Sept 2017 w/partial updates from Dec 2020 (source) and August 2021
Some of this data needs to be updated by Mass. Department of Housing and Community Development!
The table below will be revised as better and more recent information becomes available.

Community	Housing Units (2010) revised	Subsidized Units (2017)	2010 %	2010 Rank (of 351)	Housing units (2020)	Subsidized units (2020)	2020 %	Notes
Statewide	2,692,186	262,223	9.7%	-				-
Holyoke	16,384	3,253	19.9%	1	16,874	3,189	18.9%
Chelsea	12,621	2,434	19.3%	2	14,554	2,414	16.6%
Boston	272,481	51,283	18.8%	3	301,702	55,509	18.4%
Bedford	5,368	972	18.1%	4	5,444	987	18.1%
Springfield	61,706	10,192	16.5%	5	62,782	10,041	16.0%
Cambridge	52,822 (2016)	7770 (2016)	14.7%	10	53,907	8,304	15.4%
Worcester	74,645	9,977	13.4%	14	84,281	10,017	11.9%
Burlington	9,668	1,283	13.3%	16	10,431	1,302	12.5%
Andover	12,423	1,637	13.2%	17	13,541	1,657	12.2%
Brockton	35,552	4,619	13.0%	18	37,304	4,604	12.3%
Needham	11,122	1,397	12.6%	24	11,891	1,410	11.9%
Lowell	41,431	5,180	12.5%	25	43,482	5,119	11.8%
Canton	8,762	1,090	12.4%	27	9,930	1,099	11.1%
Lynn	35,776	4,435	12.4%	28	36,782	4,307	11.7%
Concord	6,947	804	11.6%	34	7,295	721	9.9%
Fall River	42,750	4,751	11.1%	45	44,346	4,535	10.2%
Lexington	12,019	1,321	11.0%	46	12,310	1,334	10.8%
Dedham	10,191	1,104	10.8%	47	10,459	1,121	10.7%
Randolph	12,008	1,280	10.7%	52	12,901	1,294	10.0%
Westwood	5,431	576	10.6%	54	5,801	598	10.3%
Framingham	27,529	2,871	10.4%	56	29,033	2,963	10.2%
Natick	14,121	1,458	10.3%	59	15,680	1,477	9.4%
Wilmington	7,808	799	10.2%	62	8,320	766	9.2%
Malden	25,161	2,542	10.1%	63	27,721	2,562	9.2%
Braintree	14,302	1,382	9.7%	68	15,077	1,373	9.1%	statewide avg.
Somerville	33,720	3,250	9.6%	71	36,269	3,250	9.0%
Quincy	42,838	4,096	9.6%	73	47,009	4,201	8.9%
Brookline	26,448	2,454	9.3%	75	27,961	2,674	9.6%
Lincoln	2,617	238	9.1%	81	2,771	298	10.8%
Woburn	16,309	1,419	8.7%	85	17,540	1,706	9.7%
Revere	22,100	1,780	8.1%	102	24,539	1,725	7.0%
Melrose	11,751	932	7.9%	104	12,614	934	7.4%
Winthrop	8,320	638	7.7%	111	8,821	638	7.2%
Newton	32,648	2,425	7.4%	115	33,320	2,509	7.5%
Waltham	24,926	1,834	7.4%	118	26,545	1,819	6.9%
Medford	24,046	1,694	7.0%	130	25,770	1,719	6.7%
Watertown	15,584	1,072	6.9%	132	17,010	1,212	7.1%
Saugus	10,775	732	6.8%	135	11,303	756	6.7%
Attleboro	18,022	1,155	6.4%	145	19,097	1,169	6.1%
Everett	16,715	1,061	6.3%	147	18,208	875	4.8%
Wellesley	9,189	573	6.2%	149	9,282	1,044	11.2%
Arlington	19,974	1,121	5.6%	161	20,461	1,129	5.5%
Stoneham	9,458	495	5.2%	174	10,159	498	4.9%
Wayland	5,021	254	5.1%	180	5,296	330	6.2%
Milton	9,700	481	5.0%	184	9,844	477	4.8%
Weston	4,008	167	4.2%	205	4,043	331	8.2%
Belmont	10,184	365	3.6%	227	10,882	661	6.1%
Winchester	7,986	244	3.1%	241	8,135	296	3.6%

Note: It must be pointed out that the figures above only show subsidized units. In many cities and towns there are many “naturally occurring” affordable units, i.e. apartments that simply have affordable rents. In addition, some tenants live in unregulated apartments but pay reduced rent due to such mechanisms as Section 8 vouchers. The figures above should therefore be understood only as a baseline.

MAPC Study: 435,000 new housing units needed by 2040

A new report is estimating that the greater Boston area will need another 435,000 new housing units by 2040 to lure new workers and accommodate an aging population. [Reports available here]

Note: When comparing the peak population of Cambridge back in the 1950s (over 120,000) to what it is today (perhaps 107,000) it’s important to keep in mind that families were typically much larger then. It’s also the case that what people find acceptable in terms of living space and amenities has changed dramatically over six decades. This translates into considerably more “units” of housing (and higher density) in Cambridge if the population should rise to levels close to what they were in days of yore.

Related: Some local Cambridge results from the 2020 Census (as reported by Community Development Dept.)

On August 12, 2021 the U.S. Census Bureau released the first set of results from the 2020 Census. These figures come from a limited release called the redistricting file. Included are basic data about population by race and Hispanic origin, those under 18, and 18 or older, group quarters occupancy, and total housing units.

The 2020 Census reports that the population of Cambridge grew over the decade to 118,403 residents, increasing by 12.6% from the 105,162 reported in 2010.

Almost all growth is due to an increase in the non-White and Hispanic populations.

While the White Non-Hispanic population increased by about 300 residents, all other groups combined grew by almost 13,000 people. The Asian population grew by 43% to 22,743 and persons identifying with two or more races more than doubled to 10,873. The Hispanic population grew by a third to 10,738.

Persons of Hispanic ethnicity now make up 9.1% of the population of Cambridge. Note that the Census Bureau treats ethnicity and race separately; Hispanics can be a member of any race.

White Non-Hispanics now include 55.4% of city residents, declining from 62.1% in 2010.

Growth of the population under 18 lagged behind the overall rate of population growth, increasing by 11.7% to 13,863. 58% of this group is either non-White, Hispanic or both, an increase from the 56% reported in 2010.

The 2020 Census recorded 53,907 housing units in Cambridge, a 14% increase amounting to 6,616 additional units counted. This figure is roughly in line with the 6,000 to 7,000 unit net increase in the housing stock reported in the preceding ten year period.

Members Sought for Cambridge Citizens’ Committee on Civic Unity

Aug 25, 2021 – Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking members of the community who live and/or work in Cambridge to serve on the Citizens’ Committee on Civic Unity. City Seal

The mission of the City of Cambridge Citizens’ Committee on Civic Unity is to foster fairness, equity, unity, appreciation, and mutual understanding across all people and entities in Cambridge. The Citizens’ Committee on Civic Unity works to provide opportunities for constructive discussions and community events regarding race, class, religion, gender, abilities, and sexual orientation, through recognizing and raising awareness of historic, existing, and potential civic issues; providing opportunities for honest dialogue and engagement; and by building bridges across communities to better understand and connect with one another.

The Committee generally meets monthly. Committee meetings are open to the public and may include presentations by guest speakers, city staff, and various experts.

Letters of interest can be submitted to City Manager Louis A. DePasquale using the City’s online application system at Cambridgema.gov/apply. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. Once your application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email. Applications are due by Friday, September 24, 2021.

If you have questions about the application process, please contact the City Manager's Office at 617-349-4300 or email fgaines@Cambridgema.gov.

Designing Affordable Communities - an informational video produced by Federico Muchnik for the North Walden Neighbors
Aug 27 – In this video, Cambridge residents, including a City Councillor, discuss the current proposal for a 9-story tower at the intersection at Mass. Ave. and Walden St. and express concerns about future development in Cambridge. On September 9th, the Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeal (BZA) is scheduled to hold a hearing about the project. For more information, visit www.northwaldenneighbors.org.
Update – The developers have now apparently temporarily withdrawn their proposal.

City of Cambridge Issues Emergency Order Requiring Use of Face Masks
in Indoor Public Places, Effective September 3, 2021

Aug 27, 2021 – The City of Cambridge today issued an emergency order requiring that face masks or coverings be worn in indoor public places. The order takes effect at 8:00am on Friday, September 3, 2021. It applies to everyone over the age of two years old, with exceptions in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health guidelines.

“I am grateful to everyone in Cambridge who has taken our public health guidance seriously, gotten vaccinated, and done their part to help protect themselves and our community,” said City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “With the rapid rise of the Delta variant, we are issuing this mask order for indoor public places to reduce the spread of the virus and to protect those who live, work, learn, or visit our city. As we have done throughout the pandemic, we will take a data and science-informed approach to our pandemic response.” City Seal

For the purposes of this order, Indoor Public Places include, but are not limited to:

Retail establishments
Restaurants & bars - except while actively eating or drinking
Performance venues
Social clubs
Houses of worship
Event spaces
Municipal buildings
Personal care establishments
Fitness establishments

Despite a significant reduction in deaths and hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Massachusetts and a high proportion of vaccinated residents in the Commonwealth relative to other states, COVID-19 cases are on an upward trajectory in Cambridge, neighboring communities, and the Commonwealth.

The rise of new infections in Cambridge and the state corresponds with the emergence of the highly contagious Delta variant, now the dominant variant in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control's current projected estimate is that the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) accounts for 86% of new infections in New England and the nation.

“With schools reopening and COVID-19 cases increasing due to the highly infectious Delta variant, instituting this mask mandate for indoor public places is a critical measure to help minimize the spread of the virus,” said Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone in areas of high or substantial COVID-19 transmission wear face coverings when in indoor public places regardless of vaccination status. Currently, the level of community transmission is "substantial" in Cambridge and "high" in Middlesex County.

“While the COVID-19 vaccines are effective against the Delta variant and do an excellent job of preventing serious illness and death, they do not always prevent a fully vaccinated person from getting infected and spreading the virus to others,” said Susan Breen, MS, RN, the City’s interim Chief Public Health Officer. “Masks offer another important layer of protection. Wearing a mask indoors when outside the home—regardless of vaccination status—will help keep you and the community healthy.”

The full text of the emergency order can be found here.

More information and frequently asked questions about face coverings are available at www.cambridgema.gov/covid19/facecoverings.

All residents are encouraged to get vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccines continue to be offered at many CVS and other pharmacy locations, as well as at Star Market in-store pharmacies. Locations may be found at https://vaxfinder.mass.gov or www.vaccines.gov. Residents are reminded that the City of Cambridge currently provides free COVID-19 testing three days a week and will be expanding to four days per week beginning September 8, 2021. Information about the City’s testing program is available at www.cambridgema.gov/testing.

There are also several other ways to get tested. To find other testing options, visit www.mass.gov/covid-19-testing. This site lets individuals search for testing by zip code and also provides information about home COVID-19 tests that can be ordered online.

For more information and regular COVID-19 updates, visit www.cambridgema.gov/covid19 to sign up for daily City of Cambridge email updates.

City of Cambridge Expands Free COVID-19 Testing to Four Days per Week Beginning September 8, 2021

Aug 26, 2021 – The City of Cambridge today announced that, beginning September 8, 2021, the City will expand its free COVID-19 testing program to four days per week with walk-in sites on the following days and times: City Seal

Sundays from 2:00-6:00pm at 50 Church Street;
Mondays from 4:00-8:00pm at the CambridgeSide mall;
Wednesdays from 2:00-6:00pm at 2254 Massachusetts Ave, St. John the Evangelist Church; and
Thursdays from 11:00am-3:00pm at the CambridgeSide mall.

“With the rise of the Delta variant, it is important for us to continue to provide our residents with convenient COVID-19 testing options across the city,” said Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and City Manager Louis A. DePasquale in a joint statement. “We encourage all community members, regardless of immigration or health insurance status, to take advantage of the free testing options available – whether at a City testing site or one of the many other options available in our community. We want to thank the members of the Cambridge Pandemic Collaborative for their continued partnership which makes our testing program logistically possible.”

The CambridgeSide location will remain a walk-in testing site without appointments. Drive-through testing in the garage is no longer occurring. Free parking is available in the lower-level of the garage, through the entrance located on CambridgeSide Place.

No appointment, identification, or Social Security number is required at any of the City’s testing sites. All sites are wheelchair accessible.

The testing site at CambridgeSide mall will be closed on Monday, September 6, 2021 in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

The City’s testing sites are for COVID-19 testing only. COVID-19 vaccines continue to be offered at many CVS and other pharmacy locations, as well as at Star Market in-store pharmacies. Locations may be found at https://vaxfinder.mass.gov or https://www.vaccines.gov/.

Please note that the City of Cambridge testing program provides test results only and is unable to provide individualized documentation for travel purposes (e.g., entering passport information into a patient record). For travel documentation, please seek testing through another location.

The City of Cambridge continues to monitor COVID-19 data closely and will make adjustments to COVID-19 testing and mitigation strategies as needed.

To find other testing options, visit www.mass.gov/covid-19-testing. This site lets you search for testing by zip code. The site also provides information about home COVID-19 tests that can be ordered online.

For information about free regional testing in Framingham, Lynn, New Bedford and Revere, visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/regional-express-covid-19-testing-sites-in-massachusetts.

All residents are encouraged to get vaccinated, and for more information and regular COVID-19 updates, please visit www.cambridgema.gov/covid19 to sign up for daily City of Cambridge email updates.

Cambridge to Launch Free Small Business Compost Pilot

Aug 24, 2021 – The City of Cambridge today announced the city will launch a free Small Business Compost Pilot for up to 100 small businesses in Fall 2021. The goal of this pilot is to assist businesses in reducing costs while reducing our impact on climate change. The city will offer up to twice per week collection of two carts of food waste from small businesses in Cambridge. The service and carts will be provided by the city at no cost to the participating businesses. Recycle

Currently, the city’s curbside compost program is available to all residential buildings on the city’s trash collection route. Composting reduces trash going to landfills and converts food scraps into clean energy. Separating food waste from trash bins and placing it in curbside compost carts also helps manage rodents in the community as the locking green compost carts make it more difficult for rodents to access food scraps that might otherwise end up in trash bins.

In the residential curbside compost collection program, the city collects approximately 40 tons of food waste weekly. The Small Business Compost Pilot has the potential of diverting an additional 40 tons per week.

“Building upon our successful Small Business Recycle Program that now serves 200 businesses, this free Small Business Compost Pilot is another key part of our waste reduction efforts, and an additional service the City is providing to support small businesses,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “More than 50% of waste from food service businesses is food waste, and separating food waste from the trash helps fight climate change and manage increasing waste disposal costs.”

To apply for the pilot, interested Cambridge businesses must fill out this application before October 1, 2021.

The City will host two public meetings to review the program and answer questions from the business community. The meetings will be held on Zoom and registration is required. The meetings are:

September 13, 2021 at 10:00am: Register here
September 22, 2021 at 2:30pm: Register here

With the introduction of the Small Business Compost Pilot, Cambridge will have the second largest compost program on the East Coast, behind only New York City. Since curbside compost collection began in 2014, Cambridge has diverted more than 5,000 tons of food waste.

For more information, please contact the Department of Public Works at recycle@cambridgema.gov or call 617-349-4800.

Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has died at age 80 (Boston Globe, Aug 24, 2021)

Don Everly, Older Brother in Groundbreaking Rock Duo, Dies at 84 (NY Times, Aug 22, 2021)
Don Everly, half of singing duo who influenced generations of musicians, dies at 84 (Boston Globe, Aug 22, 2021)

‘Just damn good’ – Harry Spence, rescuer of public institutions, dies at 74 (Boston Globe, Aug 21, 2021)
“Mr. Spence was often the person who judges, governors, and lawmakers called upon when they needed a leader to take on seemingly impossible tasks.”… “While in law school, Mr. Spence began working for the Cambridge Housing Authority and spent so much time on his duties that he imperiled his studies. After graduating, he worked for the Somerville Housing Authority, and then the Cambridge Housing Authority before moving to the Boston Housing Authority.”

A camera and a car - even more rediscoveries
(with early Rolling Stones playing in the car)

Alewife Reservation - Aug 21	Alewife Reservation - Aug 21
Little Pond, Belmont - Aug 21	Little Pond, Belmont - Aug 21 (they're fake!)
Hobbs Brook (Cambridge water), Cat Rocks Park - Aug 26	Guarding the Cambridge water, Hobbs Brook - Aug 26
Pond on Hobbs Brook, Cat Rocks Park - Aug 26	80 Acres meadow, Cat Rocks Park - Aug 26

Ballots and Recreation

Aug 20 – I was able to download all of the Ranked Choice ballot data from the June 22, 2021 New York City Primary Election and do some analysis and simulations of the Democratic Mayoral Primary in which Eric Adams was elected (after some unfortunate glitches in the ballot tabulation by NYC officials). Here are some takeaways from my “recreation” over the last day: Ballot box

(1) Managing over a million ballots is a lot harder than the measly ~22,000 ballots we might expect for our Cambridge municipal elections. In fact, in my attempt to use the tabulation software that we use here in Cambridge (ChoicePlusPro), it broke when it had loaded about 233,000 of the 1,040,485 NYC ballots - and that was after I had deleted all of the other data related to the many other elections taking place in that primary. One of these days I'll try again using different tabulation software, but it was worth the effort even if only to learn what the upper limit of the Cambridge PR tabulation software is.

(2) Since we began doing our PR elections in 1941, the maximum number of voters in our municipal election was 40,546 (in 1949). The minimum was 13,721 (in 2007). The median over all 40 of our municipal elections is 25,888 and the mean is 26,480. In recent years the number of people voting was 17,846 in 2013, 17,959 in 2015, 22,581 in 2017, and 21,321 in 2019. There has been much speculation about what the turnout might be this year with the availability of Early Voting and Mail-In Voting with many people expecting an increase in turnout (and some campaigns planning to affect that turnout).

(3) After I broke the Cambridge tabulation software when trying to run the NYC Democratic Mayoral Primary data, I went back to the old fashioned tools to do The Count “by hand”, i.e. using Microsoft Excel to methodically do all the sorting and ballot transfers. It took some time, but my results were quite close to the results released by the NYC Board of Elections. The only difference, I believe, has to do with how NYC handles undervoted ballots (skipped preferences) and overvoted rankings (same rank for more than one candidate). In my simulations I simply ignored all missing rankings and overvotes, but I believe NYC handles overvotes more harshly. In any case, I ended up with Eric Adams at 50.44% over Kathryn Garcia at 49.56%. The official results were Adams at 50.45% and Garcia at 49.55%. I also did an extra Round to see how many votes would be credited to Adams had Garcia's ballots been transferred, and Adams ended up being ranked on 56.38% of all ballots cast. There were 13 candidates and voters were allowed to rank up to 5 candidates.

One of the New York City mayoral candidates was Paperboy Love Prince. It was interesting to see that when Paperboy was counted out with 4,195 votes to transfer, Maya Wiley, the candidate backed by Bernie Sanders and the Revolution, got 1,726 of his ballots - nearly four times as many transfers from Paperboy than any other candidate. - Robert Winters

Move-out Season Is Here!

It's move-out season and we need your help reminding friends, neighbors and tenants to “Get Rid of It Right.” With your help we can reduce how much is going to landfill and save precious natural resources. Please forward this email to anyone who may need some guidance on waste management protocols. Our key tips: Recycle

Electronics, Clothing/Textiles, and Metal are highly recyclable, but should never go in the recycle cart. Use the Get Rid of It Right tool to look up where to dispose of these and hundreds of other items.
Schedule pickups in advance. Many items, such as appliances, TVs, A/Cs, and mattresses require scheduling and sometimes a payment. Note: Buildings with City trash pickup are allowed one piece of furniture per week, so plan ahead.
Find a new owner for unwanted good-condition items: Donate / post online to give away or sell. We recommend sharing websites such as NextDoor.Com, Buy Nothing Cambridge on Facebook, and Craigslist.
Keep fluorescent bulbs, oil-based paint, chemicals, prescriptions & non-alkaline batteries out of the trash. Several items have convenient disposal options, while others must be brought to a Household Hazardous Waste collection (next one is 8/21). Check the Get Rid of It Right tool.
Excess cardboard can be bundled together and placed into one larger box and placed next to recycling carts for weekly collection. Also, excess cardboard may be brought to the Recycle Center (during open hours only).

Thank you for all you do to help reduce waste!

Rehash It, Don't Trash It

Did you ever think you could reuse corn cobs? Read below to find out how.

The August Rehash It, Don't Trash It newsletter also shows you how to preserve lemons. Enjoy!

The Cambridge Recycling Advisory Committee (RAC), a volunteer group of citizens, writes this section each month.

Textiles Recovery Program in Cambridge

The Department of Public Works (DPW) is exploring a textiles recovery program to reduce our trash. Approximately 2 million pounds of textiles end up in the trash in Cambridge each year. More than 90% of those textiles could be reused or repurposed. We need your help suggesting locations for textile donation bins. Please email us with your ideas of where to place donation bins. Hosts of textile donation bins may receive payments for each pound collected by the City's collection vendor.

Textiles includes all clothing and household textiles such as tablecloths, shoes, belts, and stuffed animals. Using a textile recovery vendor, textiles can be repurposed or reused when placed in a clothing donation bin. Textiles are sorted into clothing that can go back to resale stores, textiles that can be repaired, and textiles that are to be remanufactured into a new item (i.e. insulation or padding). All textiles regardless of quality can be either recycled or repurposed. The only unacceptable textiles are those that are moldy, oil-soaked, or have mildew.

Donation bins will be placed at select City buildings, parks and schools. Lastly, the city is exploring whether the textiles recovery program could have a curbside collection option that residents may request a pick-up at their home. Stay tuned to this newsletter for updates on this program as it evolves.

To divert textiles now: Use the Get Rid of It Right tool to find the nearest drop-off location for textiles.

Next Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Day: 8/21/21

The next HHW day is Saturday, August 21, 9am-1pm at 65 Waverly Street. For directions, what to bring, and more info please visit our website. If, after reviewing the HHW website, you are having trouble identifying the proper disposal method, email us. Approximately 10% of visitors at HHW days bring the incorrect items.

Reduce & Reuse Tips

Share your tips & best practices with us!

Tip #1: Love Your Freezer
There’s a reason that a common food waste tip is to make the freezer your best friend: freezing ingredients stops the ripening process in its tracks. You can freeze fruits and vegetables to use at a future time; to store prepared foods for later. Freeze bananas or grapes into “popsicles”; store pesto or stock in ice cube strays for ready-to-go servings; or blanched vegetables, milk, yogurt and other items to use later. Compost truck

Tip #2: Using your local library's resources
With the Fall and the school year approaching, the Cambridge Public Library can be a great resource for your family. Museum passes and inter-library loans can make life easier and more affordable. Another innovative idea to reduce is to install the Library Extension in your web browser. When you search books on websites such as Amazon, the Extension displays whether the book is available at your local library.

Upcoming Dates

Sat, 8/21: Household Hazardous Waste Day, 65 Waverly Street.
Sat, 10/30: Household Hazardous Waste Day, 50 Mooney Street.

Recycle If you know of any other waste-related events, email us so we may broadcast!

What Are We Reading?

Maine Will Make Companies Pay for Recycling. Here’s How It Works. (NYTimes - paywall)

Waste Not? Some States Are Sending Less Food to Landfills (Pew)

The Return of Recycling Markets (Waste360)

Advocates Praise Biden's Executive Order Supporting Repair Competition (US PIRG)

Christine Elow Named Acting Police Commissioner of Cambridge Police Department

Aug 19, 2021 – City Manager Louis A. DePasquale has announced the appointment of Superintendent Christine Elow as Acting Commissioner of the Cambridge Police Department effective Saturday, August 21, 2021. Elow takes over for Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr., who accepted a new opportunity with the Johns Hopkins Institutions after leading the Department for the past four years.

City Manager DePasquale said, “I am pleased to appoint Superintendent Elow as Acting Police Commissioner. Growing up in Cambridge and spending her entire career with the Cambridge Police Department, Christine has demonstrated strong leadership and a fervent commitment to the safety and betterment of our community. She cares deeply about this City and procedural justice. I am proud to have her serve as the Acting Police Commissioner.”

Elow has been with the Cambridge Police since joining as an officer in 1995 after serving in the U.S. Navy for four years. She served in the Patrol Division and oversaw the Professional Standards Unit, where she was responsible for receiving, processing, and investigating complaints made against members of the Department. She later served as Deputy Superintendent for Day Patrol and Community Services. In 2017, Elow was appointed Superintendent, making her the highest-ranking female officer in the history of the Department. She is a strong proponent of community-driven policing, juvenile justice issues, procedural justice, police training and innovative hiring practices. Elow holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Curry College and a Master's Degree from the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security Program.

Elow said, “It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to lead a police department in the City I grew up in and love dearly. I am truly honored to have the opportunity to serve in this role and plan on doing everything I can to help the Department advance its mission and serve as the model for policing in Massachusetts and the country.” City Seal

In addition to Elow being appointed as Acting Commissioner, Deputy Superintendent Robert Lowe will be appointed Acting Superintendent of the Support Services Division. Lowe, who also grew up in Cambridge and joined the Cambridge Police Department in 2001, was most recently the Commanding Officer for the Family and Social Justice Section. Acting Superintendent Lowe joins Superintendent Leonard DiPietro as part of the Department’s senior leadership team.

“I want to congratulate Acting Commissioner Elow and Acting Superintendent Lowe on their appointments. Their dedication to building public trust and longstanding roots in the community make them excellent choices to fill these roles during this transition,” said Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui.

“Cambridge PD is a nationally recognized agency and there is no one more prepared to lead it moving forward than Christine Elow,” said Commissioner Bard. “Superintendent Elow and Deputy Superintendent Lowe have been valuable members of my Command Staff and are highly regarded within the community. They are proven leaders who have earned these appointments and I have complete confidence in their abilities to help lead the Department going forward.”

City of Cambridge to Require Masks for all Employees and Visitors
in Municipal Buildings Beginning Monday, August 23, 2021

Aug 19, 2021 – The City of Cambridge today announced that, after consultation with the Cambridge Commissioner of Public Health and the Cambridge Public Health Department, masks will be required in all City buildings to protect the health and well-being of employees and visitors. This new policy goes into effect on Monday, August 23, 2021. City Seal

“Regardless of vaccination status, the City will require all employees and members of the public to wear masks inside City buildings,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. "As we have done throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to deploy data-informed and science-driven mitigation strategies to slow the spread of the virus and protect the health and well-being of our employees and the public. Requiring masks in City buildings will help our employees and visitors to feel safe and reduce the risk of transmitting the highly infectious Delta variant.”

Children 2 years of age and younger shall be exempted from this mask requirement, and persons for whom a mask creates a health risk shall also be exempted from this mask requirement. Masks will be available in all City buildings.

In response to the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant, including among vaccinated individuals, the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently updated its mask guidance. The CDC recommends that even fully vaccinated persons wear a mask when indoors, if other risk factors are present. The Delta variant is more highly transmissible than other variants, calling for greater precautions.

“We know that the best way to protect ourselves and those around us from COVID-19 and serious illness is to get a vaccine. Widespread vaccination is the most crucial pathway to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone age 12 and older is eligible to get a free COVID-19 vaccine,” said Susan D. Breen, MS, RN, Interim Chief Public Health Officer. “The Cambridge Public Health Department recommends that residents—vaccinated and not—wear a mask when indoors outside the home.”

All residents are encouraged to get vaccinated and are reminded that the City of Cambridge provides free COVID-19 testing three days a week. Information about the City’s testing program is available at www.cambridgema.gov/testing. There are also several other ways to get tested. To find other testing options, visit www.mass.gov/covid-19-testing. This site lets individuals search for testing by zip code. The site also provides information about home COVID-19 tests that can be ordered online.

For more information and regular COVID-19 updates, visit www.cambridgema.gov/covid19 to sign up for daily City of Cambridge email updates.

Aug 18 - There are some days when I just want to jettison all of the oppressive bullshit and shenanigans of Cambridge politics and listen to Aretha Franklin or the Everly Brothers. Or just go for a drive in a gasoline-powered vehicle because I can.

The next time I hear a candidate asking for my vote based only on their being a renter or a bicycle rider, I might just scream. The Cambridge political stream is often so shallow that you can cross it barefoot and not even get your feet wet. - RW

Under the Pains and Penalties of Perjury

STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION - CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE
CANDIDATE: Gregg Moree OFFICE SOUGHT/PURPOSE: City Councillor, Cambridge
I hereby accept the office of Treasurer of the above-named committee. I affirm that I am not a public employee as defined by M.G.L. c. 55, s. 13. I understand that: 1) I am subject to certain duties and liabilities under M.G.L. c. 55, including the timely filing of campaign finance reports and keeping detailed accounts and records of all campaign finance activity for a period of six years from the date of the relevant election; 2) if after my acceptance of this office I become an appointed public employee, I must resign this position and notify OCPF of my resignation; and 3) a candidate may not serve as treasurer of the political committee organized on his/her behalf.
SIGNED UNDER THE PENALTIES OF PERJURY: Gregg J Moree Date: 8/10/2021

Note: One other City Council candidate also signed as Treasurer of that candidate's own campaign committee, but that has since been corrected.

Member Sought to Fill Vacancy on Cambridge’s Family Policy Council
(officially known as Coordinating Council for Children, Youth and Families, previously as the “Kids Council”)

Aug 17, 2021 – Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking to fill a vacancy on The Family Policy Council, officially known as the Coordinating Council for Children, Youth and Families. The Family Policy Council is dedicated to developing policy and program recommendations aimed at ensuring all children, youth, and their families have access to what they need to be successful, engaged residents who are prepared for life in our community and in the world. City Seal

The Family Policy Council meets approximately six times per year on the 3rd Thursday of the month, from 5:15-7:15pm. The current vacancy to be filled for a community-at-large representative consists of a 3-year term. The Mayor of Cambridge serves as the Chair of the Family Policy Council, and membership is comprised of key stakeholders in local government and in the community, which includes the following:

Elected Officials (City Councilor and School Committee Member)
City Department Heads (Assistant City Manager for Human Services, Assistant City Manager for Finance, Chief Public Health Officer, Police Commissioner, Cambridge Public Library Director, Superintendent of Schools)
Community Representatives (business, community-at-large, early childhood, school age, philanthropy, state agency, university, and youth representatives)

Examples of Adopted Policy and Program Recommendations

Center for Families (1993)
Agenda for Children Literacy and Out of School Time Initiatives (2000)
Inclusion of Individuals with Disabilities in Out of School Time Programs Policy (2005)
Citywide Family Engagement Policy (2013)
Making Connections: A Community Engagement Training Program for Cambridge (2014)
Find It Cambridge (2015)
Math Matters for Equity (2019)

Current Project: Language Justice (The right everyone has to communicate, to understand, and to be understood in the language(s) in which they feel most comfortable.)

The Family Policy Council is developing recommendations to ensure language justice and provide language access resources to families and providers. This includes the communication rights of individuals with preferred languages other than English as well as persons with communication-related disabilities. By focusing on language justice as a City, we believe we will see an increase in the number and ways in which people in Cambridge interact with and are connected to their local government, schools, health systems, nonprofits and other essential services.

For more information about the Family Policy Council, please contact Nancy Tauber, Executive Director, at 617-349-6239 or ntauber@cambridgema.gov. Also visit Cambridgema.gov/kidscouncil.

The deadline for submitting an application is Friday, September 10, 2021. Applications can be submitted to City Manager Louis A. DePasquale using the City’s online application system at Cambridgema.gov/apply.  A cover letter and resume, or an overview of relevant experience, can also be submitted during the online application process.  Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue.

City of Cambridge to Open Cooling Center for Residents during Extreme Heat Event

Aug 9, 2021 – To provide opportunities for residents to stay out of the extreme heat this week, the City of Cambridge is opening a cooling center beginning on Wed, Aug 11, 2021, and welcoming people to come cool down in certain city buildings. Given the concerns about the highly contagious delta variant and the potential for fully vaccinated people to transmit the virus, the Cambridge Public Health Department recommends that residents—vaccinated and not—wear a mask when indoors outside the home. City Seal

On Wed, Aug 11, the City of Cambridge will open a cooling center in the Field House at the War Memorial Recreation Center located at 1640 Cambridge Street. The cooling center will be open from 9am-5pm on Wed, Aug 11; Thurs, Aug 12; and Fri, Aug 13.

Cambridge residents looking to utilize the cooling center can enter the facility via the walkway between the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School's Arts building and the Main Library (door 20). The cooling center is open to residents of all ages. Individuals coming to the cooling center should remember to bring any required medications.

Cambridge Public Library branches will be open to the public for services and as a place for residents to cool off. Hours of operation are:

	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Main Library	9am-9pm	9am-5pm	9am-5pm
Boudreau	10am-6pm	Closed	10am-6pm
Central Square	10am-6pm	10am-9pm	10am-6pm
Collins	Closed	Closed	10am-6pm
O’Connell*	Closed	10am-8pm	10am-6pm
O’Neill	10am-8pm	10am-6pm	10am-6pm
Valente	10am-8pm	10am-6pm	Closed

The Cambridge Citywide Senior Center located at 806 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square, will be open to seniors from 8:30am to 5pm on Wednesday and Thursday, and 8:30am to 12pm on Friday. General questions about the Citywide Senior Center can be directed to the Council on Aging's main line at, 617-349-6220. Additionally, the Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is offering free transportation to help older adults and adults with disabilities cope with heat waves. SCES is providing round-trip cab rides to local cooling centers for older adults. To arrange for transportation, call 617-628-2601 and ask for the Transportation Department.

Locations such as CambridgeSide and local movie theaters are also all good places to cool off. Additionally, Gold Star Pool is open to residents (Monday through Friday from 3:00pm-7:00pm and on weekends and holidays from 11:00am-7:00pm), and waterplay features across the city are operational.

Extreme temperatures pose a severe risk to the safety and health of people remaining outdoors. If you are concerned about yourself or someone you see on the street, please contact the FirstStep Street Outreach team at 617-592-6895 or call 911 if it is a medical emergency.

Cambridge Police vehicles will have coolers of cold bottles of water, and officers on patrol will distribute water to any residents in the community who are in need.

Call 911 in an Emergency (Heat Stroke).

Signs of heat stroke include:

body temperature over 103 degrees
hot, red, dry, or moist skin
rapid and strong pulse
possible unconsciousness

If someone is showing signs of heat stroke, call 911 immediately. While waiting for help to arrive, move the person into a cool area, help cool them down with wet towels or a cool bath, and do not give them fluids.

Some medications can impact the body's ability to regulate heat and thus place those who take them at more risk for heat-related issues. View list of common Medications that can impair thermoregulation.

For more information and tips on how to stay healthy and safe during hot weather and extreme heat, visit: https://www.cambridgema.gov/news/2021/06/extremeheatinformation

Campaign Note #1
Aug 6 – I really wish we had another Pat Paulsen to run for Cambridge City Council.
Some Pat Paulsen quotes:

I've upped my standards. Now, up yours.
All the problems we face in the United States today can be traced to an unenlightened immigration policy on the part of the American Indian.
Assuming either the Left Wing or the Right Wing gained control of the country, it would probably fly around in circles.
More at: https://www.azquotes.com/author/11423-Pat_Paulsen

Candidates who have pulled nomination papers (as of Mon, Aug 2, 5:00pm) - 21 for CC, 10 for SC - Final
Candidates	Office	Address	Born	Occupation	Signatures	Certified*	Notes
E. Denise Simmons	CC	188 Harvard St. #4B, 02139	1951	City Councillor	88(July 16)	83	July 1
Joe McGuirk	CC	314 Columbia St. #1, 02141	1965	Bartender	50(July 6), 35(July 26)	46+33=79	July 1
Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler	CC	187 Brookline St. #3, 02139	1992	City Councillor	43(July 15), 26(July 16), 2(Aug 2)	39+25+2=66	July 1
Patricia M. Nolan	CC	184 Huron Ave., 02138	1957	City Councillor	46(July 8), 14(July 12)	44+14=58	July 1
Quinton Y. Zondervan	CC	235 Cardinal Madeiros Ave., 02141	1970	Politician	88(Aug 2)	78	July 1
Sumbul Siddiqui	CC	283 Sidney St. #3, 02139	1988	Attorney	44(July 6), 46(July7), ~~16(July 9)~~	41+43=84	July 1
Frantz Pierre	CC	22 Water Street, Unit 808, 02141	1982		48(July 7), 35(July 12)	44+24=68	July 1
Marc C. McGovern	CC	17 Pleasant St., 02139	1968	Social Worker	83(July 20)	80	July 1
Alanna M. Mallon	CC	3 Maple Ave., 02139	1970	City Councillor	100(July 13)	95	July 1
Nicola A. Williams	CC	8 Brewer St. #5, 02138	1963	Self-Employed	52(July 13), 48(July 26)	48+44=92	July 1
Robert Eckstut	CC	251 Western Ave. #1, 02139	1985		69(July 28)	62	July 1
Paul Toner	CC	24 Newman St., 02140	1966	Teacher, Lawyer	100(July 9)	96	July 1
Dana Bullister	CC	155 5th Street #1, 02141	1990	Entrepreneur	49(July 26), 44(July 30)	37+38=75	July 1
Roy Ribitzky	CC	163 Webster Ave. #3, 02141	1989	Food, Beverage Industry	40(July 27), 18(Aug 2)	33+12=45 did not qualify	July 1
Theodora Skeadas	CC	988 Memorial Drive #185, 02138	1990	Consultant	46(July 8), 49(July 14)	42+44=86	July 2
Gregg J. Moree	CC	25 Fairfield St. #4, 02140	1957		49(July 21), 29(July 28), 22(Aug 2)	42+23+19=84	July 2
Dennis J. Carlone	CC	9 Washington Ave. #6, 02140	1947	Architect	63(July 26)	59	July 2
Burhan Azeem	CC	35 Speridakis Terr., 02139	1997	Data Engineer	100(July 27)	82	July 7
Tonia Hicks	CC	337 Pearl Street, 02139	1970		50(July 26), 9(July 28)	45+9=54	July 7
Santos Carrasquillo	CC	188 Harvard St. #3B, 02139	1989		did not submit signatures		July 8
Ilan S. Levy	CC	148 Spring St., 02141	1967	Software engineer	75(Aug 2)	55	July 30
Ayesha Wilson	SC	15 Concord Ave., 02138	1982	Education	44(July 1),38(July 9), 18(July 29)	43+38+18=99	July 1
David J. Weinstein	SC	45 S. Normandy Ave., 02138	1972	Writer/Communications	50(July 16), 10(Aug 2)	50+9=59	July 1
Jose Luis Rojas Villarreal	SC	19 Cornelius Way, 02141	1971	Loan Officer	50(July 26), 9(July 27), 10(July 28)	46+9+10=65	July 1
Fred Fantini	SC	4 Canal Park #203, 02141	1949	School Committee	48(July 12), 50(July 14), 2(July 15)	48+50+2=100	July 1
Christopher Lim	SC	48 Pleasant St., 02139	1975	Engineer	49(July 8), 16(July 9)	40+15=55	July 7
Akriti Bhambi	SC	311 Cardinal Madeiros Ave. #1, 02141	1988		93(July 12)	91	July 8
Rachel B. Weinstein	SC	60 Standish St. #1, 02138	1974		65(July 19)	61	July 12
Kathleen Kelly	SC	17 Marie Ave. #1, 02139	1960		did not submit signatures		July 14
Caroline Hunter	SC	23 Rockwell St., 02139	1946		95(July 22)	82	July 20
Daria Johnson	SC	2 Leighton St. #413, 02141	1976		83(Aug 2)	73	July 23

* Signatures are provisionally certified by Election Commission staff, but not officially certified until voted by Election Commission.
On Wed, July 21, the Election Commission certified all signatures shown that were submitted through July 21.
On Wed, Aug 4, the Election Commission certified all remaining signatures submitted through the Aug 2 deadline.

There will be 19 City Council candidates and 9 School Committee candidates on the ballot.

2021 Cambridge Candidate Pages

The Cambridge Redevelopment Authority is seeking volunteers for a Strategic Advisory Group!
Deadline Extended for CRA's Strategic Advisory Group applications

If you live or work in Cambridge, we encourage you to apply!
We envision a Strategic Advisory Group that is representative of the wide diversity of people and places in Cambridge.

About the Role Cambridge Redevelopment Authority
The Strategic Advisory Group will advise the CRA on issues related to the Strategic Plan and its implementation. The group will also help support the CRA’s relationship with the Cambridge community so that our work is equitable, responds to local needs, and reaches a diverse population.

About the CRA
The CRA works in the public trust to bring a human dimension to development, improving the quality of life for residents, businesses, employees, and visitors. Our goal is to balance economic vibrancy, housing, and open space to create sustainable communities through new and revitalized development. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion make us stronger as individuals, organizations, and a society. We are committed to implementing imaginative, creative initiatives to achieve social equity and a balanced economic ecosystem. Information about the CRA, its Strategic Plan, and ongoing projects may be found at our website: www.CambridgeRedevelopment.org.

What We Are Looking For
We are seeking people who are able to work in a team and who can consider policies, projects, and other proposed efforts through an equity lens for the benefit of the entire Cambridge community. Preferred candidates will bring at least one of the following (if you meet just one of the items below, you are encouraged to apply):

Leadership in, or deep connection with, communities whose voices are lesser heard in Cambridge public spaces
Leadership or wide experience in Cambridge’s nonprofit community, small business community, and/or affordable housing communities
Personal or professional knowledge or experience in community development, urban planning, municipal or state government, fiscal management, transportation, and/or real estate development

Meetings may be public and are expected to occur quarterly, however, more frequent meetings may be needed at times. Meetings may be in person in the near future, although Advisory Group members may continue to attend via Zoom as needed.

Application Instructions
If you are interested in becoming a member of the CRA Strategic Advisory Group, please respond HERE by ~~August 31, 2021~~ September 10, 2021. If you are interested but face a barrier to participating, please contact us to see if we can resolve that issue with you. If you would like a copy of the application or have any questions, please contact:

Carlos Peralta, cperalta@cambridgeredevelopment.org or call 617-492-6800
Cambridge Redevelopment Authority
255 Main Street, 8th floor, Cambridge, MA 02142

Visit our webpage on the Strategic Advisory Group here: https://www.CambridgeRedevelopment.org/Strategic-Advisory-Group

Members Sought for Cambridge Biosafety Committee

July 28, 2021 – Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking Cambridge residents to fill two vacancies on the Cambridge Biosafety Committee (CBC). City Seal

Biosafety Committee members are volunteers appointed by the City Manager for a 5-year term to work with the Cambridge Public Health Department staff as designated by the Cambridge Public Health Commissioner in oversight, enforcement and permit issuance under the Recombinant DNA Technology Ordinance (Chapter 8.20, 1981, 1993) and the Cambridge Laboratory Biosafety Regulation (2009).

The Cambridge Biosafety Committee is composed of at least five members who serve five-year terms and who may renew membership. Members do not need to have a scientific background, but will be considered more favorably if they do have applicable training or professional experience in molecular biology, genetics, infectious diseases, or laboratory biosafety. The CBC meets on the third Thursday of every month (except for a single combined summer meeting for July and August), from 3-5:30 p.m., in the large 2nd floor conference room at the Windsor Community Health Centre, 119 Windsor Street. Currently, the CBC is still meeting virtually pending the resumption of in-person meetings.

The role of the Biosafety Committee is to ensure public accountability for safe biological laboratory practices in safe laboratories or manufacturing facilities that utilize or process recombinant or synthetic materials as defined in the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines). The Committee utilizes the NIH Guidelines and the CDC Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) in order to determine compliance with accepted best practices for infectious, non-recombinant research governed by the Laboratory Biosafety Regulation. Final determination of applicable standards from the NIH Guidelines and the BMBL is held by the Committee and the Public Health Commissioner or their designee. Review of all new applications and amendment requests will occur through presentation to the Committee in a regularly scheduled (monthly) Committee meeting or by an appropriate administrative procedure for minor amendments. Final CBC approval is required before an annual, non-provisional permit can be granted to any applicant.

The responsibilities of the Cambridge Biosafety Committee include:

Reviewing the appropriate design and operation of all laboratory areas within the proposed facility for research or manufacturing involving regulated biological agents at the biosafety containment level (Biosafety Level) request for that location;
Determining whether appropriate and reasonable practices to contain and mitigate biological hazards match the potential biological hazards associated with the specific agents in the form present, particularly as they impact lab workers and the community;
Listening to each presentation for a new or amended permit and providing feedback or submitting questions to the applicant as applicable;
Reviewing laboratory walkthrough inspection summaries provided by Committee staff before determining that all applicable standards and practices for safe operation of a biological laboratory are met;
Reviewing practices, expectations, and standards imposed on the regulated laboratories by the Committee in order to establish clear enforcement protocols and to offer transparency to the regulated community. Key policies and direction will be summarized in a companion document to the ordinance and the regulation;
Providing a community perspective in assessing the impact of any application and anticipating issues of greater public concern or interest;
Participating in scheduled walkthrough inspections for higher-containment or higher-risk facilities (primarily BSL-3 laboratories);
Attending 11 scheduled meetings per year on a reliable basis. Meetings are occasionally cancelled when the is no current business to conduct.

Members are encouraged to review biosafety training materials developed by CBC staff to gain greater familiarity with the principles of biosafety, specific risks associated with the biological agents in use, and the enabling technologies used within the biotech and biological research sectors. Further outside training opportunities will also be identified by the CBC Chair.

For more information about the long and influential history of biosafety oversight in Cambridge since 1977, visit https://www.cambridgepublichealth.org/services/regulatory-activities/biosafety/. For more information on the Cambridge Biosafety Committee, contact Sam Lipson, Director of Environmental Health for Cambridge Public Health Department and Biosafety Committee Chair, slipson@challiance.org.

Applications to serve on this commission can be submitted to City Manager Louis A. DePasquale using the City’s online application system at Cambridgema.gov/apply. A cover letter and resume or applicable experience should be submitted during the online application process. The application deadline is Friday, September 3, 2021.

July 27, 2021 – Steven Weinberg, groundbreaking Nobelist in physics, dies at 88 (Boston Globe & NY Times, July 26, 2021)
Weinberg helped lay the foundation for the development of the Standard Model, a theory that classifies all known elementary particles in the universe, making it one of the most important breakthroughs in physics in the 20th century.

July 26, 2021 – Cambridge lost an icon yesterday with the passing of Robert Moses, a significant veteran in the struggle for civil rights as well as the founder of The Algebra Project - an avenue of empowerment through mathematics education. - RW
Robert Parris Moses, civil rights legend who founded the Algebra Project, dies at 86 (Boston Globe, July 26, 2021 by Bryan Marquard)

Dr. Bob Moses, Cambridge legend, education advocate and civil rights leader, dies at 86 (Cambridge Chronicle, July 26, 2021)

Math Literacy Is a Civil Right – Robert Moses, Teacher-Activist (4Word, June 2001 profile written by Gerald Bergman)

The quiet fortitude of Bob Moses (Commonwealth Magazine, July 27, 2021 by Michael Jonas)

Street Performer Program Relaunches

Cambridge Arts is excited to announce that we’re once again issuing permits for street performers as the City reopens from the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more at http://cambridgeartscouncil.org/streetperformers.

Performers interested in obtaining a permit to perform in public areas should visit the Cambridge Arts office at 344 Broadway, second floor, Cambridge, during normal business hours to complete an application. The permit is free. Individual performers as well as those playing in groups must obtain permits. It takes about 5 minutes and you walk out with a permit in hand.

No auditions required. All are welcome and encouraged to apply. A performer does not have to be a Cambridge resident in order to obtain a performance permit. We look forward to serving you and having your creativity enliven public spaces of Cambridge.

Cambridge’s Street Performer program had been suspended since the beginning of the pandemic in spring 2020 to prevent its spread.

Street Performer Program Relaunches

Down the road a bit - Growing rumblings of the 2021 municipal election year

Dec 14, 2020, updated July 24, 2021 – I really hate to get started on this topic so early in the game, but there are already rumors of possible candidates for 2021 and several potential candidates have already filed the paperwork with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) so that they can start raising campaign donations. 8 incumbent city councillors have sent word to supporters about seeking reelection. Here's a list of what we know so far:

Name	Address	Filed w/OCPF	Notes
Challengers (11) who have declared intention to seek reelection, are actively fundraising, or have pulled nomination papers
Frantz Pierre	22 Water Street #808, 02141	Nov 10, 2020	case worker at Margaret Fuller House
Tonia Hicks	337 Pearl Street, 02139	Nov 13, 2020 declared	campaign Chair lives in Colorado, Treasurer lives in North Carolina
Dana Bullister	155 5th Street #1, 02141	Nov 23, 2020 declared	listed as own campaign Chair and Treasurer, was rumored as candidate in 2019
Joe McGuirk	314 Columbia St. #1, 02141	Dec 7, 2020 declared	bartender at Highland Kitchen in Somerville, and the Lexington at Cambridge Crossing
Santos Carrasquillo	188 Harvard St. #3B, 02139	Jan 11, 2021	occupation unknown
Theodora Skeadas	988 Memorial Drive #185, 02138	Feb 19, 2021 declared	Executive Director of Cambridge Local First; previously filed w/OCPF in Dec 2016 as a candidate but did not pursue at that time
Nicola Williams	8 Brewer St. #5, 02138	declared, actively fundraising, ran in 2019	business owner, community activist, organizer of the Cambridge Carribean Carnival, serves on the board of several Cambridge non-profit and neighborhood organizations
Paul Toner	24 Newman St., 02140	declared, initial campaign deposit 4/18/21	Senior Director of National Policy, Partnerships and Northeast Region for Teach Plus; former VP and president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association (2006-2014), and of the Cambridge Teachers Association (2001-2006); middle school social studies teacher, lawyer, and former teacher union leader. He previously ran for City Council in 2017.
Roy Ribitzky (new website)	163 Webster Ave. #3, 02141	4/26/21	Guest Experience Professional in the Food and Beverage Industry; currently Bar Lead & Shift Supervisor at The Smoke Shop BBQ, Somerville.
Burhan Azeem	35 Speridakis Terr., 02139	5/2/21 announced via email (ran in 2019)	Works at startup that does at-home COVID & post-op care for patients in India.
Robert Eckstut	251 Western Ave. #1, 02139	5/12/21	Poker Player, author, activist (from LinkedIn page); Chair/Treasurer lives in California
Gregg Moree	25 Fairfield St. #4, 02140	7/2/21	perennial candidate
Rumored possible City Council candidates - either new or returning
Jeffery McNary	116 Norfolk St. #201, 02139	expressed interest	ran in 2019 w/o accepting donations
Sam Gebru	812 Memorial Dr. #614A, 02139	recently made $200 candidate loan to acct.	ran in 2017 and has kept campaign account active
Incumbents (8) who have declared intention to seek reelection; Tim Toomey will not seek re-election
Dennis Carlone	9 Washington Ave. #6, 02140	declared	first elected 2013, 4 terms on City Council
Marc McGovern	17 Pleasant St., 02139	declared	first elected in 2013, 4 terms on City Council previously served 4 terms on School Committee
Quinton Zondervan	235 Cardinal Madeiros Ave., 02141	raising money	first elected in 2017, 2 terms on City Council
Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler	187 Brookline St. #3, 02139	actively fundraising	first elected in 2019, 1 term on City Council
Denise Simmons	188 Harvard St. #4B, 02139	actively fundraising	first elected in 2001, 10 terms on City Council; previously served 5 terms on School Committee
Alanna Mallon	3 Maple Ave., 02139	declared	first elected in 2017, 2 terms on City Council
Sumbul Siddiqui	283 Sidney St. #3, 02139	declared on her website	first elected in 2017, 2 terms on City Council
Patty Nolan	184 Huron Ave., 02138	declared on her website	first elected in 2019, 1 term on City Council; previously served 7 terms on School Committee
New School Committee candidates (5 of the 6 incumbents are expected to seek reelection; Manikka Bowman will not seek re-election)
Christopher Lim	48 Pleasant St., 02139	pulled nomination papers July 7	ran in 2019; co-founder of Redwire, LLC; Masters in System Design and Management, MIT
Akriti Bhambi	311 Card. Madeiros Ave. #1, 02141	pulled nomination papers July 8	Director, Policy and Government Advocacy at Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association; former Chief Of Staff, Legislative Director for Rep. Marjorie Decker
Kathleen Kelly	17 Marie Ave. #1, 02139	pulled nomination papers July 14	Social Worker; previously served 3 terms on the School Committee (2014-2019)
Caroline Hunter	23 Rockwell St., 02139	pulled nomination papers July 20
Daria Johnson	2 Leighton St. #413, 02141	pulled nomination papers July 23

Please send me any additions, corrections or credible rumors at Robert@rwinters.com.

If you know of any great potential candidates for either Cambridge City Council or School Committee, please encourage them to consider being a candidate in the 2021 municipal election.

2021 Cambridge Candidate Pages (preliminary)

Cambridge City Council Campaign Receipts 2021

Note: The "A Better Cambridge" PAC filed its Dissolution Report on April 14 - apparently in favor of operating all of its political campaign financing via its Independent Expenditure PAC. The significance of this change is that an ordinary political action committee (PAC) is required to file monthly bank reports (twice/month during the active campaign season). An Independent Expenditure PAC has no such reporting requirements, i.e. there is very little transparency.

A camera and a car - more rediscoveries

Hobbs Brook Basin, Cambridge Reservoir - July 15	Hobbs Brook Basin, Cambridge Reservoir - July 15
Hobbs Brook Basin, Cambridge Reservoir - July 15	Hobbs Brook Basin, Cambridge Reservoir - July 15
Charlestown evening walk - July 9	Charlestown evening walk - July 9

Citizen Effort Leads to New Park in East Cambridge After Decades of Work

July 13, 2021 – The East Cambridge Open Space Trust is pleased to invite you to come see our new “pocket park” at the O’Connell Library at 48 Sixth Street. It is scheduled to open in the early fall of 2021, but even now you can see what is sure to be a beautiful enhancement to our city and our neighborhood.

Monarch Pattern Light in the Park

The Trust was founded and funded as result of a legal settlement with the original developer of what is now known as The Canal District in Kendall Square. Its mission, to acquire and improve open space in East Cambridge for public benefit.

The Trustees chose the site for the synergy of potential benefits, including:

Owned by the city, negating high land prices.
The Library is a valued community center, which this will enhance.
Location in a high density setting relatively far from existing parks.

The Trust was incorporated in 2002, but the work on it started well before that date. One Trustee in particular has been working on this for nineteen years. For a decade or so, there was mostly record keeping and community outreach. As our funding slowly accumulated, we reported on our progress and solicited ideas on what to do with the funds. We received a variety of suggestions. None seemed possible given our limited funds and the price and scarcity of vacant land in our neighborhood. We were forced to be creative.

Some of the criteria we used to evaluate proposals were:

Benefit the greatest number and variety of residents.
Be accessible to the greatest extent possible.
Stretch our funds to achieve the greatest value per dollar spent.
Be as eco-friendly as possible.

The Trustees themselves thought of the library site as one that might best accomplish our mission. We sought out initial design help from the non-profit COG Design and eventually hired a duo of talented landscape architects/designers.

Once we had a solid design to show, we approached the Library Department, City Councillors, and City staff from Finance, Public Works, Community Development, etc. While the idea was well received, it took years more of persistence by the Trustees to achieve any real progress—even with a substantial financial contribution by us.

One Trustee recently said “Having experienced all the effort that went into this project up to this point, witnessing the removal of the fencing surrounding the library, watching the first ground breaking, followed by the installation of the outdoor lighting and plantings has been thrilling. Now, each time I pass the library and see the new progress, I look forward to O'Connell Library project being utilized by the community as envisioned by the Open Space Trustees and those who traveled this journey with us.

Please come by and take a look. While the park is still under construction, the library is now open Monday, Thursday, and Friday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and accessible through the rear ramp entrance.

Plans are available at this link. — Mark Jaquith on behalf of the Trustees of the East Cambridge Open Space Trust

Cambridge Man Arrested and Charged Following Animal Cruelty Investigation

July 1, 2021 – The Cambridge Police Department, the City of Cambridge Animal Commission and the MSPCA Law Enforcement Division today announced an arrest has been made in connection to an investigation into three East Cambridge animal cruelty cases that occurred between March and May 2021. Rashad Gober, 31, Cambridge, was arrested at his home (249 Hurley St.) without incident earlier this morning and has been charged with four counts of Animal Cruelty. He is expected to be arraigned today in Cambridge District Court. Cambridge Police

On Thursday, May 6, 2021, an Animal Control Officer with the Cambridge Animal Commission responded to a call about an animal crying underneath a car and discovered that a cat, whose hind legs were bound with masking tape, had already died. A necropsy showed that a large percentage of “Gosha’s” fur was missing, and the cat suffered multiple BB gunshot wounds across its face and body. During an investigation into the May 6 animal cruelty case, two additional, past cat cruelty cases in East Cambridge were brought to the attention of the Cambridge Police Department, Animal Commission and the MSPCA. A BB gun was used to injure “Tammy” on March 3 or 4 in East Cambridge; fortunately, the cat was able to recover from its injuries. At some point between May 2-5, another East Cambridge cat -- “Buddy” – suffered chemical burns, but was also able to recover from their injuries.

During the course of the investigation, it was determined that Gober claimed to find Buddy in his backyard and brought it in his apartment for medical attention. Gober had allegedly notified the owner through a neighborhood social networking app that he found the cat and returned Buddy to her. After investigating tips submitted from the community and gaining further information during their investigation, the Cambridge Police and the MSPCA recovered key evidence in these cases from the defendant’s apartment, vehicle and phone. Gober was arrested at his home.

“We recognize and can understand the great alarm these cases caused to the East Cambridge community and particularly to the cat owners,” said Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr. of the Cambridge Police Department. “We have invested significant resources and closely collaborated with the Animal Commission, the MSPCA, and Middlesex District Attorney’s Office to ensure justice would be served following these very disturbing acts. We are grateful for the community’s ongoing support during our investigation, and I commend the excellent investigative work conducted by our Detectives and partners that resulted in this arrest.”

“I commend everyone involved in this investigation—from the Cambridge Police Department, the City of Cambridge Animal Commission and our own law enforcement officers—for their steadfast commitment to uncovering the evidence that led to the arrest of Rashad Gober,” said Tom Grenham, director of the MSPCA’s Law Enforcement Division.

Animal cruelty is a felony crime in Massachusetts punishable by up to seven years in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000.

These charges are allegations and the defendant is innocent until proven guilty.

2021 Municipal Election: Nomination Papers

City Seal June 29, 2021 – Nomination papers for City Council and School Committee will be available beginning Thursday, July 1st at the Election Commission office, 51 Inman Street, Cambridge. The office will be open on Thursday, July 1st from 8:30am until 5:00pm. The deadline to file nomination papers is Monday, August 2nd at 5:00pm. When visiting the Election Commission office please use the side entrance located on Inman Place until further notice. The 2021 Municipal Election Calendar is posted on the Commission’s website: www.cambridgema.gov/election

The requirements to run for City Council or School Committee are:

1. The person must be a registered voter in Cambridge. To register, one must be 18 years of age by Election Day, a U.S. citizen and a resident in the City of Cambridge.

2. The person must file no fewer than fifty (50) and no more than one hundred (100) certifiable signatures of registered voters in the City of Cambridge.

The Commission has prepared an information kit for candidates containing important dates, Commission policies, services, and publications. The kits will be available with the nomination papers on July 1st.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 2, 2021.

Statement by Cambridge City Councillor Tim Toomey
On Decision Not to Seek Re-Election – June 28, 2021

Tim Toomey It is with much gratitude and a tinge of sadness that I announce I will not be a candidate for re-election to City Council in 2021.

Gratitude to my friends and neighbors who have had the faith to elect me first to the School Committee in 1985, then to the City Council for 32 years starting in 1989, as well as 24 years as State Representative.

Sadness to be stepping down from a job that I love, helping people in a variety of ways such as finding affordable housing, ensuring that they receive the quality State and City services they expect and deserve, and just listening to their hopes and expectations for the future of them and their families.

I have so many people to thank for my success - the innumerable volunteers who have worked hard over the many years to ensure my re-election; the numerous colleagues who I have served with on the City Council throughout the years who have helped me serve the residents of Cambridge; the City Managers and City staff who have worked with me to make Cambridge a caring community while ensuring fiscal stability; the many legislative staff who assisted me in developing policy and, more importantly, in providing outstanding constituent services; and, of course, my family who have stood with me these many years.

While I will not be on the City Council in 2022, this is not good-bye. As always, I will continue to be active in our community and feel free to stop me on the street to express your thoughts and concerns for our City or just to say hello.

Tim Toomey

New York State of Mind - Part 2

NYC boroughs June 26, 2021 – On June 22, New York City Democrats voted for their party’s nominee for mayor in a ranked-choice primary. The initial (first round) results differed somewhat from polls done prior to the election with Eric Adams finishing in first place among #1 choices. As of June 23 with 97% of the ballots recorded, the #1 vote results were:

Eric Adams – 31.7% (polls suggested 20 percent)
Maya Wiley – 22.3% (polls suggested 9 percent)
Kathryn Garcia – 19.5% (polls suggested 21 percent)
Andrew Yang – 11.7% (polls suggested 16 percent)
Scott Stringer – 5.0% (polls suggested 10 percent)
other candidates – 9.8%

Ranked-Choice voting results are expected on June 29, though New York has a long history of long delays in producing final election results. Official results are not expected until the week of July 12. There were 22 mayoral candidates of whom 14 ran as Democrats.

Though most people expect that Eric Adams will prevail after the ballot transfers, other outcomes are possible. Scott Stringer, Dianne Morales, and Maya Wiley were apparently competing for the “progressive” vote, and it's possible that their #1 ballots could aggregate to elect Wiley or possibly Garcia. Shortly before the end of the balloting period, Garcia and Yang campaigned together and Yang asked his supporters to rank Garcia second. This could potentially vault Garcia past Wiley when Yang is counted out, but a request from a candidate doesn't necessarily translate into action by the voters. It's not likely that either of these candidates will eventally vault past Adams, but it is a possibility.

Many people see the strong finish of Adams, a former New York City Police Captain and current Brooklyn Borough President, as a repudication of the national “defund the police” movement. - RW

June 29 update – A Boston Globe article states: “New York City plans to resume counting votes Tuesday in its Democratic mayoral primary, which went into a state of suspended animation a week ago with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams enjoying an early lead.” … “The city's Board of Elections planned to announce the latest vote tallies sometime in the afternoon, and it will be the public's first look at results from the city's new ranked choice voting system, which gives voters a say in who wins even if their top choice for the office doesn't have enough support.” … “New York City also plans on Tuesday to begin counting absentee ballots in the race. At least 124,000 Democrats voted by absentee ballot in the primary, based on ballots received through Sunday. None of those ballots will be included in the city's first pass at ranked choice analysis, meaning that there's a chance results could still change significantly. Elections officials plan on conducting another round of ranked choice analysis on July 6 that includes absentee ballots.”

Preliminary Results (corrected June 30) – After the Final (9th) Round of transfers, Eric Adams finished with 51.05% of the (nonexhausted) ballots edging out Kathryn Garcia with 48.95% of the (nonexhausted) ballots.

Alas, there was a glitch! Eric Adams' ballots increased 6.9% from the initial count, Wiley 5.4%, Garcia 7.5%. In contrast, Taylor's ballots increased 685.7%, Isaac Wright 607.2%. The overwhelming majority of those added ballots later exhausted for lack of additional rankings. In the correct tabulation on June 30, the increases frrom Election night were as expected ranging from a low of 1.5% (Garcia) to a high of 5.4% (Foldenauer).

Apparently the glitch was caused by not clearing out the ballot records from a previous test deck consisting of 135,000 ballot records. The test deck likely had some of the same candidate codes as real candidates and when the test deck and the actual ballot data were pooled it produced the ridiculous inflated totals. Election officials have now purged the test deck data and are reloading the actual ballot data. This time they'll also go through a validation step just to make sure there are no other problems. I'm not sure if the revised results will be made public tonight or on Wednesday. Big time Oops.

July 6 Update – With most of the outstanding absentee ballots counted, New York City elections officials released an updated tally for the Democratic mayoral primary. After the Final (8th) Round of transfers, Eric Adams finished with 50.53% of the (nonexhausted) ballots edging out Kathryn Garcia with 49.47% of the (nonexhausted) ballots.

Excel file with all three iterations of the tally – the bogus tally (June 29), the revised tally (June 30), and the latest tally (July 6).

PDF of latest (July 6) tally (Adams over Garcia 50.53% to 49.47% - a 1.06% margin)

PDF of the June 30 tally (Adams over Garcia 51.05% to 48.95% - a 2.10% margin)

PDF of the June 29 (bogus) tally (Adams over Garcia 51.10% to 48.90% - a 2.20% margin)

June 24, 2021 - Now that the municipal election season is upon us, I'm thinking of starting a new group called “Reasonable People of Cambridge” (the name is negotiable). There will be no membership dues and any actual meetings will involve beer or wine. Right now we have one person. Anyone care to join me? - Robert Winters

Revolution for Me but not for Thee

June 20, 2021 – Apparently that old Revolutionary Zeal is not all that different from the politics of ward bosses in Somerville. Here's an interesting Twitter thread from some candidates who are not pleased.

A camera and a car - new discoveries and rediscoveries

Donut Villa, Prospect Street, Central Square - June 3	Donut Villa, Prospect Street, Central Square - June 3
Donut Villa, Prospect Street, Central Square - June 3	Donut Villa, Prospect Street, Central Square - June 3
Donut Villa, Prospect Street, Central Square - June 3	Donut Villa, Prospect Street, Central Square - June 3
Fresh Pond, June 13 - unnecessary constraint	Fresh Pond, June 13 - water everywhere and not a drop to drink
Riverside, Charles River - June 17	Riverside, Charles River - June 17 abandoned RR bridge over Recreation Road
Riverside, Charles River - June 17 abandoned RR bridge over Route 128	Riverside, Charles River - June 17 turtles sunning on a log
Riverside, Charles River - June 17 Pony Truss Bridge over Charles River	Riverside, Charles River - June 17 forbidden underpass at abandoned station
Stony Brook Reservoir, Cambridge Water - June 17	Stony Brook Reservoir, Cambridge Water - June 17
Stony Brook Reservoir, Cambridge Water - June 17	Stony Brook Reservoir, Cambridge Water - June 17

City of Cambridge Reopening Details and Timeline for City Buildings

June 8, 2021 – With the Commonwealth's State of Emergency ending on June 15, 2021, the City will begin welcoming residents back in administrative buildings without appointments on Tuesday, June 15th. City Seal

Timeline
The City of Cambridge anticipates the following reopening timeline over the coming weeks to welcome residents back to City buildings:

Tuesday, June 15:
- Walk-in access by the public without appointments at City buildings begins on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- In-person public appointments will continue to be offered Monday-Friday.
Tuesday, June 29:
- Walk-in access by the public without appointments at City buildings expands to Tuesday-Friday.
- In-person public appointments will continue to be offered Monday-Friday.
Monday, July 12:
- City buildings fully reopen to walk-in access by the public during regular City business hours Monday-Friday.
- In-person public appointments will continue to be offered on department-specific schedules.

The Cambridge Public Library also announced its reopening plans, and will begin to reopen library branches to patrons beginning the week of June 14th. More details can be found here.

Face Masks & City Building Practices
Effective May 29, the City of Cambridge is following the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's new face-covering advisory consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) updated guidance. However, the City is requiring the wearing of face masks or coverings in City buildings through June 15. This requirement will be in place for both employees and the public visiting City buildings.

Beginning Wednesday, June 16, residents and staff will be strongly encouraged to continue wearing masks and to follow the Massachusetts and CDC recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated people, but they will no longer be required in City buildings.

The City of Cambridge and Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) will continue to offer free COVID-19 testing for Cambridge residents 4 days per week with modified hours on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays in June. Appointments and additional information about the testing program are available at www.cambridgema.gov/testing.

All residents are encouraged to get vaccinated. The City’s COVID-19 testing sites will also offer COVID-19 vaccinations for the month of June, while supplies last. These sites will only be using the Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine, so you will not need to return for a second shot. You do not need an appointment for a vaccination.

For more information and regular COVID-19 updates, visit www.cambridgema.gov/covid19 to sign up for daily City email updates.

Cambridge Public Library Announces Further Reopening Plans for all Locations

June 8, 2021 – The Cambridge Public Library today announced its plans for further reopening locations to the public. On June 2, 2021, the Main Library reopened with limited in-person services. In the coming weeks, those services will increase, and all branch libraries will reopen to the public as well. No appointments will be required.

Cambridge Public Library The Library is again offering seating in the Main Library Reading Room so patrons have an indoor space to read, work, study and use the Wi-Fi. The outdoor patio is also open for patrons.

The week of June 14, the Library will begin to reopen branch libraries to patrons. Five branch locations (Boudreau, Central Square, Collins, O’Neill, and Valente) will transition to in-person services during the hours that they are currently open for contactless pickup. At the Main Library, the Children’s Room will additionally be open for browsing during select hours: June 15, 1-5pm; June 16, 1-5pm; and June 17, 12-4pm. All libraries will be closed on June 18 and June 19 in observance of Juneteenth.

Library hours effective as of June 14

	Mon 6/14	Tue 6/15	Wed 6/16	Thu 6/17	Fri 6/18	Sat 6/19
Main Library	closed	12-7pm	12-7pm	9am-4pm	Holiday	closed
Boudreau	11am-5:30pm	closed	11am-5:30pm	closed	Holiday	closed
Central Square	11am-5:30pm	11am-5:30pm	11am-5:30pm	1-7pm	Holiday	closed
Collins	11am-5:30pm	closed	closed	closed	Holiday	closed
O’Connell	closed	closed	closed	closed	Holiday	closed
O’Neill	closed	closed	1-7pm	11am-5:30pm	Holiday	closed
Valente	11am-5:30pm	11am-5:30pm	closed	closed	Holiday	closed

The week of June 21, the Library will significantly increase hours and services at the six open library locations. At the Main Library, all remaining floors will be open to patrons—including the Children’s Room, Teen Room, Tech Bar, and seating and work areas. The main public areas of Boudreau Branch, Collins Branch, O’Neill Branch and Valente Branch will be open and the ground floor and the children’s floor at the Central Square Branch will be open. The Tech Center and Lewis Room at the Central Square branch are temporarily closed for renovations.

O’Connell Branch will reopen the week of June 28, and the Main Library’s new makerspace, The Hive, will open to patrons in July.

Library hours effective as of June 21 (*Note O’Connell hours go in effect as of June 28)

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
Main Library	9am-5pm	9am-9pm	9am-9pm	9am-5pm	9am-5pm	9am-5pm
Boudreau	10am-6pm	Closed	10am-6pm	Closed	10am-6pm	Closed
Central Square	10am-6pm	10am-9pm	10am-6pm	10am-9pm	10am-6pm	Closed
Collins	10am-6pm	10am-6pm	Closed	Closed	10am-6pm	Closed
O’Connell*	10am-6pm	Closed	Closed	10am-8pm	10am-6pm	Closed
O’Neill	10am-8pm	Closed	10am-8pm	10am-6pm	10am-6pm	Closed
Valente	10am-8pm	10am-6pm	10am-8pm	10am-6pm	Closed	Closed

Through June 15, all library visitors over age 5 must wear a mask inside library buildings, regardless of vaccination status. Children ages 2-5 are encouraged to wear masks as well. Free masks are available at library service desks, and hand sanitizer is available throughout the building.

New service schedules will be updated on the Library website as they go into effect. Additional reopening updates will be posted on the Library’s website as details are finalized.

June 7, 2021 – Here's my message sent to a couple of listservs today. These listservs are "moderated" and it's not clear whether my message will be allowed, so here it is (the original message was propagated under the name "Cambridge Residents Alliance"):

The proliferation of half-truths is really starting to get out of hand and I'm personally growing pretty tired of individuals putting out statements that purport to represent organizations. At the very least, I think it would be a good idea for those who put out such statements to list the names of the individuals who have agreed to the statement.

On the specifics:

1) The Cambridge City Council's Finance Committee (a committee of the whole) recently conducted three Budget hearings that went through in detail most of the department budgets and other budget sections. Virtually all of them were forwarded to the full City Council with a positive recommendation. I believe the only exception may be the Information Technology Budget that was forwarded with no recommendation due to the Council's dissatisfaction regarding their desire to explore the feasibility (and advisability) of municipal broadband. Some department budgets may not have received a unanimous vote of approval, but almost all received either unanimous or near-unanimous support.

I'm not an enthusiastic supporter of the current crop of city councillors, but it does seem unfair and overtly political to spread all over social media the demand that the City Council should now reject a Budget on which almost all components have already received nearly unanimous support. This seems more like an organization simply trumpeting the wishes of one or two dissatisfied councillors.

2) I did hear some substantive concerns expressed during the hearings about some aspects of some budgets, and I certainly hope (and expect) that the City Council and the City administration will continue to address some of those concerns over the coming fiscal year. Rejecting a full budget outright based on the objections of at most a couple of councillors is wrongheaded to say the least.

Robert Winters
(a person, not an organization - either real or imagined)

Cambridge Community Preservation Act Committee Seeks Project Requests for funding in areas of Housing, Historic Preservation, and Open Space and Recreation

[Editor's Note: This City press release has been edited in order to state the percentages truthfully.]
June 4, 2021 – The City of Cambridge Community Preservation Act (CPA) Committee will meet virtually on Wed, June 9, 2021, at 5:30pm to receive project requests for FY22 funding. Each year, the CPA Committee recommends funding for affordable housing, historic preservation, open space, and recreation initiatives throughout the city. Recommendations can be submitted at the June 9 meeting or online from June 9 through July 14, 2021. Learn more about eligible projects and the application process at CambridgeMA.gov/CPA.

The Community Preservation Act (CPA) was created by a state law (G.L. c. 44B) to help cities and towns preserve the character of their community. In 2001, Cambridge residents voted to adopt the CPA locally, which allowed the City to implement a 3% surcharge on Property Tax bills to fund eligible projects. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides matching funds in addition to those raised locally by the surcharge.

Each year, the City is required to spend at least 10% of its annual CPA revenues on each category – open space/recreation (will get 10%), historic preservation (will get 10%), and ~~community~~ affordable housing (will get 80%). ~~The remaining percentage can be used towards any of the three funding categories~~.

Through FY21, the City has appropriated/reserved a total of over $222.6 million for CPA projects, including $178 million for affordable housing initiatives. To date, the City has allocated $54.8 million in state matching funds, $138.7 million from local surcharges, and $29 million from the CPA Fund Balance.

The CPA is a key funding mechanism for preserving and improving the quality of life in Cambridge. Learn more about the FY22 funding process and share project ideas at the June 9, 2021, CPA Committee meeting. For more information about the Community Preservation Act, visit CambridgeMA.gov/CPA.

Cambridge-Northeastern Police Academy Graduates Third Class; 10 New Officers to Join Cambridge Police Department

June 4, 2021 – The Cambridge Police Department announced that 22 new police officers graduated today from the third Cambridge-Northeastern Police Academy class following a special graduation ceremony that was held this morning on the Northeastern campus. The graduating officers will join their respective departments after successfully completing training, which started on Monday, January 18, 2021. The new Officers represented six different departments from the greater Boston area. In addition to the Cambridge and Northeastern Police Departments, the other participating agencies were the Hudson, Medford, Newton and Salem Police Departments. The third class, one of the most diverse classes in recent history, includes 10 new Cambridge Police Officers.

Six of the 10 graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS), while seven of the Officers grew up in the City of Cambridge.
Four of the 10 Officers are women.
Six of the 10 Officers are Black or Hispanic.
Officer Carlos Aquino-Navarro was a participant in the Cambridge Police Cadet Program; he was the second Cadet to graduate from the Cambridge-Northeastern Police Academy.
Officer Marcus Collins was a Summer Intern at the Cambridge Police Youth Police Academy.
Officer Delaney Albert and Trod Harold, Jr. are children of Cambridge Police Officers. Officer Sean Dillon is the brother of a Cambridge Police Officer and Cambridge Firefighter.
Officer Jacqueline Moz was previously a Suffolk County Sheriff’s Corrections Officer.
Officers Dillon and Collins both played athletics collegiately at Westfield State University.
Officer Harold, Jr. was the Class Leader.
Officer Albert secured the Academic Achievement Award.
Officer Aquino-Navarro was presented with the Emergency Vehicle Operations Award.
Officer Dillon was recognized with the Physical Fitness Award.

The Cambridge - Northeastern Police Academy is a Massachusetts Police Training Council (MPTC) certified training academy for new student officers. All elements of the Academy experience are aligned with the four pillars of procedural justice: fairness, voice, transparency, and impartiality. Recruits learn that policing is a “people business” and that their success as officers will depend in great part on their ability to listen to and talk with the community members whom they encounter. A key element of the training is the focus on experiential learning by having officers engage in scenario-based activities and community outreach. For pictures from today’s virtual graduation, please visit www.facebook.com/CambridgePolice.

Police Graduates, June 4, 2021

Lawmakers consider making virtual public meeting access permanent (June 2, 2021, Commonwealth Magazine)
“The Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight on Wednesday held a virtual hearing on several bills that would create ways for state and local officials to participate in meetings remotely and for the public to engage in meetings remotely. There was widespread support for the concept of allowing remote participation, as speakers stressed the opportunities it allows for more diverse participation – whether by parents of young children or people with disabilities. Yet at the same time, several speakers raised potential pitfalls that need to be addressed.” …

“Gov. Charlie Baker’s emergency order allowing fully remote public meetings as long as there is a provision for public access, expires June 15 with the end of the COVID-19 state of emergency. Baker has proposed passing a short-term extension, through September 1, to give lawmakers time to pass any permanent changes to the open meeting law and to give public bodies time to prepare to return in person.” …

New York State of Mind

NYC boroughs June 2, 2021 (The Dispatch) – On June 22, New York City Democrats will head to the polls to choose their party’s nominee for mayor in a ranked-choice primary that is all but guaranteed to determine who will succeed Bill de Blasio at the helm of the United States’ most populous city. In a departure from tradition, the Democratic Party opted for a ranked-choice primary this year – a system that will allow voters to order their top five candidates by preference. The votes will be counted in a multi-step process: If no candidate garners 50 percent of the first-place votes, the candidate with the fewest first-place votes is eliminated, and his or her supporters’ votes are redistributed to whomever they listed as their second choice. The process repeats until one candidate attains a majority…

A recent poll of likely Democratic voters … showed that Andrew Yang (16 percent) had been surpassed by … interim New York City Housing Authority Chair Kathryn Garcia (21 percent) and … Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams (20 percent). New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer (10 percent), … Maya Wiley (9 percent), and progressive organizer Dianne Morales (7 percent) were the only other candidates to score above 5 percent in the survey. There are currently 22 mayoral candidates of whom 14 are running as Democrats.

Register for Resilient Cambridge Plan Virtual Public Meeting on June 17

The City of Cambridge is pleased to announce that the Resilient Cambridge Plan, the City's roadmap to climate change preparedness and resilience, will be presented at a virtual public meeting on June 17, 6:00-8:00pm. While climate change is a growing threat to Cambridge, there are many actions we can take to reduce our risks and adapt to the impacts while enhancing our quality of life and economic environment.

Come learn the plan for a more resilient Cambridge and the strategies, information, resources, and current actions.

REGISTER HERE — Thursday, June 17th, 6:00-8:00pm on Zoom

The meeting will involve a presentation of the plan and then small group discussions to answer questions and hear feedback.

The plan will be available in advance of the public meeting and there will be opportunities to submit comments to the City afterward. For more information, contact John Bolduc, jbolduc@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-4628.

Submit Your Cambridge Improvement Project Ideas, June 1- July 31 for City's Participatory Budgeting Process

June 1, 2021 – The City of Cambridge today launched the 8th cycle of Participatory Budgeting (PB8) and is seeking submissions from the community on how to spend $1 million on one-time capital projects to improve Cambridge. The Idea Collection phase will be open from June 1 - July 31, 2021.

Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of the capital budget. From August 2021 through November 2021, volunteer Budget Delegates will research project ideas and develop the final proposals for the December 2021 PB8 vote, in which all Cambridge residents age 12 and older will be able to participate.

Winning projects from past PB cycles include musical instruments for CRLS, universal swing sets in parks, laundry access in public schools, pedestrian-controlled crosswalk lights, bilingual books for kids, extending outdoor wifi, and many others.

Residents can submit ideas until July 31, 2021 by visiting https://pb.cambridgema.gov/; emailing pb.cambridgema.gov; calling the city’s Budget Office at 617-349-4270; dropping ideas in the Payment Drop Box in the rear of City Hall; or by mailing them to the City of Cambridge Budget Office, 795 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge MA 02139.

Residents interested in volunteering as Budget Delegates can apply by visiting https://pb.cambridgema.gov/volunteer2.

For more information about the process, please contact the Budget Office at 617-349-4270 or by email at pb@cambridgema.gov. Please also check the Participatory Budgeting website for updates and information at pb.cambridgema.gov.

**Featured recent stories in the Cambridge Chronicle (the paper of record) - with some comments:**

If you would like to subscribe or pick up a free paper copy at various sites, I encourage you to do so. It really is The Paper of Record.

Good news/bad news for Green Line Extension project (June 29, 2021)

Paddy's Lunch in Cambridge has been doling out good times since Prohibition (June 24, 2021)

Pandemic supply issues plague Green Line Extension project (June 22, 2021)

'Cambridge owes you a tremendous debt of gratitude:' Outgoing public health officer honored (June 22, 2021)

Cambridge, Somerville to host Dining Passport program (June 17, 2021)

Cambridge launches campaign to centralize housing information, resources (June 17, 2021)

Gov. Baker signs extension of to-go cocktails, remote meetings, and eviction restrictions (June 17, 2021)

Cambridge educators suspended for refusing to give MCAS 'unjustly targeted,' union says (June 16, 2021)

DOJ pushing to reinstate death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (June 15, 2021, AP)

Cambridge Public Library announces reopening plans (June 15, 2021)

OP-ED: The importance of dads — Building resilient families in Cambridge (June 15, 2021 by Michelle Godfrey)

Cambridge council votes down proposal to cut police funding, approves $748M budget (June 14, 2021, updated June 15)

Cambridge Bike Give Back opens at CambridgeSide (June 11, 2021, updated June 14)

Cambridge-Northeastern Police Academy graduates 3rd class (June 11, 2021)

Cambridge Health Alliance names new chief of surgery (June 11, 2021)

'CRLS will always be your home:' Cambridge Class of 2021 graduates into world shaped by COVID (June 11, 2021)

PHOTOS: Cambridge Rindge and Latin School Class of 2021 graduates in ceremonies at Danehy Park (June 10, 2021)

COVID long-hauler and former Cambridge employee honored with Afghan quilt (June 9, 2021, updated June 15)

Cambridge councilors support formation of unarmed public safety team, separate from police (June 8, 2021)

Will Cambridge police soon wear body cams? (June 7, 2021)

CRLS graduates recognized for community service (June 4, 2021)

Cambridge seeking improvement project ideas (June 4, 2021)

Which Cambridge employees made the most in 2020? (June 1, 2021 - subscribers only)

LETTER: Disappointed policy order to boycott Hewlett-Packard was watered down (June 1, 2021 by Christopher Anne Affleck)
LETTER: Where do boycott opponents stand on injustices Israel perpetrates on Palestinians? (June 1, 2021 by Kathy and John Roberts)
LETTER: Struck by demonization of BDS movement during Cambridge council hearings (June 1, 2021 by Nancy Murray)

Council votes to review all Cambridge's vendor contracts to identify any discrimination (May 27, 2021)

Revolutionary Clinics welcomes Lola’s to Central Square location (May 27, 2021 promo by Revolutionary Clinics)

IN THE ARCHIVES: For over 40 years, tear gas was a go-to weapon for Cambridge police (May 26, 2021)

Hundreds demand Cambridge end any contracts with companies tied to Middle East conflict (May 25, 2021)

Cambridge falls in line with state, to lift COVID-19 restrictions May 29 (May 21, 2021)

Cambridge and Somerville chambers announce partnership (May 21, 2021 from Somerville Chamber of Commerce)

Following 2016 presidential election, Cambridge is riding bump in voter turnout (May 20, 2021 by Maxwell Bevington)

Harvard antiwar riots of 1970s mark last recorded use of tear gas by police in Cambridge (May 20, 2021 - subscribers only)

PHOTOS: Kick off celebration for Central Square's Starlight Square (May 19, 2021)

OP-ED: Cambridge should support Palestinians and end any contracts with Hewlett Packard (May 19, 2021)

With half of residents fully vaccinated, has Cambridge turned the corner in COVID fight? (May 18, 2021)

After hitting COVID-19 road bump, what will become of Cambridge’s food trucks? (May 17, 2021)

LETTER: Let’s create both opportunity and community through affordable housing (May 17, 2021 by Mekonnen Kebede)

Cambridge rescinds Amended Temporary Emergency Construction Order (May 14, 2021)

Wander through history of Boston, Cambridge, Newton, Brookline with Atlascope map tool (May 11, 2021)

Cambridge releases RHP practices and policies results (May 7, 2021)
Note: RHP = Recruitment, Hiring, and Promotion

Learn More About the Cambridge Police Cadet Program; Virtual Information Session to be Held on June 9th

May 28, 2021 – Do you know any Cambridge residents between the ages of 18-23 years old interested in working for the City of Cambridge as part of an on-the-job paid training program? In advance of the upcoming deadline to apply for the next Cadet exam, the Cambridge Police Department will be holding a virtual Information Session on Wed, June 9 at 1pm. Residents can learn more about the application, hiring and selection process, timelines, and meet with Cadets, officers and other staff to ask questions and get more information about this unique paid program specifically available for Cambridge residents. To register for the June 9th Information Session, please visit http://camb.ma/cadetinfosession. Cambridge Police

The Cambridge Police Cadet Program requires a two-year commitment and offers a competitive hourly wage ($18.45), up to 37.5 hours per week, strong benefits and paid vacation time. It provides extensive classroom training and cooperative education in addition to specific on-the-job training opportunities. Police Cadets will become familiar with the daily operations and functions of the department and culture of its community policing-related work through temporary assignments throughout various sections of the department, including the Commissioner’s Office, Patrol Operations, Support Services, and specialized units. As part of the Department, Police Cadets will also participate in community policing activities and engage with residents, businesses and visitors of the City of Cambridge. Primary responsibilities include:

Classroom training that introduces topics such as 21st Century Policing, Law Enforcement and the Cambridge Police Department, Procedural and Social Justice, Basic First Aid, Self-Defense, Criminal and Juvenile Law, Crime Analysis, and simulated trainings.
Field assignments such as assisting the Traffic Unit with special events, community outreach, criminal investigations, crime scene services, and court prosecution.
Administrative duties, including preparing reports, maintaining records, updating data, researching projects and more.
Fitness and health training

The next Cadet exam will be held on Saturday, July 31, 2021. The deadline to apply for the Cadet exam is Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Interested candidates can download the application and learn more about the Cadet Program at http://camb.ma/policecadet. The program is scheduled to begin in November 2021.

The Cambridge Police Cadet Program was relaunched in 2019 after a more than 30-year hiatus. Six Cadets joined the Department. One Cadet – Autumn Harrison – became the first Cadet from the new Cadet Program to graduate from the Cambridge-Northeastern Police Academy and join the Cambridge Police Department as a patrol officer in 2020. Carlos Aquino-Navarro is currently in the Cambridge-Northeastern Police Academy, while the four remaining Cadets have all registered to take the 2021 Municipal Police Officer Exam.

To be eligible for the Cadet Program, candidates must be current Cambridge residents between the ages of 18-23 at the time of the June 30, 2021 application deadline, have lived in the city for the last three years, have a high school diploma or a GED certificate at the time of the exam, be a citizen of the United States, have a valid Massachusetts’ Driver’s License and a good driving record, and take and pass the July 31 exam.

License Commission Extends Covid-19 Recovery Measures

May 27, 2021 – In light of the lingering effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Board of License Commissioners (the “Board”) adopted the following to ensure we continue to support our licensed businesses through the recovery period. City Seal

2022 Renewal Fees.
The following is a one-time, non-precedent setting reduction in renewal fees for licenses for the year 2022 (inclusive of those that renew in the Spring of 2022), set as a recovery measure.

(1) 40% reduction on the total license renewal fees for all license types except: Pole & Conduit, Waste Haulers, Leaf Blowers, and Flammables Only. This means there would be a 40% reduction of the renewal fee for all of the following license types: alcohol (restaurant, club, hotel, general on premises/bar, any series pouring permit), common victualler (restaurant), entertainment, innholder, lodging houses/dormitories, letting of motor vehicles, used car dealers, garages, open air parking lots, second hand good stores (antiques and junk), hawker/peddler (food trucks), jitneys, and liveries. Waiver of all fees for the renewal of taxi driver licenses and medallions as done in years prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

(2) To continue promoting safe practices and based on expert advice that being outside is better than inside, annual patio renewal fees for 2022 will be $25.00 for private patios and $75.00 for public patios.

(3) The renewal fees will be due by the date set in the usual manner. None of the renewal fees will be pro-rated or collected in installments except for the alcohol renewal fee which can be collected bi-annually as a 50/50 split (the first half due in November 2021, the second half due in May 2022).

Temporary Extensions of the Licensed Premises to an Outdoor Area Due to COVID-19 (“Temporary Extensions”).
Per COVID-19 Orders Nos. 35 and 50, these Temporary Extensions will expire on August 15, 2021. Provided that the Governor’s new bill is signed, these will be extended through November 29, 2021. The Board voted to adopt the new expiration date if approved by the legislature. In the alternative, the Board will adopt any legal mechanism possible to extend the temporary patios through the end of the year or whatever date provided by the adopted legislature. The Chair has been designated as the person to create and implement the process with the Board’s ratification to follow.

Members Sought for City of Cambridge Planning Board

May 24, 2021 – Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking Cambridge residents interested in serving on the Planning Board. Board members are volunteers who serve five-year terms. City Seal

The Planning Board reviews proposals for urban development under the special permit provisions of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance and Chapter 40A of the Massachusetts General Laws, makes recommendations to the City Council on proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance, and engages in general planning related to land use and development in the city.

A goal of the city is to expand and deepen community engagement with a focus to strengthen the diversity and inclusion of its various boards and commissions, and to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.

Serving on the Planning Board is a meaningful way to participate in important decision making that shapes the future of the City of Cambridge.

Planning Board members’ responsibilities include:

Meeting most Tuesday evenings at 6:30pm for 3-4 hours. Meetings are open to the public and are video and audio recorded. The Board hears testimony from applicants and petitioners, members of the public, and others before making decisions or recommendations.
NOTE: Normally, meetings take place in a City building, and light food and beverages are provided to Board members. However, due to COVID-19 safety protocols, meetings are currently being held remotely via the Zoom platform.
Prior to the meetings, members should review materials such as development plans, impact studies, current or proposed provisions in the Zoning Ordinance, information from city departments, written comments from the public, and other documents. The Board typically reviews 1-3 cases at each meeting.
Occasionally, representatives of the Planning Board may be appointed to other city working groups and committees.
Participating in occasional training and education sessions.

The Board has seven full members and two associate members, who participate in general business discussions and may be appointed to act on special permit cases in place of full board members.

The following qualities are desired for Planning Board members:

Strong sense of fairness and responsibility to act on behalf of the city.
Strong attentiveness and ability to listen to different points of view.
Ability to work toward group consensus, with the ability to reach an individual conclusion where consensus cannot be achieved.
Ability to prepare well-organized, well-reasoned questions and comments upon reviewing a proposal, and to communicate them clearly in a public setting.
Ability to learn legal codes and procedures and act in accordance with them.
Though no specific technical background is required, it is helpful for Planning Board members to have some familiarity with planning studies, building and site plans, zoning codes, and/or related materials.

For more information, visit: www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/zoninganddevelopment/planningboard.

The application deadline is Friday, June 25, 2021. Applications can be submitted at www.Cambridgema.gov/apply. A letter of interest and a resume or other description of applicable experience can also be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. Please note that appointments are currently required due to COVID-19 safety protocols. To make an appointment to pick up an application, please contact the City Manager's Office at 617-349-4300 or email fgaines@Cambridgema.gov.

There must be something magical going on here

May 23 - When my dear friend and neighbor Alison Woodman died in January, I decided that since my slowly-rusting and breaking-down 42-year-old VW Bus was becoming a beloved burden too much to bear, I wanted to buy Alison's car. At the time I had no idea what make or model or year it was. I just wanted to drive Alison's car because that's the way my ridiculous mind works. Well, it's my car now - registered just a few days ago. So from now on instead of seeing me in my extraordinarily cool 1979 VW Bus you might now see me tooling around town in a 2014 Honda Civic with far more bells and whistles than I am accustomed to, e.g. heat and air-conditioning. The fuel economy is also at least triple what my Bus was getting. The funny (and I might even say magical) thing is something I only realized yesterday when looking at the label on the back of the car. Some things you can't plan. They just happen. - RW

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Saturday June 12

The City of Cambridge will hold its next Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day for 2021 on Saturday, June 12, from 9:00am-1:00pm, at 65 Waverly Street. To access the event, please enter from Brookline Street, as eastbound travel will be prohibited on Henry, Chestnut and Putnam streets, from Sidney Street to Waverly Street. Additional HHW collection dates in 2021 include August 21 and October 30. To streamline the collection process, residents should remain in their vehicle and follow the directions from the staff. Items will be removed from trunks only and residents should leave any items they do not wish to dispose of at home. Residents are urged to review the acceptable items below in advance. Household Hazardout Waste Collection

Accepted items include:

Batteries: Vehicle & Non-Alkaline
Car Fluids: Antifreeze, Brake, Engine Degreaser, Transmission
Car Tires (max four per household)
Chemicals: Cleaners, Glues, Removers, Photography & Swimming Pool
Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Mercury Items: Thermometers & Thermostats
Paints: Oil-Based & Latex
Poisons: Insecticides, Pesticides & Weed Killers
Prescription Medicines (also accepted year-round at Cambridge Police Dept. 125 Sixth St.)
Propane Cylinders (20 lbs. or less only)
Waste Fuels: Antifreeze, Gasoline, Kerosene, Sterno & Motor Oil
Fire Extinguishers

Items not accepted include:

NO Alkaline Batteries
NO Ammunition, Fireworks & Explosives (contact Cambridge Fire Dept. at 617-349-3300)
NO Asbestos (requires proper disposal)
NO Bleach or Ammonia
NO Commercial/Industrial Waste
NO Construction Debris
NO Empty Aerosol Cans
NO Compressed Gas Cylinders
NO Infectious or Biological Waste
NO Radioactive Waste
NO Smoke Detectors
NO Syringes (contact Cambridge Public Health Dept. at 617-665-3848)

The Cambridge Recycling Center located at 147 Hampshire Street accepts many of the above items not accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Day. Hours of operation for the Recycling Center are Tuesday, 4:00-7:30pm and Saturday, 9:00am-4:00pm. COVID-19 safety protocols are currently in place. Learn more at Cambridgema.gov/hazardouswaste.

Charles Sumner Attacked

May 22 — On this day in 1856, Preston Brooks, a congressman from South Carolina, viciously attacked Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the United States Senate. Three days earlier, in a passionate anti-slavery speech, Sumner had used language southerners found deeply offensive. Rather than challenge Sumner to a duel, as he would have a gentleman, Brooks beat him with a cane. It was three-and-a-half years before Charles Sumner was well enough to return to the Senate. Although he never fully recovered from the assault, he served another 15 years. An abolitionist who not only opposed slavery but advocated equal rights for African Americans, Charles Sumner was remembered as a man who marched “ahead of his followers when they were afraid to follow.” [Click Here for the Rest of the Story]

Charles Sumner Statue - Harvard Square

Charles Sumner Grave - Mount Auburn Cemetery

City of Cambridge to Lift Remaining COVID-19 Restrictions Along with the Commonwealth
on Saturday, May 29, 2021; Eviction Moratorium to End on June 15, 2021

May 21, 2021 – The City of Cambridge today announced that, with the Commonwealth's State of Emergency ending on June 15, 2021, and the significant improvements in public health metrics, it will align with the Commonwealth in lifting the City’s remaining COVID-19 restrictions on Saturday, May 29, 2021 and will rescind its March 19, 2020 Declaration of Public Health Emergency in Cambridge effective June 15, 2021. Due to the rescission of the City’s Declaration of Public Health Emergency, the City’s Temporary Eviction Moratorium as amended on July 23, 2020 will also be rescinded, effective June 15, 2021. City Seal

“Our data driven interventions were designed to get us to this point of turning a corner on the pandemic and beginning to establish a new normal,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “Cambridge’s 7-day moving average of cases per 100,000 residents is currently under 3 cases. Our percent positivity for COVID-19 tests is 0.11%, and 68% of our residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine. These numbers reflect the hard work that we have collectively engaged in over the past year. I want to thank our residents and businesses for their sacrifices and our staff for their dedication. I look forward to our community moving forward safely and furthering its recovery from the impacts of this global pandemic.”

“Cambridge residents have demonstrated their resilience over the past 15 months of this pandemic, and our low case rate together with strong vaccination rates is testament to that. I am pleased that we are able to celebrate this milestone as we move forward. I urge everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated, and remind residents that they may still wear a mask if they choose,” said Claude A. Jacob, Chief Public Health Officer.

Effective May 29, the City of Cambridge will follow the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s new face-covering advisory consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated guidance, and will not require the use of face masks in Cambridge. However, residents are encouraged to follow the Massachusetts and CDC recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated people, and businesses are reminded that they may continue to require the use of face masks inside their establishments if they wish.

“While I am delighted that Cambridge's vaccination rates are high and that our case numbers continue to decline, we must remain vigilant. I strongly recommend that unvaccinated youth continue wearing masks when participating in sports and when outdoors and unable to be at least 6' apart from one another. This important mitigation practice should be continued at least until the public health emergency is lifted on June 15, and I ask that all parents, caregivers, coaches, and teachers encourage unvaccinated youth to continue wearing masks until that time,” said Assaad J. Sayah, M.D., Commissioner of Public Health.

All residents are encouraged to get vaccinated and are reminded that the City of Cambridge provides free COVID-19 testing at various sites across the city. Appointments and additional information about the testing program are available at www.cambridgema.gov/testing.

For more information and regular COVID-19 updates, visit www.cambridgema.gov/covid19 to sign up for daily City email updates.

May 9, 2021 – October is National Sarcastic Awareness Month and, in particular, October 1 is generally recognized as National Sarcasm Day. However, some things just can't wait, so....

Happy Birthing Persons Day!

Recycling Updates - May 10, 2021

Curbside Compost Is Back!

We're excited that curbside compost is back starting May 17. Let friends and neighbors know, and encourage them to (re)start composting.

Request a kitchen bin and/or a curbside cart.
Special compost bag giveaway this week. (See Events Section below)
What to compost, tips, and a list of stores selling compost bags.

We look forward to seeing those green carts at the curb!

What happens to collected food scraps?

Food waste collected by the City is sent to Greater Lawrence Sanitary District (GLSD) to be recycled into clean energy using a process called Anaerobic Digestion. There have been questions about whether this is the right option environmentally. Fortunately, the US EPA commissioned an environmental assessment on the process! On April 23, the EPA and an independent consultant joined Recycling Director Mike Orr to discuss their findings. Watch the presentation here (fast-forward to 1:31:30).

In short, they concluded that both composting and anaerobic digestion are better than landfilling or incinerating food waste (Of course!). Going a bit deeper, the EPA found that anaerobic digestion at GLSD is a higher and better use for fighting climate change than traditional compost. Read about the EPA lifecycle assessment here. Cambridge is one of many urban areas using anaerobic digestion for food waste recycling. New York City, Los Angeles, Oakland, and other urban areas recycle food waste into energy at a facility like GLSD.

Rehash It, Don't Trash It

Learn about…Coffee Grounds & Strawberry Tops!
The May Rehash It, Don't Trash It newsletter features innovative ways to reuse, reduce, or repurpose food. It is written by the Recycling Advisory Committee (RAC), a volunteer group of residents and local waste experts, appointed by the City Manager to support and advise the City on waste diversion.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Day: June 12

The next HHW day is Saturday June 12, 9am-1pm at 65 Waverly Street. For directions, what to bring, and COVID-19 protocol info please visit our website. If, after reviewing the HHW website, you are having trouble identifying the proper disposal method, email us. More than 10% of visitors at HHW days bring the wrong items.

Last Chance for Discounted Rain Barrels

Residents have until May 18 to purchase a rain barrel for a discount of $69. After ordering, residents will be able to pick it up on Tuesday May 25 from 4:00-7:00pm at the DPW's 50 Mooney St site. To order, see here. There are several benefits to rain barrels. Capturing rainwater reduces runoff, lowers municipal water demands, saves energy at treatment plants, and improves residential stormwater management.

Recycle Center Open Tuesdays & Saturdays

The Recycle Center at DPW is open Tuesdays (4-7:30pm) & Saturdays (9am-4pm). Visit our website to learn how to sort waste before visiting us.

Reduce & Reuse Tips

Tip #1: Drop-off Your Plastic Can Carrier for Special Recycling.
Can Carriers You may have seen this new type of the can carrier (see photo). Unfortunately, these items aren't recyclable curbside. Fortunately, Lamplighter Brewery in The Port will now accept these items for special recycling. See here to learn more.

Tip #2: Reduce Waste By Refilling.
The Zero Waste movement is rapidly growing in the US. As a result, various businesses are introducing models to help consumers reduce their waste. Fortunately, there are two businesses doing this in Cambridge! Cleenland in Central Square and Good Filling in East Cambridge offer refilling of detergent, cleaning supplies and more and other low/zero waste alternatives.

Upcoming Dates

Compost Bag Giveaways-- 10am-4pm

Mon, 5/10: Danehy Park (New Street parking lot)
Tues, 5/11: Moore Youth Center (12 Gilmore St)
Wed, 5/12: Cambridge Public Works (147 Hampshire St)
Thurs, 5/13: Kennedy-Longfellow School (104 Fulkerson St)
Fri, 5/14: Peabody School (across from 62 Haskell St; walk down driveway behind the school)

Other: Recycle

Sat, 5/22: Free Paper Shredding Day, City Hall.
Sat, 6/12: Household Hazardous Waste Day, 65 Waverly Street.

If you know of any other waste-related events, email us so we may broadcast!

What Are We Reading?

How Cities Are Turning Food Into Fuel Politico

Let’s Talk about Plastic: Are My Take-Out Containers All Trash? RecycleSmartMA

Minimize Food Waste In Your Kitchen With Tips, Recipes From Chef Kathy Gunst WBUR

This giant roofing company just figured out how to recycle shingles FastCompany

Main Library reopens with Library Express Services on June 2

May 4, 2021 – The Cambridge Public Library will reopen the Main Library building for Library Express services, including limited browsing, on Wed, June 2, 2021. During this new phase of library service in Cambridge, you may visit the Main Library to check out holds, browse for additional items, and get quick assistance from staff. Cambridge Public Library

To ensure the safety of everyone, Library Express will launch by appointment only. Building capacity, visit length, and available services will initially be very limited. You will be able to browse the ground and first floor collections and curated selections from closed floors and zones. You may book your appointment for timed entry up to one week in advance starting May 26. More information about Library Express, including service hours, will be available closer to the start of Library Express service.

In accordance with the City of Cambridge’s emergency face covering order, you must wear a mask to enter the library if you are over age 5, regardless of vaccination status. We encourage your children ages 2-5 to wear masks as well. If you are unable to wear a mask for a medical reason, contact Library Administration at 617-349-4032 to discuss how to safely access library services. The last day for contactless holds pickup service at the Main Library will be Saturday, May 29, to allow us to prepare for the resumption of in-library services. If you are not yet comfortable entering library buildings, you may continue to enjoy contactless pickup at Boudreau Branch, Central Square Branch, O’Neill Branch, and Valente Branch. You may contact the Library ay 617-349-4040 to ask that your holds be sent to a location offering contactless pickup.

Featured recent stories in the Cambridge Chronicle (the paper of record) - with some comments:

Percentage of Subsidized Housing Units (not including group quarters)

MAPC Study: 435,000 new housing units needed by 2040

Related: Some local Cambridge results from the 2020 Census (as reported by Community Development Dept.)

Members Sought for Cambridge Citizens’ Committee on Civic Unity

City of Cambridge Issues Emergency Order Requiring Use of Face Masks in Indoor Public Places, Effective September 3, 2021

City of Cambridge Expands Free COVID-19 Testing to Four Days per Week Beginning September 8, 2021

Cambridge to Launch Free Small Business Compost Pilot

Ballots and Recreation

Move-out Season Is Here!

Rehash It, Don't Trash It

Textiles Recovery Program in Cambridge

Next Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Day: 8/21/21

Reduce & Reuse Tips

Upcoming Dates

What Are We Reading?

Christine Elow Named Acting Police Commissioner of Cambridge Police Department

City of Cambridge to Require Masks for all Employees and Visitors in Municipal Buildings Beginning Monday, August 23, 2021

Under the Pains and Penalties of Perjury

Member Sought to Fill Vacancy on Cambridge’s Family Policy Council (officially known as Coordinating Council for Children, Youth and Families, previously as the “Kids Council”)

City of Cambridge to Open Cooling Center for Residents during Extreme Heat Event

The Cambridge Redevelopment Authority is seeking volunteers for a Strategic Advisory Group! Deadline Extended for CRA's Strategic Advisory Group applications

Members Sought for Cambridge Biosafety Committee

Street Performer Program Relaunches

Down the road a bit - Growing rumblings of the 2021 municipal election year

Citizen Effort Leads to New Park in East Cambridge After Decades of Work

Cambridge Man Arrested and Charged Following Animal Cruelty Investigation

2021 Municipal Election: Nomination Papers

Statement by Cambridge City Councillor Tim Toomey On Decision Not to Seek Re-Election – June 28, 2021

New York State of Mind - Part 2

Revolution for Me but not for Thee

City of Cambridge Reopening Details and Timeline for City Buildings

Cambridge Public Library Announces Further Reopening Plans for all Locations

Cambridge Community Preservation Act Committee Seeks Project Requests for funding in areas of Housing, Historic Preservation, and Open Space and Recreation

Cambridge-Northeastern Police Academy Graduates Third Class; 10 New Officers to Join Cambridge Police Department

New York State of Mind

Register for Resilient Cambridge Plan Virtual Public Meeting on June 17

Submit Your Cambridge Improvement Project Ideas, June 1- July 31 for City's Participatory Budgeting Process

Featured recent stories in the Cambridge Chronicle (the paper of record) - with some comments:

Learn More About the Cambridge Police Cadet Program; Virtual Information Session to be Held on June 9th

License Commission Extends Covid-19 Recovery Measures

Members Sought for City of Cambridge Planning Board

There must be something magical going on here

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Saturday June 12

City of Cambridge to Lift Remaining COVID-19 Restrictions Along with the Commonwealth on Saturday, May 29, 2021; Eviction Moratorium to End on June 15, 2021

Happy Birthing Persons Day!

Recycling Updates - May 10, 2021

Curbside Compost Is Back!

What happens to collected food scraps?

Rehash It, Don't Trash It

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Day: June 12

Last Chance for Discounted Rain Barrels

Recycle Center Open Tuesdays & Saturdays﻿

Reduce & Reuse Tips

Upcoming Dates

What Are We Reading?

Main Library reopens with Library Express Services on June 2

**Featured recent stories in the Cambridge Chronicle (the paper of record) - with some comments:**

City of Cambridge Issues Emergency Order Requiring Use of Face Masks
in Indoor Public Places, Effective September 3, 2021

City of Cambridge to Require Masks for all Employees and Visitors
in Municipal Buildings Beginning Monday, August 23, 2021

Member Sought to Fill Vacancy on Cambridge’s Family Policy Council
(officially known as Coordinating Council for Children, Youth and Families, previously as the “Kids Council”)

The Cambridge Redevelopment Authority is seeking volunteers for a Strategic Advisory Group!
Deadline Extended for CRA's Strategic Advisory Group applications

Statement by Cambridge City Councillor Tim Toomey
On Decision Not to Seek Re-Election – June 28, 2021

**Featured recent stories in the Cambridge Chronicle (the paper of record) - with some comments:**

City of Cambridge to Lift Remaining COVID-19 Restrictions Along with the Commonwealth
on Saturday, May 29, 2021; Eviction Moratorium to End on June 15, 2021

Recycle Center Open Tuesdays & Saturdays