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Due to the temporary closure of the O'Neill Branch, this month's story time will happen at the Peabody School at 70 Rindge Ave. Please enter the building on the back side through Door 11. Put on your pajamas and come to listen to stories, read with your children, and enjoy a snack before bed! This program is recommended for children of all ages and their caregivers. Pajama Story Time is presented by the Cambridge Public Library and the Center for Families.

In this class, Cambridge Public Library staff will teach you how to look for books, films, and other resources available in the catalog. We will review how to perform basic and advanced searches, learn how to log in to your account with your library card, and better understand all of the formats and locations available in the catalog. Attendees should be comfortable using the computer and navigating the Internet independently, but no prior knowledge of the catalog is needed. Registration is required.

Harvard Book Store, the Harvard University Division of Science, the Harvard Library, and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Shahir S. Rizk—Associate Professor of Biochemistry at Indiana University South Bend and the Indiana University School of Medicine—and Maggie M. Fink—Adjunct Professor at Indiana University South Bend and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Notre Dame—for a discussion of their new book The Color of North: The Molecular Language of Proteins and the Future of Life. Registration is required.

Join us as we edit and create Wikipedia pages related to artists of color! At an edit-a-thon, people work together to contribute to Wikipedia, often focusing on expanding our knowledge of underrepresented groups. You might add to the information on an existing page, create a new one, find reliable sources for others to use, or copyedit and format a page. No experience necessary! Laptops will be provided. This program is generously supported by the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library.

Come to the playground in your pajamas to listen to stories, read with your children and enjoy a snack before bed! This program is recommended for children of all ages and their caregivers. This summer Pajama Story Time will happen outside in the playground area at the Fresh Pond Apartments. In case of bad weather, the story time will happen inside the Community Room of 362 Rindge Ave. Pajama Story Time is presented by the Cambridge Public Library and the Center for Families.

Harvard Book Store, the Harvard University Division of Science, the Harvard Library, and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Felice Frankel—award-winning science photographer and research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the department of Chemical Engineering—for a discussion of her first book for young adults, Phenomenal Moments: Revealing the Hidden Science Around Us. She will be joined in conversation by Melissa Franklin—the Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and Director of Graduate Studies at Harvard University. Registration is required.

Being a Firefighter is a noble, rewarding, and exciting profession where you have the opportunity to help people when they are most vulnerable. In addition to firefighting, the job includes a wide variety of skills including emergency medical care, control of hazardous materials releases, protection of the environment, extrication of trapped people (and animals), collapse rescue, water/ice rescue, elevator rescue, public fire education, fire prevention, etc. The deadline to register for the MA Civil Service Firefighter Entrance Examination is 8-27-24.

In FY22, the Community Development Department (CDD) established a Community Engagement Advisory Group for staff to share best practices and reflect on strategies to make engagement more inclusive and equitable. This Group developed a handbook on inclusive and equitable engagement best practices which will be published in September 2022. The handbook, which uses an anti-racism and equity lens to approach planning, implementation, and reflection of community engagement strategies, will be used to increase participation in public processes and programs.

The Board of Zoning Appeal (BZA) has an important role in decisions that help shape the use and appearance of buildings in our community. Under the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance, certain uses and types of development may require a variance, special permit, or a comprehensive permit from the BZA, a quasi-judicial body that conducts public hearings on all applications and appeals before it and issues decisions. The Board also hears appeals of Zoning Determinations made by the Inspectional Services Department.

In 2024, the Urban Forestry Division of Cambridge Public Works planted 1,250 new trees and removed 5,000 square feet of pavement to create better planting conditions, enhancing the city's green infrastructure. The Division maintained a strong tree survival rate, with only 3.5% mortality for spring plantings, and expanded community engagement through the revamped Cambridge Urban Forest Friends newsletter, which saw over 105% subscriber growth. Residents can support the city's urban forest by becoming an Urban Forest Friend or subscribing to the newsletter.