Norwood Politics, School Battles & Election Recounts-This Day in Norwood History-June 27, 1978

Contenders Battle for $37,000 School Executive Post While a Massive Field of Nine Vies for a Part-Time $2,200 Assessor Seat

The halls of Norwood’s municipal government became a battlefield of professional credentials and local policy debates last night as multiple town boards launched aggressive interviews to fill critical leadership vacancies. At the apex of the town’s educational system, the Norwood School Committee held intensive, 45-minute interrogation sessions with three elite finalists vying to claim the vacant Superintendent of Schools post, a highly coveted executive position commanding a formal salary of $37,000 per year.

The closed-door proceedings drew a small but highly observant audience, consisting of Margery M. McKenna, the prominent president of the town’s League of Women Voters, two corporate consultants from Edcon, Inc.—the executive search firm retained to scout the candidates—and local newspaper reporters.

The first finalist to face the panel was Dr. Edward Adamo, 50, a seasoned administrator who has spent the last six years serving as the superintendent of the massive, 27,900-student central school district in Marcellus, New York, near Syracuse. Prior to his New York tenure, Dr. Adamo served for four years as the superintendent in Exeter, New Hampshire, and currently commands a salary of $35,800. Laying out his educational philosophy, Dr. Adamo asserted that a modern school guidance department must maintain a razor-sharp balance across three equal vectors: personal counseling, career counseling, and academic or college-bound preparation.

On the highly volatile subject of local school consolidation and redistricting, Dr. Adamo emphasized that the key to checking runaway emotionalism is direct community integration. “If they are involved,” Dr. Adamo maintained, “the facts will bring out consensus.” Defining his professional identity, he declared that despite his executive responsibilities, he considers himself “an educator first,” specializing in developing rigorous curriculum and working directly with people.

The second candidate to take the hot seat was a deeply familiar local face: Norwood’s own Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools, Kevin Donovan, 58. Donovan’s session ran notably shorter than his competitors’ due to his long-standing, 37-year association with the Norwood School Committee. Donovan originally launched his educational career teaching at Stoughton High School before migrating back to the local system, spending seven years as a teacher at Junior High School North. For the past 16 years, he has anchored the central administration at Norwood High School, first serving as the direct assistant to the superintendent before ascending to assistant superintendent in 1968, a role that occasionally required him to act as the interim superintendent. Under the town’s published municipal pay list, Donovan earned $29,407 in 1977.

Donovan aggressively leaned into his hometown advantage, highlighting his proven ability to maintain exceptionally cordial and unified relations across various town agencies and municipal officials over several decades. “I can cement and unify, as your executive officer, the relationship between the school and other departments,” Donovan promised. While he noted that he has historically been a staunch advocate of the traditional 6-3-3 grade structure (six elementary grades, three junior high grades, and three high school grades), Donovan conceded that a 5-4-3 middle school layout carries significant academic merit and represents a highly viable option to consider under impending school consolidation.

He noted that modern sixth graders have become sophisticated enough for a middle-school environment, suggesting that restructuring the grades could serve as a strategic alternative to permanently closing a neighborhood elementary school. In a bold political move, Donovan pledged that if he were chosen as superintendent, his very first executive recommendation would be to permanently eliminate his own current post of secondary assistant superintendent to save the town money, while preserving the elementary-level assistant superintendent’s slot. When pointedly asked by committee member Joan H. Cuff why he had never attained a doctoral degree, Donovan drew smiles by recalling that when he first entered the central administration in 1962, the legendary Superintendent Dr. Philip O. Coakley gave him a blunt directive: “You’ll be too busy to take courses.”

The final candidate interviewed was Dr. William Gallivan, 50, who has spent the last three years heading the 5,000-student school system in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, at a current salary of $35,000. Dr. Gallivan’s diverse background includes a six-year tenure as a principal, a superintendency in Mahwah, New Jersey, and 10 years of classroom experience teaching in the Needham Public Schools.

Dr. Gallivan staked out a firm position on teacher evaluations, arguing aggressively that the process should be used strictly as an administrative tool to elevate educator performance, rather than a weapon to weed out staff or engineer forced reductions as student enrollment declines. He advocated for retraining existing faculty and relying heavily on natural retirement attrition before ever considering painful union layoffs, adding that he favored allowing limited “student influence” in the evaluation process on the high school level. Viewing public relations through a practical lens, Dr. Gallivan noted that “effective programs inside the schools represent the first line of public relations.” Holding a certificate of advanced graduate study—frequently considered “half a doctorate”—Dr. Gallivan admitted that his rapid career movements had prevented him from completing his PhD, jokingly noting that he is now considered “on the old side” to pursue a doctoral degree, and firmly categorized his primary strength as a pure administrator.

The Battle for the Part-Time Assessor Post

While the school committee weighed its options, the Norwood Board of Selectmen convened a fascinatingly brief and informal session to interview candidates for a vacant, part-time seat on the Board of Assessors. Despite the fact that the position commands a meager, symbolic salary of just $2,200 per year, it managed to attract an unusually massive, diverse, and politically high-profile field of nine applicants. The sweeping interview process was orchestrated at the direct request of Selectman Mary J. Fox, who led the line of questioning by concentrating heavily on each candidate’s personal property holdings, age, and professional appraisal experience.

Selectman Fox established a strict ethical standard for the evening, demanding that all applicants answer three specific queries: their concrete real estate valuation experience, their familiarity with complex Massachusetts assessing and valuation statutes, and what real estate they owned outside of their primary residence. “I do not want to see anyone on this board who is directly or indirectly involved in real estate, to avoid any possible conflict of interest,” Fox declared firmly. She further emphasized that she was actively hunting for a young, energetic individual who could be groomed to eventually assume the full-time role of Chairman of the Board of Assessors whenever the incumbent chairman, James J. Drummey, decides to retire. Concurrently, Selectman Joseph F. Curran pressed each candidate on their structural availability, ensuring they could commit at least two full working days per week to the town’s valuation ledgers.

The pool of applicants represented a literal “Who’s Who” of Norwood civic life, yielding a series of compelling interviews:

• George Elias of 2 Weld Avenue honestly admitted he possessed zero prior experience with real estate appraisal or state assessing laws. He noted that while he owns some secondary property outside his home, he is not professionally active in the commercial real estate market.
• Raymond T. Halloran of 63 Spruce Road, the highly respected former Norwood Town Treasurer, testified that while he possessed extensive municipal experience managing excise taxes, he was not deeply versed in state assessing statutes and owned no real estate outside his primary home.
• Margaret M. Hayes of 9 Cushing Road revealed she holds a valid real estate license but noted that her practice deals exclusively with used residential housing rather than new construction, asserting she saw absolutely zero moral, ethical, or legal conflict of interest.
• Frances C. Lydon of 289 Railroad Avenue, a veteran professional who has spent a staggering 44 years employed by a prominent real estate company, highlighted her deep background in insurance appraising and disclosed that she personally owns three independent houses and a one-acre parcel of undeveloped land.
• John J. MacLeod of 217 Vernon Street, an active real estate broker, demonstrated a strong familiarity with both property appraisal and state assessing laws, but carefully clarified that he does not buy or sell any real estate within the borders of the town of Norwood.
• George F. Mahoney of 101 Walpole Street, a formidable former member of the Norwood Finance Commission (FinCom), faced sharp questioning from Selectman Fox regarding his concurrent service on other local panels, specifically the Commission to Promote Business and Industry. Mahoney maintained he possessed a solid working knowledge of state valuation laws and noted he owns his home plus one other dwelling in town.
• Town Moderator William Plasko of 507 Nahatan Street conceded he had no formal professional background in appraisal or state statutes, but revealed he had already held deep, strategic planning discussions regarding the role with Chairman Drummey. Plasko voiced strong agreement with Selectman Fox regarding the pressing need to integrate younger people into active town service.
• Dorothy Rich of 84 Bond Street, the prominent widow of the late Norwood Selectman C. Lothrop Rich, noted that while she previously held a real estate license and had no direct appraisal background, she possessed immense practical experience working inside the Registry of Deeds and collaborating with county engineers.
• Clement A. Riley of 132 Berwick Place, the famous former Massachusetts Registrar of Motor Vehicles and an active real estate broker, confidently cited his deep-seated experience in regional property appraisal and state laws. However, the seasoned political veteran took sharp exception to Selectman Fox’s explicit preference for a younger candidate. Turning to the board, the 72-year-old Riley directly fired back: “You are discriminating against me because of my age!”

The board deferred making an official appointment last night because one final candidate, William J. Haviland of 345 Prospect Street, could not attend. Haviland was urgently called out of town following a tragic automobile accident in Oregon in which his son was killed.

Municipal Light, Police Contracts, and Ballot Wars

Beyond the executive interviews, the Board of Selectmen plowed through a heavy docket of municipal and emergency business. In a major operational directive, the board unanimously ordered acting Fire Chief Robert T. Capeless Jr. to convene an immediate summit with his superior officers and submit a formal recommendation regarding the department’s controversial “minimum manning” policy within two weeks.

The directive stems from a contentious debate during the June 12 Town Meeting, where representatives demanded that the town aggressively curb soaring fire department overtime costs. The current policy mandates that a minimum of 13 firefighters be maintained across all four operational shifts. Because this 13-man rule is governed by a long-standing verbal agreement between the selectmen and the Norwood Firefighters Union, any structural changes will require formal contract renegotiations. Currently, whenever a shift falls below 13 men, a substitute firefighter is immediately called in at a costly time-and-a-half overtime rate. Chief Capeless admitted on the floor that the minimum manning rule should either be entirely abolished or locked at a significantly lower number with strict operational guidelines.

Simultaneously, the board announced that the total number of external applications received to fill the permanent Fire Chief position has ballooned to 25, unveiling seven new prominent out-of-state applicants: Salvador J. Madama of Paterson, NJ; Joseph Bevivino of Rocky Hill, CT; Timothy R.S. Campbell of Malvern, PA; Claude Jenkins of Fairborn, Ohio; Dennis J. Jankowski of Niagara Falls, NY; Robert D. Graf of Willoughby, Ohio; and V. Walter Baab of Kettering, Ohio.

In happier municipal developments, Selectmen Chairman Martin J. Lydon announced that following a brief executive session, the board had officially ratified a new contract with the Norwood Police Department, granting officers a five percent pay increase. The selectmen unanimously extended this same five percent pay hike to all “non-unit employees,” a category that includes town department heads, managerial personnel, and non-union professional staff.

On the state level, State Representative Gregory Sullivan delivered a major double victory for the town, issuing formal assurances that the proposed new sewer pumping station for the Meadow Brook area would receive swift, official approval from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Quality Engineering. Furthermore, the selectmen voted to refer a progressive proposal from Representative Sullivan to the town manager for an immediate cost analysis: a plan to establish the centralized emergency number 911 for all local police, fire, and ambulance calls.

The board also voted unanimously to back Town Manager John P. Mogan’s denial of a formal union grievance filed by Firefighters Union President Thomas J.P. Collins. Collins had fought to have a day off he took to attend a funeral classified as a legitimate sick day rather than a standard vacation day, but the selectmen agreed with Mogan that the dispute fell completely outside the bounds of the collective bargaining contract.

Meanwhile, the shadow of the highly contested April 3 town election continues to loom large over Town Hall. Defeated selectman candidate William F. Butters issued a defiant public statement yesterday, declaring, “We’ve inspected the ballots and we’re going to proceed.” Armed with a formal emergency order from Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Henry Chmielinski, Butters and his prominent attorney, Stephen R. Kravetz, spent yesterday inside the court clerk’s office unsealing and painstakingly reviewing 42 contested ballots from the initial election and subsequent May recount.

Following a grueling inspection conducted alongside Town Counsel Justin C. Barton and incumbent Selectman Mary J. Fox—who originally edged out Butters by a microscopic margin—Butters estimated they will seek formal judicial review on roughly 30 to 35 ballots. Proving the stakes could not be higher, the dramatic May 3 recount had already narrowed Fox’s original 28-vote victory margin down to a razor-thin, five-vote sliver.

The Retirement of a Police Trailblazer

In a poignant, deeply reflective retrospective, local reporter Nona Dearth sat down with Anne Cavanaugh, the legendary, beloved matron of the Norwood Police Department, who officially entered retirement last month after a staggering 28 years of uninterrupted 24-hour-a-day service. Born and raised in Walpole, Cavanaugh has been a fixture of the community since moving to Norwood in 1925 alongside her late husband, Martin “Mitch” Cavanaugh, a dedicated town employee who passed away in 1950.

Looking back across nearly three decades of service, Mrs. Cavanaugh’s memories span a massive era of social revolution in America. “They were nice women when they were sober,” Cavanaugh recalled with a gentle smile, noting that during the quiet, conservative era of the 1950s, the station rarely encountered a drug addict. Instead, the female lockup was primarily occupied by middle-aged or elderly women who were picked up for drinking at home or in local barrooms and held in protective custody until morning.

In those early days, the town was significantly smaller, allowing for a deeply personal level of community concern. Cavanaugh laughed as she recalled one local woman who was arrested so frequently for public intoxication that her devoted dog would routinely trot down to the police station entirely unescorted to visit her in her cell—a weekly routine that the local officers happily approved.

Her tenure was punctuated by moments of intense heartbreak and shocking coincidence. She vividly recounted a personal shock in the early 1950s when a mother and daughter were booked together for disturbing the peace. As Cavanaugh processed the mother, the two women locked eyes in intense, quiet curiosity until they suddenly realized they had been schoolgirl classmates together in Walpole decades earlier.

The physical and emotional demands of the job were immense; by modern regulations, a police matron must be physically present 24 hours a day whenever a female prisoner is searched, questioned, or held. For over two decades, Cavanaugh bore that burden entirely alone; it was only seven years ago that the department finally hired a second woman to assist with the workload. Despite being perpetually on call, she was only paid for the hours she actively spent inside the station or flanking prisoners in court, making her service a true labor of love.

Her maternal devotion to the department did not go unnoticed. At their annual gala banquet in 1973, the members of the Norwood Police Association presented “Annie” with a magnificent engraved plaque that beautifully read: “For 21 years of motherhood to 48 guys who love you very much.” Tragically, Cavanaugh chose to step down this year due to a serious heart condition, which followed the heartbreaking loss of her son, Kenneth, who suffered a fatal heart attack last year. She leaves behind her devoted daughter, Mrs. Lorraine Cronan of Norwood.

“I miss going into the station and seeing the boys,” Cavanaugh confessed, her eyes reflecting decades of memories. Offering a final, urgent word of advice to the modern generation, the legendary matron warned: “You do feel for the young girls today picked up on drug charges. They don’t realize the danger involved. I wish all children would understand what it means to be booked and locked up in a cell. It’s sad. Most of them are good kids, but usually it’s wrong company that gets them into trouble.”

PBackyard Injunctions, PTA Lawsuits, and Broken Bonds

The evening concluded with a flurry of neighborhood zoning battles and financial standoffs across multiple town committees:

• The Fales Avenue Subdivision Standoff: Local businessman John Shalbey appeared before a packed room of 20 disgruntled neighborhood residents to request permission from the Norwood Planning Board to subdivide a 23,000-square-foot parcel of land he owns off Fales Avenue into two smaller lots—one of 10,000 square feet and another of 13,761 square feet. Neighbors from Fales Avenue and Earle Street packed the hall to voice fierce opposition, terrified the land would eventually be used to construct high-density apartments or condominiums. While Shalbey admitted he intends to expand Fales Avenue by 200 feet and install modern sewerage systems to bring the land up to code before selling the lots, he adamantly insisted the zoning strictly limits the parcels to single-family houses. Planning Board Chairman Francis Wisgirda fought hard to limit the heated cross-talk, placating the anxious crowd by scheduling a formal public hearing for August 8. On an adjacent matter, the board flatly rejected a subdivision request from Robert Rizzo of 2 Sylvan Circle, citing a strict Town Meeting mandate that explicitly prohibits the construction of residential lots with direct frontage facing the hazardous Route I-95 corridor.
• The PTA Taxpayers Lawsuit: In a massive, unified show of parental solidarity, representatives from all seven of Norwood’s elementary school PTAs met at the Oldham School on Prospect Street and voted unanimously to officially back a high-profile taxpayers’ lawsuit. The suit, orchestrated by the Norwood Teachers Association (N.T.A.) with massive legal backing from the Massachusetts Teachers Association (M.T.A.), seeks a formal judicial injunction to completely restore the original $11.3 million school budget. The operating budget had been heavily slashed by $618,795 down to $10.7 million by Town Meeting following a series of aggressive recommendations by the Finance Commission. The individual PTAs are drafting emergency prototype letters to flood the mailboxes of local parents, warning of “serious adverse consequences in terms of larger classes, curtailed services, and town-wide redistricting with the possible closing of an elementary school.” Parents are being urged to immediately contact the school committee members at their listed telephone numbers and prepare to turn out for emergency rallies over the summer.
• The Grandview Estates Default: Turning their attention to ongoing suburban developments, the Planning Board issued a fierce, two-week ultimatum to developer Richard Saccone, the builder behind the troubled Grandview Estates project. Claiming “we’ve given him long enough,” Chairman Francis Wisgirda stated that Saccone has fundamentally failed to complete the required roadways, sidewalks, and drainage infrastructure for the neighborhood. Wisgirda noted with disgust that while Saccone briefly appeared at the site to spread gravel, “even that he didn’t do right.” The board announced it is preparing to exercise a strict provision of its tri-party agreement, which will allow the town to legally seize an $18,000 construction bond currently held by a local bank in the contractor’s name to pay independent crews to finish the neighborhood’s infrastructure.
• Civic Briefs: The King Arthur DeMolay Chapter announced it will host a massive community flea market from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on July 15 on the sprawling grounds of the United Church of Norwood on Nahatan Street, with space coordinator Ken Bibby managing vendor reservations. Additionally, the Widowed Lifeline organization announced that Edith Silverman of the renowned Cutler Clinic will serve as the keynote speaker at their upcoming July 19 assembly at the church, delivering an essential presentation on navigating psychological boundaries and parenting conflicts between single parents and their older, increasingly independent children.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger