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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1950-02-13-min 540 0.4 SELECTMEN'S MEETING February 13, 1950 1 A regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen was held in the Selectmen's Room, Town Office Building, on Monday, evening, February 13, 1950 at 7:00 P. M. Chairman Emery, Messrs . Gay, Driscoll, Nickerson and Hoyt were present. The Clerk was also present. Mr. DeFoe met with the Board and discussed the possibility of constructing Coolidge Avenue as a Chapter 90 project. Chapter He informed the Board that he had discussed this with Mr. 90 Sabine first assistant inasmuch as Mr. Sabin is away and he expects to have a definite answer within two weeks. Mr. Harold Stevens, Town Counsel, met with the Board at 7:15 P. M. Wheeler The Chairman read a letter from the Burlington Board Road of Selectmen advising that some provisions have been made for work to be done on Wheeler Road in the near future. Request for The Chairman read a letttr from Lexington Construction water pipe: Co., Inc. requesting the Board to include 3500 feet of water Wood St. pipe in this year' s budget for the development located on Wood Street. Mr. DeFoe informed the Board that he had advised Mr. Newgent that he did not believe his request could be granted. Letter was received from Mr. Edwin B. Worthen staling Screen that he had received a telephone call form Mr. Walter Sands, for Cary Chairman of the Cary Lectures Committee. Mr. Sands claims Hall that the projector screen in Cary Hall has outlived its usefulness and suggested the purchase of a beaded screen, approximately 8 x 10, which is kept rolled in a case when not in use. The estimated cost is $100. The subject was referred to Mr. DeFoe for a report. The Chairman read a letter from Miss Katherine T. Leary Leary with reference to her property at 45 Waltham Street. claim Mr. Stevens agreed to make an appointment to discuss this matter with Miss Leary and Mr. DeFoe. Letter was received from Mr. Leo A . Boynton with further Pin Ball reference to his request for a permit to maintain a Pin Ball Machine machine in his gasoline station at227 Massachusetts Avenue. Mr. Boynton claims that such machines are now legal. Mr. Stevens said that he was assured by one of the Legislators that the machines are illegal, but he agreed to check further. The Chairman read a letter from Samuel Barker, 43 Barker's Woburn Street with reference to his dog which was shot by Dog a police officer. The dog, at the time of the shooting, L 541 was attacking Mr. Barker's aged mother. Mr. Stevens said that in his opinion-there is no liability on the part of the Town. The Chief of Police met with the Board later on in the evening and made the following statements: On the day in question I was alone in the Station. At approtimately two minutes to twelve I received a telephone call from Mr. Semonian who was very exceited and difficult to understand. He said that a woman wanted the police to go down to Barker' s house right away as the dog was chewing up Mrs. Barker again. I had one car in North Lexington and one in East Lexington as it was school time. I called Fitzgerald, realizing I had a rookie on duty, but sent him down anyway. I theu called Miss Early, at the Munroe School, and had Officer Day go sown right away. I knew from the last episode that tnere might tie trouble. Mr. Berker came into the station while I was home for lunch and was very obnoxious about the whole matter. There was no worry at all about his mother, 94 years old, but just the dog. Apparently from his attitude he brushed the mother aside and showed that the dog came first and the mother came second. He then writes a letter and said that the "dog nipped my mother' s ' finger as she fell in the hallway". Ben. Day is an experienced officer and he told me that there was a considerable amount of blood on the bed. We felt that the dog attacked the aged lady on the bed first. I talked with Mr. Rich, who is in charge of the Symmes Arlington Hospital, about about getting a medical report to show what this woman suffered on both occasions. I first talked to Miss DeWolfe and she referred me to Mr. Rich. He said that he would like very much for the Board to see the medical report on this woman, but it is the policy to require a court order when reports are given out. Dr. Short handled the case on both occasions. I told him we were only police officers and not medical men, and in the letter accusing our men, the son said his mother 's fingers were nipped. Dr. Short said, and he wEs willing to be quoted, that she was most severely bitten. She was so badly bitten the tendons showed exposure from one to one and one-half inches on both hands. In fact there was nothing to sew to and she could only be bandaged. The daughter is mentioned. I wanted to check to determine who ran to the store. I thought it was a Mrs. Young who lives downstairs in the Barker house. She heard the screaming and ran to the store and relayed our message. Mrs. Barker's daughter was visiting a family by the name of McCarron who lives next to the railroad tracks . As far as we know she never appeared on the scene until after the police had arrived. The first thing she said, according to Officer Baylis, was about the dog. 542 In his letter Mr. Barker stated that a doctor at the Belmont Anim al Hospital said that we would be "breaking the law which requires fourteen days restraint and had to have his per- ! mission" . Mr. Barker is either misquoting the doctor or the doctor is not informed as to what the law is. If we can, w* fire away from the head. He says in his letter that the dog came in and put his pagrs up. The dog never got that close to Officer Baylis or Officer Day. When' the dog left the woman and started for Baylis, he fired. He did not kill him but wounded him. The dog went into the other room. They tried to get a towel in which to wrap the woman's bleeding hands, but were unable to find one so Office Day used his handkerchief and sterile bandages until the ambulance arrived. At no time did the dog put his paws up. The woman is still in the hospital and has a broken hip. We don't know if she broke her, hip trying to get away from the dog or not. We did not interview her because of her age and I don't believe she would tell very much anyway whether from fear or not I don't know. Dr. Short said that on both occasions she was chewed very badly. He said it was brutal. We understood after the first episode that Mr. Barker was going to give the dog back to the original owner. When the Officers told me what they had done I complimented them. Their lives were in jeopardy and they did just what anyone should have done. It would have been a different story if Baylis froze on the job and the dog killed the woman. My personal reaction is that they did a splendid job. Veterans Upon motion of Mr. Gay, seconded by Mr. Driscoll, lot #1 it was voted to sign a deed, prepared by Town Counsel, Hill St. conveying veterans lot', Hill Street to Anthony P. Zarella and Margaret J. Zarella, husband and wife. The Clerk informed the Board that Mr. Hewhall, Chair- man of the 19th of April Commiteee, telephoned with refer- ence to granting permits for the erection of food booths on Emery Park. The Rotary-Anus have submitted and application for a permit. Vponimotion of Mr. Hoyt, seconded by Mr. Gay, it was voted that Emery Park be utilized by Lexington people only, subject to the approval of the Town Counsel. Mr. Stevens retired at 8:00 P. M. Hearing was declared open at 8:00 P. M. of the Watson intention of the Board of Selectmen to lay out Watson Road Road from Robbins Road, southwesterly to Lexington Avenue, a distance of approximately 308 feet. No persons appeared in favor or in opposition. 543 Upon motion of Mr. Nickerson, seconded by Mr. Gay, it was voted that Watson Road be laid out and established as a public town way from Robbins Road, southwesterly to Lexington Avenue, a distance of approximately 308 feet. At 8:05 P. M. Mr. Robert T. Person, 4 Lexington Avenue, met with the Board. He said that he would like to know how much the construction of the street will cost. The Chairman said that the cost would be approximately $6.00 per front foot and the assessment may be paid over a period of ten years. Mr. DeFoe presented a plan entitled "Plan of Watson Road, Lexington, Mass. , Scale 1 in. = 40 ft. January 19, 1950, William M. Burns, Town Engineer" and explained the proposed street layout. The Chairman asked if Mr. Person wished to be recorded in opposition and he replied in the negative. Messrs. Person and DeFoe retired at 8:15 P. M. Application was received from Richard F. Jackson, for Use of permission to conduct a restaurant sanitation course in a Hall Conference Room, Cary Memorial Building on February 20th from 2:30 P. M. until 4:30 P. M. Mr. Hoyt moved that the request be granted free of charge. Mr. Nickerson seconded the motion, and it was so voted. The Chairman read a letter from Mr. Carroll advising Resignation that John F. Rich has submitted his resignation as a member of the Board of Appeals. The Chairman read a letter from Roland B. Greeley request- ing the Board to appoint one of its members to the Board on the Board of 1) rectors of the Lexington Visiting Nurse Association. Chairman Gustin, Messrs. Foley, Packard and Person of the Recreation Committee and all the members of the Appropriation Committee met for the purpose of discussing further the 1950 budgets submitted by the Recreation Committee. A general discussion was held and the meeting adjourned at 9:50 P. M. er S ectm n. _