Local community life picked up briskly following the summer recess, highlighted by the upcoming opening of a new dance studio, educational workshop announcements, corporate gatherings, and municipal labor union meetings across Norwood and surrounding Norfolk County.
Miss Dougherty’s Dance Studio and Local Instructional Offerings
Local children and parents are preparing for the opening of Miss Dougherty’s dance studio, located at 60 Day Street in Norwood, which officially opens its doors on Monday, September 19. Miss Dougherty spent the summer studying an up-to-date curriculum at the NADAA Conservatoire in Boston, training under renowned specialists including Charles Grass, Louis Crescenta, Melvin Kaiser, and Buster Cooper (tap); Evelyn LoMonc, Beatrice Bene, and Claire Foster (ballet); Agnes Ward and Dorothy Swanson (baby rhymes and dances); and Russell Millette (acrobatics). The studio will offer beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes spanning multiple genres. Registrations are being taken via NO 7-0299-M.
Additionally, music instructor Miss Guglielmina Fiorentino announced the September 19 opening of her fall private piano instruction season. An honor graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music operating out of studios at 115 Perkins Street in Jamaica Plain (Jamaica 2-2592), Miss Fiorentino offers the unique option of in-home instruction.
Norfolk County Agricultural School Fall Evening Workshops
The Norfolk County Extension Service finalized its schedule for free six-week evening workshops beginning Tuesday, September 27, at the Norfolk County Agricultural School on Route 1A in Walpole. Open to adult residents of Norfolk County with registration closing September 23 through the extension office (Walpole 268), the courses span several practical arts:
- Horticultural Series: Covering flower arrangements, house plants, dish gardens, plant propagation, Christmas greens, and perennials, taught by Mr. Ralph Kennison, Mr. Patrick Santin, and Mr. George Yetman.
- Food Series: Weekly demonstrations featuring meat cutting by Mr. Nick Franco (Universal Beef Co.), smart hostess planning by Mrs. Santina Curran, yeast breads by Miss May E. Foley, and cake decorating.
- Craft Classes: Chair caning taught by Miss Catherine Cook, and silk-screening and block printing instructed by Mrs. Jean Woodward.
Brooks Agencies Annual Meeting and Civic Updates
A. Clinton Brooks & Co., Inc. held its annual dinner meeting on Thursday evening, September 8, at the Abner Wheeler House. President A. Clinton Brooks and Vice President John C. Brooks addressed real estate trends and company history before an assembled staff of 22 employees, followed by entertainment from magician Elwin Shaw.
Meanwhile, the Norwood Town Employees Union, Local No. 362 convened its first post-summer monthly meeting tonight at 8:00 p.m. in the Social Hall of the Civic Building. Executive board members met prior to outline pressing matters, including overtime pay agreement enforcement, a town-wide TB chest X-ray initiative for municipal employees, paid holidays, the reopening of the Kates Case, and a sick and relief fund report.
In financial news, the Board of Directors of Norfolk County Trust Company voted to call a special stockholder meeting on October 17 to consider authorizing a 44,000-share increase in capital stock to be distributed as a one-for-four stock dividend. Concurrently, Federal Reserve Bank figures reported by Massachusetts Savings Bonds Division Chairman Henry J. Nichols showed strong statewide demand for Series H Savings Bonds, with combined Series E and H sales reaching $78,024,075 over the first eight months of the year—highlighted by a 102 percent surge in H-bond purchases.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Norwood Messenger
More Norwood Business History
-
Norwood Shoe Warehouse To Be Built-July 16, 1964
As the sun rose over the quaint town of Norwood on July 16, 1964, a sense of excitement and anticipation filled the air. The residents of this charming community were abuzz with news that Consolidated Shoe Inc., a prominent manufacturer of several renowned brands, had finally reached an agreement to construct a state-of-the-art warehouse on…

-
Medical Center Plans Expected-July 10, 1964
The development of a proposed medical building on Walpole Street reached a significant milestone on July 10, 1964, as organizers announced that final preliminary plans were approximately one month from completion. ⠀ Once this rough draft is finalized, the project will be handed over to an architect—who had not yet been designated as of that…

-
Proposed Norwood Medical Arts Building and School Committee Budget Decisions-October 31, 1963
Architectural plans were unveiled for the proposed Norwood Medical Arts Building, while the School Committee voted to release its 1964 budget and adopted a new extended sick leave policy for teachers.

-
Developer Frank R. Simoni Seeks Zoning Change for New Shopping Center Project-August 21, 1963
Developer Frank R. Simoni has petitioned the Norwood Planning Board for a zoning change on Walpole Street to construct a shopping center, prompting a public hearing set for September 9.

-
Sears, Roebuck to Build Store In Norwood Shopping Center-May 22, 1960
On May 22, 1960, a crowd of civic, business, and government leaders gathered beneath a bright late‑spring sky at the Norwood Shopping Center, where a ceremonial shovel of earth marked the beginning of a major new chapter in local retail life. The groundbreaking celebrated the start of construction on a 31,500‑square‑foot Sears, Roebuck and Co.…

-
Community News-September 15, 1955
Miss Dougherty’s dance studio prepares to open on Day Street, Norfolk County Extension sets fall workshops in Walpole, and Local 362 resumes its monthly meetings.

-
Norwood’s Thriving Business Scene-August 4, 1955
A look back at Norwood in 1955 reveals a thriving local economy filled with bustling auto dealerships like Boch Nash, popular eateries like Green Jade, and trusted neighborhood hardware stores and beauty salons.

-
War Conditions Cause Change In South End Hardware Hours-November 6, 1942
War Conditions Cause Change In South End Hardware Hours-This Day In Norwood History-November 6, 1942

-
Women Working at Bendix To Be Best In Country-November 5, 1942
Women Working at Bendix To Be Best In Country-This Day In Norwood History-November 5, 1942

Discover more from Norwood Historical Society
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

