2011 CCJ Notes
[items moved from main page]

Dec 25 - How would you elect a mayor?

In Cambridge, the Mayor is the Chair of the City Council and of the School Committee. This is not a popularly elected mayor, but over the years some have suggested that it should be. Often missing from the conversation is the question of how such a popular election would take place in the context of a Plan E Charter, proportional representation elections for City Council and School Committee, and a city manager form of government.

One suggestion that has been made is that without changing the Charter, the City Council could factor into their decision what the actual City Council ballots might have to say regarding the "popular choice" for who should be chosen as mayor. This is only a simulation and must be understood with the caveat that voters might vote differently if they knew that their City Council vote might also be used to elect the mayor. That said, here's what the ballots have to say for the 1997 through 2011 City Council elections and what actually happened in the City Council vote for mayor for each of these mayoral elections:  Instant Runoff simulations for choosing a Mayor: 1997 to 2011

Comments?

Presidential ambitions, anyone?
The last day for submission of presidential candidates' nomination papers to the Registrars of Voters for certification of signatures is Friday, December 23rd. The Cambridge Election Commission will be open on Friday, December 23rd from 8:30am to 5:00pm.

Voter Registration and Absentee Ballots for Special State Election

Dec 14 - The Special State Election to fill the position of State Senator for Second Suffolk and Middlesex Senate Districts will be held on Tues, Jan 10, 2012 for Ward 9, Precincts 2 & 3; Ward 10, Precincts 1 & 3; and all of Ward 11. For Cambridge residents not already registered, the last day to register to vote is Wed, Dec 21, 2011 until 8:00pm. The polls will be open on Election Day from 7:00am until 8:00pm.

Please contact the Cambridge Election Commission office to find out when the Absentee Ballots will be available. Any voter who is unable to go to the polls on Election Day due to physical disability, religious belief, or absence from the City may request an Absentee Ballot from the Commission. The deadline to apply for an Absentee Ballot is Mon, Jan 9, 2012 at Noon. Absentee Ballots may be mailed to voters, or such voters may choose to vote at the Commission office during regular city office hours: Mon, 8:30am-8:00pm; Tues-Thurs, 8:30am-5:00pm; Fri, 8:30am-Noon.

For any additional information, please visit the Cambridge Election Commission office at 51 Inman Street, 1st Floor, call (617-349-4361) or visit our website at www.cambridgema.gov/election.

Polling Locations:
9-2 - NATIONAL GUARD ARMORY 450 Concord Avenue, Classroom
9-3 - HAGGERTY SCHOOL, 110 Cushing Street, Gym, Lawn Street Entrance
10-1 - RUSSELL APARTMENTS (Senior Citizen Apartments) 2050 Massachusetts Avenue
10-3 - CADBURY COMMONS 66 Sherman Street
11-1 - JEFFERSON PARK COMMUNITY CENTER BUILDING, 1 Jackson Place
11-2 - PEABODY SCHOOL GYM 70-R Rindge Avenue
11-3 - BURNS APARTMENTS 50 Churchill Avenue, Community Room

Note: There are no other candidates except the Democratic Party nominee, Will Brownsberger.

Democratic Primary Results: 2nd Suffolk & Middlesex State Senate District (Dec 13, 2011)

Also posted at: http://cambridgecivic.com/?p=1723

Fun Fact: Leland Cheung and Craig Kelley both live in Will Brownsberger's House district (soon be vacated when Will ascends to the Senate). Either of them could now run for the vacant House seat in the Special Election that may soon be scheduled. However, when the new House districts go into effect for the next full term, they will both live outside of that district (Cheung and Kelley will be in Hecht's district). Also, Cheung may not yet have lived long enough at his current address to be eligible.

Fri, Dec 9 - Cambridge is mourning the Grove Street murders of three people - Cambridge residents and relatives - and the suicide of a fourth resident who committed the murders. Police have identified the murderer as John Brosnahan of 161 Grove St. (where the murders took place). He later took his own life on the banks of the Charles River in Brighton. The reported victims are his mother-in-law (Mary Pizzuto) and two brothers-in-law (Patrick Pizzuto and Robert Pizzuto). This family has deep roots in Cambridge. Those reported as killed are among those noted in the following obituary of the senior Patrick Pizzuto who died last year on July 4, 2010.

Patrick S. Pizzuto - In his 90th year of Cambridge July 4, 2010. Beloved husband of 68 years to Mary A. (Ferolito) Pizzuto. Devoted father of Maryann Brosnahan and husband John (Brosnahan) of Cambridge, Patrick P. (Pizzuto) and wife Joanne of Lexington, Robert (Pizzuto) and wife Libby of Arlington. Loving grandfather of Cheryl Varallo, John Brosnahan, Debra Smith, Anne Boyle, Jill Pizzuto, Robert Jr, and Patrick Pizzuto. Also survived by 8 Great Grandchildren. Brother of Sarah Falese and the late Michael & Thomas Guzzetti, Josephine Miceli, Caroline Grasso, Lucy, Anthony & Mary Pizzuto. ... Late owner of Pat's Fruit Store and Waltham Fruit Company. Mr. Pizzuto was a founding member of Santa Lucia Society in Cambridge as well as an officer, President and Treasurer for over 50 years. Lifetime Member of the Watertown Elks Lodge and member of Dante Alighieri Society of Cambridge. [Published in The Boston Globe from July 6 to July 7, 2010]

Dec 8, 2011 - State shelves commuter rail proposal through Cambridge for now (Boston Globe)
The Tim Murray Express won't be rolling into town along the Grand Junction any time soon. Apparently South Station may see some increased track capacity - possibly as part of future plans for the South Boston Postal Annex parcel. [Did I really just put parcel and postal into the same phrase?]

Dec 2, 2011- For the election nerds out there, here's a histogram of the age distribution of people who voted in the recent Cambridge municipal election:

Here's the same histogram for the 2009 municipal election:

And then there are these glorious charts from Tom Stohlman:

Note: The School Committee's Roundtable on Academic Challenge takes place on Tuesday, Nov 29 at 6pm at the Cambridge Main Public Library Community Room. There will be no public comment and the meeting will not be televised or recorded, but it is open to the public.

Also, the agenda for the Dec 6 School Committee meeting includes a presentation by Nancy Brigham Associates on their evaluation of CPS's Intensive Studies Program (ISP). The Dec 20 School Committee meeting includes a vote on the Academic Challenge Recommendations. Both of these meetings commence at 6:00pm in the Sullivan Chamber at City Hall.

Dec 1, 2011 - I am a huge fan of the Cambridge Police, but tonight I met the exception. There was a detail cop managing traffic at the intersection of Broadway and Ellery Street who signaled for traffic to stop. I was heading toward Harvard on Broadway and stopped when he signaled. He turns around and sees me and, provoked only by the fact that I was on a bicycle (and obeying all the laws, by the way), he started shouting at me - just to show me who's the boss.

I looked at him, bewildered, and then just mockingly saluted him and said, "Yes, Sir!" This only made him angrier and he provokingly marched toward me. All this time, he has all cars and all pedestrians in all directions stopped just waiting for what he's going to do. I ask him his name and he refuses and starts walking away saying, "You're an asshole. A fucking asshole."

So, Cambridge Police officials, who was that fine gentleman in blue who was doing a detail at around 6:30pm on Thurs, Dec 1 at Broadway and Ellery? I would like to speak with Commissioner Haas about him and ask whether such an arrogant sociopath should be getting paid detail work or, for that matter, whether he should even be a member of the Cambridge Police Department. - RW

Thanksgiving 2011 - Though the new Cambridge tradition may be self-flagellation on Thanksgiving over the transgressions of European invaders against the native peoples of America, I would like to take a more traditional approach and express thanks for those things for which I am very grateful. Among these are the following:

• I am, most of all, thankful to be sufficiently strong and healthy to be able to walk and hike and bike as I please.
• I am grateful to share a happy home with Renée with a roof over our heads and working utilities.
• I am grateful for all the friends I have known over the years.
• I am grateful that I am able to provide affordable housing for 9 people (including 3 wonderful babies) in my Cambridge triple-decker.
• I am thankful to be teaching a mathematics class to 26 magnificent MIT students who inspire me with their questions and insights.
• I am thankful to be teaching a mathematics class to over 80 students at the Harvard Extension School, a group that includes 50 high school students from the greater Boston area, including some of the highest achieving students from Lexington HS, Belmont HS, and elsewhere.
• I am grateful for the inspiring leaders and fellow Board members of the Middlesex Canal Association who have maintained their energy and intellect and creativity well into their 80s and 90s.
• I am grateful to have known neighbors like Floyd Freeman who is still playing piano, going for long walks, and telling stories at the age of 96.
• I am grateful to live in a city where citizens like me can play an active role in creating or promoting initiatives such as recycling, composting, education about the city's infrastructure, well-functioning election systems, Central Square improvements, and appreciation for the long and storied history of Cambridge.
• I am grateful to live in a time when a person like me can freely express his thoughts in a forum like this that is accessible to anyone, anywhere without the intervention of governments or repressive people. - Robert Winters

What are you thankful for?

Official Final Cambridge Election Results (Nov 18): [Comments HERE]

For City Council, the winners were (in order of election):
Leland Cheung, Tim Toomey, David Maher, Henrietta Davis, Denise Simmons, Craig Kelley, Marjorie Decker, Minka vanBeuzekom, and Kenneth Reeves.

For School Committee, the winners were (in order of election):
Fred Fantini, Patty Nolan, Alice Turkel, Mervan Osborne, Richard Harding, and Marc McGovern.

Complete City Council and School Committee Official Final Results and Extras
(PDF includes Counts with transfers, Ward/Precinct #1 votes, #2 vote distribution for all candidates, and number of rankings)

Spreadsheets of City Council and School Committee Official Final Results and Extras
(Excel file includes Counts with transfers, Ward/Precinct #1 votes, #2 vote distribution for all candidates, and number of rankings)

Round-by-Round Official Final City Council Results (HTML)

Round-by-Round Official Final School Committee Results (HTML)

Official Final City Council #1 Vote Distribution by Ward/Precinct (PDF)

Official Final School Committee #1 Vote Distribution by Ward/Precinct (PDF)

2011 Cambridge Municipal Election Fun Facts (this will grow):

1) Tim Toomey received the #1 vote on 53.5% of all ballots in Ward 1 (61.2% in Ward 1, Precinct 2) - by far the strongest neighborhood base among all candidates..

2) The overall City Council election quota is 10% of all valid ballots. Leland Cheung exceeded this percentage in all precincts across the city except 1-2, 1-3, 2-1, 3-1, 3-3, and 11-1.

3) The highest precinct turnout was in Ward 11, Precinct 3 with 886 voters. The lowest precinct turnout was Ward 2, Precinct 2 with 30 voters.

4) The highest ward turnout was Ward 9 with 2,336 voters. The lowest ward turnout was Ward 2 with 592 voters. The total number of voters (official) was 15,971.

5) Leland Cheung went from the fewest #1 votes among those elected in 2009 to the most #1 votes in 2011.

6) Though campaign finance figures will continue to come in for the recent election, the current (through Nov 15) totals indicate that Craig Kelley spent only $5899.54 and received 1098 #1 votes. That's only $5.37 per #1 vote - a remarkable achievement. At the other extreme, among those elected, is Marjorie Decker at $46.34 per #1 vote, followed by Kenneth Reeves at $39.34 per #1 vote. These figures will rise as all the bills get paid. A table of all candidates is available at http://cambridgecivic.com/?p=1366.

7) Nancy Tauber will succeed any of the six members of the School Committee should any member leave office during the next term (based on the quota of ballots that elected each of them).

8) Sam Seidel will succeed any of eight city councillors should one of them leave office during the next term (based on the quota of ballots that elected each of them). The only exception is Kenneth Reeves who would be replaced by Larry Ward.

Nov 15 - Tonight I attended the book release gathering at the Cambridge Main Library for "From the Heart of Cambridge - A Neighborhood Portrait". This is an oral history of my neighborhood, Mid-Cambridge, and it's a great book about so many of the people I have known here over the past three decades.

The best parts are the stories from the people who have been here far longer than I have, especially my dear friend Floyd Freeman who now lives in Michigan after his house burned down several years ago and who is still going strong at the age of 96.

The book tells the stories of 90 people and their families and friends. It is available for sale at Porter Square Books, the Harvard Book Store, The Coop, Rodney's Bookstore, and directly from the Longfellow Neighborhood Council. All profits go to support the Longfellow Neighborhood Council and Community School. - Robert Winters

Tues, Nov 8 - Better late than never...... I co-hosted a live TV broadcast of the PR Election Count tonight with Susana Segat at the Cambridge Senior Center. Except for a few minutes of unpleasantness, it was actually lots of fun.

Traffic Report: Through Election Day, the Candidate Pages had a total of:
3,774 unique visitors
More than 16,237 candidate pages viewed just on Election Day.
33,546 pages viewed during Nov 1 - Nov 8.
44,842 pages viewed for October-November (so far)….
The Candidate Pages consisted entirely of the words of the candidates - no endorsements, no opinions of the editor of these pages. The fact that so many Cambridge residents took advantage of this resource to learn about the candidates before voting speaks volumes about the voters of Cambridge. - Robert Winters

Traffic Report: As of 9:30am on the morning of Election Day, the Candidate Pages had:
2,374 unique visitors so far in November (actually about 5/minute right now)
3,712 candidate pages viewed just this morning.
19,992 pages viewed in the last week.
31,288 pages viewed for October-November (so far)….

Split in Two - The proposed Congressional Districts for Cambridge

The new maps for the U.S. Congressional Districts will split Cambridge into two different districts:

Cambridge Candidate Pages - Photos and profiles of all the Cambridge candidates
Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Share your thoughtful comments:

2011 Cambridge Municipal Election – City Council Candidates

2011 Cambridge Municipal Election – School Committee Candidates

Proposed State Senate Districts for Cambridge

Proposed State Representative Districts for Cambridge

Sunday, Nov 20. My research of the 2011 Cambridge ballot data continues. If anyone has any specific requests for reports (and if I am capable of producing them), please let me know what you'd like to see. As this is Sunday, I was considering not doing any of this today in recognition of the following clause from the original law regarding Plan E elections:

Chapter 54A. §9. Rules for counting ballots, and determining results. Ballots cast under proportional representation shall be counted and the results determined under the supervision of the director of the count appointed pursuant to section six, according to the following rules:-
(t) No canvass or count of the vote shall be made on the Lord's day. Added St.1938, c. 341, §1, as amended St. 1950, c.28.

As this Chapter of the Mass. General Laws was repealed in 1972, I shall continue with the examination of the ballots. - RW

Nov 18, 2011 - There is much to say about the upcoming City Council meeting on Monday, including numerous Planning Board reports on recently filed zoning petitions. A longer list and commentary will follow in the next day or two. One noteworthy item is the announcement from City Manager Robert Healy that City Solicitor Don Drisdell will be retiring in January. Don has been with the City for a long time, including many years as Deputy City Solicitor before he was appointed as Solicitor in Dec 2002. Nancy Glowa will succeed Don as Acting City Solicitor, effective Jan 20, 2012.

One of the most striking aspects of the upcoming City Manager's Agenda is that of the 68 matters listing as "Awaiting Report", there are responses for 29 of them. This points to the possibility of a very long meeting.

Oct 26, 2011 - The "Random Draw of Precincts" took place today (Oct 26) at the Cambridge Election Commission. This determines the order in which ballots from precincts throughout the city are counted in the election. Though this has a relatively minor effect on the tabulation of the ballots (because of the "Cincinnati Method" used to transfer surplus ballots), it can potentially make a difference in a very close election. Here's the ordering determined by lottery (read down the columns):

Boston Celebrates Opening of Aqueduct: October 25, 1848

ON THIS DAY...

...in 1848, 300,000 people from all over New England gathered on Boston Common. They came to celebrate the completion of the city's first municipal water system. With the construction of an aqueduct that brought fresh water 15 miles from Lake Cochituate in Natick to Boston, the city for the first time had a pure supply of water for drinking, bathing, cooking, and cleaning. As the sun set, the gates to the fountain in Frog Pond were opened and a stream of clean water shot 80 feet in the air. People cheered and wept with joy. The celebration continued the next day, when the mayor announced that schools would close so that the city's children could play in the Frog Pond fountain.

Listen to this moment: http://www.massmoments.org/audio/October251%2Em3u

Read more about this moment: http://www.massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=308

Visit Mass Moments to search past moments: http://www.massmoments.org

Random Notes on the Current Municipal Election Season (Sept 6, 2011)

1) The long-standing Cambridge tradition is that the municipal election season really begins after Labor Day, so it has now officially begun. This is not to say that candidates have not been campaigning all along. Indeed, several of them never stopped campaigning after the 2009 election. All candidates are listed on the Cambridge Candidates Pages.

2) We have already seen one City Council Candidates Forum - last Wednesday, August 31 at the Cambridge Senior Center. Of the 18 City Council candidates, 14 participated. 4 incumbents (Councillors Kelley, Reeves, and Toomey and Mayor Maher) bypassed the event. It is perhaps unfortunate that Councillor Kelley missed the event since most of the questions and responses seemed geared toward Kelley's political base - those with an irrational animosity toward City Manager Robert Healy. We'll have to see whether that sentiment is enough to elect two Kelley-like councillors or if it merely results in splitting Kelley's votes. In any case, it seems like a rather poor campaign strategy by several challengers to run campaigns based on negativity in a Cambridge-style election. On the Manager-related questions at the forum, especially those relating to the Monteiro case, the incumbents held their own and made abundantly clear that there have been matters discussed in executive session that were not generally known to the public. Nonetheless, there were some single-minded and obsessive audience members who were convinced that they knew everything. Even worse, several of the candidates are clearly playing to that crowd.

3) At the Aug 31 forum, I managed to slip in one of my favorite questions - one not related to the obsessions of some regarding the City Manager. I asked how, as a city councillor, they would ideally allocate the funds associated with the Community Preservation Act (CPA). The three fundable categories are affordable housing, open space acquisition, and historic preservation, and each must receive a minimum of 10% of the total allocation. Since the adoption of the CPA ten years ago, the CPA committee has recommended an 80-10-10% split and the City Council has approved this allocation every year. In the early years, the general consensus was that the maximum 80% should be allocated toward housing, but there have been indications since then that the general public might now prefer shifting some of the allocation toward the other two categories. The political establishment, however, never budges from the 80-10-10% split. Here's how the candidates responded:
Keep the 80-10-10%:  Davis, Moree, Nelson, Seidel, Simmons, vanBeuzekom, Ward, Williamson
Shift to 70-20-10%:  Marquardt, Mello
No Response:  Cheung, Decker (publicly supports 80-10-10%), Pascual, Stohlman
Absent:  Kelley, Maher, Reeves, Toomey

4) Candidate Forums should ideally be about the candidates, and forum organizers should dedicate themselves to the public service of connecting the candidates and the potential voters. This is absolutely the wrong venue for forum organizers to carry out their own personal agendas or to engage in their own self-promotion. There will be other forums this campaign season, and I hope the organizers can put aside their own biases as they plan these events. A Calendar of Events is posted.

5) In the rumor mill, I have heard from several candidates that with the impending retirement of City Clerk D. Margaret Drury at the end of this year, City Councillor Denise Simmons may seek appointment to the position. Though it's not clear that she would get the necessary 5 votes, such a move would require the resignation of her Council seat (assuming she is reelected). It is also not yet clear whether the current City Council or the one inaugurated in January will vote on the successor. This rumor has been flying around for months and one would hope that it will not influence how voters cast their ballots in the November election. Nonetheless, it cannot go forever unreported.

The City Council officially gets to hire only 3 positions according to the City Charter - the City Manager, the City Clerk, and the City Auditor. Though not stated in the Charter, the City Council also apparently approves the Deputy City Clerk and, quite unofficially, individual councillors get to choose their own "personal aides". The current terms of the 3 positions hired under the Charter are:
City Manager: Robert Healy (serves "at the pleasure of the City Council", though he has a contract that extends until Sept 30, 2012).
City Clerk: D. Margaret Drury (reappointed June 1, 2010 for term extending through May 31, 2013 though retirement will reportedly shorten the term at the end of this year).
City Auditor: James Monagle (reappointed June 1, 2010 for term extending through May 31, 2013).

6) Yard signs are starting to sprout up around Cambridge. Seen so far:
City Council: Minka vanBeuzekom, Denise Simmons, Matt Nelson (many more to follow)
School Committee: Joyce Gerber, Marc McGovern (many more to follow)

Attention Candidates! - Now that the roster of candidates for this November's municipal election is all set (Candidate Pages), the next step is to gather photos and information from all the candidates. A more formal request will go out soon, but submissions are welcome now. This includes:

a) Photos for the gallery and your individual candidate page.

b) Contact information, websites, Twitter and Facebook pages, where to send donations, etc.

c) Background information so that voters may be introduced to you or get to know you better.

d) Suggestions for topics on which all candidates will be asked to submit statements.

Look over the existing pages for 2011 and previous years (see links at bottom of the Candidate Pages) and send whatever you wish to Robert@rwinters.com or by mail to 366 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139. All of the information provided is very helpful to voters, journalists, and organizers of candidate forums and similar events. Don't delay! - Robert Winters

July 26 - Candidate Forums? [Schedule of Candidate Forums and Events - please add to this Calendar]
Monday, August 1 is the deadline for candidates in the municipal election to submit nomination signatures. After that we'll know who will be on the ballot for this year's Cambridge City Council and School Committee elections. The next phase will be a variety of candidate forums hosted by neighborhood associations and other interest groups. There will also be questionnaires from a variety of endorsing organizations, some of which have already been sent to candidates.

I have a few suggestions for this year's candidate forums.

1) Scheduling conflicts are a real problem for candidates, so how about sponsoring organizations teaming up to host joint candidate forums? Ideally there might be one neighborhood-focused forum per zip code plus a few issue-specific forums such as the environment/energy focused one usually hosted by Cambridge Green Decade. I would suggest a Central Square/Area Four/Cambridgeport/Riverside forum (02139), an East Cambridge/Kendall Square forum (02141), a joint Mid-Cambridge/Agassiz forum (02138 east), a West Cambridge forum (02138 west), and a North Cambridge forum (02140). There could be separate School Committee forums if desired.

2) Let's keep a common schedule of all candidate forums and events posted on or linked from the various media outlets. I'd be happy to get it started - send dates and details to Robert@rwinters.com and I'll post the information on the CCJ Forum.

3) There will, of course, also be the Cambridge Candidate Pages for candidates to submit what they wish - from basic contact information to a treatise on municipal government. Cambridge Community Television (CCTV) will also at some point post video statements from all participating candidates. - RW

Aug 1, 5:00pm update - FINAL - Nomination Papers for Cambridge City Council and School Committee
More details at http://rwinters.com/vote/2011calendar.htm or http://vote.rwinters.com or http://vote.cambridgecivic.com or http://cambridgecivic.com/?p=1378.

The following candidates failed to submit sufficient nominating signatures to qualify for the ballot:
City Council: Randy Fenstermacher, Michael Andelman, Charles McNeill.
The deadline for submitting signatures was Monday, August 1, 5:00pm.

The Candidates

* Signatures are only unofficially certified by staff in the Election Commission office. Actual certification does not take place until August when the Election Commissioners vote to certify candidates.    2011 Cambridge Municipal Election Calendar

Comments on this year's crop of candidates?

2011 Cambridge Municipal Election Calendar

Regular Election Commission Office Hours: (Unless otherwise indicated)
Mondays: 8:30am to 8:00pm
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays: 8:30am to 5:00pm
Fridays: 8:30am to Noon

Holidays: The Election Commission will be closed for the following holidays:
Independence Day - Monday, July 4th
Labor Day - Monday, September 5th
Columbus Day - Monday, October 10th

Printable copy of 2011 Municipal Election Calendar

2011 City Council and School Committee Candidates – Campaign Finance Reports

Late August: Hurricane Irene may be on the way, but if Stormy Weather is coming I'll take Hurricane Lena...

Aug 19 News:

According to a "tweet" from a Boston Globe reporter, the City of Cambridge has apparently agreed to pay the money dictated by the jury in the Monteiro v. City of Cambridge verdict plus associated costs which may total in the neighborhood of $8-10 million.

This morning's Special Meeting of the City Council which went into Executive Session on this matter was a carnival of hostility from the anti-Healy cult, a.k.a. the "Association of Cambridge Neighborhoods" (which represents no one but themselves). A local blog characterized them simply as "residents", yet they were the only residents there (besides me and a Council challenger). The vote to go into Executive Session was 5-2-2 with Councillor Kelley and the ever-sheepish Councillor Seidel voting No, and Councillors Reeves and Davis Absent. Though this vote was just a formality, it brought out the wrath of the assembled necktie party. My favorite quote was from a now-former City Council candidate who objected to Councillor Decker's vote to go into Executive Session, saying "Did you see her comments in the paper? She makes me sick!" This should be an interesting municipal election season. This same now-former candidate also said, facetiously, "Where is Councillor Reeves, the champion of civil rights?" My guess is that he was at the funeral of long-time friend Zelma O. Evelyn at St. Paul's AME Church.

There is much that can be said of the history of this case, but that will have to wait until another day after the vultures have flown off in search of new carrion. - Robert Winters

Statement from the City Manager:

On August 15, 2011 the Massachusetts Appeals Court released its decision in the Monterio Case upholding the jury's verdict. I am very disappointed with this decision and maintain that the City did not retaliate against Ms. Monteiro after having been found by an earlier jury not to have discriminated against her. I have reviewed the Appeals Court decision with legal counsel and informed the City Council this morning that I have decided not to pursue an appeal to the State Supreme Judicial Court in this 13 year old case. It is now time for the City to move forward and bring closure to this matter.

Over the years, I have planned for such a potential unfortunate outcome. The payment of this award will not affect the City's FY12 Tax levy. The judgment will be paid from the unreserved fund balance account.

Aug 18 News Items:

1) The City Council will vote to go into Executive Session this Friday, August 19 at 9:00am for the purpose of discussing the Massachusetts Appeals Court decision of August 15, 2011 No. 2010-P-1240 (Monteiro v. City of Cambridge). This meeting shall be subject to the Rules of the City Council as amended. No public comment. Meeting will not be televised.  (Sullivan Chamber)

2) Silvia Glick has withdrawn as a candidate for Cambridge City Council. This leaves 18 candidates for 9 City Council seats, and 11 candidates for 6 School Committee seats.
Official List of Candidates for the 2011 Cambridge Municipal Election (PDF, Aug 18 press release)

3) The Candidate Pages have been updated to reflect recent information.

Printable Flyer (PDF)

June 30: There is apparently one more meeting of the Mayor's Red Ribbon Commission on Central Square being held today (Thurs, June 30) from Noon to 2:00pm. This public meeting is NOT publicly posted anywhere on the City website. The only notice received was the following expertly crafted message from a Council "assistant":

"Hello, TOMMOROW OR TODAY, THURSDAY, JUNE,30TH,CITY HALL, SULLIVAN CHAMBERS, IMPORTANT!!! RED RIBBON COMMISSION MEETING, 12;00 TO 2;00, THE LAST IMPORTANT MEETING BEFORE THE SUMMER BREAK, KENNETH E. REEVES,ASKED THAT EVERONE MAKE AN EFFORT TO ATTENT!!! THANKS, JOHN"

Mon, June 20 - Cambridge Health Alliance CEO to lead RI system
Cambridge Health Alliance CEO Dennis D. Keefe will leave his post to become head of Care New England in Rhode Island, the health systems announced today. Read story

Voter Choice Local Option Proposal - CCJ Forum
What do you think of the proposal?

June 10 - The MIT/Forest City Petition to amend the Zoning Ordinance by extending the Cambridgeport Revitalization Development District from Green Street out to Massachusetts Avenue in the area adjacent to Blanche Street has been withdrawn. It is expected to be re-filed at a later date. [Record of all current and past Cambridge zoning petitions, Nov 1999 to present]

June 8 - It turns out that a section was inadvertantly omitted from both the City Manager's 2006 contract and 2009 contract. The correct language was in the 2002 contract. The Gov't Operations Committee voted to recommend that both the 2006 and 2009 contracts be amended to restore this paragraph as it was in the 2002 contract. The full City Council will next have to vote to approve these corrections. The missing section reads as follows:

Section 10. Indemnification
The City shall defend, save harmless, and indemnify the Manager against any tort, professional liability claim or demand or other legal action whether groundless or otherwise, arising out of an alleged act or omission in the Manager's performance of his duties as City Manager. Such provisions shall continue to be in effect after the expiration of employees contract. Manager shall be paid the hourly rate in existence at the end of his service for testimony or consultation by or on behalf of the City for such claims or actions.

Update: The changes were approved by the City Council at the June 20, 2011 meeting. The vote was 8-1 with only Councillor Kelley voting NO.

June 7 - The Gilded Age - The latest campaign finance figures for this year's expected City Council candidates show that Henrietta Davis leads the pack with $32,673 raised so far, followed by Leland Cheung at $23,028, David Maher at $16,700, and Ken Reeves at $14,349. At the low end (among incumbents), Sam Seidel has raised $97 and Craig Kelley $275. So far, there are few visible signs that there's even a municipal election this year.

On the expenditure side, it's Ken Reeves at the top with $11,022 spent so far this year, followed by Leland Cheung at $9,161, Henrietta Davis at $6,222, Tim Toomey at $5,487, and David Maher at $4,189. At the low end (among incumbents), Craig Kelley has spent only $250 to date.

June 7 - I suppose it's only fair to compare how much money is involved in a a city councillor's political campaign with how much effort and time they dedicate to certain functions of their job, e.g. introducing Orders and Resolutions and, more importantly, showing up for City Council committee meetings. Here is the current "scoreboard" for the 2010-2011 City Council term:

City Council Scoreboard

The distribution of Orders and Resolutions by city councillors can provide insight into how they approach their job and how they spend their time and staff resources. (Orders with multiple sponsors count once in the totals.)

June 4 (evening) - The water pressure has returned for most of Cambridge after the major water main break at the corner of Broadway and Trowbridge Street. It's not yet clear what exactly failed - the 30 inch main, a coupling, or something else, but it wiped out the water pressure for much of Cambridge for several hours - especially in the eastern half of the city. We'll have to wait and see what the damage is to the new Main Library where the water flooded into the underground garage and, presumably, into at least some parts of the lower floors. They never lost power and had their pumps running, so hopefully much of the potential damage has been at least somewhat contained.

View westward along Broadway toward Trowbridge

The temporary moat in front of the new Main Library

CPD UPDATE: Residents on the even side of Broadway, from Goodman Street to Quincy Street, may be without water until approximately 7:00am tomorrow (Monday, June 6). Crews are working diligently to restore water to residents as soon as possible. http://bit.ly/iWfx1o

The Day After

Repairs Underway

The Brass Confer - City Engineer Owen O'Riordan, Deputy City Manager Rich Rossi, DPW Commissioner Lisa Peterson,
Water Department Managing Director Sam Corda (not sure who's in the red shirt)

May 30, 2011 - I was googling around today and came upon the following article written in 1997 by none other than myself in Issue #2 of the original print version of the Cambridge Civic Journal. It's weird to uncover your own words like this - like seeing yourself from the outside. The topic at the time was Central Square and, as is often the case, what goes around inevitably comes around. The context was a forum by the Cambridge Residents for Growth Management (CRGM). What I wrote back then is appended below. Clearly many things have changed since 1997. Perhaps the greatest change is the fact that the word "gentrification" has not been uttered in any of the recent meetings relating to Central Square and Kendall Square. Public sentiments clearly are not static. Perhaps I'll write up a new 2011 version of this in the coming days. Maybe I'll have a chance to re-read it 2025. - RW

Dec 3, 1997 CRGM "Hotspots" Forum

This meeting organized by the Cambridge Residents for Growth Management was a mixed bag at best. Many of those who spoke seemed quite willing to play fast and loose with facts as they aired their gripes. The tone of the meeting suggested that major new construction was happening on ever block of every neighborhood of Cambridge. While I would agree that there are some "hotspots" where current zoning is inadequate, I do not subscribe to the Chicken Little view that the sky is falling just because there's a noticeable increase in new construction in Cambridge. Just a few short years ago, new investment was at a standstill.

I had the opportunity to speak on the history of disinvestment and development in Central Square over the last several decades. I had the distinction of being heckled by some of the resident crazies when I suggested that recent investment by property owners in Central Square was a good thing. This incident brought to mind a curious philosophy that was rampant in Cambridge several years ago, namely decommodification. As best as I've ever been able to understand it, this philosophy looks upon most investment in property as fundamentally dangerous in that it leads to higher real estate values and possibly higher rents. Government regulations should make private property ownership so onerous that the only thing left to do is to sell your property to either the government or a nonprofit agency or to develop something like a limited equity co-op where no "owner" is permitted to build up any significant equity in his or her property. In the context of Central Square, we are to look upon any improvements to quality of life as dangerous.

I'm doing my best to keep an open mind in regard to the CRGM agenda, but I fear that we are as a city being drawn ever closer to the brand of NIMBYism that one usually finds in places like Weston rather than in the good old People's Republic of Cambridge. A recent Boston Globe article (Dec 7, 1997) detailed Maryland's "Smart Growth Initiative" which focused on growth management that limits suburban sprawl by denying funding for projects that encourage sprawl and which rewards local governments that invest in urban areas. This sounds a lot more like the idea of sustainable development of which I am familiar. The CRGM approach seems quite different.

Here's the basic outline of my remarks on Central Square:

The larger problem in Central Square in recent decades has been disinvestment and not overdevelopment. One needs only to look at City-sponsored efforts like the Facade Improvement Program to see how much effort has gone into trying to get Central Square landlords to invest in their properties. Several years ago when this program was offered, there was only one taker. This time around there was significant demand to participate in the program. The recent streetscape improvements certainly had as one goal to leverage private money by getting property owners to respond and catch up on years of deferred maintenance. The MIT/Forest City properties lay dormant for years. Empty storefronts and offices in Central Square have been common. Several decades ago, property owners even went so far as to remove the upper floors of their buildings in order to save on their tax bills. The Holmes property is an example of a building which is only half its former self.

Another problem has been the inability to economically sustain businesses in the Square. There was a day when Central Square supported multiple movie theaters and served as a destination for shoppers from all over Cambridge. Competition from suburban malls and other factors caused enough of an economic collapse that consumer choice suffered greatly. Today, most people in the neighborhoods around Central Square do most or all of their shopping elsewhere.

The retail mix in Central Square has been a poor match for its population for some time. We have been left with the lowest common denominators, e.g. video stores, liquor stores, clubs, restaurants, and bars. I don't mean to denigrate these businesses. It's just that there once were affordable clothing stores, book stores, an army/navy store, and a wide range of stores that would draw people out of the neighborhoods and "up to the Avenue". At the Lafayette Square end, we now have office space, medical labs, and parking lots where there used to be hardware stores and other outlets for everyday needs.

In terms of current development, clearly the two big ones are Forest City and the Holmes project. Regarding Forest City, our two biggest concerns have perhaps been traffic generation and competition with existing businesses in Central Square. Zoning regulations that govern the development of University Park fortunately address these issues. There is a limit on retail and a permit process that ensures that retail in Univ. Park will not unfairly draw business away from the heart of Central Square. The Central Square Overlay District with its advisory committee and design review process seems to be working well in helping to shape the Holmes proposal into something that is more widely acceptable to the public. We have these provisions in our zoning. Other Squares in the City should have similar mechanisms in place. These can be very beneficial in dealing with tradeoffs such as granting additional height or density in exchange for the provision of affordable housing.

What people need to understand is just how much "headroom" exists in the Central Square area. There are many properties which are significantly less dense than what the current zoning allows. There are the parking lots at Prospect and Bishop Allen, the building at that same corner on the east side of Prospect, numerous buildings near Lafayette Square with FAR in the 1.0 range, numerous properties on Green Street from Sydney St. to Pleasant St., and several properties along Main St. The Central Square Action Plan (1987) has a map showing "soft areas" where existing buildings are underbuilt in terms of what is allowable under the zoning code. While so much attention is being paid to the Holmes proposal, few of us are looking at the larger picture of potential development in Central Square.

Robert Winters, Cambridge Civic Journal; Dec 21, 1997

May 20, 2011 - Minnesota Considers Local Option for Ranked Choice Voting

A bill with bi-partisan support was just filed in the Minnesota state house to permit ranked choice voting (RCV) by local option throughout the state.

Press release: http://fairvotemn.org/node/1974

Text of the bill: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S1446.0.html&session=ls87

This bill would permit municipalities to adopt not only Instant Runoff Voting for single seat elections, but also proportional representation for multiple seat elections using a method similar to what is used in the Cambridge municipal elections. Unlike the "Cincinnati Method" used in Cambridge, the method proposed for Minnesota is independent of the order in which ballots are counted. Though this would only potentially affect the outcome in a very close election, any recount would be greatly simplified (and would go faster and cost less) if there was no longer a need to try to match the original order in which ballots were counted.

May 4 - Delay riles committee as it chooses school to renovate (Marc Levy)

May 3 - Three councillors balk at school design funds (Marc Levy)

A lesson in Advanced mis-Placement (Junia Yearwood, Boston Globe, Apr 25, 2011)

Apr 14 - Somerville mayor challenges Cambridge to 'interesting city' throwdown (by Mayor Joe Curatone in the Cambridge Chronicle)

"I see great things in baseball. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism, tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set, repair those losses and be a blessing to us." - Walt Whitman

April 4 - As MIT rises, so does its city (by Tracy Jan, Boston Globe)

Recycling a bottle, flashmob style

Background material on the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority provided at the March 22, 2011 joint meeting of the Cambridge City Council's Neighborhood & Long-Term Planning Committee and the Economic Development, Training, & Employment Committee.

March 22, 2011 - The 2010 Census data is now available. The population of Cambridge grew over the last decade, but apparently not as fast as the previous decade and not as much as many had predicted.

Cambridge Public Schools - Decision Week

Read about the decision and comment here: http://cambridgecivic.com/?p=1230

Mar 8, 2011 - 'Upper school' proposal goes on with minor changes (Marc Levy)

Here are the main changes:

1) The revised Agenda now proposes an upper school campus in the Cambridgeport/Riverside neighborhood rather than two campuses in East Cambridge.

2) The revised Innovation Agenda district configuration provides JK-­8 immersion opportunities for students in the Amigos two-­way immersion school and for students in the Ola program.

3) The King School JK-5 will remain at the Putnam Avenue building.

4) The Amigos School JK-8 will relocate to the Upton Street building.

5) King upper school students will attend the Putnam Avenue campus (rather than the Rindge Avenue campus).

6) Morse upper school students will attend the Putnam Avenue campus (rather than the Spring Street campus).

7) Kennedy-Longfellow upper school students will attend the Putnam Avenue campus (rather than the Spring Street campus).

8) The Ola Program JK-8 will remain at the Cambridge Street building.

Revised Upper School Campuses & Feeder Schools

March 8 revisions (PDF)

Feb 16 - The Republican City Committee tonight nominated Ethridge King (#1 choice), Bill Cobham (#2 choice), and Vince Dixon (#3 choice) for Election Commissioner. Ethridge King currently is commissioner and is expected to be reappointed by the City Manager.

Feb 16 - Running on Empty (by Brian McGrory, Boston Globe)
This column accurately describes one of the chief advantages of incumbency - their campaigns are effectively taxpayer funded. It's even worse for municipal candidates in low turnout elections because of the fact that the candidates effectively choose the voters rather than the other way around by targeting their previously identified voters and most likely supporters in their "get out the vote" campaigns. New candidates must mount a Herculean effort to "get out their vote" and this is inevitably met by an even more aggressive defense by the incumbents.

Invitation: Planning Kendall/Central Squares – Feb 23 public meeting of the East Cambridge Planning Team

Feb 13 - How high can developers jump? (by Robert Campbell, Boston Globe)
The situation in Boston is not quite the same as in Cambridge, but the use of zoning relief as political currency is analogous.

Perennial Snow and Ice Scofflaws - Well over a week after the big storm, still nothing but thick ice on these Broadway sidewalks:

The occupants of 46A,B,C Dana Street are (or were): Jonathan Harrington, Samantha Lancia, Rachel Heafield, Lisa Schoenbrunn, Janet Sousa, Jourdan Ayala, Jade Bojkovic, Matias Vera, and Kathryn Thirolf - all between the ages of 24 and 32. The owner: CROWLEY, MICHAEL J., TR , OF FURCOB REALTY TRUST C/O JEFFREY D. WOOLF, ESQ., PC P.O. BOX #961267 BOSTON , MA 02196-1267.

The occupants of 55 Trowbridge Street are (or were): Benjamin Steiner, Andrew Peelmutter, Cristian Lane, Mary Siegrist, and Andrew Palmore - all between the ages of 25 and 30. The joint owners: AUSTIN, DOROTHY A. & DIANA L. ECK 50 HOLYOKE ST CAMBRIDGE , MA 02138.

Feb 6 (wee hours) - To the good people of the Cambridge Department of Public Works: THANK YOU.
A welcome parade of dump trucks and a front-end loader cleared all the snow from Broadway in front of my house, cleared two storm drains, and restored parking on this stretch of Broadway. They even did me the enormous favor of clearing a swath of snow off the sidewalk in front of my house. I am one enormously grateful resident right now. - Robert Winters

Feb 1 - Cambridge Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Young presented the proposed Innovation Agenda to the School Committee on February 1, 2011. Among the many aspects to the plan, the core recommendation is that all 12 Cambridge elementary programs would become Kindergarten through Grade 5 schools grouped into 4 groups of 3 schools which would each feed a common upper school (Grades 6 through 8) that would share space in the largest school buildings in the system.

The Report    The Appendix File    The Powerpoint Presentation

The groups:

(1) Cambrideport School, Fletcher-Maynard Academy, and King Open would feed the Cambridge Street Upper School (shared with King Open)

(2) Baldwin School, King School, and Peabody School would feed the Rindge Avenue Upper School (shared with Peabody)

(3) Amigos School, Kennedy-Longfellow School, and Morse School would feed the Spring Street Upper School (shared with Kennedy-Longfellow)

(4) The Graham & Parks School, Haggerty School, and Tobin School would feed the Vassal Lane Upper School (shared with Tobin)

In addition, the Ola Program would be moved to the King/Amigos building - the home of the district's three language immersion choices. The Graham and Parks School and the Tobin Montessori School would switch buildings.

Numerous factors were involved in these choices, but geographic proximity and the location of the four largest buildings were major factors.

Every plan has its positive, negative, intended, and unintended consequences, but this is overall a solid and simple proposal. Already, staff and parents of some schools are expressing concern about possible displacement in order to accommodate the new configuration. One can also imagine parents making choices for elementary school programs based on what they perceive as preferred upper school choices down the line. The simple fact is that no matter what plan was proposed, there was guaranteed to be some who would seek to protect what they now have and others who would figure out how best to game the system to get what they perceive as the best deal for their children.

A series of meetings will now take place culminating in a School Committee vote anticipated to occur on Tues, March 1. Here's the amended schedule:

Thurs, Feb 3, 6:00pm - School Committee Roundtable Meeting - no public comment (City Hall, Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, Feb 9, 7:00-9:00pm - Public Town Hall Meeting (Frisoli Youth Center, 61 Willow Street)

Thurs, Feb 10, 6:00-8:00pm - Public Town Hall Meeting (West Cambridge Youth Center, 680 Huron Ave.)

Tues, Feb 15, 6:00pm - School Committee Public Hearing (City Hall, Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, Mar 1, 6:00pm - Roundtable School Committee meeting on Innovation Agenda (City Hall, Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, Mar 15, 6:00pm - Regular School Committee meeting - vote expected (City Hall, Sullivan Chamber)

Feb 1 - Cambridge may reduce its middle schools to 4 (by Meghan Irons, Boston Globe, Feb 1)

If the School Committee meeting tonight goes on as planned in spite of the weather, School Superintendent Jeff Young will present his proposal to reconfigure the Cambridge Public Schools to provide better and more consistent educational opportunities for students in the middle school grades 6 through 8. The proposal is not expected to go without challenge as many elementary school parents remain skeptical of any changes to the familiar K-8 model.

Jan 30 - Brockton City Councilor proposes ban on texting at public meetings (Boston Globe)
"Under the policy, councilors could not send text messages, e-mail, or other communication during a meeting on issues before them, and they would be prohibited from using computers during meetings." At issue is whether this is a violation of the Open Meeting Law.

Feb 20 - I just received a political solicitation from "Stephanie Taylor, BoldProgressives.org" directed to an alias e-mail address that I use exclusively for receiving messages from the Economic Development Division of the Cambridge Community Development Department. It seems that this City mailing list must have been handed over to this political organization, the "Progressive Change Campaign Committee" - an entity that has all the earmarks of "Democracy for America" and/or the Obama political machine. The solicitation is signed "Stephanie Taylor, Jason Rosenbaum, Adam Green, and the PCCC team," but the responsibile party appears to be either Pardis Saffari, Rona Holmes, Elaine Madden, or Estella Johnson of CDD since these are the only persons who have ever sent messages to me at this address.

I presume there are rules within the Community Development Department regarding the turning over of e-mail addresses to political organizations. I hope the present head of CDD, Susan Glazer, and/or the incoming head, Brian Murphy, will take note of this violation and take appropriate action. - Robert Winters [Note: This matter has been resolved satisfactorily.]

Jan 25, 2011 - Boston draws Cambridge drug firm to Fan Pier (Boston Globe)
Vertex deal a key in remaking of waterfront area - "The relocation will allow Vertex to consolidate its 1300 workers, now divided among 10 buildings across Cambridge, into a single location."

Vertex is currently the 6th largest employer in Cambridge. The City of Cambridge website indicates that Vertex had 1600 employees in 2010. [Top 25 Employers]

Jan 17, 2011 - Current district model draws support in ongoing school forums (Mark Levy's blog)

Max Hall, writer and editor, 100 years old  (commentary by his daughter, Nancy Hall) The author of "The Charles: The People's River" and a really wonderful man passed away on January 12 at the age of 100. Mr. Hall also worked for the Associated Press and for many years as Social Sciences Editor at the Harvard University Press. Boston Globe obituary of Max Hall (by Bryan Marquard, Feb 10, 2011)

Jan 11 - The Politicized Mind (David Brooks, New York Times Op Ed)

School restructuring to get five hearings (Marc Levy's blog, Jan 10)

Patronage in the driver's seat (Joan Vennochi, Boston Globe, January 9, 2011)

Jan 6, 2011: Congratulations to City Councillor Marjorie Decker and her husband Bahij Bandar on the birth of their daughter, Laurice Catherine Bandar. (Resolution by Mayor Maher, Vice Mayor Davis)

Yes, Marjorie, congratulations on the birth of your new daughter!

From a Jan 6, 2011 Boston Globe article by Michael Levenson and Noah Bierman

"Just before DeLeo was overwhelmingly reelected as speaker, most, but not all of the state representatives packed into the House chamber gave a standing ovation to his predecessors: among them, Salvatore F. DiMasi, who has been indicted on corruption charges; Thomas M. Finneran, who was convicted of obstruction of justice and disbarred; and Charles F. Flaherty, who was convicted of tax evasion. DeLeo later stood with them all for a formal portrait."

Priceless.

A union leader makes a breakthrough (by Lawrence Harmon, Boston Globe, Jan 2, 2011)
A good story on Massachusetts Teachers Association President Paul Toner (former president of the Cambridge Teachers Union).