URGENT: Please join us at Thursday's CHC Public Hearing on the Harvard Sq Kiosk

Dear Friends and Supporters of Landmarking the Harvard Sq 'Out-of-Town News' Kiosk: Thanks to the hard work of our dedicated, diverse, and growing group of concerned citizens -- with your support -- we scored several important victories last night at Monday's City Council Meeting (Trick or Treat!). The Council unanimously passed a Policy Order urging the Cambridge Historical Commission (CHC) to authorize the Landmark Designation Study we are requesting -- the Public Hearing for which will take place this Thursday evening at the Cambridge Senior Center. Press coverage here: http://www.cambridgeday.com/2016/11/01/council-revolts-to-slow-revamp-of-kiosk-allowing-more-consultants-to-put-in-bids/ http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2016/11/1/city-council-harvard-square-development/ Thanks to the entire Council, with special thanks to Councillors Jan Devereux and Nadeem Mazen, who helped draft and introduce the order, and Dennis Carlone for a supporting role. Marc McGovern, who describes himself as a former "Pit Rat" (a public space next to the Kiosk which has been a customary hangout for young people, and which is now being used temporarily by "the chess players" while Holyoke Center undergoes a massive two-year renovation), has also been notable in his support for Landmarking. A second "Late Policy Order" was introduced and passed, also unanimously, which calls on the City Manager to revise and reissue a surprise RFP (Request for Proposals) about the Kiosk put out by "the City" last week, without any prior information or understanding on the part of the public (and at least some City Councillors) that this would be happening. Many of us were really shocked by this -- given the growing visibility of this important issue -- and are quite happy with the Council's unanimous action on this matter, including their call for a re-working of the actual content of the RFP. Please join us this Thursday evening at the Public Hearing on our Petition to Landmark the Kiosk at the CHC. The CHC will decide whether to initiate a Landmark Designation Study, an intermediate step in the Landmark process. The Hearing will be held at the Cambridge Senior Center, directly across the street from City Hall, on Massachusetts Avenue. Our Hearing may not commence until sometime after 7 p.m. -- please check with CHC staff during the afternoon Thursday to get an estimate of when our case is likely to be heard. (There's a "docket" of several cases at each of these monthly meetings of the CHC.) Meeting agenda: http://www.cambridgema.gov/~/media/Files/historicalcommission/pdf/agenda_chc_current.pdf?la=en Please also send an email indicating -- in your own words -- your support for a "Landmark Designation Study" -- and Landmark Designation -- for the Harvard Square Kiosk to: The Cambridge Historical Commission c/o Sarah Burks sburks@cambridgema.gov Thanks for being an important part of this Historic Campaign! (for 'Our Harvard Square...') James M. Williamson Image Caption: Abhishek Syal, OurHarvardSQ Secretary, testifies at Monday Oct. 31 City Council Meeting