A special town meeting held this evening at 7 p.m., followed by an adjourned session at 8, resulted in several major appropriations and a contentious vote over the acceptance of a newly laid‑out street.
At the special meeting, voters approved $3,950 in appropriations and accepted a statute permitting towns to issue bonds for waterworks extensions. The town authorized $4,000 in such bonds.
During the adjourned meeting, total appropriations reached $75,640.60. Of this amount, $8,380 from the water commissioners’ treasury and $3,120 from the town treasury were allocated for extending the water works.
Other appropriations included:
- Schools: $24,550
- School notes and interest: $9,706.38
- Stone crusher note and interest: $2,404.22
- Highways and walks: $13,475
- Street notes and interest: $1,080
- Concrete walks (street railway excise): $4,000
- Watering streets: $1,000
- Lighting streets and snow removal: $1,000
- Support of poor: $3,300
- Soldiers’ relief and state/military aid: $1,500
- Fire department: $2,400
- Town officers and police salaries: $4,700
- Memorial Library: $2,300
- Printing and stationery: $1,300
- Incidentals: $1,825
A heated debate arose over the acceptance of a new street laid out by a wealthy citizen. After discussion, the town voted to accept the street and to pay $25 for a small parcel of land needed for its construction.
Later that year, on December 11, 1900, Article 6 proposed that the new street — running east from Prospect Avenue over land owned by Stephen Curran — be accepted once graded to the satisfaction of the Selectmen. An appropriation of $13.75 was approved for land damages.
The street is now known as Curran Avenue.
Sources: April 2, 1900 Boston Globe, 1901 Norwood Town Report
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