' t««tiAAA«T«A -*—*"*- - ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Several Official Boards OF THE TOWN OF ACTON MASSACHUSETTS For the Year Ending December 31 1944 L ,«—«„»- -«- -»- -»- -»- -«- -•- -•- -«- -»- -«- -- -»- -«- -»--•- -«-»»-«--»- -»- •- « ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Several Official Boards OF THE TOWN OF ACTON MASSACHUSETTS For the Year Ending December 31 1944 WAHineu) TOWN WARRANT COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Middlesex ss. To either of the Constables of the Town of Acton, in said County, Greetings: In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby directed to notify the legal voters of said Town of Acton, qualified to vote at town meetings for the transaction of town affairs, to meet in their respective pre- cincts, to wit: Precinct 1—Town Hall, Acton Center Precinct 2—Universalist Church, South Acton Precinct 3—Woman's Club House, West Acton at 12 o'clock noon, Monday, the fifth day of March, 1945, by posting a copy of this warrant, by you attested, at each of the places as directed by vote of the town, seven days at least before the fifth day of March. To bring in their votes on one ballot for the following town officers: Moderator, town clerk, town treasurer, collector of taxes, one selectman for three years; one assessor for three years ; one member of the board of public welfare for three years; four constables for one year; one cemetery commis- sioner for three years; two members of the school commit- tee for three years ; one member of the board of health for three years; one trustee Memorial Library for three years; and a tree warden. ' The polls will be open at 12 o'clock noon, and close at 8 o'clock p. m. You are further requested in the name of the Com- monwealth to notify the legal voters of said town of Acton, as aforesaid, to meet at the Town Hall, in said Acton on Monday, the twelfth day of March, at 7:30 o'clock p. m. Then and there to act on the following articles: Article 1. To choose all necessary town officers and committees and fix salaries of all town officers. Article 2. To see if the town will vote to accept the several reports of the town officers. Article 3. To hear and act upon the reports of any committee chosen at any previous meeting that have not already reported. Article 4. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $250.00 or some other ?um for the observance of Memorial Day, this sum to be expended under the direction of a committee appointed by the Board of Selectmen, or act anything thereon. Article 5. To see if the town will vote to authorize the Town Treasurer with the approval of the Selectmen, to borrow money from time to time in anticipation of the revenue of the financial year beginning January 1, 1945, and to issue a note or notes therefor, payable within one year, and to renew any note or notes as may be given for a period of less than one year in accordance with Section 17, Chapter 44, General Laws. Article 6. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $250.00 for the use of the Treasurer, to pay the expenses of the local Dog Officer. The amount spent for board and disposal of dogs will be reimbursed by the County of Middlesex, or act anything thereon. Article 7. To see if the town will vote to transfer $875.00 from the Machinery Fund to the Machinery Ac- count, or act anything thereon. Article 8. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $500.00 or any other sum to be used by the Town Forest Committee for the purpose of purchasing additional forest land or act anything thereon. Article 9. To see if the town will vote to appropriate the sum of $500.00 or any other sum from the Surplus Revenue Account for the work of the Post-War Public Works Committee, or act anything thereon. Article 10. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $550.00 for repairs on the town roller, or act anything thereon. Article 11. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,000.00 for repairs to the build- ings now used by the Highway Department, or act anything thereon. Article 12. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $100.00 to defray the necessary expenses of office supplies, etc., in connection with the ad- ministration of Old Age Assistance, Aid to Dependent Children and General Relief, or act anything thereon. Article 13. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,000.00 to purchase new hose and tiiree (3) lire alarm boxes, or act anything thereon. Article 14. To see if the town will vote to authorize ti'ie Board of Selectmen to approve bills to the amount of $1,500.00 for the furnishing and installing of fluorescent lights in some rooms of the elementary schools, or act any- thing thereon. Article 15. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate $77.80 to pay the balance due on the installa- tion of fluorescent lighting in the elementary schools. —6— Article 16. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the additional sum of $1,550.00 to complete the fluorescent lighting in all elementary classrooms, or act any- thing thereon. Article 17. To see what sum of money the town will vote to raise and appropriate to defray the necessary and usual expenses of the several departments of the town and determine how the same shall be raised. Article 18. To see if the town will vote to instruct the Board of Selectmen to have an annual audit of the various accounts of the town or act anything thereon. Article 19. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,800.00 so that the Board of Health may contract for the collection and disposal of gar- bage for the period of one year, or act anything thereon. Article 20. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $250.00 for the Tree Department for the replacement of shade trees, or act anything thereon. Article 21. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $600.00 for the purchase of a power tractor and attachments for the Highway Department, or act anything thereon. Article 22. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $400.00 for a compressor for the Cemetery Department, or act anything thereon. Article 23. To see if the town will vote to accept the Honor Roll which was presented by the Citizens of the Town of Acton on November 28, 1943, or act anything thereon. Article 24. To see if the town will vote to accept the gift of $1,500.00 made to the Town of Acton by the will of the late Miss Charlotte B. Conant. Said sum to be kept as a fund and the income thereof used for the purchase of new books for the High School Library to be selected by the principal and the heads of the English and History De- partments of the High School, or act anything thereon. Article 25. To see if the town will accept as a town way or street, that road known as Pine Street, westerly about 250 feet off Main Street, as shown on a plan filed in the office of the town clerk, or act anything thereon. Article 26. To see if the town will vote to instruct the Moderator to appoint a committee of three to report at the next annual or special town meeting regarding the ad- visability of purchasing a truck for the Highway Depart- ment, or act anything thereon. Article 27. To see if the town will vote to instruct the Moderator to appoint a committee of five to be known as the Acton War Record Committee, whose duty it shall be to compile a permanent record of all men and women of Acton in the military service of the United States or of any of its Allies in the present World War. This committee to have full power of filling vacancies or enlarging the mem- bership of the committee and that such moneys for the use of the committee as the Selectmen deem necessary from time to time be made available to the committee by the selectmen or the Finance Committee from any funds within their control. This committee to report at the next annual town meeting, or act anything thereon. Article 28. To see if the town will vote to instruct the Moderator to appoint a committee of five to investigate and submit a set of Zoning Laws at the next annual or a special town meeting, or act anything thereon. Article 29. To see if the town will vote to instruct the Moderator to appoint a committee of five to investigate and submit a set of Building Laws at the next annual or a special town meeting, or act anything thereon. Article 30. To see if the town will vote to elect by the town meeting a school Building Committee of three, working with the School Committee and the Superintendent, to survey the elementary school needs of the town, secure plans, and discover the cost of a central 8-grade elementary school, including sub-primary department, and the cost of —8— three new 8-grade elementary schools, including sub- primary department, one in each precinct; and to see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $500.00 for the use of the School Building Committee, and instruct it to report to the town at the next annual or a special town meeting, or act anything thereon.