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Resolving a sticky and prolonged site debate, the permanent Building Committee voted unanimously last night to approve the relocation of two softball fields at the Endean Park site of the new Junior High South project. The adjustment was proposed after the Recreation Department requested that the ball fields be lengthened from 250 feet to 275 feet to meet official regulations for slow-pitch softball.
Project architect Vincent A. Iannone of Korslund, LeNormand & Quann Inc. explained that one field will be shifted 25 feet and the other 100 feet to prevent the outfields from overlapping. While substantial cutting and filling will be required for one of the fields, Iannone noted that the expenses would be offset by savings on subsurface drainage.
The committee also investigated potential state review requirements, with Building Committee Chairman Ernest S. Paciorkowski confirming that Town Manager John P. Mogan assured officials the revised plans would likely avoid delays through Norwood boards regarding Hatch Act compliance, while state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) review would proceed concurrently. Meanwhile, deliberations over a name for the planned new elementary school at the burned-out junior high site remained inconclusive. Paciorkowski announced that committee straw votes yielded scattered results across a list of prominent local figures and historical names—including Harry Butters, Alec Abdullah, Shattuck, Winslow, John J. Corcoran, John F. Cavanaugh, Louise Nugent, Mary A. Dean, and Central Elementary School—prompting a redistribution of ballots for a future vote.
In other municipal and school developments:
- High School Addition Review: The building committee discussed the status of the senior high school addition project following a meeting with John Blackhall Smith of the state School Building Assistance Bureau (SBAB), with school officials and Superintendent Philip O. Coakley strongly opposing the removal of auditorium-gymnasium stadium seating.
- Special Town Meeting Warrants: Town boards reacted favorably to scheduling a public hearing for September 7 at the high school ahead of the September 25 special town meeting, which will feature warrant articles for high school preliminary planning funds and a zoning article for elderly housing along Washington Street advanced by Planning Director Charles Thomas.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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Norwood Voters Approve Tax Increase To Build New Coakley Middle School-April 10, 2022
Norwood residents delivered a decisive vote, choosing to raise local taxes in order to fund a long‑awaited new middle school. The ballot question passed by a wide margin — 2,365 to 831 — clearing the final hurdle required under Proposition 2½ for the town to take on additional debt. The vote followed a Special Town…
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Voters Approve New Norwood High School-April 12, 2009
Norwood High School Project Faces Delay Despite Overwhelming Voter Support On April 12, 2009, Norwood found itself at a dramatic crossroads — one defined by overwhelming civic unity on the one hand, and a sudden, unexpected construction setback on the other. Just days earlier, Norwood residents had delivered one of the most decisive votes in…
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Norwood School Officials Weigh Alternatives as Renovation Delays Threaten High School Opening-August 8, 1985
Norwood school officials discussed seven alternatives for opening day if $5 million high school renovations are not finished, while firmly rejecting double sessions.
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Completion of Norwood High School Renovation Remains Uncertain-July 18, 1985
Town officials are uncertain if the $5 million Norwood High School renovation will be finished before the start of the fall semester.
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Prospects Improve for On-Schedule Opening of Junior High South-July 26, 1974
Norwood’s Permanent Building Construction Committee received encouraging updates regarding material deliveries, clearing the path for Junior High South to open on schedule.
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Uncertainty Looms Over Norwood Junior High South Opening Date-July 12, 1974
After three years of double sessions following a 1971 fire, Norwood officials faced the possibility of further delays for the new Junior High South.
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Unfinished Junior High To Open On Schedule-July 8, 1974
Discover the construction history of the $4.5 million Junior High South project in 1974, detailing the challenges faced during the transition from the old Washington Street school.
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Gridlock Over $6-Million Junior High Rebuilding Plan and Norwood Arena Noise-This Day in Norwood History-June 27, 1971
A dual crisis hits Norwood in 1971 as a $6-million junior high deficit triggers political warfare and state experts condemn racetrack noise.
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Work Under Way At Junior High North-May 29, 1970
In 1970, Norwood Junior High North saw new fencing, repaving, and drainage improvements while a major school facilities survey moved toward completion, shaping long‑term planning.
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Norwood Kills Funds For School Addition-June 26, 1969
Voters approve a $1,000 Endean Park drainage compromise and reverse a zoning rule to relocate Carl A. Johnson’s Norwood Cadillac Co. along Route 1.
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