WATER, WATER … NOWHERE BUT NEEDHAM!
by Polly Attridge, Ye Timely Guest Editor
“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
We all know that a few weeks ago the clamp on an MWRA water conduit in Weston broke, causing the Authority to tap into another source which was not drinkable. The people in over 30 towns east of the break were told not to drink their tap water. They could bathe in it, but they could not wash dishes, use it for cooking, or let a drop pass their lips lest they become ill. Although the simple remedy of boiling the water for one minute would make it safe, panic resulted. Every store was immediately emptied of bottled water as people literally fought for every bottle they could carry. The problem lasted for several days.
Needham was not affected.
This happy state of affairs did not come about by accident. Needham has had its own water supply since 1890, derived first from wells located off Dedham Avenue in an area then known as Colburn Springs. The wells supplied water for part of the business center and some of the largely undeveloped
residential property. That same year, our first standpipe was erected on Ryan’s Hill. Needham made these first steps towards a water system just in time; two years later the Board of Health reported that the private wells in the thickly populated areas of town were fast becoming unfit for domestic use. Luckily the Water Commissioners had the foresight to pour concrete around the supply wells to prevent foreign matter from getting into the water.
During the early days of the water works a few problems were encountered – such as the Dedham Avenue water supply becoming polluted by drainage from a piggery on higher land, roads becoming almost impassable due to the laying of water mains, and dry times when the town had to purchase water from Wellesley – but progress was rapid. The 1898 Town Meeting gave the Water Commissioners permission to buy such lands as they thought were required to protect the water supply. The Dedham Ave. Reservoir was built, new standpipes were constructed, and many new wells dug. Still, until 1936 we were faced with a serious water shortage. Then, near Charles River Street, a 93 foot deep well was drilled. When the work of installing a pipe and a pump was completed and the pump turned on, a geyser of pure, cold, clean water spurted 50 feet into the air. The well continued to pump one million gallons of water a day, thereby ensuring Needham an excellent supply for years to come.
Today our primary source of drinking water still comes from three wells off Charles River Street, which provide approximately four million gallons daily. Since the 1950’s we have had the capability of hooking into the MWRA’s water system in times of unusually high demand or an emergency, but Needham wells continue to supply 80 to 90 percent of our water.
The Needham Historical Society ~ 2009 Annual Report
The Needham Historical Society's 2010 Annual Meeting and Dinner took place on May 13, 2010 at the Sheraton Needham Hotel. 75 members and guests were in attendance.
 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ~ Mark Gluesing I want to thank all of you for your continued commitment to the Needham Historical Society. Your longstanding support is a sign of the strength of the Society.
It has been a good year for the Society, considering the economic climate and its impact on fundraising for non-profit groups. Our fundraising events like the Champagne and Chocolate Party and Pansy Sale continue to provide funding for our operations and activities, and you all responded very positively to our efforts to increase the portion of our funding that comes from membership dues and donations.
We installed a two coordinated exhibits this past year. We are thrilled to host an exhibit of Robert Larsen’s artworks. In addition to samples of his editorial cartoons for the Needham Times, we had pieces of his commercial art, Exchange Club phone book covers, greeting cards, and fine art drawings and paintings. We also have on display some photos and items from the Needham Exchange Club. This long-standing service organization is probably best known for the 4th of July fireworks, but that is only a portion of the service work they do in Needham. Both exhibits will be on display into the summer months. Please stop in and see them if you haven’t yet had the chance.
I want to thank the Board of Directors for contributing their time, energy, and ideas and support. Special thanks to the Events Committee and especially Gina McClellan for their efforts this past year, and to our Treasurer David Drake for his continued financial management of the Society’s funds. In addition, thank you to Sally Dempsey for her continued work on behalf of the Historical Society. Sally and her team of decorating assistants transform the Society in late November and create a beautiful holiday house. We continue to benefit from her creative ideas and tasteful eye each holiday season. Molly Drake manages our Endowment Fund and works with the Trustees to keep that fund in a strong financial position. We are very grateful for her hard work, advice, and expertise.
Our editor Bob Hall deserves our thanks for his production of our monthly newsletter. Sadly, Bob’s wife Jane died last month. They would have celebrated 60 years of marriage in June. Our thoughts are with Bob and we extend our sympathies to him and his family.
Two of our departing Directors are Matt Talcoff and Suzanne Wilcox. We thank them for their contributions and look forward to seeing them as transition back to supportive members. There are two other Directors leaving the Board this year who deserve special recognition –
Records indicate that Alice Ungethuem started on the Board of Directors in 1976. That is 34 years of service for those doing the math. When I attended my first Board meeting, which was in the month of May, there came a point where there was a report from the Program Committee. This petite woman with a soft but firm voice proceeded to run through a list of confirmed and potential presentations, topics, possible and confirmed dates for lectures through the coming year. I was very impressed and thought that that was quite a high functioning committee, with a year’s worth of events planned, with possible alternates should there be problems in the coming months. I didn’t know how large a committee it was at the time, but have discovered since that it was essentially a committee of…Alice. Special thanks go to Alice for her contributions on behalf of the Historical Society. We look forward to seeing her at future events and especially at our programs.
Ed de Lemos served as a Trustee starting in 1997, and he then became a Director, serving as Vice-President from 1999 to 2002, and President from 2002 to 2005. This was a critical period for the Society as it determined whether it should, and how it might, relocate to a new (old) facility on the grounds of Newman Elementary School. Ed was the person who led the Society through the process of making that complex decision. His no nonsense approach of defining the issues and questions, then addressing them thoroughly and straightforwardly, was key to making a fair and clearly thought out decision. He was a supporter of the move, but made sure everyone had their concerns discussed and in the end his foresight was rewarded with a vibrant and successful organization in its new home. The project preserved 3 historic buildings and gave the Society a place it could grow and prosper long into the future. We extend our sincere gratitude for his service and contributions to the Needham Historical Society.
There are four new members joining Board this year. Claire Fusaro retired in 2008 from Wellesley Middle School after a 30 year career as a middle and high school history teacher. She served for 10 years as a Town Meeting Member and for two terms on the Needham School Committee. She is currently on the board of the Needham League of Women Voters and working with the Needham in Motion campaign. Claire has lived in Needham for 30 years.
Chaim (Mike) Rosenberg worked for many years as a psychiatrist in various cities around the Commonwealth. This awakened his interest in the industrial history of Massachusetts. Since his retirement, he has written two books on nineteenth century Massachusetts focusing on the growth of the textile, shoe, piano and other great industries, with a third book on the way.
Alison Borrelli is a Needham native. She was a high school math teacher prior to staying home with her daughter and son. Alison is currently in her second year as Co-President for Parent Talk, where she co-chaired their largest fundraiser for two years. Alison is a trustee of the Anne Rogal Helman Ovarian Cancer fund and is currently a Town Meeting Member in Precinct F.
Michael Niden is a third generation Needhamite; he attended schools and graduated from the UMass Amherst. He is Chair of the Needham High School Distinguished Alumni Awards program, a Town Meeting Member for Precinct F, and an active parishioner at Christ Episcopal Church. He is a co-founder of Citizens for the Preservation of Town Hall, and a former member of the Town Hall Study Committee. Since 1982, Michael has worked in the Digital Document Presentation and Delivery industry.
We extend our thanks to our Executive Director, Gloria Greis, for her hard work and dedication to the Society and it’s members. She continues to expand our connections to the School system programs, and is a knowledgeable resource to many groups, reporters, and residents, seeking information and assistance about the history of Needham. She manages the day-to-day operations of the Society and wears many hats and has many duties. She is assisted in managing our historic resources and assisting those requesting information by our Archivist, Polly Attridge and our genealogist/ace photographer, Ron Hylen. We very much appreciate all the time and energy Polly and Ron contribute on our behalf.
Again, thank you all for your continued support and we hope to see you in the coming year.
 REPORT OF THE TREASURER ~ David Drake The Treasurer reports that for FY 2009, annual income totaled $88,864. Income was derived from membership dues, the Annual Fund Drive, the Town mailing, fundraising events, rent for use of the facility, general contributions, sponsorship donations, gift and book sales, grants, a portion of the annual income from the endowment fund, and monies from the Capital Reserve, the Archival Reserve and the Memorial Fund.
Annual expenses for FY 2009 totaled $83,701. Primary expenses were for administration, member-related activities, utilities, maintenance and insurance of the facility at 1147 Central Avenue, and the salary of the Executive Director.
REPORT of the NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Officers, 2010 – 2011:
Mark Gluesing, President
Susan Welby, Vice-President
David Drake, Treasurer
Marcy Busch, Secretary
Maurice P. (Moe) Handel, Immediate Past Pres.
Pauline M. (Polly) Attridge, Archivist (2009 – 2011)
Robert D. Hall, Jr, Historian (2010 – 2012)
Directors, 2009 – 2012:
Alison Borrelli, Susan Duncan, Robert Heald,
Deborah Jacob, Gina McClellan, Sarah Anne (Sally) Toran
Directors, 2008 – 2011:
Connie Barr, Carol J. Boulris, Jane Howard,
Diana Meloni, Michael Nathanson, Maryruth Perras
Directors, 2010 – 2013:
Rick Davis, Claire Fusaro, Michael Niden,
Greg Petrini, Chaim M. Rosenberg, Stephen Theall
Trustees:
John H. Cogswell (2013), Thomas Green (2012), Mark Whalen (2011)
 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REMARKS ~ Gloria Greis
The Committees of Correspondence were established to coordinate the opposition of the individual towns toward the British actions, pass along important intelligence, and generate propaganda favorable to the Colonies and unfavorable to the British. They were agitators, and they were spies.
In 1773, two years before, Needham had voted against forming a Committee. But conditions had changed. The Royal Governor had dissolved the MA Legislature, and in April 75 Needham sent 185 men to answer the Lexington Alarm. One month later, in May 1775, Town Meeting agreed to form a Committee and gave the job to Capt. Robert Smith. In doing so, they were publicly and officially declaring that the town was in rebellion against the British crown.
On the other hand, they also had to settle the vexed question of whether the pigs should be allowed to run free or be penned up. Left to themselves, hogs would eat the garbage off the streets or roam in the woods and eat acorns, which was cheaper than providing fodder, and cleaner than pens (they smell really bad, even by barnyard standards). However, they can be very destructive, dig up people’s trees and crops, and form aggressive packs (like wild dogs). There was even a town officer, the Hog Reeve, whose main responsibility was to assess the damage they caused. On the other hand, if you penned them up, they were more costly to keep, they stank, and the garbage built up in the streets, which attracted rats. There was no good answer, and the solution went back and forth every few years. 1775 was a run-free year.
The 2010 Annual TM concluded last night, a ritual that has been unbroken here for 299 years. And if the issues these days are more on the order of free-range hogs and less of armed insurrection, really that’s all to the good.
For the Historical Society, Town Meeting in 1775 is where the action is, which is why I am currently conversant in spies and hogs. Thanks to the generosity of the Needham Education Foundation, I am working with Suzanne Wilcox, Principal of the Eliot School and a group of Needham teachers, to create a new schoolhouse program for the fifth grades on Town Meeting in 1775, to be launched in this coming school year. Using the transcripts and town records from 1775, the kids will construct debates over the issues of the day and hold their own 1775 Town Meeting at the Schoolhouse. This program joins the very successful 1850 Schoolhouse Day program that is now regular part of the third-grade curriculum.
In all respects, we have had a very strong year. We have a new exhibit, of the work of Bob Larsen – not only his Needham Times cartoons, but also highlighting some of his other work in advertising, advocacy, and fine arts. Our fourth annual Chocolate and Champagne party was a success, and the number of visitors continues to increase. Financially, this was our strongest year in a while, for which I have you to thank. In the past two difficult years, our members and friends have continued their strong support.
Looking ahead, Needham is about to enter its 300th year. There is a large committee that has been working for the past two years to get ready for the tercentennial, planning a full year of events. The Tercentennial Year will kick off in November 2010 – only a few months now – and continue until the anniversary date of November 2011. The schools, the seniors, the civic organizations, the sports clubs are all taking part to help the town celebrate. Check out the website, needham300.org, for updates and schedules.
Anniversaries are a time to reflect, and a time to look forward. Our history is a road that leads out of our past, and into our future. We hope we learn from our mistakes rather than repeat them, and raise our kids to appreciate the achievements of the past and the possibilities of the future.
I, for one, would rather be chasing pigs than preparing for war.
The MIDDLE SCHOOL JAZZ ENSEMBLE ~ Now, it gives me very great pleasure to introduce our guests, the High Rock – Pollard Middle School Jazz Ensemble. The public schools’ Fine and Performing Arts Department continues to grow in both scope and achievement, giving our kids not only the pleasure of creating and performing, but also the discipline that results in better academic performance. Mr Aaron Bush is one of several young teachers in the department who know how to teach not just the mechanics, but also the joy, of making music. Aaron is in his second year with the Needham Public Schools. He directs all concert bands in grades six through eight and instructs beginner lessons at the Mitchell Elementary to grades four and five. He received his BA in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he studied with teachers Malcolm Rowell, Jr., Lynn E. Klock, Laura Rexroth and Stephen C. Massey.
The Middle School Jazz Ensemble is one of several extracurricular music opportunities offered to talented students who want to expand their range of musical experience.. Under Aaron’s direction, the Middle School Jazz Ensemble has won numerous awards, including a Platinum Medal at the annual Great East Music Festival in Nashua, NH. The group has enjoyed clinics and performed with such jazz artists as George Murphy, Tiger Okoshi, and Jeff Galindo, and will be opening for the Tiger Okoshi Big Band in next year's Highland Jazz Festival in Newton, MA.
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We are very sorry to report that Jane Judson Hall, dear wife of Ye Olde Editor Bob Hall,
passed away in May. Jane and Bob were married for 60 years, and raised their six children
in Needham. We extend our most heartfelt sympathy to the Hall family.
Ye O.E. has taken a brief break, but will return to the Gazette in July.
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LIONS and TIGERS and…
… Oh, my! the POLAR BEAR is too big to fit through the door!
Although heavy construction at Newman does not begin until next summer, there are some staging projects that will start in a few weeks. Since some of this work is taking place in the Science Center this summer, we have given a temporary home to some of their larger stuffed animals for a few months.
 Most of these taxidermies are very old, done at a time before the animals were endangered, and before color and video photography and all the tools that now make it possible to observe and record without injury. It seems strange to us now, but then it was a form of wildlife protection – a single animal provided numerous opportunities for study. Much of what was learned then helps us to protect these animals and their habitats today. We keep these older specimens because we still have much to learn from them, and can se for ourselves just how magnificent they are!
So, you will see coyote lurking in the exhibit rooms and owls perched on the cabinets. The local critters are mostly hanging out with the Fuller journals and the birds’ eggs, and other local natural history samples, where they fit right in. It is a challenge, though, to find an appropriate place for an eight-foot tiger, so for now I’m just letting it bask wherever it wants to.
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