An alarm of fire from box 61 at 7:45 Sunday morning called the department to fight the most serious fire the town has had for several years. A telephone message was received by the department from John McInnis of Tappan Street. The alarm was pulled from the station and the apparatus left for the scene of the fire. When they arrived, they found a very serious fire under way having got great headway, the whole upper part being a roar furnace.
The first snowstorm of the season arrived Saturday night and continued intermittently through the day Sunday, some four inches falling, later changing to rain and sleet, bringing conditions on Monday that made traveling either by foot or automobile extremely hazardous.
Cooperation of several town associations, individuals, business organizations and the Board of Selectman has resulted in Manchester having a tree lit on the common and additional lights on Town hall and the common for Christmas season.
J. Joseph Flately as completed the installation of the gate of the Central Street dam and the dam is now in operation. Work was completed Thursday. This is good news to the many people in town who enjoy skating on Central Pond, as now, weather permitting, skating may be enjoyed there once more.
A section of pipe between the new pumping station at Gravel Pond and the main leading to the standpipe split late Thursday evening of last week and a million gallons of water was drained from the Manchester system but fortunately it ran in the right direction, back into Gravel Pond.
Manchester commuters to and from Boston will received greatly expanded service beginning January 6. The Boston and Maine schedules will almost be doubled, going from 11 trips from Boston to Manchester, to 20 trips – and from 12 trips from Manchester to Boston, to 19. Some of these will not operate on weekends. Along with this service increase, there will be a substantial fare reduction. Currently, the present one-way fare is $1.64 and this will be reduced to $1.10 making a one-way savings of $.54. The 20-ride ticket which now costs $15.82 goes down to $10.72 making a savings of $5.10. This is approximately a 33 percent savings on these fares.
Saturday afternoon, over 60 youngsters stepped to the foul lines at the Jr. Sr. High School gymnasium, took aim and fired away at the hoops. When the firing was over, eight of the youngsters had emerged as winners in the First Annual Knights of Columbus sponsored foul shooting competition.
The Manchester High School Debate Team had a very successful outing to the annual Suffolk High School Debate Tournament on Saturday, December 10. The four-person team of Sally Triebs, Nancy Nieberlie, Robin Johnson and Marigrace Rooney captured third place in a field of 24 teams, with a record of six wins and two losses.
Manchester along with numerous other coastal towns was once again battered by a northeast storm that knocked out electrical power for up to 28 hours and caused much coastal flooding. Singing Beach, Ocean Street, Raymond Street, Harbor Street and Lobster Cove were again the prime subjects of the ocean’s wrath.
The Community Center and Manchester Marine have rescheduled Santa’s arrival for Saturday, December 19. Santa was riding the storm out last week and is anxious to come ashore. And that he will- at 2:30 p.m. at Masconomo Park.
Last Friday, December 14, shortly before midnight, a 911 call came into the Central Fire Station in downtown Gloucester that would bear out firefighter’s worst fears and shock many local residents. A four-story apartment building, home to 30 residents, and nearby Temple Achavat Achim, were under siege by a roaring fire that would eventually take one man’s life and completely destroy both structures and leave many homeless for the holidays.
Harvard Medical School affiliate McLean Hospital recently appointed technology executive Carol Vallone to its Board of Trustees. Vallone who resides in Manchester-by-the-Sea, plans to use her 25 years’ experience in technology to help guide the hospital into new ventures.
