USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1957 > Part 14
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100th Anniversary Class of 1957 June 12, 1957
PROCESSIONAL MARCH High School Band
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG Led by Class President, Richard Vincent DeLong STAR SPANGLED BANNER
Key-Smith
Audience, Senior Class, and Band
Monsignor William F. Reilly PRAYER
SALUTATORY "Progress: In Which Direction" Earton Charles Robertson
TORCH ORATION Richard Vincent DeLong
ESSAY-"Rural Quietude Amid Social Progress"
Diane Irma DiBerto, Class Honors
ESSAY-"Educational Adjustments and Rude Awakenings" Ruthann Sullivan, Faculty Honors
ESSAY-"Meeting The Challenge" Wayne Alan Sanborn, Faculty Honors
ESSAY-"World Tensions and Problems of Leadership" Joseph Thomas Chess, Class Honors
SPECIAL ESSAY-"Once Upon A Time . . . " Karl-Dieter Buenting, Exchange Student from Germany
VALEDICTORY "The Challenge of Education" George Herbert Drury
CONFERRING SCHOLASTIC HONORS Rudolf Sussmann, Headmaster
CONFERRING DIPLOMAS Paul R. Bergholtz, Member School Board Monsignor William F. Reilly
BENEDICTION RECESSIONAL MARCH
High School Band
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CANDIDATES FOR DIPLOMAS
Sandra Lee Abell Donald Paul Aiesi
Gloria Jean Akerley Dixon Estes Allen
Richard Arthur Davidson
Gordon Robert Anderson
Robert E. Davis
George Douglas Archibald
Donna Mae DeGroct
Sylvia Ann Armstrong
Richard Vincent DeLong
Edith Dorothy Barnes
Richard Allen Derry
Herbert Eames Batchelder
Diane Irma DiBerto
Janien Evelyn Benson
Joan Marie Dicey
Charles Joseph Bent
Marilyn F. Dodge
Elaine Joan Bent
Pauline Catherine Doherty
Peter Bergholtz
Edward Lee Donley Janice Frances Doucette
Marilyn Hilda Berninger
Glenn Joseph Bigelow
George Herbert Drury
Anne Marie Bloom
Caroline Claire Dube
Henry Edward Bolton Harry Lester Bowen II
Rolinda Durgin
Lois Florence Boyd
Kenneth James Dykeman
Kelly Charles Brown, Jr.
Donald Norman Eisenhaur
Robert Gerald Brown
Marcia Ruth Elden
Karl-Dieter Buenting
Richard Welton Burgess
W. Jean Eldredge Barbara Ruth Ellis Gail Donley Emerson
Carol Ann Byrne
Robert Edward Emerson
Patricia Ann Cain
Shirley Mae Finethy
Marcia I. Call
Sandra Ruth Fiske
William Anthony Carter June E. Castine
Jean Flodin Jane Wright Fowler
Joseph Thomas Chess
William Walter Freeman
Mary Ellen Chisholm
Lois Marion French
Charles O. Christenson, Jr.
Louise Mae Frongillo
James Phillip Colbert
Edward Henry Fuller
Jeffrey Lee Collett Patricia Ann Comstock
Francis James Galvin
Robert Vincent Condon
William Thomas Gerrior
William Austin Connors
John James Conway
Robert H. Cook Joanne Cosenza
Elaine Elizabeth Gaw
Carol Ann Gilbert Jill Goldsmith
Lafayette Arthur Gosselin, Jr. Norman J. Grue
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Brenda Crovo Paul W. Cryts Betsy David
Andrea Burhoe
Robert Leslie Ducker
Nancy Jean Grundy Gayle L. Hall Marjorie Ann Harris Ralph W. Hayes Ralph Spencer Henderson Edward James Hickman Margaret Josephine Hill Robert Theodore Hoeckel, Jr. Robert William Holmes
Carol Ann MacKeil David Weston Mader Barbara F. Mahoney Carol Ann Mangold Cecile A. Martel
Marguerite Marie Martin
Allen Richmond Maxwell, Jr.
Allen Russ Maxwell
Rosalynd Frances McCullough
William Francis McGilvreay
Roberta A. McGrath
Ann Marie McManus
Ernest Laurence Hutchinson
Joyce Marie Jellison
Anne Jenkins
Joyce Elaine Moore
Sandra Jean Moore
Sandra Elizabeth Johnson
Gail Morand
Judith Carol Morse
Yvonne Muise
Richard Arthur Mullin
John Phillip Mumley
Helen Louise Munn
Ruth Carol Munroe
Lewis W. Newhouse, Jr.
Curt Nitzsche
Russell John Norton
Janice Elaine Noseworthy
William G. Nurmi
Carl Frederick O'Brien
Carol Elaine Oldenbrook
Lucinda Emily Leary
Sandra Marie Oliver
Philip Gary Orth
Roy Byron Parker
Richard Penno
Paula Marie Perry
Heather Muriel Livingstone
Marie Ann Peters
Carol Ann Powers
Robert Francis Powers
Judith Arlene Pulson
Roger Carlyle Quimby
Edward K. Regan
Frances Marie Regan
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Lorraine J. Horn Janet V. Hosker Willard Hunt
Ernest H. McQuesten, Jr.
Yolande Marguerite Moe
Marcia L. Johnson
Jacqulyn Lauramae Jones Norman Bruce Kay Robert Albrecht Kelleter Frederick Martin Keppe Janice Ann Kimball
Everett Whittemore King Barbara Louise Kinnie Barbara Lea Kitch Jane Roslyn Land
Mary Louise Langevin Nancy Carolyn Larson Anthony Laschi Walter Philip Lawrence
Brenda Jane Lehmann Mary Jane Leslie Janet Ann Lincoln Kenneth John Livingston
James Andrew Lomax Joseph William Long Ronald Arthur Lucia Janet Ruth Lundberg
Daniel Alfred Lyon
Norman Allen Mackay
Virginia Arlene Richards David Alan Riley Richard D. Roberts Earton Charles Robertson Janet Ann Rock Diana Jean Rodgers
Edward Jefferson Taylor, Jr. Gordon Willis Tibbetts
William Edwin Tilley Joseph Paul Tower Josephine Martha Turilli Richard Clifton Turner
Calder Martin Rooney
Martha Lucia Russell
Judith M. Van Horn Ruth Janet Vars
Arlene Sanborn Wayne Alan Sanborn John Paul Sargent
Barbara Hope Wakefield Patricia Ann Walsh
Beverly Jane Savage
Susan Annette Weadick
Joyce Joan Schofield
Edward Roger Wendell
Susan Donna Searle
David Francis Westcott
Robert Alexander Sebeika
Barbara Ann Wheeler William Gerard Whiles
David Louis Sheldon
Gladys Marie White Marjory L. White Robert Brian White
Ralph Fairfield Smith, III
Cornelia Drusilla Whitten
Patricia Ann Stanton
Judith Elaine Wilkinson
Paula Ann Stephens Lorraine Grace Stephenson
Colette Gertrude Wilson
Roger Irving Stewart
Susan Eve Worthen
Spencer Boyd Stewart
Stephen Michael Zeoli
Ruthann Sullivan
William C. Zimmer
George Francis Swenson
Brenda L. Watkins
Carolyn Noel Sharp
Donald Francis Sillars
Nancy Carol Skinner
Mavis Elaine Williams
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ANNUAL REPORT
of
THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS of
The Town of Reading, Massachusetts
for the year ended December 31, 1957
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
To the Citizens of Reading:
The Board of Public Works herewith submits its annual report for the year ending December 31, 1957.
On March 11, 1957, the Board organized with Kenneth R. Johnson as Chairman and Coleman J. Donahue as Secretary. James T. Putnam
was re-appointed Superintendent. On November 4, 1957, Kenneth R. Johnson resigned the Chairmanship because of business reasons. The Board accepted Mr. Johnson's resignation with extreme regret, and com- mended him for his outstanding accomplishments as Chairman since March, 1956. Coleman J. Donahue was elected Chairman, Board of Pub- lic Works on November 4, 1957.
Regular Board meetings have been held in the Municipal Building on Monday evening each week throughout the year; a number of special meetings have been held when the Board deemed it necessary to the furtherance of the work of the several departments under the jurisdiction of the Board of Public Works.
Acting as the Board of Survey, 14 advertised Public Hearings were held on street layouts and property subdivisions, and 46 plans were ap- proved for recording in the Registry of Deeds under the Subdivision Con- trol Law.
During the year, the following members of the Board of Public Works were appointed to, or served on, Special Study Committees:
Sewer Study Committee Coleman J. Donahue
Parking Area Study Committee Coleman J. Donahue
Incinerator Study Committee Harold D. Kilgore, Jr.
Park Dept. Study Committee Harold D. Kilgore, Jr.
Recreation Committee Domenick Zanni, Jr.
Elementary School Building Committee Kenneth R. Johnson Junior High School Building Committee Walter S. Hopkins, Jr.
Several joint meetings were held with other Town Boards to protect the interests of the Town regarding access roads, water mains to Indus- trial and Business C areas, zoning ordinances, and other matters of major import.
Many construction projects were successfully completed during the year, including street construction, sidewalk construction, storm drain installation, sanitary sewer installation, both main trunk and house connections, park and playground reconstruction and several other phases of Public Works activities. Reference is made to the report of the Superintendent for more specific details of the 1957 construction and maintenance work.
The Report of the Sewer Study Committee 1957 stated "That the order of installation (of sanitary sewers) should be determined by the Board of Public Works on a basis of achieving the greatest good for the greatest number (of residents) per dollar spent", also, "That the Board of Public Works should prepare and maintain a tentative five-year pro-
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gram of sewer extension and that this program, as revised, should be a part of the Board's annual report to the Town".
In full accord with the preceding recommendations, the Board of Public Works in the report of the Superintendent included herein, pre- sents a Tentative Five-Year Sewer Construction Program as prepared on March 20, 1957, for the years 1957-1961 inclusive. It must be fluid, as emergencies arise from time to time. It is also known from past ex- perience that as main trunk sewers are extended, many sewer exten- sion petitions will be received from residents of abutting streets. It is anticipated that this program will be revised frequently.
Consulting Engineers have been retained to make an engineer- ing study of some twenty-five miles of streets outside the limit of gravity flow area, which study is currently being made. It must be pointed out that only by means of substantial annual appropriations can the pro- posed five-year projection of sewer construction be carried out to a suc- cessful completion.
The most important and urgent problem confronting the Board in 1957 was the municipal water emergency engendered by the un- precedented and record-breaking drouth experienced by all of the Com- monwealth of Massachusetts in general, and Eastern Middlesex County in particular, starting in April, 1957, and continuing until November, 1957. Precipitation records dating back to the year 1900 in Reading were broken, with a deficiency of rainfall totaling 15.41 inches for the year. Average rainfall in Reading is 41.07 inches annually - the rain- fall in 1957 totaled 25.66 inches.
Early in April, 1957, it became apparent that the collection, pump- ing, distribution and storage facilities of the Water Department were being severely overtaxed due to the abnormal usage of water on lawns, and on May 10, 1957, the Board issued warnings to the citizens that water must be conserved, or more drastic restrictions would be imposed on water usage. Despite the cooperation of many citizens, water usage continued at an abnormal rate.
On June 17, 1957, it was necessary to impose water restrictions for all non-essential use, such as for watering lawns, gardens, washing automobiles, filling wading and swimming pools.
On June 29, 1957, non-essential water usage restrictions were re- laxed by permitting residential water users to use hoses on alternate evenings from 7:00 P. M. to 10:00 P. M .; and commercial water users to use hoses on alternate mornings from 6:00 A. M. to 10:00 A. M., with no non-essential water usage on Mondays, the day of peek demand.
The drouth continued, ground water elevations continued to de- cline steadily, and on August 20, 1957, after a full report from the Sup- erintendent of the seriousness of the ground water situation at Hundred Acres Well Field, full non-essential water usage restrictions were again invoked, prohibiting all outside non-essential use of water.
These restrictions remained in effect until November 15, 1957, at which time the well field had recharged to a safe level, and all restric- tions on water usage were withdrawn.
Consulting Engineers were retained to make a study of the Water System. It was originally proposed to secure the funds for this study
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in the form of a loan from the Federal Government, but due to the time delay anticipated in securing the funds, the Board of Public Works formally requested, and the Finance Committee officially granted, a transfer of Four Thousand ($4,000.00) Dollars from the Reserve Fund for the purpose of conducting a Water Adequacy Study for the Town of Reading. Also, on advice of the Town Counsel, it was agreed that sums estimated at Ten Thousand ($10,000.00) Dollars, available in the Water Construction Appropriation due to lack of anticipated house building in Reading during 1957, could legally be used for driving test wells, con- ducting pumping tests on same, and developing an additional gravel- walled well.
A contract was then immediately made, after bids were taken, for said test well, pumping tests and gravel-wall well development. Under the direction of consulting engineers retained by the Board, a carefully planned program of test well driving was immediately started, and a total of twenty-six (26) 21/2" diameter test wells were driven at selected locations. Of the 26 test wells driven, at least five future well-sites have been found which show promise of substantial yield. Two of these sites have been pumped for several days to determine the safe yield and maximum drawdown. The report of the consulting Engineers shows the results of their Water Adequacy Study and their recommendations for development of an additional water supply for the Town of Reading. This report will be made available prior to the March 1958 Annual Town Meeting.
The long-awaited report of the survey of possible water resources being conducted by the Waterways Division of the State Department of Public Works, started in 1955, has not yet been received, and no date has been set for its completion by the Waterways Division.
School, industrial and business construction continued to increase the work load on Public Works during 1957. Construction of the Birch Meadow Elementary School made it necessary to construct Birch Mead- ow Drive from Oakland Road to John Carver Road; construct a bitu- minous concrete sidewalk on Forest Street, Southerly side, from Main Street to Grove Street; widen the traveled way portion of Forest Street from Main Street to Grove Street. Industrial construction by Trancoa Chemical Corporation off Ash Street resulted in the installation of an eight-inch water main to the chemical plant. Work at the Business C area consisted of widening a portion of South Street; installing a twelve- inch water main from Hopkins Street to Englund (Private) Road; con- structing Jacob Way, an access road, from South Street to the Addison- Wesley Publishing Company.
Again it is our privilege to thank the Boards and Committees of the other Town departments, and the general public, for the very much appreciated spirit of cooperation that was evidenced through the year.
The Board also wishes to extend its thanks to the employees of the Public Works Department for their continued loyalty and cooperation. Many of these employees have, in cases of emergency, worked for long hours under trying conditions and the Board feels that they are deserv- ing of the thanks of the Townspeople.
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Reference is made to the report of the Superintendent, which fol- lows, for a more detailed account of the activities of the various divi- sions which comprise the Departments supervised by the Board of Pub- lic Works.
Respectfully submitted,
KENNETH R. JOHNSON WALTER S. HOPKINS, JR.
COLEMAN J. DONAHUE, Chairman HAROLD D. KILGORE, JR. DOMENICK ZANNI, JR.
Board of Public Works
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT
To the Board of Public Works:
Gentlemen:
As required by Section 4, Chapter 118, of an Act authorizing the Town of Reading to establish a Board of Public Works, I respectfully submit for your consideration the thirty-seventh annual report of the Department of Public Works (Water, Highway, Sewer, Parks, Dumps, Engineering) and a chronicle of the principal work performed during the year 1957, with recommendations for the coming year.
General
A marked decrease in housing developments during 1957 and re- sulting lessened demand for extension of public utilities to service hous- ing developments was offset, in the year's work-load, by an increase in sewer construction and sewer house connection appropriation, the ex- tended record-breaking drouth, access road construction, street construc- tion under the Betterment Act, water main installation to Industrial and Business C areas, and maintenance work engendered by the ac- celerated utilities construction program. Reference is made to the sta- tistical data included in this report for a detailed account of construc- tion and maintenance projects completed in 1957, by the several Divi- sions comprising the Department of Public Works. Weather conditions were ideal during the greater part of 1957 for construction work, with no snow-fall whatsoever occurring in the Fall of 1957.
Water Division
Although housing developments in 1957 were well below the 1956 record high, a total of 4062.40 lineal feet of cement lined cast iron water main in sizes ranging from 6 inch to 8 inch were installed at 10 loca- tions, and 9 fire hydrants were set, all at the expense of the petitioners. These main extensions will eventually service 75 dwelling houses.
During the record-breaking drouth, a number of privately owned water-wells went dry, and the home-owners petitioned for water mains under the Water Betterment Ace. These mains were immediately install- ed and water service connections made to several homes.
An important water main extension was the installation of a 12 inch cement lined cast iron water main in Main Street, from Hopkins Street to South Street; in South Street from Main Street to Jacob Way;
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and in Jacob Way from South Street to Englund (Private) Road, total- ing 1303.50 lineal feet. This 12" main not only services the Business C zone area, but strengthens the entire distribution grid in the Southerly section of Reading, having been interconnected with all existing mains en route. On Ash Street, a new 8" cement lined cast iron water main, 781 feet in length, was laid from Ash Street to the Trancoa Chemical Cor- poration plant in the Industrial zoned area. Both of these main exten- sions were voted at the March 1957 Town Meeting, and special appro- priations were voted therefor.
Prior to the Chapter 90 Construction of West Street, a 12 inch ce- ment lined cast iron water main was installed from Arcadia Avenue to Willow Street, totaling 419.40 lineal feet. Also on West Street, prior to road construction, a water main connection was made at Fremont Street, to eliminate a dead-end and improve the circulation grid. A dead-end main was also eliminated on Sturges Road, prior to betterment street construction. A total of 8332.40 lineal feet of water mains and 14 fire hydrants were installed in 1957, all by Water Division employees.
Continuing the policy of replacing 11/4 inch mains, 8 inch water mains were installed on Pearl Street, Irving Street, and Hanscom Avenue at Tower Road.
Many 11/4 inch water mains are still in service in the distribution system, and are the cause of numerous complaints of inadequate water volume from the residents of houses serviced therefrom. These mains are being replaced as rapidly as funds permit.
Construction of storm drain culverts at lowered elevations on the Birch Meadow Drainage system (Aberjona River) at Lowell Street and the intersection of West Street, Willow Street and Summer Avenue, necessitated the adjusting of a 12 inch and an 8 inch main on Lowell Street, a 12 inch main on Willow Street, and 6 inch mains on Summer Avenue and West Street. Due to the lack of sufficient earth cover over the culverts, all mains, with one exception, were re-laid with bends and offsets to cross under the culverts. The Lowell Street 12 inch main was passed through the roof slab of a reinforced concrete box culvert, within a protective insulating sleeve.
Construction on New Route 28, resulted in several water main main- tenance projects. On Walnut Street, southerly of South Street, 275 lineal feet of 6 inch main was salvaged due to the abandonment of the road way. Where the New Route 28 crosses South Street, the existing 6 inch main was abandoned, and a new 12 inch cement lined cast iron main, 550 feet in length, was installed under the new roadway, to pro- vide a water main of adequate size and at a proper depth for imme- diate and future use. On West Street at the New Route 28 crossing, be- cause of grade changes, it was necessary to re-lay 645 lineal feet of 6 inch water main. In 1958, a major relocation of Lowell Street water main will be necessitated by the construction of the new Boston and Maine Railroad bridge and the elimination of the present bridge.
New water services in sizes from 1" to 4" were installed at 154 lo- cations, totaling 9330.70 lineal feet. All water mains, fire hydrants, and water services were installed by Water Division personnel. Existing
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water services were completely renewed at 84 locations on application of property owners, and many other services were rodded and reamed to improve volume of water delivered to consumers.
New water meters were installed in 313 locations, and 405 existing water meters were removed, repaired, tested and reset, or, if found obso- lete, replaced with new meters. Nine obsolete water meters were junked.
Pumping Stations
The record breaking drouth of 1957 severely over-taxed the pumping facilities at Hundred Acres Pumping Station. Despite rigid non-essen- tial water usage, restrictions which were in effect from June 12 to June 29, 1957, and from August 20 to November 15, 1957, a new pumping rec- ord was made, with a total of 471,102,600 gallons of water delivered to the distribution system by Water Pumping Stations Nos. 1, 2 and 3 at Hundred Acres Meadows, an increase of 40,887,700 gallons over 1956 total pumpage, the previous high. The daily average pumped in 1957 was 1,290,692 gallons, or an estimated 74.12 gallons per capita daily. Highest single day's pumpage was on Monday, June 17, 1957, with 1,918,800 gallons, and the highest seven-days' pumpage from June 12 through June 18 with a total of 12,892,200 gallons.
In August, ground water elevations had dropped to a point where air was being pumped from gravel-walled wells Nos. 2 and 3, making it necessary to operate the pumping stations at these locations at a very limited capacity, for several weeks. Observation wells were driven ad- jacent to each of these gravel-walled wells, to enable a true check to be made on ground water elevations. In October, gravel-wall well No. 3 was cleaned with chemicals, and its yield was materially increased. This cleaning removed iron hydrate deposits from the gravel walls and the metal well-screen, and permitted freer entrance of ground water.
Mechanical failures at the pumping stations were negligible dur- ing the year, being limited to power failures, minor motor and pump failures, and similar occurrences. Twice during the period of low ground water elevations, power failures caused the low-lift well pumps to cease operation, and the prime was lost in all pumps, suction lines and wells, resulting in many hours work to resume pumping opera- tions.
In November 1957, two fluoridating units were installed, one in Pumping Station No. 1, and one in Pumping Station No. 2, which also services Station No. 3. These units introduce crystalline sodium fluoride by the slurry method at the rate recommended by the State De- partment of Public Health of one part per million, or an average of twenty-two pounds of crystals per million gallons of water pumped. Checking or sampling stations have been established at eight widely separated locations, and periodic inspections are made of the amount of fluoride in this water delivered to consumers. At the request of citizens, an unfluoridated water tap has been made available to the public at Pumping Station No. 1, accessible at all times, and protected from freezing during the winter months.
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Deferrization Plant
The Deferrization Plant operated at maximum capacity and effi- ciency during the year. The gravel-wall well on Suction Line B was put in service in June to relieve excessive demand at the 21/2" driven wells, and, because of the high iron content of this particular well, it was necessary to clean the sand filters frequently during the year. In all, No. 1 Sand Filter was raked 11 times and scraped 11 times; No. 2 Sand Filter was raked 11 times and scraped 11 times. Needed repairs were not made to the aerator wall caps, as the aerators could not be taken from service at any time during the work season to effect the re- pairs.
Well Field
Hundred Acres Well Field yielded 471.103 million gallons of water in 1957, a year which recorded an all-time record of sustained drouth. Ground water elevations, determined by daily test well readings, dropped to a record low of 19 feet 5 inches below ground level on October 20, and after the rains of November and December rose to an elevation of 4 feet 10 inches below ground level on January 1, 1958. The Ipswich River, which flows through the Northerly perimeter of the well field, ceased to flow from July through early November.
The 21/2" tubular wells were cleaned and pumped early in the Spring of 1957, and again during the early Fall. Several shallow wells were shut off from the collection system as ground water elevations dropped below the inlet perforations in the wells. A systematic inspec- tion was made of all tubular wells, gate valves, and suction mains, and necessary repairs were accomplished.
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