Volunteers Sought to Serve on Cambridge Commission on Immigrant Rights & Citizenship

Feb 10, 2025 – The Commission on Immigrant Rights & Citizenship (CIRC) works to welcome, inform, connect, and support Cambridge’s immigrant community. CIRC staff provides information, referrals, and guidance to residents seeking assistance. The Commission collaborates with other city departments, community partners, and individuals that support immigrant rights and citizenship.

Commissioners will work with CIRC staff and the City’s Language Justice Division, to fulfill the goals and objectives of the Cambridge Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship Ordinance (Cambridge Municipal Code Chapter 2.123).

Preferred applicants are Cambridge residents who:

• Are knowledgeable about immigrant rights and citizenship, or,
• Have lived experience as an immigrant to the United States.

The City of Cambridge is committed to advancing a culture of antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion and is seeking Cambridge residents who represent the diversity of Cambridge. Commissioners should have the ability to:

• Participate in a collaborative process;
• Consider diverse ideas and perspectives;
• Interact and work effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.

Women, persons of color, veterans, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

CIRC's additional responsibilities include:

• To inform the Cambridge City Manager and the City Council on issues affecting the equal status of immigrants in education, employment, healthcare, housing, political, social and legal spheres;
• To design and implement programs that promote the equality of all immigrants in the city;
• To design and implement programs to encourage and maintain the cultural diversity immigrants bring to the city;
• To develop recommendations and recommend policy to the City Manager and the City Council to promote and ensure immigrant rights and citizenship;
• To coordinate activities and education within the city of issues affecting immigrants;
• To monitor the enactment of city, state and federal legislation which promotes immigrant rights and citizenship and make recommendations to the City Manager and the City Council regarding the implementation and enforcement of any such legislation if enacted;
• To monitor enactment of state and federal legislation which would restrict immigrant rights and citizenship and advise on same to the City Manager and the City Council, and recommend appropriate courses of action.

The Commission consists of 11 members appointed to three-year terms. Meetings are typically hybrid and held on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6:00pm, at 51 Inman Street and on Zoom. The meeting schedule may be reassessed to accommodate Commissioners’ needs.

Commissioners are expected to:

• Attend monthly meetings;
• Participate and volunteer for outreach and other community events;
• Promote the principals of anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion;
• Work with CIRC staff.

Board and Commission members in Cambridge do not generally receive compensation for their time. However, the City has explored the possibility of offering a stipend for high time commitment boards. Serving on CIRC does not require a high time commitment and therefore is not under consideration for a potential stipend at this time.

The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, March 10, 2025. Applications can be submitted using the City of Cambridge’s online application system at Cambridgema.gov/apply. A cover letter and resume, or an overview of relevant experience, can be submitted during the online application process. For more information, contact Carolina Almonte at 617-349-4396 or calmonte@cambridgema.gov.

Grace: The History of Black Churches in Cambridge
Exhibit Now on Display in Kendall Square

Feb 10, 2025 – The Grace Exhibit, a powerful tribute to the historical and contemporary contributions of Black churches in Cambridge, is now on display at the Kendall Public Lobby, located between 355 and 325 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142.

This collaborative effort between the Cambridge Museum of History & Culture and the Office of Mayor E. Denise Simmons honors the spiritual, cultural, and social impact of these institutions on the city.

The mayor will host a launch reception on Sunday, February 23 from 2:00 to 4:00pm at the Kendall Public Lobby, featuring a short speaking program, light refreshments, and musical performances. Community members are invited to attend and celebrate this significant moment in Cambridge’s history.

“This exhibit is a testament to the enduring legacy of Cambridge’s Black churches and the pivotal role they have played in shaping our community,” said Mayor E. Denise Simmons. “From providing spiritual guidance to leading social justice efforts, these churches have been—and continue to be—pillars of resilience, hope, and empowerment. I am deeply honored to support this initiative and encourage everyone to visit and experience this remarkable history.”

Mayor Simmons also emphasized the importance of partnerships in bringing the exhibit to fruition:
“Collaborating with BXP, Cambridge Arts, The Cambridge Historical Commission, The Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been invaluable in making the Grace Exhibit a reality, just as they’ve been such wonderful partners in bringing a number of our exhibits to fruition. Their support and commitment to preserving and presenting our city's rich history have been instrumental in showcasing the profound impact of Black churches in Cambridge.”

The exhibit was made possible through the dedicated efforts of community curators, including Chandra Salvi Harrington, Deacon Cheryl Maynard, Dr. Cheryl Townsend Gilkes, Dr. Janie Ward, Dr. Kris Manjapra, Lynette Riley-Belle, Patricia Weems, Reverend Dr. Ellis I. Washington, Reverend Lorraine Thornhill, Sister Danita Callender, and Valerie Beaudrault. Participating churches include, Abundant Life Church, St. Augustine’s African American Orthodox Christian Church, Cambridge Community Outreach Tabernacle, Christian Mission Holiness Church, Kingdom Empowerment Center, Massachusetts Avenue Baptist Church, North Cambridge Community Church, Pentecostal Tabernacle, Rush Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, Union Baptist Church, and Western Avenue Baptist Church.

The Grace Exhibit is hosted in partnership with BXP, Cambridge Arts, The Cambridge Historical Commission, The Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, whose support has helped provide a platform for connection, sharing, and learning. It is scheduled to be up for display throughout the month of February.

For more information on the exhibit, the launch reception, and visiting hours, please contact the Cambridge Museum of History & Culture or the Office of Mayor E. Denise Simmons at dsimmons@cambridgema.gov.

Meeting of the Special Committee of the Whole on the City Charter – Monday, January 27, 2025, 11:00am-1:00pm [Agenda]

I was the only person who gave public comment at the previous meeting in December. Presumably there will be others this time, but the unfortunate truth is that even though this is perhaps the single most significant matter now before this City Council, it has been flying almost completely under the radar.

This meeting features 5 additional proposed Charter changes from several city councillors, but the most interesting part of the agenda is the master class response from City Solicitor Megan Bayer that lays out with remarkable clarity the major problems with each of these proposals.

The new proposals are:

(1) give the City Council the power to increase parts of the annual budget by up to 10% compared to what is initially proposed by the City Manager

(2) City Solicitor would be appointed by the City Council

(3) Popularly elected mayor alongside a City Manager similar to Worcester

(4) 4 year (staggered) terms, with elections every 2 years

(5) Department heads appointed by the City Manager and approved by the Council

It is also worth noting, and I will likely address these during Public Comment, that:

(a) At the previous meeting of this Special Committee of the Whole, the councillors dismissed proposals for Resident Assemblies as well as proposed mechanisms for citizen-initiated referendums and initiative petitions. What they perhaps failed to realize is that citizen-initiated referendums and initiative petitions are part of our current Plan E Charter (by reference) and the apparent intention of the Charter Review Committee was to incorporate those provisions (with some changes) into the new proposed Charter. The action of the Special Committee effectively threw out an existing right to a mechanism for redress by citizens.

(b) The current Plan E Charter imposes severe penalties for Interference by City Council:

Section 107. Neither the city council nor any of its committees or members shall direct or request the appointment of any person to, or his removal from, office by the city manager or any of his subordinates, or in any manner take part in the appointment or removal of officers and employees in that portion of the service of said city for whose administration the city manager is responsible. Except for the purpose of inquiry, the city council and its members shall deal with that portion of the service of the city as aforesaid solely through the city manager, and neither the city council nor any member thereof shall give orders to any subordinate of the city manager either publicly or privately. Any member of the city council who violates, or participates in the violation of, any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, and upon final conviction thereof his office in the city council shall thereby be vacated and he shall never again be eligible for any office or position, elective or otherwise, in the service of the city.

The Proposed Charter addresses Interference by City Council, but conveniently removes all penalties:

3.3 (d) Interference by City Council Prohibited – Except as provided in Section 2-7 and by this charter, neither the city council nor any of its committees or members shall direct or request the appointment of any person to, or their removal from, office by the city manager or any of their subordinates, or in any manner take part in the appointment or removal of officers and employees in that portion of the service of said city for whose administration the city manager is responsible. Except as otherwise provided by this charter, the city council and its members shall not give orders to any subordinate of the city manager either publicly or privately and shall direct all requests for service through the city manager. Nothing in this section shall prevent city council or its members from discussing matters generally with city staff, presuming the city manager is kept informed.

Without severe penalties against improper Council interference, it is likely that councillors would routinely blow past guardrails that protect against political meddling within City departments. I am of the belief that we should have better mechanisms for inquiry into policies and actions taken within City departments, but removal of these necessary guardrails is definitely not the remedy. - Robert Winters

Comments?

And so it begins…

Jan 20, 4:10pm – I receive notifications (as do all cities and towns in Massachusetts) regarding when and why official flags are lowered to half-staff. It was interesting that today (Jan 20) I received this notification:

Please be advised that in accordance with a Presidential Proclamation issued today the United States of America flag and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts flag should be raised to full-staff at all state buildings, today, January 20, 2025, from now until sunset for Inauguration Day.

The United States of America flag and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts flag should then be lowered to half-staff until January 28, 2025, in honor of the life and legacy of former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away December 29, 2024.

This gubernatorial order applies to:
1. The main or administration building of each public institution of the Commonwealth, e.g. town and city halls.
2. Other state-owned or state-controlled buildings.
3. All state military installations.

Thank you,
Alex Powell
Director of Administration, CFO
Office of the Governor, MA

The message was sent out at 3:37pm on Jan 20 - shortly before sunset. I just noted that the flag across the street from me at the Longfellow School remains at half-mast as it has been since the death of Jimmy Carter. [Chicago]

Hochul Seeks to Limit Private-Equity Ownership of Homes in New York

by Benjamin Oreskes, New York Times, Jan 9, 2025

Though there are some constitutional questions to be addressed, the basic idea of soaring housing costs possibly being caused by hedge funds and private-equity firms is something worth exploring. In an ideal world, any advantages should go to people who will actually live in these homes. - RW

Cambridge Traffic & Parking Official Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses [US Attorney's Office Press Release]

Jan 8, 2025 – Patrick Baxter, former Engineering Manager for the Cambridge Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department who was arrested in December 2022 at the end of his work day at City Hall Annex, was sentended in federal court in Boston to 20 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children, receipt of child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material. “Not only did Patrick Baxter amass hundreds of images of child sexual abuse, but he also sexually exploited a seven-year-old child for his own sick gratification,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are working every day to find and bring to justice anyone actively harming children like this.”

Cambridge tried to get better racial and economic diversity among students. Now it has one of the most segregated schools in the state.

by James Vaznis, Boston Globe, January 5, 2025