Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

December 26, 2022

On Love and Elections

Filed under: Cambridge,elections — Tags: , , , , — David Goode @ 3:05 pm

City of Cambridge Mayor Emeritus, Sheila Doyle Russell recently passed away peacefully in her home. She was my friend, but like most things I expect to write here, that seems an inadequate summation. I served as her Campaign Manager for the 7 elections she won for Cambridge City Council and as her Chief of Staff during her tenure as Mayor. These roles set me on my own path in public service, but ultimately were just functions I performed which don’t do much to define our friendship. Notwithstanding, since I did write most of the narrative media used to both request and justify support from the thousands of constituents she served so well in her public service career, these functions provide me a unique, although certainly not definitive, perspective on her life. I never wrote anything for her audience of many without first writing it for the review and approval of Sheila.

I preferred watching Sheila review those materials in person, as I valued her initial expressions while she read as a means to dissect what would always be her more measured assessments in conclusion. As both audience and subject of those narratives, her feedback, positive or negative, was part of an extended ongoing conversation we had about who she was, and how she viewed herself as a public servant. Always insightful, often argumentative, and sometimes unequivocally final in her rejection, I learned about her while she also taught me about myself. I’m acutely aware that this writing is my first on Sheila as the subject that will not receive her corresponding critique and approval. I find that circumstance daunting, but whenever I’d get reluctant to write something, Sheila would say “just give it a go.”

Sheila knew me since childhood as one of many Cambridge kids from a close group of mid-century working-class families helping each other stake a claim to the American dream. Amid stories of JFK and Tip O’Neil, they created their own Cambridge version of what is often referred to as the Irish immigrant political machine. I think Sheila would prefer the Gaelic term “Clann” to describe her constituency, not just for its Irish origins, but because the original meaning is flexible and inclusive depending on how it’s used. Perhaps this ambiguity is part of the reason its original meaning has been so corrupted in modern terminology. It’s root, literally and figuratively, is to plant and grown extensions that are connected. It embodies the family you are born into, the family you choose, and/or the family that welcomes you without prejudice. To care for your Clann means to grow beyond yourself.

Sheila’s Clann was planted in the Catholic Irish working class, but like the neighborhoods she knew so well, it grew extensions with each wave of change. The Irish, Italian, French, and Haitian families that shared the same faith in the same parishes as well other African American, Armenian, and Jewish families who shared similar dreams and challenges found representation in Sheila’s Clann. As a working class widowed woman and mother, Sheila’s own journey reflected the challenges and frustrations other Cambridge women of her generation experienced as the simple American dream of their youth evolved to be both more inviting and more elusive. She won over more than the occasional academic atheist as well with her genuine wit, wisdom, and humor.

Conversely, I would often use the more accessible, albeit banal words such as “community” and “constituency” to describe the people of this common good. Yet after nearly 15 years of watching Sheila read the words I wrote for the purpose of telling people who she was, I know she found terms like these, with their presumptive emphasis on simple demographic attributes, insufficient and unsatisfying. As a politician Sheila was a romantic. Not in the sloppy sentimental mockery of the term, but in the purest philosophical definition of the word. She possessed an awesome natural ability to connect with people as individuals through her genuine empathy and her capacity to validate the importance of anyone that approached her. In a word, she loved them.

As her campaign manager, I was typically more utilitarian in grouping these people by their attributes. In my mind, democratic elections were about candidates marshaling limited resources to optimize public support for a set of positions and ideas to be represented within the institutional bodies of government. I thought in terms of wards, precincts, and probabilities. I constructed the scaffolding and trellis around Sheila’s Clann, but she tended its growth. I targeted voters, but Sheila knew them and loved them.

Even to her last days, she maintained a deep encyclopedic knowledge of the people in her Clann. Not only in the academic attributes of my comfortable utilitarian domain, but in the meaningful romantic connections of the living Clann. When her personal recollections didn’t register with me, Sheila would usually begin a seemingly boundless recitation of associations; “she lived across the street from” or “you played hockey with his brother” or “she was married to Jimmy who worked with Leo at the gas company”. Sometimes she would throw me a more utilitarian bone such as “always voted absentee because she couldn’t do the stairs”. I never reached the limits of her depth on the people she cared about. After several failing attempts to jog my utilitarian memory, she would usually look at me silently for a moment, perplexed at my incomprehension. At first, I wondered if she was judging me, but I realized later that she always had another option to offer but was assessing if continuing on the current path would just freak me out. Sheila could always dive deeper, but I think she worried that it would give me the bends.

Sheila lived her entire 87 years as a native, lifelong Cantabrigian. However, where she existed was that inexpressible space in between the romantic and the utilitarian. Sheila’s Clann was not a collection of individuals that shared some things in common. It was a beating, breathing life of its own, defined as much by the connections and interactions between as by the individuals themselves. As social media platforms increasingly promote the vain promises of their connection algorithms, it has often occurred to me that these are nothing more than pale mutations of how Sheila’s mind worked organically. We are increasingly living in that mutated world of algorithms that is all utility and no romance. John Stuart Mill, the great English philosopher once wrote that whoever could master both romanticism and utilitarianism would possess the entire English philosophy of their age. I suspect that Sheila would smile and quip that the Irish easily find what the English are still looking for.

True also for the proportional representation election system used in Cambridge, which Sheila would reference in shorthand to the uninitiated as the “Irish System”. She had a deep intuitive understanding of how rank voting improved how people expressed their representative preferences, but more importantly, how it incentivized candidates like her to emphasize our connections rather than our differences. In the days of paper ballots, Sheila relished attending “The Count” where full consideration of voter’s choices recorded in penciled preferences took almost a week to fully tabulate. For Sheila, “The Count” wasn’t just about the suspense and drama of the protracted process. It was about the time spent with the friends and supporters of her Clann gathered in the designated watch area. Together we watched and learned how she achieved the requisite proportion of votes (quota) from her primary supporters woven together with additional support cultivated among the secondary preferences of voters that initially made other choices. Each PR count was a lesson in the importance of cultivating connections rather than forcing voters into hard choices. Often it was a hard lesson to learn for many first-time ego-driven candidates more suited to the traditional yet inferior winner-take-Sheila Russell Clann at The Countall elections. In other words, it was a lesson in growth.

It’s why I chose the photos included here to represent the Sheila I want to remember. As someone who made a personal practice of reading the expressions of Sheila as they pertain to her public persona, I think these photos capture her at one of her most cherished moments, one vote away from achieving the election quota and removing her name card identifying her as a candidate in the running. No ballrooms or podiums. No canned speeches in opposite pockets, depending on the outcome. Just friends, and friends of friends and associates and colleagues and fellow citizens gathered together in the same space to congratulate the elected and to console and thank the defeated for their best efforts in representing the public interest. This is Sheila as her best public self, caught on camera in the inexplicable space between the romantic and utilitarian sides of political life, perfectly balanced and at ease. To me, this is her true self, and will remain my lasting image of Sheila.

People often ask me why, with my years of campaign experience and ardent interest in election reform, I haven’t offered my services to other candidates. My standard answer is that every election campaign I managed took place before social media was invented, and I haven’t been able to identify, let alone adapt, to the utility of that new order. That’s true enough, but the more pertinent answer is simply that I’ve never met another Sheila. I’m still just the apprentice to the master, learning how to be part of something that can grow beyond myself.

I visited Sheila at her home shortly before her death. Her body was frail and failing, but the Clann algorithms were still processing like they always did. She told me how much she missed reading the newspapers. She could still see them if held close, but her arms could not keep steady enough to read them the way she enjoyed, usually cover to cover. She didn’t say this as a lament for her present infirmity. She said it as a problem to be solved, as if she was contemplating some combination of prosthetics and contraptions that would allow her to continue learning about the people in the places she cared for. I didn’t say goodbye to Sheila the last time a saw her, only because she didn’t give any indication she was going somewhere. I don’t regret that at all. It was pretty much on brand for Sheila.

I patiently await the long anticipated new birth of freedom when we have an election system for representative governance that allows Sheila’s approach to public service to be more rule than exception. There are positive signs. The good people at FairVote.org who are advocating for this exceptionally important right, and the existence and hopefully eventual adoption of The Fair Representation Act; and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences creation of the “Our Common Purpose” plan for sustaining the American experiment. Right smack in the middle of Cambridge is Harvard Professor Danielle Allen, who for me is the closest contender for the title of next-gen Sheila 2.0 with the academic chops to document and teach what Sheila demonstrated so naturally.

Increasingly, there are more people who understand and can reconcile our shared cultural history with our changing world without sacrificing the romantic ideals of personal and civic connection on the altar of expedient political utility. I remain hopeful that we’ll recognize and preserve the value in what Sheila demonstrated for us during her life of public service. If we succeed, we may take some comfort in knowing that government of the romantics, by the romantics, for the romantics, shall not perish from the earth.

Sincerely and Hopefully,
David R. Goode

December 16, 2022

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle… Dec 19, 2022 Cambridge City Council meeting

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle… Dec 19, 2022 Cambridge City Council meeting

It’s that time of year for the pre-holiday gathering. Here are a few items of interest on this week’s agenda:down of a thistle: the fluffy part of a sharp plant that you can blow away

Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a public health update.
Placed on File 9-0

Awaiting Report #22-85. Report on organizing a vaccine clinic in December which will provide gift cards to residents who receive a COVID19 vaccination or booster.  Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui (O-2) from 12/5/2022
[Note: This event took place on Thurs, Dec 15, 2022.]


Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to approval requested for appointments of new members and reappointments to the Cambridge Library Board of Trustees.
Appointments Approved 9-0

I propose that City Council review of Board appointments work like jury selection where each councillor gets one peremptory challenge per Council term. That would be more honest than what I expect we’ll otherwise soon be seeing.


Manager’s Agenda #6. Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $4,709,473 from the Water Fund Balance, Retained Earnings ($2,354,737) and from Free Cash ($2,354,736), to the Water Fund Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($3,392,903) and to Water Public Investment Extraordinary Expenditures account ($1,316,570) to fund the purchase of water from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA).
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #7. Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $700,000 from Water Fund Balance (Retained Earnings) account to the Water Public Investment Extraordinary Expenditures account, to fund the purchase of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) testing equipment.
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0


Manager’s Agenda #8. Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation in the amount of $9,812,215.88 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Capital Projects Control Account ($7,036,323.82); to the Grant Fund Historical Control Account ($29,909.04); to the Grant Fund Public Celebrations Control Account ($78,836.02) and to the Grant Fund Police Control Account ($92,457), as well ($2,574,690) to the Capital Receivables account. This is an accounting transaction adjustment requested by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR), Division of Local Service) based on a change in their position and will eliminate negative balances which have been included in our annual Free Cash calculation for several years.
Order Adopted 9-0


Manager’s Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to changing the name of the City’s Climate Protection Action Committee’s (“CPAC”) to the “Cambridge Climate Committee.”
pulled by Nolan; Placed on File 9-0

Not to be confused with Conservative Political Action Coalition (CPAC), I’m sure.

Manager’s Agenda #10. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommending adoption of the BZA Stipends Zoning Petition, with additional comments.
pulled by Carlone; Referred to Petition 9-0

Why not just pass around $75 debit cards to everyone who shows up?

Manager’s Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board report recommending adoption of the Suzanne Blier, et al., Zoning Petition, with additional considerations.
Referred to Petition 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 22-79, which requested that the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department and Department of Public Works meet with and receive input from residents living on the streets in the impacted area [around Garden St.] to discuss strategies to mitigate and reduce overflow and cut through traffic, including the proposal mentioned in the order, or other traffic calming or traffic diversion methods, and report back to the Council on any short-term recommendations no later than December 19. [TPP memorandum]
pulled by Toner; Placed on File 9-0

…and the Judge wasn’t going to look at the twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy pictures with the circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was to be used as evidence against us.

Charter Right #1. That the City Manager is requested to work with the appropriate departments to conduct street cleaning without towing starting with the 2023 season. [Charter Right – Simmons. Dec 5, 2022]
Order Adopted as Amended 6-1-1-1 (Toner – NO, McGovern – ABSENT, Simmons – PRESENT)

[From the previous meeting…] I have mixed feelings about this – especially as a resident who has been voluntarily clearing the storm drains in my neighborhood for decades. I have always appreciated a good curb-to-curb cleaning during the warmer months and plowing snow as close to the curb as possible during winter. Having even one vehicle to go around negates much of this benefit. I would be happier if a new policy had some discretion, i.e., if the crews and police feel that little is gained by towing in a specific occasion then a pricey ticket may be sufficient. Unfortunately, there are many people now living in Cambridge who might just write that off as the “cost of doing business” as they wallow in their negligence.

18 Communications, including 5 from Young Kim and 4 from the inevitable Bob LaTrémouille.

Is cooking a Christmas goose still a tradition?

Resolution #5. Resolution on the death of Sheila Doyle Russell.   Councillor Toner, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan

I have known many city councillors since the time I began paying attention to things, but Sheila Russell tops my ticket as the councillor and Mayor I most enjoyed being around. Nobody else even comes close to her mix of wit, wisdom, and willingness to pull a friendly prank on colleagues. The Sullivan Chamber has never been the same since she retired from the Council in 1999.


Order #1. That City Manager be requested to direct Legal Department and CDD to review the final language of the emissions accounting zoning petition, and make any recommended adjustments, including to the effective date, to the city council prior to ordination.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0

Order #2. That City Manager be requested to direct CDD to work with relevant stakeholders to provide a preliminary estimate of the cost and time burden of compliance with the emissions accounting provision, prior to ordination.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0

Order #3. That City Manager be requested to direct CDD to work with relevant stakeholders to inform the design of future regulations associated with accounting for embodied emissions.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0

It’s almost as though our “progressive” councillors have discovered the concept of “unintended consequences.” Keep dreaming.


Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to provide an updated tree canopy projection and provide up-to-date tree data to reflect the effect of the 2022 drought and plans to remedy tree loss as soon as possible.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Toner
Order Adopted 9-0


Committee Report #1. The Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning Committee met on Wed, Oct 19, 2022 to conduct a public meeting to discuss the Cambridge Street Study: Findings and Recommendations Update. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 8-0-1 (McGovern – ABSENT)Report Accepted, Placed on File 8-0-1 (McGovern – ABSENT)

Committee Report #2. The Economic Development and University Relations Committee met on Tues, Nov 22, 2022 to conduct a public meeting to receive an update on the BEUDO amendments from the Community Development Department and a discussion of the environmental and economic impact of BEUDO on residential, business and academic properties/communities. Meeting was recessed and not adjourned. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 7-0-2 (McGovern, Simmons – ABSENT)

Committee Report #3. The Human Services and Veterans Committee met on Tues, Nov 29, 2022 to conduct a public meeting to discuss the unhoused population in Cambridge and uptick in substance use in Central Square. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 7-0-2 (McGovern, Simmons – ABSENT)

Committee Report #4. The Neighborhood & Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts & Celebrations Committee held a public meeting on Wed, Nov 30, 2022 to receive and update on the latest recommendations from the Alewife Zoning Working. Meeting was recessed and not adjourned. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 8-0-1 (McGovern – ABSENT)

Committee Report #5. The Ordinance Committee held a public meeting on Tues, Dec 6, 2022, at 1:00pm to discuss proposed Ordinance #2022-20, Emissions Accounting Zoning. The Committee voted favorably to send three policy orders to the City Council that appear on this agenda in the Policy Order section. Further, the Committee voted to send proposed Ordinance #2022-20, Emissions Accounting Zoning as amended, to the Full Council with a favorable recommendation to Pass to a 2nd Reading. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File, Passed to 2nd Reading 7-0-2 (McGovern, Simmons – ABSENT)

Committee Report #6. The Ordinance Committee held a public meeting to continue the discussion of Pregnancy Centers, proposed Ordinance #2022-16 on Dec 6, 2022 @3pm. The Committee voted to send proposed Ordinance #2022-16 as amended, Crisis Pregnancy Centers, to the full Council with a favorable recommendation to Pass to a 2nd Reading. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File, Passed to 2nd Reading 8-0-1 (McGovern – ABSENT)


Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Councillor Nolan and Mayor Siddiqui transmitting a Charter Review Committee Status Update.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (McGovern – ABSENT)

The authors state: “As of this communication, the CRC has met almost a dozen times.” — Actually, the CRC has met exactly 7 times. The first meeting of any substance was the most recent Meeting #7 on Dec 6. I have no idea how the authors decided that “the CRC has met almost a dozen times.” All of the meetings have been in Zoom with very limited public attendance or public comment – the opposite of what a process of this significance should be.

The authors state: “The vote to draft a new charter was done with the understanding and knowledge that a new charter could, if desired, maintain every element of the current charter. Starting fresh with a new charter means that the charter would no longer use Plan E, a form of charter no longer allowed in the Commonwealth. Current municipal government charters are usually based on a model charter with each element of the charter decided by the municipality based on needs and circumstances.” — This statement is contradictory. The Plan E Charter is still an option under Chapter 43 of the Massachusetts General Laws with the formal exception that the use of proportional representation (PR) as an election method was subsequently repealed. However, under the provisions of Chapter 43B (Home Rule Procedures Act) and Chapter 43C (Optional Forms of Municipal Administration Act), a city may propose various election methods, including proportional representation (PR) as currently used in Cambridge or (hopefully) a modified version that no longer has the awkward dependence of the order in which ballots are counted. In other words, and as stated in the authors’ first sentence, “a new charter could, if desired, maintain every element of the current charter.” I will add that on May 18, 2022 the Northampton City Council unanimously approved a home rule petition to implement Ranked Choice Voting and PR using the Modified Inclusive Gregory Method. The proposal is essentially the same as the Home Rule Petition from Amherst that proposd to use the Weighted Inclusive Gregory Method (WIGM). The point is that Massachusetts cities have again begun to consider proportional representation methods using improved versions of what Cambridge has used for the last 80+ years, and this is permissible under Massachusetts laws relating to elections. Whether any of these Home Rule Petitions survive the legislature remains an open question. In the case of Cambridge, our current PR system is “grandfathered” and may continue to be used without state legislative approval.

The authors state: “If we are to consider changes to be put on the ballot for 2023, the CRC work must be completed in a timely fashion and the City Council would need to work expeditiously to decide on what proposal to put before the voters. A home rule would have to be filed and passed in order for the ballot question to be put forth.” — Translation: Regardless what this CRC recommends, the current city councillors, subject to state legislative approval, would be the sole deciders on what would go before the voters – unlike an elected Charter Commission which would be able to propose changes independent of what the current councillors may feel is in either their best interests or that of the city. In other words, I wouldn’t expect to see any proposals survive to November 2023 that don’t either maintain or enhance either the power or electablity of the incumbents.

There are several significant themes that really should be considered in the ongoing charter discussions. For example: (1) the loss of neighborhood representation when the role of wards in representation was effectively eliminated in 1940; and (2) the mechanisms for “redress of grievances” with which a reasonable number of citizens can force a hearing and possibly a vote on a specific matter. Previous charters all had such a mechanism, but under the Plan E Charter the barrier is extremely high and any such petition is seen merely as a request that can be simply “Placed on File” with neither a hearing, a vote, or any other consideration.

By the way, in Meeting #7 of the CRC, members were given a review of the current modified Plan E Charter. The document was pretty familiar – it’s the very same document I produced from the original printed text some years ago complete with my choice of formatting and fonts – and even the links to documents on the Cambridge Civic Journal site on proportional representation and chapter fifty-four A. Prior to that, even though Cambridge has been operating under the Plan E Charter since the 1941 election there had been no reference anywhere on the City website to what actually constituted the Plan E Charter. You’re welcome. – Robert Winters

December 13, 2022

Sheila Doyle Russell – City Councillor, Mayor, and Friend

Filed under: Cambridge,Deaths,history — Tags: , , , — Robert Winters @ 4:48 pm

Dec 12, 2022 – Former Mayor Sheila Russell passed away early this morning at her longtime home on Hawthorn Park in West Cambridge.

Sheila RussellRUSSELL, Sheila T. (Doyle) Of Cambridge and Hull, Massachusetts, passed away Monday, December 12th peacefully at home. Wife of the late Mayor Leonard J. Russell; mother of Lenny and his wife Sandy Russell of Hull, Eileen and her husband John Struzziery of Hull, Nancy and her husband Ed Grabowski of Somerville, Katie and her husband Scott Somers of Peabody and predeceased by her son William “Billy” Russell. Loving grandmother of Alyse Brussard and her husband Tom of Boxford, Courtney Hooson and her husband John of Hull, Emily Struzziery of Hull, Caitlin Russell and her fiancé Bobby Murphy of Cambridge, Molly Struzziery of Hull, Meghan Russell of Westport, Patrick and Timmy Grabowski of Somerville and Niamh Walsh and Nolan Somers of Peabody. Great-grandmother of Hazel and Tripp Brussard and Ellie Hooson. Beloved sister of Nancy (Doyle) Navin, the late Marylou (Doyle) Crowley and James “Buddy” Doyle. She also leaves behind many extended family and friends, especially her gang fondly nicknamed “The Murphy Chicks”.

Sheila was fortunate to have been able to raise her five children in Cambridge and Hull, then enjoyed a rewarding career serving on the City Council and then as the Mayor of the City of Cambridge. Sheila touched the lives of so many. She would often talk about her cherished memories and friendships from St. John’s, St. Peter’s, the Hull Yacht Club and the Russell campaign trail. During her tenure as Mayor, Sheila was very proud of bringing the Irish famine monument to the Cambridge Common. As a City Council Woman, Sheila was a champion for many causes, Cambridge businesses and especially for the elderly and for elder services. She was a tireless leader for establishing the Cambridge Citywide Senior Center. In her retirement, her work and dedication were honored in the opening of the Sheila Doyle Russell Community and Youth Center. Although Cambridge was always first in her heart and mind, she enjoyed spending summers at home, entertaining on her front porch and enjoying the beautiful breeze off Hull Bay.

Relatives and friends are invited to Visiting Hours at Saint John’s Church, 2254 Mass Ave. in North Cambridge on Monday, December 19th, from 4-7pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated in the church on Tuesday, December 20th at 11am. Burial to follow in Cambridge Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to The Cambridge Program Friends, for Individuals with Special Needs, 1 Hardwick Street, Cambridge, MA 02141.

Dec 13 – My coffee cup this morning. The passing of a great friend will also be occasion for reunions with other great friends.

Mayor Sheila Doyle Russell


A few comments culled from the early issues of the Cambridge Civic Journal:

Nov 1997 – The comic highlight occurred when an Order came up congratulating Councillor Ken Reeves on his upcoming guest appearance in “The Nutcracker” at CRLS. Sheila Russell commented that “I usually do old-fashioned melodramas myself. The last one I was in was ‘The Scheme of the Shiftless Drifter’”. You just gotta love Sheila.

Dec 1997 – This meeting wasn’t exactly one for the ages, but Mayor Sheila Russell showed the good humor that has characterized her term as Mayor. After a discussion about posting “No Dogs Allowed” signs at City tot lots, Sheila said, “All we have to do now is teach the dogs how to read.” Later in the meeting, after a long discussion about whose responsibility it was to clean up the fall leaves after street sweeping was over and whether or not to extend the street cleaning season, Sheila suggested that we should put an Office of Tree Trainer in next year’s budget whose responsibility would be to train trees to drop their leaves directly into the barrels. We don’t yet know who’ll be Mayor this term, but already I’m missing Sheila’s way of keeping everyone at ease.

Jan 1998 – What Makes a Mayor: In my opinion, there are two Councillors who are entirely suitable for the job – Frank Duehay and Sheila Russell. Both have the experience and are moderate enough to be widely acceptable to the public. They are both capable of bringing disparate interests together and of promoting consensus and bipartisanship, ideals that are often elusive in a council elected via proportional representation.

Feb 1998 – Who reads the papers? – The next order of business was a discussion of the costs of legal advertising in local newspapers. The City principally advertises in the Cambridge Chronicle, but deadlines and legal requirements often require that ads go into the Tab, especially those of the Planning Board. The Boston Globe is considerably more expensive. The highlight of the discussion occurred when Counc. Russell asked why we wouldn’t use the Herald since some people never read the Globe. Ken Reeves asserted that some people never read the Chronicle, a clear reference to past differences he’s had with the Chronicle. Councillor Russell responded by saying, “Some people say they never read it but they know every word that was there.” Everyone laughed.

Feb 1998 – Councillor Born and Councillor Russell reminded the Council of how flocks of sheep in roads in Ireland could serve as an effective traffic-calming tool. [Yes, they were joking.]

Mar 1998 – The highlight of this meeting for me was Councillor Sheila Russell’s heartfelt account of the role played by the Marist Fathers and the Holy Union Sisters at Our Lady of Pity Church in North Cambridge, widely know as “The French Church.” She described in wonderful detail growing up in that area and of the good-natured rivalry between children from St. John’s Church and the French Church and of the dedication of the nuns at both churches to serving their community. “That parish was a wonderful, vibrant parish. They did everything for their parishioners. They had plays, they had shows, they had suppers, and they just kept all the traditions alive. So we thank them for what they did for the North Cambridge community and we will miss them.” A short while later, Councillor Russell said “I met my husband at that church. They used to have the University Trio – Nellie, Oscar, and Spike.” It is for moments like this that I continue to go to City Council meetings and to listen to the stories that are told there.

Mar 1998 – Councillor Russell: “That’s why it’s so hard to get people to serve on boards. We hear criticism of the Manager for not making timely appointments to boards. Why should people serve if they’re treated so shabbily?”

Apr 1998 – The comic highlight of the meeting occurred when Councillor Galluccio was needled by fellow councillors about his late entry in the running of the Human Services Road Race the day before. Apparently the good councillor neglected to set his clock forward to daylight saving time and had to be roused out of bed. Councillor Russell and City Mgr. Healy both made reference to the infamous Rosie Ruiz entry in the Boston Marathon. Mayor Duehay said of his vice-mayor, “I depend on you to be there!” Councillor Russell got the biggest laugh when she said, “I was a sleeper in that race.”

Apr 1998 – One of the strangest exchanges occurred during a discussion of Councillor Russell’s Order, responding to a constituent’s call, to refer the issue of “wind chimes” to the Noise Subcommittee of the Environment Committee, chaired by Councillor Born. Councillor Russell facetiously said, “This is a very serious situation. It is the cause of great deliberation and I know I put it in the right hands.” I have come to enjoy the mutual needling of the dynamic duo of Councillors Born and Russell. … Not to be outdone, Councillor Reeves said, “This is one of those moments when I really should just shut up. This worries me. The day will come when someone is wearing a certain shade of yellow and someone else will say ‘That offends me.’ You live in the city. You coexist with a lot of things or you live in the desert and you have no problems….In Somerville, they’re not talking about wind chimes.”

Apr 1998 – A discussion among councillors about the relative merits of supposedly self-cleaning public toilets took place in response to a communication from Central Square Business Association president Carl Barron concerning public urination. Councillors Reeves and Triantafillou heartily recommended these facilities. Councillors Born and Davis expressed some reservations about them. Councillor Russell volunteered to go to Paris on a fact-finding mission.

May 1998 – Councillor Russell provided the biggest smiles of the evening when, in referring to a VFW parking lot on N. Mass. Ave., had some fun by giving as neutral and non-Boston a pronunciation as she could muster to the words “park” and “parking” and then referred to it as a “vehicle storage area”.

June 1998 – The ever-wise Councillor Russell remarked about how most neighborhoods in Cambridge have their share of festivals and other events. “It’s what makes Cambridge Cambridge. It is being a good neighbor to partake in these things and to accept a little extra noise.” Regarding newly arrived residents, she said, “There should be a ‘Ten Commandments’ of how people should be tolerant in Cambridge.”

June 1998 – Councillor Russell: “I feel the same way. I’ve lived in Cambridge my whole life. When I first moved to my neighborhood, on Huron Ave. you could go to a five-and-dime store, a drug store, a barber shop, a hardware store. Now we have art galleries. Councillor Reeves is right. Now we have to put nets around the ball fields so that the ball doesn’t bounce into people’s yards.”

Sept 1998 – Mr. Yoder’s remarks about wildlife in the Alewife area led to various jokes from councillors about geese and goose droppings at the golf course. Councillor Triantafillou noted the increase in the skunk population which caused Councillor Russell to joke that she would put in a Council Order to regulate skunks.

Oct 1998 – With the City Council taking calls that night for input on its goals and objectives, Councillor Russell suggested that they should have a call-in to get Vice Mayor Galluccio a date. He responded by saying, “How many lines do they have up there?” To this, Councillor Russell responded, “One will be enough.”

Oct 1998 – Among other topics that came up was the possibility of requiring pitbulls to be muzzled. (Bill Jones suggested that their owners should be muzzled.) When discussion turned to the subject of people bringing their dogs to the Cambridge Cemetery, Councillor Russell said, “I think this meeting’s going to the dogs!”

May 1999 – The time since the last issue of the CCJ has been a time of great civic angst for this writer. The announcements by Mayor Frank Duehay and Councillor Sheila Russell that they will not be seeking reelection this fall have been very unsettling. These outstanding civil servants have been the most stable influences on the City Council for some time and the prospect of City Hall without them gives me no comfort. We can only hope that the elections this fall lead to future councillors who can match the wit and wisdom of these two individuals.

Mar 1999 – The closing moments of the meeting featured several councillors reciting their favorite “Washington’s Rules of Civility” from a Globe piece distributed by Councillor Davis. Sheila Russell’s choice: “Be not tedious in discourse, make not many digressions, nor repeat often the same manner of discourse.”

May 1999 – When Councillor Born asked if the Cook Petition would preclude garden statuary, Mr. LaTremouille said that it would, because it was taking up space, drawing a parallel with the recent art controversy at Fresh Pond. He said there could be an enormous statue that would take up the whole backyard. Councillor Russell asked if this meant she couldn’t have a statue of the Blessed Mother or some other shrine. Apparently, the petition as written would prohibit this. (This provision was revised the next day to allow shrines.)

May 1999 – During a discussion of the proposed new rules for the City Council meeting, Mayor Duehay quipped, “I think they love us as we are.” To this, Councillor Russell responded, “I take the pulse of the city, and it’s erratic.”

May 1999 – Councillor Galluccio spoke to his order welcoming back the New England Patriots, noting that his mother has been watching the Patriots for 25 years. To this Councillor Russell responded, “I thought she’d made better use of her time.”

May 1999 – The most significant business at this meeting was the passage of the FY2000 budget and the accompanying orders. Of somewhat less significance was Councillor Russell’s order to explore the use of mimes in crosswalks to demonstrate pedestrian safety.

Dec 1999 – Since this was the last meeting for three outgoing city councillors, farewell remarks by Sheila Russell, Frank Duehay, and Katherine Triantafillou were in order. Councillor Russell gave a brief speech and left her magic wand for the next mayor “to use wisely.”


Sheila Russell To Leave City Council Position (Harvard Crimson, May 3, 1999)
Former mayor to retire after 14 years in office

“She has been the glue that holds the council together,” said Preceptor in Mathematics Robert Winters, the publisher of the Cambridge Civic Journal, a monthly political newsletter. “She became one of the binding agents that builds a bridge between the different factions,” he said.

Russell was first elected to the council in 1985, when her husband, former Mayor Leonard Russell, died. She served as mayor from 1996 to 1997. An Independent, Russell became known as an advocate for elderly residents as well as for residents of West and North Cambridge, Winters said.

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