USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wilmington > Town of Wilmington Annual Report 1956-1957 > Part 4
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41
Poison Ivy:
Brush killer was sprayed on roadways, stone walls, sides of trees, brush, and any place where poison ivy might be found.
State Report:
A State report is now necessary on all Dutch Elm disease work. This must be recorded on daily work sheet and submitted the 23rd day of each month.
Tree Warden J. W. Babine supervises crew
constable
Town Manager Wilmington, Mass.
I have posted Notices and Warrants of the Town Meeting, Special Town Meetings, State Primaries and State Election in accordance with the By-Laws of the Town of Wilmington.
Respectfully submitted,
Harry J. Ainsworth Constable of Wilmington
42
highway department
LOADER - backhoe purchased in 1956
CHAPTER 90 MAINTENANCE
The following streets were repaired and surface treated under Chapter 90 Maintenance as approved by State Engineer. All the cut brush was hauled away and burned.
Street
Length
Type of Work
Material Used
Burlington Avenue
2,500 ft.
Sealed
Sand and asphalt
Middlesex Avenue
900 ft.
Mix in place
Pea gravel and asphalt
Shawsheen Avenue
5, 500 ft. - Mix in place
Pea gravel and asphalt
Burlington Avenue
Clean basins, cut brush Clean basins and gutters
Church Street
Lowell Street Middlesex Avenue
Clean basins, cut brush Clean basins
Salem Street
Clean basins, cut brush
CONSTRUCTION OF NEW STREETS UNDER BETTERMENTS
Street
Length
Type of Work
Lawrence Street
4,200 ft.
General Construction
Material Used
Five thirty-inch culverts installed - all trees, stumps and subsoil removed - complete width of forty feet graveled - four hundred feet of drainage, and one manhole installed - twenty-six foot traveled way surface treated - 8, 000 ft. of asphalt curb- ing laid - surface sealed with asphalt and sand covered - shoulder wide enough for sidewalk.
Lawrence Court
1,000 ft. General Construction
All trees, stumps and subsoil removed - four hundred feet of drainage, and four catch basins and one manhole installed - complete width of forty feet graveled - twenty-six foot traveled way surface treat- ed and 1900 feet of asphalt curbing laid - sealed and covered with sand - shoulder wide enough for a sidewalk.
43
HIGHWAY
DEPARTMENT
201927
= TROJAS
400
CONSTRUCTION OF NEW STREETS EXEMPTED FROM BETTERMENTS
Street Gowing Road
Length 1,200 ft.
Type of Work
Material Used
All ledge, boulders and sub soil removed entire width graveled - twenty-six foot traveled way surface treated - 2100 ft. c asphalt curbing laid - sealed and covered with sand.
Dunton Road
750 ft.
General Construction
Oakridge Road
450 ft.
General Construction
All trees, stumps, subsoil, boulders and ledge removed - graveled and surface treated with asphalt and covered with sa: - 800 ft. of asphalt curbing laid.
SURFACE TREATED: SPECIFIED STREETS PREVIOUSLY ACCEPTED AS PUBLIC WAYS
Street
Length
Type of Work
Material Used
Bancroft Street
800 ft.
Gravel penetration
Asphalt and covered with sand.
Birchwood Road
1,700 ft.
Graveled
Davis Road
700 ft.
Graveled & Penetrated
Land Street
600 ft.
Gravel penetration
No penetration. Water mains installed. Asphalt and covered with sand. Asphalt and covered with sand.
Pinewood Road
1,500 ft.
Graveled
No penetration. Water mains installed.
Rollins Road
250 ft.
Graveled
Warren Road
350 ft.
Graveled & penetrated
Wightman Road
450 ft.
Graveled & penetrated
Asphalt and covered with sand. Asphalt and covered with sand.
LAND RECLAMATION
Ten catch basin grates and covers, two manholes, and one thousand feet of twelve -inch asphalt-coate pipe were purchased for a drainage system starting at Jones Avenue and crossing Miller Road to the broc Easements were not received, and the work was held over until 1957.
CHAPTER 90 CONSTRUCTION
Street
Salem Street
Length 3,500 ft.
Type of Work
General construction in widening shoulders in preparation for lay g Type I hot top - all trees, stumps, boulders and subsoil were rer for a width of six feet on each side - backfilled with good gravel ad rolled - due to a late start and cold weather, the work will be con pleted in 1957 - utility poles must be reset and R. R. signals mov l back.
MISCELLANEOUS
The following unaccepted streets received minor repairs that were paid for by the property owners: Laite Road, off Main Street ($50.00) ..... Elwood Road, off Forrest Street ($50.00).
An access road to the new wellfield in back of Barrow's Nursery (2500 ft. x 24 ft. ) was excavated an graveled for the Water Department, and we hauled about 1200 cubic yards of gravel used to partly fill war trenches before suction lines were laid to the wells.
44
General Construction
All boulders, ledge, trees, stumps and :b soil removed - entire width graveled - 2 ft traveled way surface treated with asphal and covered with sand - no curbing.
SEWER-RODDING Machine purchased in 1956
MEN WORKING
HEAVY-DUTY SNOW- FIGHTER tackles worst winter in decade
LAWRENCE STREET was FIRST STREET constructed with bituminous curbing
1
45
TOWN EXPENSE ACCOUNT
The following streets were repaired and surface treated under the Town Expense Account: In all case the material used was asphalt and covered with sand.
Graveled & penetrated:
Graveled:
Graveled, penetrated and sealed
Brattle Street
600 ft.
Kendall Street
1,800 ft.
Morse Avenue
1,400 ft.
Cochrane Road
650 ft.
Dorchester St.
1,700 ft. Silver Lake Ave. 500 ft.
Corey Avenue
450 ft.
North Street
1,800 ft.
Union Street 800 ft.
Cunningham Street
800 ft.
Cypress Street
350 ft.
Sealed:
Construction:
Edwards Road 800 ft.
Bancroft Street
800 ft.
Suncrest Avenue - 1, 400 ft. - ge
Essex Street
1,200 ft.
Davis Road
700 ft. neral construction ... All ledge,
Fairfield Road
500 ft.
Lang Street
600 ft.
boulders, and subsoil removed -
Faulkner Road
1,800 ft.
Warren Road
350 ft. 750 ft. of drainage pipes, three
Grand Street
350 ft.
Wightman Road
Oakwood Road
900 ft.
Powder House Circle
250 ft.
450 ft. catch basins, and 2 manholes in. stalled - graveled and penetrated with asphalt & covered with sand
All the culverts were cleaned out several times. Some brush was cut and hauled to the town pit and burned. A number of old stumps were removed from Woburn Street, Concord Street, Federal Street, and Ballardvale Street. Fifty-seven new street signs, and a number of "Slow" and "Children" signs were erected. New "No Parking" signs were erected on Grove Avenue. Some of the above-mentioned streets w appear under Chapter 81 work because the final seal coat was paid for with Chapter 81 money and so indi- cated. All the boulders, left on the shoulder of Fames Street after construction, have been drilled, blaste and will be removed early in 1957. All the boulders left on Dobson Street have been drilled, blasted, and hauled away except about four truck loads.
The following items were purchased from the Expense Account: Curbing machine ($1,000) .... . sewer rod machine ($975.00) ..... extra rod and larger bits ($300.00) ..... two snow plows ($990. 00) ..... new broom ($200. 00) ..... thirty-inch bucket for backhoe ($200. 00) ..... truck and grader tires ($1200. 00) ..... rental for front-end loader deducted from purchase price ($4, 350. 00) ..... bulldozer work and fill for Towi Dump including fires ($2, 500. 00) ..... some truck repairs and parts also paid. .... sand for ice control ($5) ..... two power brush cutters ($450. 00). ... two Gould pumps ($381.00) ..... nine lockers ($185. 00). laying out Little League Field ($200. 00). ... two sets of flasher lights ($97.00).
All fences were painted. About 2500 feet of drainage pipes were rodded out and cleaned. A large nun :: of trees were removed in conjuction with the Tree Department. The back yard of the Buzzell School was graveled. Trees, brush and stumps in back of the Highway Department garage were removed, and then completed with fill and gravel to provide space for storage.
CHAPTER 81
Five new thirty-inch culverts were purchased for Ballardvale Street, Park Street, Woburn Street, an Hopkins Street. As soon as weather permits in 1957, they will be installed.
The following streets were repaired and surface treated under Chapter 81 as laid out by the State Eng
Mix in place ..... Pea gravel and asphalt:
Adams Street
1,200 ft. Federal Street
1,500 ft. Shawsheen Avenue 2,000 ft.
Boutwell Street
1,500 ft. Forrest Street
1,800 ft. Roman Way 2,200 ft.
Chestnut Street
2,000 ft.
Hathaway Road
450 ft. Wildwood Street 1,500 ft.
Clark Street
400 ft. Mystic Avenue
500 ft.
Woburn Street 5,200 ft.
Salem Street
1,500 ft.
46
-
Sealed. .... Asphalt and covered with sand:
Aldrich Road
6,800 ft.
Fairfield Road
500 ft.
Nickerson Ave.
850 ft.
Auburn Avenue
800 ft.
Faulkner Road
1,800 ft.
Oakwood Road
900 ft.
Ballardvale Street
3,000 ft.
Federal Street
1,500 ft.
Railroad Avenue 750 ft.
Butters Row
1,200 ft.
Forrest Street
1,800 ft
School Street 750 ft.
Carson Avenue
650 ft.
Grand Street
450 ft.
Sewall Road
400 ft.
Concord Street
3,000 ft.
Grove Street
1,500 ft.
Taplin Avenue
850 ft.
Corey Avenue
350 ft.
Harris Street
1,200 ft.
Temple Street
300 ft.
Cottage Street
1,100 ft.
Harvard Avenue
500 ft.
Thurston Avenue
900 ft.
Cunningham St.
800 ft.
Lake Street
400 ft.
Truman Road
350 ft.
Dayton Road
300 ft.
Liberty Street
850 ft.
Washington Ave. 600 ft.
Eames Street
250 ft.
Lloyd Road
1,600 ft.
Wild Avenue
1,500 ft.
Essex Street
1,200 ft.
Nassau Avenue
1,000 ft.
Woburn Street
2,500 ft.
Nichols Street
1,200 ft.
Graveled and penetrated. .... Asphalt and covered with sand:
Carson Avenue
650 ft.
Sewall Road
450 ft.
Sealed ..... Covered with pea gravel:
Wildwood Street
2,500 ft.
Reconstructed, widened, graveled and penetrated:
Harnden Street
900 ft.
In conclusion I would like to take this opportunity to inform the taxpayers that the purchase of the heavy ir -wheel-drive front-end loader with backhoe attachment was a very wise investment. Not only did it save ney for the Highway Department, but also it earned $3800 from the Water Department on rental for water rvice installations and various other jobs. This money was paid into the Highway Department Road Machi- ry Fund, and can be used only for the purchase of new equipment. This money plus other money earned the highway equipment charged to various accounts and paid into the Road Machinery Fund, enabled the payer to appropriate $6500 from said fund for the purchase of a new dump truck with a four cubic yard avel body, and a 5 1/2 automatic sand spreader body for ice control at no expense to them. Together with rade -in allowance, there is enough money left in the fund to purchase another new dump truck.
The sewer rod machine paid for itself on its very first job at the Junior High School. We cleaned out ven hundred feet of drainage culvert on Shawsheen Avenue, and a section of culvert under the Common to ams Street which were previously so clogged as to be useless.
This winter I have been fortunate enough to hire Thomas Barron to plow the sidewalks with a heavy side - lk plow. This service has been in demand for some time, especially in the Silver Lake Area because the hool children walk along the Main Street. We also have about 3 1/2 acres of parking space to keep free of w. The off-street parking lot in back of the Church Street Hardware was graveled by the Highway Depart- nt at a cost of $550.00.
At this time I would like to take the opportunity to thank all other department heads for their cooperation 1 help, great or small, and the Board of Selectmen for their faith in my ability as Superintendent of eets; also, the Town Manager, Joseph Courtney for his untiring efforts, cooperation and suggestions to nplete our work program.
47
town engineer
6
FIRST TOWN ENGINEER George A. Winters (resigned)
TOWN ENGINEER George F. Maynard
The year 1956 was the first full year of operation for the Engineering Department. In October Wilmington's first Town Engineer, George A. Winters, resigned to accept appointment as Director of Put: Works of the Town of Wakefield. Mr. George F. Maynard was appointed as Town Engineer in November.
The principal assignments handled by the Town Engineer's office during the past year may be summarized as follows:
1. BETTERMENT ASSESSMENTS
At the Annual Town Meeting, the Town voted to apply betterments to new street con- struction and water main extensions. In addition to assisting the Principal Assessor in the preparation of a procedures manual on betterments, the Town Engineer pre- pared the plans and estimates required under General Law to support this action.
2. SURVEYING AND PLANS
All new streets constructed in 1956 were Inid out, surveyed, and staked. Where required, the Town Engineer provided field engineering assistance to the Highway Department.
3. PLANS AND RECORDS
The Town Engineer's office has undertaken a systematic compilation of plans and records of Ways within the Town including old subdivisions.
A system of Public Works cost and time records was initiated to assist the High- way and Water Departments. These are obtained from data submitted on standard forms from each department.
4. PLANNING BOARD
The Town Engineer serves as Agent of the Planning Board. In addition to main- taining the records, minutes, and correspondence of the Board, the Town Engineer received and processed all plans submitted to the Board either for consideration as subdivisions or as plans "Believed Not to Require Approval" under the Subdivision Control Law. Prints in duplicate of all plans so approved were made, and a copy given to the Assessors
48
Field inspections of subdivisions in the course of development which are subject to the regulations of the Planning Board were carried out to insure conformity to the established line and grade of roads and the observance of construction standards.
5. INTERDEPARTMENT ASSISTANCE
This consisted of the making of plans or prints or special field surveys to facilitate the handling of specific problems.
A topographical survey of the proposed school site was made for the Glen Road School Building Committee.
Changes as required in the Assessors Tax Maps were entered, and prints prepared for the official use of the Board of Assessors and other Town Officials.
Gravel pit excavations were checked for the Board of Selectmen.
6. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.
Technical assistance, including the preparation of special plans and prints, was provided for the Town Manager and Principal Assessor in furthering the Town's industrial development program. A substantial amount of time was devoted to work related to the new AVCO science research center.
The Engineering Department has been fortunate in procuring the services of two co- operative -work engineering students from Northeastern University who alternate every ten weeks between classwork and town employment. Their efforts have been invaluable both in the field and in the office.
49
sealer of weights and measures
Sealed
Adjusted
Condemned
Platform Scales over 10,000 lbs.
1
1
0
Platform Scales over 5, 000 lbs.
1
1
0
Platform Scales 100 to 500 lbs.
11
8
0
Platform Scales under 100 lbs., counter
5
3
0
Spring Scales 100 lbs. or over
5
3
0
Spring Scales under 100 lbs.
18
9
0
Beam Scales 100 lbs. or over
1
1
0
Beam Scales under 100 lbs.
2
0
0
Computing Scales under 100 lbs.
22
11
0
Personal Weighing Scales
3
1
0
Avoidupois Scales
13
9
0
Vehicle Tanks
5
0
0
Apothecary
2
0
0
Liquid Measure
14
0
0
Meters, 1 inch inlet
33
22
0
Meters, over 1 inch inlet
9
3
0
Grease Measuring Pumps
7
3
0
Oil Measuring Pumps
5
2
0
Quantity Measuring Pumps
1
1
0
Sealing Fees collected and turned over to the Town Treasurer:
$74.25
The following are weights of Commodities for immediate delivery:
Tested
Corrected
Under
Over
Beans
51
37
0
0
Bread
32
47
0
0
Butter
40
40
0
0
Coal, Paper Bags of
24
23
0
1
Coal in Transit
4
4
0
0
Confectionery
32
30
0
2
Fruits and Vegetables
60
57
0
3
Lard
10
10
0
0
Potatoes
60
60
0
0
Number of Licneses Inspected:
Hawkers and Peddlers Seals
Junk Dealers
2
Clinical Thermometers
6
Expenses of Department are as follows:
$325.00
Appropriation Total Expenses
324. 30
Unexpended Balance
.70
50
board of water commissioners
Water Supply:
The principal problem of the department is the provision for an adequate supply of water to a continually expanding system. The capacity of the Brown's Crossing Wellfield is approximately 1, 500, 000 gallons per day which was not enough to supply the peak demand of the present system. In order to meet the problem in 1956 the department has:
1., Completed the Barrows Wellfield Pumping Station which will add 500, 000 gallons per day to the supply.
2. Tested and cleaned twenty driven wells at the Brown's Crossing Wellfield. This will be part of an annual program to insure maximum supply.
3. Started a program of installing meters in every service. While not adding directly to the supply of water, meters will effectively curb excessive demand and thereby conserve the supply for more equitable distribution.
While this program will take care of the supply problem for the next two or three years, for the long run a new supply will have to be found. Therefore, a program of well exploration and testing for additional sources of supply has been started and will continue in 1957.
Town of Wilmington Board of Water Commissioners Pumping Statistics 1952 - 1956
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
Maximum gallons pumped per day
1,570,000
1,488,500
1,745,000
1,664,600
1,458,100
Maximum gallons
pumped per week
9,222,500
10,206,700
11,210,000
10,941,300
9,548,000
Maximum gallons pumped per month
40,282,700
38, 342, 300
37,986,100
43, 228,500
41,020,400
Average gallons pumped per day
842,510
928,542
862,870
844,900
922,470
Average gallons pumped per month
25,696, 500
29,993,158
26, 245,600
25,275,882
29,801,995
Total gallons
pumped per year
308, 358, 900
339,917,900
314, 947,500
308, 310,600
337, 623, 950
(continued)
51
Distribution:
In order to extend the system to those areas not already serviced as soon as possible and at reasonable financial outlays, Chapter 332 of the Acts of 1955 (Betterments) was recommended and adopte by the town at the annual Town Meeting of 1956. Under this Act abuttors pay for that portion of the cost for laying mains that is of direct benefit to them. Under this program the system will be able to be extended to those who want the water at reasonable costs to the abuttors with corresponding savings to th town.
When public hearings were held in 1956 as required under Chapter 352, the abuttors over - whelmingly favored installation of mains under betterments.
Town of Wilmington Board of Water Commissioners Water Main Extensions 1956
Street
No. Ft. 6" Main
No. Ft. 8" Main
No. Ft. 10" Main
Total Fee of Main Ins
(Installed by Town under pro-
visions of Betterment Act)
Birchwood Road
1,781
Judith Road
218
Kendall Street
1,296
Pinewood Road
1,533
Randolph Street
254
Sprucewood Road
704
(Installed by Contractor for Town)
Woburn Street
2,816
(Installed by Builders and Devel- opers under Town supervision)
Dorothy Avenue
1,380
Davis Road
336
TOTAL
336
7,166
2,816
10,318
Improvements:
During 1956 a partial report of a survey together with recommendations for physical impro- vements from Whitman & Howard, Engineers, was received. As a result steps were immediately taken to improve the system and plans were laid for future improvements as follows:
1. To increase water pressure in certain parts of the town, construction of a ten- inch main on Woburn Street from Concord Street to West was started and should be completed in the spring of 1957.
2. To provide fire protection and increase pressures, plans have been made to replace certain two inch mains with larger sized mains. For 1957, Linda Road, Adams St., and Chandler Road are scheduled to have small mains replaced with larger sized mains. To the extent that finances will allow, other small mains will be replaced as part of the improvement program.
52
3. To increase storage facilities plans are being made for the construction of a new standpipe. At the present time our storage capacity is 660, 000 gallons; far less than the daily amount consumed during the maximum demand period. Furthermore, during the period of maximum demand, the standpipe level is sometimes dropped to dangerously low levels impairing pressures in certain areas which leads to decreased fire protection and sometimes loss of use of water facilities. It cannot be too strongly urged that authorization for con- struction of a new standpipe be given in 1957.
Fluoridation:
In accordance with the vote of the 1956 annual Town Meeting, fluoridation pumping equipment has been purchased and is now installed at the Brown's Crossing Pumping Station. As soon as the Department of Public Health of the Commonwealth inspects and approves, the water will be treated with fluorine. The standards and testing requirements of the state should assure the safe treatment of the water.
Town of Wilmington Board of Water Commissioners Services and Meters
New Services 1956
Meters Installed 1956
Total Metered Services
Total Unmetered Services
Total Services
Year
1955
1049
1299
2348
1956
178
2 72
1321
1205
2526
NEW PUMPING STATION Outside View
DANCEEN VOLTAC E
NEW PUMPING STATION Interior View
53
board of health
The year 1956 presented two major changes within the Board of Health. The first was the resignations of Dr. Gaius E. Harmon and Mr. Francis Hagerty in March and June. To them, the Board of Health is much indebted for their valued assistance and untiring efforts in its behalf. In December, Mrs. Marion Boylen and Mr. Donald Kidder were appointed to the Board of Health, filling the vacancies created by the resignations.
The second major revision, in the Board of Health, was the mass polio innoculation program. This was the first time that polio vaccine purchased with public funds was administered, distributed and made available to all susceptible individulas regardless of income by the Board of Health.
In this year, the Board of Health continued and, in some cases, intensified its activities in:
1. Communicable Disease Control
2. Public Health Nursing
3. Environmental Sanitation
4. Laboratory
I. COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL:
A. Anti-Rabies Clinic:
To prevent the spread of rabies infections from animal to man, the Board of Health held its third anti-rabies clinic. Dr. Gardiner Lester, D. V. M., was the attending veterinarian and innoculated 328 dogs. All the operational expenses were paid by charging a nominal fee of seventy-five cents per animal.
B. Immunization Clinics:
The Board of Health again this year, held four clinics for pre-school children. At these clinics the children received innoculations against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus. Three clinics were held a month apart for those receiving the triple "doses" for the first time. The booster clinic was for any pre - school child up to the age of six who had been previously immunized.
Children innoculated at clinics 178 Children who completed series of three shots 49 Children who received booster doses 109
C. Polio Innoculation Clinics and Program:
The polio innoculation program was the most difficult to administer, and the largest single undertaking by the Board of Health. Most of the complications encountered, were due to the distribution of vaccine to the family physician. In a number of cases, in order to comply with the requirements of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the wishes of the parents, three physicians living in three different towns had to agree to split one vial of vaccine. Other complications occurred but, in almost every case, a means was found to comply with the parents' desires. In all, the Board of Health distributed vaccine to forty-seven doctors in at least forty different cities or towns; and operated forty (40) public clinics. A resume of this program follows:
54
Total Number of Innoculations Given 6227
Persons Receiving at Least One Dose 2989
Persons Receiving at Least Two Doses Persons Receiving at Least Three Doses 9
3229
Age Distribution and their Number:
Public Clinic
Doctors' Offices
1 st
2nd
3rd
1 st
2nd
3rd
Under 5
1099
991
0
331
348
9
5 through 9
575
982
0
27
15
0
10 through 14
705
6 38
0
12
8
0
15 through 19
154
181
0
2
0
0
Pregnant Women
0
0
0
74
66
0
20 through 29
0
0
0
10
0
0
.
The third or booster clinic will be held during the month of April 1957. It shall be necessary for parents to re-register their children for the third dose.
D. Other Phases of Communicable Disease Control:
Generally, there were no serious cases of communicable diseases reported in the year. In the winter and late fall, the incidence of children's disease was expectedly high particularly mumps, chickenpox and measles. Two cases of tuberculosis were isolated in the Middle sex Sanatorium and contacts X-rayed or given patch tests.
To prevent, insofar as possible, the transmission of communicable diseases, all children entering kindergartens or nursery schools are now required to present a certificate from their doctor stating that they have received their immunication and smallpox innoculations as well as a certificate of health.
[. PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING:
Nursing Visits for the year 1956 761
Fees Collected for Visits $569. 00
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