Norwood Town Moderator Seeks Committee Members-July 6, 1978

On July 6, 1978, Norwood Town Moderator William J. Plasko continued his efforts to recruit residents to serve on two vital town committees authorized by the Town Meeting in June.

The first committee was tasked with studying responses to declining school enrollment, while the second was charged with evaluating whether the town should provide ambulance service through a private firm or directly through the Fire Department.

Plasko reported that since the Town Meeting authorization, only a small number of residents had come forward, with four individuals expressing interest in the enrollment study and ten for the ambulance service. He attributed the lack of broad interest to a potential lack of public awareness and planned to ramp up publicity in the coming week. Plasko faced the delicate challenge of balancing diverse viewpoints on these highly emotional issues, stating, “These are very emotional issues and some people applying have their minds made up.” He expressed a desire for “a couple middle of the roaders” to ensure a balanced perspective.

The committee on declining school enrollment was set to include nine members—one from each district, plus two ex officio members from the Finance Commission and the School Committee. As of early July, only one of the applicants was a resident without children currently in the Norwood school system. Plasko aimed to finalize appointments for both committees by August 1. The process highlighted the ongoing necessity of civic participation in navigating the significant demographic and service-delivery challenges facing the town in the late 1970s.

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