USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Westford > Town of Westford annual report 1952-1956 > Part 22
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75 Roofing Paper 9.00
76 One Kitchen Stove 5.00
77 One Hundred Pullets 100.00
HOUSEHOLD EQUIPMENT
1 Superintendent's Furniture $ 125.00
2 Kitchen and Pantry 750.00
3 Contents of Attic 35.00
4 Canned Goods and Empty Jars 225.00
5 Provisions
320.00
6 Potatoes and Vegetables
7 Dry Goods 312.50
349.00
8 Inmates Furniture
1,800.00
9 Inmates Dishes 95.00
CHARLES A. BLODGETT MARYGAN SOCHA RAYMOND S. WILSON
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1954 REPORT OF THE WORK OF THE MIDDLESEX COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICE IN WESTFORD
The Middlesex County Extension Service is a publicly supported, educational institution to serve all the towns of the county in agriculture and home economics. In agriculture the work is developed county-wide under the direction of county councils made up of leading farmers in each of the main commodities as vegetables, fruit, poultry, dairying, live- stock, and commercial flowers. A county bulletin is mailed monthly to all cooperating farmers, and timely information is furnished by circular let- ter, by radio, by telephone and by personal interview, and particular in- formation is sent to those who request it.
One of the fruit growing centers is Westford. Leaders are Ben Drew, Downing Brothers, Gustav E. Anderson, and Kenneth Hill. Mr. Drew serves on the Fruit Frowers Advisory Committee.
Information and assistance was made available to all dairy and live- stock producers in this area. Farm visits, circular letters, radio talks and local meetings were all employed as means of assisting the local farmers to better understand and keep abreast of the many changes in agricul- tural techniques.
The official dairy cow testing program in the area is directly super- vised by the Livestock Agent and includes the service of complete record keeping on the production and feeding of dairy cows. All farmers in the area have available the services of the Artificial Breeding Program through the local Association, and a soil testing laboratory is maintained to serve all farmers or landowners who desire a soil analysis to determine the fertility of their soil.
Mr. John Shea is a member of the Hog Advisory Committee. Mr. George Wilder is a member of the Dairy Advisory Committee. Mr. Elli- son Fullford is also active in livestock activities.
Service was extended through the Extension Poultry Program in three primary areas: the poultry flock, its care and improvement, breed- ing, feeding, health, and management; poultry products, their care and disposition, processing, storage, merchandising, pricing, and consumer information; and the farmer, his farm and family, and agriculture, busi- ness management, youth work, and assistance to organization.
The Extension Service cooperated with the Minuteman Turkey Asso- ciation and the Middlesex County Poultry Association in holding meet- ings.
Home Demonstration Agents are ready to solve problems in home- making: foods, nutrition, canning, freezing, clothing, Home furnishings and management, family life, family and community recreation. A monthly letter is sent to all who request it. Women's Advisory Council
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members are Mrs. Willard Moore and Miss Ruth Chamberlain. The program of work in town has been full and it included: slip cover construction, decoration with pictures, furniture refinishing, chair seat- ing. Three leaders attended lampshade making. Teaching children about money was presented to two leaders. Mrs. Priscilla Hill and Miss Cham- berlain attended the recreation leaders workshop.
Under the able leadership of John Sanders, Town Chairman, West- ford has completed a most successful 4-H year. Under his leadership 76 boys and girls were enrolled in 4-H Clubs. During the year there was a total of ten Clubs organized and carried on in Westford. These Clubs were a Crafts Club led by Ruth Chamberlain and Mrs. Priscilla Hill, a Foods Club led by Mrs. Marjorie Smith and Mrs. Frances Fletcher, a Foods and Home Furnishing Club with Mrs. Mary Van Norden as leader, and a Foods Club led by Mrs. Helen Lyons. Three Woodworking Clubs were led by John Sanders, John Jeddrey and John McLeod. Other Clubs were Dairy with George Fletcher as leader and Horse with Arnold Wilder as leader.
Twenty-three boys and girls attended Camp Middlesex during the summer. Several of these were Club members who had received camper- ships from the sale of 4-H cookies conducted in the spring. Jean Cham- berlain and John O'Connell were selected to attend the State 4-H Camp held at the University of Massachusetts.
4-H CLUB ACTIVITIES
4-H Boosters Night sponsored by Westford Grange, October seventh, opened with greetings from Allister F. MacDougall, County Agent and William R. Taylor, Town Director for Agriculture who has shown great interest in 4-H Club work. Each year he presents the National 4-H Club Magazine to the leaders and has a copy sent to the J. V. Fletcher Library for the pleasure of all. Greetings from Jesse James, County Club Agent who was unable to attend because of the press of engagements due to hurricanes, were given and Sidney Montague, our new Associate County Club Agent was introduced.
The County Office has given us 100% co-operation. Westford has nine active clubs and twelve leaders who have assisted in County work by furnishing judges for other town exhibits.
Our leaders have attended County meetings and Westford is well represented in County work by having Mrs. Edna Moore on the Executive Committee for the next three years and Mr. Peter Perry on the 4-H Camp Committee. This past year Miss Ruth Chamberlain received her silver clover award and Mrs. Mary Van Norden her gold clover award.
Members attended the annual 4-H Rally in Groton in February. The Tractor Safety School was attended by the Town Chairman and four members. The window display contest in March was won by Westford Craft Clubs, first place in the County and a State award of $5.00.
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The Town Exhibit sponsored by Westford Grange, April 15th was a great success. There were over a hundred in attendance, every 4-H member from every club exhibited his project and each was honored with a ribbon of one kind or another, the blue ribbons being many in number.
County Achievement Day in Lexington, May 8th, was also well attend- ed. One of our leaders, Mrs. Marjorie Fletcher Smith was chosen to serve as a judge. There were twenty-four articles exhibited by members who won seven blue ribbons, twelve second prize ribbons and nine third prize ribbons, a very good showing compared to other towns in the County.
May 16th was New England 4-H Sunday with services at the "Ca- thedral of the Pines", Rindge, N. H., approximately twenty-five repre- sented Westford and National 4-H Sunday was observed in our local churches the following Sunday with good attendance.
The County Fair, August 28th held in Concord, was well attended but exact attendance record was impossible due to the coming and going all day. Nineteen articles from Westford were exhibited, winning elev- en ribbons. The Dairy Section was held at Shirley and Westford was represented by Paul Daley who brought home five ribbons, two of them being first awards as he had the Champion Grade Holstein in the County.
4-H members helped with the Westford Grange Fair and exhibited at the same.
Camping at Ashby, at Camp Middlesex, was one of the highlights of the year. We were given five weeks by friends and business con- cerns. £ We sold cookies, candy and had a food sale, raising enough to help the members, sixteen of whom spent one week or more at Camp. Some of the parents, leaders or friends visited Camp almost every Friday or Sunday. The Candlelight Service held Friday night at 7:30 P. M. is most impressive. The Town Chairman, John Sanders, received thank- you notes and cards from 4-H'ers in Camp which was very thoughtful and much appreciated.
Mrs. Bosworth, news editor, has been very helpful and through her kind assistance we had eighty-one notices of meetings or news reports in the Westford column.
A very interesting display of the work done by different clubs was on exhibit including photos and enlargements of the display at Eastern States in Springfield and the Stop and Shop at Cambridge where West- ford Clubs had projects. One of the features was the modeling of her blouse and skirt by Barbara Wright who was chosen to represent all the sewing group.
The thanks of the 4-H Committee and Leaders is extended to West- ford Grange for its co-operation during the year.
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Mr. Allister F. MacDougall, County Agent for Middlesex County Extension Service, resigned at the end of the year having given out- standing service for forty-two years. During this period Mr. Mac- Dougall gave generously of his time and ability to all branches of agri- culture throughout the County, including fruit raising, market gardening, dairying and poultry raising.
Always interested in 4-H work it was through this leadership that Camp Middlesex at Ashby was established for the benefit of 4-H Clubs in the County.
I am sure that his many friends throughout Middlesex County join with me in wishing "Mac," as he is familiarly known, and Mrs. Mac- Dougall much happiness in the years to come.
WILLIAM R. TAYLOR, Director.
REPORT OF WHITNEY PLAYGROUND COMMITTEE
Hurricanes Carol and Edna took considerable toll of the Playground trees and the damage to the beautiful old maple near Main Street will probably necessitate its removal in the near future.
The use made of tennis court by children and townspeople raises the question as to whether the expense of conditioning it each year is justi- fied. Possibly its conversion to a skating rink would be more appro- priate and we would welcome suggestions of interested persons.
Your committee is entrusted with certain funds for the care and preservation of trees on Depot Street. It seems that the funds can only be expended under direction of the Tree Warden and it appears that he has had neither the time nor man-power to do the work. A great deal of work is needed and it is hoped that some progress in this direction will be made in 1955.
Respectfully submitted,
MOSES L. FECTEAU JOHN S. GREIG LEON F. HILDRETH
84
REPORT OF WESTFORD WATER COMPANY
CONSTRUCTION ACCOUNT
Balance January 1, 1954
$276,514.92
Additions during the year 1954
3,780.41
$280,295.33
INCOME STATEMENT January 1, 1954 to December 31, 1954 (Cash Basis)
RECEIPTS
Hydrants
$ 5,388.75
Public Buildings, Playgrounds, etc.
519.91
Subscribers
29,740.80
Installations
3,024.38
Miscellaneous
204.98
$ 38,878.82
EXPENSES
Wages and Salaries
$ 9,367.31
Expense Account and Supplies
3,971.11
Electric Power and Light
2,444.58
Installation
1,101.37
Taxes
8,842.99
Depreciation
5,806.85
$ 31,534.21
Net Operating Profit
$ 7,344.61
Less Interest on Loans
477.94
Net Gain for the year 1954
$ 6,866.67
January 18, 1955.
WILLIAM R. TAYLOR, Treasurer.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Middlesex, ss.
Then personally appeared William R. Taylor and made oath that the above is a true statement of the cost of construction of the Westford Water Company to December 31, 1954 and of the Receipts and Expendi- tures from January 1, 1954 to December 31, 1954, before me.
PERRY T. SNOW, Notary Public. My Commission Expires Oct. 28, 1959.
85
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PURCHASE OF WESTFORD WATER COMPANY
To the Citizens of Westford:
At a meeting held September 30, 1952, we were elected a committee of five to interview the Officials of the Westford Water Company, and to ascertain from them the terms and conditions under which they would sell their franchise and property to the Town of Westford, and to bring in a report with recommendations pertaining thereto. Since then we have been in consultation with the Westford Water Company, and have investigated the water supply systems of Ayer, Chelmsford, Littleton and Acton. We have made a partial report to the Town at the Annual Meetings in March of 1953 and March 1954. We have been unable to obtain from the Westford Water Company the price they would require for transferring their properties to the Town of Westford. As the next annual meeting in March will be three years since we started out on this project, we feel that the time for a "Decision" has come. We therefore submit our recommendations as follows:
1. That we ask the Town to offer the Westford Water Company the sum of $142,927.85-said sum to be good until the latter part of 1955.
2. In the event the Company refuses this offer, the Town should then proceed to take the Company by Eminent Domain.
The sum arrived at in our first recommendation is based upon the following:
(A) $40,000, the value of the investment of the stockholders.
(B) A return of 3% interest on the $40,000 for the years of 1907- 1940 compounded annually.
(C) A return of 3% on the unpaid interest from 1940-1955 inclusive, compounded annually.
The computations are as follows:
1907-1940-period of 33 years compounded annually results in inter- est of $66,093.60. This sum compounded annually at 3% for fifteen years becomes $102,927.85. Add to this the $40,000 of the original investment and we have a total of $142,927.85.
3. Taken in conjunction with the dividends paid to stockholders dur- ing the years 1940 to 1955, it amounts to a return on an interest basis not compounded of well over 7%. We do not believe that any referee board would exceed a straight interest return of more than 6% for a public service corporation.
We have not tried to value this Company on a basis of what it has cost and depreciated. No private company would pay the amount suggested here and operate at the present rates. Neither can the present Company ever hope to recover their losses of interest during 1907 to 1940, except
86
by an outright sale such as suggested here. Recapitalization and oper- ation by a private company cannot give us the type of system the Town now needs at anywhere near the present rates.
We recommend that the Town purchase this company and immedi- ately begin modernizing it, so that it will conform to the Massachusetts Fire Insurance Regulations, which it does not now measure up to, and also result in much more economic operation. This would mean one storage tank at Prospect Hall, one pumping station at Pine Ridge, with a new automatic turboject pump-the Graniteville, Forge Village and Nabnasset piping all connected into one. We should plan on investing about $200,000 more than the purchase sum into this modernization and extensions.
We believe that this can all be done without raising the tax rate, and will submit convincing evidence to substantiate it. The main effort right now is for the Town and the Water Company to agree upon a fair value. We had hoped that the Officials of the Westford Water Company would be the first to propose their estimate, but in nearly three years of effort, they have not done so. We now propose that the Town take the first step in this direction and herewith present a figure and the basis on which it is derived.
ARTHUR G. HILDRETH, Chairman WILLIAM J. X. KAVANAGH, Secretary EDWARD T. SULLIVAN JOSEPH J. MCCARTHY
87
NASHOBA ASSOCIATED BOARDS OF HEALTH
December 30, 1954
Board of Health
Westford
Massachusetts
Gentlemen:
Your health department, being anxious to give you good service and full return for money spent in its support, is happy to report that during the year 1954, for the sum of $2,705.75 contributed as Westford's share of that support, the town received the following services :-
Sanitation and Laboratory Services :-
Milk samples collected 20
Tests made on milk 530
Diagnostic cultures for doctors
12
Visits to plants processing milk for Westford
120
Dairy farms visited
30
Restaurant inspections
25
Camp inspections
5
Bathing beach tests
14
Private water supplies examined
31
Visits regarding sewage disposal
4
Investigation of nuisance complaints
1
Camp licenses issued
5
Milk licenses issued
33
Oleomargarine licenses issued
11
Conferences with Board of Health members
5
Conferences with other town officials
1
Board of Health meetings
1
Nursing, Preventive Dental, and Social Work Services :-
Westford has been fortunate in having Miss Healy and Mrs. Hall both continuing their service to the town for another year. We are glad that Mrs. Hall has been able to accompany Miss Healy to several of our educational programs for nurses.
In the spring of this year 198 out of a possible 246 children in grades two- five, and eight of your four schools received topical fluorine to the teeth. The treatment for this year's pupils in those grades has started and will be finished in January. It is hoped that an even larger percent- age of parents will give the necessary permission for their children to participate.
Several social problems have been referred to our consultant this year from your town. Since Miss Greene's resignation in June, these
88
problems have been referred to the director of nursing. It is hoped that a medical social work consultant will again be on our staff in 1955.
Preventive Medical Service :-
The only communicable disease of major importance, moderately prevalent in the Nashoba Health District during 1954, was Poliomyelitis. Fortunately the severity of the type encountered was not great and most of the cases got off with few serious after effects. It will indeed be won- derful to have (as looks likely) a vaccine available to protect our young- sters against this dreaded disease. The following is a tabulation of the diseases reported in your town during 1954:
Chicken pox
9
Mumps
99
Measles 12
German measles
1
Scarlet fever
3
Polio
3
Dog bites
30
Immunization against Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Smallpox and Diphtheria continues to be offered at the monthly Well Child Conferences. In your town during 1954-112 children, made 205 visits and received 140 immunizations at eleven Well Child Conferences. Twenty-five chil- dren were referred to their family physicians.
Twelve patients made twelve visits to the tuberculosis clinic held every alternate month in cooperation with the Middlesex County Sana- torium at the Nashoba Health Center in Ayer. (Worcester County pa- tients are seen for this purpose at the Worcester County (Sanatorium).
Three patients made eleven visits to the Physio Therapy Treatment Center held twice monthly at the Nashoba Health Unit.
In the medical field the Medical Director's services are available in the investigation of communicable diseases, and for consultation at the hospitals in the district, and to the family physicians. The Director was consulted by physicians in the district on numerous occasions during 1954.
The Mental Health Consultation Service of the Mental Health Asso- ciation of North Central Massachusetts gives needed service to the schools in thirteen of the Nashoba towns, while the Lowell Mental Health Service serves the remaining three for this purpose. The Health Depart- ment works in close cooperation with these services, the Medical Director serving on several of the important committees of the North Central Association.
Health work is team work and cuts across many other departmental services both State and local. Cooperation with all agencies interested in health is therefore all important, if the best results are to be achieved, and the Nashoba Associated Boards of Health through their health de- partment are always glad to cooperate with such agencies as the State
89
Health Department, the State Mental Health Department, and with all voluntary health associations serving the district. Mention should be made of the Middlesex Tuberculosis Association and the North Worcester County Public Health Association in this connection. Mr. F. P. Abbot of Harvard, Chairman of the Associated Boards, meets weekly with the Medical Director in discussing the ways and means from day to day whereby the best may be made of this teamwork. The Associated Boards meet quarterly and through the Executive Committee important interim decisions are made.
Citizens' knowledge of what Nashoba offers is important. Citizens should feel free to call at, or telephone to the Health Center in Ayer (Spruce 2-3561) and ask for the service or information they desire.
Respectfully submitted,
KENNETH I. E. MACLEOD, M. D., M. P. H. Director
90
REPORT OF SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE
The School Building Committee had hoped that this would be a report of the completion of our new Westford Academy, and that the long hours of work and effort would by this time have been converted into an oper- ating educational institution. But, rain, hurricanes Edna and Carol, ce- ment and steel fabrication strikes combine to postpone the opening date.
In spite of the delay in opening, the committee wishes to point out we are far more advanced in getting our new high school than our sur- rounding towns and by comparing cost with what they have received we feel we have done a job we can be proud of. Experts in this field have been using Westford Academy (in two state meetings that we know of, Vermont and Ohio) as an outstanding example of what can be accom- plished by careful handling of budget, proper planning and still using the best materials from both the point of service and beauty. Please compare the new Westford Academy with the new schools in surrounding towns, and then check the cost. The school will be open for your inspection in a short time, but to give adequate time for the grading and landscaping, as well as grass to grow it is not planned to use the Academy for classes until September. In the event of inclement weather, graduation exer- cises could be held in the building in June.
The committee again wishes to thank Mr. Peter F. Perry, Superin- tendent of School and Mr. John A. Rennie, Principal of Westford Acad- emy and our other associates for their outstanding work on the project.
The committee requested the town accept gifts of $19,916, of ap- proximately $38,000, gifts pledged to date and to add this amount to the appropriation. Changes requested by the giver (usually for more higher priced materials or fixtures) and the usual changes for better serviceability brought out as the work progresses, the added cost due to ledge made this request necessary. May we point out that the actual amount to be raised by taxation has decreased by $53,000, whereas the cost of the project has increased $20,000. With the project nearing com- pletion the committee feels that under all ordinary circumstances all or practically all of the remaining gift money can be applied to reduce taxes.
The following is a breakdown of the estimate originally made and the actual cost with the few small remaining items not let out to con- tract estimated:
Here Is How We Here Is How We
Item
Estimated Expenditures $ 31,268.25
Authorized Expenditures
Land
$ 31,268.25
Site Development
38,892.68
44,776.68
Building
730,700.67
733,728.55
Furniture and Equipment
43,000.00
57,091.71
Architects' Fees, Insurance and Other Costs
57,406.95
54,319.15
$901,268.25
$921,184.34
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And Here is Where Money is Coming From:
Gifts
$
0 406,000.00
$ 38,000.00
State Grant
421,000.00
Free Cash as Voted
100,000.00
100,000.00
Local Taxation (Over Twenty Years)
395,268.25
362,184.34
$901,268.25
$921,184.34
EDWARD M. ABBOT, Chairman
FRED L. GATENBY EDWARD F. HARRINGTON JAMES L. HEALY ERNEST L. POULIN EDWARD G. SPINNER EDWARD N. LAMSON, Secretary
92
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE EMILY F. FLETCHER LECTURE FUND
The Emily F. Fletcher Fund Trustees feel that it was a great priv- ilege to have been able to present two of America's foremost nature photographers, Cleveland and Ruth Grant, to a Westford audience for a second time on the afternoon and evening of December the sixth.
Abbot Hall in Forge Village was nearly filled with an enthusi- astic crowd of young people who came with their teachers in the school busses as part of a regular assignment for the day's work. Mr. Grant's pictures of how he and his wife brought up two coyotes and a couple of baby bears were most interesting and seemed to delight the audience. Pictures of birds feeding their young and of beautiful flowers, photo- graphed in lapse time, completed their program.
Probably many a family in town enjoyed their supper more because of the stories told them by their children. It isn't every day they can see pictures made by a Walt Disney photographer.
In the evening at Westford Town Hall Mr. Grant showed pictures of "North To The Yukon." To secure the films the Grants made three 10,000 mile trips driving up to the northland with a forty-four foot long six ton outfit, their own grub cache and practically their own hotel going through the long stretches of the wilderness road. Mr. Grant asked per- mission to sit in a chair as he showed his beautiful pictures, explaining that his foot had been injured when a grizzly turned on him as he was photographing it.
In spite of the cold snowy evening there was a very good audience, probably the best the Fletcher course has enjoyed.
Fee and expenses of Mr. Grant
$208.00
Receipts from lecture 19.26
Minor expenses:
Advertisement in Lowell Sun
6.00
Town Hall
5.00
Postage
.26
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM R. TAYLOR JOHN A. RENNIE ALICE M. HOWARD, Secretary MAY E. DAY
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