USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Wilbraham > Wilbraham annual report 1951-1955 > Part 41
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A volume could be written on the flood emergency but space precludes.
The Town's project for extension of the new 16" main southerly on Main Street to Springfield Street, or as much further as the appropriation would permit, was so efficiently carried out by the Water Commissioners that the line was extended as far south as Monson Road, and then suspended for the year with some unexpended funds still available in that appropriation.
The Board has faced considerable difficulty in maintaining safe travel through Maynard Road as a result of the heavy use of the road and the temporary closing of Three Rivers Road by the Toll Road contractors. Your Selectmen negoti- ated at length with the Toll Road engineers and contractors and, with the fine cooperation of Forrest Foster of Maynard
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Road, were able to cut out a portion of the hillside which caused a narrow, blind curve. This was accomplished with- out any expense to the Town for land damages, for the work itself, or for transporting the fill removed to the Silver Street and Crane Hill Road washouts. The Board further secured free assistance from the Toll Road contractors in repairing the culvert at the Boston Road end of Maynard Road. With the cooperation of Mr. Benjamin Grout, your Selectmen have been promised that after the Toll Road construction in that vicinity has been completed, the Toll Authority will re-grade and re-surface the entire length of Maynard Road without expense to the Town.
The year 1955 for Wilbraham people was another in an era of continued growth, with mounting expenditures for community needs and was a stepping-stone to future years when major decisions must be made.
New construction in 1955 established a record, the total estimated value being $1,690,000.00 which does not include the $325,000.00 appropriated for the new eight-room ele- mentary school now under construction. There were 117 new homes built during the past year a total of only 11 less than in 1954.
As in all recent years, the chief problem overshadowing all others for the Town of Wilbraham has been how to finance without extreme tax rates and, indeed, how to even physically provide for the current and near future facilities and services needed for education.
Even after qualifying for the maximum formula for state school assistance as well as using the Town's savings from earlier years, Wilbraham finds itself with an educational budget totaling considerably more than half of the Town's total tax rate expenditures. This state of affairs has ar- rived with the indicated peak of the school load, if there is such a thing as a foreseeable peak, still several years ahead.
With the Town's population just about doubling every 10 years, Wilbraham's percentage load for education has reached higher peak burdens than those of most other towns in the Commonwealth.
In addition to current growth of the Town resulting from new families locating here, the added implications of new school facilities needed to provide for higher birth rates are startling. National averages indicate that present birth rates will in themselves increase school enrollment over the next 10 years in elementary schools by 23% and in high schools by 55%.
Unless the Town is able to secure greatly increased Fed-
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Ed Lindsay aboard the bulldozer is shown clearing and straighten- ing the culvert under Crane Hill Road at Twelve Mile Brook.
eral, and/or State school operating and construction sub- sidies, our extraordinary acceleration in growth of school enrollment over the next decade will force harsh and diffi- cult choices between possibly confiscatory tax rates and compromises on the conveniences and benefits of present curricula and standards of school operation.
To date, by dispensing with services considered essential by most communities and, by actually spending less than $17.00 of the dollars appropriated for all town facilities and services other than education, Wilbraham has managed to maintain through 1955 remarkably favorable tax bills. Each successive year of the near future will require additional sacrifices, economies and postponements of expenditures if this record is to be maintained.
CARL NELSON J. LORING BROOKS, JR. ROGER T. HINTZE
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Civil Defense
During the past year, Civil Defense in Wilbraham has made great strides. Immediately upon appointment your new Director set up a Town of Wilbraham Civil Defense Authority and began lining up key personnel. The Director felt that the scope of the responsibility was so great, it would be better to organize an Authority, delegating certain responsibilities to make sure that all phases of C.D. were sufficiently developed for the benefit of the citizens of Wil- braham. This new approach to the problem has met with favorable comment from the Sector Director and the pattern established in Wilbraham is being copied by other com- munities. At first weekly organizational meetings were begun, presently we are meeting approximately twice a month and shortly we plan to meet once a month.
Your Civil Defense Authority will be capable of assisting in small disasters and emergencies, such as floods, fires, plane crashes as well as larger disasters such as atomic and biological warfare. Emphasis is being placed on the pro- tection of the individuals and later on your Authority will explore the problems relative to mass Evacuations, Mutual Aid and Community support. A C.D. organization can be very complicated and your Authority wishes to keep it as simple as possible for greater effectiveness.
The town has been divided into eight districts. Wardens and Deputy Wardens have been appointed and have been given a free rein to organize their areas. A C.D. map showing the eight districts is also printed in this report. A directory of all personnel connected with C.D. is likewise printed with their telephone numbers for your ready reference. If the warden in your district has not contacted you as yet you may contact him. Also, any ques- tion concerning your C.D. Authority can be answered by calling LY 6-3816. We also suggest that you watch your local newspaper for changes and developments in the future. Currently, mobile first aid teams and classes in first aid are being organized under the direction of Walter Howes, Jr. Similar classes for Auxiliary Firemen and Auxiliary Police are being directed by Ralph Tupper and Bob Dietz. We feel that very shortly adequate aid can be given in the event of a disaster to any particular area in Town.
Your Authority feels that as many people as possible should be involved in C.D. - preferably someone in every family. Your response to the questionnaire which was cir- culated last fall was tremendous. These replies have been classified by districts and have been given to the Wardens for the purpose of organizing their districts. Remember
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WILBRAHAM CIVIL DEFENSE AUTHORITY DISTRICTS MAP
MASS ..
1955
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8
EAST
LONGMEADOW
BY. H.H.ROGERS PER R. HINTZE C.D.D.
LEGEND
RESIDENCE AI DISTRICT
RESIDENCE A DISTRICT
RESIDENCE B DISTRICT
NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING DISTRICT
BUSINESS DISTRICT
INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
3
w
L
2
D
1
M
HAMPDEN
CIVILIAN DEFENSE DIRECTORY for Wilbraham, Massachusetts
Director, Roger T. Hintze
LY 6-3030
Secretary, Mrs. Holdridge
LY 6-4448
Deputy Directors, Michael Rudy Howard B. Miller
LY 6-3006
Public Relations Officer, Leo Marceau
LY 6-3257
Auxiliary Police Officer, Robert Deitz Assistant, Gardner Files
LY 6-3457
Auxiliary Fire Officer, Ralph Tupper
LY 6-3014
Assistant, Bernard Tupper
LY 6-3022
Communications Officer, Harland H. Rogers, Sr. Assistants :
LY 6-3233
Radio Officer, William J. Rosner
LY 6-3705
Telephone Officer, Patrick O'Connor
LY 6-4001
Signal Officer, Earl Decorie
LY 6-4326
Engineering Officer, Aldo Alberici
LI 3-7947
Assistants, Herbert Butler
LY 6-4424
George Keyes
LY 6-3413
Medical Service Officer, Walter Howes, Jr
LY 6-3079
Assistants, Donald Campbell William Collins
LY 6-4822
Welfare Service Officer, Mansfield Williams
LY 6-3508
Warden, District No. 1, Benjamin P. Hazeltine
LY 6-4742
Warden, District No. 2, Stephen Skorupski
LY 6-3719
Warden, District No. 3, W. Marco
LI 3-3404
Assistants, S. M. Ciecko
Edward W. Szczebak Julia C. Szczebak
Warden, District No. 4, Kenneth Hall
LY 6-3919
Assistant, Andrew S. Clark
LY 6-371
Warden, District No. 5, Albert Williamson Assistants, Ruth Williamson
LY 6-4821
Earl M. Chase
LY 6-4471
Cornelius J. Donovan
LY 6-3841
Truman R. Swallow
LY 6-4761
Warden, District No. 6, Joseph Crespi
LY 6-4276
Assistants, Howard Racine
LY 6-3730
Avis M. Samble
LY 6-4598
Warden, District No. 7, Edward D. Jerome, Jr.
LY 6-4452
Assistants, Albert Greendale
LY 6-3642
Richard Mark
LY 6-3880
Everett Ambrose
LY 6-3869
Warden, District No. 8, John Blauvelt
LY 6-3069
Assistants, Frederick Macaulay Robert Kervick
LY 6-3450
Ruth M. Dexter
LY 6-4668
Edward Clark
LY 6-3021
Nancy Clark
LY 6-3021
Walter Fleming
LY 6-4272
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LY 6-3287
LY 6-4821
LY 6-3807
LY 6-3816
LY 6-4294
all these people serve you without pay - it is purely a voluntary organization and your Authority is acting for the best interest of the town and trying to keep expenditures down to a minimum. We feel it is better to be prepared than sorry.
Our Communications Director Harland Rogers has made tremendous strides. The two-way radio has now been in- stalled. The citizens of Wilbraham will not be without some form of contact with other communities. This consists of six mobile units installed in vehicles serving the town. These units can transmit between themselves as well as receive messages from the Base station, Town Office and three Fire Wardens. This installation has already been of some value, and as time goes on will be of considerable assistance in locating our units for emergency needs. Our next step is to provide our wardens with some means of 2-way communications and also to provide emergency power to keep us in business. Many of these expenditures are through the Matching Funds program and therefore only cost our town fifty cents on a dollar.
Your directors feel that money spent in this matter will likewise give us a warning system which will create less confusion than a series of air horns placed throughout the town. This idea is being studied now by your Authority.
Your previous C.D. Director and assistants are to be congratulated for their untiring efforts to cope with the tremendous problems which confronted them at the time of the August 19th flood. Each and every person who lent a helping hand to those in distress is to be congratulated. Many who assisted had little or no sleep for three days particularly members of your Fire, Police, Highway, and Water Departments. Your Selectmen and town office per- sonnel likewise had similar experiences.
ROGER T. HINTZE, Director
HOWARD B. MILLER MICHAEL J. RUDY
Assistant Directors
12
Finance Committee Report
The Wilbraham tax rate has increased from $36.00 in 1951 to $47.00 in 1955, an average increase of $2.75 per year over the past four years. This year we believe that the increase will be about three times that average. When all factors have been determined, the process of figuring the tax rate is simple arithmetic, but at the time this report is being written several important factors are not known. Certain figures annually prescribed by the State covering items of estimated expense and income have not yet been received. Furthermore, there are several other substantial factors in figuring the tax rate which, in the last analysis, are also only estimates, and the figures used depend to some extent on the judgment of the estimator. Although the Board of Assessors has the sole responsibility for setting the rate, the Finance Committee, at this season each year, makes an estimate for its own benefit and offers it to the townspeople to serve as a rough guide at Town Meeting. We have reviewed the operating budgets for the coming year together with the special articles in the warrant and, assuming that the town votes in accordance with our recom- mendations, we forecast a tax rate of about $55.00 for 1956. Using a current valuation of real and personal property of $9,000,000.00, it is apparent that each $9,000.00 appropri- ated affects the tax rate by $1.00.
This year the town will feel the first impact of the amor- tization and interest on the 5 year bonds for the new Stony Hill Road School, having to provide funds to cover the pay- ments for interest and principal which will become due be- fore the annual meeting in March 1957. The bonds are due to be issued March 1st and the rate has not yet been set but the amount to be raised will be about $39,000.00. The first principal payment on the 1955 water bond also becomes due this year and this, with interest, amounts to $6,760.86.
Although due to the expanding operation of the town there are minor increases in many of the budgets listed under Article 5 in the warrant, the only really substantial increase is for the operation of our schools. The $71,734.00 over last year's budget represents an increase of about 25%, bringing the current figure to the staggering total of $361,440.00. As an offsetting credit, anticipated state aid is $88,600.00, up $23,600.00 over last year's estimate. It is interesting to note that actual state aid received last year was $74,982.82 as compared to the estimate of $65,000.00. We sincerely hope, and have every reason to believe, that the amount to be received this year will be correspondingly higher than the estimate.
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GRADUATING CLASS, MEMORIAL SCHOOL, WILBRAHAM, MASSACHUSETTS
Back Row: Joseph Gendron, Peter Taylor, Bill Smith, Thad- deus Nowak, David Wilson, Lynn Hamburger, Ellen John- son, Timmy Pierce, Marilyn Merwin, Joyce Hackney, Emily Dee Jerome, Susan Brown, John Lewenczuk, George Jack- son, Roger Wright, Lee Sirois. Third Row: Mr. Frank Ballas, Class Advisor, James Diotalevi, Samuel McCleery, William Bennett, Stanley Swiecanski, Thaddeus Cieplik, Annette Cobb, Constance Boyce, Betty Jameson, Judith Clou- tier, Arlene Whitcomb, Alice Tuttle, Rita Hanly, Rosemary Narreau, Stephen Stejna, Carl North, George Jenkins, Dan- iel Sowa, Richard Stejna, Miss Marilyn Stone, Class Advisor.
Second Row: Barbara Jablonski, Ann Presz, Lorraine Pou- lin, Leone Knapp, Dorothy Moran, Sheila Reardon, Patricia Szczebak, Heather Dougherty, Sandra Loeb, Gail Hunter, Virginia White, Linda Crandell, Patricia Cady, Dorothy Downer, Irene Gosciminski. Front Row: John Cote, Fred- erick Herter, Edmond Trombley, David Goodman, William Constantine, James Babineau, Thomas Lindell, William Wil- lard, Peter Heiden, Joseph Francis, Richard Babineau, John Greendale, Charles Roberts, Charles Lindsay, Richard Sepiol, David Orton, Ronald Bradway. Absent when the picture was taken: Kenneth Cross, Stanley Jez, Eva Mills.
Affecting all items in the school budget is, of course, the greater load the system must support in the rapidly accel- erating number of children to be educated. 'This means more rooms, more teachers, more supplies, more transpor- tation, more wear and tear, in short, more of everything. The new school will be put in operation as soon as it can be made ready next fall. Increases in the three items of teachers' salaries, transportation, and tuition alone account for about $62,000.00 of the increase over last year. The cur- rent salary schedule has been raised across the board to keep the town in a competitive position relative to nearby communities so that competent teachers may be held and new ones hired. New three-year contracts for transporta- tion reflect higher rates and the fact that the same nine busses now in operation will have to carry more children and service one more school. The third item, tuition, is one over which we have no control. There will be at least 40 additional high school students next fall for whom we will have to pay $461.00 each to Springfield. Palmer is now charging $255.89 but will accept no additional pupils.
We have met several times with the School Committee to discuss their budget and are satisfied that they are operating the schools as economically as possible and still provide the type of education that the people of this town have a right to expect for their children under the present trying conditions.
Three articles in the warrant this year propose extension or improvement of the water system and involve a total of $107,000.00. After conferences with the Water Commission- ers and their consulting engineer and, after studying the results of recent tests, we have come to the conclusion that, with one exception, the water system is at least temporarily adequate from the standpoint of pressure and fire protec- tion. Laying of the new 16" pipe along Main St. last year has resulted in considerable improvement in the volume of water and the pressure available at the dead ends on South Main St. and South Stony Hill Rd. and, when the balance of approximately $12,000.00 left in the appropriation has been used to further extend the new line down South Main St., additional improvement will be shown in that area.
The exception mentioned above is on Stony Hill Rd. south of Springfield St. where 500' of 6" cast iron pipe has become corroded and partially filled up resulting in a bad bottleneck at that point. Replacement with 10" asbestos cement pipe will reduce the loss of pressure on South Stony Hill Rd. from a present 40 lb. loss to a loss of only 7 or 8 lbs. This replacement can be considered as repairs to the present system and the Water Commissioners have volun- teered to make every effort to take care of the job out of
15
their Maintenance appropriation rather than have the town set up a special appropriation. Under the circumstances, the Finance Committee is recommending no capital outlay for water this year. The Water Department is a large operation and becoming larger each year, with over 100 new customers being added in 1955. The Water Commissioners have drawn up a carefully considered long range plan, which they will present to the town, for future improvement and enlargement of the system, with the thought in mind that in the future the town take whatever steps it can afford each year toward the ultimate fulfillment of that plan.
This year eleven streets are up for acceptance by the town. The Finance Committee recommends that all be approved except Birch St. which, so far, has not met the requirements of the Planning Board. Two-thirds of the cost of bringing these streets up to town standards will be returned to the treasury in betterment charges, but since these charges may be paid over a period of time the full cost must be set up by an appropriation which in total amounts to $19,585.00. Cost estimates have provided for the contingency that it will be necessary to have the work done by contractors but we hope that our town Highway Dept. will be able to find time to handle most of the streets, per- haps by using temporary summer help, and thereby realize considerable saving both to the town and to the abuttors.
Sidewalks involving a total of $7,890.00 are recommended as a safety measure for children who walk to school. With these sidewalks it will be feasible and safe to discontinue transporting children who live within 11% miles of a school. Thus, over a period of years, it will be possible to save more than the original cost of the sidewalks, especially when we consider that on those children we get no school transpor- tation allowance from the state.
Last year we transferred from available funds in the treasury a total of $252,000.00. It was very fortunate for the town that the funds were there when we needed them. By being able to pay our share of the cost of the new school out of surplus we were able to finance the state's share on a favorable short term interest saving basis. In another instance, immediately after the flood, the Selectmen were able, by exercising their emergency powers, to transfer from surplus $25,950.00 so that emergency repairs could be made with a minimum of delay. In this connection we have been more fortunate than many towns in being able to recover from the Corps of Engineers and the Flood Relief Board virtually 100% of the funds expended in that emergency. Our success in that respect has been due in no small measure to the persistency of our Town Treasurer, Mrs. Cochran, in filing promptly the voluminous reports and vouchers re-
16
quired. In view of the magnitude of the financial burden the town will be facing in the next few years, particularly for the building of a new high school, the Finance Com- mittee believes that the town should make a conscious effort to rebuild our surplus funds so as to relieve the shock of future major capital outlays.
ALDO ALBERICI FREDERICK M. COHN, JR. IRVING J. CORDNER RICHARD L. DANFORTH JOHN W. GALE WESLEY H. HOLDRIDGE
ALBERT H. HOWES
ALBERT E. NEALE
In Memoriam
FRED J. CARR
FRED C. PHELPS
COLONEL JAMES P. POWERS, U.S.A. Retired
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Town of Wilbraham BALANCE SHEET - DECEMBER 31, 1955 GENERAL ACCOUNTS
Assets
Liabilities and Reserves
Cash
$421,490.88
Payroll Deductions : Federal Taxes County Retirement System
$2,447.85 340.56
$2,788.41
Taxes :
Levy of 1954
100.41
Dog Licenses - Due County
22.60
Levy of 1955
Water Guarantee Deposits
100.10
Personal Property
$1,020.86
Tailings
144.54
Real Estate
27,373.97
28,394.83
Post-War Rehabilitation Fund
241.05
Cemetery Perpetual Care Fund Income
29.07
Motor Vehicle and Trailer Excise : Levy of 1953
$8.36
Levy of 1955
4,958.45
4,966.81
Disability Assistance: Administration $362.19 Assistance 1,212.67
Special Assessment :
Street Betterments : Unapportioned
$1,999.48
Apportioned
Old Age Assistance :
Added to Taxes 1955
28.49
Administration
62.52
Committed Interest 1955
3.79
2,031.76
Assistance
3,336.61
School Aid 4,271.95
12,731.22
Tax Titles
$1,162.51
Tax Possessions
223.98
1,386.49
School Lunch Program
2,965.59
Departmental :
Selectmen's Licenses
$4,533.50
Aid to Dependent Children
125.95
4,659.45
Appropriation Balances :
Revenue Civil Defense $3,431.80 Maturing Debts and Interest 23,087.50
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Federal Grants :
Aid to Dependent Children : Administration Aid
345.12
3,140.16
Accounts Receivable :
Real Estate
Water:
Rates Miscellaneous
$1,349.00 322.24
1,671.24
Chapter 90 Maintenance 1,654.38
Chapter 90 Construction 10,213.66
Chapter 90 Bridge 8,497.68
Aid to Highways: State
$31,250.00
County
12,201.61
43,451.61
Underestimates 1955 :
County Tax
$571.56
Loans Authorized - Unissued School Construction
175,000.00
Overestimate 1955 State Recreation Areas Assessment
81.36
Road Machinery Fund
8,407.16
Reserve Fund - Overlay Surplus
12,284.51
Overdrawn Accounts :
Dog Officer's Fees
$13.00
Food Damage (Section 31, Chapter 44, General Laws)
11,057.79
Highways, Chapter 90,
South Main Street
2,325.83
13,396.62
Loans Authorized
175,000.00
Special Assessment 2,031.76
Tax Title and Possessions 1,386.49
Departmental 4,659.45
Water 1,671.24
Aid to Highways
43,451.61
58,167.36
Surplus Revenue
190,002.76
$701,478.77
$701,478.77
Non-revenue : School Construction 161,844.03
Water Extensions, Main Street 11,799.58
222,460.36
County Tuberculosis Hospital Assessment
785.11
1,356.67
Revenue 1956 : Appropriations Voted
3,572.00
Overlays Reserved for Abatements :
Levy of 1954 $100.41
Levy of 1955 15,952.27
16,052.68
Revenues Reserved until Collected :
Motor Vehicle and Trailer Excise $4,966.81
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198.0 28 1546.51
Highways
Chapter 81
1,931.73
Town of Wilbraham BALANCE SHEET - DECEMBER 31, 1955 (Continued)
DEFERRED REVENUE ACCOUNTS
Apportioned Assessments Not Due Street
$928.09
Due in : 1956
$172.33
1957
172.32
1958
172.32
1959
147.55
1960
77.97
1961
58.96
1.962
31.73
1963
32.75
1964
31.74
1965
10.00
1966
10.00
1967
10.42
$928.09
$928.09
Net Funded or Fixed Debt : Inside Debt Limit : Outside Debt Limit : General Water
DEBT ACCOUNTS
$325,000.00
Inside Debt Limit : School Addition Loan Outside Debt Limit : General : Memorial School Loan Water Loans
$325,000.00
$222,000.00 188,000.00
410,000.00
$222,000.00 188,000.00
410,000.00
$735,000.00
$735,000.00
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Apportioned Street Assessments Revenue :
TRUST AND INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS
Trust and Investment Funds : Cash and Securities In Custody of Town Treasurer In Custody of Probate Court
$16,362.86 204.53
In Custody of Town Treasurer:
Chloe B. Stebbins Charity Fund
$247.85
Deacon Warriner School Fund
929.19
964.84
Chloe B. Stebbins Library Fund
139.03
Abner E. Bell Library Fund
55.48
Henry Cutler Library Fund
1,034.69
Mortimer L. Day Library Fund
226.72
Civil War Mortar Memorial Plaque Fund
42.75
Laura Bruuer Cemetery General Care Fund
1,367.06
Cemetery Perpetual Care Funds
9,879.29
Soldiers Monument Park Fund
1,234.91
Post-War Rehabilitation Fund
241.05
$16,362.86
In Custody of Probate Court: Hines Family Burial Lot Fund
204.53
$16,567.39
$16,567.39
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Comparative Annual Expenditures of Town Appropriations
(Account with receipts or offsetting credits other than appropriations shown in detail in Schedule 2)
SCHEDULE 1
1955 Appropriations or Transfer from Reserve
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