USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wilmington > Town of Wilmington Annual Report 1952 > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10
Town of Wilmington v. Arthur S. Flint, Middlesex Superior Court. (Bill in equity to restrain defendant from further prosecuting an action against the Town to recover for flooding of his land. )
Arthur S. Flint v. Town of Wilmington, Middle sex Superior Court. (Action at law to recover for flooding of plaintiff's land. ) .
Blanche E. McQuaid v. Ernest Rice, Sr. Building Inspector and Joseph L. Cunningham et al, Members of the Board of Appeal of the Town of Wilmington, Middlesex Superior Court. (Bill in
20
equity to review action of Board of Appeal denying permit for lunch- room on Grove Avenue. )
Ernest B. Rice, Inspector of Bldgs. of the Town of Wilming - ton v. Myer I. Eilberg, Middlesex Superior Court. (Bill in equity to enjoin certain erections and alterations of the building at the corner of Main and Church Streets without a building permit. )
Town of Wilmington v. Refrigerator Truck Body Inc. and Harold T. Stanton, Middlesex Superior Court. (Action of tort to recover damages to police car resulting from collision with truck. )
City of Boston v. Town of Wilmington, Suffolk Superior Court. (Action of contract to recover for aid rendered various persons whose legal settlement is supposed to be in Wilmington. )
Francis E. Kelley, Atty. General v. Maurice D. O'Neill et als as Members of the Board of Public Welfare, Suffolk Superior Court. (Petition for writ of mandamus to compel the Board of Public Welfare to furnish aid to dependent children of a certain applicant. )
Samuel Freedman v. Town of Wilmington, Suffolk Superior Court. (Action of tort for personal injuries claimed to have result - ed from a defect in the highway. )
Town of Wilmington v. Julia Godzyk, Administratrix of the Estate of Andrew Klebasz, Fourth District Court of Eastern Middle - sex. (Action of contract to recover amounts expended by the Town for support and hospital treatment of decedent. )
Marion J. Murphy v. Ernest Rice, Sr., Bldg. Inspector et als, Middlesex Superior Court. (Equity appeal to review the action by the Board of Appeal in denying a variance under the Zoning By- law requested by the petitioner. )
B. (1) During the year 1952 the following new actions were brought by or on behalf of the Town:
Town of Wilmington v. Estate of a certain recipient of old age assistance, Fourth District Court of Eastern Middlesex. (Action of contract to recover amounts expended for old age assist- ance to the .decedent. )
Town of Wilmington v. City of Cambridge, Middlesex Superior Court. (Action of contract to recover for aid furnished in a public welfare case. )
21
Town of Wilmington v. City of Somerville, Middlesex Superior Court. (Action of contract to recover for aid furnished in a public welfare case. )
(2) During the year 1952 no new actions were brought against the Town or its officers or agents.
C. During the year 1952 the following actions by or against the Town were finally disposed of:
Francis E. Kelley, Atty. General v. Maurice D. O'Neill et als as Members of the Board of Public Welfare, Suffolk Superior Court. (Petition for writ of mandamus to compel the Board of Public Welfare to furnish aid to dependent children of a certain applicant. ) Disposed of by the entry of final judgment directing the payment by the Board of Public Welfare of aid to dependent children of a certain applicant.
D. Compensation was received by the Town Counsel in said matters and in all other matters during the year as follows:
Compensation $590.00
Disbursements 26 .. 31
(The above amounts were entirely on account of services rendered and disbursements paid in the calendar year 1952. )
REPORT OF THE LIBRARY TRUSTEES
Because of the rapid growth of the Town and increasing use of the library's facilities, we have found it advisable to open the library for an additional day. Under the new schedule the library is now open Tuesday, Thursdays, and Saturdays, during the same hours as before. This change has required the appointment of Mrs. Louise Balser as assistant librarian, since Mrs. Hall was unable to give the additional time. We wish once more to express our appreciation of her most efficient and faithful services.
The exterior painting of the library was begun with a first coat in the fall of 1952 and will be finished next spring. This will complete the program of repair and improvement of our physical plant which was begun by our late chairman, Louis McMahon. The trustees hope now to build up the contents of the library to keep pace with these physical improvements, and we are accord- inglv including in our 1953 budget a substantially larger item for the purchase of books.
22
During the year, the library has received gifts of books from the Whitefield Mothers Club, the Girl Scouts, Mrs. Virginia Erickson, Miss Louise Hosmer, and Mrs. Ralph Odiorne, as well as from a number of anonymous donors; all of which are most grate - fully acknowledged.
LIBRARIAN'S REPORT
1952
1951
Books added to the library
572
585
Books circulated
9462
8876
Periodicals circulated
511
378
Borrowers registered
1302
1085
Fines collected
138. 72
104. 33
A comparison of the above figures with those of 1951 shows a gratifying increase in the number of books and magazines circu- lated. There were 9, 973 books and magazines circulated from the library alone. The library is continuing the program of circulating books among the elementary schools in the town through the estab- lishment of so-called "book corners" in the Walker, Whitefield, West, Maplemeadow, Mildred Rogers, and Silver Lake Portable school buildings. An estimate of books circulated to the schools from January to June adds one thousand (1000). Since September, the teachers have been using the few books we were able to send in the class rooms only. There are now one hundred and two (102) books in the schools. The response of teachers and pupils to this service is gratifying.
Due to the increased activity of the library, Mrs. Louise Balser has been assisting most efficiently since September; in addition, Miss Ann Cavanaugh has been a most able desk assistant during Wednesday afternoon since early in November.
23
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Number of Arrests
122
Male - 113
Female - 9
Causes of Arrest:
Drunkenness
45 Larceny
2
Motor Vehicle Violations
31 Disturbing the Peace
1
Assault and Battery
8 Non-Support
9
Assault with Intent to Rape
1 Run-Away
1
Accessory to Intent to Rape
1 Violation of Probation
4
Assault with Dangerous Weapon
1 Throwing Glass on Roadway
1
Assault with Intent to Murder
1 Being a Lewd Person
1
Adultery (State Police)
1 Breaking & Entering & Larceny
1
Illegitimacy
1 Default
2
A. W. O. L. (Military)
2 Juvenile Delinquents
7
Malicious Setting of Fire
1 Total
122
Those arrested for Drunkenness had their cases disposed of as follows:
Released
30 Case Filed
3
Probation
4 Fined
1
Suspended Sentences
4 Not Guilty
2
House of Correction
1 Total
45
Motor Vehicle Violations were as follows:
Operating Under the Influence 5 Failing to Stop for Red Light 3
Operating to Endanger
5 Operating Uninsured Car
1
Leaving Scene after Accident
3 Operating Unregistered Car
1
Excessive Speed
9 Operating After Suspension (S. P. ) 1
Operating without License
3 Total
31
-
MP 671
24
A total of four hundred dollars ($400. 00) was collected by the court for fines imposed for some of the above offenses.
The Department found it necessary to arrest seven youths for being delinquents:
Breaking and Entering 4 False Alarm of Fire 1 7
School Truants 2 Total
Note the use of the word "necessary" - - you can be sure that this Police Department could make many more arrests of young- sters, but we feel that our first duty is to keep them out of trouble and away from the courts. We are proud of our efforts for we have helped many a youth to get back on the right road.
The records show that the ambulance was used to make 146 trips and 15 other trips were made by the cruiser.
The arrests are down for the year as compared with 1951. In 1951 we had a total of 197 - - 90 of which were for motor vehicle violations. In 1952 we had a total of 122 - - 31 of which were for motor vehicle violations.
The arrest for drunkenness has decreased also. We had 71 in 1951, and we had 45 in 1952.
Larry Cushing, Physical Director of Schools, deserves a lot of praise for the wonderful efforts he has put forth in the promot- ing of child safety -- which is in direct cooperation with this department.
The Police Department wishes to express sincere thanks to Mr. Clifford Good, Superintendent of Schools, for allowing Larry Cushing to devote his time to this cause, as well as to thank him for the cooperation shown this department in his efforts to curb vandalism. We are grateful to the students, also, for the way they are helping to curb it.
In conclusion, we would like to take this opportunity to extend our most sincere thanks to the Town Manager, the Board of Select- men, Town Officials, Town Departments, and residents for their cooperation with the Police Department.
25
FIRE DEPARTMENT
The manual force of the Fire Department consists of: Chief, two Lieutenants, and five Privates. There is a call force of fifteen members.
FOREST WARDEN
Arthur J. Boudreau
DEPUTY FOREST WARDENS
Barrows, Herbert C.
Cail, Harold F. Eames, Ernest W.
Plumer, Ralph M. Jr. Sargent, Edmund H. Williams, Arthur S.
PERMANENT MEN
Bowman, Charles W.
Cail, Harold F. (Lieut. )
Cushing, George S. (Lieut. )
Dewhurst, Raymond T.
Ellis, Charles E. Jr.
Nee, William P. Plumer, Ralph M. Jr. Woods, Robert J. (U. S. A. )
CALL MEN
Branscombe, Elmer R.
Buck, Clayton E. (Resigned)
Buckle, Walter G.
Castine, James W. (Resigned)
Cutter, Harry J.
Medico, Joseph
O'Neil, Maurice D.
Sargent, Edmund H. (Capt.)
Webster, Charles L. Williams, Arthur S.
The Fire Department responded to a total of three hundred and forty-four (344) calls, of which fifty-eight (58) were bell alarms and two hundred and eighty-six (286) were still alarms.
Buildings 38
False 19
Service Calls
45
Auto 23
Resuscitator Calls 26
Chimney 6
Out of Town
4
Brush & Grass 156
Dumps 8
Oil Burners 19
Permits issued for burning 2160
Permits issued for gas and oil 478
26
Durkee, Leslie A.
Kleynen, Frederick A.
Mann, William J.
McCue, James H.
Davis, Michael G.
Deming, Roland C.
Downs, Francis E.
A total of 95, 175 feet of fire hose was laid; 29, 050 feet of 2 1/2" hose, 22, 350 feet of 1 1/2" hose, 14, 200 feet of 1 1/8" hose, and 29, 575 feet of booster hose. Ladders raised 646 feet.
Total value of property endangered was $177, 190.00. The loss of property was $39, 105. 00.
-PC
TON
WILMINGTON
3
Installation of two-way radio biggest step toward coordination in town history.
27
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT
During the past year, the department has continued to im- prove the accepted residential streets on the basis of a five-year program for the widening and straightening of major through streets. Concentration has been on the roads which serve Wilmington's new industrial areas, since the new industries should expect correctly constructed highways for their trucks and employee's vehicles. Thus far the town's industrial expansion has been concentrated in one area, but the last few months saw one new industry locate in North Wilming ton, and several corporations are discussing the use of the other in- dustrial areas along the railroads and adjacent to the town boundaries.
Eames Street has been given an initial temporary treatment in 1952, with 3, 000 feet to be reconstructed and widened in 1953. With the cooperation of the State Department of Public Works, town officials, and the Wilmington Highway Department, Chapter 81 funds added to part of the regular town appropriation, can be used for this type of construction since the Commonwealth also benefits from serv- ing industry. The problem of the Eames Street railroad bridge must be deferred for several years until the town has a larger surplus for capital expenditures, since the taxpayer's share of a new bridge at this location would be $ 18, 000. 00.
After careful deliberation in regard to highway equipment, it was decided to replace a 1946 International dump truck, and a 1940 half-ton pickup truck now used by the Highway Department. The old pickup will be turned over to the school maintenance department, as its trade-in value is negligible, and it is felt that its value to the School Department would be much more. It is also requested that the town purchase the new grader we are now using at $600. 00 per month rental. The balance by Town Meeting will be about $9400. 00 on an original price of $16, 500. 00.
Chapter 90 maintenance work as laid out by the State engineer was completed and approved by the State Public Works Department.
Burlington Avenue: (Route 62)
All catch basins cleaned, street surfaced with a pea gravel and asphalt mix for a distance of about 4400 feet.
Church Street:
All catch basins and gutters cleaned, surface patched where needed.
Middlesex Avenue:
All catch basins and gutters cleaned, widened and surfaced with a heavy pea gravel and asphalt mix from Mystic Avenue to the top of Federal Hill.
28
Salem Street:
Shawsheen Avenue:
All catch basins cleaned, some brush cut, and surfaced for a distance of 3000 feet with extra heavy asphalt and oil treated stone. All catch basins cleaned. Surfaced with extra heavy asphalt for a distance of about 3000 feet.
Other work done on the above streets was paid out of Chapter 81 and Town funds.
Chapter 90 Construction: The construction carried over from 1951 was completed from High Street to the Whitefield School. Work on Salem Street was started at the North Reading line. Much of the preliminary work has been done, but the land at the town line belongs to the State Hospital, and not released in time to do any street work. This, plus another section, will be done in 1953.
Chapter 81. All the streets listed below received the bulk of repairs, either in part, or its entire length. Much of the extra work done on these streets was with town funds alone. All the work has been completed and approved by the State Engineer.
Adams Street: Aldrich Road:
Andover Street:
Baker Street: Ballardvale Street:
Surfaced with a pea gravel and asphalt mix. One mile surfaced with asphalt and covered with sand.
1200 feet new gravel treated.
Surfaced with a pea gravel and asphalt mix. 1200 feet surfaced with a pea gravel and asphalt mix.
Central Street: Chapman Road:
Regraveled for surfacing treatment in 1953. Surface treated with asphalt and covered with sand.
(at foot of Hillside Way) graveled and sur - face treated, also 1200 feet surfaced with a pea gravel and asphalt mix.
Regraveled.
1800 feet surfaced with a pea gravel and asphalt mix, plus 1200 feet of surface with asphalt and covered with sand.
Surface treated with asphalt and covered with sand.
Coolidge Road:
Gravel and 40 feet of large arch pipe. 1800 feet new treated gravel, and 1200 feet more surface treated with asphalt and covered with sand.
400 feet surfaced with asphalt and covered with sand.
Beech Street: Brand Avenue: Butters Row:
Chestnut Street:
Cochran Road: Concord Street:
29
Cunningham Street: Dayton Road:
Eames Street: Federal Street:
Grant Street: Harnden Street: Hathaway Road:
Hillside Way:
Jones Avenue: Lake Street:
Laurel Avenue:
All new gravel treated.
Liberty Street:
Lincoln Street:
Mackey Road:
Surface treated with asphalt and sand covered. Surface treated with asphalt and sand covered. Surface treated with asphalt and sand covered. 1200 feet new gravel treated.
Marion Street: Marjorie Road: Miller Road: Mystic Avenue:
Regraveled.
Surfaced with asphalt and covered with sand. Graveled, widened and surface treated.
800 feet new gravel treated.
Nassau Avenue : North Street:
Pershing Street: Shawsheen Avenue:
Surfaced with a pea gravel and asphalt mix. Surface treated with asphalt and sand covered. Surfaced with heavy asphalt and oil treated stone.
Veranda Avenue: West Street:
Surfaced with asphalt and covered with sand. 4000 feet surface treated with asphalt and covered with sand.
Wildwood Street:
Wilson Street: Woburn Street:
Treated with asphalt and tar, back covered with sand, also 500 yards of gravel used. Surface treated with asphalt and sand covered. 4500 feet surfaced with asphalt and covered sand, 1000 feet surfaced with a pea gravel and asphalt mix. Section (900') graveled and not treated due to cold weather and frost.
All the newly accepted streets have been completed except Adams Street. The arch pipe has now been delivered, and remains to be installed. Cross Street is almost completed - two head walls remain to be built, and some ledge and one large pine at the Main Street entrance must be removed.
The co-ordination between departments has aided greatly in improving not only construction and maintenance but also snow removal as well.
30
Pipe and gravel. Surface treated with asphalt and covered with sand.
Surface treated with tar and covered with sand. 900 feet pea gravel mix, 2900 feet surface treated with asphalt and sand covered. Surface treated with asphalt and sand covered. Surfaced with asphalt and covered with sand. Surface treated entire length with a pea gravel and asphalt mix.
Widened, graveled, culvert installed and surface treated.
Surfaced with asphalt and covered with sand. Surfaced 1000 feet with asphalt and covered with sand.
Culverts to be renewed in 1953:
Ballardvale Street
1 Equalizer near Mclaughlin
Boutwell Street
1 Walter Currier
Chestnut Street
1 Near Burtwell farm
Glendale Circle
1 Also 2 basins
Grove Avenue
One basin, 1 manhole and 12" pipe Two culverts extended
Lake Street
1
At old canal is questionable
Middlesex Avenue
1 At bog to flood same
Park Street
1
Extended for safety
West Street
3 Foley, Geswell, Suncrest Ave.
Wild Avenue
1 At Silver Lake R. R. Station, belongs to B & M. Should be checked as to capacity. This is also questionable.
List of major projects to be considered as to their importance to the growth of the Town, and accomplished within one to five years depending on other or unforseen requirements that may arise. (The number before the project does not signify the order in which the project will be done).
1 Eames Street
2 Adams Street
3 West Street
4 Chestnut Street
5 Roosevelt Road
6 Ballardvale Street
7 Andover Street
8 Lake Street
9 Boutwell Street
10 Forrest Street
11 Park Street
12 Concord Street
13 Federal Street
14 Hopkins Street
15 Grove Avenue
16 Fairview Avenue
17 Wildwood Street
Started, will be finished in 1953.
Widen from Church St. to Adams St. Ext. Widen and renew culverts. Reset walls. Widen, relocate sections, culvert and and reset walls.
Construct middle section, blast ledge, boulders and then gravel.
Widen one mile more or less, 1 culvert. Widen and remove large trees & stumps. Widen. Should be relocated in sections. Widen and remove curves as far as possible.
Widen, remove some trees and reset wall.
Widen, remove trees. Extend culvert. Widen from Woburn St. to R. R. tracks. Widen entrance from Woburn Street. Water condition corner of Shawsheen Avenue. Widen near mink farm and remove trees.
Water condition near entrance to Mildred Rogers School. Eliminate water pocket. Widen one section for new school.
31
18 Brattle Street
19 Ballardvale Street
20 Walker School Yard
21 Junior High School
22 Whitefield School
23 Woburn Street
24 Salem Street
Entrance from Glen Road remove large tree.
R. R. Bridge. Relocate street to where water main is laid. Plan now on hand. Grade to eliminate water condition.
Surface treat driveway
Surface treat driveway
Side drain from Park Street towards High Street.
Culvert near property of Jenkins.
New, modern highway equipment cut costs in 1952, helping to make possible a lower tax rate in 1953.
32
WATER DEPARTMENT
The following streets voted for 1952 construction of water mains have been completed:
Eames Street
Laurel Avenue
Hillside Way
Washington Ave.
Hobson Avenue
Wiser Street
Jaquith Road
To save the new road surface on Route #62 from being dug up, an 8" Valve was installed, and 54 feet of 8" pipe was laid across Middlesex Avenue to Shady Lane Drive, while highway department crews were constructing this section of street under Chapter 90, Construction Funds.
Hydrants: Fourteen (14) new hydrants have been added to the system, and repairs were made on ten (10) already installed, giving each home-owner within five hundred feet of any one of these new hydrants reduced insurance costs.
Service Connections: One hundred and forty- seven (147) new services were installed during the year, making a total of eighteen hundred and fifty (1850) connected to date. Over one hundred and twenty of these connections were for new homes - another indication of Wilmington's rapid growth. Twelve old services have been repaired.
The department now has two connections with the Town of Tewksbury water system which will be beneficial to both Towns during times of heavy water consumption for gardening or for fire fighting.
Corrosion Control: In an endeavor to improve the method of retarding corrosion in the distribution system, a program of feeding Calgon into the water as it entered the system at the pump- ing station was begun in 1952. Calgon is apparently successful in the control of red or rusty water which has been troublesome in the past. Calgon, a trade name for hexametaphosphate, dissolves the iron and allows it to remain in solution, and also forms a film on the inside of the pipes which is a protection against further rust.
No new equipment was purchased for this process as the department personnel installed a feeder mechanism which they had assembled. For all those interested, a section of cast iron pipe removed from an original main installed in 1928 can be seen at the pumping station.
33
Starting August 19, 1949, the Smith Pump Company was hired with men from our Department to pull and clean wells here in our well field. Thirteen (13) wells were cleaned that year with good results and increased the flow from each well.
In 1950 nine (9) wells were pulled and cleaned, and twenty (20) were washed with a gain of nine hundred and fifty-four (954) gallons per minute. Test borings at Bent's Pond off Wildwood Street at the rear of the Veterans' Housing were made. The result was ledge, fine sand, and no great amount of water. Test borings were also made in H. C. Barrow's field off Lowell Street with no better results.
In 1951 the project of pulling and cleaning the remaining wells was finished. Test wells on land owned by John Cooke off Glen Road were driven and the water tested satisfactory, but the depth was not sufficient for a gravel-packed well, and houses were being built in the area needed to give ample supply through the years.
In 1952 tests were made on C. S. Harriman's land off Salem Street -- ledge, "no result". Six test wells were driven on Town land in back of the Island or gravel pit; ledge was encountered at about thirty feet. The rigging then moved across Salem Street on land owned by Mr. Thrush -- no luck here. Finally a good quality of water was found off Woburn Street on land owned by H. C. Barrows at the rear of the North Wilmington Nursery. Three test wells have been driven, and samples of water sent to the State Health Depart- ment. More work should be done here. A set of six wells could be driven and pump-tested for draw down, amount of water, etc. This location might prove good for an additional supply.
The Department would like to drive more wells in our present well field. Five wells could be added out near Woburn Street. It may be possible to purchase some land from Arthur Williams, and move across Woburn Street and put in eight or ten there.
Another area would be in a northerly direction from the pump- ing station. This area could be tested with a few test wells here and there, and at a very small cost. The Department would like to make tests as soon as possible. Each well should give about twenty gallons of water per minute. The State recommends fifteen or twenty gallons per minute as a safe yield.
,
The Town of North Reading is planning to install an auxiliary station and if the supply of water is good, they should be able to help next summer when the consumption is heavy in their town.
34
The amount of water pumped in the summer months is about double that pumped in the winter months:
1, 440, 000 gallons per day in mid summer 700, 000 gallons per day in winter
From this it is apparent that additional storage capacity is needed, as well as expanded supply to meet the increased consump- tion due to new homes, greater population, and industrial activity.
The financial statement of the department is included in the report of the Town Accountant. Other statistics concerning the department which may be of interest to the taxpayer follow:
WATER CONSUMED
Year
Gallons Consumed
1948
246,821,500
1949
278, 656, 800
1950
280, 475, 100
1951
250,813, 500
1952
307, 358, 900
Fuel Oil Consumed:
Year
Gallons Used
Cost
Gal. per Mil.
Cost per Mil.
1948
23, 103. 8
2,376. 36
93. 1
9. 66
1949
29, 612. 4
2,713. 82
106. 3
9. 73
1950
30, 392. 4
2,776. 71
108.0
9.90
1951
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.