|
Js~uuary 25.th,_ !96t4.
<br />
<br /> Oity-Market and Auditorium - The 0ity auditorium, of course, is leased to a
<br /> motion picture operator on a yearly ~ease . Theremaining space in the building is occupied by
<br /> various City Departments and during the year, you aoproved adequate quarters for our Rationing
<br /> Board. Ttie offices at the present timelocated in the Market Building are the HationingBoard,
<br /> Water Department, Smperintendent of Marke~s and Department of Public Welfare,~Recreation Bm -
<br /> reau, Civilian Defense and Draft Board.
<br /> The use of the stadium and armory are both under lease, the stadium to the
<br /> Baseball operators,and the High School, smd the Armory is leased to the United States Army.
<br />
<br /> Cemeteries and Parks Sale of cemetery lots during the year increased
<br /> about 40% and once f our principal troubles is the maintenance of labor to Imeep the cemeteries
<br />in condition. ~ -
<br /> The 'C~ty Park has not been used as much as it should,
<br />due to gasoline restrictions. However, it is hoped during the coming year that we can encour-
<br />age greater use of the playground, tennis courts and pavilion and encourage our people to use
<br />this beautiful area.
<br /> Golf records indicate a decline of almost fifty per
<br />cent-at the Oity Park, while the Glensheallah course showed"a slight increase. During the year,
<br />the professional there entered the armed for6es and at the present time, Hrs. Chandler Harper
<br />is operating the golf shQp with a par t-time employee. Several minor improvements have been
<br />made and ~wo green machines have been rebuilt audi am advised that at t2ae present time, the
<br />courses are in excell~ co~dition~
<br /> Recreation Bureau- The RecreatZon Burea~ of the City of Portsmouth has
<br />shown outstanding progress during the year. TheFederal Government granted to the City of Port,-
<br />mouth funds for recreation and. we enjoyed the distinction of being the first city in the caun-
<br />tr~ to~ha-~e funds' granted u's~ for recreational purposes.
<br />being enlarged and we hope that there will ~e, within walkimg distance of every child in the
<br />City of Portsmouth, some place to play, Archie Israel was appointed Director during the year
<br />and under his-abIe leadership, our whole recreation orogram has enlarged itself to where, dur-
<br />ing the year, there-were over lOC,C00 colored and white people who used our-recreatio'nal facil-
<br />ities.
<br /> The new playground north of the~st~dium will b e anout-
<br />standing achievement and as the Moo~e Lodge h~s kindly consented to appropriate $5~OOO. OO for
<br />this playground, we will attempt to have on it the most modern equipment. Two boys clubs, one
<br />for white and one for colored, have been approved, and it is our intention to provide adequate
<br />recrea~io.nat outlets for every youth i~.our community.
<br />
<br /> Social Service Bmreau - The Social Service Bureau has worked in close rela-
<br />tion with the Juvenile and Domestic Oourt, the Draft Boards and the Day Nurseries, in addition
<br />to their usual welfare work. Close investigations made by the Bureau reduced pauper burials
<br />during the year and an intensification o f checkimg indigent cases Has reduced our hospital cost
<br />considerably.
<br /> We find it difficult to care for chronic cases that are
<br />not in need of medical care, but need nursing care, and these people have been sent to the Nor-
<br />folk Community Hospital, due to the splendid co-operation of their Welfare Department.
<br /> We were fortunate during the year to secure Mrs. Alice
<br />Tollefson, a Child Welfare Worker Speolalist, Vho was assigned to the'courts in our constant
<br />attempt to reduce Juvenile delinquency.
<br />
<br /> ~POLIGE DEPARTMENT
<br />
<br /> ~e Police Department now has fifty-eight member~as comp. ared with forty, two
<br />~n 19~O. This increase has been necessary to take care of the added load placed on.the Police
<br />Department. However, one of the most refreshing figures we present to you is a reduction of
<br />2,338 arrests in 19~3 as compared with those in 1942. Obviously, the most apparent crime we
<br />have on our records is drunkenness, which in spite of the great number of offenses, showed a
<br />decrease of over forty per cen~ as compartd with~the~previous year.
<br /> The assistance rendered us by the ~hore Patrol has been of incalculable valu~
<br />and their~co-operation with ~he City Government has been excellent. The Police Department,dur
<br />lng the year, was equipped with uniform 38 special colt revolvers. Radios were installed on the
<br />motorcycles ~and six new motorcycles were purchased, three of which have been d elivered. We have
<br />·ade dlsti~c~ inroads into prostitution, gambling and whiskey offenses, and in spite of the in-
<br />creased number of people within Our community, our juvenile record is not in the. least alarming~
<br /> The work of the Probation Officers and the ~peolal Police Woman, along with
<br />the efficient operation of the traffic, vice and detective ~ureaus, has reflected back in our
<br />reduction o f crime in general.
<br />
<br /> .. HEALTH DEPARTNENT
<br />
<br /> The staff of the Health Departmen~ has been increased by one public health
<br />nurse, one chief inspector, one venerealdisease investigator ~ud o~e clerk to make a total
<br />of twenty-four.
<br /> In the period under review, the following programs were conducted on a large
<br />scale:
<br />
<br />~Pneumo~ia Oontrot - This program included the inoculation of about 25,OOO
<br />persons, which resu_lted in a sharp reduction in ihe pneumonia rate among those
<br />.~rea~ed.
<br />
<br /> ~ene.real Disea~e~GontreI - Tl~isprogram was enlargedduring the year and
<br />· at,hough more intensive efforts were made to discover new oases, the attack
<br />ra~e was even less ~han during the coming year. The number of cases reported
<br />
<br />
<br />
|