West Cambridge Youth and Community Center Dedication Sept. 25
The City of Cambridge will hold a special dedication ceremony for the new West Cambridge Youth and Community Center Friday, Sept. 25, from 6-8 p.m. The event will include a reception and tours by youth center participants, followed by a formal program with City officials and special guest speakers.
The new facility is being named the Mayor Sheila Doyle Russell Youth Center in honor of the former Cambridge Mayor and long-time youth advocate.
Construction of the new facility at 680 Huron Avenue was completed in June and incorporated green building technologies into the design. Youth Center programming began in July. The center includes a full size gym with dividers for multiple use; a fitness room with exercise equipment and free weights; a “teaching kitchen;” computer learning and homework center with 20 stations; a multi-purpose performance room with a platform stage; an arts and crafts room; an art wall for temporary youth exhibitions; and a community meeting room plus various open lounge areas. The performance space includes state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and a drop-down viewing screen.
In addition to these amenities, the Cambridge Arts Council, working through the city’s award-winning Public Art Program, commissioned artist Michael Oatman to develop a permanent artwork to represent the diversity and activity in the neighborhoods of West Cambridge. Entitled, The Cantabrigians, Oatman created 23 ten-minute "video portraits" of residents, posed with objects and backgrounds of their choice highlighting their connections to the neighborhoods as well as their individual interests and personal and professional pursuits. The video portraits can be viewed in rotation on three large-scale monitors that will be permanently installed on the second floor of the Youth Center.
The City of Cambridge gratefully acknowledges VFW Mount Auburn Post #8818 for its support of the city’s efforts to provide expanded youth programming and activities in West Cambridge. The city also wishes to thank the Cambridge Housing Authority and the Haggerty School for hosting the West Cambridge Youth Center prior to its move into the new location.
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Flu Clinic Schedule and information
The Cambridge Public Health Department has prepared an aggressive Flu Clinic schedule for the complicated upcoming flu season. Below is a pdf copy of the schedule as well as information on both the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu. Because of the uncertainty of the time of availability of an approved H1N1 vaccine, the clinic schedules are subject to modification.
The Public Health Department website www.cambridgepublichealth.org, provides access to additional links for the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). The link to this information and other resources links can also be accessed from the City of Cambridge website at: www.cambridgema.gov under "of special interest."
As you are aware, school closures are no longer recommended and the seven day exclusion period for students has been modified to fever-free for twenty-four hours without the help of anti-fever medication.
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Health officials confirm two new swine flu cases, four possible cases
Cambridge health officials confirmed two new cases of swine flu in the city: one student at King Open School and an adult with children enrolled in a Cambridge daycare center. In addition, three students and a staff member at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School have been out sick with influenza-like illness.
The children of the adult, who were also ill with flu-like symptoms, may have attended the care center while infectious. On May 14, families and staff were notified that anyone associated with the center, the name of which was not released, with flu-like symptoms should home for at least seven days to help avoid transmission.
The second new case in Cambridge is a student at the King Open elementary school who was in school briefly while infectious. The student is currently recovering at home, health officials said in a press release.
The child's condition, age, grade and name were not released, but parents were told to maintain proper hygiene among their children in a letter sent to parents.
No word if the school will open on Monday. School spokesman Justin Martin did not immediately return a call and e-mail for comment.
“This novel flu virus is in our community, and we are preparing to see more cases in Cambridge,” said Claude-Alix Jacob, the city’s chief public health officer and director of the public health department, in a statement.
Jacob added that the health department’s main focus right now is protecting Cambridge residents and workers who may be at risk for serious complications from the flu, given that a vaccine is not available. High risk groups include young children, seniors, people with chronic illnesses, and pregnant women.
“It is vitally important for people with flu-like symptoms—such as a fever, cough, or sore throat—to stay home from school or work for at least seven days, not just until they feel better,” said Jacob.
In addition to the new confirmed cases, three students and a staff member at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School have been out sick with influenza-like illness. These individuals, who were told to stay home for at least seven days, will not be tested for the H1N1 virus because they are not considered at high risk for serious complications from the flu.
On May 15, the Cambridge Public Schools sent a letter to all families with children in the city’s public school system notifying them about the King Open student and the unconfirmed cluster at the high school.
The original confirmed case in a Cambridge resident was a 26-year-old individual who was linked to the Harvard Dental School H1N1 cluster. This person has since fully recovered and is no longer infectious.
As of May 15, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has confirmed 142 cases of swine flu — identified as H1N1 — statewide. All infected people are expected to fully recover; two of the newly confirmed cases were hospitalized but have since been discharged. More than 50 percent of the Massachusetts confirmed cases have been under age 18.
Because there is no vaccine for swine flu, public health officials remind all Massachusetts residents to continue taking simple steps to keep themselves and others healthy.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Cover your cough with a tissue or cough into your inner elbow and not into your hands.
- If your child is sick, keep them him or her out of school for at least seven days, even if symptoms go away sooner. If you are sick, stay home from work.
For more information on H1N1 flu, check www.mass.gov/dph/swineflu.
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Dr. Young Hired for CPS Superintendent
The School Committee just voted 5-2 to start contact negotiations with Dr. Young for its next Superintendent. If the negotiations are successful, then the School Committee will hire Dr. Young.
Dr Young:
Marc McGovern
Luc Schuster
Patty Nolan
Joe Grossi
Nancy Tauber
Carolyn Turk:
Denise Simmons
Fred Fantini
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Meet the Superintendent Finalists
FROM THE DESK OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER
MARC MCGOVERN
March 23, 2009
Please join me and the rest of the Cambridge School Committee on Monday, March 30, 2009 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm in the Henrietta S. Attles Meeting Room at CRLS for a town hall meeting with the three Superintendent finalists. Everyone from the community is invited. Each candidate will meet with the community for 45 minutes. Community members will submit written questions that will be asked of each candidate.
At this time the Committee cannot release the names of the three finalists but will do so shortly.
If you have any questions, please email me at marcmcgovern@gmail.com.
Thank you.
Marc
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An imbalance grows in Cambridge schools
From the Boston Globe on July 34, 2007
An imbalance grows in Cambridge schools
Placements based on income, not race
By Tracy Jan, Globe Staff | July 23, 2007
Five years after Cambridge began using family income instead of race to assign students to schools, the system has become more racially segregated, a Globe review of data shows.
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