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Board of Zoning Appeal Meeting Minutes

Cambridge’s Percent-for-Art ordinance, established in 1979, has led to the city housing the largest municipal collection of contemporary public art in the region, along with the responsibility of maintaining it. The 2024 exhibition Rust Happen(s): Caring for the Public Art Collection showcased the challenges of preserving outdoor artworks, from rust and graffiti to storm damage, and highlighted the meticulous work of Cambridge Arts’ conservation team. Through stories of restored sculptures and murals, the exhibit underscored the science behind art conservation and encouraged community engagement in protecting public art.

Inaugurated by the Commission in 1997, the Preservation Awards celebrate outstanding preservation projects that conserve and protect the historic built environment, provide skilled work to local designers and tradespeople, and support the environment, economy, institutions and housing stock of Cambridge.

The Community Safety Department’s CARE Team launched in 2024, providing an unarmed, compassionate response to mental health crises, well-being checks, and other non-criminal emergencies. By the end of the year, they responded to nearly 200 emergency calls, assisted over 150 community members, and removed 1,600 needles from public spaces, with 94% of calls requiring no police involvement. In collaboration with local organizations and the Cambridge Police Department, the CARE Team also offers case management and referrals, helping residents access shelter, addiction treatment, housing support, and other essential services.

This special edition of our Sewing 101 is offered in collaboration with Cambridge Wildlife Arts (Green Cambridge). In this 90-minute workshop, you'll learn the basics of sewing machine operation and safety. This session will cover machine setup, basic functions, threading the machine, reloading the bobbin, sewing straight stitches, and recognizing when stitch tension has gone awry. We’ll also cover some safety best practices when operating a sewing machine. As we learn together, we’ll work on a simple sewing project—hemming blank banners for the Banners Project launched by Cambridge Wildlife Arts.

Join us in Joan Lorentz Park from 1-2:30 p.m. for a concert celebrating the roots of folk music with Reclaiming Folk, a concert series that celebrates and honors people of color in folk music, created by singer-songwriter Naomi Westwater. Back by popular demand, this event will feature original compositions—performed by Valeria Orrantia, Anand Nayak, and Naomi Westwater—as well as cover songs that honor the musicians who came before, short interviews with the musicians about folk music, and time for a Q&A from the audience. Registration is not required.

Expect brief road closures and traffic impacts near Central Square and Riverside due to the Winter Classic 5K, which will take place on Sunday, December 7, at 9:30 a.m. The course begins and ends at University Park Commons near Central Square.

Robert Pinsky, Juneteenth with Wee the People, Queer Zine Making, Park Sounds, and Lots More

Gary Janetti, Park Sounds, Kamishibai Theatre, Meet an Alpaca, and Much More!

With the widespread concern about finding and getting a vaccine, some scammers are looking for ways to steal money and gather personal information that can be sold for profit. While we are not aware of any vaccine-related scams that have victimized residents in Cambridge, there are reports of scammers taking money in exchange for fake COVID-19 vaccine reservations around the country.