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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1942-03-24 454 SELECTMEN'S MEETING 4111 March 24, 1942 A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building at 7:30 PIM. on Tuesday evening, March 24, 1942. The meeting was held on Tuesday rather than on Monday be- cause the Town Meeting was held on Monday. Chairman Giroux, Messrs . Rowse, Locke, and Sarano were present. The Clerk was also present. Mr. Paxton appeared before the Board. He said that the citizens ' Committee of Lexington would like to use Cary Hall on April 9th for a re- Uses of hearsal and on April 10th and 11th for an entertain- Halls ment and dance. Admission is to be charged and the proceeds will go to the U.S.O. Mr. Rowse moved that the three uses be granted, free of charge. Mr. Locke seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Mr. Paxton said that the Lexington Community Chest had requested the use of a conference room on March 26th from 8:00 P.M. to 9:30 P.M. Mr. Locke moved that the use of the room be 4111 granted free of charge. Mr. Sarano seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Mr. Paxton said that Mrs. Merriam had requested the use of Estabrook Hall on the following dates for A.R.P. instruction: March 24, 27, 31, April 3, and 7 from 10:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. Mr. Locke moved that the uses of the hall be granted free of charge. Mr. Rowse seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Mr Paxton said that Mrs. Leo Higgins of 22 Vine Brook Road had called him and requested permission to use a pump to remove water in her cellar. There are Request about eight inches of water in the cellar. The for use people are unable to hire or purchase a pump and are of pump unable to heat the house. Mr. Rowse suggested that Mr. Peter Canessa might pump out the cellar for her. Mr. Paxton said that he would pass the sugges- tion along to Mrs .Higgins . Mr Rowse told Mr. Paxton that Mr. Wrightington had approved the transfer of funds from the W.P A. Sewer Account for a Sewer Unemployment Relief Project. 455 1110 He said that if men were hired on this work, who would otherwise become welfare recipients and the Board did not wish to have them brought into the Retirement Sys- tem, they should be employed only for a stated period not to exceed three months . Mr. Paxton said that in the past, temporary men had been hired for a period not to exceed thirty weeks but last fall Mr. Wrightington ad- vised that temporary help should be hired for not more than three months . He said he would watch this. Letter was received from Harold B. Needham of Fern Street. Mr. Needham said that several residents had spoken to him about the deplorable condition of the Fern street and that the Town should do something to make Street it safe for public use. He requested that a date be set for a group of residents to discuss the matter with the Board. Mr. Paxton said he thought the thing to do was to have the street accepted at a Town Meeting in the same manner that Eliot Road was handled. Mr. Rowse said that if that was done, he thought it would be necessary to widen the street but Mr. Paxton dis- agreed with him. It was decided to have Mr. Paxton discuss the matter with Mr. Wrightington and to ask Mr. Needham exactly what he wants and to report back to the Board. • Mr. Paxton retired at 7:55 P.M. Mr. Morse appeared before the Board at 8:22 P.M. to discuss welfare matters and retired at 8:42 P.M. Mr. Rowse moved that the following Special Police officers be appointed for a term expiring March 31, Special 1943. Mr. Sarano seconded the motion, and it was so Police voted. Alan G. Adams Adams Press , Inc. Ralph H. Marshall Supt. Cemetery Department Arthur J. Rooque 41 Grant St. (Jan. High School) George A. Knight Middlesex County Sanatorium Frank Peters Ervin S. Castner Robert E. Hannaford Middleby Road (Caretaker of Dumps) Alex Ohlson 88 Bedford St. (Golf Club) John J. Garrity 9 Hancock St. (Supt. Park Dept. ) John Campbell Boston Edison Co. Charles A. Manley 87 Woburn St. (Jan. Munroe Sch. ) Thomas F. Ryan Shirley St. (Jan. High School) Jacob Haid Pleasant St.-Concord Ave. (Golf Club) Charles M. Blake 59 York Street (Call Fireman) John Fopiano 6i Mussey St. (Janitor,Theatre) Leonard Jellis Ward Street (Telephone Co. ) Edward W. Taylor 49 No. Hancock St. (Fire Dhief) 45L 4110 Charles E. Moloy Webb Street (Jan. Town Offices) John L. Murray 21 Fletcher Ave. Edward F. Meany Metropolitan State Hospital John W. Alexander n " n Joseph Swan n n n Roland E. Garmon Janitor - Stone Building Charles Brenton Jackson Court (Park Dept. ) Ralph I . Dale 6 Oakland Street C. Edward Glynn 56 Hancock Street (Chrm.Board of Appeals) Archibald R. Giroux Selectman William G. Potter n A. Edward Rowse n Errol H. Locke n George W. Sarano of Michael E. McDonnell 7 Curve St. (Jan.Cary Library) Charles A. Tracy Supt. Post Office William C. Paxton Supt. Public Works George E. Pray Hunt Building (Janitor) Joseph S. Wellington Hayden Estate (Caretaker) Benjamin L. Higgins 51 Wachusett Drive (Jan. Hancock Church) William A. Cann 9 Summit Road (Bldg. Insp. ) Enjhard A. Lindstrom 63 Farmcrest Ave. (Plmbg. Insp. ) Walter E. Sands 103 Merriam St. (Civilian Def. ) Aux. Henry C. Cotton 123 Marrett Road 410 Special Malcolm R. Fuller 32 Independence Avenue Police Robert A. MacAyeal 19 Highland Avenue William J. Marshall 9 Independence Avenue James F. McKinney 15 Oakland Avenue Vernon C. Page 12 Independence Avenue Anthony Rochette 11 Pleasant Street John Lamont 11 Spencer Street David H. Eaton 668 Lowell Street Russell B. Kelley 176 Woburn Street Clarence E. McElman 30 Farmcrest Avenue Edwin F. Parker 9 Forest Street Fred A. Valente 15 Sheridan Street Lawrence M. Butler 24 Woodland Road Stanley E. Chapin 17 Columbus Street Frank B. Custance 16 Bedford Street Charles 0. Goodwin 12 Coolidge Avenue David Govan 32 Woodland Road William H. Lyon 20 Woodland Road Sidney U. Robbins 68 Hancock Street Cyril V. Seymour 11 Bedford Street Edmund A Webb 43 Hayes Avenue Neil McIntosh 8 Hancock Avenue Arthur W. Johnson 42 Baker Avenue Clarence H. Maclntosh 60 Chase Avenue 4110 457 , Clarence E. MacPhee 14 Baker Avenue William E. Maloney 289 Bedford Street Ralph F. Dalrymple 199 Bedford Street Philip B. Parsons 18 Revere Street David P. Wilson 91 Blake Road Arnold P. Bradford 11 Cedar Street Carl R. Arvidson 55 Kendall Road William F. Boyle 251 Marrett Road Glenn S. Cutter 577 Marrett Road Caywood Greening 688 Marrett Road Eleazer P. Greening 686 Marrett Road Herbert L. Griffith 34 Cary Avenue John A. Holm 228 Lincoln Street George F. Taylor 424 Marrett Road Allen W. Rucker 42 Somerset Road Robert Whitney Round Hill Road George E. Foster 10 Plainfield Street Ralph E. Cox 410 Waltham Street Andrew E. Hammarbeck 512 Waltham Street David W. W. Daley 147 Shade Street William G. Robertson 17 Homestead Street Thomas Robinson 7 Hamblen Street Donald M. Guiler 11 Dexter Road Kenneth W. Dow 55 Waltham Street Henry P. Meade 40 Woburn Street 411/ Clifford M. Martin 6 Hillside Terrace Arthur W. Richardson 1 Rockville Avenue Richard E. Truesdell 5 Locust Avenue Ernest R. Rowland 148 Lowell Street Michael T . Curran 24 Baker Avenue T. D. Cunningham 21 Barnes Place David A. Brown 50 Rindge Avenue Charles A. Finney 28 Albermarle Avenue Malcolm H. Clifford 54 Chase Avenue James V. Walsh 142 Bedford Street Carl B. Jones 306 Lowell Street Arthur N. Lee 59 Ward Street Hugo N. Nylander 17 Highland Avenue James J. W aidron 1722 Mass. Avenue Jerome W. Carmichael 95 Reed Street Melville W. Webb 266 Lincoln Street Victor N. Rochette, M. D. 255 Bedford Street John E. Barrett 14 Lisbeth Street John Melquist 86 Gleason Road Arthur R. Linfield 58 Oak Street M. Lawrence Allen 24 Outlook Drive Horace G. Dearborn 118 Marrett Road H. Raymond Durling 21 Outlook Drive George V. Ryan 68 Ward Street Lawrence Husted 36 Kendall Road Clesson C. Schofield 430 Concord Avenue William A. Templeton 6 Albermarle Avenue 450 Axel Sorensen 117 Bedford Street 4111 Edward R. Sarkisian 6 Farmcrest Avenue Keith L. MacLean 80 Bloomfield Street Theodore R. Mottola 240 Lincoln Street John F. Dowd 14 Winthrop Road Everett Chapman 10 Curve Street Daniel J. Coakley, Jr. 837 Mass. Avenue Gaetano Buttaro 837 Mass. Avenue Bertram P. Gurtin 84 Middle Street Leonard Kenworthy 61 Prospect Hill Road William S. Phillips 6 Fair Oaks Drive Raymond Cox Concord Turnpike Clarence L. Shedd 33 Shirley Street Germ ge F. Fardy 40 Preston Road Vernon Jones 51 Gleason Road Lawrence E. Stone 12 Sheridan Street Charles D. Allen 4 Paul Revere Road W. James Wilson 24 Coolidge Avenue William John Baskin 45 Adams Street Wilfred F. Morris 77 Valley Road Eugene A. Acheson 2634 Mass. Ave. Charles L. Dwyer 15 Freemont Street Joseph B. Grinnell 19 Pine Knoll Road Frederic U. Fenerty 7 Prestnn Road George M. Hanson 80 Oak Street Harold W. Josephson 27 Harding Road Joseph Tebaldi 79 Dliffe Avenue Sterling B. Wingard 6 Plainfield Street 4110 James E. Cook 9 Butler Avenue Ralph L. Cook 9 Butler Avenue Leo J. Revou 2 LeRoy Road Clifton E. Barrows 8 Locust Avenue George F. Smith 282 Bedford Street John A. Sellars 430 Concord Avenue Letter was received from Custance Brothers in response to the Board's request for an estimate to Partition erect a partition in the Selectmen' s Room to give Selectmen' s the Clerk and the Chairman a private office. Cus- Room tance estimate was $295.00. The Chairman said that he knew of no account from which funds to do this work might be obtained and he suggested that an Article Article be inserted in the Warrant for the next Town Meeting to provide funds for doing the work. Letter was received from Johnson Pontiac Company Johnson advising that they had gone out of business on Febru- Pontiac ary 28th and requesting a refund on the motor vehicle refund license of $10.00. It was decided to refund the sum of $7.50. 4�9 Letter was received from the Town Counsel inform- ing the Board that the case of Hilda Bjork v. Lexing- ton had been decided in favor of the Town. The Chairman said that Frank W. Friend had served Hilda Bjork as a witness in this case and he asked that he be paid v. for the time taken from his work. Mr. Friend said he Lexington was out of the office five hours and was paid at the rate of $1.92 per hour and that he spent forty cents in carfare. Mr. Rowse moved that Mr. Friend be paid $10.00 for his services as a witness and that this expense be charged to the Law Department-Expenses Account. Mr. Locke seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Letter was received from Alfred B. Ghiacchi offer- ing to pay the sum of $125.00 for lots 136 and 137, Chiacchi Section 3, Farmhurst. offer Mr. Sarano moved that the lots be sold and con- veyed to Mr. Chiacchia for this sum with the under- standing that he is to pay the taxes for the entire year 1942. Mr. Locke seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Letter was received from the Town Counsel relative to the right of the Selectmen to require Town employees to work overtime in connection with Civilian Defense Town Emplo- 4111 activities. He said he found no specific authority for yees Civ. this in any Statute. He said that Civilian Defense Defense wort Activities have been put on a voluntary basis and he supposed the Board had no legal right to compel any Town employee to do any work that he has not contracted to do. He suggested that if the matter is considered of sufficient importance the Board prepare a definite plan for the use of Town employees in Civilian Defense Activities, making it plain that their services to be compulsory as long as they remain in the employ of the Town and indicate that they are not to receive extra compensation for it. Such plan and orders should be then submitted to the commission, as created in Sta- tute 1941, Ch. 719, and if it is approved with the compulsory feature included, he thought the compul- sory service would be lawful. The Clerk was instructed to send a copy of the letter to Mr. Rucker. A bond in the sum of $1,000.00 covering Enjhard. A. Lindstrom as Plumbing Inspector was received. Mr. Rowse moved that the bond be approved. Mr. Sarano seconded the motion, and it wasso voted. 460 Surety bond No . F-60719 issued by the American 4111 Employers Insurance Company in the penal sum of $$55,700.00, on behalf of William S. Scamman as Tax Collector, was received. The bond having been ap- proved by Tax Commissioner Long, upon motion of Mr. Rowse , seconded by Mr . Sarano , it was voted to ap- prove it. Application Was received from Alice A. Frost of 56 Allen Street for a license to board eight infants. The Clerk reported that Dr. Rochette called on Mrs. Request Frost on March 17th. He reported that she lived in to Board a twelve room house which was about 125 years old. Infants The woman is between 60 and 65 years old. Dr. Rochette said that every room in the house was in a filthy con- dition and he thought that the. home was not a proper one in which to board infants. Mr. Rowse moved that the application be dis- approved. Mr. Locke seconded the motion, and it was so voted. The Chairman read the following: The Salvage Committee of the Massachusetts Com- mittee on Public Safety having requested all communi- I War ties to turn in war sourvenir guns for defense pur- • ' Souvenir poses , the Board of Selectmen on Friday, March 20th Gun for approved having the German Field Piece located at Salvage Tower Park removed from its setting for delivery in Boston Common on Sunday, March 22nd. The American Legion, at its meeting on Monday, March 16, had voted to recommend this action to the Board of Selectmen. A copy of the vote herewith: "It was moved and seconded that recommendations be made to the Town Officials to have the gun now located in Tower Park be sold to the Government for junk. So.Voted." The Chairman said that the matter was reported to the annual Town Meeting on March 23, 1942 and the sense of the meeting was unanimous in approving the action of the Board of Selectmen. The Clerk reminded the Board that the members of the Board of Appeals should be appointed to serve under Chapter 211 of the Acts of 1936 (Sub-division Regulations ) as well as under the Building and Zoning Laws . Mr. Rowse moved that the members of the Board of Appeals be advised of this . Mr. Sarano seconded the motion, and it was so voted. III! ' 461 The Chairman said he conferred with the Town Counsel on Saturday, March 21st concerning the pos- sible appointment of Alan G. Adams and Robert J. Fawcett to the new Board of Fire Engineers , in rela- tion to their doing business with the Town. The Town Counsel expressed the opinion that in the case of Mr. Adams , he should do no printing for the Fire Department, but that it was perfectly all right for him to do business with other Town departments . The same ruling was given in relation to Mr. Fawcett. In both cases, the opinion was based on the fact that these gentlemen in doing business with ether Town de- partments would have nothing to do with the Boards making the contracts for the Town. It may be neces- sary under the law for the Fire Department to carry some legal notice in Mr. Adams ' paper. This would be compulsory by Statute , and Mr. Adams should take no part in the action of the Fire Engineers in voting to insert such legal notices , in conformity with the laws. The Chairman said that the condition at the corner of Downing Road and Outlook Drive was as bad as ever. The Board requested Mr. Paxton to make a study of the Downing Rd. condition and to let the Board know Monday night what he considered the best way to remedy the condition. 4110 Letter was received from the Town Treasurer ad- vising that a check for $25.00 had been received in payment for the gun delivered from Lexington and auctioned on Boston Common on March 22, 1942. The Chairman informed the Board that Edwin L. Needham, the Chief Clerk in the Accounting Department, Needham' s had not reported for work since Saturday, March 14th, services that he had not advised the Selectmen of his absence terminated and that this was the second occasion on which this has happened here. Mr. Rowse moved that Mr. Needham's services be terminated as of March 14, 1942. Mr. Locke seconded the motion, and it was so voted. The Chairman said that Mr. Needham, having been paid through March 14th, should not receive any addi- tional compensation. The Chairman said that the Committee on Public Safety had been receiving complaints from people in Sand for outlying districts that they could not get to Steven's Defense sand pit to obtain sand. It was decided to have Mr. Paxton pick out spots in each precinct, preferably on Town property, where sand could be dumped so that it might be distributed under the direction of the Com- mittee on Public Safety. • 462 Mr. Rucker appeared before the Board at 9:45 P.M. He said that John F. Cranston, who gave permission to use his driveway to get to the Observation Tower, was of a father different opinion now. He has however, agreed to allow a road to be built about 200 feet from Cranston his paved driveway up to the Tower. The estimated cost driveway of the road is $60.00. Mr. Rowse moved that the expenditure be approved and charged to the Committee on Public Safety. Mr. Locke seconded the motion, and it was so voted. The Board felt that the Town Counsel should prepare an agreement to be signed by Mr. Cranston approving this work. Mr. Rucker said that his Committee would like to Water lay a water pipe to the Observation Tower and that the pipe to estimated cost was $40.00. It will be necessary to Observ. lay the pipe across Mr. Cranston's land. It was de- Tower cided to make this privilege part of the agreement to be signed by Mr. Cranston. Mr. Rucker said that the Medical Division needed 72 blankets and these will cost about $180.00. Mr. Locke moved that the expenditure be approved. Mr. Sarano seconded the motion, and it was so voted. Mr. Rucker retired at 10:17 P.M. The Chairman said that it will be possible to 1111 secure the accountant, who helped Mr. Russell in September, to supervise the work now. Mr. Rowse moved that Walter F. Abell of 30 Account- Nichols Road, Norwood, be employed on accounting work ant not to exceed thirty hours per week at the rate of $2.00 per hour, until further notice. Mr. Locke seconded the motion, and it was so voted. The Clerk was instructed to insert a notice in the local paper to the effect that applications for the tem- porary appointment to the position of Town Accountant will be received by the Board of Selectmen until April 6, 1942. Upon motion of Mr. Sarano, seconded by Mr. Locke, it was voted to grant the following licenses : Albert Bieren, Wood St. , Bedford Trans. of Garbage John A. Sellars,430 Concord Ave. Past. of Milk E. J. Thivierge, 1752 Mass. Ave. Overhanging Sign George P. Pothier, 11 Waltham St. rr tt Chin Lee, 1784 Mass. Avenue " " Harry Gee, 1734 Mass. Avenue Calvin W. Childs, 409 Mass . Ave. " " The meeting adjourned at 10:45 P.M. A true record, Attest; 4111 Clerk