Cambridge Weekly (Inactive)

🏠 Real Estate

Cambridge Seeks Seasoned Landscape Architect for Open Space System Design

The City of Cambridge is hiring a Senior Landscape Architect with 7 years of experience in design and construction of landscape improvements and a demonstrated ability to work and interact effectively for the planning and design of the City's open space system.

Green Roofs Going Green in Cambridge: New England's First City to Mandate Their Use

Green roofs, which cool buildings and reduce air conditioning costs, are becoming increasingly popular worldwide, highlighted by Cambridge, Massachusetts becoming the first New England city to mandate their use in 2021.

Exploring Transformation of Lake Monona Shoreline: Cambridge's Agency Landscape + Planning Among Finalists

The city of Madison is in the process of selecting a design firm from three finalists: Agency Landscape + Planning of Cambridge, Massachusetts, James Corner Field Operations of New York, and Sasaki of Denver, to reimagine and transform Lake Monona’s downtown shoreline. A public meeting on the reconstruction is slated for Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m., via Zoom.

Discovering Harmony at the Peace House of Cambridge

Experience the calming beauty of Cambridge's Peace House, with its stained glass windows and hand-covered walls, to find the intersection between the natural and the handmade.

Cambridge Pioneering a Sustainable Future - Adopting Massachusetts' Specialized Stretch Energy Code

The City of Cambridge is leading the way in sustainability efforts, having adopted the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Specialized Stretch Energy Code on January 23, 2023 which focuses on achieving net zero buildings and proposes eliminating all fossil fuel use in new construction and major renovations.

Revealing the Rundown Reality of Nursing Home Quality in Cambridge

A surveyor from the state Department of Public Health found several deficiencies in the Cambridge Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, a for-profit nursing home in Mid-Cambridge, including torn bed coverings, a filthy wheelchair, medical lapses and lack of showers, resulting in one of the lowest scores in Massachusetts with 11 federal fines since 2021. Despite the pandemic and its staff shortages, health care experts argue that nursing-home quality in Cambridge has been suffering for years.

Cambridge City Councillors to Debate Changes to Affordable Housing Overlay in March

City councillor debate over changes to the Affordable Housing Overlay zoning for Cambridge has been pushed to March, allowing for a long and open process for residents to voice their opinions and input into the decisions. The changes will allow for taller buildings with more open space in certain areas of the city.

🗳️ Politics

Cambridge Police to Outfit Officers with Body Cameras in Wake of Controversy

Cambridge police officers will be wearing body cameras, announced officials more than a month after a Bangladeshi American college student was fatally shot by police in the Massachusetts city. Activists are hopeful that the policy will lead to meaningful change in the future.

City of Cambridge at the Forefront of Tenant Stability with Mayor Wu's Proposed Rent Control Ordinance

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has proposed an ordinance that would cap rent increases in the city at 10 percent or less, with exemptions for vacancy and recent construction, similar to those in Oregon and California. The policy would aim to provide tenants with stability while avoiding unintended consequences of the past rent control policies in Boston and Cambridge.

Cambridge Protestors Challenge Raytheon's Ties to Saudi Arabia and UMass

On Thursday evening, UMass engineering students demonstrated against a presentation by Raytheon, a Cambridge-based aerospace and defense company, questioning the moral implications of its ties to Saudi Arabia and the University. The protestors left with the speakers holding a large stack of resumes for their potential interns.

Voting for Harvard Board of Overseers and HAA Elected Directors - Cambridge Representation Included!

Harvard degree holders have an opportunity this spring to vote for new members of the Harvard Board of Overseers and Harvard Alumni Association's elected directors, with candidates ranging from Cambridge to Chicago. All Harvard degree holders may vote for Overseer or HAA elected director candidates.

Cambridge Scientists Sign Letter in Support of EPA Report on Economic Damages of Climate Change

The Union of Concerned Scientist today delivered a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that was signed by over 400 scientists, including climate scientists and economists, in support of their draft report that strengthens the estimates of the economic damages associated with the release of heat-trapping emissions. The letter was signed by scientists from places like Cambridge, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.

Cambridge to Renew Plan for Police Body Cameras Amidst Minimum Wage Increase Debate

The Massachusetts minimum wage recently reached $15-an-hour andorganizers from the Raise Up Coalition hope to further increase it, potentially to $20-an-hour by 2027. Meanwhile, Cambridge officials are renewing a plan to equip police officers with body cameras following last month's fatal shooting.

👩‍🎓 Education

Creating a Brighter Future: Cambridge Public Schools Take Innovative Steps Towards Growth and Education

The Cambridge Public School District is currently working on the Portrait of a Graduate design team and has organized a virtual city council and school committee roundtable. The district has also opened spring sports registration and the 2023 CRLS Scholarship Application system.

Tracking the Unaccounted-For: The Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Public Schools in Cambridge, Massachusetts

An estimated 230,000 students in 21 states have gone missing from public schools since the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, according to an analysis by AP, Stanford University’s Big Local News project and Stanford education professor Thomas Dee, including Kailani Taylor-Cribb, who vanished from Cambridge, Massachusetts's public school roll in 2021.

🌲 Random

• Discover the Magic of Glass Painting at CambridgeSide Plaza!
• Exploring 17th Century Winter Survival and Laughs in Cambridge: A February Vacation to Remember!
• Illuminating the Future: MIT and SOSO Unveil MIT Illuminations in Cambridge
• Cambridge Local Kamran Rosen Awarded Honorable Mention at NJ Film Festival
• Experience "A Story Beyond" at The Foundry in East Cambridge – Don't Miss Drag Brunch, “The Education Of Kendrick Perkins”, Lego Display, Megan Buskey & Naomi Oreskes Readings, and a 'Twilight' Edition at Lamplighter CX!
• Christ the King High School: Uniting at Harvard National Invitational Forensics Tournament in Cambridge

✅ What Happened

Unlocking the Stage in Kittery: Drika Overton Brings Cambridge's Emerging Talent to Maine's Dance Hall

Drika Overton, while already an established dancer and choreographer throughout New England, created The Dance Hall in Kittery and created a vibrant cultural scene in Maine before stepping back and handing the role to a new generation. The venue has provided opportunities to emerging artists from all across New England, including from Cambridge.

MIT Juggling Club: Uniting Students, Cambridge Residents, and Beyond For A Half Century

For nearly fifty years, the MIT Juggling Club has provided an open space for students, Cambridge residents, and others to come together and practice the art of juggling and unicycling in Killian Court and the Lobby of Building 10 at MIT.

The Canadian Roots of Modern Football: A Tale of Cambridge and McGill

Dave Grohl credited Canada in a Super Bowl commercial for inventing football, a claim that proved to be true - the first modern football games were played in Cambridge between Harvard and McGill University in 1874.

💰 Finance

Cambridge Biotech Giant Biogen Experiences Profits Despite Product Setbacks, As Appian Corp. Pushes for Growth in Tysons

Appian Corp., a rapidly growing Tysons low-code software company based in Tysons, Virginia, is looking to improve its margins while continuing to invest in growth, while Biogen Inc., a drugmaker based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, reported better-than-expected fourth quarter results due to cost cutting, despite sales declines for some of its key treatments.

Cambridge Readies $1 Million Interest Reduction for Akamai Technologies with $4 Million Property Tax Abatement

Akamai Technologies has accepted a $1 million interest reduction from the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts, in exchange for a $4 million personal property tax abatement.

The High Price of Clean Water: Cambridge, Littleton Struggle with 'Forever Chemicals' Contamination

Towns in Massachusetts, including Littleton and Cambridge, are facing the "true cost of water" as they spend millions to deal with contamination from the toxic "forever chemicals" PFAS, and costs are expected to rise further when the EPA releases stricter regulations in March.

🍺 Nightlife

A Taste of Cambridge: Roust Opens in Harvard Square, Taking Over Former Darwin's Space

Roust, a coffee shop and bakery-cafe, has opened in Cambridge's Harvard Square, taking over the former Darwin's space on Mt Auburn Street. The closure of all of Darwin's locations, including those on Cambridge Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and Putnam Avenue, made way for this new cafe.

🏀 Sports

Cambridge Ice Battle: Harvard Seals Victory Over Union Men's Hockey Team

The Union men's hockey team put in a better effort against Harvard on Friday at Bright Landry Hockey Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but it wasn't enough, as ninth-ranked Harvard scored two goals in 27 seconds and went on to win 5-3.

Harvard Dominates in Cambridge - No. 7 Drexel Men's Squash Team Falls 9-0

The No. 7 Drexel men's squash team suffered a 9-0 defeat to the top-ranked Harvard Crimson in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Sunday. Matias Knusen, Nico Serna and Yuri Pelbart were the only Dragons to push their matches to the fourth game before eventually being upended.

Fri. Filled with Excitement: Jaydan Exalus Leads Spellman, Cambridge Takes Track and Field Title, Defeats Concord-Carlisle in Hockey

FRIDAY’S HIGHIGHTS: Jaydan Exalus erupted for 35 points for Cardinal Spellman in a 71-68 win over Dover-Sherborn, and Brookline edged Cambridge 61-59 in overtime for the Division 1 State Girls Indoor Track & Field Championship title, while Cambridge topped Concord-Carlisle 4-1 in girls hockey.

Building Momentum for NCAA Regional in Cambridge: Columbia Fencing Teams Defend Winning Streak

The Columbia men's and women's fencing teams concluded the regular season Wednesday with wins over NYU, Sacred Heart, and Vassar, and will look to build on the momentum at the NCAA Northeast Regional in Cambridge, Massachusetts in March.

Gus Johnson's Inspiring Year at Harvard's Cambridge Campus

Fox Sports broadcaster Gus Johnson spent a year at Harvard as part of their Advanced Leadership Program, reflecting on his Detroit childhood, inspiring students, and attending classes and discussion groups in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

🤔 Opinion

A Life of Teaching and Mental Health Service: Dr. June Jackson Christmas of Cambridge, Massachusetts

Dr. June Jackson Christmas is a 98 year old psychiatrist from Cambridge, Massachusetts who has spent a lifetime teaching the next generation to think for themselves, and has opened her own private practice, held various positions in medicine and mental health, and co-founded the think tank Urban Issues Group.

🚔 Public Safety

Operation Granite Shield: Man from Cambridge Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison

On Febuary 15th, a man from Cambridge was sentenced to 45 months in prison in the District of Massachusetts for illegally possessing ammunition as a previously convicted felon; seven more were arrested in Nashua and Hudson this week in a coordinated round-up as part of Operation Granite Shield.

Cambridge Police Search for Missing 19-Year-Old Joshua Shacklewood

Police in Cambridge, Massachusetts are searching for a 19-year-old Joshua Shacklewood who was last seen around 6:45am on Tuesday. Anyone with information is asked to call 617-349-3300 or dial 911.

Mystery Surrounds Death of Cambridge Resident Kaylin Rose

Kaylin Rose, a 49-year-old Burlington resident, was found dead Saturday after an extensive search by officers of the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council. The medical examiner will determine her cause of death, though no foul play is suspected; she had last been seen in the area near Cambridge Street and Skilton Lane.

📰 In Other News

Cambridge Laboratory Awarded Over $95 Million Contract for Trident II Weapons System

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts was awarded a $95,149,250 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide technical and engineering services for the Trident II Strategic Weapon System MK 6 Guidance Subsystem; Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado was awarded a $1.17 billion hybrid contract for missile production; and Call Henry Inc. in Titusville, Florida was awarded a $79 million hybrid fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for launch operations support.

"Love and Luck" - A Cambridge Fundraiser to Help Parents Navigate the Pandemic

Parents Forum recently launched their new tagline "A Lifeline & An Anchor" with generous support from the Eastern Bank Foundation and are holding their annual fundraiser, "Love and Luck", to help parents cope with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

MIT: Top of Forbes' List of America's Best Large Employers in Cambridge

MIT, a renowned institution in Cambridge, ranked first on Forbes' list of the best large employers in America. This list was based on a survey sent to 45,000 employees of companies and institutions with over 5,000 workers, which asked if they would recommend their employers to friends and family.

MIT Cambridge: Providing Emergency Relief and Support During Turkey and Syria's Earthquake Crisis

The catastrophic earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6 left 41,000 people dead and more than a million homeless. In response, MIT faculty and students from Cambridge, Massachusetts have started a variety of initiatives to provide emergency relief and long-term support.

Noa Rosen of Cambridge Leads Project Bread's 55th Annual Walk for Hunger to Combat Food Insecurity

Project Bread is hosting their 55th annual Walk for Hunger on May 7th, led by Noa Rosen, the new events manager from Cambridge. Funds raised from the hybrid event will be used to help Massachusetts residents fight food insecurity.

Crisis of Health Equity: Cambridge Health Alliance's Everett Hospital Feeling Impact of Nursing Home and Behavioral Health Bed Shortage

Hundreds of people are waiting in Massachusetts hospitals, including the Cambridge Health Alliance's Everett Hospital, for nursing home and behavioral health beds due to a shortage of health care workers and the closing of nursing homes. Shortage of workers and lack of social supports compound the issue, creating an issue of health equity.

Ben Affleck Causes Coffee Chaos in Cambrige in Dunkin's Super Bowl Ad

Ben Affleck starred in Dunkin's first Super Bowl commercial, a humorous outtake showing him working the drive-thru window in his former Cambrige, Massachusetts, hometown. He accidentally knocks over a coffee and gets caught by his wife Jennifer Lopez, who quips, “Grab me a glazed.”

Exploring Technological Innovation Through Joan Jonas' Solo Show at MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge

Joan Jonas is a pioneering artist in the history of video and performance art, drawing from a wealth of cultures and traditions to inform her installations. Recently, her solo show and performance at the MIT List Visual Arts Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts was featured on the Bloomberg Connects app.

Cambridge Joins the Participatory Budgeting Movement: Allocating 0.1% of Annual Budget

Boston is joining other cities in establishing a system for letting residents directly oversee a portion of city spending, though the amount of spending controlled varies significantly between cities, with Cambridge allocating 0.1% of its roughly $800 million budget to its participatory budgeting program.