Laundry Access in Public Schools ($50,000)
Renovate a space in a Cambridge Public School and install washers and dryers for students who do not have easy access to laundry services at home, to use for their clothing and necessities.
Parent/Child (Ages 7-10) Book Group (Main)
Join us for a lively discussion of a great book in person at the Main Library! Pizza will be provided. For ages 7-10 and a parent or caregiver.
This month's book is Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. Two is a crowd when Peter and his little brother, Fudge, are in the same room. Grown-ups think Fudge is absolutely adorable, but Peter and his pet turtle, Dribble, know the truth. From throwing temper tantrums to smearing mashed potatoes on the wall, Fudge causes mischief wherever he goes!
Both caregiver and child should read the book before the discussion to participate. Registration is required — only one registration is needed per family. For a copy of the book, stop by the Children’s Room after you've registered.
For questions about parent/child book group, please email Meagan: malbright@cambridgema.gov
Parent/Child (Ages 7-10) Book Group (Main)
Join us for a lively discussion of a great book in person at the Main Library! Snacks will be provided. For ages 7-10 and a parent or caregiver.
This month's book is When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller. When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her grandmother’s Korean folk tales arrives, sending Lily on a quest to solve a mystery from generations ago. But deals with tigers are never what they seem! Content: this novel deals with the loss of direct family members, both off-page and during the course of the story.
Both caregiver and child should read the book before the discussion to participate. Registration is required — only one registration is needed per family.
For questions about parent/child book group, please email Rachel: rbeaton@cambridgema.gov
Meals Program
The City of Cambridge announced that it is extending its successful program for feeding homeless residents with meals provided by local food establishments through October 3, 2021. In March 2020, the City launched an innovative project to contract with local restaurants to provide food to the City’s homeless community during the COVID-19 public health crisis.
Civic Assembly
Cambridge is holding its first Civic Assembly from October - December 2026 to consider whether, how, and under what conditions the City should use gunshot-detection technology, such as ShotSpotter, and overnight video surveillance of public parks in its approach to public safety, including what rules, safeguards, and oversight should govern their use.
139 Bishop Allen Drive (1-15 Vail Court)
139 Bishop Allen Drive, familiarly known as Vail Court, is a 28,201 square foot lot located in Mid-Cambridge that was acquired by the City of Cambridge through eminent domain in 2016. In June 2017, the City Council voted to transfer the property to the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust (CAHT) for redevelopment as affordable housing. In July 2017, the City and CAHT held an initial community meeting to discuss the site and next steps, but the process was paused due to the onset of litigation. That litigation has now been resolved and the CAHT is restarting the process of planning for an affordable housing development for the site.
The CAHT plans to issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to seek and select a development team to create new affordable housing at the 139 Bishop Allen site. It is expected that the site will be developed under the provisions of the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO). Once an affordable housing developer has been selected, a community process will be conducted to review redevelopment plans for the site.