USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wilmington > Town of Wilmington Annual Report 1960-1961 > Part 17
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7 Harris Street
9 Wing Road
Technician
Repairman Sewer
General Accountant Inside Sales
48
...
*Johnson, Mary J. Kavanaugh, Paul W. Keane, Richard E.
Residence
37 Glen Road
Electronic Technician
855 Main Street
56 High Street
7 Drury Lane
Telephone Repairman
90 Middlesex Avenue
1 Hilltop Road
295 Woburn Street
10 Westdale Avenue
512 Woburn Street
224 Shawsheen Avenue
47 Burnap Street
111 West Street
Project Engineer Secretary
Supervisor Housewife
Name
Keen, William J. Kleynen, Louis L. Jr.
Krey, Matthias R. LaDow, Chester F.
Laffin, Aubrey L. Lally, Joseph A. Landers, David T. Lapper, John C.
*LaRivee, Marjorie E.
Lautz, William J.
Lawler, Walter A.
Lawrence, Robert H.
11 Linda Road
41 Pleasant Street
6 Parker Street
7 Fairfield Road
Production Planning
Supervisor
Co-ordinating Engineer
MacFeeley, Patricia A. Magee, William F.
Manson, Spurgeon D. Jr. Maser, Harold R.
Mayo, Eleanor W. McClure, Raymond G.
McCormick, William J.
McDermott, Richard E.
Mclellan, George H. Jr.
13 Ferguson Road
13 Ferguson Road
15 Floradale Avenue
Fairview Avenue
Brick Layer
Sheet Metal Worker
Housewife
Checker
Accountant
Housewife
11 Lawrence Street
Housewife
7 Carson Avenue
Building Custodian
Supervisor
Lab. Technician
742 Woburn Street
Insurance Change Checker
4 Cypress Street
Housewife
At home
124 West Street
Retired
124 West Street
Lineman
Senior Electronics Tech.
Peterson, Catherine D.
*Pike, Emma D.
Pills, Alexander T. Platt, Alanson E. Quinn, George F. Rees, John F. Reynolds, Helen M.
*Riley, Veronica A. Richard, Lydia Ring, John S. (* Indicates married woman)
Residence
Westdale Avenue 288 Salem Street 54 Andover Street 3 Ledgewood Road
11 Veranda Avenue
11 High Street 98 Clark Street
20 Glendale Circle
64 Concord Street
7 Kelley Road
Secretary Mechanical Engineering Project Technician Clerk
Leavitt, Kenneth R.
LeBlanc, Edgar
Leonard, Thomas P. Jr.
Lister, Gordon K.
27 Woburn Street
6 Hathaway Road
77 Burnap Street
Sheet Metal Assembly
Legal Secretary
Builder
Production Foreman
Offset pressman
Claim agent
Data Processing Analyst
Welder
Journeyman Cable Splicer
Project Engineer Housewife
*Mclellan, Lurlyne B.
*McMahon, Viola J. Melanson, Robert L. Metcalfe, Paul T.
*Mills, Florence E. Moore, Thomas H. Moores, Allan W.
*Moores, Mildred
*Mosey, Evelyn B. Murphy, Francis L. Nelson, Frank J. Jr. Oberg, Carl H. Jr. *O'Handley, Gertrude C. *O'Neill, Ruth E.
Page, Ruth M. Palmer, Douglas Palmer, James T. Pearson, Arthur W.
22 Oakdale Road
119 Grove Avenue
Cashier
Housewife
Supervisor
Woburn Street
Asst. Civil Engineer
Salesman
34 Andover Street
833 Woburn Street
2 Cottage Street
Taft Road
277 Middlesex Avenue
Occupation
Insurance Underwriter Route Foreman Product Engineer
Tumbler
Maintenance Engineman
General Insurance Agent Draftsman
Salesman Artist Draftsman
Mack, Henry S. MacFeeley, Angus B.
77 Burnap Street
402 Chestnut Street
494 Woburn Street
100 Clark Street
16 Suncrest Avenue
99 Chestnut Street
Kilmanock Street
1 Arlene Avenue
30 Brentwood Avenue
Westdale Avenue
14 Gunderson Road
Westdale Avenue
Westdale Avenue
Christine Drive
Perry Ave. Extension
16 Deming Way
Westdale Avenue
310 Lowell Street
34 Brentwood Avenue
I. B. M.
Payroll Clerk
Housewife
Housewife
Welder
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Wilmington, Mass.
Housewife
15 Swain Road
Name
*Seddon, Dorothy I. *Shanniak, Mabel M.
*Sidelinker, Eva
Skoglund, Mary G.
Stowe, Ernest B.
3 Meadow Lane
Campaign Organizer
Newspaper Correspondent Car Unloader & Whse. Mgr.
4 Sewell Road
211 Wildwood Street
Carson Avenue
22 Nassau Avenue
5 Dorothy Ave.
Webber, George J.
160 Shawsheen Ave.
36 Lowell Street
52 Andover Street Birchwood Road
Supervisor
3 Longview Road
Housewife
Transistor Tester
Retired
*Worby, Mary A.
*(Indicates married woman)
Residence
40 Oakdale Road
109 West Street
72 Main Street
14 Suncrest Avenue
Siwtchboard Operator
Sheet Metal Mechanic Senior Design Checker
Claim Clerk Electrician
Equip. Planning Engineer Sales
Waugh, John J.
Webster, George L.
Printing Salesman
Whalen, James J.
*Whitmarsh, Beulah M. Wicks, Lydia G. Witherspoon, William E.
27 Parker Street
17 Swain Road
316 Middlesex Avenue
Occupation
Practical Nur se
Accts. Rec. Bookkeeper Shoe Packer
38 Grove Avenue
Sullivan, Edward J. Sutton, Theodore Syvertson, Roy C. Jr. Tuttle, Frank H. Visconti, Anna M. Walsh, Michael J.
Rating Dept.
Walter F. Coleman, Director Public Welfare
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Wilmington, Mass.
BOARD OF PUBLIC WELFARE
The Wilmington Board of Public Welfare respectfully submits its Annual Report for the year 1961. The Board consists of Mr. Maurice O'Neil, Chairman, Miss Florence Balkus and Mrs. Anna Low. Mrs. Low was reappointed by the Town Manager on December 31, 1961 for an indefinite term.
The three employees of the Wilmington Board of Public Welfare are Walter F. Coleman, the Director of Public Assistance, who also serves as secretary to the Board, Mrs. Miriam Sullivan is the Senior Clerk and Stenographer and Miss Helen Hobson is the Social Worker. Walter F. Coleman, who was appointed on a provisional basis November 7, 1960, received a permanent appointment under Civil Service November 2, 1961. This permanent appointment was the result of a competitive Civil Service examination, the establishment of a list by the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission, and the resultant appointment of the top name on the list.
The.categories of assistance supervised by the Board are as follows: General Relief. Aid to Dependent Children, Disability Assistance, Old Age Assistance and Medical Assistance for the Aged. The last four categories are part of the Social Security Act and entitles each community to Federal and State re- imbur sements for the greater part of the aid rendered under these programs. Each of the above four- mentioned categories was born during successive administrations since the great depression, and became part of the Welfare program due to the ever changing conditions in our highly industrialized and urbanized society and to the problems born of congestion and socio-economic influence. Indoor relief, or what is now called General Relief, has gradually given way to the categorical assistance programs under the Social Security Act and Federal participation through the grant-in-aid device. The preservation of human dignity, the maintenance of family units and social rehabilitation constitute the underlying philosophy of modern public assistance.
Social problems do not disappear under the shield of wishful thinking, nor are they eliminated by the criticism of a few isolated individuals ignorant of the causes of social problems; indeed, as long as man inherits the earth they will be with us. To insure a broader dissemination of knowledge, more adapt- able programs and effective administrative techniques, various Welfare Conferences and Workshops are held each year for the Administrators and Social Workers of the local Boards. Public Welfare Boards have always been and probably will be for some time in the future, the focal point of controversy and criticism. Some people are even critical of our fine schools. The following four points might better illustrate Public Assistance today:
1. Public Assistance today has new dimensions of size and visibility.
2. Public Assistance still faces the same old perplexing problems of whom shall we help,
how shall we help them, and who shall do the helping.
3. Public Assistance as we know it is a more successful, more satisfactory means of meeting the needs of the poor than the workhouse, or the beggars' bowl, or the medieval monastery.
4. Implicit in the above is the supposition that public assistance is an instrument of society which is capable of still further refinement and improvements.
The above four points were copied from a report of the 1961 Public Welfare Workshop held at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass. on August 9 - 11, 1961. "Point three" of course might be a cause of conjecture, which says, in effect, public assistance is doing a good job; and "point four", which says public assistance can do a still better job.
This Board in 1961 lived within its appropriation and in fact returned some of its appropriation to the Town. Please refer to the Town Accountant's report for the exact amount returned. The Board this past year (1961) also recovered a much larger amount of monies from fathers of children who are on our Aid to Dependent Children program. This was due to a more diligent effort to search out these fathers
51
and bring them before the Courts. Some were tried in the Woburn and Lowell District Courts, some in the Superior Court, East Cambridge, the Probate Court, while still others were tried in various courts through out the nation. The Federal Reciprocal Support Law, whereby parents can be tried for non-support outside of the Commonwealth, will be shown in more detail under the heading of Aid to Dependent Children, in addition to comparative recovery receipts for 1960 and 1961.
A more detailed explanation will also be given of each category under its proper heading. This Board believes that the taxpayers of Wilmington should have and are entitled to a complete explanation of each category under its jurisdiction. It is also believed that this type of publicity is good for the Board of Public Welfare. Knowledge of its functions in detail by the public, should lessen to some degree any criticism of the department in the future. The year 1961 was also no exception to other years regarding changes in the Welfare Laws. Changes liberalizing the Aid to Dependent Children, Old Age Assistance, Medical Assistance for the Aged and Disability Assistance categories were voted by Congress and these changes will be listed under each categorical heading.
Old Age Assistance:
This category is a Federally sponsored, State plan, administered by law through the local Boards of Public Welfare. The law requires local Boards to aid aged persons sixty-five and over who are in need, and who have resided in Massachusetts for three years of the last nine years prior to application, with the last year continuous. Need is determined by applying budgetary standards set up by the State Department of Public Welfare. Some other requirements are personal property, such as cash, savings, bonds, etc. not to exceed $500. 00. Liens are placed on property if the applicant has an interest in such property.
The Federal government reimburses local boards $49. 80 a month for each case aided. The State pays two-thirds of the balance, and the remainder is paid by the local community and charged to the town or city of settlement. Five years' continuous residence in a community without public aid constitutes a settlement. In the event a person does not have five consecutive years' residence in a town without aid, the State is billed for the balance. The Board, in its budget request, does not include the Federal share, as this amount by law is set up in a separate account and can be used only by the Board of Public Welfare for the Old Age Assistance category. The Board, in its budget request, must raise the State and other cities and towns share, as this amount is returned directly to the excess and deficiency fund of the town and is used by the town. The assessors, however, anticipate this reimbursement based on the reimburse- ments of prior years, and it does not adversely affect the tax rate.
In the past year a law which most affected Old Age Assistance was Chapter 127 of the Acts of 1961, whereby citizenship and the additional residence requirement for non-citizens were removed as eligibility factors.
During the past year, 86 cases were aided under this program at a cost of $66, 919. 34. Recoveries received this past year due to sale of property and other reasons amounted to $16, 116. 62.
Aid to Dependent Children:
Aid to Dependent Children is another federally-sponsored category administered by law through the local Boards of Public Welfare to aid children that are deprived of parental support through desertion, mutual or legal separation, divorce, incarceration, death, disability or unemployment of the parent.
Major change for this category during the past year was an amendment to Chapter 118 of the General Laws, whereby children deprived of parental support due to unemployment were included. The waiting period for recipients under this program was also eliminated. Prior to this year a parent had to be disabled or incarcerated for a period of over three months, and a six-months' waiting period was require. for children deprived of parental support due to desertion or mutual separation.
The Federal reimbursement on this program is $20. 50 per child; State reimbursement is one- third of the total expenditure. The local community pays the balance for the aid rendered. The Board does
52
... . .
1
Wilmington, Mass.
not include the Federal share in its budget request. The town must raise the State share and the local share, because the State's share is returned to the town's excess and deficiency fund. There is no settlement required on this program. However, the children must have resided in the Commonwealth for one year prior to application.
During 1961 members of this department appeared in various courts a total of thirty-two times and were 90% successful in these appearances against delinquent fathers by receiving court orders for support of their wives and children. Receipts from this source amounted to $3, 692. 05 for 1961, an in- crease of 56% over 1960.
During 1961 thirty families were aided under this category in Wilmington with an expenditure of $36, 796. 71.
Disability Assistance:
Disability Assistance is another federally- sponsored State plan administered by law by the local Boards of Public Welfare. It requires the local Boards to aid persons who have been declared per - manently and totally disabled by the Medical Review Team of the State Department of Public Welfare and who are in need. Need is determined by budgetary standards set by the State Department of Public Welfare. The federal reimbursement for money expended in this category is $42. 30 a month per case, and the town's share is 25% of the total cost each month. The balance is reimbursed by the State Department of Public Welfare. The same manner of financing is used as in Old Age Assistance and Aid to Dependent Children. There were no major changes on this program during 1961 from the Federal or State levels.
During the year 1961, eleven cases were aided on this category. Total expenditure for 1961 on this program was $11,881. 00
Medical Assistance for the Aged:
This category, though still in its infancy, appears that it might be more costly eventually than Old Age Assistance. It has exceeded in expenditures Old Age Assistance on some payrolls this past year. However, the Old Age Assistance program decreased sufficiently in 1961 to offset any great budget increase for 1962.
Medical Assistance for the Aged is also a federally- sponsored State plan administered by law by the local Boards of Public Welfare. This program was born in 1960 when changes made under the Social Security Act established this category under the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. The bill, as passed at that level, recognized a need for medical care for aged persons. It, as in other Federal and State programs, requires local Boards to aid persons over 65, who are medically indigent and reside in the Commonwealth. No settlement is required under this category.
Under Chapter 781 of the Acts of 1960 the other requirements, briefly, are as follows: Aged persons 65 or over, who reside in the Commonwealth, are entitled to medical assistance, provided they do not have an income if single of more than $150. 00 a month, or if married, $225 a month; and providing further that, if single, they do not have bank deposits, securities, cash on hand and/or similar assets amounting to more than $2, 000. or, if married, more than $3, 000. Persons eligible for this form of assistance shall be entitled to part or all of the cost of (1) in-patient hospital ward care; (2) public medical institution services; (3) nursing home care; (4)physician's services; (5) out-patient or clinical services; (6) nursing services; (7) physical therapy and related services; (8) dental services; (9) home health care services; (10) laboratory and x-ray services; (11) prescribed drugs, eye glasses, dentures and other pro- sthetic devices; (12) diagnostic screening and preventative services; (13) any other care or remedial care recognized under the law of the Commonwealth; and (14) other medical care in accordance with the Depart- ment of Public Welfare Medical Care Plan.
Reimbursement for care under this program is fifty (50) per cent of all monies expended by the Federal government, two-thirds of the balance by the State, the remaining one-third balance to be assumed by the local community. This department aided forty-three cases during the year 1961 for a total expenditure of $47, 147. 47.
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General Relief:
.
This program requires local Boards to meet the community's statutory obligation to relieve a person in need. The decisions on who shall be aided and the amount given is left entirely to the local Board's discretion. Unlike the Federal programs where the final decision rests with the State through an appeal process, the local Board makes the final decision. The local Boards, through their policies and decisions, invariably attempt to reflect community thinking. The financing of this program is a direct cost to the town. The only monies returned to the community for this type of relief are for cases whose settle- ments are in another community, or for those persons who have no legal settlement. On these cases, the total amount is either paid for by other cities and towns or by the State. The local Board, of course, is also liable for payments to other cities and towns on general relief when the person aided in another city or town has a Wilmington settlement. By legal settlement it is meant that a person has resided in a community for five consecutive years without aid.
During the year 1961 there were 34 cases aided under this category in Wilmington, with a total expenditure of $6, 844. 48.
Administration:
Administration costs cover all expenditures by the Board to administer the five programs under its supervision, namely: Old Age Assistance, Medical Assistance for the Aged, Disability Assistance, Aid to Dependent Children and General Relief. Reimbursement under the four Federal programs is 75% - 50% by the Federal Government and 25% by the State, the remaining 25% is paid by the local community. Federal funds as in the other programs, are restricted by law for the sole use of administration. The State's share is returned to the Excess and Deficiency Fund and is used by the town for any purpose.
Administration costs for General Relief are not reimbur sable by the Federal or State governments.
General Comments:
The Board wishes to again note that economic conditions are the basic rules governing the amount of monies expended under its various programs and the total cost to the town is relatively small compared to the total amount expended; also the great benefits the community as a whole derives from these various programs and services. By services we mean advice, counsel and help for families or individuals needing rehabilitation. This agency has also used whatever influence it might have in seeking employment for able-bodied persons.
The Board wishes at this time to thank the local Police Department for its excellent help and cooperation during the past year. It was this type of cooperation that helped increase the amount of monies recovered from parents who previously were delinquent in their support payments. The Board also wishes to thank the Fire Department for services given the department by its ambulance in the transportation of the medically indigent during the past year.
The local Board also wishes to publicly thank the following for their unselfish generosity to the needy during the past holiday season: The Wilmington-Tewksbury Council Knights of Columbus, Communit. Fund, Jaycee-ettes, Wilmington Lions Club, Wilmington Grange #268, Pack 56 Cub Scouts, Jaycees, Brownies, Fire Department, and any other organization or person that aided this department during 1961.
The Board closes its annual report with the following capsuled version of one of its principles: Public assistance is merely a part of a general scheme of social security and welfare, a supplementary to the insurance programs and interrelated to other social programs which directly and indirectly affects each and every one of us.
This report was prepared for the local Board of Public Welfare by its Director of Public Assistance - Walter F. Coleman.
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.....
Wilmington, Mass.
BOARD OF HEALTH
Board of Health
Mr. A. C. Walker, Jr., Chairman Mrs. Marion C. Boylen Mr. Erving S. Pfau
Personnel
Patrick A. Thibeau, M. S. - Public Health Officer (resigned December, 1961) Gerald A. Fagan, M. D. - Medical Officer Anne Butters, R. N. - Public Health Nurse Leo E. LeBlanc - Animal & Slaughtering Inspector Gardiner Lester, D. V. M. - Veterinarian
During the year the town lost the services of its public health officer, Patrick A. Thibeau, who accepted a commission with the U. S. Public Health Service. Under Mr. Thibeau's leadership, Wilmington has gained recognition by officials of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for its outstanding health programs.
Mr. Thibeau's professional competence, kindess and sincerity made him liked and respected by all who knew him. His loss will be sincerely felt by the town for many years.
During Mr. Thibeau's absence, the Board has been obliged to set up interim public health pro- cedures, the success of which has been due in large part to the wholehearted cooperation of many Town officials and local citizens. In particular, the Board would like to thank the following individuals: - Leo LeBlanc, Robert Meserve, Anne Butters, Rae Burns, John LaPlante, Dr. Gerald A. Fagan, and Simon Cutter.
The year 1961 saw the continuation of the Community health program relating to communicable disease control, public health nursing, environmental sanitation with sanitary laboratory analysis. Pre- ventive measures against communicable diseases afflicting children and infants were practiced through immunization and Salk polio clinics. In addition, a Flu clinic was held this year for town personnel. A resume of the activities carried on this year follows:
A Communicable Disease Control:
I. Immunization Clinics:
Clinics were again held this year for the immunization of infants and preschool children from three months to six years of age. All children attending these clinics received protection against whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus. Although these diseases are now virtually controlled, many cases still occur in children who have not received their inoculations. It is therefore very important that parents see that this is done, either by their own physician or at one of these clinics. Four clinics were held in the Community Room at Deming Way.
Booster doses given
105
Children inoculated at clinics 52
Children completing series of three doses 32
It is of interest to note that, through the efforts of their parents, most children entering school have received a maximum or near maximum protection against poliomyelitis, whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus. Wilmington School Department statistics show that of 431 children enrolled in Grade I, four hundred have received immunization protection against whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus, and 398 against poliomyelitis.
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II. Polio Inoculation Clinics:
Two family polio clinics were held this year, on Sundays, at the Wildwood School. A total of 634 individuals received polio injections. First, second, third, fourth and fifth polio doses were given, and any one 3 months of age and over was eligible for any dose.
III. Asian Flu Clinic:
Due to the threatened epidemic of Asian Flu and the possibility of crippling essential services of the Town, a special flu clinic was held. Because of the shortage of vaccine, the clinic was limited to Town personnel. It was held in the Community Room at Deming Way and ninety - six town employees received protection against this disease.
IV. Anti-Rabies Clinic:
For the seventh consecutive year, an anti-rabies clinic was held in the late spring. Gardiner Lester, D. V. M. was the attending veterinarian. A total of 490 dogs received their anti-rabies inoculations. The cost of operating this clinic was defrayed by charging a nominal fee.
B Public Health Nursing Visits:
Nursing visits for the year 1961 756
Fees collected for visits $421
This phase of the Public Health Nurse's program is offered only under the direction and super - vision of a physician. Its purpose is to offer skilled nursing care to those persons requiring such service in the home; to teach through demonstration and to supervise care given by household members. It is available to any person living within the community.
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