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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1954-03-01 Board of Selectmen Minutes All_e.t.t.e.r r..efle.ive.d advisi~.g .that all correspondence concerning %he State .D~tmen~ or ruo,lc -orKs oe :.sent to' the District Engineer&-Charles A; -M. T. STEVENS CO: ........ , ' --,, Letter received thanking the :.Board: for :the~&etter. and man: On :~d asking tha}. the¥~:be ;advised.of~ any' public:hearing in :the matter; ~, ,, ~ f. '.-"~, ,';~' ~ . :I Kent,informingthe~Boardthat.~hewilI,be'cuna :, ~ peop-e on ,Prescott Street~ ~ in the near,: future.,' He 'attaChed'a:;letter ~.0 ;ise'nt %o} each:~ one ,of these p~Opl'e ill,lithe!' bo;ard,.[f~lt i~hat it ,.wasi?alright~ 0~ ~'0': re~urn! i~, ~ith',i suggestions ;i Mr;:: Kent] aPOlOgized<for :th~: dei~yj i~hd~Board vo~ed .:A;letter_was :reCeived frOmi,Pmse 'E;~ CaShman, HEARING Lons,~and~ consen't~ ~o c~truct ~, John ~a; :_..e l~cl., o discuss ithe !~transfer: Of~ ;6~e .s aid he ~ had .to have .a.: newJorest, 'fire .',. , · ~,:.heihhould!have':'a.:~feri:fr~a!:the ~ ! 8~rd:~ of~: r':~oS ~e .tO: the ~ Ad~ ~ch On 6re~t :pond :~d, :S~e~';S~ee~, ' A ~he~ held at ?~0 P.M. on ~e ~t~t~on of:~ed Zapp~a, ~ 'fOr ~m~. of ~ .~e. ~. Conners h~ ~med ~e b°~d %ha~ th~ ~n the Attached are the records you asked me to get for you from the Police records. There was nothing in the 19~9 records and what I have taken are copied exactly as listed, including spelling, punctuation, etc. I had to glance through approximately l~O00 pages with records for 2h hours and itrook about lS hours. I'm sorry I couldn,t ge~ them for you sooner. I did Work at the office one night going through the 19~9 bock and it took much longer than I expected it to. I'm quite sure I didn't skip anything referring to Mrs. Dennis or Mrs. Serdoski. TOWN OF NORTH ANDOVER. MASSACHUSETTS BOARD OF SELECTMEN July 3, 1951 Mrs. John Cole 40 Ashland Street North Andover, Mass. Dear Mrs. Cole: There has been brought ko the attention of the Board of Selectmen a matter in which we feel you are vitally interested and relative to which we have much concern. We would like to discuss this situation with you on Friday after- noon of this week a~ 1:30 P.M.s and would be pleased to have you meet with us in the Selectmen's Office, Town BuilM~g, at that time. If, for any reason, you find the time suggested as inconvenient, please so advise and we will a~empt to adjust our time to your convergence. Very truly yours, BOARD OF SELECTH~ ~thur Ao Thomson Chsirman I AAT:D ~here, baa' b~an.brouGht to, the att~£on ~of 'thb ~ -of, Selectmen a :matter. ~n which lo fae~['you are ,.' July 6, 1951 The Board of Selectmen met this day at 1:30 P.M. w~h Mrs. John Cole, to talk about her mother, Mrs. Serdowski. Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: 'Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: 5~s. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs.~Cole: Mr. Thomson: ~drs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. ~omson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: ~rs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: i~e have asked you to come in, Mrs. Cole, to talk about your mother. Is she feeling pretty well? Oh, yes. %'ge have had some complaints about her. Does she have a regular doctor? No Do you have any objection to our having a doctor come in %o examine her? Yes Mrs. Cole, we are only trying to seek your cooperation. You know what the story is and there have been several co~plalnts. '~ell, I don't know the whole story. Do you live with your mother? Yes Has she been alright since she got out of the institution? ?~ell, she is very nervous and she hollers. She is not right. ~y. children sleep with her. How old are your children, Mrs. Cole? 'Fell, there's one four and one six ...... Are you home pretty much of the time? Always You don't work No Your mother is having trouble with the people next door? Always. (Mrs. Cole talked about the tenants next door but she rambled and spoke in a very low tone ar.d it ~vas difficult ~o get everything she said). She stated that sho was very nervous and s~arted to cry. Don't be nervous, Mrs. Cole. There is no reason ~o get nervous. (Spoke again about the neighbors a.ud about a gambler who was living down there). '~here does your husband worE, Mrs. Cole? At the ¥£ater%own Arsenal. Are you able ~o take care of your mother alright? No one else complains down ~here. How old is your mother? Oh...I don't know for sure...about 65 or 64... How long have you lived there? ~y children were born there...lived there before I went to Georgetown... off and on I ~ess. How long has your mother lived there? About 18...a good 18 years. Did she live there before the Dennis people lived there? Oh yes. Did she have any trouble ~rith the other people who lived there? Oh, no. These little ones start everything. They want to run the %own. Comasso changed his his name to Dennis and then changed his religion. Is Dennis a Comasso? Yes, he changed to a Catholic name. ~rny didn't he ~ange to a Protestant ~.~Pny do you think it will do your mother any harm to have her ex.~minsd by a doctor? She doesn't want a~yone in the house. They dragged her out in February through the snow...all on account of Dennis...they tore the door down and she stayed there for weeks and weeks...would you like %o have them do that %o your mother (Mrs. Cole started to cry again). Does she go out? 0nly to Messina's market...she's got doors locked at night. -2- ~'. ~omson: I~rs. Cole: ~r. T~o;~son: ~rs. Cole: ~. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thormson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: ~.. Finneran: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Finneran: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Would you feel any better if she were taken some place for examination? She should be where she is. She can't have shock ~rea~men~s because she is too old. Do you think she needs shook treatments? In time, it wiil pass over...she's just hollering...no violence. How does she ac~ towards your children? She loves them. (Here again, Mrs. Cole spoke in a low tone and rambled and it was difficult ~o jet down what she said). Do you think., Mrs. Cole, that Mrs. Dennis does something ~o age-ravage ~ your mother or does your mother do something ~o aggravate Mrs. Dennis? She s~artsd it...she has a sister...they rap or knock...it go~ my mother... you know...she said...mus~ be something...then she calls and she knows they are knocking on the wall. She swears...I,11 admit i~, she swears. She ge~s loud or noisy? She doesn't leave the house. Ask the neighbors...Sipsey or Connors. I was talking ~o Mr. Messina today...he's having trouble with the Italien people on the other side...he's ~een very sick...put ~ll his ~en-dollar bills in cash register and she came in...bought a loaf of bread and came back and said "I gave you $5 not $10"amd he said, "Look in the register...she says he's a dirty .... you know...and she won't let her little girl in there .... andshe said "My family is all fat" and there's lots and lots of stories you don't know about. You think your mother is alright? Yes...I'll tell you the God's truth...I'm Catholic...she wouldn't harm anyone...Z've got animals do~m there and she loves them. If you think she is all right, what harm is there in having her examined by a physician? It will excite her. The excitement will wear off in a short period. Anyone in the house she ge~s excited...she,s oo $cared...do you know ~nere they put her...A2...the suicid~ squad. She's much better now than she was? She picked up a lot of dirtywords...I wen~ up every Sunday and looked am that...she was the only clean one up there...ask the nurses...she washed her own clothes...they should have put her in a cleaner ward (and Mrs. Cole started to cry again). Mrs. Cole, you wouldn't wan~ anything ~o happen to her...you wouldn'~ want her arrested? Arrested...what for? She may cause trouble...it is only a possibility...but it would be jus~ as well for you as for you~ mother if you would per mit her to be examined. If she isn't alright, you ough~ mo know it. She cooks, washes, gets groceries, goes to the store, doesn'~ bother the neighbors... You have a couple of children in the house? I have six.....I go~ this letter...I don't want her pu~ away...youwill have to put me away too...it's dirty (and Mrs. Cole s~arted ~o cry) You think you are able to take care of six children and your mother too? As long as I can...she never did anything...get rid of Comasso...his brother stole...nobody said a "damn" word...he's stealing now...they stole her stove...trying to run the town...run for this, run for that... running for School Board one time...changing nsme from Comasso ~o Dennis... then changes his religion. Mrs. Cole, we are in a neutral position...we like to hear both si~es. Ask $ipsey or Connors...they said "we were used to it"...when they took her away, they used brass knuckles...sometimes ge~s sprees but... Ail our position is...we wan~ to do the right thing. We don't wan~ any injustice caused. Would you come to us if you thought we could help you? Yes but she is alright...even has doors bolted, won't go ou~ unless I go with her. -3- Mrs. Cole: ',~. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: Mr. Thomson: Mrs. Cole: She loves rose plants...they broke one of her arms when she was up there... she is awful nervous...she told me what they done to her when they took her to the hospital...I don't want her to go ba'ck. If the situation ever gets to the point where you can't handle her, you come to us, let us do what re can to help you and your mother. You your mother a duty to see that she is taken care of. She helped me when I was having my babies (and Mrs. Cole started to cry) Thank' youTfor coming up. We want to help all we can. Come in and see us any time you want. I don't want her .... back .... complains of a cracked skull...they hit her with a shoe. She's normal. Don't take her away...please...don,t. It will kill me. Mrs. Cole left the office crying. Mr. Thomson said that he didn't know what they could do about it and Mr. Coffin felt that Mrs. Cole had conceded that her mother is mental but not violent. Mr. Thomson supposed the complainant could move out if it is as bad as she says it is. Mr. Coffin · felt that the weight of this thing was against this woman (Serdowski) up until no~v. Mr. Finneran said he would get out of the ~:ouse. Mr. Coffin said, "There isn't any doubt that the woman is insane and this woman (Cole) admits it...that par~ is established." ~r. Finneran said there were a lot of people probably Jus~ as insmue, as her around. Mr. ~homson fel~ tha~ a lot of circumstances wen~ with it...poorly built house, no sound- proof walls. g !2t lNothin w~ be done relative to this matter at the presen~ time. lO/257195o 9:00 A.M. 12:35 P.M. 3:00 P.M. lO/3O/195o t0:00 A.M. 7:00 P.M. 10:00 A.M. 11:05 P.M. 1:20 A.M. 10:55 A.M. Off. Willie returned from Ashland St. complaint. Mrs. Serdoski is definitely insane. She complains of eomeone hooking a radio to her bed and talking Polis~ to her. She agreed to keep quiet but this wLll only be temporary. There did not appear to be anyone in the house with her. I have called the Danvers State Hospital regarding Mrs. Serdoski of 40 Ashland Street. They say she has been discharged from the Hospital and the only way she can be returned is on a ten day paper to be made out by a doctor. Tomorrow afternoon will call Dr. Kay and have him go down there with a couple of officers. Chief Officer Lewis c~11 ed Dr. Kay's office regarding mental case on Ashland Street. Dr. Kay called to say he could not get in to Serdoskt's house to examine woman Dr. Morris Yorshis of 281 Haverbi]~ St. La~rence, phoned asking that ye cell him at his office tonight at 7:00 o'clock Phone #20000 about his examination of Mrs. Nellie Serdoski at AO Ashland Street, town, as to her present mental con- dition. He wants a couple of officers to go there to go in the tenement with him, during the examination period. Chief. Sgt. c~l]ed Dr. Yorshis and he ~1 c,ll back if he is coming over. Sgt. M_rs. Dennis of Ashland Street phoned that the neighbor in the other side of two family home Mrs. Serdoski, is noisy and 2irs. Dennis knocked on the MAll to try and quiet her do~n, as she was sick and tired of the noise that she has to stand coming from the other tenement. She has called the State Police Officer that is attached to the District Attorney's office, to see what can be done to quiet things do~nthere. Mrs. Dennis said that Mrs. Serdoski,smarried daughter (Mrs. JohuCole) has left her husband and family in Georgetown, Nass. and has been withher mother for about a week now, but that she don't seem to be able to keep her q~tet,21 of the time, and that the worst period is week ends, when they ,11 seem to be drinking in there and the noise is at its worst M.B-L. Mrs. Dennis, 38 Ashland St. called and requested an officer to go to her house and witness the disturbing noise coming from the adJoi~g tenants. Officers Roche and Lawlor to 38 Ashland St. Officers Roche and Lawlor returnedto the station. While listening in the kitchen of Mrs. Dennis one could hear Mrs. Serdoskirambling and talking in a loud manner. Her speech was unintelligible and incoherent as she ranted at one or more individuals in the house. When we knocked at the back door and told them it was the police no one responded and the door ~as not opened for us. Mrs. SerdoekimpUShed the shade back from the kitchen window and c~11ed us "~horemasters" repeatedly. The last complaint on this case was recorded at 10:O0 A.M. In view of repeated complaints it is recommended that some be taken on this matter. Mrs. Dennis of Ashland Street phoned that she is at her sister's home on Ashlan, Street and because Mrs. Serdoski is out in fron~ of her house, she is afraid to go past her. Have contacted the chief who w~l~ go down there and see to it that peace is maintained. MBL Chief returned from Ashland Street complaint. POn CE P COmS---ms 4/13/1950: 1:40 A.M. 2:00 A.M. 4/13/195o 12:00 Noon 4/25/19 o 11:40 A.M. 6/23/1950 11:2/. A. ~,~. 8/26/z95o 11:12 P.M. 11:14 P.M. 11:55 P.M. 8/28/195o 4:00 P.M. 8:18 A.M. Mrs. Dennis of 38 Ashland Street called and complained that her neighbor at 40Ashland Street was ms]ting a lot of noise by pounding on the floors an~ using loud and profane l~nguage. Officer Willis~ill check. Officer Willis returned to the station. As regards to Ashland Street complain' I went to that address but was unable to get in. Mrs. Dennis informed me that the lady about whom she complained was a mental case recently released from Danvers State Hospital. She said that the lady was in the habit of doing ~hi~ on many occasions. She said further that the situation was becoming unbearabl~ The lady has on several occasions threatened to burn the house down and Mrs. Dennis is very much concerned about her o~m safety and that of her young child. From information of Mrs. Dennis this woman was released with the understandin~ that she was to be kept under constant care. This is not being done and from my observation of the woman from the outside of the house she is certainly in need of care, if not committmant. JJW. Chief, Officer Lewis and two female nurses from the Danvers State Hospital went to 40 Ashland Street to pick up Mrs. Serdowski, but could not ain admittance, there were keys left in the ignition s~ri~ch of a car pa~ front ed in of the house and were brought to the station to prevent the possible theft of the car which is li~ted to John H. Cole, 40 Ashland Street, North Andover. ~e are hopeful that a member or relative of the famiiy w~_ll admit us so that she may be returned ~o the hospital for re-observation. (Lewis) Mrs. Dennis of 38 Ashland St. phoned that some wa~er has dripped down through the ceiling of her kitchen from e room above it that is par~ of the Serdoski tenement at 40 Ashland St. being the other half of the house. She wants us mo put a stop to this happening again. (Lewis) Received a phone call from Mrs. Dennis who lives at 38 Ashland Street, saying that she was calling from her sister,s home am 4 Ashland Street, about being afraid to go home, because Mrs. Serdoski who lives in the other side of her two tenement at 40Ashland Street, is outside of her house and she fears trouble with that woman. I have contacted Lewis in the police car and he will go right down there. She was quieted down byher oldest daughter Nary, and went into the house without a word. Mrs. Dennis entered her home unmolested. (Lewis) Mrs. Dennis, 38 Ashland Street called to complain about her neighbors at 40 Ashland Street who sme creating a disturbance. Mrs. Dennis statedthat they were all drunk and that there was a mental case there and she couldn,t sleep. Officers Woodhouse and Lawlor report from Ashland Street. Officer Woodhouse reports. Day officer contac~ the Danvers State Hospital to have a doctor examine Mrs. Serdoski, 42 Ashland Street to see if she should not be committed to the hospital again. She seems to be a source of trouble to her neighborhood. Chief called Danvers State Hosp..They cannot send a Dr. to examineMrs. Serdoski (Chief) Mrs. Dennis of 38 Ashland Street phoned thatMrs. Serdoski of 40 Ashland Street, in the other side of her house, is very noisy and Mould like an. officer to go down there and shut her up. Willis will go down there and try to quiet her down. May 22, 1951 12:00 Noon: 12:10 P.M. Halber Dow, Ass,t Clerk of Courts phoned that Mrs. Der_uis of Ashland Street has been talking with him about Mrs. Serdowski of the other side of her tenement, and ~/r. Dow has taiked with Mr. ~Va~ter Rowen the Probation Officer of the Lawrence District Court, who has some ideas about the ways and means whereby she may be committed to a State Hospital for mental cases. Mr. Dow suggested that the Chief have a talk with Mr. Rowen. Mrs. Dennis of Ashland Street, Phone #39907, wants Chief to MBL call her. ;.~w~.. MAY 23, 1951: 10:30 A.M. Chief talked with Walter Rowen about the Serdowski case. Advised by himto go to Capt. Dore of the Lawrence Police Station and tell him the situation and get his ad~i~e~ Capt. Dowe informed tho Chief that sometimes the Law- rence officers might go into a home and take a person ou~ but they actually have no right to. ~f some smart lawler came in on the case the officer might be subject to action from making a false arrest. Capt. Dowe said~if t~ this woman has never struck anyone or threatened anyone there was little the Chief could do. i ll:40?P.M. Mr. Dennis, Ashland St., complains of a disturbance at 40 Ashland St. P.M. Off..Lawlor reports all quiet on Ashland St.