City Politics
School Committee To Meet in Third Closed-Door Session Amid Silence on Greer’s Future
The Cambridge School Committee is meeting on Tuesday to discuss “contract negotiations with nonunion personnel” in a meeting that is expected to touch on the future of Superintendent Victoria L. Greer.
‘A Real Loss’: Starlight Square to Shut Down After Four Years of Bringing Cantabrigians Together
Starlight Square was called a place where “dreams come true,” Cambridge leaders and residents say. Now, it’s shutting down.
Neville Place, Affordable Assisted Living Facility, To Receive $5.7 Million City Loan
Cambridge’s Affordable Housing Trust will loan $5.7 million to Neville Place Assisted Living at Fresh Pond — which provides assisted living services to low-income seniors — for physical repairs to the facility.
Superintendent Greer Extends Graham & Parks Principal Contract Despite Teacher Discontent
Cambridge Public Schools Superintendent Victoria L. Greer extended Graham & Parks Elementary School Principal Kathleen M. Smith’s contract for an additional year on March 31.
Mayor Wu Taps Kevin L’Herrou For Allston-Brighton Neighborhood Liaison
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 named Kevin L’Herrou as the next Allston-Brighton Neighborhood Liaison after Frank Mendoza, his predecessor, was promoted to Deputy Director of the Office of Neighborhood Services.
Activists Demand ‘Indefinite Pause’ on Plans to Renovate Democracy Center for New Nonprofit
More than 100 activists and Cambridge residents demanded an “indefinite pause” on plans to close the Democracy Center during a tense and frequently emotional meeting Monday night.
‘We Didn’t Always Have A Housing Crisis’: Siddiqui, Sobrinho-Wheeler, McGovern Talk Housing at Town Hall
Three City Council members endorsed by housing advocacy group A Better Cambridge stressed the urgency of tackling housing from all angles in a virtual town hall meeting hosted by ABC on Thursday.
Housing, Government Accountability Among Top Council Priorities for New Term
The Cambridge City Council finalized term priorities with city officials and discussed ways to improve the City’s transparency and accountability at a special meeting Thursday.
Boston City Councilor Breadon Slams Proposed Capital Project Budget for Allston-Brighton
Boston City Councilor Elizabeth A. Breadon slammed the city’s fiscal year 2025 capital budget allocations for Allston-Brighton in an interview Thursday.
‘Alternative Measures’: How Cambridge Has Tried to Reimagine Policing
The police killing of Sayed Faisal has sparked police reforms and fueled efforts to launch unarmed policing alternatives. Now, officials and activists face the question of how all these initiatives will co-exist — and how the city will reimagine policing overall.
As Cambridge Works to Improve Tenant Legal Protections, City Staff Raise Communication Concerns
As the City of Cambridge — where two-thirds of residents are tenants — works to increase legal protections for low-income tenants, city staff said the city has struggled to relay information about tenants’ rights to landlords.
Democracy Center to Close, Leaving Progressive Cambridge Groups Scrambling
The Foundation for Civic Leadership voted last week to indefinitely close The Democracy Center for renovations, leaving dozens of progressive Cambridge organizations scrambling for a new meeting space.
Cambridge Residents Slam Council Proposal to Delay Bike Lane Construction
The longstanding debate over bike lanes in Cambridge reignited Monday evening, as Cambridge residents lashed out against a proposal to extend the deadline to finish a citywide bike lane network.
‘Lost in the Shuffle’: Allston Advocates Criticize Community Benefits Process as Inconsistent, Unaccountable
As massive developments sweep Allston and Brighton, tens of millions worth in community benefit dollars are at stake. Yet, local advocates say these benefits are difficult to track and inconsistently delivered.
City Councilors Discuss Housing Goals at Town Hall Meeting
Three City Council members endorsed by housing advocacy group A Better Cambridge stressed the necessity of involving residents in discussions around housing policy in a Wednesday virtual town hall hosted by ABC.
Cambridge School Committee Asks Superintendent Victoria Greer to Resign
The Cambridge School Committee has asked Superintendent Victoria L. Greer to voluntarily resign at the end of the school year, according to a person familiar with the situation.
‘MegaCambridge’: City Councilor Calls to Annex Boston in $5,000 April Fools’ Joke
Cambridge City Councilor Burhan Azeem has a “400-year-old grudge against Boston” — and it’s no laughing matter.
Removal of Gardner Pilot Academy Principal Leaves School Reeling
With Erica Herman gone and a new interim principal in her place, the Boston Public School superintendent wrote that Gardner Pilot Academy families and faculty could start to heal. But three months in, the school is still reeling.
Recipients of Cambridge Guaranteed Income Pilot Saw Higher Employment, Study Finds
Recipients of monthly $500 payments as part of Cambridge RISE, the city’s guaranteed income pilot program, had greater full-time employment than a control group, according to a study released Wednesday.
Boston Man Re-Enters Guilty Plea for Fentanyl, Heroin, Cocaine Delivery to Harvard Lab
A Boston man pled guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin — some of which was delivered to a Harvard biology lab in 2019 – on Sunday.
School Committee to Weigh Superintendent Greer’s Future in Closed-Door Meeting
The Cambridge School Committee will discuss whether to renew Superintendent Victoria L. Greer’s contract during a closed-door executive session Tuesday evening, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Cambridge Police-Alternative Team Hosts First Information Session
Cambridge’s Community Assistance Response and Engagement team discussed near-future plans for responding to 911 calls and answered resident questions at their first public information session on Tuesday.
Cambridge Residents Demand Increased Pay for Paraprofessionals at School Budget Discussion
Cambridge educators and residents demanded increased pay for paraprofessionals during a public hearing about the proposed $268 million budget for Fiscal Year 2025 at a Tuesday School Committee meeting.
City Council Puts Ending Single-Family Zoning Back on the Table
On Monday, councilors discussed a new policy order requesting that City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 direct the Community Development Department to develop zoning language that “effectively promotes multi-family housing” all throughout Cambridge.
Superintendent Greer’s Leadership Under Scrutiny Ahead of School Committee Meeting
School Committee members and residents are expected to grill CPS Superintendent Victoria L. Greer about her job performance on Tuesday amid mounting disapproval of her leadership among parents.