Unfortunately, Vellucci's fellows on the city council could not decide if they had the authority to rename the Charles and postponed any definite action. The request has yet to be reconsidered.
The nine councilors were more sympathetic to the proposal to host an Indian festival and authorized the city manager to make the necessary arrangements. The celebration will be held this weekend at the Cambridge Common and on the banks of the Kwa Na Ha Nee, with a crowd of several thousand expected to attend.
Craigie Relocation
The Craigie Arms Apartments, located at 122 Mt. Auburn St., have been a thorn in the University's side for more than two years, and although Harvard signed a settlement with Craigie tenants in May to end the long-running feud, complaints continued into the summer.
Harvard Real Estate (HRE), which manages the University's property, agreed to relocate tenants in order to make way for extensive renovations.
The tenants complained, however, that HRE was not making enough Harvard housing available as potential relocation sites. They threatened to occupy their Craigie units until new apartments were found.
HRE officials blamed an unexpected shortage of comparable apartments for the dispute.
Unable to get a complete list of vacant apartments from HRE, the Craigie tenants conducted a canvassing of other Harvard-owned buildings with the help of the Harvard Tenants Union. In early August, they presented HRE officials with a list of apartments they had located.
Several additional apartments were added to HRE's list of available housing as a result and most of the remaining tenants plan to move out of the building within the next several days.
State Aid
City Manager Healy received good news in early July when the state Department of Revenue released figures for direct and to municipalities during the current fiscal year. Cambridge tallied a whopping $9 million increase from the previous year.
Coupled with a $750,000 decrease in state fees charged to cities and towns, Cambridge's revenue increase way nearly $10 million.
Healy has yet to present a complete proposal to the city council for spending the additional state funds. So far, the councilors have asked that $335,000 be used to replace a 1 percent tax on rents that had been designed to fund the city's Rent Control Board.
Ware St. Building
An eight month dispute between HRE and tenants in apartments at 9-13a Ware St. continued this summer.
Last winter, HRE asked the rent board for a rent increase to cover the cost of installing energy saving windows in the apartments. Many of the tenants objected to the rent hike, charging that the new windows were unnecessary and overpriced.
Rent Board Hearing Examiner James Packer took testimony in the case on three occasions this summer, and he is currently preparing a report for consideration by the rent board.