CPL Presents: Warren Milteer Jr., author of Out of This Strife Will Come Freedom (Main/Virtual)
Join the Cambridge Black History Project and the Cambridge Public Library in welcoming Warren Eugene Milteer Jr. for a reading and discussion of his new book, Out of This Strife Will Come Freedom: Free People of Color and the Fight for Equal Rights in the Civil War Era. The recipient of the Southern Historical Association’s Charles S. Sydnor Award for the best book in Southern history in 2022, Milteer will be joined in conversation by Susan Tomlinson, an associate professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Registration is required.
Mt. Auburn Street Bus Priority Pilot
Cambridge, in partnership with Watertown, was awarded a community grant from the Barr Foundation to work with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) to pilot bus priority improvements for routes 71 and 73 along Mt. Auburn Street west of Fresh Pond Parkway. The demonstration project includes the first dedicated bus lanes in Cambridge and new bike lanes, as well as transit signal priority. It uses temporary materials like paint and signs, which will remain in place during the evaluation, and is the first step towards implementing a long-term plan for the Mt. Auburn corridor.
Three Vibrant Mosaic Murals Installed at New Cambridge School Complex
The new Tobin Montessori and Darby Vassall Upper Schools and Community Complex features three mosaic murals that bring color, connection, and meaning to the school environment. Funded through Cambridge's Percent-for-Art Ordinance and commissioned by Cambridge Arts, the works by artists Andromeda Lisle, Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, and Ekua Holmes celebrate themes of community, memory, and belonging. Developed in collaboration with the school community, architects, the project team, and fabricator Mosaika Art & Design, the murals serve as both inspiration and teaching tools for the school community.
Sit 'n' Knit (Main)
Bring your project and enjoy the company of other fiber crafters. Drop-in with this informal group to work on your craft, get inspired, pick up skills and socialize. Knit, embroider, crochet, spin, mend,...
Refreshments will be provided.
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.
NOTE: TODAY'S EVENT WILL BE HELD IN THE RINDGE ROOM
THE NEXT DREAM: Documentary Screening and Discussion (Main)
Join the Cambridge Public Library for a screening of The Next Dream, an independent documentary about more than one million Temporary Protected Status (TPS) families across the U.S., who are at risk of deportation and family separation.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with members of the National TPS Alliance and the film's producers. Come and meet members of the TPS families, learn about their struggles, and discuss how we may support our neighbors across the country. To learn more about this project, please click here. Registration is encouraged, but not required.
Summer Reading: Community Celebration and Community Build (O'Neill)
The original program scheduled for this day with Little Uprisings will be postponed. Please stay tuned for a new date.
The following description is for the program that will be on Saturday:
Join friends at the O'Neill Branch to build, build, BUILD your idea of a neighborhood and a community! Let your imagination run wild with LEGOs, Magna-Tiles and other building toys.
We will also have books about neighborhoods and a collaborative art project about our community.
For children ages 5 and up. Children under age 7 must be accompanied by a caregiver. LEGO pieces are choking hazards for young children.
34 Artists And Organizations Awarded $112,461 In Local Cultural Council Grant Funding By Cambridge Arts
34 artists and organizations are being awarded $112,461 in Local Cultural Council Grant funding by Cambridge Arts and the City of Cambridge. Funded projects include a comics camp for foster children, a hip-hop dance class for seniors, a celebration of the history of Black American music, a poetry writing program pairing teens with older adults, an elementary school playwriting project addressing the indigenous history and ecosystem of the Charles River, performances of short plays by short plays by Asian Americans, a documentary about the late Cambridge artist Peter Valentine, and a documentary about The Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub.
Members Sought for New Mass Ave Partial Construction Working Group
City Manager Yi-An Huang is seeking volunteers to serve on a new Working Group to help guide the Mass Ave Partial Construction Project on Mass Ave, from Waterhouse Street to Alewife Brook Parkway. The Working Group is anticipated to be made up of 15-20 members, representing a diverse set of interests along the Mass Ave corridor to ensure that each perspective is heard and that there is adequate representation reporting back to the larger community. The Working Group will include residents, business owners, institutional representatives, and a variety of people that use the corridor to live, work, walk, bike or take the bus.
16-18 Wendell Street
Purchased in July 2024, the Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) converted16-18 Wendell Street, a dormitory previously owned by Lesley University, into 22 units of permanent supportive housing (PSH) to serve individuals and couples exiting homelessness in Cambridge. The 16-18 Wendell project was awarded annual funding for services from the Commonwealth through the Massachusetts Shelter and Housing Alliance’s (MHSA) Home and Healthy for Good program. There are four full-time service staff on site. In excellent and in near turn-key condition when purchased, the property began lease-up in Fall 2024, following the completion of some minor renovations to create new office space at the property.
2072 Massachusetts Avenue AHO Community Meeting
Capstone Communities, Hope Real Estate Enterprises, and MPZ Development (Capstone/Hope/MPZ) are hosting their second AHO community meeting on May 29th at 6:00 p.m. to discuss plans for the proposed development at 2072 Massachusetts Avenue as 100% affordable housing. Click here for the flyer.
Interested participants may attend this meeting either in-person or online.
In-person: University Hall, 2nd floor (2-150), 1815 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140
Online: via Zoom. Please register here to attend the meeting online.
For more information about the project, please contact Capstone Communities at info@capstonecommunities.com or visit the project’s website at https://www.aptsat2072massave.com/home.