained by lowering the outlets, and in some instances angles of brooks were rip-rapped to prevent erosion.
The Highway Department at present is heavily handicapped by the lack of proper garaging facilities. It is necessary at present to have considerable repair work done by contract which could be done by the department if it had the proper facilities. It is also necessary for the department at present to rent space in nearby garages due to the lack of space in the present barn. The barn itself is in deplorable condition. It is unfit for use by any department for any purpose.
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C M C
I therefore recommend that a new garage be built either in part or in whole. I also recommend that upon the completion of the new garage that the present barn be razed.
The Highway Department is greatly handicapped in its work by the heavy demands made upon its personnel and equipment by W. P. A. projects. This continuous use of personnel and equipment on W. P. A. projects greatly limits the amount of service that the highway depart- ment can extend to the townspeople.
I therefore recommend that the use of highway department per- sonnel and equipment on W. P. A. projects be greatly curtailed so that the highway department may give quick and efficient service to the townspeople.
FEDERAL EMERGENCY RELIEF ADMINISTRATION AND FEDERAL WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION
List of all Projects supervised by Board of Public Works, January 1 to December 31, 1935.
1. Storm Water Drains-Highland and Locust Sts. Installation of a 12" concrete pipe drain from a point near No. 37 Locust St. west- erly to Highland St., thence northerly to Bancroft Ave.
2. Grove Street Relocation-Relocation and construction of Grove Street from Franklin St. to Forest St.
3. Washington Street Playground-Completely reconstructed and renovated entire playground area. Regraded and seeded field, planted trees and shrubs, built stone wall, erected chain link fence, etc
4. Birch Meadow Playground-Constructed drains, walks, etc. and installed 6" water main.
5. Blacksmith-Sharpened and repaired tools and equipment used on E. R. A. and W. P. A. projects.
6. Recreation Building Repairs, Memorial Park-Repairs made to barn-floors laid, walls shingled, roof repaired, built chimney and installed heater.
7. Franklin Street Relocation-Relocated street lines, graded and surfaced roadway, built gravel sidewalks, erected stone walls, from Main St. to Grove St.
8. Renumbering Houses-Located every building in Reading on street plans, showing present and proposed street numbers. Held hear- ings for each street for purpose of notifying owners of change of num- ber and to hear any objections or grievances in regard to changes.
9. County Road 6" Water Main-Installed 6" water main on Howard St. from West St. westerly to County Road, thence northerly on County Rd. to end of public way. Connected seven houses to main and installed three fire hydrants.
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10. Emergency Snow Removal-Shoveled snow, breaking out side- walks on North and South Main Streets and other main highways after blizzard of January 23, 1935.
11. Mt. Vernon St. Sewer Main-Installed an 8" main trunk sewer line on Mt. Vernon St. from School Street to Chute St. and built one man hole.
12. Open Ditch-Hillside Road-Excavated open ditch and installed therein 15" drain pipe, and covered same. Also relaid and lowered grade of pipe already in place, to permit proper drainage.
13. Colburn Road Street Construction-Relocated and started con- struction of Colburn Road, from Forest Street 1500 feet northerly. Ex- cavated road, graded with gravel, removed ledge and boulders. To be surfaced with Tarvia at later date.
14. Mosquito Control-Deepened, widened, and cleaned open dit- ches and drained small pond holes in many sections of Reading, with object of eliminating breeding places of mosquitoes.
15. Chapin Ave. Storm Water Drain-Installed 15" storm water drain on Chapin Ave. from Ordway Terrace to Elliott St. thence on Elliott to Green St.
16. Surveying & Engineering Project-Engineering crew surveyed and mapped Town property, and assisted on E. R. A. projects requiring engineering.
17. Colburn Road 6" Water Main-Installed 6" water main on Colburn Road from Forest Street to end of public way, connected nine houses to main, and installed two fire hydrants.
18. Supervised Play-Instructors assigned to all Parks and Play- grounds from July 5 to Nov. 28, 1935. Also conducted post-vacation recreational activities at schools, parks, and playgrounds.
19. Connecting Dead Water Mains and Replacing 11/4" Mains with 6" Mains-Connected dead end at Vine Street, replaced 11/4" mains with 6" mains on Hunt, Lee, Bond, and Vine Streets, set fire hydrants on Hunt and Lee Streets. Also laid 6" main on Summer Ave. and set fire hydrant. Project will continue in 1936.
20. Storm Drains-Installation started on storm water drain on King Street from Summer Ave to Hancock Street Extension. Project will continue in 1936.
21. Street Survey-Field crew of engineers surveying public ways,. no records of which are on file at the office of the Board of Public Works, and draftsman mapping streets surveyed.
Rolling Equipment of the Board of Public Works
The following chart will illustrate the rolling equipment of the dif- ferent departments and the year bought :
1-15 Ton Gasoline Driven Roller 1931.
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1-5 Ton Walters F. M. Four Wheel Drive Truck 1935
1-31/2 Ton Six Cylinder Autocar Truck 1930
21/ Ton Diamond T Truck 1934
1-31/2 Ton Diamond T Truck 1929
1-112 Ton Chevrolet Truck 1930
1-Ford Chassis Air Compressor Truck
1-Chevrolet Coupe
1-Ford Coupe
1930
1-Caterpillar Tractor
1934
1-Master 7 Cement Mixer
1931
1-K P Mixer 1922
1-Trailer 1923
1-112 Ton Chevrolet Truck 1934
1-11% Ton Dodge Truck 1935
PARK DEPARTMENT
To the Board of Public Works : Gentlemen :-
The following is the yearly report of the Park Department :
General Appropriation $ 2,000.00 Expended :
Memorial Park
Pay Roll, Care of Park . .
$
75.04
Supplies, Repairs & Misc. 781.52
Supervised Play
$ 85.60
Common and Main St. Parks
Supplies
$ 17.23
Leach Park
No Expenditures
Birch Meadow
Pay Roll $ 26.56
Supplies and Misc.
204.64
231.20 $
Washington St. Park
Pay Roll $ 401.88
Supplies, Equip. & Misc. .. 392.48
$ 794.36
Total Expended
$
1,984.95
Balance Unexpended
..
$
15.05
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$ 856.56
1930
1933
Park Department
Park and Playground development has been carried out extensive- ly during 1935, due in part to E. R. A. and W. P. A. construction pro- jects. These projects are of a most valuable nature, inasmuch as or- dinarily the amount of development accomplished by these projects would not be reached under normal conditions for a number of years.
A brief description of the activities in each Park, Playground and the Commons follows :
Memorial Park
The general care and upkeep of the Park was again carried on by Welfare Department employees, supervised by the Public Works De- partment. The grassed areas were mowed frequently, foot-paths edged and weeded, shrubbery and trees were trimmed and pruned, etc.
Tennis and horseshoe courts were kept in excellent repair and were used extensively throughout the season. Drains were installed at the horseshoe courts and the courts re-graded to expedite drainage after rain storms. Through the winter months an indoor horseshoe court was in use in the Memorial Park Barn. An E. R. A. Project in January and February resulted in much needed repairs to the barn, a chimney erected, a furnace installed, and other repairs made where needed.
Birch Meadow Playground
The development of Birch Meadow Playground was furthered by means of E. R. A. and W. P. A. con truction projects. During the Spring of 1035 the loamed areas surrounding the tennis courts were regraded, seeded and rolled. Work was also begun on ground water drainage, both in the improved and unimproved areas. In the improved areas, French drains have been and are being constructed, and in the unimproved areas both main and lateral open drainage ditches have been deepened, widened, and the banks sloped.
Construction of a 6" Cast Iron water main in Bancroft Avenue from Tower Road to the Playground is nearing completion, to supply the wading pool, hockey rink, and the proposed pools with water. Plans for development of the Playground for 1936 have been prepared, to be accomplished by W. P. A. projects.
The hockey rink has been moved to a different location, and was used extensively during the winter seasons. The Reading Hockey Club played several league games on the rink, and on several occasions the hockey team of the C. C. C. Camp in North Reading were allowed the use of the rink.
The new tennis courts constructed in 1934 were much in demand throughout the tennis season, and were kept in excellent condition. More tennis courts should be built to accommodate those who wish to indulge in this popular sport.
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Washington St. Ball Park
By means of E. R. A. and W. P. A. projects, the entire Park area has been regraded, sowed, and landscaped, walls built, fence erected, and entirely remodeled.
Early in the Spring, a temporary baseball diamond was laid out in the Southwesterly sector of the Park. This ball field was used by the High School, Town, Neighborhood and Playground baseball teams until the end of the baseball season, when the park was closed to sports and the work of regrading commenced.
A bulldozer was engaged to strip the loam from the field and pile it up on the sidelines. This it did very effectively, and in a very short time. The time factor was most important, as in order that the field might be in usable condition in the spring of 1936, the entire area had to be filled, graded, fertilized and seeded in three weeks.
After stripping the loam, many loads of gravel were hauled to the park, and spread by the bulldozer, tractor and road machine to an established grade. This gravel sub-grade was then rolled in place with the Highway Department's 15 ton road roller. Finally, loam was spread over the entire surface and fine graded, fertilizer applied, and, after soil tests, the proper mixture of grass seed was sowed. The seed mix- ture used is one recommended for athletic fields and ball parks, and should give excellent results. Although sowed rather late in the fall, the mild fall and winter has been in its favor, and the grass has already sprouted to some extent. However, with the constant use of the field through the coming spring, summer and fall, it will be necessary to re- fertilize and reseed the field. This process should be continued in the coming years so that eventually a fine turf will be acquired.
A planting plan, developed by landscape experts attached to the Boston E. R. A. M. office, was followed in the setting out of numerous trees and shrubs surrounding the park. The shrubs and trees selected include twenty-eight different varieties, comprising 792 plants in all.
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