USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Westford > Town of Westford annual report 1963-1967 > Part 18
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The legislation passed by the State of Massachusetts in 1965 is mandatory that any dump established after that date must either be sanitary fill and or incinerator. The Westford Board of Health is an active member of two committees composed of different towns in the area investigating the feasability of a cooperative incinerator. It seems somewhat unlikely at present that these activities will bear fruit within any reasonable period of time. Change in legislation has affected various proposed sites. At present qualified areas have been investigated and are being submitted to Metcalf & Eddy who within the past year have been appointed to make the survey for a Master Plan for the Town of Westford. It seemed far more reasonable to tie in the location with this overall plan than to attempt to establish what prematurely might interfere.
Sanitary Disposal: Now on file at the Board of Health is an ex- tensive survey, future step plan or sewage disposal for the Town of Westford. This was prepared under the legislative act. It was duly voted by the Town of Westford at the last annual town meeting. No fur- ther action has been taken during the year.
Local sanitary problems have as usual provided the greatest amount of difficulty and have been the source of a greatest amount of misunder- standing. However, the administration of these inspections by trained personnel and without prejudice has eased the situation a great deal.
There are a number of expenses that may or may not occur each year that are compulsory by law and among these are included the care of patients with tuberculosis, care of premature babies and contagious diseases. It has been the custom of the Board of Health to budget amounts reasonable in view of past experience. However, this has lead to a false idea of the Board of Health budget. Any sums unspent are turned over to general funds and do not reflect the true expenditures of our Board. We also have the same problem as regards license fees for the income from these which basically is to defray the expenses of health matters, also goes into the general fund is not reflected as in- come to the Board of Health. Altogether these present the townspeople with a very false idea of the true cost of the board. We are, therefore listing below sums of money unspent by the Board of Health but expended by the town out of general funds for the year 1964 and 1965. We are also listing the income of the Board of Health which has been treated in a similar manner.
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The members of the Board of Health wish to particularly thank the school committee for the invaluable services of Miss Dorothy Healy and thank all of the many volunteers from Westford who have given their services so faithfully thus not only provided us with a good health pro- gram in general, and in the schools, but has done so at extremely modest expenditure.
Volunteers: Mrs. Richard Hall, R.N., Mrs. Ralph Brewer, R.N., Mrs. Edward Abbot, Mrs. Arthur Agnew, Mrs. William Bolger, Mrs. Lincoln Clark, Mrs. Ralph Cole, Mrs. A. Bradford Cook, Mrs. Herford Elliott, Mrs. Frederick Farley, Mrs. Herbert Farrier, Mrs. Joseph Giuffrida, Mrs. Guenffrud Hamer, Mrs. Arthur Healy, Mrs. Charles Hildreth, Mrs. Gordon Jones, Mrs. Robert Joyce, Mrs. William Lynch, Mrs. Edward Malone, Mrs. Gerald Marchand, Mrs. Stephen Poulsen, Mrs. Kenneth Robes, Mrs. James Timberlake and Mrs. Donald Wright.
Ralph E. Cole, M.D., Chairman
Lucien J. Menard
Edward F. McLenna
WESTFORD BOARD OF HEALTH
BOARD OF HEALTH 1965
Expenses
Balance
General Administration:
Misc. Exp.
$ 85.41
$ 14.59
Stationery & Office Exp.
54.61
95.39
Telephone
244.40
55.60
Ads & Legal Notices
44.25
5.75
Clerk's Expense
200.00
Legal Fees
284.50
Not Budgeted
Memorial Day Clean-up
108.63
Rodent Control
478.41
Not Budgeted 21.59
Dump
4,000.00
-
Agent to Remove Dead Animals
214.00
36.00
Tuberculosis
1,579.20
3,420.80
Contagious Diseases
--
300.00
Premature Babies
-
1,000.00
$ 7,293.41
$ 4,949.72
393.13
(Not Budgeted) $ 4,556.59
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BOARD OF HEALTH RECEIPTS 1965
Milk Dealers' Licenses
$ 9.50
Oleomargarine Licenses
4.00
Ice Cream Licenses
10.00
Camp Licenses
1.50
Methyl Alcohol Licenses
2.00
Day Care Center License
15.00
Sewage Installation Permits
390.00
Sewage Repair Permits
132.00
Sewage Collection Permits
6.00
Food Service Licenses
20.00
Amount Deposited to General Funds
$ 590.00
REPORT OF BUILDING INSPECTOR
During 1965 this department issued 140 Building Permits as compared to 129 issued in 1964. Permits for 66 single family dwell- ing were issued as against 52 in 1964. The remaining 74 permits were for additions, alterations, garages, sheds and business buildings.
Department appropriation for 1965
$ 2,000.00
Expenses for equipment, supplies, printing and wages
1.693.10
Balance
$ 306.90
Income from permits issued $
1,511.50
The above statement indicates that the department was not quite self-supporting.
Complete, detailed records are maintained and are open for inspection at any time.
Following the untimely death of Mr. Field, the undersigned was asked to be acting Building Inspector on December 28, 1965 to serve until another person is appointed. The records of Elroy A. Field as Building Inspector are in excellent shape and indicate a very efficient performance of his duties.
Carroll J. Rollins
ACTING BUILDING INSPECTOR
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NASHOBA ASSOCIATED BOARDS OF HEALTH
The Nashoba Associated Boards of Health observed its 35th birthday- half of the traditional human alloted span of life-in October 1965 and is still young as witness new activities inaugurated in recent years and those being planned now.
The Nutrition Service recently completed its first year of operation. The report of its activities show, we believe, that it is well on the way to meeting a real need both in the extent and in the variety of the services it provides.
This year has seen the enactment of Medicare and it is our concern to work with your Board of Health to ensure that the elderly have the home health services to which they will be entitled under Public Law 89- 97. In essence this means that your community be provided with a home nursing service which is certified as a home health agency under the Social Security Amendments of 1965 Act. To help deal with this problem the Associated Boards have appointed a Nursing Advisory Committee to consider the effects of the Act as it relates to member towns. We look forward to working with this Committee and to solving the many problems facing us.
For the sum of $11,680 spent by your town as its share of the costs and expenses of the health district, the town received services as shown below.
CHILD HEALTH PROTECTION
1. Premature Infants
Seventy eight premature babies were reported to have been born in the District, of which 21 were in Westford. Our medical social worker evaluated 12 of the 77 births with regard to financial assistance for hospitalization under Chapter 111, Section 67C and found five to be eligible for benefits.
2. Well Child Conferences
A total of 264 clinics were held of which 21 were in your
town. At the Westford clinics 188 children made 323 visits. These clinics provide health supervision, including immunization and health tests, for children who might not otherwise receive well child care.
3. School Health
Services available to schools include tuberculin testing, immunizations and dental prophylaxis of certain grades, sanitary in- spection, and advice and consultations in medical social service, nutrition, nursing and epidemioloy. Details of services given will be
92
found in the relevant sections of this report.
4. Dental Health
During the school year 1964-65 children in grades 2, 5 and 8 in your town were offered dental prophylaxis consisting of oro-dental inspection, cleaning and topical fluoride application.
Of 492 children examined 284 were referred to their family dentist because of defects found or suspected.
An important part of the dental hygienist's work is teach- ing the child how to take care of his teeth with particular reference to tooth brushing. Dental health education material for use by the teaching staff was supplied.
5. Day Care Services for Children
A11 Day Care Services in the District complied with the new State Regulations sufficiently to change from provisional to permanent licensure except for new services which have temporary licenses. There are a total of 24 Nursery Schools and Kindergartens in the area.
We wish to remind parents and operators of Services that, under the State Regulations, no child shall be admitted until the service has received a physician's certificate of medical examination and a state- ment that the child has been satisfactorily immunized and further that this certificate is required annually.
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
1. Diseases Reported
The following were reported in 1965 for the District and for Westford:
*Nashoba District
Westford
Chickenpox
274
30
Mumps
208
71
German Measles
55
1
Measles
50
10
Infectious Hepatitis
2
Meningitis
4
Streptococcal Infection
42
Tuberculosis
4
1
Encephalitis
1
Salmonellosis
1
Actinomycosis
1
Dog Bite
155
34
Other animal bites
11
4
Total reportable diseases
808
151
*includes your town and excludes Fort Devens.
The past year was, fortunately, free of any epidemics of reportable disease although the year did start off with a mild influenza epidemic (no figures are available since influenza is not routinely reportable) . The first positive identification of the influenza virus was made by the State Virus Laboratory on blood samples sent in by your health staff. The specimens were collected from children absent from school due to illness and were taken with the consent of their parents.
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2. Tuberculosis
(a) There were 107 cases on the register at the end of the year consisting of 8 active and 99 inactive cases.
(b) Tuberculin skin testing is today the first means of
detection of tuberculosis. Following is a breakdown of these tests:
Nashoba District
Westford
Well Child Conferences
1188
tests
83
tests
School Children
2802
11
524
11
School Personnel
344
5 11
Other
57
not apportioned
Total
4349
More tests were done in 1965 than in the previous year because the tests were offered to grade nine children in addition to first graders.
It is considered that there may be a significant rise in the risk of exposure to tuberculosis at the age of the grade nine students.
(c) The Chest Clinic at Ayer, a satellite of the Middlesex County Sanatorium, X-rayed 139 persons at six sessions held at the Nashoba Community Hospital.
3. Immunizations
The following is a list of immunizations done in our pro- grams during 1965:
Nashoba District
persons
Westford persons
Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetanus:
completed basic series
409
46
boosters
531
55
Diphtheria-Tetanus
37
Tetanus
50
Polio, trivalent oral:
completed basic series
549
86
boosters
755
21
Smallpox-primary
551
44
revaccination
73
4
Influenza
710
111
The persons listed above, except for those who received influenz vaccine, were mostly infants and preschool children of our well child conferences. Included are migrants who work in the District in the Fall and are employed chiefly in apple-picking. The 50 'Tetanus persons are entirely in this group as are 48 of the polio boosters.
Influenza immunization was offered to all towns for the protection of their officials and workers. Twelve towns availed themselves of this offer and 710 persons received 1290 injections, Westford included.
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4. Rabies
In November 1965, the Rhode Island Department of Public Health reported a case of rabies in a dog. This is getting very near home and it is most important that all our dogs be vaccinated against rabies in 1966.
Last year's rabies clinics were very encouraging, a total of 1,454 dogs were vaccinated in the 16 towns; against only 620 in 1964 and 615 in 1963 in 15 towns. In Westford 171 dogs were vaccinated in 1965.
We wish to express our appreciation of the work of the veterinarians and volunteers who man the rabies clinics.
The NASHOBA NURSING SERVICE continues to provide qualified nursing service to six communities with the other ten towns providing service independently. Many of our communities are in the throes of evaluating their available nursing services so they can meet the conditions of participation in the Medicare program which becomes effective for home health agencies in July 1966.
NUTRITION SERVICE
That there is a need for a Community Nutritionist in the Nashoba Health District is borne out by the report of the first year's activities.
Fifty three patients were referred for nutrition counselling, entailing 168 patient visits and twenty consultations with their physicians. Diabetes headed the list with the overweight next. A number of mothers were referred to the nutritionist because of mal- nourished children. Therapeutic diets low in certain nutrients, such as calcium, cholesterol, fat, sodium, and protein, were included.
Individual case work is essential where the patient has much difficulty in following the prescribed diet. However, many diabetics, the obese or homemakers wishing to improve their family diets can benefit from group activities. During the year 154 persons benefited from such activities organized in ten groups which held a total of 59 meetings (about 6 meetings per group.)
Twenty three visits were made to various schools in the District. Most were in connection with group education activities and some were to assist teachers with nutrition projects. A food habits survey was made in one school.
MEDICAL SOCIAL SERVICE
In 1965 the Medical Social Consultant at Nashoba received 308 referrals and made 1028 contacts including visits, interviews and con- ferences. This counselling has involved both direct service and consultation.
Your Medical Social Consultant was in your town 8 times this past year and was involved in a total of 14 referrals. These entailed 39 interviews, contacts or conferences and were referred by your nurse, school department, physicians, and outside agencies. The excellent cooperation throughout was sincerely appreciated by your Medical Social Consultant.
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ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION
During 1965 much thought and emphasis has been placed upon the clearing of our natural streams from pollution. Some of our towns have had Nashoba make field and laboratory surveys of certain brooks and rivers to be followed by local campaigns to get abuttors to install satisfactory waste water disposal systems. Splendid citizen cooperation made these surveys very worthwhile. All Towns are urged to protect the clean streams and work hard to get rid of the filth in the polluted waterways.
The new food establishment State Code, Article X, was implemented in the Nashoba District when all places meeting the requirements were issued their initial food service establishment permits starting November 1, 1965.
The services rendered to Westford during 1965 are as follows:
Milk, Food & Water
Milk samples collected and tested 169
Visits to milk plants and dealers 78
Inspection of eating places 71
Inspection of other food establishments 33
Inspection and testing of private water supplies -- 65 Inspection and testing of public bathing beaches 11
Nuisances
Investigation of Nuisance Complaints 49
Institutions
Visits to Child Day Care Centers 8
Visits to School Buildings 9
Habitations
Land Subdivisions soil investigations
1
Consultations, visits, and inspections of
Private Sewage Disposal Systems 331
Camps
Farm Labor Camps inspected 5
Recreation camp visits 3
Public campground inspections 2
Conferences and Meetings
Conferences with individual Board of Health members- 2 Conferences with other town officials 1 Conferences with State Officials re: your town - 1
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LABORATORY
During the past year 1,049 diagnostic tests were performed. There were, in addition, 2,006 tests on milk samples of which 169 were for your town, 550 drinking water tests of which 65 were for your town and 173 bathing beach and pool water tests of which 11 were in your town.
MIGRANT LABOR
With the aid of a federal grant we hired an experienced occupational health nurse to work with our permanent staff on migrant labor. The State Sanitary Code provides for inspection of camps and this year we added a measure of health supervision and control of communicable disease by tuberculin skin testing and by immunization of laborers against tetanus and polio.
Sixteen camps with a total of 168 laborers in seven towns benefited under this program.
/s/ Myer Herman, M.B., D.P.H. Medical Director
97
REPORT OF THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE FOR THE YEAR 1965
A special Town meeting was called for the evening of December 17, 1964 to see if the citizens of the Town of Westford would authorize an appropriation of $2,780,000 for the construction of a new senior high school in order that the Town might avail itself of a loophole in Chapter 660 of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Acts of 1963. The Town, by appropriating such a sum prior to the hour of midnight, December 31, 1964, stood to save $282,500 due to the fact that the State's participation would be on a 50 per cent basis prior to that hour but would drop to 40 per cent participation commencing January 1, 1965. At this special Town meeting, the citizens voted to reject Article III of the warrant which called for appropriation of the $2,780,000 and subsequently defeated an amendment to that article which would have reduced the appropriation to one of $2,500,000. As a result of the above votes, the Committee was forced to recognize that future appropriation for a new senior high school would be sub- ject to the equalized valuations as amended in Chapter 660 of the Acts of 1963.
During the months of January and February, 1965, the Senior High School Building Committee proceeded with its plans toward the realization of constructing and opening a new senior high school for 1100 students prior to the opening of schools for the school year 1968-1969. During this period, this Committee had several meetings with the High School staff in which planning on a set of educational specifications was begun. During this time also, this Committee screened ten different architectural firms and subsequently retained five of them for further discussion.
At the annual Town meeting, held on Saturday, March 6, 1965, the Town voted to appropriate the sum of $8,000 to defray the fees, costs and expenses of the Senior High School Building Committee appointed under Article II of the warrant at a special meeting held on July 16, 1964. The reason for this appropriation was to defray the expected costs of preliminary plans, specifications, cost estimates, and test borings together with engineering, legal and architectural fees and expenses to be incurred by this Committee. The result of this vote, after lengthy discussions, was 199 in favor, 193 opposed.
Early in the month of April, this Committee received from the High School principal the completed educational specifications for the new proposed senior high. We were in the process of reviewing these specifications, as well as scheduling new meetings with the surviving five architects, when a mantle of uncertainty as to the new school 's future indicated a temporary suspension of our then current activities. Since that time, we have decided, after dis- cussions with the School Board and the Permanent School Planning Committee, to hold up active planning on the new school indefinitely. Our reasons for doing so are as follows: actual school enrollment figures did not hit the enrollment projections in the years 1964-1965 or in 1965-1966; the population growth of our Town has leveled off; now that the Regional Vocational School has been approved, its affect on Westford public high school enrollment will become a definite factor;
98
and finally, it has been thought best to hold off further planning until the results of the Town Master Plan become available.
The sum of $8,000, appropriated for the use of this Committee at the last annual Town meeting, is still available in its entirety for the use of the Committee.
Walter B. Reilly, Jr., Chairman SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PLANNING COMMITTEE
REPORT OF THE TREE WARDEN
MOTH DEPARTMENT -- A dormant spray was applied to all Elm trees in the Town of Westford. The second spray was not completed, due to an injury I received in the woods, and therefore I was unable to work.
TREE DEPARTMENT -- This year we had a stump grinder in the Town for two days. A bucket truck, from the Harvard Tree Surgery, worked in Town five days. During this time we did all major prun- ing, in Westford Center, Forge Village and Graniteville. There are a few trees left which will have to be removed. Dry weather pre- vented us from planting trees this past year. They will be planted in the Spring of 1966, and I hope that the people who have these new trees planted in front of their homes, will help us by watering and caring for them.
Kenneth A. Wilson TREE WARDEN
99
REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF WIRES
There were 203 Wiring Permits issued. The Appropriation was used follows:
as
Appropriation for 1965
$1,000.00
224 Inspection Fees @ $2.00 448.00
Supplies, Clerical, Postage, & Elec. Assn. expenses 151.75 599.75
Unused balance of appropriation Received $665.00 for 203 permits issued.
$ 400.25
Norman E. Day INSPECTOR OF WIRES
REPORT OF CEMETERY COMMISSIONERS
The Cemetery Commissioners submit their report for the year 1965.
The dry weather tells part of the story, but the fertilizer we use tells a different one; not so much mowing but the yard was very green. We were short of help but thanks to Warren Sherman, the Cemetery looked nice and well taken care of.
Walter L. Blanchard
Albert A. Hildreth
Matthew A. Elliott BOARD OF CEMETERY COMMISSION
TRANSFERS FROM FINANCE COMMITTEE RESERVE
Assessors - Expenses
$ 200.00
Chapter 32B - Town Appropriation
557.86
Drainage of Town Roads
7.50
Fire Department - General Expenses
993.37
Forest Fires
1,132.66
Recreation Commission
1,095.94
Street and Traffic Signs
100.00
Town Accountant - Salaries
69.50
Veterans' Benefits
195.34
Total Transfers
$4,352.17
Balance
647.83
Appropriated at Annual Town Meeting
$5,000.00
Lawrence S. Johnston, Chairman
William J. Kavanagh, Jr., Vice Chairman
J. William Blythe
Herbert C. Decato
Robert M. Hicks
Viateur A. Ricard
Peter Sechovich
F. Stanley Smith
Nicholas Sudak, Jr.
FINANCE COMMITTEE
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REPORT OF THE NASHOBA VALLEY TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT COMMITTEE
At special town meetings on October 4, 1965, the voters of Chelmsford, Groton, Littleton and Westford approved an Agreement to form a regional vocational school district in accordance with sections sixteen to sixteen I of the General Laws. The votes were as follows:
Yes
No
Chelmsford
296
104
Groton
212
34
Littleton
231
8
Westford
240
4
Following formation of the District, the moderators of the respective towns appointed the undersigned to serve as members of the district school committee until 1965, when membership will become elective.
In accordance with the towns' mandate, the Committee has begun planning for the construction of a high school that will satisfy the need of many area students for training in vocational and technical subjects. It is the Committee's hope that construction can begin by July 1, 1966 , and be completed by September 1, 1967. We realize the immensity of this undertaking and are seeking professional assistance in all phases.
The Committee has obtained the services of Professor Charles J. Higgins of Lowell Technological Institute as educational consultant. Under his guidance the educational specifications are nearing completion.
After interviewing six architects, the Committee engaged John C. Carr Associates of Natick, Massachusetts.
An effort is now under way to recruit a superintendent-director of the necessary high caliber. His early selection should prove of in- estimable value to the Committee as planning of the project develops.
The Agreement specifies that the School shall be located in Westford and within one and one-half miles of the junction of Tadmuck Road and Route 110. We have identified several sites within this area and expect to make a decision soon.
We have chosen the name, "Nashoba Valley Technical High School," and the motto, "Progress Through Technology," to underline our intention not to imitate the traditional trade school but to attempt to prepare our students to meet tomorrow's demand for highly skilled workers in newly developing fields. The District's seal is a composite of the four town seals and was designed by Mrs. Joan Powers, art director of the Chelmsford School System.
101
In conclusion we wish to acknowledge the help and cooperation rendered by the officials of all four towns: Selectmen, Assessors, School Committeemen, Finance Committeemen, and many others. In particu- lar, we wish to thank the four superintendents of schools for their guidance during the early stages and the following members of the orig- inal Planning Board who ably served with us: James W. Bell, Norman E. Day Raymond D. LaPan, and Paul E. Smith, Jr.
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