USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1931 > Part 12
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Buildings in which gas piping was tested with mercury test tubes
650
Buildings in which gas piping was tested after fires
8
Buildings in which gas piping was tested after change from gas to electric lighting 359
Fee collected for 863 gas permits $245.75
2
223
COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS
The Inspectors of Plumbing and Gasfitting have kept themselves informed concerning the work as it has been under construction and have made over 3,000 formal inspections.
The Commissioner has under his charge and direction the work of maintenance and upkeep of the eighty-five public build- ings of this City and the grounds in connection therewith, all janitors in the City's employ, a force of mechanics who per- form the work of keeping all buildings in repair, the inspec- tion of installation and care of all elevators, the supervision of construction of all new municipal buildings, the maintenance of the public bathing beach and public municipal baths in the Bennett and Bingham Schools, and Lincoln Park.
The various activities in connection with the department work require a vast amount of time and attention in order to keep the property in proper condition for occupancy.
COAL
As in the past years an invitation was sent out for bids for supplying the necessary tonnage of both Anthracite and Bituminous coal for the city buildings for the Winter of 1931 and the Spring of 1932. Owing to the unemployment situation and with the intention of helping Somerville labor the Mayor confined the bids to Somerville firms having coal yards in Somerville and employing Somerville men.
The contract for both Bituminous and Anthracite coal was awarded to the Commonwealth Fuel Company of Somer- ville.
ELEVATORS
According to an act of the legislature, the Building Com- missioner is required to have every elevator in the city inspect- ed yearly, and a report of the conditions and necessary repairs made to the Public Safety Department, State House, Boston.
Plans and specifications of all new installations of ele- vators must be filed in this office and certificates of approval granted by the Commissioner. There has been six elevators in- stalled during the past year, and 151 elevator inspections made. 29 orders for repairs were sent out to owners covering 77 elevators.
SCHOOL BUILDINGS
The maintenance and care of the school buildings, has as formerly, demanded the most vigilant attention from this de- partment, and the appropriation made for that purpose I be- lieve has been expended carefully and judiciously.
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ANNUAL REPORTS
Every year, before the summer vacation arrives, this de- partment sends out blanks to be filled in by both the principals and janitors of the school buildings for all requisitions and repairs needed.
These repairs and requests are taken up with the Super- intendent of Schools and taken care of in the order which he suggests so far as the appropriation will allow.
First are taken into consideration the requests and repairs absolutely needed for the opening of schools in the Fall. Then the others are taken up in the order of their importance. This in itself is a huge task as the wants of every section must be taken into consideration.
SCHOOL YARDS
It is the hope of this department to be able to do several more school yards during the coming year as there are several yards that are in very bad shape and the danger of children being hurt while playing is great. These should be taken care of as early as possible.
The Grinmons School yard was graded making an ex- tensive playground for the children. It is the hope of this de- partment that in the near future a wall can be erected along the Puritan Road side with a fence, thus enclosing the entire playground and protecting the public as well as the children from accident should they run into the street while at play.
As in the past years invitations were sent out for bids for the care of lawns and contract was awarded to George M. Watson, 9 Josephine Avenue, Somerville, who was the lowest bidder, at a price of $390.00.
Owing to the automobile traffic and the danger of playing upon the streets we will in the near future have to do away with a great many of the lawns in the school yards and turn them into playgrounds enclosed by fences. We would very much like to retain these grass plots if possible but the only means of retaining them would be by purchasing additional land for playground purposes. As many districts are so dense- ly populated around our schools this would necessitate quite a cost at this time.
LIGHTING OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS
There is still one school, the Continuation School, that is not fully equipped with artificial lighting and the Commis-
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COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS
sioner hopes to be able to intall a lighting system in this build- ing during the coming year.
FIRE ESCAPES
Somerville has unfortunately several three story school buildings of the older type with stairs running from a common hallway.
The Bell, Prescott, and Forster School buildings have been taken care of by enclosed fire stairways of non-combustible ma- terial, entirely separate from the building but accessible from each floor.
The Commissioner again recommends that the Morse, Highland and Edgerly Schools be immediately equipped with enclosed fire stairways.
HEATING OF SCHOOLS
Several boilers have been retubed and otherwise repaired during the past year. The contract for boiler repairs was awarded to James Speirs of Lowden Avenue, Somerville for the sum of $157.00.
PAINTING
Each year we try to paint a certain number of buildings both inside and outside thereby keeping the general upkeep of the buildings in as good shape as possible.
During the past year the Prescott, Bennett and Baxter school buildings have been thoroughly renovated, walls tinted, ceilings whitened and all woodwork varnished.
SOUTHERN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
During the past year the addition to the Southern Junior High School has been completed at a cost of $455,453.00.
A brief summary of this addition is as follows :
Total cubical contents of the Additions after Existing Central Portion is razed on Vinal Avenue, is one million, one hundred sixty thousand, five hundred and eight (1,160,508).
The Summer Street Wing contains fourteen (14) rooms, five (5) shops, totaling nineteen (19) rooms, together with boys' and girls' toilet rooms, storage rooms, etc., the Auditor- ium with balcony seating approximately Twelve hundred and fifty (1250) and Lunch Room for pupils, Teachers' lunch room,
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ANNUAL REPORTS
teachers' room, locker and shower room. The area of the Sum- mer Street Wing is eight hundred sixteen thousand, five hun- dred and twenty (816,520) cubic feet.
The New Central Portion contains twelve (12) rooms, school library the size of two class rooms, teachers' rooms, boys' and girls' toilets, boiler room containing a heating plant for both the old and new buildings, and storage room. The areas of the Central Portion is three hundred forty-four thousand, and sixty (344,060) cubic feet.
In the existing South Wing there will remain six (6) class rooms.
In the existing North Wing ten (10) class rooms will re- main.
The total number of rooms in the old portion and new ad- ditions will be forty-seven (47) in number. Forty (40) of these are home rooms. The home rooms will accommodate ap- proximately sixteen hundred and eighty (1680) pupils. The requirements of the superintendent of schools was that the buildings should accommodate between sixteen hundred (1600) and seventeen hundred (1700) pupils. This arrangement pro- vides for all present and future needs of a school building in this locality.
To date $38,143.80 has been spent on furniture and fur- nishings.
WESTERN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
The addition to the Western Junior High School has been completed at a cost of $289,000.00.
The new addition will consist of 60 foot Wings added to the right and left of the present building at the front, giving the School on Holland Street, a frontage of 260 feet.
The Building has been extended approximately 100 feet to the rear and is to be the same width as the present build- ing. The Wings have been added in this manner to centralize all the school activities and make the heating and ventilating of the school more easily accomplished.
The plans also increase the size of the present lunch room, and make needed changes in the present Assembly Hall. Com- plete radio equipment with speakers in each room has been provided, so that the principal may address the students and communicate simultaneously with every room from his office, and if the school committee deem it advisable listen in to out- side programs.
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COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS
The exterior will be brick with stone trimmings, follow- ing in general the design of the present building.
As originally planned in 1916, the building contained 8 class rooms, 2 domestic science rooms, 2 wood working shops, and boiler room.
In 1922 an addition was made adding 6 class rooms, a me- chanical drawing room, (equivalent to two rooms), a lunch room, assembly hall and enlarged boiler room.
The present addition will contain the following:
20 Class Rooms
2 Shops
2 Domestic Science Rooms Gymnasium, arranged with folding partitions so as it may be divided for boys and girls. Bleacher seats have been pro- vided for spectators.
Boys' and Girls' Showers and Locker Rooms.
New Boys' and Girls' Toilet Rooms.
Enlarged Lunch Room.
The completed building will contain :
36 Home Rooms.
4 Shops.
4 Domestic Science Rooms.
44 Rooms, Total Assembly Hall-67 x 82 feet.
Gymnasium-64 x 67 feet.
Showers and Locker Rooms. Lunch Room-67 x 100 feet. Toilets. Boiler Room.
The new addition contains approximately 667,100 cubic feet and will accomodate 840 pupils at 42 pupils per room.
To date $26,609.32 has been spent on furniture and fur- nishings.
RECREATION CENTERS
His Honor, the Mayor, has decided to give the general pub- lic, both boys and girls, a chance to use the High School gym- nasium when not needed for school purposes. Under this ar- rangement Mr. Mahoney, Secretary of the Recreation Commis- sion, has arranged gymnastic exercises under properly trained instructors for boys and girls on separate nights. This has proven to be very well patronized and is working out in splen- did shape.
During the past year the auditorium of the Northeastern Junior High School has been supplied with nets to protect the
228
ANNUAL REPORTS
walls and new basket ball frames, the entire outfit of lockers put into service, and they are now having for the first time since the school has been built general atheletic and basket ball work. The new gymnasiums at the Western Junior High School and the Southern Junior High School have been opened up.
His, Honor, the Mayor, has also ordered the opening up of several school buildings under supervision of the Recrea- tion Department for general instruction and amusement for the public. These are very well attended and gives to the pub- lic the benefit of school buildings for their pleasure which would otherwise be closed up.
GENERAL REPAIRS
During the summer vacation all school toilets were paint- ed, all kindergartens painted, 6,000 desk tops refinished, 3,000 chairs refinished.
Plaster repairs have been made in twenty different schools. Window cords replaced in 250 windows.
Plumbing repairs were made in all school buildings.
Steam repairs were made in several school buildings.
One of the biggest items that this department has to con- tend with in school buildings is broken glass. During the past year this department spent $807. on cost of glass alone and had a very heavy labor charge for setting of same.
We have at least five or six school buildings in which the plumbing facilities are of an old and extinct pattern and which should be changed. It is the hope of the Commissioner to be able to replace plumbing in these buildings with more modern and sanitary fixtures during the coming year.
During the past year the boys' toilets at the Prescott School have been thoroughly overhauled. Asphalt floors have been put in and drains from each toilet floor. They are now so arranged that they are absolutely sanitary and should cause no offensive odors or trouble.
The curtain contract for replacement of all damaged and worn out shades was awarded to Fred D. Bigelow of Somer- ville for the sum of $525.
BLACKBOARDS
Several of the buildings are equipped with paper black- boards, and the surfaces of same have to be renewed every year
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COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS
at a cost of several hundred dollars. I would recommend that slate blackboards be installed in place of paper blackboards, as the slate boards last indefinitely and the saving on repairs would more than repay the cost of purchasing same.
SPRINKLER
We have as yet several school buildings without sprinkler systems in the basement. I should recommend that a start be made on these, and that all new buildings erected should have the sprinkler systems in the basement.
It has been the experience of engineers checking up on fires that 90 per cent of fires start in basements, and we feel now that nineteen of our school buildings are adequately pro- tected there being a sprinkler head to every 36 square feet of the basement area of these buildings.
The Buildings which now have the sprinkler systems in the basements are as follows :
Cutler School
Prescott School
Forster School
Highland School
Bennett School
Edgerly School
Bingham School
High School
Pope School
Morse School
Lincoln School
Knapp School
Cummings School
Burns School
Hodgkins School
Glines School
Brown School
Folsom Building
Carr School
FIRE DEPARTMENT BUILDINGS
Several fire stations have been painted throughout. Gen- eral repairs have been made and some new doors installed.
LIBRARIES
Considerable alterations and repairs have been completed during the past year to library buildings.
HIGHWAY AND SANITARY BUILDINGS
Many alterations and repairs have been made on these buildings during the past year.
CONTAGIOUS HOSPITAL
No new work has been on this building, just the general repairs carried on.
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ANNUAL REPORTS
CITY HOME
General repairs have been made to this building and build- ing re-piped with brass water piping. A new washing machine was installed.
POLICE BUILDINGS
Cells have been renovated and painted, and several minor repairs made.
BATHHOUSE
The public bathhouse on the Mystic River on Shore Drive was opened and maintained as usual this year.
About 400 tons of sand were purchased for resanding the beach.
This particular recreation has been a great help to many mothers and children during the hot weather of the past sea- son. It is a common sight to see mothers and children arriv- ing at the beach as early as nine o'clock with lunches to spend the entire day. Owing to the enlargement of the beach the at- tendance during the warm weather has sometimes exceeded 2,000 a day.
MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS
Gneral repairs have been and many of the offices painted throughout. A new water cooling system has been installed.
IN GENERAL
The Building Commissioner has had the co-operation of all branches of the City Government, including His Honor, the Mayor, the honorable members of the Board of Aldermen and all the city officials, and desires to thank them for their kind- ly consideration.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN H. KELLEY,
Commissioner of Public Buildings.
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PUBLIC LIBRARY
PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
WILLIAM L. BARBER, President, 1934 THOMAS M. DURELL, M.D., Honorary President, 1934 REV. DAVID V. FITZGERALD, Vice-President, 1933 FRANK M. BARNARD, 1932 WILLIAM H. DOLBEN, 1933
ANNA J. COLL, 1933 WILLIAM McKENNA, 1934 FRANK R. NICKERSON, 1932
COMMITTEES
On Administration
The President, Messrs. Dolben, Durell, McKenna, and Nickerson
On Books and Cataloging The President, Messrs. Barnard, Nickerson, Miss Coll, and Rev. D. V. FitzGerald
On Buildings and Property The President and the Vice-President
Secretary of the Board GEORGE H. EVANS
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ANNUAL REPORTS
ORGANIZATION OF LIBRARY AND STAFF PERSONNEL December 31, 1931
CENTRAL LIBRARY
Highland Ave. and Walnut St. Established 1872
GRADED SERVICE GEORGE H. EVANS, Librarian NELLIE M. WHIPPLE, Assistant Librarian VIVIAN J. MORSE, Executive Assistant
Division Heads and Special Positions
CORA B. EAMES, Reference Librarian and Second Assistant MABEL E. BUNKER, Chief Cataloger
DOROTHY E. KENNEDY, Supervisor of Periodicals and Binding
ESTELLE M. JONES, School Librarian
MYRTLE NICHOLSON, Desk Chief
RUTH M. WOODMAN, Assistant Cataloger , Supervisor of Children's Work
MILDRED A. BOWLEY, Reference Assistant ALICE H. BOYD, Children's Librarian
Senior Assistants RUTH M. NOURBOURN, Loan Division , Loan Division HELEN T. BLISH, Catalog Division
EDYTHE T. REYNOLDS, Catalog Division , Catalog Division WINIFRED J. PEMBER, Junior Division , Junior Division
MARGARET M. COLLINS Administration Division UNETTA R. QUINN, Administration Division
Junior Assistants DOROTHY G. SEYMOUR, Loan Division DOROTHY E. BENJAMIN, Catalog Division MARION E. SMITH, Junior Division
Ungraded Service Attendants on Part Time
JAMES J. CARNEY AUDREY M. LANGILL
JOHN J. COLLINS CHARLES E. NOYES
ELEANOR SHANAHAN
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PUBLIC LIBRARY
WEST SOMERVILLE BRANCH Established 1909 40 College Avenue
Graded Service
ESTHER M. MAYHEW, Branch Librarian DOROTHY H. TERRY, First Assistant BEATRICE M. KENNY, Children's Librarian GERTRUDE REYNOLDS, Senior Assistant ELIZABETH CORBIN, Junior Assistant -, Junior Assistant
Ungraded Service . Attendants on Part Time
BARBARA K. COLEMAN HELEN MERRY WARREN R. LOVERING RHODA M. PARMENTER DONALD PERRY
EAST SOMERVILLE BRANCH
Established 1912 Broadway and Illinois Ave.
Graded Service ELSIE K. WELLS, Branch Librarian ALICE UNDERWOOD CROWE, First Assistant MARY B. BARTLETT, Children's Librarian KATHRYN KENNY, Senior Assistant , Junior Assistant
Ungraded Service Attendants on Part Time
NELLIE M. EGAN HELEN TAYLOR ELIZABETH FLYNN GERTRUDE L. WALLACE
UNION SQUARE BRANCH
Established 1912 Washington St. and Bonner Ave.
Graded Service ALICE G. WORTHEN, Branch Librarian ALICE L. DELANEY, First Assistant KATHLEEN O'BRIEN, Children's Librarian SOPHIE MARGOLIS, Junior Assistant
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ANNUAL REPORTS
Ungraded Service Attendants on Part Time
THELMA L. HOWARD
HELEN F. KAMMERER
PAULINE E. MAGWOOD
WILLIAM J. O'BRIEN
MILDRED C. PERKINS
KATHLEEN SHEA
WINTER HILL STATION Established 1929
424 Broadway
Graded Service RUTH H. EATON, Assistant-in-Charge
Ungraded Service Attendant on Part Time LUCILLE MORAN
TRAINING CLASS
RUTH HOLMES ELEANOR LLOY G. ELINOR SMITH
MARY M. NOONAN
ELEANOR M. MARTIN
R. VIVIAN SMITH
Note: For changes in staff personnel during year see Librarian's Report.
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PUBLIC LIBRARY
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
To the Honorable, the Mayor, and the Board of Aldermen of the City of Somerville :
Gentlemen :
In behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Somerville Public Library I submit the Annual Report of the Board, and append- ed thereto, and forming a part of it, the Annual Report of the Librarian to the Board, which shows the details of its growth and operation for the past year. To the reading of his report 1 wish to call your particular attention.
By a special provision contained in the City Charter, the "care and management" of the Public Library of Somerville, which includes the direction and control of the operations and activities of the library system, is vested in the Board of Trustees. To make its operations efficient in the highest degree has been the inspiration and task of this and preceding Boards of Trustees since the organization of the Somerville Public Library. The principles underlying the government of the affairs of the library we believe have accomplished this end, and given it high standing in library circles.
The work of the library is educational and cultural. Its methods of government and its purposes are different from any other city department, and its service calls for different equip- ment from that required in ordinary business.
These principles are more fully set forth in the Librarian's report to the Board of Trustees.
There is no department of the City of Somerville, with the single exception of the School Board, which comes so intimately in contact with the residents of Somerville as does the Public Library service. Its registered list of more than 20,000 active card holders, which extends the use of the library facilities to at least two and one-half times that number of individuals, includes, as will be seen, a considerable percentage of the total population of the city.
The Board is now operating for library purposes four separate library buildings and one library station.
The Central Library and its branches have shown a notable growth the past year, and the book circulation has gained over last year more than 56,000 volumes. Handling this marked growth of work without any increase in the number of library
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ANNUAL REPORTS
employees testifies to the efficiency which the staff has reached under the direction of the Librarian.
The large amount of unemployment now existing will greatly increase the demands upon the library during the com- ing year, but the management of the library believes that under present conditions the attempt should be made to meet it with- out additions to the personnel.
Increase in the use of the library facilities of the Winter Hill Station has shown a phenomenal growth, and without question will continue. This station is now operating in very restricted quarters which it has completely outgrown. Its work now nearly equals the amount done in the West Somerville Branch at the time of the erection of the new building. The citizens using the Winter Hill Station are very desirous of reading room provisions and equipment, something which can- not be supplied under the present circumstances. Increased accommodations are also required for the expanding number of books necessary, and in the very near future consideration must be given to the provision of other and larger accommodations in that vicinity.
The President wishes to bear testimony to the earnest and harmonious cooperation which has existed among the members of the Board during the year in promoting the efficiency of the library. toward which its attention has been solely directed. The Trustees give their services gratuitously, contributing a large amount of time to the work, and their whole reward lies in the realization that they have here an opportunity to con- tribute to the welfare of their city.
At the close of last year the Board sincerely regretted that, due to the serious and continued illness of our President. Dr. Durell, he was obliged to relinquish the cares of his office as President. The Board, fully aware of the valuable services that he has rendered during his incumbency in the office of Presi- dent since 1909, and not wishing to allow him to forget the high honor and esteem in which he is held by his associates on the Board, created him its Honorary President for the remaining years in which he shall be officially a member of the Board, which all his associates hope will be many.
A year ago the Board had the pleasure of welcoming to its membership Miss Anna J. Coll, the first lady to be appointed as a member of the Board of Public Library Trustees in the his- tory of the city.
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PUBLIC LIBRARY
The President, on behalf of the Trustees, wishes to thank His Honor, the Mayor, and the members of the Board of Alder- men for the assistance they have given the Trustees in a ma- terial way, which has allowed the operation of the library to be carried on in a manner, they trust, to the satisfaction of our citizens.
The Board also wishes to express its appreciation of the work of the Building Commissioner, Mr. Kelley, in so promptly and willingly carrying out in his department improvements which the Board felt absolutely necessary.
We again earnestly call to your attention the details of the operation of the library service which are to be found in the appended report of the Librarian.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM L. BARBER, President.
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ANNUAL REPORTS
REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN
Gentlemen of the Board of Trustees:
The fifty-ninth annual report of the Somerville Public Library, being that for the year 1931, is herewith submitted.
While detailed statements of the work of the year, setting forth in statistical form the use and growth of the library, will be found in the appendices, some of the more significant features may be mentioned here. The total number of recorded home book loans is 630,919, a gain of 56,990 over 1930, and our best year to date. It is a per capita circulation of 6, a reasonable figure for a city of our population. This increase in circulation has been distributed as follows among the different agencies of the library.
Central Library, 16,338. West Somerville Branch, 15,105. East Somerville Branch, 5,137. Union Square Branch, 3,166. Winter Hill Station, 7,095. School and other Deposits, 10,149.
Ten thousand five hundred sixty-seven borrowers have reg- istered during the year, making our active two-year registration list 20,133. For purposes of comparison with those libraries that employ the more common three-year term it may be noted that our registration for that period is 29,797.
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