By Oliver Bok

Dr. Alan Titlebaum was honored by the Board of Aldermen for his generosity in helping to provide eyeglasses for Somerville students.

The Board of Aldermen officially commended Dr. Alan Titlebaum on June 11 for working with School Department nurses to provide eyeglasses for Somerville students who otherwise would not have been able to afford them.

“For many years, the nurses have been frustrated in their efforts to get children the glasses they need in order to learn,” said Gay Koty, Somerville’s Director of School Nursing. “Dr. Titlebaum stepped up, acknowledged the need, and took charge, and we are so grateful to him for that.”

At the meeting, the Aldermen also approved a resolution stating that the Administration needs to compile a report about how many times nonprofit organizations in Somerville have required city services in the last two years. According to Alderman at Large Rossetti, the Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreements that the city has struck with nonprofit organizations such as Partners Healthcare prompted the request for information.

“I have been waiting since February to have the detail on what kinds of services the non-tax-paying buildings of our community have been receiving,” Rossetti said. “I’m disappointed I’m still waiting.”

The Board did not, however, come to an agreement about a proposal to change the signage currently allowing only “abutters” on side-streets during certain hours of the day to “residents.” According to Rossetti, the change would help ease traffic in Somerville, but Alderman Heuston said that she thought the additional influx of cars would render the restrictions pointless. The Aldermen referred the matter to the Traffic and Parking committee.

The Board also passed an order asking the Commissioner of Public Works why Trum Field is better taken care of than other athletic fields that are in poor condition.

“There’s no reason why one particular field, although I happen to personally love baseball more than any other sport, there’s no reason why any one particular field should receive a lot better care and resources than other fields,” Alderman Niedergang said.

The Board approved a request from the mayor for $39,300 for summer jobs for Somerville teenagers. The money will allow 24 teenagers to work for 20 hours a week for six weeks.