Single family homes in the city now have anaverage value of nearly $360,000, higher thansurrounding cities .Average home prices inCambridge are estimated to be around $263,000,nearly $100,000 more than neighboringSomeerville.

Lately, long-time residents have complaniedthat out-of-town landlords are squeezing them outof their family homes, forcing them to considermoving to less expensive locals.

Around 6,000 of the city's nearly 100,000residents service some from of welfare assistance.

Still, the news in Duheay's city is not allbad. Unemployment is at recorded lows Averageannual wages for Canta brigians are $37,641, farexceeding the statewide average.

Mayor Harvard

Duehay grew up in the city graduating from thecambridge Rindge and Latin High School. Aftergraduating with a degree in English from Harvard,he joined the U.S. Navy, retiring in 1957 with therank of lieutenant, junior grade. He then returnedto Harvard , earning a master's in English. In1968, he received a Ph.D in education (GSE).During the turbulent year of 1969, he was a GSEassistant dean.

Duehay says town-grown relations have improvedconsiderably since his childhood in Cambridge.

"Since the end of World War II, [an] expansionof universities led to a real industrial declinein Cambridge," he says.

Harvard professor were looked upon as arrogantacademics locked away in ivory towers who feltthey knew every thing about education. When heserved his first term on the School Committee in1963, Harvard "was a favorite whipping post."

But now, after decades of educationalpartnership between phillips Brroks HouseAssociation and city's police departments, andoutreach on behalf of both sides, "It's [now] veryamicable."

But Duehay predicts that one tear in therelationship's fabric will remain: Harvard'sexemption from paying property taxes, which ismandated in the Bay State's Constitution.

Duheay estimtes that Harvard should pay nearly$40,000,000 in property taxes--it now pays around$3,800,000 according to city officals. He suggeststhat Harvard decree that any future property itbusy in Cambridge be taxable--a way to repair thebreach, he says.

A Frank-less Council

Duehay says he pfrobably won't endrose councilcandidates in this November's election.

Once councillors are elected by popular vote,the council itself selects the mayor through whatDuehay calls "an internal process."

IN 1998, councilor Katherine Triantafiloualleged that background political deals had kepther from being mayor--and put Duehay in the hotseat.

As to his rapport with the rest of thecouncil, Duehay says, "I would sy that therelationship has not been terrific to begin withand it's not terrific now, but the acrimony is notthere."

Duehay says his final nine months on thecouncil will be busy--he'll be striving for moremoney to give to lowand moderate income familiesto buy homes, and evaluate a performance review onthe city's programs for families and children .

But on Jan. 2,2000, he will step down.

"It's been a long run," he says. "Now it's timeto say goodbye.