Merry Christmas from Family Friendly Central Square! (photo by Kyle Klein)
2017 CCJ Notes - July through December
[items moved from main page]
Merry Christmas from Family Friendly Central Square! (photo by Kyle Klein)
Dec 18, 2017 – On Dec 5, 2017, the Court issued an order vacating the temporary restraining order that prohibited the City's proposed abatement and demolition of the buildings at the Vail Court property. Accordingly, the City may now proceed with the planned abatement demolition of the buildings.
Due to the delay caused by the litigation, the City will need to re-bid the contract to hire a new contractor for work at the property. We expect abatement and demolition to move forward in spring 2018 as the method of demolition (using water) that will likely be used cannot be done without a consistent outdoor temperature above 32 degrees. The City will be maintaining rodent control on site in the interim. Those with questions about abatement/demolition and conditions on site should contact Dan Riviello at driviello@cambridgema.gov / 617-349-4825.
While the Court has vacated the temporary restraining order issued earlier this year, the litigation brought by the former owner against the City in this matter is still pending. We cannot predict how long this challenge will be pending, however can say that litigation like this can often take considerable time to resolve. The City will continue to vigorously defend against this challenge to the City's ownership of the property. However, as the litigation is still active, we believe the best course of action at this time is to continue to delay the process to plan for the redevelopment of the property as affordable housing.The City and the Affordable Housing Trust will monitor the status of the litigation, and, when advisable, reengage with the community. As was discussed at the last community meeting, both the City and the Trust remain committed to holding a second public meeting to gather more community input to be considered in the redevelopment of the property as affordable housing, and will do so at the appropriate time. The City remains committed to moving forward with building new affordable housing at the property as swiftly as possible, however must move forward in a manner that acknowledges the active legal challenge to this effort.
We will provide more information when it becomes available and encourage residents to visit the project page at www.CambridgeMA.gov/VailCourt to subscribe to email updates. [City of Cambridge]
Dec 6, 2017 – City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking residents to fill vacancies on the Cambridge Conservation Commission and the Cambridge Human Rights Commission.
The Conservation Commission is responsible for the administration of the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (WPA), a state law governing activities in and immediately adjacent to local wetlands, waterways and floodplains. The Commission holds two regularly scheduled public meetings each month to review permit applications under the WPA, issue permits, and conduct other business related to the management of Cambridge's natural resource areas.
The Conservation Commission consists of seven members appointed by the City Manager to serve three-year terms. Cambridge residents with expertise in landscape architecture, civil/environmental engineering, hydrology, ecology, or law are encouraged to apply. For more information, contact Jennifer Letourneau, Cambridge Conservation Commission, JLetourneau@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-4680.
The Cambridge Human Rights Commission (CHRC) seeks Cambridge residents representing the diversity of Cambridge. Commissioners are expected to attend monthly meetings, participate in subcommittees on outreach and public education, and work with Commission staff on the investigation, mediation and resolution of complaints filed with the Commission which allege discrimination in housing, public accommodations, employment or education based upon race, color, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin or ancestry, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, family status, military status or source of income.
The Human Rights Commission is made up of 11 members who serve three-year terms. Meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month at 6pm. For more information, contact Nancy Schlacter, Cambridge Human Rights Commission, at 617-349-4396 or nschlacter@cambridgema.gov.
The deadline for submitting applications for both commission vacancies is Friday, January 12, 2018. Applications to serve on these committees 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 can be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager's Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Mass. Ave.
The City's Commission on Immigrant Rights & Citizenship is pleased to announce the formation of a free, monthly Screening Clinic for Immigrants seeking legal advice and possible referral for additional legal services. [flyer]
The first City of Cambridge/Community Legal Services and Counseling Center (CLSACC) Immigration Legal Screening Clinic was held on Wed, Dec 13, from 5:15-7:15pm at the offices of Community Legal Services and Counseling Center (CLSACC), 47 Thorndike St. (lower level), in East Cambridge. Program participants are asked not to arrive at CLSACC more than 15 minutes prior to the start time; please note that early arrivals will not be given any preference. Starting in 2018, the Screening Clinic will be held on the 3rd Wednesdays of the month, at same time/location.
For more information, contact Nancy Schlacter, nschlacter@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-4396.
Dec 13, 2017 – The results are in for the fourth Participatory Budget (PB) Process. Over 6,778 Cambridge residents age 12 and older voted to decide how to spend $800,000 on capital projects to improve the community - a 43% increase from last year.
The following 7 projects won $867,000 in FY19 Capital Funding:
"Participatory Budgeting has been an incredible community engagement tool in the city and I am pleased we were able to invest $67,000 more in funds to allow a 7th winning project to be selected," said Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager. "Over the past 4 years we have been able to engage thousands of people in this innovative process, and I am particularly proud that all Cambridge residents at least 12 years old, including non-US citizens and university students, were able to vote."
Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process through which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. The goal of PB is to directly involve residents in the budgeting and City-building process, foster civic engagement and community spirit, and help ensure that the City's Capital Plan reflects the priorities of Cambridge residents.
Community members brainstormed and submitted project ideas this summer to improve Cambridge. Afterward, volunteer Budget Delegates researched and developed those ideas into formal project proposals that were reviewed by City staff and approved by the City Manager appeared on a PB ballot in December for a public vote. The following winning projects will be included in the FY19 Capital Budget for adoption.
Many thanks to the PB Outreach Committee, Budget Delegates and Facilitators, City staff, and all of the volunteers and participants who helped make the City's third PB cycle a success.
To learn more about PB and the winning projects, please visit pb.cambridgema.gov.
Dec 7, 2017 – The City of Cambridge announced earlier this week that the Barr Foundation, as part of its BostonBRT initiative, has awarded the community a grant to conduct a pilot project testing bus rapid transit (BRT) features in collaboration with Watertown and the MBTA. The pilot, affecting routes 71 and 73, will include inbound bus “queue jump” lanes to give buses priority in lane segments on Belmont Street at Mt. Auburn and Mt. Auburn St. at Fresh Pond Parkway and transit signal priority where feasible.
The pilot will seek to create a faster and more reliable commute for over 12,000 daily bus riders, representing about 50% of rush hour travelers in the corridor. The bus priority lanes could save bus riders an average of 3 minutes per trip. The pilot will be carried out in conjunction with the Department of Conservation & Recreation’s improvements to the Fresh Pond Parkway / Mt. Auburn Intersection planned for late spring/early summer 2018.
The pilot is a temporary demonstration. Following a robust public engagement strategy, Cambridge, Watertown, and the MBTA will work with community members to evaluate the pilot and determine if any of the elements should be permanently implemented or explored further.
“Encouraging and improving public transit options improves mobility for everyone. The Bus Rapid Transit pilot aligns with Cambridge’s Vision Zero efforts to make our streets safer for people of all ages and abilities to travel between work, school, shops, and other destinations, whether they choose to walk, bicycle, drive, or take transit,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “We are grateful to the Barr Foundation for their support in helping us implement the pilot, and we look forward to collaborating with our neighbors in Watertown to make it a success.”
The grant in Cambridge was one of three awarded as part of a competitive request for proposals from BostonBRT, which invited municipalities to partner with the MBTA to demonstrate the potential of BRT in high-ridership, high-traffic areas, with the goal of improving the transit experience for the most people. The Cambridge-Watertown project was selected along with projects in Arlington and Everett. Cambridge will work closely with Arlington to support their transit signal priority implementation for bus route 77 along North Mass Ave.
“We are thrilled to receive funding from the Barr Foundation to pilot Bus Rapid Transit infrastructure,” said Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development. “The grant will contribute to our citywide goal of creating a comprehensive, sustainable transportation network. We look forward to collaborating across departments and city lines to make bus transit safer and more reliable for all riders.”
“These pilot projects will show BRT’s potential to transform how people in Greater Boston get to where they need to go, and how BRT can fit within the region’s transportation system,” said Mary Skelton Roberts, co-director for climate at the Barr Foundation. “For BRT to be successful, local and state governments, communities, and transit experts need to work together. These winning proposals demonstrated their readiness to do so. And we hope their commitment to collaboration during this pilot testing periods is just the beginning. Massachusetts residents deserve flexible, environmentally-sustainable transportation options they can count on, like BRT.”
All pilot grants were selected by a committee comprised of Massachusetts transportation leaders convened by the Barr Foundation and BostonBRT technical consultants that reviewed criteria such as the number of BRT elements included within proposals, proof of concept, potential impact (including density of population and employment), municipal and community support, and willingness to partner with state agencies to create a successful pilot.
Over 500 Cambridge residents and businesses now receive 100% renewable electricity through the Cambridge Community Electricity program’s 100% Green option. By opting into 100% Green, these households and businesses are powered by carbon-free renewable energy, including solar and wind, generated locally in New England.
Following the November release of Eversource’s Basic Service rates, residents and businesses enrolled in the 100% Green Option will save money and receive 100% renewable electricity. Eversource’s Basic Service, in effect through June 2018, costs 13.157 cents/kilowatt-hour (c/kWh) compared to the 100% Green Option’s 12.180 c/kWh.
Currently, over 32,800 residential electricity customers and more than 4,800 commercial electricity customers are participating in the Cambridge Community Electricity program. Those enrolled in the Standard Green option, which provides more solar energy from local resources than required by the state of Massachusetts, are also saving money, with rates at 10.486 cents/kWh. Participants can switch from Standard Green to 100% Green or opt-out of the program at any time with no penalties.
“We are proud to offer a program that has allowed people to support the city’s climate goals without negative impacts on their personal finances,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “Standard Green participants have seen savings since July 2017, and now residents and businesses have the opportunity to upgrade to receive 100% renewable energy and still save money through next June.”
The electricity supplied through the 100% Green option is generated by renewable energy projects in New England. Through 100% Green, Cambridge residents and business owners support New England-based jobs in addition to reducing the environmental impact of their electricity use. Cambridge residents and business owners can opt-in to the 100% Green Option through January 2019 by calling the Cambridge Community Electricity program supplier, Agera Energy, at 1-888-589-7790.
“The 100% Green option offers a unique opportunity for Cambridge residents and business owners to use renewable energy and support the local economy,” said Assistant City Manager for Community Development Iram Farooq. “The Cambridge Community Electricity program is a crucial step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century and ensuring a Net Zero Energy future for Cambridge.”
The Cambridge Community Electricity program launched in July 2017. As a municipal electricity aggregation approved by the state, it uses the bulk purchasing power of the entire community to negotiate a price and increase the amount of renewable energy in the City’s electricity supply. The program provides an alternative to Eversource Basic Service and other electricity supply offers in the marketplace. The City has signed a contract with Agera Energy that runs until January 2019.
Updated energy mix information is now available for the Cambridge Community Electricity program. This document shows how the electricity was generated and provides detail on how much of that energy comes from renewable vs non-renewable sources.
Additional information about the program and its enrollment options are available at www.masspowerchoice.com/cambridge. Residents and business owners can also contact the City’s program consultants at 1-844-379-9934 or cambridge@masspowerchoice.com.
Nov 1, 2017 – This month, the City of Cambridge will approve its 1000th inclusionary housing unit, marking a significant milestone in the City’s efforts to create new affordable housing.
Inclusionary housing, which requires developers to incorporate affordable units into new residential buildings, has been the greatest generator of affordable housing in Cambridge in recent years. Inclusionary housing in Cambridge is built without public funding, and the city’s inclusionary housing stock now represents more than $500 million in private investment in affordable housing in Cambridge.
“Diversity is the backbone of our vibrant and progressive community, and inclusionary housing has been a key component in our efforts to preserve and champion that diversity,” said Mayor E. Denise Simmons. “With the approval of its 1000th inclusionary unit, Cambridge is demonstrating our unwavering commitment to creating quality, affordable housing that will enable more families and individuals from all socio-economic backgrounds to remain a vibrant part of our City.”
Last April, the Cambridge City Council passed an amendment to the city’s 1998 Inclusionary Housing Zoning Ordinance that nearly doubles the amount of inclusionary housing units in new developments, requiring that developments of ten or more units allocate 20% of residential floor area for low- and moderate-income tenants or moderate and middle-income homebuyers.
“No City in the Commonwealth is as committed to affordable housing as Cambridge is, and we are proud of this milestone,” said City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “By using various strategies, like inclusionary zoning, we are advancing our housing goals, and we have been able to help thousands of residents with some amazing results.”
The city’s inclusionary housing program has enabled individuals and families with a wide range of incomes to live in neighborhoods throughout Cambridge. Residents living in inclusionary housing include retirees, lifelong Cambridge residents, immigrants, young families, and households moving out of homelessness. Inclusionary residents are employed in healthcare, education, the nonprofit sector, public service, retail and other small businesses, local banks, and institutions.
“It is our mission to support housing affordability for Cambridge families, and the inclusionary program is our key tool to leverage the market to support this goal. While much work is still needed, we are proud of the success of the program,” said Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development.
Following the approval of the 1000th inclusionary unit, review of other new inclusionary housing developments will continue and applicants will be selected for inclusionary rental units being completed in North Cambridge and inclusionary homeownership units soon to be completed in East Cambridge.
The City’s Community Development Department (CDD) oversees inclusionary rental and homeownership programs through the Homeownership Resale Pool, the Inclusionary Housing Rental Program, and the Middle-Income Rental Program, each of which accepts applications on a rolling basis. For more information about the application process for each program, visit: cambridgma.gov/housing.
During the week of December 18th, trash and recycling collection will be performed on a regular schedule. During the week of December 25th, there will be no trash or recycling collection on Monday, December 25th and collections will be delayed one day for the remainder of the week. During the week of January 1st, there will be no trash or recycling collection on Monday, January 1st and collections will be delayed one day for the remainder of the week.
The Recycling Drop-off Center will be open on Saturday, December 23rd and Saturday, December 30th. There will be no change to the Recycling Center’s hours this holiday season.
Curbside collection of bare holiday trees (weather permitting), will take place January 2nd, 2018 - January 12th, 2018 on your regular trash/recycling day. Decorations and stands must be removed and trees should not be in a plastic bag. Residents can also bring bare trees to the Recycling Center during open hours (Tues/Thurs 4pm-7:30pm and Sat 9am-4pm) from December 26th - January 31st.
Street cleaning operations will not take place on Monday, December 25th and, weather permitting, those streets will be swept on Friday, December 29th, the last day for street cleaning operations in 2017. Street cleaning services will resume in April 2018.
The Cambridge Cemetery gates will be open from 7am until 5pm throughout the holiday season. Cemetery and Public Works Administrative Offices will be closed on Friday, December 22nd, Monday, December 25th, and Monday, January 1st.
Payments are not required at City of Cambridge parking meters and parking meter pay stations on Monday, December 24th and Monday, January 1st.
If your yard waste, holiday tree, trash, or recycling are missed, please let us know immediately by submitting a service request via the Commonwealth Connect app for iPhone and Android or at www.CambridgeMA.Gov/CommonwealthConnect.
Dec 26 - The Fall semester is all wrapped up and the 2016-2017 City Council is now history. Next week things start up again with the Inaugural Meeting of the Cambridge City Council on New Year's Day starting at 10:00am in the Sullivan Chamber at City Hall. This is also when the Election of the Mayor and the Vice-Chair of the City Council takes place. The School Committee Inaugural Meeting takes place later in the day starting at 6:00pm in the Fitzgerald Theatre, CRLS, 459 Broadway. At that meeting the newly elected mayor will preside and the School Committee will elect its Vice Chair (who will be responsible for appointing all subcommittees and their Chairs.
We're taking this week off from Cambridge InsideOut. We'll be back with new programs on Tuesday, January 2 at 5:30pm and 6:00pm.
YEAR IN REVIEW: Cambridge’s top stories of 2017 (Dec 28, 2017)
Cambridge to expand composting city-wide in 2018 (Dec 22, 2017)
Hate crimes down in Cambridge after decade-high in 2016 (Dec 21, 2017)
New 526-unit apartment building OK’d for Alewife (Dec 20, 2017)
State: Cambridge liquor license situation ‘unfortunate;’ investigation ongoing (Dec 20, 2017)
New monthly event in Cambridge offers free legal consults to immigrants (Dec 19, 2017)
Cambridge proposes climate resilience plan for Alewife (Dec 18, 2017)
New officers join Cambridge Police Department (Dec 17, 2017)
Cambridge Health Alliance staff receive awards (Dec 17, 2017)
Harvard Lampoon Building presented Historic Preservation Award (Dec 16, 2017)
DCR grants given to Magazine Beach (Dec 16, 2017)
Cambridge announces participatory budgeting winning projects (Dec 15, 2017)
Roche Bros. grocery store coming to Kendall Square (Dec 14, 2017)
Advisory Committee to bring energy and expertise to help STEAM education (Dec 14, 2017)
Central Square’s Out of the Blue Too gallery closes (Dec 11, 2017)
Here’s how Watertown and Cambridge hope to speed up commutes in 2018 (Dec 7, 2017)
Cambridge vice mayor: Petco’s closure is not due to non-rescue ban (Dec 6, 2017)
Cambridge’s Berkshire Street fire, one year later: $48M in damage, $1.2M donated (Dec 4, 2017)
Massachusetts recyclers grapple with effects of China ban (Dec 1, 2017)
GUEST COLUMN: Democracy, accessibility and the Cambridge School Committee (Nov 27, 2017 by Emily Dexter)
Commercial robberies double over last year in Cambridge (Nov 29, 2017)
Councillors urge city to manage expectations around Alewife plan (Nov 21, 2017)
MBTA financial board approves contract price for GLX (Nov 20, 2017)
Final election results released in Cambridge (Nov 20, 2017)
Twining Properties breaks ground on Cambridge property (Nov 17, 2017)
GLX constructors picked for Green Line design-build contract (Nov 17, 2017)
Women find success on Massachusetts ballots (Nov 17, 2017)
Incumbents sweep as auxiliary ballots confirm first-tally election results (Nov 9, 2017)
Unofficial results: All incumbents re-elected; Siddiqui, Mallon, Zondervan named to council (Nov 8, 2017)
Cambridge councilors mull plan to boost safety for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians (Nov 1, 2017)
Residents celebrate, criticize new Cambridge bike lanes (Oct 30, 2017)
PHOTOS: What does MIT have planned for Volpe site? (Oct 25, 2017)
Cambridge City Council OKs MIT plan for Volpe site (Oct 25, 2017)
Cambridge City Council rejects move to delay Volpe vote (Oct 24, 2017)
Sen. Bernie Sanders visits Somerville with Our Revolution Somerville/Cambridge candidates (Oct 23, 2017)
Cambridge activists call Bernie Sanders’ visit counter-productive (Oct 23, 2017)
Construction of new boutique hotel begins in Central Square (Oct 13, 2017)
Slow legislative process keeps Cambridge’s beekeepers in limbo (Oct 11, 2017)
Poor planning, outreach blamed for divisive bike lane debates in Cambridge (Oct 11, 2017)
Residents: ‘Commercially cluttered’ plaza detrimental to Harvard Square kiosk (Oct 9, 2017)
Ward 3 Precinct 3 polling relocated (Oct 5, 2017)
Why a record number of Cambridge women are running for City Council (Oct 3, 2017)
Cambridge’s property taxes see smaller increase than projected (Oct 3, 2017)
Cambridge Historical Society announces theme for fall symposium (Oct 1, 2017)
Cambridge Public Schools says it didn’t OK refusal of White House book gift (Sept 29, 2017)
Cambridge adult day program to close, leaving 47 clients without services (Oct 2, 2017)
Nov 30, 2017 – Last month, the City of Cambridge was awarded a Bronze-level Community designation from SolSmart, a national program supported by the U.S. Department of Energy that provides recognition and technical assistance to help local governments reduce barriers to solar energy growth.
The award recognizes Cambridge’s efforts to provide resources and support to make the process of converting to solar energy faster, easier, and more affordable for Cambridge homeowners, property managers, and businesses.
Cambridge also received special recognition in the “Community Engagement” category for its exemplary public outreach efforts, its climate advisory board, the Climate Protection Action Committee, and its Sunny Cambridge campaign to help residents go solar for the best price.
“We are proud to be nationally recognized for our efforts to promote solar energy in Cambridge,” said Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development. “The Cambridge Energy Alliance conducts extensive outreach to inform the community about solar resources and options, and programs like Sunny Cambridge and the Multi-Family Energy Pilot are designed to make converting to solar energy an easy process for property owners. We look forward to continuing to promote solar energy through outreach and innovative programs.”
SolSmart uses objective criteria to award points to communities based on the actions they take to reduce barriers to solar energy development. These actions range from implementing zoning and construction codes to promote solar energy, collaborating with utility companies for widespread solar implementation, engaging the community in solar development, and encouraging solar market growth and financial innovation.
Cambridge was awarded Bronze for its efforts, which include:
“The City’s SolSmart designation reflects the significant steps that Cambridge has taken to make it easier for residents to convert to solar energy,” said Susanne Rasmussen, Director of Environmental & Transportation Planning. “Renewable energy is crucial to the City’s efforts to combat climate change.”
Cambridge pursued its SolSmart designation in partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and received no-cost technical assistance from a team of national experts. City staff are continuing to work with SolSmart to achieve a Gold designation.
SolSmart is led by The Solar Foundation and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative. More than 140 cities, counties, and small towns have achieved SolSmart designation since the program launched in 2016. For more information about the Solsmart designation, visit SolSmart.org.
Yard Waste Ends Next Week
Yard waste collection of leaves, grass and small twigs & branches ended the week of December 11. Yard waste begins again April 2, 2018 (same day that curbside compost begins citywide!).
Holiday Season & Your Waste
Dec 25 & Jan 1 are holidays. All waste collection will be delayed one day both weeks.
Reduce waste, give the gift of experiences:
* Tickets to a film, concert, play, or sporting event.
* Gift certificates for a restaurant, spa, or museum.
* Donate to a non-profit organization in their honor.
Get Rid of It Right:
* Recycle all paper gift wrap and bags. But, trash tissue paper, bows and ribbons.
* Recycle all cardboard. But, trash styrofoam. Bubble wrap and air pillows can only be recycled at the DPW Recycling Center.
Donate Old Clothes with Give Back Box
This holiday season, give back to charity (and recycle!) with Give Back Box.
Reuse the cardboard box in which you've received a shipment, collect clothes and shoes you no longer want. Visit Give Back Box to print a free shipping label. Then, UPS or USPS will ship your donation to charity.
• Missed curbside collection? Report it by 9am the day after collection.
• Need toters, flyers, recycling labels, yard waste stickers or posters? Email recycle@cambridgema.gov or fill out this form.
Dec 2 - We returned for additional Cambridge InsideOut programs this week (Nov 28) with an Election Data Binge. This included a demonstration of how this year's City Council election would have played out using fractional transfer instead of the Cincinnati Method. We also revealed who would replace each of the elected councillors and School Committee members in the event of a vacancy. Unfortunately, CCTV changed the recording equipment in the studio (without any notice) which delayed making the recorded programs available. I finally figured out on my own a way to edit the recordings and was able to post them.
[What DID work was Windows (Live) Movie Maker (which comes with Windows 7+ or can be downloaded for free), but not until I (a) downloaded and installed a "K-Lite Codec Package - Mega Version" (which gave me the audio but not the video, and (b) a K-Lite update from just two days earlier (Nov 29) that gave me the ability to view the video. I was then able to trim the extraneous material and save the edited videos as mp4 files with very good quality. As an extra added benefit the file sizes were quite reasonable, e.g. a 9.06GB original ended up at 407MB. This compares well with the 709MB file that CCTV generated for download, and the quality is actually better. I should really write this up and post it at CCTV somewhere so that other users, especially Windows users, can edit and post their shows. Finally, uploading the smaller files was fast and the quality appears to be preserved.]
These unexpected changes make me think the time may be ripe to change the way we produce the shows. If there are any volunteers out there who may be interested in helping to produce the show each week (for a salary of $0), let me know. - RW
Nov 20, 2017 – The City of Cambridge has been awarded the 2017 “Deal of the Year” by The Bond Buyer in the non-traditional financing category. The annual Deal of the Year Awards recognize innovation in municipal finance and attract submissions from government and municipal bond issuers across the country. This award recognizes Cambridge's new Minibond program, which offers City of Cambridge bonds directly to Cambridge residents. The bonds funded city-wide capital projects including school building renovations, municipal facility upgrades, and implementation of Cambridge's “Complete Streets” plan. The City offered $2 million of Minibonds with a $1000 minimum size, much lower than the standard $5000 minimum denominations of most municipal bond offerings.
“I am absolutely thrilled to receive national recognition for the City and our staff members who worked so hard to get this program established.” said City Manager Louis DePasquale. “For many years, the City of Cambridge received calls from City residents asking how they could buy the City’s Bonds. Our Minibonds are a great way to provide Cambridge residents a way to invest directly in City projects that will benefit our entire community. There was a lot of demand from our citizens and we sold out early last year, so we plan to expand our Minibonds offerings to Cambridge residents this year, too.”
Cambridge’s financial team worked with Boston representatives from legal firm Locke Lord and municipal advisory firm Hilltop Securities who provided advice to the City for the 2017 Minibonds, and with Neighborly Securities, a San-Francisco based underwriting and broker-dealer working to expand individuals’ access to the public finance market by leveraging technology and innovative marketing techniques. The Minibonds received the highest possible Aaa and AAA ratings from Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings.
Cambridge is in prestigious company with the other finalists for the 2017 Deal of the Year. Other regional winners which will be honored along with Cambridge:
Cambridge will receive the Deal of the Year finalist award along with the six other Deal of the Year 2017 qualifiers at The Bond Buyer’s 16th Annual Deal of the Year Awards event this December in New York City.
Learn more about Cambridge's Minibond program at http://minibonds.cambridgema.gov/faqs.
The table below indicates the percentage of ballots for which the #1 ranked candidate was elected; the percentage of ballots for which the #1 or #2 ranked candidate was elected; and the percentage of ballots for which the #1, #2, or #3 ranked candidate was elected.
| Voter Success in Cambridge Elections | ||||||||||
| Election | elect | candidates | valid | invalid | total ballots | Pct #1 elected | Pct #1 or #2 elected | Pct #1, #2, or #3 elected | Pct none elected | Pct blank |
| 1997 Council | 9 | 19 | 16879 | 350 | 17229 | 88.7 | 96.2 | 97.6 | 1.6 | 0.3 |
| 1999 Council | 9 | 24 | 18777 | 384 | 19161 | 76.5 | 92.5 | 95.5 | 3.0 | 0.5 |
| 2001 Council | 9 | 19 | 17126 | 562 | 17688 | 83.8 | 94.0 | 96.2 | 2.8 | 1.1 |
| 2003 Council | 9 | 20 | 20080 | 878 | 20958 | 72.7 | 87.0 | 91.0 | 6.7 | 2.0 |
| 2005 Council | 9 | 18 | 16070 | 132 | 16202 | 78.7 | 93.4 | 96.1 | 2.6 | 0.5 |
| 2007 Council | 9 | 16 | 13633 | 88 | 13721 | 79.3 | 93.2 | 96.0 | 2.9 | 0.4 |
| 2009 Council | 9 | 21 | 15995 | 118 | 16073 | 75.1 | 90.9 | 94.1 | 4.3 | 0.6 |
| 2011 Council | 9 | 18 | 15845 | 126 | 15971 | 77.8 | 92.6 | 95.5 | 3.3 | 0.5 |
| 2013 Council | 9 | 25 | 17743 | 103 | 17846 | 68.6 | 87.8 | 93.0 | 4.9 | 0.4 |
| 2015 Council | 9 | 23 | 17854 | 105 | 17959 | 71.7 | 90.4 | 94.8 | 3.3 | 0.3 |
| 2017 Council | 9 | 26 | 22524 | 72 | 22596 | 68.7 | 87.0 | 92.8 | 4.7 | 0.2 |
| 1997 School | 6 | 8 | 16386 | 285 | 16671 | 83.3 | 96.4 | 97.6 | 2.4 | 0.1 |
| 1999 School | 6 | 13 | 17961 | 307 | 18268 | 76.0 | 91.1 | 94.4 | 4.7 | 0.1 |
| 2001 School | 6 | 10 | 16489 | 1160 | 17649 | 76.2 | 90.5 | 92.6 | 7.1 | 4.8 |
| 2003 School | 6 | 8 | 18698 | 2210 | 20908 | 81.9 | 89.7 | 90.0 | 10.0 | 8.8 |
| 2005 School | 6 | 8 | 15470 | 719 | 16189 | 77.4 | 90.6 | 93.1 | 6.9 | 4.2 |
| 2007 School | 6 | 9 | 13276 | 433 | 13709 | 77.0 | 91.2 | 92.7 | 7.1 | 3.0 |
| 2009 School | 6 | 9 | 15423 | 549 | 15972 | 72.6 | 90.1 | 91.6 | 8.4 | 3.3 |
| 2011 School | 6 | 11 | 15290 | 614 | 15904 | 77.6 | 90.3 | 92.2 | 6.9 | 3.6 |
| 2013 School | 6 | 9 | 16592 | 1128 | 17720 | 80.9 | 90.0 | 91.2 | 8.5 | 6.2 |
| 2015 School | 6 | 11 | 16797 | 1062 | 17859 | 69.2 | 84.7 | 88.0 | 11.1 | 5.7 |
| 2017 School | 6 | 12 | 20708 | 1744 | 22452 | 67.2 | 81.5 | 85.2 | 13.3 | 7.7 |
Note: Almost all of the invalid ballots were blank ballots. It's common that some voters will vote only the City Council ballot and cast a blank School Committee ballot.
The voter history file for the 2017 municipal election was made available yesterday, and it provides evidence of a dramatic shift toward younger voters in the recent election. This provides at least some partial explanation for the election results. Here are some histograms for the municipal election years (2013, 2015, 2017) followed by the federal/state election years (2012, 2014, 2016).
Municipal Elections: 2013 - 2017
(note the dramatic peak in the 27-29 age range)
Federal/State Elections: 2012 - 2016
Election Update (Fri, Nov 17): The Final Official Election Results produced the same winners in the same order of election:
City Council Elected (in order of election): Simmons, Siddiqui, McGovern, Devereux, Zondervan, Mallon, Toomey, Carlone, Kelley
City Council Official Election Results (Fri, Nov 17, PDF, 2 pgs.)
School Committee Elected (in order of election): Nolan, Bowman, Dexter, Fantini, Kelley, Kimbrough
School Committee Official Election Results (Fri, Nov 17, PDF, 1 pg.)
Round-by-Round City Council Official Results (Fri, Nov 17, HTML)
Round-by-Round School Committee Official Results (Fri, Nov 17, HTML)
City Council Distribution of #1 Votes by ward/precinct (PDF) - corrected (Pcts. 3-2A and 3-3 were mislabeled in original)
School Committee Distribution of #1 Votes by ward/precinct (PDF)
Voter Turnout by Precinct: 2013-2017 Municipal Elections (PDF)
#2 Vote Distribution - 2017 City Council (PDF) #2 Vote Distribution - 2017 School Committee (PDF)
Popularity - Total Rankings (#1, Top 2, Top 3, etc.)
I'll be posting more information as the spirit moves me. - RW
City Council Unofficial Election Results (Wed, Nov 8, PDF, 2 pgs.)
Elected (in order of election): Simmons, Siddiqui, McGovern, Devereux, Zondervan, Mallon, Toomey, Carlone, Kelley
School Committee Unofficial Election Results (Wed, Nov 8, PDF, 1 pg.)
Elected: Nolan, Bowman, Dexter, Fantini, Kelley, Kimbrough
Round-by-Round City Council Unofficial Results (Wed, Nov 8, HTML)
Round-by-Round School Committee Unofficial Results (Wed, Nov 8, HTML)
Charts showing City Council election - round by round (PDF - best to save and open in Acrobat)
Charts showing School Committee election - round by round (PDF - best to save and open in Acrobat)
Bar Graphs of City Council and School Committee Unofficial Results Round-by-Round (CCJ Forum)
Round-by-Round City Council Preliminary Results (Tues, Nov 7, HTML)
Round-by-Round School Committee Preliminary Results (Tues, Nov 7, HTML)
City Council Preliminary Election Results (Tues, Nov 7, PDF, 2 pgs.)
School Committee Preliminary Election Results (Tues, Nov 7, PDF, 1 pg.)
Preliminary City Council Results (in order of election): Simmons, Siddiqui, McGovern, Devereux, Zondervan, Toomey, Mallon, Carlone, Kelley
Notes: (1) At the end of the 14th Count, Tierney had only 3 more votes than Toner; (At the end of the deciding 17th Count, Kelley had only 3 more votes than Tierney. The Unofficial Results on Wednesday when auxiliary ballots are included could change the results in several ways.
Preliminary School Committee Results (in order of election): Nolan, Bowman, Dexter, Fantini, Kelley, Kimbrough
Note: It is not likely that these results will change with the Unofficial Results on Wednesday when auxiliary ballots are included.
The total number of registered voters for the Nov 2017 election is 66,354. Their median age is 37.9. Here's how their ages (as of Election Day - Nov 7, 2017) are distributed (in 3-year intervals):
Registered Voters - 2017
For the Nov 2015 election, there were 63,338 registered voters with identified birthdates. Their median age was 38.7. Here's how their ages (as of Election Day - Nov 3, 2015) were distributed (in 3-year intervals):
Registered Voters - 2015
Of these registered voters, 17,959 voted in the 2015 municipal election. Their median age was 56.0. Here's how their ages were distributed (in 3-year intervals):
Registered Voters Who Voted in the 2015 Municipal Election
If you compare 2015 and 2017, you can see that most of the gains in registered voters are in the younger age ranges - especially the 24-29 range.
It will be interesting to see if these shifts will be reflected in the age distribution of those who vote in the Nov 2017 election.
The total voter turnout has dropped over the years but has remained relatively stable for the last several municipal elections. It jumped in 2017.
The City of Cambridge is currently accepting applications from food truck operators for its Food Truck Pilot, which will bring a variety of food trucks to locations in Central Square, Cambridgeport, Kendall Square, and North Point Park. The application period is open until November 30, 2017 and food trucks will begin vending in the spring of 2018.
“The Food Truck Pilot aligns with the City’s goal to support local businesses,” said Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development. “Food trucks allow restaurant entrepreneurs to test branding, menu ideas, and business concepts before making larger-scale investments. We have also thoughtfully designed the Pilot to prevent competition between existing small businesses in the designated areas.”
To be eligible for vending consideration, food truck operators must complete an application provided by the City’s Community Development Department. They must also have a valid State of Massachusetts Hawkers & Peddlers License and be licensed and permitted by the City of Cambridge prior to the start of vending. Consideration will be given to women- and minority-owned businesses, businesses operated by Cambridge residents, new businesses (2 years or under), and businesses without a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Food trucks will be open to the public April 2018 through October 2018 at the following locations:
Final schedules, including food truck vendors at each location, will be announced in March 2018. An internal review committee will determine food truck scheduling at each location using a system that considers the eligibility requirements detailed above. Additionally, a People’s Choice Poll, available online in January 2018, will invite Cambridge community members to vote on their top vendor choice at select, high-demand locations.
For more information about the City of Cambridge Food Truck Pilot, visit cambridgema.gov/foodtruckpilot.
A series of events for alumni and staff of CHLS, CRLS and Rindge Tech beginning Sat, Nov 18, 2017 through Sun, Nov 27, 2017.
EVENTS:
REUNIONS:
Details and Tickets for Musical Here Event Updates Here
Nov 5 - Perhaps, like me, you received a robo-call today from perennial City Council candidate Gregg Moree. In this call he claims to have been endorsed by Joe Kennedy, Anthony Galluccio, and at least one other well-known individual. He has also been claiming endorsements from other members of the Kennedy family at various campaign events. None of this is factual. I generally make no recommendations publicly on how you should vote, but nobody should even consider ranking a candidate so lacking in ethics as Mr. Moree. Now get to work choosing which of the other 25 City Council candidates and 12 School Committee candidates deserve your vote and rank them as you see fit (or don't rank them if you don't care for particular candidates). Election Day is Tuesday, November 7. - Robert Winters
Nov 1 - The "Random Draw of Precincts" took place tonight 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. It's also somewhat significant during rounds of the election count when candidates reach quota and are elected. Here's the ordering determined by lottery (read down the columns):
| 7-3 6-1 4-2 3-3 |
3-2A 2-3 5-2 7-2 |
9-1 5-1 10-2 6-2 |
3-1 11-2 8-3 6-3 |
10-3 9-2 1-3 2-1 |
3-2 11-3 10-1 8-1 |
1-1 5-3 2-2 1-2 |
4-1 11-1 7-1 |
8-2 4-3 9-3 |
Nov 1 - I check the OCPF website (Office of Campaign and Political Finance) daily to update my table of contributions and expenses of this year's City Council candidates. I get especially curious as Election Day draws near and expect to see some big jumps, especially in the expenditures of the major candidates. Last night I saw something that really floored me. Apparently, on Oct 30 a new PAC was created called "Cambridge Bicycle Safety Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee" whose sole contributor is a fellow named Nate Fillmore who paid $1,792.53 in printing costs for 26 different targeted mailers for each of the City Council candidates - some in support and some in opposition and apparently all based on whether a candidate signed a pledge with his organization to support segregated bike lanes without question. What is truly stunning is that this political group that supposedly supports bicycle safety has chosen to support a candidate like Gregg Moree while opposing Councillor Craig Kelley who has been the most consistent advocate for bicycle safety who has ever served on the Cambridge City Council. The clear message being sent by this political group is that candidates had better agree with everything they want without question - or else. - RW
Oct 23, 2017 – City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking individuals to serve on the Cambridge Council on Aging Board and help advocate for important senior issues. Applicants must be age 60 or older and a Cambridge resident.
The purpose of the Council on Aging Board is to: promote and encourage existing and new services and activities intended to enhance and improve the quality of life of older persons in the city; advise the City Manager on all matters pertaining to the welfare of elderly Cambridge citizens; and advocate for Cambridge elderly residents. Board members also support the Council on Aging and Senior Center staff with community outreach related to senior services, benefits, activities and programs.
The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, November 20, 2017. Applications to serve on these committees 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 can be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue.
Oct 19, 2017 – Nearly nine acres of rooftop solar arrays in Boston's Seaport District are helping the City of Cambridge save money on its energy bill, despite being located outside of the city. These two installations, along with a third solar array in Dedham that is slated to come online later in 2017, are expected to generate 5.7 megawatt-hours of solar electricity annually, enough to power nearly 970 Cambridge homes.
"The City is committed to combatting climate change by increasing the amount of renewable energy in our electricity supply," said Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager. "This program reflects the City's commitment to the Net Zero Action Plan and will bring us closer to achieving carbon neutrality by mid-century."
The 2008 Massachusetts Green Communities Act created programs to greatly expand the amount of solar energy developed within the Commonwealth. Under the Act, a city or town may enter into an agreement with a solar developer to purchase the entire output of a commercial scale solar array. Cambridge's billing mechanism allows the City to receive energy credits on its utility bill from the remotely located solar installations that feeds energy into the grid.
Two of three solar arrays for which the City has signed virtual net metering agreements are operational and generating clean, renewable solar energy. For more information about this project or other sustainability initiatives in Cambridge, visit cambridgema.gov/theworks/energyefficiency.
Oct 23, 2017 – The City of Cambridge is partnering with the Mystic River Watershed Association in a new effort to address stormwater pollution from communities that discharge stormwater to the Mystic River and its tributaries (watershed). The Stormwater Education Collaborative includes representatives from more than 15 municipalities within the 76 square mile Mystic River Watershed.
“Stormwater pollution is a universal concern,” said Cambridge Public Works Commissioner, Owen O’Riordan. “By working together, we can raise awareness of our shared water resources and challenges. Together, we can help promote solutions to pollution that protect the Alewife Brook and the Charles River.”
The Collaborative is developing a multimedia outreach campaign for each municipality to implement, allowing for consistent messaging across the watershed. Materials will include video public service announcements, social media graphics, website content, and posters to start, with additional educational materials to be developed in 2018. This project is partially funded through a US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) Urban Waters grant.
“We are excited to work across municipalities to develop an innovative and effective education campaign addressing a primary source of pollution to our waterways. There are a lot of steps community members, businesses, and developers can take to limit their impact on the Mystic, and we’re here to act as a resource for the municipality as they work to improve the local river,” said Patrick Herron, Executive Director of the Mystic River Watershed Association.
Stormwater runoff is generated when precipitation from rain and snowmelt flows over land and does not soak into the ground. As runoff flows over impervious surfaces (paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops), it accumulates debris, oil, pet waste, litter, chemicals, sediment or other pollutants. Stormwater runoff is a major source of pollution to the Mystic and Charles Rivers and their tributaries, lakes and ponds.
To learn more about the Stormwater Education Collaborative please contact Patrick Herron, Mystic River Watershed Association, at 781-316-3438. To learn more about Cambridge’s stormwater efforts, please visit www.CambridgeMA.gov/Stormwater or contact Catherine Daly Woodbury at cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov.
Oct 26, 2017 – The City of Cambridge will hold its first Servicemembers and Veterans Appreciation Week Nov 6-11, 2017. Activities on select days of the week will include, acupuncture, guided meditation, fitness and nutrition tips, health checkups, restorative therapy, social gatherings, food and refreshments. On Sat, Nov 11, a Veterans Day Observance will be held at 11am, at Cambridge Cemetery, followed by a Luncheon at Legion Marsh Post #442, and a Town Hall at the Cambridge Public Library.
Schedule of Events:
Mon, Nov 6 (2:30-8pm), Veterans’ Life & Recreation Center, (VLRC) 51 Inman St., 2nd Floor, (in Department of Veterans’ Services, Cambridge), Buffet & Benefits
The week kicks off with food, refreshments, and a short presentation by fitness and nutrition specialists from Always Strong Fitness. Personalized one-on-one nutrition consultation will also be available.
Tues, Nov 7 (1-4pm), VLRC, 51 Inman St., 2nd Floor, Art Demonstration & Entertainment
Kenneth Headley, Cambridge veteran and local artist, will offer a demonstration of his wood burning and painting technique. Paul Brymer, Cambridge veteran and local artist, will offer insight into his unique photography techniques. Improv Asylum troop members will be on hand to perform and engage. Join us as we celebrate artistic expression and observe the power of storytelling.
Wed, Nov 8 (1-4pm), VLRC, 51 Inman St., 2nd Floor, Guided Meditation & Acupuncture
Members from Meditation as Medicine will provide guided mediation sessions for veterans. This group has veterans on staff and are uniquely experienced with navigating individuals with post-traumatic stress (PTS) challenges through the meditation process. Our acupuncturist from Community Acupuncture will be present to apply acupuncture and instruction to veteran attendees.
Thurs, Nov 9 (1-4pm), VLRC, 51 Inman St., 2nd Floor, Acupuncture & Health Checks
Join our acupuncturist from Community Acupuncture. Flu shots and blood pressure checks will also be available.
Fri, Nov 10 (2-6pm), Social Meet-up at 730 Tavern, Kitchen & Patio, 730 Massachusetts Ave.
Veterans, their dependents, and survivors are invited to gather as a community and can enjoy one free, non-alcoholic beverage and 50% off of appetizers.
Sat, Nov 11 (11am-4:30pm) Veterans’ Day Observance & Town Hall
Veterans Day Observance (11am-12pm) Cambridge Cemetery, 76 Coolidge Ave
Luncheon (12-1pm) American Legion Marsh Post #442, 5 Greenough Blvd, Cambridge
Town Hall Reception (1-1:30pm), Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway
Town Hall Forum (1:30-4:30pm), Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway
During the Town Hall, veterans will be invited to share their personal stories of combat and service.
All Cambridge Public Libraries will be closed on Nov 10-11 in honor of Veterans Day. The Main Library will be open to attendees of the Town Hall on Sat, Nov 11.
Oct 4, 2017 – City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking persons interested in serving on the Cambridge Planning Board. Planning Board members must be residents of the city; and women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
The Cambridge Planning Board plays a significant role in planning for the future of the city and oversees its development and growth as prescribed by zoning. The Planning Board serves a quasi-judicial role as the special permit granting authority for certain types of development proposals, especially large projects. In evaluating special permits on behalf of the city, the board conducts public hearings and votes on the project based on the proposal’s conformance with the provisions of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance. The board also makes policy recommendations to the City Council about proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance, and engages in general planning efforts related to land use and development within the city. The work involves reviewing and commenting on building and site plans, planning and engineering studies, and zoning documents.
The Planning Board meets approximately three times each month. Meetings take place on Tuesday evenings, each lasting approximately 3-4 hours. Meetings are open to the public and are video and audio recorded. As part of their time commitment, board members are expected to review application and petition materials prior to each meeting. Materials typically include development plans, impact studies, narrative descriptions, provisions of the Zoning Ordinance, information from city departments, written comments from the public, and other documents. The board typically reviews 1-3 major cases at each meeting. Occasionally, representatives of the Planning Board may be appointed to other city committees and working groups.
Ideal candidates would possess the ability to participate in a collaborative process, work with other Board members to consider diverse ideas, and reach a decision. Members should also have strong attentiveness and listening skills. While there is no requirement for a technical background, interest and understanding of development, architecture, urban design, and zoning is desirable.
Interested persons should submit a resume and a brief letter to City Manager DePasquale describing their interest. Individuals interested in being considered should apply by using the city’s online application system at cambridgema.gov/apply and finding “Planning Board” in the list of Current Vacancies. A cover letter and résumé or summary of applicable experience can be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, November 13, 2017.
Monday, November 6, 6:30pm
Lecture Hall, Cambridge Main Library
Short Description
Did you know we vote for Cambridge City Council and School Committee through a system called Proportional Representation (PR)? Discover how PR works and learn just how much your vote counts to be better prepared for the November 7th election.
Join us for a lively discussion with panelists Howie Fain (Co-founder of FairVote), Glenn Koocher (former Cambridge School Committee Member), Susana Segat (former Cambridge School Committee Member), and Robert Winters (founder of Cambridge Civic Journal).
Long Description
Cambridge municipal elections happen on Tuesday, November 7th. Do you find it curious that we rank our candidates numerically when we vote? Did you know that this process of voting is called Proportional Representation? Do you know how Proportional Representation works? Do you know how it came to be that Cambridge adopted this system?
Join us for a lively panel discussion with experts on Cambridge political history. Discover how Proportional Representation works in our city. Learn just how much your vote counts to be better prepared for the November 7th election.
Panelists include Howie Fain (Co-founder of Fair Vote), Glenn Koocher (former Cambridge School Committee Member), Susana Segat (former Cambridge School Committee Member), and Robert Winters (founder of Cambridge Civic Journal).
Howie Fain
In 1992, Fain Co-founded Fair Vote, a nonpartisan champion of electoral reforms that give voters greater choice. He served as the President of the Fair Ballot Alliance of Massachusetts from 1991-1997. Fain has been a consultant to the Cambridge Election Commission, authoring the 1994 report, Computerizing a Cambridge Tradition. Fain serves as an Executive Committee Member of VoterChoice Massachusetts and is a science teacher in the Worcester Public Schools.
Glenn Koocher
A native of Cambridge, Mass., Koocher served on the Cambridge School Committee from 1974-1985. He was the budget chair during the implementation of Proposition 2 1/2 and was actively engaged in the city's multi-year desegregation effort. Koocher was the founding host of Cambridge InsideOut, a weekly TV show on CCTV focusing on current events that aired from 1989-2000. He has written extensively on the political history of Cambridge. Koocher is currently the executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.
Susana Segat
Segat was a member of the Cambridge School Committee from 1996-2001. From 1999-2008, she served on the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. A longtime union official, Segat was the President of the Local Service Employees International Union (SEIU) from 2003-2009. She is currently the Chief of Staff for the President of MassArt.
Robert Winters
Winters is the founding editor of the Cambridge Civic Journal, an online news source that monitors the Cambridge political scene. Starting in 1989, he spearheaded the campaign to bring curbside recycling to Cambridge. He ran for City Council several times in the 1990's. Since 2013 he has been the co-host of CCTV's Cambridge InsideOut, a remake of Glenn Koocher's original TV show, focusing on Cambridge politics. Currently, Winters is a Lecturer in Mathematics at MIT and the Harvard Extension School.
Central Flea will return to 95 Prospect St. on the last Sunday of the month now through October! We're thrilled to bring together local artists and vendors in partnership with New England Open Markets. 11:00am to 5:00pm.
Traffic is really starting to pick up on the Cambridge Candidate Pages. Usually the traffic doesn't really spike until the week before Election Day, but it's already starting to jump. Here's the chart through the end of September showing the number of unique visitors, the total number of visits, and the number of individual pages viewed.
It's also interesting to see the fluctuations over time of the combined traffic on the CCJ (rwinters.com) and the CCJ Forum (cambridgecivic.com). The charts below show the monthly totals as well as the annual averages (which tend to smooth out the spikes). Note what happens around each November of each municipal election year. Note: It's often the case that someone who visits one of the sites will then visit several pages of the other - hence the somewhat higher than expected numbers. Also, the anomalous bump in late 2013 included some SPAM traffic which I began aggressively combating after that date.
Oct 8 - I just ran some experiments with the 2015 City Council ballot data to see what the effect of limiting the number of rankings would have been. I had previously truncated the rankings to 15 and there was not a single change. I had also limited the rankings to 9 and found only minor changes in the round-by-round results. Tonight I limited the rankings to 7, then 5, then just 3 to see what would happen. In all cases the same 9 candidates are elected, though in the most severely limited case of allowing just 3 rankings only 6 candidates reach the election quota (but are still elected, of course, since all other candidates have been defeated). The interesting observation from the experiments is that some candidates are consistently more greatly impacted by the loss of deeper rankings. - RW
I also (upon request) just updated my record of voter success. The table below indicates the percentage of ballots for which the #1 ranked candidate was elected; the percentage of ballots for which the #1 or #2 ranked candidate was elected; and the percentage of ballots for which the #1, #2, or #3 ranked candidate was elected.
| Voter Success in Cambridge Elections | ||||||||||
| Election | elect | candidates | valid | invalid | total ballots | Pct #1 elected | Pct #1 or #2 elected | Pct #1, #2, or #3 elected | Pct none elected | Pct blank |
| 1997 Council | 9 | 19 | 16879 | 350 | 17229 | 88.7 | 96.2 | 97.6 | 1.6 | 0.3 |
| 1999 Council | 9 | 24 | 18777 | 384 | 19161 | 76.5 | 92.5 | 95.5 | 3.0 | 0.5 |
| 2001 Council | 9 | 19 | 17126 | 562 | 17688 | 83.8 | 94.0 | 96.2 | 2.8 | 1.1 |
| 2003 Council | 9 | 20 | 20080 | 878 | 20958 | 72.7 | 87.0 | 91.0 | 6.7 | 2.0 |
| 2005 Council | 9 | 18 | 16070 | 132 | 16202 | 78.7 | 93.4 | 96.1 | 2.6 | 0.5 |
| 2007 Council | 9 | 16 | 13633 | 88 | 13721 | 79.3 | 93.2 | 96.0 | 2.9 | 0.4 |
| 2009 Council | 9 | 21 | 15995 | 118 | 16073 | 75.1 | 90.9 | 94.1 | 4.3 | 0.6 |
| 2011 Council | 9 | 18 | 15845 | 126 | 15971 | 77.8 | 92.6 | 95.5 | 3.3 | 0.5 |
| 2013 Council | 9 | 25 | 17743 | 103 | 17846 | 68.6 | 87.8 | 93.0 | 4.9 | 0.4 |
| 2015 Council | 9 | 23 | 17854 | 105 | 17959 | 71.7 | 90.4 | 94.8 | 3.3 | 0.3 |
| 1997 School | 6 | 8 | 16386 | 285 | 16671 | 83.3 | 96.4 | 97.6 | 2.4 | 0.1 |
| 1999 School | 6 | 13 | 17961 | 307 | 18268 | 76.0 | 91.1 | 94.4 | 4.7 | 0.1 |
| 2001 School | 6 | 10 | 16489 | 1160 | 17649 | 76.2 | 90.5 | 92.6 | 7.1 | 4.8 |
| 2003 School | 6 | 8 | 18698 | 2210 | 20908 | 81.9 | 89.7 | 90.0 | 10.0 | 8.8 |
| 2005 School | 6 | 8 | 15470 | 719 | 16189 | 77.4 | 90.6 | 93.1 | 6.9 | 4.2 |
| 2007 School | 6 | 9 | 13276 | 433 | 13709 | 77.0 | 91.2 | 92.7 | 7.1 | 3.0 |
| 2009 School | 6 | 9 | 15423 | 549 | 15972 | 72.6 | 90.1 | 91.6 | 8.4 | 3.3 |
| 2011 School | 6 | 11 | 15290 | 614 | 15904 | 77.6 | 90.3 | 92.2 | 6.9 | 3.6 |
| 2013 School | 6 | 9 | 16592 | 1128 | 17720 | 80.9 | 90.0 | 91.2 | 8.5 | 6.2 |
| 2015 School | 6 | 11 | 16797 | 1062 | 17859 | 69.2 | 84.7 | 88.0 | 11.1 | 5.7 |
Note: Almost all of the invalid ballots were blank ballots. It's common that some voters will vote only the City Council ballot and cast a blank School Committee ballot.
The idea of the Cambridge Civic Journal was conceived in the early morning hours of September 20, 1997 - 20 years ago (6:00am, in fact). The original planned name was "Central Square News", though that quickly changed to Cambridge Civic Journal by the time the first issue was written and distributed on November 17, 1997. There was no website then - just printed copies, a PDF version, and email (and a lot of word of mouth). After a short while the great folks at the Porter Square Neighbors Association (PSNA) voluntarily began posting each issue on their website (yes, there were issues back then). Eventually I taught myself the basics of how to do a website and began posting the issues myself on my Harvard Math Department account. By 1999 the CCJ site was moved to the domain where it currently resides. The reason for the rather personal sounding URL http://rwinters.com is that I was also a candidate in those days, and when I decided to no longer be a candidate I simply repurposed the candidate site as the new home of the Cambridge Civic Journal. - Robert Winters
Sept 29 - I read last night that the Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved the application of &pizza to open in Harvard Square at the former Nini's Corner site. Normally I don't pay much attention to the openings and closings of restaurants (unless they're in Central Square!), but this whole process was so indicative of just how insane and brutal Cambridge can sometimes be that I couldn't look away. The bottom line is that this is just a pizza place - maybe a bit fancy for my taste and probably more expensive than I'll be willing to pay. I'm more of an Angelo's Pizzeria, two slices kinda guy.
Nonetheless, the self-appointed arbiters of all that shall be allowed in Harvard Square (the former Harvard Square Defense Fund, its new incarnation as the Harvard Square Neighborhood Association, and individuals like James Williamson - who, by the way, now signs as J. Maynard Williamson) decided that the arrival of this "fast food" operation was tantamount to an invasion by foreign troops that had to be met with barbed wire and artillery fire. The rhetoric was absolutely precious. When I spoke at a meeting of the Harvard Square Advisory Committee (my first time ever) to say that a place like this would be welcomed in Central Square, one snob-in-training responded by saying "this is not Central Square". Ah, yes, I forgot how the other half lives.
The rhetoric only steamrolled from there. Eventually there were photos trotted out of &pizza employees with the "&" sign tattooed on their bodies. We can probably agree that anyone who would do that straddles the borderline between moron and idiot, but the 02138 defenders made more than a subtle suggestion that this was some kind of requirement from the employer with associations to tribalism and even slavery. They apparently also dropped a dime with some producer at WGBH's "Greater Boston" to have their perspective promoted by host Jim Braude. It's nice to have those media connections - and the privilege that comes with it.
In the end, it's just pizza. The Harvard Square Neighborhood Association is now licking its wounds from this ill-chosen battle. There really are some things about Harvard Square that are worth defending, but this was never one of them. - Robert Winters
Oct 23 - Vermont Senator/Cult Figure Bernie Sanders is scheduled to appear this morning in Somerville for the purpose of endorsing candidates in local elections in Cambridge (and Somerville) based solely on the advice of the newborn group "Our Revolution Cambridge". This not-yet-registered political action group has endorsed a slate of 5 candidates (who just happen to coincide with the slate endorsed by the Cambridge Residents Alliance) based on a process that seemed to have the outcome determined well before the questionnaire was even sent to candidates. Sanders is apparently adding a sixth name - Jeff Santos - whose primary qualification is that he's had Sanders on his radio show on several occasions. Many view the "Our Revolution Cambridge" group primarily as the local political machine of newly-minted State Rep. Mike Connolly - a Sanders disciple.
It was Sanders who last year railed against what he saw as a political machine who rigged the Democratic Party presidential nomination process against him. It is ironic, to say the least, that he is now using his cult-like status to influence the election of local candidates about whom he knows essentially nothing. It was refreshing to see this morning a letter co-signed by a substantial list of Cambridge activists and prominent political figures questioning Sanders' judgment.
Cambridge Rindge educator nominated for National Teacher of the Year (Sept 27, 2017)
Bike lane backlash heats up in Cambridge (Sept 26, 2017)
Cambridge councillors call for more collaborative talks over bike lanes (Sept 26, 2017)
City takes point to push Foundry forward (Sept 26, 2017)
Retailers plan to press forward with 5 percent sales tax ballot question (Sept 21, 2017)
Councillors look to address aggressive turkeys in Cambridge (Sept 20, 2017)
Growing Older column: Surprising reunions trigger old memories (Sept 2, 2017)
Cambridge receives grant to reduce energy use (Sept 2, 2017)
Facebook plans big expansion in Cambridge (Aug 30, 2017)
Superintendent Column: What it means to welcome all students (Aug 30, 2017)
After massive spike, opioid death rate down slightly (Aug 25, 2017)
MIT students petition Cambridge City Council (Aug 24, 2017)
Pedro Martinez draws large crowd at Cambridge's Oldtime Baseball Game (posted Aug 22, 2017 - game was on Aug 17)
Huron Avenue work nears completion after five tough years (Aug 18, 2017)
Sale of non-rescues soon to be banned in Cambridge pet shops (Aug 8, 2017)
Sept 15 - I'm actually starting to enjoy reading and posting candidate submissions for the Cambridge Candidate Pages. Today's real treat comes from School Committee candidate Piotr Mitros. I urge you to read what this very interesting candidate has to say: http://vote.cambridgecivic.com/mitros.htm - RW
Sept 14 - The really thoughtful responses for the Cambridge Candidate Pages continue with today's submission by City Council candidate (and Vice Mayor) Marc McGovern. I strongly recommend reading it. - RW
Sept 13 - Cambridge School Committee candidate Fred Fantini today sent a really comprehensive response for his Cambridge Candidate Page. Check it out at: http://vote.cambridgecivic.com/fantini.htm
Sept 10 - New responses to the Cambridge Candidate Pages were submitted today by City Council candidates Denise Simmons and Hari Pillai. I encourage you to read their thoughtful responses. - RW
Sept 10 - I just remade my Big Voter Database that merges the current (Sept 1) registered voter list with the voter histories going back to 1997. As of Sept 1 there are 65,142 registered Cambridge voters. Of these, there are 131 supervoters who haven't missed a Cambridge election since 1997, including all municipal elections, state elections, state primaries, citywide special elections, federal elections, and presidential primaries. - RW
Sept 9 - The latest quality submission to the Cambridge Candidate Pages comes from School Committee candidate Will MacArthur. I highly recommend that you read his responses. - Robert Winters
Sept 6 - The requests went out a couple of days ago to all City Council and School Committee candidates to provide statements on a variety of topics for their Candidate Pages. Every once in a while a candidate provides statements that rise above all others. Today I received a statement from City Council candidate Sean Tierney on the issue of housing and housing affordability that really took me to school. You should definitely read what he wrote for his Candidate Page on this topic. You'll be impressed. - Robert Winters
Based on a lot of great suggestions from CCJ readers, here's my revised list of topics for this year's School Committee candidates for their Candidate Pages. My intention is to ask each candidate to write whatever they wish on most of these topic areas, but they are free to omit some topics. Candidates may consolidate topics or expand to other topics. Please note that there are no "Yes or No" questions and there will be no ranking, endorsements, or anything like that on the Candidate Pages - just an opportunity for all candidates to reach voters in whatever way they see fit. - Robert Winters
School Committee Topics for 2017 Candidate Pages - Express your thoughts on most of these topic areas
1) Background [biographical, etc.]
2) Top Priorities [List about three then elaborate below]
3) Top Challenges Facing the Cambridge Public Schools today
4) Innovation Agenda, Hybrid Middle School model
5) School Department Administration and Superintendent
6) School Department Budget and Oversight, Capital Needs
7) Achievement Gaps, Meeting the Needs of All Students
8) Meeting the Needs of Advanced Learners
9) Controlled Choice, Student Assignment Policies
10) Family engagement and communication
11) Standardized Testing
12) Role of the School Committee
13) Role of Teachers in shaping programs and influencing policies
14) Curriculum and Programs
a) Elementary School Grades
b) Middle School Grades
c) High School Grades
d) Language Immersion Programs
e) Extended day programs
f) Early childhood education
g) Social and emotional development
Based on a lot of great suggestions from CCJ readers, here's my revised list of topics for this year's City Council candidates for their Candidate Pages. I may still tweak it a bit before sending out the request. This was not a simple exercise due to the range of topics and the interrelations between so many of them. My intention is to ask each candidate to choose at least 10 of these topic areas on which to write whatever they wish, but candidates are free to write on all of these topics if they please. Candidates may consolidate topics or expand to other topics - it's a long list. Please note that there are no "Yes or No" questions and there will be no ranking, endorsements, or anything like that on the Candidate Pages - just an opportunity for all candidates to reach voters in whatever way they see fit. - Robert Winters
City Council Topics for 2017 Candidate Pages - Express your thoughts on at least 10 topic areas
1) Background [biographical, etc.]
2) Top Priorities [List about three and elaborate below]
3) Land Use, Planning, Zoning, Density, Envision Cambridge [this may include specific ideas regarding particular neighborhoods and major city squares]
4) Housing (in general) and Affordable Housing (in particular) – priorities, plans, proposals
5) Economic Development and Commerce, Retail Viability and Affordability
6) Income Inequality, Economic Opportunity
7) Human Services Programs; Youth Programs; Senior Programs
8) Human Rights, Civic Unity, Diversity
9) Energy, Waste Reduction, Recycling, the Environment, and Public Health
10) Infrastructure: Water & Sewer; Climate-related issues and planning, Resiliency; Municipal Broadband
11) Traffic, Parking, Transportation, Cycling and Pedestrian Issues
12) Open Space, Parks, and Recreation
13) Municipal Finance (budget, assessments, property taxes, etc.)
14) Quality of Life, Noise, Public Safety, Accommodation of People with Disabilities
15) Civic Participation, Structure and Function of City Council and its committees
16) Government and Elections, Plan E Charter, City Manager
17) Relations and Collaboration between Cambridge, neighboring municipalities, the Commonwealth, regional and federal agencies
(e.g. in regard to transportation projects, housing)
18) University Relations – Responsibilities, Collaboration
19) Arts and Public Celebrations
20) Cambridge Public Schools
Aug 14 - I updated my all-time municipal candidate lists today to include the 2017 candidates:Index of all Cambridge City Council and School Committee candidates: 1941 to 2017 – updated Aug 14, 2017 [plain text version] [PDF version] – updated Aug 14, 2017
I also compiled a list of how many candidates and how many women candidates have been in the City Council and in the School Committee elections going back to 1941. It's a sortable table. Have fun: cambridgecivic.com/?p=5469
Aug 2 - The Election Commission voted to certify all nomination signatures submitted between July 27 and the July 31 deadline. All signatures for the 26 City Council candidates and 12 School Committee candidates are now certified and official.
| City Council Candidates (26) | School Committee Candidates (12) | |
| Ronald Benjamin, 172 Cushing Street, 02138 Josh M. Burgin, 812 Memorial Drive #1411, 02139 Dennis J. Carlone, 9 Washington Avenue #6, 02140 Olivia D'Ambrosio, 270 3rd Street #305, 02142 Jan Devereux, 255 Lakeview Avenue, 02138 Samuel Gebru, 812 Memorial Drive #614A, 02139 Richard Harding, Jr., 189 Windsor Street #1, 02139 Craig A. Kelley, 6 Saint Gerard Terrace #2, 02140 Dan Lenke, 148 Richdale Avenue, 02140 Ilan Levy, 148 Spring Street, 02141 Alanna M. Mallon, 3 Maple Avenue, 02139 Marc C. McGovern, 15 Pleasant Street, 02139 Gregg J. Moree, 25 Fairfield Street #4, 02140 |
Adriane B. Musgrave, 5 Newport Road #1, 02140 Nadya T. Okamoto, 220 Banks Street #5, 02138 Hari I. Pillai, 165 Cambridgepark Drive #234, 02140 Jeff Santos, 350 3rd Street #809, 02142 Sumbul Siddiqui, 530 Windsor Street, 02141 E. Denise Simmons, 188 Harvard Street #4B, 02139 Vatsady Sivongxay, 59 Kirkland Street #2, 02138 Bryan Sutton, 764 Cambridge Street #6, 02141 Sean Tierney, 12 Prince Street, 02139 Paul F. Toner, 24 Newman Street, 02140 Timothy J. Toomey, Jr., 88 6th Street, 02141 Gwen Thomas Volmar, 13 Ware Street #4, 02138 Quinton Y. Zondervan, 235 Cardinal Medeiros Avenue, 02141 |
Manikka L. Bowman, 134 Reed Street, 02140 Fran A. Cronin, 1 Kimball Lane, 02140 Jake W. Crutchfield, 281 River Street #1, 01239 Emily R. Dexter, 9 Fenno Street, 02138 Alfred B. Fantini, 4 Canal Park #203, 02141 Elechi M. Kadete, 10 Laurel Street #4, 02139 Kathleen M. Kelly, 17 Marie Avenue #1, 02139 Laurance V. Kimbrough, 24 Aberdeen Avenue, 02138 William MacArthur, 18 Shea Road, 02140 Piotr Flawiusz Mitros, 9 Michael Way, 02141 Patricia M. Nolan, 184 Huron Avenue, 02138 David J. Weinstein, 45 S. Normandy Avenue, 02138 |
2017 Cambridge Candidate Pages
2017 Campaign Event Listings and Candidate Forums
[Note: Only events open to the general public (with or without RSVP) will be listed.]
2017 Cambridge City Council Campaign Bank Reports (with sortable tables)
Campaign Finance Reports - 2017 City Council (PDF with links to detailed reports)
Campaign Contributions (2017) - Total Receipts and Cambridge Receipts, Total Expenses
Sept 22, 2017 – City Manager Louis DePasquale is seeking individuals interested in serving on the Cambridge Peace Commission. Composed of up to 20 members who serve three-year terms and represent the socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic diversity of the city, the Peace Commission meets on the third Wednesday of most months at 6 p.m., at 51 Inman St., 2nd Floor Conference Room, Cambridge. Prospective members must reside in Cambridge.
Commission members are volunteers appointed by the City Manager and work with the staff in fulfilling the mission of the Peace Commission and in accomplishing its goals. Members are expected to attend regular meetings, participate in organizing the Commission’s events and activities, and do some work outside of Commission meetings. Members are encouraged to learn about the day-to-day work and projects of the staff, and offer advice and viewpoints that reflect the Commission’s mission and role within city government.
As a department of the City of Cambridge, the Peace Commission works with other municipal agencies, communities of faith, nonprofit organizations, and the wider community to build connections and strengthen relationships, and to promote positive dialogue and foster understanding. The Commission fosters a community where differences and diversity are understood and celebrated, so that all residents can contribute to making Cambridge an equitable and peaceful community. It pays special attention to traumatic events and violence affecting Cambridge and its residents, and coordinates and supports compassionate community responses to support recovery and healing.
The Commission supports Cambridge’s Sister City relationships, including those with: Les Cayes, Haiti; San José Las Flores, El Salvador; and Yerevan, Armenia. It also celebrates Cambridge residents and local efforts with recognition programs and events, and raises awareness about local and global peace and social justice issues through educational forums, discussions, and presentations. For more information about the Peace Commission, visit: www.cambridgema.gov/peace.
Individuals interested in being considered can submit a cover letter, résumé or summary of applicable experience using the city’s online application system at www.cambridgema.gov/apply. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, Oct. 23, 2017.
Sept 8, 2017 – Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking persons interested in serving on the Cambridge Commission for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) advisory board.
Made up of 11 members who serve three-year terms in a volunteer capacity, the CCPD board meets on the second Thursday of every month at 5:30 p.m. CCPD seeks to build a membership that reflects the cultural and racial diversity of the city, is cross-disability in nature and representative of the different geographical areas of the community. Members must be current residents of Cambridge.
CCPD works dynamically to maximize access to all aspects of Cambridge community life for individuals with disabilities, and strives to raise awareness of disability matters, to eliminate discrimination, and to promote equal opportunity for people with all types of disabilities – physical, mental and sensory. CCPD members are expected to work with other members and CCPD staff to fulfill the goals and objectives of the CCPD Ordinance (CMC Chapter 2.96). CCPD members are expected to attend monthly meetings, participate in subcommittees, and work on various short and/or long-term projects, as needed.
For more information, contact Kate Thurman, Cambridge Commission for Persons with Disabilities at ccpd@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-4692 (voice) or 617-492-0235 (TTY).
Individuals interested in being considered should apply by using the City's online application system at www.cambridgema.gov/apply. A cover letter and resumé or summary of relevant experience and the kinds of disability-related issues or projects that interest them can be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager's Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, Oct 23, 2017.
$14.5M donation secures affordable housing at Cambridge’s Close Building (July 26, 2017)
Planning Board gets first look at Volpe rezoning proposal (July 26, 2017 by Rob Carter)
Cambridge Police promote two new superintendents (Steven J. DeMarco and Christine A. Elow) (July 26, 2017)
Housing advocates optimistic as Vail Court debated (July 25, 2017 by Adam Sennott)
Eversource rate case presenting fiscal woes for solar projects (July 20, 2017 by Matt Murphy / State House News Service)
LETTER: Cambridge needs more long-term housing (July 19, 2017 by Jesse Kanson-Benanav, founder and chairman of A Better Cambridge)
Cambridge activists push for more housing on Volpe site (July 19, 2017 by Adam Sennott)
Comm. Ave. Bridge project: What it means to Cambridge (July 18, 2017)
What to do when you encounter wildlife in Cambridge (July 17, 2017 by Abigail Simon)
Police: Cambridge man knocked out, hospitalized after stealing phone (July 14, 2017 by Amy Saltzman) - then watch this video
Planning Board lets Harvard Square pizzeria application move forward (July 12, 2017 by Rob Carter)
Harvard Square group gives boost to &Pizza plans (July 11, 2017 by Adam Sennott)
Diaries reveal 18th century life in Cambridge (July 7, 2017 by Betsy Levinson)
Proposed Cambridge Airbnb regulations headed for City Council vote (July 6, 2017 by Adam Sennott)
A gem polished in Cambridge (July 5, 2017 by Lisa Cerquiera)
Arlington, Cambridge officials see ways to improve transportation on Mass. Ave. (July 3, 2017 by Bram Berkowitz)
PHOTOS: MIT’s vision for a redeveloped Volpe site (June 30, 2017)
Community gives feedback to MIT on Volpe Center plans (June 30, 2017 by Rob J. Carter)
Cambridge investigating affordable housing on divinity school land (June 27, 2017 by Adam Sennott)
Cambridge City Council seeking faster roll-out of protected bike lanes (June 27, 2017 by Adam Sennott)
To help struggling small businesses, Cambridge looks into reforms (June 15, 2017 by Jill Jaracz)
Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust to step down (June 14 by Abigail Simon)
‘Millionaire tax’ makes it to the 2018 ballot (with interactive map) (Jun 14, 2017 by Michael P. Norton, State House News Service)
Cambridge councillors call for action on ‘worthless’ liquor licenses (June 13, 2017 by Adam Sennott)
City, developer commit $6M to improve transit in Kendall Square (June 12, 2017 by Betsy Levinson)
PHOTOS: Cambridge Rindge and Latin Class of 2017 graduates (June 9, 2017)
‘Cambridge in your DNA:’ Rindge graduates encouraged to teach, give back (June 9, 2017 by Linda Kush)
‘We know there were witnesses:’ DA calls on public to help solve teen’s murder (June 5, 2017 by Amy Saltzman)
PHOTOS: River Fest takes over East Cambridge waterfront (June 5, 2017)
PHOTOS: Wicked awesome mortarboards from high school graduations (June 5, 2017)
Cambridge joins area towns to forge own path against climate change (June 5, 2017 by Gerry Tuoti)
Family-run flower shop in Kendall Square celebrates 75 years (June 2, 2017 by Lisa Cerqueira)
Cambridge awards record $210K in scholarships (June 2, 2017)
Cambridge launches new plan for Foundry Building (June 1, 2017)
Developer’s plan would bring movies back to Harvard Square theater (May 31, 2017)
Aug 23, 2017 – Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking to fill vacancies for members and alternate members on the Avon Hill Neighborhood Conservation District (NCD) Commission, Half Crown-Marsh NCD Commission, and Mid Cambridge NCD Commission. The original application deadline for these commissions has been extended to Monday, September 25, 2017.
Neighborhood Conservation Districts were established by City ordinance beginning in 1983. NCD designation recognizes the particular design qualities of distinctive neighborhoods and encourages their protection and maintenance for the benefit of the entire city. The three NCD commissions in Cambridge each include five members and three alternates. Most members must be residents of the respective neighborhood commission. More information and maps of the Avon Hill, Half Crown-Marsh, and Mid Cambridge NCDs are available at cambridgema.gov/historic/districtsHistoricProperties/districtsmap.
The volunteer commissions meets monthly and are supported by the professional staff of the Cambridge Historical Commission. Applicants should have an interest in architecture, local history or neighborhood preservation and be committed to protecting the historic resources and built environment of the City. Appointments are made by the City Manager with regard to a diversity of viewpoints. Minority candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.
Individuals interested in being considered should apply by using the city’s online application system at www.cambridgema.gov/apply and selecting the relevant commission. A cover letter and résumé or summary of applicable experience can be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, September 25, 2017.
July 19, 2017 and Aug 30, 2017 – Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking residents and members of the Cambridge community (including private sector, municipal employees, business owners, students and others) interested in serving on the Citizens’ Committee on Civic Unity.
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 Committee works to provide opportunities for constructive discussions and community events regarding race, class, religion, gender, disability, 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. For information on the committee’s work, current goals, meeting schedule, and events, please visit: www.cambridgema.gov/civicunity.
Individuals interested in being considered can submit a cover letter, résumé or summary of applicable experience using the city’s online application system at www.cambridgema.gov/apply. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. The deadline for submitting applications is Thursday, September 21, 2017.
The City of Cambridge will host the 22nd Annual Danehy Park Family Day on Saturday, September 16, from 11am-4pm. Enjoy a fun-filled day of children's amusement rides, arts and crafts, face painting, live music and roving performers, plus free hot dogs, chips, sodas and T-shirts while supplies last! Check out performances throughout the day at the children's stage. Rain Date is Sunday, Sept. 17.
Danehy Park is a 55-acre facility located at 99 Sherman Street and New Street in North Cambridge. This free event, sponsored by the City of Cambridge, attracts over 4,000 people annually and offers something for everyone.
Free shuttle buses will be running throughout Cambridge neighborhoods and from Alewife MBTA Station. Danehy Park can also be reached by #74 bus or #78 bus from Harvard Square; #83 bus from Central Square. Picnics and lawn chairs are encouraged.
For more information, including times and locations for the neighborhood shuttle and event schedule, visit www.cambridgema.gov/DanehyPark.
| Time | Event | Meeting Place |
| 9:30-11:00am | Architecture and Development of Avon Hill | Cooper-Frost-Austin House, 21 Linnaean St. |
| 9:30-11:00am | Stones of the Old Burying Ground | Old Burying Ground gate next to Christ Church, Zero Garden St. |
| 10:00-11:00am | Discover Lusitania Wet Meadow at Fresh Pond | Meet at the meeting rocks, at the meadow’s southwest corner |
| 10:00am-12:00pm | James Russell Lowell’s Brattle Street | front stairs of the Longfellow house, 105 Brattle St. |
| 10:00am-4:00pm (hourly) | Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site | 105 Brattle St. |
| 11:00am-1:00pm | Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church | 838 Mass. Ave. corner Sellers St., Central Square |
| 11:30am | Longfellow House Landscape | 105 Brattle St., outside the Visitor Center |
| 1:30pm | Longfellow Family Garden | garden at 105 Brattle St. |
| 1:00-1:45pm | Common Exchange: Public Art on Cambridge Common | Common at the entrance to the Kemp Playground |
| 1:00-2:30pm | “Unholy Traffic”: Saloons vs. No-license and Prohibition Laws | outside Atwood’s Tavern, 877 Cambridge St. |
| 2:00-3:30pm | More Cambridgeport Stories: Cross Streets | corner of Magazine St. and William St. |
| 3:00-4:00pm | Five Senses over Five Centuries | Cambridge Historical Society, Hooper-Lee-Nichols House, 159 Brattle St. |
| 3:00-4:30pm | The Road to Revolution: A Special Tour for Families | Longfellow house, 105 Brattle St., outside the Visitor Center |
| 3:00-4:30pm | Children of the Revolution: Boys & Girls in Cambridge During the Siege of Boston | Tory Row historic marker, corner of Brattle St. and Mason St. |
| 3:30pm | Longfellow House Landscape | Visitor Center, 105 Brattle St. |
Sept 5 - There was a double shooting today near Central Square at the corner of River St. and Auburn St. at approximately 10:45am Tuesday morning. Two young people sustained gunshot wounds - one to the hand and one to the knee. It is believed that the shooter knew the victims. The investigation is ongoing. A brief press conference was held nearby with Police Commissioner Branville G. Bard.
Candidates for City Council and School Committee in each municipal election since 2003 have been asked to submit statements to be posted on their Cambridge Candidate Pages on a range of topics relevant to the respective offices. Candidates can also submit statements on other topics of importance to them and they can modify any statements all the way up to Election Day. There are no endorsements on the Candidate Pages - just an opportunity for candidates to introduce themselves to voters. The request will soon go out to this year's candidates. Are there any particular topic areas that should be on this year's list? Please let me know what you think so that we can have a good starting point for all candidates. For reference, the topics from the 2015 election are listed below. - Robert Winters
Sept 2 - I am hoping to finalize the Topics Lists over the Labor Day weekend (Sept 2-4) before sending them out to all the candidates. If you have any additional input, now's the time to send it to me. I now have 4 pages of suggestions to merge and distill into something as simple and flexible as possible for the candidates. [PS - If anyone has managed to find email addresses for Dan Lenke (or if you ARE Dan Lenke), please send me that email address so that all candidates can receive the same information and requests.] - Robert Winters
City Council candidates were asked in 2015 about: Other topics that you might wish to address: Civic Participation, Government and Elections, Plan E Charter, City Manager, University Relations, Youth Programs, Senior Programs, Arts and Public Celebrations, Cambridge Public Schools, Future of the Foundry Building |
School Committee candidates were asked in 2015 about: |
Any topics to add, delete, or modify?
Aug 27 - I am today grieving the loss of my friend Tom Raphael who died yesterday at the age of 95. He was the person who first invited me to be involved with the Middlesex Canal Association and was the Chair of the Middlesex Canal Commission. He was a Renaissance man, an inventor, an inspiration to all who knew him, and one of the most wise and interesting people I have ever known. - Robert Winters
Aug 16 - The deadline for withdrawing a candidate's name from the municipal election ballot has now passed. There were no withdrawals, so we're all set with 26 City Council candidates and 12 School Committee candidates. [2017 Cambridge Candidate Pages]
7:00pm 24th Annual Oldtime Baseball Game (St. Peter's Field, Sherman St.)
Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez to Pitch in 24th Annual Abbot Financial Management Oldtime Baseball Game on Thursday, August 17, 2017. Cambridge’s Summertime Celebration of Baseball to Benefit John Martin Fund and ALS Therapy Development Institute. Free admission, no tickets necessary. [Facebook Page][Oldtime Baseball website]
Sherman Street will be closed on Thursday 8/17 from 5:00pm - midnight between Rindge Ave. and Walden St. for the Oldtime Baseball Game - http://camb.ma/2i7M6Ou
Aug 1 - Planning Board Associate Member Ahmed Nur announced today that he will be resigning from the Planning Board due to time conflicts. Thank you for your 10 years of service.
Notice (July 23, updated Aug 9) - There actually is a mailing list for the Cambridge Civic Journal, but many moons have passed since the last time anything was sent out to the list. Today a test message was sent out to the whole list just to see how many addresses were no longer working and in order to otherwise clean up the list - somewhat motivated by the municipal election on the horizon. If you received the test message and would prefer to not remain on the disribution list or if would like to change your email address, just reply to the message and I'll make the necessary updates. If you're not on the list (or thought you were but did not receive the test message) and would like to be added, you can Subscribe to the CCJ by clicking the highlighted link. The list is completely confidential and will be shared with no one, but you must provide your real name. - Robert Winters
Friends,
When I first ran for City Council 8 years ago, I did not think that I would actually win. I felt compelled by a faith in community service that my parents instilled in me; a love for the city my father first called home when he immigrated to America; and a vague notion that somehow my unique ideas and perspective would, when added to those already there, make the Council even better. Winning was a surprise, but I was humbled by the opportunity, and honored by the trust voters had placed in me.
I came to office determined to make the most of that opportunity; to affect as much good as I possibly could in the time I was given. Determined to earn the trust given to me by making things better tomorrow than I'd found them yesterday, I tried to make the most of every day because I never thought it would last forever.
After much reflection, I've decided that I will not seek re-election to the City Council. These past 8 years of public service have been exciting, productive, and professionally rewarding but also demanding. Doing the job, the way I aspire to do it, is an all-consuming affair. Elected office demands more than just 40 hours a week. More than 80. It keeps you constantly on call. It demands your nights and weekends. Nowadays however, my nights and weekends belong to my wife, my 3 year old daughter Lela Marie, and my 3 month old son Alexander Alpha. Quite frankly, I cannot be wholly present at a community meeting if all I'm thinking about is going home to play on the rug. Life is short and I want to spend these next few years devoting my free time to my kids.
While reflecting on this decision I took some time to look back over all the flyers and mailings I'd sent out ever since my first campaign. I'm proud that almost all those promises have been fulfilled. We have innovation legislation that formalizes open data, sets aside affordable office space for entrepreneurs, and a city bureaucracy that's embracing technology. Cambridge is the most climate-conscious city in the world, with building regulations headed towards net-zero, power aggregation that's shifting the entire city towards renewables, and investments in transportation infrastructure. We've emerged from the national housing crisis with a focus on affordability, and a blueprint for incentivizing developers to focus on residents, not profits. We introduced participatory budgeting, mini-bonds, and curbside composting. We have a great new City Manager, focused on customer service, who was selected through a transparent and inclusive process. We're investing in education, family housing, and helping residents build a better future for themselves and their families.
I'm known for promoting a forward-looking vision for the city, from innovation to entrepreneurship, but my most impactful moments were when I broke from peoples' expectations of me as the kid from MIT. Bringing millennials to understand the perspectives of life-long residents on everything from taxes to bicycles; championing home grown candidates – Rich Rossi and Louie Depasquale – for City Manager; focusing on the basics like fire and police. The underlying theme is that every move I've made has been towards a singular goal – making tomorrow better than yesterday; and everything I've done has been in collaboration with others – residents, activists, colleagues, and city employees – and with an understanding that any policy is only as strong as the front-line employees delivering the service.
The temptation to remain in public office is that there is always more work to be done. I won't stop moving issues forwards until my term is over. However, I rest assured that the future of Cambridge is bright. We have the policies, practices, and personnel to tackle whatever is next. We have the best employees of any city in the country. Between the incumbents running for re-election and the new candidates, we'll have the institutional memory to safeguard what's great about Cambridge and the new ideas necessary to challenge assumptions and make things even better.
So I humbly return to you the trust that you held in me. It's time for me to focus on my growing family and opportunities in the private sector. I'm forever thankful that despite the national drama, I'll leave the City Council with a deepened faith in American Democracy and as living proof that the dream is alive and well. And for that I am grateful.
Thank you,
Leland
July 24, 2017 – The Cambridge Police Department held a ceremony this afternoon inside the Robert W. Healy Public Safety Facility for Steven J. DeMarco and Christine A. Elow, as they were both promoted to the rank of Police Superintendent.
Superintendent DeMarco joined the Cambridge Police Department in 1993 and has served in a variety of units during his distinguished career with the Cambridge Police, including Patrol Operations, Special Investigations, Traffic Enforcement and, most recently, Deputy Superintendent for Criminal Investigations. Overall, Superintendent DeMarco has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, including serving in a supervisory and leadership capacity over the past 16 years.
Superintendent Elow, who was raised in Cambridge, has been with the Cambridge Police Department for more than 22 years. She becomes the highest ranking female officer in the history of the Cambridge Police Department. Most recently, she served as Deputy Superintendent for Day Patrol and Community Services. While a majority of her career has been in patrol operations, Superintendent Elow has also overseen Professional Standards.
Mayor E. Denise Simmons, City Manager Louis A. DePasquale, Deputy City Manager Lisa C. Peterson, Councilor Craig Kelley and Cambridge Police Commissioner Brent B. Larrabee joined other city officials, officers, family members and friends at the ceremony to honor Superintendents DeMarco and Elow on their promotions.
Commissioner Larrabee stated, "Since taking over as Acting Commissioner earlier this year, I have been thoroughly impressed with the professionalism, talent-level, and sound decision-making of these two standout officers. Just as important, I have admired the respect the Cambridge community has for both of them. I have the utmost confidence that Superintendents DeMarco and Elow will fulfill incoming Commissioner Bard's vision, continue to elevate the department and ensure that CPD delivers the highest quality of service and protection for the city."
For photos from this afternoon's ceremony, please visit www.facebook.com/CambridgePolice.
Cambridge Police Superintendents Steven DeMarco & Christine Elow
July 12, 2017 – Bernadette Charles-Sanon’s dream came true when the Cambridge Community Learning Center (CLC) offered a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) training for English Language Learners this year in partnership with the Academy for Healthcare Training. While studying English at the CLC, she had been entreating staff to provide this program so she could progress from her work as a home health aide. When funding became available through grants from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Commonwealth Corporation, she was excited to enroll along with others. “There are a lot of elderly in Cambridge,” Charles-Sanon said, “and I want to help them.”
In the four-month cycle that ended in June, 16 students completed the course despite the intensive schedule: two nights a week in Cambridge learning English and math and two nights at the Academy in Malden learning clinical skills. The teachers remarked on the diversity of students, who included two men and 14 women from six countries and with varied educational backgrounds.
Program Coordinator Pat Murphy noted that they “come from cultures of caring, especially for the elderly. It’s a task that they do with joy and compassion.”
Math teacher Sally Waldron praised the students for their work ethic and dependability as well as their support and respect for each other. “They really became a group.”
The program gives participants the chance to enter the field of healthcare, an area with many opportunities and an improvement over their current jobs. In addition to the academic and skills training, the program teaches its students job search skills. In collaboration with the Cambridge Employment Program, the program also offers assistance with job placement. After experience as a CNA, some graduates plan to study for other health careers, such as nursing or occupational therapy.
Haimanot Temesgen was walking by the Community Learning Center on Western Avenue with her 2 year old son when she saw a sign advertising free English classes. She wasn’t sure she could manage a program with her young child, but she decided to stop in. “It was a life-changing decision,” she said. “Another door opened in my life—to give me a skill and a future. Caring for people—that’s what I want to give my life to.”
The Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) training for English Language Learners program will be offered again in the fall of 2017 and the spring of 2018. For more information, call Pat Murphy at 617-349-6365 or visit the Community Learning Center at 5 Western Avenue, Cambridge. The Community Learning Center is the Adult Basic Education program of the City of Cambridge Department of Human Service Programs.
July 13, 2017 – City Manager Louis A. DePasquale today announced that Branville G. Bard, Jr. has been selected as Cambridge's Police Commissioner.
"I am pleased to appoint Mr. Bard as our next Police Commissioner. He has a proven track record and will be a strong leader for our 21st-century Police Department," City Manager Louis A. DePasquale said. "I am confident that under Mr. Bard's leadership, the Cambridge Police Department (CPD) will continue growing its commitment to community policing, crime prevention, cultural awareness and sensitivity, department-wide equity and inclusiveness, procedural justice, and visionary, effective, and strong police leadership."
Bard currently serves as the Chief of Police and the Director of Public Safety for the Philadelphia Housing Authority's Police Department. Prior to this, he served in numerous positions for the Philadelphia Police Department, including Police Inspector, and Police Captain for the 22nd District. Bard holds a Doctorate in Public Administration from Valdosta State University. Bard's contract is for 3 years with a starting salary of $210,125 ($205,000 base salary with a 2.5% cost of living increase that went into effect July 1). His first official day as Commissioner is August 21.
"It is a tremendous honor to be appointed as the next Commissioner of the Cambridge Police Department," Bard said. "This is a nationally regarded and accomplished department and I am committed to building on the success of CPD's talented and established personnel, programs and collaborations."
"I am pleased that we were able to involve so many people in the Commissioner search process and that the public was able to hear directly from Mr. Bard during the process," City Manager DePasquale said "I hope the entire community will join me in welcoming incoming Commissioner Bard and I look forward to introducing him to the community in the coming months."
A full timeline of the process is available at http://camb.ma/BardTimeline. [Branville Bard's resume]
July 12 - Apparently SeeClickFix (a.k.a. Commonwealth Connect) that the City uses to manage complaints and suggestions is subject to censorship if you express a valid point of view that differs from one of its moderators (and I have no idea who gets to be the moderators). Welcome to the New Cambridge where differing points of view are not tolerated. - RW
July 10 - I attended a meeting of the Harvard Square Advisory Committee tonight who were discussing a proposal for an over-the-counter restaurant that would take over the space that was once Nini's Corner and the adjacent storefront at 8 Brattle Street. Except for one relic on the Advisory Committee, their discussion was reasonable. However, in attendance and making comment were a number of people who made it quite clear that snobbery is alive and well in Harvard Square.
July 11 update - The Cambridge Planning Board unanimously voted to allow the &pizza (and Milk Bar) Special Permit application for 8 Brattle St. to go back to the Board of Zoning Appeals for review and a possible re-vote on the application.
July 5, 2017 – Cambridge City Manager Louis DePasquale is seeking to fill vacancies for members and alternate members on the Cambridge Historical Commission, Avon Hill Neighborhood Conservation District (NCD) Commission, Half Crown-Marsh NCD Commission and Mid Cambridge NCD Commission.
The Cambridge Historical Commission, a body of seven members and three alternates, establishes historic preservation policy for the city and administers two historic districts, the Harvard Square Conservation District, the citywide landmark and demolition ordinances, and the preservation grant program for rehabilitation assistance.
Neighborhood Conservation Districts were established by City ordinance beginning in 1983. NCD designation recognizes the particular design qualities of distinctive neighborhoods and encourages their protection and maintenance for the benefit of the entire city. The three NCD commissions in Cambridge each include five members and three alternates. Most members must be residents of the neighborhoods. More information and maps of the Avon Hill, Half Crown-Marsh, and Mid Cambridge NCDs are available at cambridgema.gov/historic/districtsHistoricProperties/districtsmap.
Each of the four volunteer commissions meets monthly. All are supported by the professional staff of the Historical Commission. Applicants should have an interest in architecture, local history or neighborhood preservation and be committed to protecting the historic resources and built environment of the City. Appointments to the Commission are made by the City Manager with regard to a diversity of viewpoints. Minority candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.
Individuals interested in being considered should apply by using the city’s online application system at cambridgema.gov/apply and selecting the relevant commission(s). A cover letter and résumé or summary of applicable experience can be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, August 14, 2017.
July 5, 2017 – Cambridge City Manager Louis DePasquale is seeking persons interested in serving on the Cambridge Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship (CIRC).
The Commission consists of 11 volunteer members, who are appointed by the City Manager, following an application and interview process. The term of the appointment is three years. Commissioners are expected to be knowledgeable about immigrant rights and citizenship and must be residents of Cambridge. It is desirable for this Commission to be fully representative of the diverse Cambridge community.
Cambridge welcomes immigrants and wants to encourage their success and access to opportunity and advancement in this country. It will be a goal of this Commission to get the message of welcome out, through collaboration with organizations that already provide services and outreach to our immigrant community.
The Commission will act as a centralizing organization in Cambridge, to address immigrant rights and citizenship issues through providing information, referral, guidance, coordination and technical assistance to other public agencies and private persons, organizations and institutions engaged in activities and programs intended to support immigrant rights and citizenship.
Commissioners are expected to work with other members of the Commission and staff to fulfill the goals and objectives of the Cambridge Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship Ordinance (CMC Chapter 2.123).
Individuals interested in being considered should apply by using the city’s online application system at cambridgema.gov/apply. A cover letter and résumé or summary of applicable experience can be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, August 14, 2017.
| Candidates who have pulled nomination papers (as of July 31, 5:00pm) - FINAL | |||||||
| Candidates | Office | Address | Birthdate | Occupation | Signatures | Certified | Notes |
| E. Denise Simmons | CC | 188 Harvard St. #4B, 02139 | 10/2/1951 | Mayor | 50(July 6),46(July 18) | 50+40=90 | July 3 |
| Dan Lenke | CC | 148 Richdale Ave., 02140 | 3/31/1947 | - | 100(July 31) | 67 | July 3 |
| Samuel Gebru | CC | 812 Memorial Dr., 02139 | 11/20/1991 | Self-Employed | 50(July 3),33(July 3) | 45+28=73 | July 3 |
| Gwen Volmar | CC | 13 Ware St. #4, 02138 | 9/25/1985 | University Admin. | 70(July 6) | 59 | July 3 |
| Ronald Benjamin | CC | 172 Cushing St., 02138 | 1/5/1971 | - | 80(July 7) | 66 | July 3 |
| Jeff Santos | CC | 350 3rd St. #809, 02142 | 5/28/1963 | Radio Host | 83(July5) | 79 | July 3 |
| Paul Toner | CC | 24 Newman St., 02140 | 4/28/1966 | Teacher, Lawyer | 50(July 6),37(July 7) | 49+35=84 | July 3 |
| Vatsady Sivongxay | CC | 59 Kirkland St. #2, 02138 | 2/20/1982 | - | 50(July 10),7(July 10),43(July 26) | 49+7+37=93 | July 3 |
| Marc McGovern | CC | 15 Pleasant St., 02139 | 12/21/1968 | Social Worker | 99(July 10) | 83 | July 3 |
| Craig Kelley | CC | 6 Saint Gerard Terr. #2, 02140 | 9/18/1962 | Politician | 86(July 10),9(July 31) | 73+9=82 | July 3 |
| Sumbul Siddiqui | CC | 530 Windsor Street, 02141 | 2/10/1988 | Attorney | 96(July 10) | 78 | July 3 |
| Sean Tierney | CC | 12 Prince St., 02139 | 3/10/1985 | Lawyer | 49(July 6),28(July 10),5(July 28) | 45+25+5=75 | July 3 |
| Nadya Okamoto | CC | 220 Banks St. #5, 02138 | 2/11/1998 | Student | 100(July 10) | 86 | July 3 |
| Quinton Zondervan | CC | 235 Cardinal Medeiros Ave., 02141 | 9/15/1970 | Entrepreneur | 58(July 13) | 54 | July 3 |
| Michelle Lessly | CC | 410 Memorial Dr., 02139 | -- | - | will not be a candidate | - | July 3 |
| Jan Devereux | CC | 255 Lakeview Ave., 02138 | 5/13/1959 | City Councillor | 50(July 7),19(July 10) | 46+18=64 | July 3 |
| Richard Harding | CC | 189 Windsor St. #1, 02139 | 10/16/1972 | Administration | 93(July 17) | 78 | July 3 |
| Alanna Mallon | CC | 3 Maple Ave., 02139 | 12/6/1970 | Nonprofit Admin. | 99(July 10) | 93 | July 5 |
| Josh Burgin | CC | 812 Memorial Drive, 02139 | 2/7/1976 | - | 33(July 13),32(July 18),21(July 31) | 29+29+19=77 | July 5 |
| Dennis Carlone | CC | 9 Washington Ave. #6, 02140 | 5/7/1947 | Architect | 70(July 18) | 68 | July 5 |
| Adriane Musgrave | CC | 5 Newport Rd. #1, 02140 | 10/14/1985 | - | 50(July 17),14(July 20) | 44+13=57 | July 5 |
| Timothy J. Toomey | CC | 88 6th St., 02141 | 6/7/1953 | City Councillor | 100(July 24) | 98 | July 5 |
| Bryan Sutton | CC | 764 Cambridge St. #6, 02141 | 5/19/1982 | Management | 38(July 25),20(July 27),11(July 31) | 30+18+8=56 | July 5 |
| Gregg Moree | CC | 25 Fairfield St. #4, 02140 | 6/16/1957 | perennial candidate | 90(July 31) | 80 | July 6 |
| Leland Cheung | CC | 157 Garden St., 02138 | 2/11/1978 | City Councillor | will not be a candidate | - | July 10 |
| Olivia D'Ambrosio | CC | 270 3rd Street #305, 02142 | 9/13/1983 | Theatre Artist | 64(July 20) | 56 | July 10 |
| David J. Stern | CC | 50 Follen St. #516, 02138 | 5/10/1952 | - | will not be a candidate | - | July 11 |
| Ilan Levy | CC | 148 Spring St. 02141 | 11/1/1967 | Software Engineer | 99(July 31) | 85 | July 11 |
| Paul F. Mahoney | CC | 23 Lawn St., 02138 | 5/8/1950 | - | will not be a candidate | - | July 17 |
| Curt Rogers | CC | 8 Austin Pk., 02139 | -- | Administrator | will not be a candidate | - | July 20 |
| Christopher Kosinski | CC | 77A Spring St. #1, 02141 | 5/18/1971 | Administrator | will not be a candidate | - | July 24 |
| Hari I. Pillai | CC | 165 Cambridgepark Dr. #234, 02140 | 3/17/1975 | Business | 68(July 31) | 59 | July 24 |
| Jake Crutchfield | SC | 281 River St. #1, 01239 | 3/31/1987 | Teacher | 50(July 3),38(July 6) | 35+34=69 | July 3 |
| Will MacArthur | SC | 18 Shea Rd., 02140 | 5/24/1998 | Student | 50(July 5),35(July 11) | 40+30=70 | July 3 |
| Fred Fantini | SC | 4 Canal Park #203, 02141 | 6/8/1949 | Retired | 47(July 6),42(July 10),11(July 11) | 47+41+11=99 | July 3 |
| Richard Harding | SC | 189 Windsor St. #1, 02139 | 10/16/1972 | Administration | running for City Council | - | July 3 |
| Manikka Bowman | SC | 134 Reed St., 02140 | 11/27/1979 | - | 100(July 10) | 92 | July 5 |
| Fran Albin Cronin | SC | 1 Kimball Ln., 02140 | 2/14/1952 | Aide | 77(July 31) | 72 | July 5 |
| Patty Nolan | SC | 184 Huron Ave., 02138 | 8/28/1957 | School Committee | 44(July 14),24(July 20) | 42+22=64 | July 5 |
| Laurance Kimbrough | SC | 24 Aberdeen Ave., 02138 | 7/3/1979 | Educator | 55(July 27) | 54 | July 6 |
| Kathleen Kelly | SC | 17 Marie Ave. #1, 02139 | 3/8/1960 | Social Worker | 69(July 20) | 65 | July 10 |
| David J. Weinstein | SC | 45 S. Normandy Ave., 02138 | 12/10/1972 | Writer/Comm. | 49(July 21),23(July 31) | 45+20=65 | July 13 |
| Emily Dexter | SC | 9 Fenno St., 02138 | 3/16/1957 | Research | 50(July 27),22(July 28) | 48+20=68 | July 13 |
| Elechi Kadete | SC | 10 Laurel St. #4, 02139 | 9/30/1989 | Accountant | 50(July 20),19(July 24) | 40+17=57 | July 17 |
| Piotr Flawiusz Mitros | SC | 9 Michael Way, 02141 | 3/6/1979 | Engineer | 50(July 27),41(July 31) | 45+33=78 | July 18 |
| Rebecca Bowie | SC | 30 Cambridgepark Dr. #1115, 02140 | 8/2/1987 | Dean | will not be a candidate | - | July 24 |
July 20 - A group of at least 10 registered voters filed a petition to have a non-binding public opinion question placed on this year's municipal ballot asking if voters will approve of public financing for municipal elections. My personal opinion is that this lies somewhere between frivolous and an attempt to influence this year's City Council and School Committee elections. New candidates don't appear to be having any difficulty at all raising sufficient funds to run a credible campaign and they all have unlimited free access to social media. The Election Commission certified that the required minimum of 10 signatures were filed in support of this petition, and it now will be referred to the City Council and will (presumably) appear on the agenda for the August 7 Midsummer City Council meeting. The City Council can approve of it being placed on the November municipal election ballot, but that has to happen a minimum of 90 days prior to the Nov 7 election. The Council could also disapprove (or someone could presumably delay it via the Charter Right) which would then require the petitioners to instead gather the valid signatures of 10% of registered voters (about 6500 signatures) - a substantial task. They would also have to file the necessary paperwork with the state if they intend to raise or spend any money. The number of days between Aug 7 and Nov 7 is 92 days. The lead petitioner appears to be someone named Adam Strich who was photographed recently carrying a sign that says, in Arabic, "The people want to bring down the regime." Well, as long as we're clear about where the petitioners are coming from.
Here's the text of the petition:
We, the undersigned registered voters of Cambridge, Massachusetts, hereby petition the Cambridge City Council to include the following nonbinding public policy advisory question on the November 2017 ballot:
“Many Cantabrigians have expressed concern over what they perceive to be the undue influence of a few wealthy donors and special interest groups on municipal elections. Such concerns have the potential to erode the people's confidence in their elected officials and reduce civic engagement, thereby undermining the objectives of responsible government. In response to similar concerns, cities as diverse as Los Angeles, New York City, Portland (OR), Seattle, and New Haven have provided for the complete or partial funding of electoral campaigns. Although they typically require only a tiny fraction of a city's budget, these public-financing programs have nevertheless been shown to result in a more vibrant and democratic process. Would you be in favor of the City of Cambridge adopting such a program for elections to the City Council?”
Just in case you're interested in how this rather large number of candidates compares to past Cambridge PR elections, here's the whole history going back to 1941 (CC for number of City Council candidates and SC for number of School Committee candidates). Any significant write-in candidates are included in the totals.
| Number of candidates in Cambridge municipal elections: 1941-present | ||||||||||||||
| Year | CC | SC | Year | CC | SC | Year | CC | SC | Year | CC | SC | |||
| 1941 | 83 | 28 | 1961 | 23 | 16 | 1981 | 25 | 13 | 2001 | 19 | 10 | |||
| 1943 | 39 | 19 | 1963 | 22 | 17 | 1983 | 16 | 16 | 2003 | 20 | 8 | |||
| 1945 | 37 | 14 | 1965 | 24 | 13 | 1985 | 22 | 9 | 2005 | 18 | 8 | |||
| 1947 | 34 | 18 | 1967 | 20 | 18 | 1987 | 19 | 13 | 2007 | 16 | 9 | |||
| 1949 | 40 | 16 | 1969 | 26 | 14 | 1989 | 28 | 8 | 2009 | 21 | 9 | |||
| 1951 | 27 | 15 | 1971 | 36 | 22 | 1991 | 19 | 12 | 2011 | 18 | 11 | |||
| 1953 | 35 | 18 | 1973 | 34 | 26 | 1993 | 29 | 11 | 2013 | 25 | 9 | |||
| 1955 | 41 | 19 | 1975 | 25 | 16 | 1995 | 19 | 11 | 2015 | 23 | 11 | |||
| 1957 | 35 | 26 | 1977 | 24 | 10 | 1997 | 20 | 8 | 2017 | 26 | 12 | |||
| 1959 | 31 | 21 | 1979 | 23 | 12 | 1999 | 24 | 13 | ||||||
The following City Council candidates have either had or scheduled a campaign kickoff event, announced their candidacy, or submitted sufficient signatures to qualify for the ballot (26): Ron Benjamin, Josh Burgin, Dennis Carlone, Olivia D'Ambrosio, Jan Devereux, Sam Gebru, Richard Harding, Jr., Craig A. Kelley, Dan Lenke, Ilan Levy, Alanna Mallon, Marc McGovern, Gregg Moree, Adriane Musgrave, Nadya Okamoto, Hari Pillai, Jeff Santos, Sumbul Siddiqui, Denise Simmons, Vatsady Sivongxay, Bryan Sutton, Sean Tierney, Paul Toner, Timothy J. Toomey, Jr., Gwen Volmar, and Quinton Zondervan.
The following School Committee candidates have either had or scheduled a campaign kickoff event, formally announced their candidacy, or submitted sufficient signatures to qualify for the ballot (12): Manikka Bowman, Fran Cronin, Jake Crutchfield, Emily Dexter, Alfred B. Fantini, Elechi Kadete, Kathleen Kelly, Laurance Kimbrough, Will MacArthur, Piotr Mitros, and Patricia M. Nolan, and David J. Weinstein.
July 21, 2017 – Beginning the week of July 24, 2017, the baselinee rate for most parking meters in the City of Cambridge will begin to increase to $1.25 per hour. At the same time, meter rates in Harvard Square will be set at $1.50 per hour based on the high level of demand, while rates in certain outlying areas with lower demand will remain at the current rate of $1.00 per hour. The new rates, the first increase in baseline parking meter rates since 2008, will be phased in over the next month, starting with the changes in Harvard Square.
The City of Cambridge installs parking meters to provide short term parking for visitors and patrons of Cambridge businesses. Most on-street meters have a two hour time limit; others have 30 or 60 minute limits. The meter rate and time limit in effect are clearly posted on all parking meters, and cars should not remain parked for longer than the time limit.
"This modest rate increase will allow the City to better manage the demand for parking," said Joseph Barr, Director of Traffic, Parking and Transportation. "Parking revenues generated from meters also help support various transportation and Vision Zero initiatives in the city. Investments in new bicycle infrastructure, traffic calming, and safety improvements in key intersection in Cambridge are funded through Parking Fund revenue."
For more information on the rate increase or parking management in the city, please contact the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department at 617-349-4700 or TrafficFeedback@cambridgema.gov.
| Campaign Finance Summaries - City Council 2017 (semi-monthly, last updated Aug 4, 5:40pm) | |||||||
| Candidate | From | To | Start | Receipts | Expend | Balance | As Of |
| Benjamin, Ronald | 1-Jan-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 9.00 | 985.72 | 850.95 | 143.77 | 2-Aug-17 |
| Burgin, Josh | 16-Jun-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 3165.98 | 1480.94 | 1685.04 | 1-Aug-17 |
| Carlone, Dennis | 1-Jan-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 17827.87 | 16130.47 | 4408.56 | 29549.78 | 3-Aug-17 |
| D'Ambrosio, Olivia | 1-Jan-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 122.75 | 5250.31 | 3756.13 | 1616.93 | 2-Aug-17 |
| Devereux, Jan | 1-Jan-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 8715.10 | 32178.05 | 13620.67 | 27272.48 | 1-Aug-17 |
| Gebru, Sam | 1-Jan-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 29848.50 | 29048.11 | 800.39 | 1-Aug-17 |
| Harding, Richard | 1-Jul-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 1961.06 | 0.00 | 115.50 | 1845.56 | 2-Aug-17 |
| Kelley, Craig | 1-Jan-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 2231.84 | 461.04 | 873.00 | 1819.88 | 2-Aug-17 |
| Lenke, Dan | 3-Jul-17 | 3-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Levy, Ilan | 16-Jul-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 1000.00 | 0.00 | 1000.00 | 1-Aug-17 |
| Mallon, Alanna | 1-Jan-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 100.00 | 36328.00 | 16076.68 | 20351.32 | 1-Aug-17 |
| McGovern, Marc | 1-Jan-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 14966.66 | 28995.38 | 20706.30 | 23255.74 | 2-Aug-17 |
| Moree, Gregg | 6-Jul-17 | 6-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6-Jul-17 |
| Musgrave, Adriane | 16-May-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 8172.95 | 3578.45 | 4594.50 | 1-Aug-17 |
| Okamoto, Nadya | 16-Mar-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 6896.63 | 1569.48 | 5327.15 | 2-Aug-17 |
| Pillai, Hari | 24-Jul-17 | 24-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 24-Jul-17 |
| Santos, Jeff | 7-Jun-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 2645.00 | 1612.00 | 1033.00 | 1-Aug-17 |
| Siddiqui, Sumbul | 16-Feb-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 29204.60 | 10047.39 | 19157.21 | 1-Aug-17 |
| Simmons, Denise | 1-Jan-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 10179.79 | 20737.05 | 11295.85 | 19620.99 | 2-Aug-17 |
| Sivongxay, Vatsady | 1-Jan-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 24506.94 | 13984.05 | 10522.89 | 1-Aug-17 |
| Sutton, Bryan | 16-Jun-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 100.00 | 70.15 | 29.85 | 1-Aug-17 |
| Tierney, Sean | 1-Feb-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 16975.29 | 7007.62 | 9967.67 | 2-Aug-17 |
| Toner, Paul | 16-Feb-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 34189.25 | 18357.00 | 15832.25 | 4-Aug-17 |
| Toomey, Tim | 1-Jan-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 4069.67 | 41022.33 | 8983.63 | 36108.37 | 1-Aug-17 |
| Volmar, Gwen | 9-Jun-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 6598.67 | 3059.70 | 3538.97 | 1-Aug-17 |
| Zondervan, Quinton | 1-Jan-17 | 31-Jul-17 | 3510.00 | 24053.79 | 24183.70 | 3380.09 | 1-Aug-17 |
| Campaign Contributions (2017) - Total Receipts and Cambridge Receipts (updated Aug 7, 9:54am) |
||||
| Candidate | ID | Total Receipts | Cambridge Receipts | Percent Cambridge |
| Kelley, Craig | 14104 | $480.00 | $480.00 | 100% |
| Sutton, Bryan | 16713 | $100.00 | $100.00 | 100% |
| D'Ambrosio, Olivia | 16520 | $5,250.00 | $5,000.00 | 95% |
| Devereux, Jan | 16062 | $31,593.50 | $28,093.50 | 89% |
| Burgin, Josh | 16709 | $3,808.10 | $3,054.52 | 80% |
| Carlone, Dennis | 15680 | $14,776.22 | $11,500.00 | 78% |
| McGovern, Marc | 15589 | $28,995.37 | $22,373.04 | 77% |
| Mallon, Alanna | 16530 | $36,428.00 | $21,963.00 | 60% |
| Benjamin, Ronald | 16493 | $905.55 | $470.00 | 52% |
| Musgrave, Adriane | 16657 | $8,172.95 | $4,050.00 | 50% |
| Toner, Paul | 16576 | $36,405.11 | $17,650.00 | 48% |
| Siddiqui, Sumbul | 16556 | $29,454.60 | $14,095.00 | 48% |
| Tierney, Sean | 16559 | $17,925.29 | $8,525.00 | 48% |
| Zondervan, Quinton | 16516 | $23,059.07 | $10,228.86 | 44% |
| Simmons, Denise | 13783 | $20,767.05 | $9,175.00 | 44% |
| Santos, Jeff | 16686 | $3,001.61 | $1,116.61 | 37% |
| Toomey, Tim | 12222 | $41,022.33 | $13,556.96 | 33% |
| Volmar, Gwen | 16691 | $7,013.23 | $2,275.94 | 32% |
| Sivongxay, Vatsady | 16528 | $25,245.65 | $5,405.00 | 21% |
| Gebru, Sam | 16531 | $30,106.00 | $6,098.00 | 20% |
| Okamoto, Nadya | 16596 | $6,991.43 | $510.00 | 7% |
| Harding, Richard | 16737 | $0.00 | $0.00 | - |
| Levy, Ilan | 16173 | $0.00 | $0.00 | - |
| Lenke, Dan | 16771 | $0.00 | $0.00 | - |
| Moree, Gregg | 14683 | $0.00 | $0.00 | - |
| Pillai, Hari | 16770 | $0.00 | $0.00 | - |
Question #1: What, if any, relationship is there between the number of City Council vacancies and the number of new candidates elected? As of July 4, there will be two City Council vacancies (two incumbents who are not seeking reelection) in the election this November, and people are asking what this might foretell. The basic answer is that there are too many other factors in play. There have been elections with no vacancies and 4 challengers elected, and there have been elections where the existence of vacancies has had no effect on the incumbents. It is, however, more common than not that the number of newly elected candidates exceeds the number of vacancies. See the table below.
Question #2: How does the candidate who gets the most #1 votes fare in the next election? Generally, if you're the "top dog" in one election, you will almost certainly do well in the next election, though there are two notable exceptions for City Council and several for School Committee. A "top dog" has never been defeated in the next election. See the table below for how well the previous "top dog" fared in the next election.
| Cambridge City Council Elections | ||||
| Year | Vacancies | Newly elected | Most #1 votes in prev. election | Rank in #1 votes in election |
| 1943 | 1 | 3 | Francis Sennott | 4th |
| 1945 | 3 | 5 | John H. Corcoran | died in office |
| 1947 | 0 | 2 | John D. Lynch | 1st |
| 1949 | 2 | 3 | John D. Lynch | 4th |
| 1951 | 0 | 1 | Edward A. Crane | 1st |
| 1953 | 0 | 2 | Edward A. Crane | 3rd |
| 1955 | 1 | 2 | Edward Sullivan | 1st |
| 1957 | 1 | 1 | Edward Sullivan | 1st |
| 1959 | 1 | 2 | Edward Sullivan | did not run |
| 1961 | 0 | 3 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1963 | 2 | 2 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1965 | 0 | 1 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1967 | 0 | 2 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1969 | 2 | 3 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1971 | 2 | 3 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1973 | 1 | 2 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1975 | 0 | 1 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1977 | 0 | 4 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1979 | 0 | 2 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1981 | 1 | 1 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1983 | 0 | 1 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1985 | 0 | 2 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1987 | 0 | 0 | Walter Sullivan | 2nd |
| 1989 | 3 | 4 | David Sullivan | did not run |
| 1991 | 0 | 0 | Alice Wolf | 1st |
| 1993 | 2 | 3 | Alice Wolf | did not run |
| 1995 | 1 | 1 | Kenneth Reeves | 1st |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | Kenneth Reeves | 8th |
| 1999 | 2 | 3 | Anthony Galluccio | 1st |
| 2001 | 2 | 2 | Anthony Galluccio | 1st |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | Anthony Galluccio | 1st |
| 2005 | 0 | 1 | Anthony Galluccio | 1st |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | Anthony Galluccio | did not run |
| 2009 | 0 | 1 | Henrietta Davis | 1st |
| 2011 | 0 | 1 | Henrietta Davis | 4th |
| 2013 | 2 | 4 | Leland Cheung | 1st |
| 2015 | 0 | 1 | Leland Cheung | 8th |
| 2017 | 3 | ?? | Nadeem Mazen | did not run |
In 27 of 37 City Council elections, the number of challengers elected exceeded the number of vacancies.
In 8 elections in which there were 2 vacancies, an incumbent was defeated in 6 of these elections.
| Cambridge School Committee Elections | ||||
| Year | Vacancies | Newly elected | Most #1 votes in previous election | Rank in #1 votes in election |
| 1943 | 2 | 3 | James Cassidy | did not run |
| 1945 | 2 | 2 | Cora B. Conant | 1st |
| 1947 | 2 | 3 | Cora B. Conant | did not run |
| 1949 | 2 | 3 | Bradley Dewey | did not run |
| 1951 | 2 | 2 | James Cassidy | did not run |
| 1953 | 3 | 3 | Pearl K. Wise | 1st |
| 1955 | 4 | 5 | Pearl K. Wise | did not run |
| 1957 | 1 | 2 | Judson Shaplin | 1st |
| 1959 | 2 | 2 | Judson Shaplin | did not run |
| 1961 | 3 | 3 | William Barnes | did not run |
| 1963 | 1 | 2 | James Fitzgerald | 1st |
| 1965 | 0 | 0 | James Fitzgerald | 1st |
| 1967 | 2 | 2 | James Fitzgerald | 4th |
| 1969 | 2 | 3 | Francis Duehay | 3rd |
| 1971 | 1 | 2 | James Fitzgerald | 3rd |
| 1973 | 2 | 2 | David Wylie | did not run |
| 1975 | 0 | 2 | James Fitzgerald | 5th |
| 1977 | 0 | 1 | Alice Wolf | 1st |
| 1979 | 0 | 1 | Alice Wolf | 1st |
| 1981 | 2 | 2 | Alice Wolf | did not run |
| 1983 | 1 | 2 | Sara Mae Berman | did not run |
| 1985 | 2 | 2 | Francis Cooper | 1st |
| 1987 | 2 | 2 | Francis Cooper | 2nd |
| 1989 | 1 | 1 | Tim Toomey | did not run |
| 1991 | 2 | 2 | Frances Cooper | did not run |
| 1993 | 2 | 2 | Henrietta Davis | 1st |
| 1995 | 1 | 2 | Henrietta Davis | did not run |
| 1997 | 0 | 1 | Alice Turkel | 1st |
| 1999 | 2 | 2 | Alice Turkel | 1st |
| 2001 | 1 | 2 | Alice Turkel | 2nd |
| 2003 | 1 | 2 | Alfred Fantini | 2nd |
| 2005 | 0 | 2 | Nancy Walser | 3rd |
| 2007 | 1 | 2 | Patty Nolan | 4th |
| 2009 | 1 | 2 | Marc McGovern | 4th |
| 2011 | 0 | 1 | Alfred Fantini | 1st |
| 2013 | 2 | 2 | Alfred Fantini | 2nd |
| 2015 | 1 | 2 | Patty Nolan | 1st |
| 2017 | 1 | ?? | Patty Nolan | ?? |
In 21 of 37 School Committee elections, the number of challengers elected exceeded the number of vacancies.
In 11 elections in which there was 1 vacancy, an incumbent was defeated in 10 of these elections.
In 16 elections in which there were 2 vacancies, an incumbent was defeated in only 4 of these elections.
Join us Sunday, JULY 30 from 12 Noon - 6PM in Danehy Park, Cambridge, MA for our 4th Annual FREE Cambridge Jazz Festival. Enjoy our headliners Pieces Of A Dream along with other amazing live Jazz performances.
July 31, 5:00pm - That's it - all done: 26 candidates for City Council and 12 for School Committee. Leland Cheung will not be a candidate
Lots of papers turned in today - the last day. Dan Lenke, Ilan Levy, Hari Pillai, Gregg Moree, and Bryan Sutton have now qualified to be on the City Council ballot. Fran Cronin, David Weinstein and Piotr Mitros have now qualified to be on the School Committee ballot.
July 28 - Still no word from Leland Cheung. Is he or is he not running? We'll know on Monday. Meanwhile, several more candidates turned in signatures and Emily Dexter passed the threshold to qualify for the School Committee ballot. Everything gets settled on Monday and it's starting to look like we may have several fewer than 30 City Council candidates - possibly as few as 23.
July 27 - Laurance Kimbrough turned in sufficient signatures today to get his name on the School Committee ballot. That makes 21 candidates (out of 30) for City Council and 8 candidates (out of 13) for School Committee who have now submitted the minimum number of required signatures (shown in bold in the table) to have their names appear on the ballot. Bryan Sutton, Emily Dexter, and Piotr Mitros also submitted signatures that will bring them close to the threshold for getting their names on the ballot. Just the short Friday (closes at noon) and then again on Monday (until 5pm) to get those signatures in. The clock is ticking.....
July 26 - Michelle Lessly and Curt Rogers have decided not to be City Council candidates this year. This reduces the number of City Council candidates to 30, and the number of women candidates to 9. These numbers may yet rise or fall as the week proceeds. The Election Commission met and certified all candidate signatures received between July 21 and July 26. That makes 21 candidates (out of 30) for City Council and 7 candidates (out of 13) for School Committee who have been certified to have their names appear on the ballot.
July 25 - Bryan Sutton turned in some signatures for City Council today, but that's it.
July 24 - We just got two more candidates for City Council - Christopher Kosinski and Hari Pillai - bringing the grand total to 32. We also got one more School Committee candidate - Rebecca Bowie - bringing us to 13 candidates in that race. Tim Toomey turned in sufficient signatures to qualify for the ballot, and Elechi Kadete surpassed the 50-signature threshold to have his name on the School Committee ballot.July 21 - More signatures today from David Weinstein and Patty Nolan. Patty has now gathered sufficient signatures to be on the ballot.
July 20 - And then there were 30..... We have a new City Council candidate today - Curt Rogers. Kathleen Kelly, Adriane Musgrave, and Olivia D'Ambrosio now have sufficient signatures to qualify for the ballot. The Election Commission certified all signatures submitted between July 13 and July 20 at their 5:30pm meeting.
July 20 - School Committee candidate Jake Crutchfield is having his official launch event on August 5 from 3-5pm at Andala Cafe. [Link to sign up]
July 19 - No new updates today.
Fun Facts: The most women City Council candidates prior to this year was 7 (in 1993). There are 10 women running for City Council this year.
The first PR election was in 1941 with 83 City Council candidates. Only one of them (Edna Spencer) was a woman.
July 18 - Piotr Flawiusz Mitros pulled papers to run for School Committee. We're now at 29 for Council and 12 for School Committee - at least for the moment. Richard Harding, Josh Burgin, and Dennis Carlone now have sufficient signatures to qualify to be on the City Council ballot.
July 17 - Paul F. Mahoney (who ran in 2015) pulled papers for City Council. Elechi Kadete (who ran in 2015) pulled papers for School Committee.
Late Update: Richard Harding submiited 93 signatures for City Council at 7:59pm.
July 15 - Having now heard it from a number of reliable sources, it's pretty safe to now say that Richard Harding will soon be submitting signatures for City Council and not for School Committee. The Cambridge Candidate Pages have been updated to reflect this.
July 14 - No new candidates today, but Quinton Zondervan reached the threshold and is now on the City Council ballot.
July 13 - Emily Dexter pulled papers for School Committee which now accounts for all known candidates (which doesn't mean there won't be more). David J. Weinstein also pulled papers today for Cambridge School Committee. He was a candidate in 2015.
July 12 - The Election Commission met and officially certified all candidates who had submitted at least the minimum 50 valid signatures through July 12.
July 12 - No new candidates so far today, but Will MacArthur reached the threshold and is now on the School Committee ballot.
July 12 - Gwen Volmar issued a press release with some relevant information about her candidacy.
July 11 - Ilan Levy pulled papers today for City Council.
July 11 - We have a new City Council candidate: David J. Stern.
July 10 - Emily Dexter is having a Campaign Kick-Off party on Wednesday, July 26, 6-8pm at Asgard's Pub, 350 Mass Ave.
July 10 - Leland Cheung and Olivia D'Ambrosio pulled papers for City Council and Kathleen Kelly pulled papers for School Committee. Many candidates turned in signatures today.
July 7 - Fran Cronin's campaign issued a press release regarding "More Early Childhood Education in Cambridge".
July 6 - Perennial candidate Gregg Moree has pulled papers for City Council.
July 5 - Five more candidates pulled nomination papers for City Council (including Tim Toomey) for a total of 23 (including Richard Harding who pulled papers for both races). Three more candidates pulled papers for School Committee for a total of 7 so far.
July 3 - School Committee candidate Will MacArthur hosted a "Picnic & Politics" event at Danehy Park. In attendance were School Committee candidates Will MacArthur, Laurance Kimbrough and Emily Dexter as well as City Council candidates Craig A. Kelley, Alanna Mallon, Marc McGovern, Jeff Santos, Sumbul Siddiqui, Sean Tierney, and Quinton Zondervan. That's 10 candidates in all - pretty impressive!
July 3 - Municipal Election Nomination Papers available at Election Commission office from 8:30am to 8:00pm. Nomination papers will be available through the July 31 submission deadline during regular Election Commission hours. A minimum of 50 valid signatures must be filed and a candidate may submit up to 100 signatures. Once a voter's signature has been recorded for a particular candidate, it cannot be used for another candidate in the same race. That is, a voter should sign for exactly one candidate for City Council and one candidate for School Committee.
July 3 - Richard Harding has pulled papers for both City Council and School Committee. This is not the first time he's done that. He also pulled papers for both races in 2009 but only gathered signatures for School Committee.
July 3 - We have two new City Council candidates - Dan Lenke and Michelle Lessly.
July 3 - We have a new candidate for School Committee: Jake Crutchfield (who also ran in 2015)
A press release is included on Jake's Candidate Page.
July 1 - Paul Toner has picked up several union endorsements.
June 30 - And then there were 23. Bryan Sutton has filed papers with the Commonwealth to be a City Council candidate.
June 29 - Josh Burgin has filed papers with the Commonwealth to be a City Council candidate.
June 26 - Ilan Levy will apparently again be a City Council candidate.
June 22 - Fran Cronin will be hosting an issue forum on Tues, June 27 starting at 6:00pm at Atwood's Tavern (877 Cambridge St.).
June 21 - Marc McGovern has posted a re-election announcement.
June 21 - Denise Simmons has formally announced her reelection campaign and the date of her Campaign Kickoff (July 13).
June 21 - Paul Toner has hired Hannagh Jacobsen as Campaign Manager and has received the endorsement of Mass Retirees.
June 20 - Adriane Musgrave will have her campaign kickoff on Sat, June 24 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at Christopher's in Porter Square.
June 18 - No new candidates to report, but at what point does calling oneself a "progressive" in an election where all candidates are "progressive" render the term completely meaningless?
June 10 - We have a new City Council candidate: Gwen Volmar
June 9 - We have a new School Committee candidate: Laurance Kimbrough
June 7 - We have a new City Council candidate: Jeff Santos
Probable City Council and School Committee candidates for 2017 (with age at time of election)
| City Council Candidate | Birthdate | Age | address | Notes |
| Timothy J. Toomey | 6/7/1953 | 64 | 88 6th St., 02141 | incumbent, first elected in 1989, pulled papers July 5 |
| E. Denise Simmons | 10/2/1951 | 66 | 188 Harvard St. #4B, 02139 | incumbent, first elected in 2001 |
| Craig Kelley | 9/18/1962 | 55 | 6 Saint Gerard Terr. #2, 02140 | incumbent, first elected in 2005 |
| Leland Cheung | 2/11/1978 | 39 | 157 Garden St., 02138 | incumbent, first elected in 2009, pulled papers July 10 |
| Dennis Carlone | 5/7/1947 | 70 | 9 Washington Ave. #6, 02140 | incumbent, first elected in 2013 |
| Marc McGovern | 12/21/1968 | 48 | 15 Pleasant St., 02139 | incumbent, first elected in 2013 |
| Jan Devereux | 5/13/1959 | 58 | 255 Lakeview Ave., 02138 | incumbent, first elected in 2015 |
| Dan Lenke | 3/31/1947 | 70 | 148 Richdale Ave., 02140 | pulled papers July 3 |
| Paul F. Mahoney (new) | 5/8/1950 | 67 | 23 Lawn St., 02138 | pulled papers July 17 |
| David J. Stern (new) | 5/10/1952 | 65 | 50 Follen St. #516, 02138 | pulled papers July 11 |
| Gregg Moree | 6/16/1957 | 60 | 25 Fairfield St. #4, 02140 | perennial candidate, pulled papers July 6 |
| Curt Rogers (new) | 5/21/1962 | 55 | 8 Austin Pk., 02139 | pulled papers July 20 |
| Jeffrey Santos | 5/28/1963 | 54 | 350 3rd St. #809, 02142 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Paul Toner | 4/28/1966 | 51 | 24 Newman St., 02140 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Ilan Levy | 11/1/1967 | 50 | 148 Spring St. 02141 | apparently running based on email |
| Quinton Zondervan | 9/15/1970 | 47 | 235 Cardinal Medeiros Ave., 02141 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Alanna Mallon | 12/6/1970 | 46 | 3 Maple Ave., 02139 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Ronald Benjamin | 1/5/1971 | 46 | 172 Cushing St., 02138 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Richard Harding | 10/16/1972 | 45 | 189 Windsor St. #1, 02139 | pulled papers for both CC and SC, filed for CC |
| Josh Burgin | 2/7/1976 | 41 | 812 Memorial Dr. #1411, 02139 | definitely running, registered with OCPF |
| Vatsady Sivongxay | 2/20/1982 | 35 | 59 Kirkland St. #2, 02138 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Bryan Sutton | 5/19/1982 | 35 | 764 Cambridge St. #6, 02141 | registered with OCPF |
| Michelle Lessly | 5/12/1983 | 34 | 410 Memorial Dr. #123, 02139 | pulled papers July 3 |
| Olivia D'Ambrosio | 9/13/1983 | 34 | 270 3rd Street #305, 02142 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Sean Tierney | 3/10/1985 | 32 | 12 Prince St. #6, 02139 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Gwen Volmar | 9/25/1985 | 32 | 13 Ware St. #4, 02138 | definitely running, registered with OCPF |
| Adriane Musgrave | 10/14/1985 | 32 | 5 Newport Rd. #1, 02140 | definitely running, registered with OCPF |
| Sumbul Siddiqui | 2/10/1988 | 29 | 530 Windsor Street, 02141 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Sam Gebru | 11/20/1991 | 25 | 812 Memorial Dr. #614A, 02139 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Nadya Okamoto | 2/11/1998 | 19 | 220 Banks St. #5, 02138 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Dennis Benzan | 1/25/1972 | 45 | 1 Pine St., 02139 | served 2014-15, likely will not seek reelection |
| Nadeem Mazen | 9/20/1983 | 34 | 720 Mass. Ave. #4, 02139 | has informed colleagues he'll not seek reelection |
| James Williamson | 1/13/1951 | 66 | 1000 Jackson Pl., 02140 | perennial candidate |
| Gary Mello | 5/24/1953 | 64 | 324 Franklin St. #2, 02139 | ran several times |
| Nathan Taylor Thompson | 10/12/1985 | 32 | 31 Tremont Street $#3, 02139 | probably not running, registered with OCPF |
| Andrew King | 4/17/1986 | 31 | 40 Essex St., 02139 | conflicting reports on whether or not a candidate |
| Romaine Waite | 6/7/1991 | 26 | 60 Lawn St. #5, 02138 | not announced, but may try again |
| School Committee Candidate | Birthdate | Age | address | Notes |
| Fred Fantini | 6/8/1949 | 68 | 4 Canal Park #203, 02141 | incumbent, first elected in 1981 |
| Patty Nolan | 8/28/1957 | 60 | 184 Huron Ave., 02138 | incumbent, first elected in 2005 |
| Kathleen Kelly | 3/8/1960 | 57 | 17 Marie Ave. #1, 02139 | incumbent, first elected in 2013 |
| Emily Dexter | 3/16/1957 | 60 | 9 Fenno St., 02138 | incumbent, first elected in 2015 |
| Mannika Bowman | 11/27/1979 | 37 | 134 Reed St., 02140 | incumbent, first elected in 2015 |
| Fran Albin Cronin | 2/14/1952 | 65 | 1 Kimball Ln., 02140 | pulled papers July 5 |
| David J. Weinstein | 12/10/1972 | 44 | 45 S. Normandy Ave., 02138 | pulled papers July 11 |
| Piotr Flawiusz Mitros (new) | 3/6/1979 | 38 | 9 Michael Way, 02141 | pulled papers July 18 |
| Laurance Kimbrough | 7/3/1979 | 38 | 24 Aberdeen Ave., 02138 | pulled papers July 6 |
| Jake Crutchfield | 3/31/1987 | 30 | 281 River St. #1, 01239 | pulled papers July 3 |
| Elechi Kadete (new) | 9/30/1989 | 28 | 10 Laurel St. #4, 02139 | pulled papers July 17 |
| Will MacArthur | 5/24/1998 | 19 | 18 Shea Rd., 02140 | pulled papers July 3 |
| Richard Harding | 10/16/1972 | 45 | 189 Windsor St. #1, 02139 | running for City Council |