Report of the city of Somerville 1924, Part 29

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1924
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 446


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1924 > Part 29
USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1924 > Part 29


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"Silent Talks" (through Stereopticon slides) on the History of Somerville.


"Silent Talks" on the Municipal Business of Som- erville.


Screen pictures of Somerville historic spots, parks, public buildings, etc.


Community Singing.


Screen presentation of the civic value of Munici- pal Recreation, and demonstration of recreation activities, opportunities and needs in Somerville. An address by the New England Field Representa- tive of the Playgrounds and Recreation Associa- tion of America.


The other two meetings offered programs of similar char- acter ; but were presented out of doors, one on Richard Trum Field and one on Lincoln Park. These were conducted on the evenings of September 30, and October 7 respectively. Approximately seven thousand people attended the former meeting and about three thousand were present at the latter, for which the weather conditions were somewhat unfavorable.


Public Celebrations


Another new field into which entrance has been made with the approval of the Commission is that of participation in the observance of public holidays. On the Fourth of July and at Christmas season, this Department has cooperated with other agencies in this kind of undertaking.


420


ANNUAL REPORTS.


Fourth of July


It has been a Somerville custom for the City and the Somerville Fourth of July Association to collaborate in pro- viding the local Fourth of July celebration. This year for the first time the Recreation Department, through the Commission and the Director proposed participation in this business by this Department; and later its cooperation and assistance were requested by the Somerville Fourth of July Association. As a major feature of the holiday morning program at Cen- tral Hill. the Director with the assistance of several of the play supervisors undertook to lead in the organization of some 500 girls, of ages 12 to 15 years, into a spectacular "living flag." The preparations resulted favorably. A stand with tiers of seats for these children was erected as background to the area in the natural amphitheatre at the foot of the slope behind from the Central Hill redoubt to Medford St., near Gilman Square. As a climax to a drill which had been prepared and rehearsed under direction of the workers in this Department the girls, clad in red, white and blue, suddenly struck relative positions, on the stand, by which they presented the appear- ance of a huge flag. in a right-angle line of vision to the thou- sands of spectators on the incline above them. Immediately the girls gave, in unison, the pledge of allegiance to the Ameri- can flag; and, still maintaining the organization in represen- tation of the Stars and Stripes, they made up the background for the remainder of the worth-while program, which in- cluded Community singing, addresses by Lt. Governor Fuller, and Mayor Webster; a band concert ; vaudeville performances ; etc.


The rehearsals which occupied the attention of the five hundred girls -- who dwell in all sections of Somerville-had quite as much recreational and civic value, the writer esti- mates, as the actual event itself.


Community Christmas


The Community Christmas, to which reference has al- ready been made in this report, was an enterprise in which the Public Welfare and Recreation Department, on its own ini- tiative, took the lead in organizing public interest and activity, in cooperation with a Committee of Fifteen Citizens. Through action of the representative Committee and workers under your Commission the observance was planned, financed and carried out. In the financial undertaking the City using less than $200 of its appropriation for Celebrations, was a contri- butor. The objectives directing the energies of this Depart- ment were :-


421


WELFARE AND RECREATION COMMISSION.


1. Increased public interest in the Community. .


2. Closer social contact of distinct groups of Somer- ville people.


3. Public interest in the Recreation Department's ac- tivities.


4. Cultivation of the Christmas Spirit.


5. Recreation for Somerville people on Christmas Eve.


The Director, estimating the results, submits that the preliminary and preparatory activities of the Committee of Fifteen Citizens, in cooperation with this Department were effective of the first three objectives ; that the publicity attend- ing the preparations and the event was conducive to the third objective; that the program itself, as affecting thousands of Somerville people, was effective of all five objectives; and that this same program, especially as affecting the large number participating in its execution, was equally conducive to all these objectives. In explanation of this view the following statement of the procedure and the program is given.


The Committee of Citizens included representatives of the Elks, Masons, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Women's Club, Federated Women's Clubs, Catholic and Protestant Churches, the City Government, the press, the pupils of the Somerville High School, and of foreign-born residents who are preparing for naturalization as citizens. Volunteer activity by members of this Committee and workers in the Recreation Department resulted in successful erection and decoration of a Community Christmas Tree; wide publicity ; volunteering of special assistance by various groups and individuals; and the Christmas Eve program outlined in a succeeding para- graph.


In publicity, local printers furnished, without cost, post- ers, circulars and other printed matter by which persons all over Somerville were invited to enter into the Community project and kept in touch with developments. Local owners of transportation vehicles loaned them for use of singers of carols; social organizations held open house at suggestion of the Committee; families gave more than the usual atten- tion to exterior Christmas decorations at their homes; mer- chants assisted by display of posters and distribution of announcements wrapped in the parcels of shoppers; public school teachers and children joined in spreading information to the Somerville public; radio broadcasting stations per- mitted messages to the public; citizens throughout the City communicated to the proper agencies the names of invalids and shut-ins who would profit by opportunity to hear the


422


ANNUAL REPORTS.


carol singers in their tours through the various sections of the City; and other citizens were ready with food, refresh- ment and hospitality to receive these carol-singers on Christ- mas Eve.


The Christmas Eve program was centered around the Community Christmas Tree erected in the City Hall Plaza as the central figure in the illumination and decoration scheme. On a platform near this tree were presented a choral and dramatic pageant by pupils of the Somerville High School Players' Club and Girls' Glee Club; a series of appropriate musical numbers by members of groups enlisted through the Americanization division of the Public School Department ; an address by Mayor Webster and carols by some of the sing- ing groups to be mentioned below. In this same program Community carol singing for those in attendance was con- ducted, with the aid of printed sheets provided without cost by the Somerville Press.


The stage lighting and other stagecraft arrangements were carried out by volunteer workers.


Following this set program groups of carolers went in various directions from Central Hill, some afoot, some by automobile and some by motor truck, to sing at various central points including Union. Davis, Teele, Magoun and Gilman Squares. through the streets and at the homes of shut-ins and invalids. Many thousands heard the caroling.


The groups of carol singers represented the Public Eve- ning Recreation Centers, many of the Protestant Churches, the Catholic Women's Club, St. Anthony's Catholic Church choir, and the High School Glee Clubs.


The whole enterprise was undertaken as an experiment and begun somewhat late. The Director respectfully submits that the results are valuable to the Community and that the experience gained will be of great value in intensifying this kind of activity and in carrying out various other enterprises which the Commission may undertake for Public Welfare and Recreation in the future.


General Summary


This report, up to the present point, has dealt with all of the important divisions of the work of 1924 :- (1) The Sum- mer Playgrounds, (2) The Spring-and-Fall After-School Play- grounds, (3) The Saturday "Neighborhood" Playgrounds, (4) The Girls' Canning Activities, (5) Evening Recreation Cen- ters, (6) The Neighborhood Center, (7) The General Public Activities, (8) The Experiment in Community Recreational Drama (9) Public Celebrations. In general summary it may be said that a secure footing in all of these fields of under-


423


WELFARE AND RECREATION COMMISSION.


taking has been secured and that the future will show that the year 1924 has seen the beginnings of far-reaching, effect- ive work for community welfare in Somerville. While all of the beginnings have been nesessarily modest and slow, this is a natural condition attendant upon the limitation of re- sources and equipment at the disposal of your Commission. The Director's experiences during the year past prompt the ex- pression of the estimate that the near future will demonstrate that an effective policy for future work has been outlined.


General Financial Statement


$6,999.78 were expended from the City Treasury, for the operations here reported. The sum appropriated had been $7,000.00.


Following is a general statement of financial expendi- tures : -


Summer Playgrounds


Supervision


$1,877 50


Supplies, Maintenance, Printing, etc.


872 08


Janitor, Repair Man, General Helper Other Labor


8 00


$2,865 58


Saturday and Afternoon Playgrounds


Supervision


1,033 16


Supplies .


73 75


1,106 91


Evening Recreation Centers


Supervision


331 50


Supplies


153 01


485 51


Canning Activities


Supervision and Instruction


341 00


Supplies


45


341 45


Neighborhood Center


Supervision


280 00


Supplies and Maintenance


114 21


394 21


Public Meetings .


382 42


County Dues (Paid Mid'x Co. Bur. of Agr.


100 00


Director's Salary


1,258 33


Hockey Rink, Western Playground .


38 88


Postage, Stationery, Office Supplies, etc.


27 49


Total


$6,999 78


.


·


and Domestic Science) .


108 00


424


ANNUAL REPORTS.


General Recommendations


Considering present needs and looking to the future of the Recreation work and the promotion of Public Welfare by your Department I submit herewith a series of Recommen- dations, action upon which is, in my judgment, necessary or highly desirable for future success ; and also some suggestions that may assist your Commission in defining its policies and in reorganizing or elaborating its program. The recommen- dations, some of which have been mentioned in this report already, in connection with the respective branches of the work to which they have special application, are as follows :-


(1) Employment of a part-time, all-year clerical work- er to assist the Director and to act as clerk for the Commission.


(2) Expansion of the Summer Playgrounds organiza- tion to include new units for boys at the newly pur- chased City land at Elm and Cherry Streets; the area (referred to above in the recommendations dealing with Summer Playgrounds) at Glen and Oliver Streets; the grounds of the Union Square Branch of the Public Library, and Tufts College Old Campus.


(3) Securing more adequate play space and improved conditions of present areas at JJoy Street, Bennett, and Kent Street grounds.


(4) Early completion of the playground in the rear of the Western Junior High School.


(5) Resurfacing the Morse School Playground and erec- tion of high screen fence on southerly side of this area.


(6) Early attention to improvement of Saxton C. Foss Park with a view to utilizing the lower end of it for Playground purposes.


(7) The planting of some shade trees on several of the playgrounds to provide a natural shelter for the future.


(8) Installing of permanent framework for swings and teeters at the Morse Playground.


(9) Provision for a male supervisor at Central Hill and Morse playgrounds jointly.


(10) Increasing from 8 to 16, the number of Saturday "Neighborhood Playground units," so as to make the organization City-wide. (See "Saturday and Afternoon Playgrounds" above. )


425


WELFARE AND RECREATION COMMISSION.


(11) Expansion of the After-School supervision of play- grounds to provide three sessions per week at each unit (instead of two sessions,) and six units (in- stead of four.)


(12) Provision of the necessary field equipment for ten- nis, Field Hockey, Soccer, etc., for use at these after-school sessions.


(13) Provision for outdoor active recreation in winter, for children and adults, such as hockey, tobogan- ning, and skiing.


(14) Provision of additional skating rinks for the gen- eral public in Winter.


(15) Providing a Recreation Center, with others to fol- low (for women) on parallel lines with those of the young men's centers.


(16) Provision for additional facilities for indoor athlet- ics and physical exercise in all of the Recreation Centers for men.


(17) Employment, in the Recreation Center undertak- ing, of special leaders for special activities.


(18) Provision for securing workers for the Evening Recreation Centers who have the special qualifi- cations for that work, to overcome the present lack of applicants for this work.


(19) Provision for increased publicity and public in- formation concerning the objectives and opportu- nities of the Recreation Centers.


Nearly all of the above recommendations deal with the field of the present undertakings of the Commission. Since your Commission has given evidence of a policy of construc- tion and expansion, and since the whole organization of your- Commission's undertaking for Public Welfare and Recrea- tion is in a state of evolution, I feel that the Commission will not think it inappropriate for me to submit some further sug- gestions for its consideration regarding the expansion of the plans to raise municipal recreation from its hitherto undefined level to the more definite and comprehensive plans to which it is destined if Somerville is to meet the problem presented by its large and congested population.


The following suggestive list is accordingly offered for your consideration. It mentions activities for which there seems need in Somerville:


426


ANNUAL REPORTS.


Pageantry Dramatic Clubs Other Activities in Drama


Forum


Civic Meetings


Music Week Lectures


Hockey Rinks. (Some expense incurred under this item in 1924.)


Aquatic Sports Day at Somerville Beach


Vacant Lot Playground Campaign.


Marble Tournament


Municipal Baseball League (Amateur) for Young Men Public "Walks"


In concluding this Report I express cordially my appre- ciation for the assistance rendered during the year.


And a word of special mention should here be used in emphasis of the co-operation and friendly attitude of all of the playground supervisors, without whose support the Direc- tor would be seriously handicapped.


Gratitude is due the Somerville Playgrounds Association for the co-operation and assistance it has rendered. To His Honor, Mayor Webster, for his sustained interest in the activi- ties of the playground children, shown by this participation in the special events of the Summer Season, and for his ready official response to suggestions and requests leading to further- ance of the work during the past year, the Director feels that this word of appreciation should be expressed.


Respectfully submitted.


FRANCIS J. MAHONEY, Director.


427


INDEX.


INDEX


City Auditor, Report of


Balance Sheet .


4


Cash Statement


6


Taxes - Special Assessments .


8 9


Water Department Accounts .


10 11


Appropriations .


Commonwealth of Massachusetts


County of Middlesex


25


Temporary Loans


26 28


Taxes


Funded Debt


27, 30


Maturities on Funded Debt


32, 33


Interest Requirements on Funded Debt


31, 32, 33: 34


Abatements, Refunds, State Income Tax, Etc.


35, 36, 37


Overlay Accounts


37, 38


Excess and Deficiency Account


39


Receipts and Expenditures, Classification of


40


Schedule of Public Property .


74


City Clerk, Report of .


353


Receipts


Payments


Licenses and Permits


356


Births


356


Marriages


357


Deaths


357


Assessed Polls and Registered Voters


376


Elections


369


Liquor License Question .


359


Ordinances


360


City Engineer, Report of


312


Engineering Department


312


City Engineer Division, Classification of Expenses Streets Accepted as Public Ways in 1924 .


313


Table of Street Construction .


317


Sewer Division .


319


Sewers and Storm Drains Constructed .


320


Maintenance Account


321


Parks and Playgrounds Division


323


Maintenance Account


324


Public and Private Streets


327


3


Departmental Bills


Statement of Estimated Revenue


14 24 25


Revenue and Expenses


Borrowing Capacity


353


355


315


428


ANNUAL REPORTS


City Government and Officers for 1924 . 377


City Solicitor, Report of


161


City Treasurer and Collector of Taxes, Report of


77


Revenue and Expense, Statement of .


78


Cash Statement


79, 80


Taxes


Street Sprinkling Assessments


87


Overlay and Abatement .


88


Supplementary Assessments


88


Betterment Assessments .


89


Departmental Accounts


90


Revenue Loans


91


Bonds


93, 94, 95


Borrowing Capacity


78


Memorandum of Payments on account of Debt .


95


Treasury Department


96


Commissioner of Public Buildings (see Public Buildings Commissioner ) 340


Commissioner of Streets (see Street Commissioner) . 301


Commissioner of Water (see Water Commissioner) . 277


Commissioner of Electric Lines and Lights, Report of .


349


Inspection of Wiring in Buildings


349


Fire Alarm System


350


Police Signal System


351


Supervision of Poles and Wires on the Streets


351


Street Lighting


352


Recommendations


352


Conclusion


352


Fire Department, Chief of, Report of .


265


Alarms of Fire


265


Manual Force


267


Apparatus .


267


Hose


267


Resume


268


Recommendations


269


Conclusion


269


Health, Board of, Report of .


118


Organization, Officers, etc.


118


Nuisances


119


Permits and Licenses


119


Stables


120


Board of Infants


121


Deaths


125


Mortality Statistics


122


Diseases Dangerous to Public Health


127


Specimens and Supplies .


127


List of Probable Causes .


265


86


INDEX. 429


Medical Inspection of Schools .


128


Bacteriological Department


130


Undertakers


130


Examination of Plumbers


130


Health Nurses, Report of


130, 132


Medical Inspection, Report of .


134


Inspector of Animals and Provisions


137


Inspector of Milk and Vinegar


141


Inspector of Animals and Provisions, Report of . 137


Inspector of Buildings (see Public Buildings Commis- sioner ) . 340


Inspector of Milk and Vinegar, Report of the . 141


City Physician, Report of


150


Law Department, Report of . 161


Licensing Commission, Report of .


270


Medical Inspection, Report of


134


Visits


134


Contagious Disease Hospital .


134


Laboratory Examinations


134


Tuberculosis


135


Infant Hygiene Clinics


136


Ordinances 360


Planning Board, Report of


112


Organization


112


Previous Recommendations


112


Zoning Ordinance, Enactment of


114


Recommendations


115


Appropriations .


116


Police, Chief of, Report of .


151


Arrests


151


Crimes and Offenses Against the Person .


151


Crimes and Offenses Against Property .


151


Crimes and Offenses Against Public Order


152


Recapitulation


153


Roster of Department


156


Changes in the Force


157


Liquor Officers, Report of


159


Police Matron, Report of .


160


Conclusion


160


Population


. 147,215,359


480


ANNUAL REPORT ..


Public Buildings Commissioner, Report of .


340


Inspection of Buildings .


340


Coal


343


Elevators


343


School Buildings


343


Fire Department Buildings


345


Municipal Buildings .


346


Libraries .


346


Water, Highway, Sanitary and Sewer Buildings


346


Hospital Buildings


347


Police Buildings


347


Bath House


347


In General


34S


Public Grounds (City Engineer) .


323


Public Library


Board of Trustees and Officers-Committees .


97


Organization of Library and Staff Personnel


98


Report of Trustees


101


Report of Librarian


102


Statistics


107


Public Welfare, Department of .


144


Members of the Board, Committees, Officers, etc.


144


Report of General Agent .


146


Full Support


146


Partial Support


146


Aid Under 1913 Law (Mothers' Aid)


146


Cost to City


146


Reimbursements


147


Somerville Hospital .


147


Population and Gross Expenditures


147


Overseers of the Poor Since 1885 .


148


Recapitulation .


148


City Home, Report of Warden


149


City Physician, Report of


150


Public Welfare and Recreation Commission .


383


Financial Statement


423


Sanitary Department, Report of .


110


Collection of Ashes and Paper


110


School Department .


163


Superintendent of Schools, Report of .


166


Appendix, Contents of


203


Accommodations


171


Dental Dispensary .


201


Graduates-High school


237


Junior High schools


242


Vocational schools


251


High School Athletic Association


199


.


97


431


INDEX.


Report of Head Master, High School . 181


66 Director of the Continuation Schools and


Americanization Work


184


History of the Somerville High School .


191


School Committee, 1923-1924 .


164, 251


School Nurses


202


Somerville Teachers' Association


197


Somerville Teachers' Club


198


Teachers in Service


253


Sealer of Weights and Measures, Report of .


272


Sewers (see City Engineer) . 319


Street Commissioner, Report of .


301


Appropriations .


Highway Maintenance


Snow and Ice .


302


Bridges


303


Street Railways


303


Underground Wires


303


Crushed Stone


304


Sidewalks Maintenance


304


Street Sprinkling


304


Street Cleaning .


304


Suppression of Moths


305


Highways Construction, New Streets


305


Sidewalks Construction


306, 308


Streets Constructed in 1924 .


307 307


Reconstruction and Resurfacing


309


Miscellaneous


310


Permit


310


Recommendations


311


Public and Private Streets


327


Water Commissioner, Report of .


277


Revenue and Expenditures


280


Cost of Water Works


280


Water Works Income and Distribution .


281


Water Distribution System, Construction Hydrants, Gates, etc.


282


Water Services


283


Water Meters


284


Summary of Pipes and Fixtures


286


Water Assessments and Consumption


286


Construction, Maintenance, Operation


288


Water Rate Lien Law .


290


Street Mains, Gates, Hydrants, etc.


292


Summary of Statistics


299


Financial Statistics .


300


Shade Trées


305


281


Highways Construction, Permanent Pavement


301


302





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