Duehay, Russell Bid Goodbye to City Council

With a historic New Year's approaching, the Cambridge City Council marked a momentous shift of its own in a ceremony honoring outgoing Mayor Francis H. Duehay '55, Councillor Sheila Doyle Russell and Councillor Katherine Triantafillou last night.

In front of a packed house, Duehay, Russell and Triantafillou said goodbye to Cambridge's legislative body in the last meeting of the council's 1998-99 term.

Longtime council veterans Duehay and Russell--known for being voices of reason on the often divisive council--gave short farewell speeches last night.

"Well, it's been a long run," said Duehay, who has served 14 terms on the council and four terms on the School Committee.

Duehay said that though much of his life has taken place within a half-mile radius of City Hall, he has tried not to be "provincial."

"I have continued, I hope, to learn from all of you," he said. "It is an occasion of some sadness that I leave, but I am also looking forward to other opportunities...to serve the city in the times ahead," he added.

Russell, a 14-year council veteran, said she does not plan to disappear from the Cambridge political scene entirely.

"I look forward to being around for a long time and bugging all of you," she said.

Triantafillou's departure, due to her surprising defeat in the Nov. 2 election, was the most emotional of the night.

After Councillor Kenneth E. Reeves '72 read a council resolution honoring Triantafillou's work, many audience members whistled, cheered and gave a standing ovation for Triantafillou.

The three-term councillor, who grew teary-eyed at the resolution, has championed protection against domestic violence and has served as a strong voice for the gay community in her three council terms.

"This is the moment we have all not been waiting for," she quipped, before giving a 20-minute farewell speech.

In her speech, Triantafillou praised Cambridge's creativity and innovation and residents' strong participation in civic life.

"[I have] a deep and abiding love for the city of Cambridge," she said.

Triantafillou urged the new council to keep working towards maintaining Cambridge's economic and social diversity in the face of "massive demographic changes" sweeping the city in the post-rent control era.

"We must not give in to the cynicism that the battle has been lost," she said.

Triantafillou said this term's council has "accomplished a great deal," but added that it needs to include more Cantabrigians in its lawmaking process.

"We need to listen with open minds to those who feel intimidated by the political process," she said.

Triantafillou--who along with Reeves and Councillor Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. wants to remove City Manager Robert W. Healy from office--said that perhaps she and Healy have more in common than is thought.

"I hope that my continuous pushing helped you to do your job better," she said.

In her last meeting, the council adopted an order emblematic of Triantafillou's compassionate approach. It unanimously voted to provide $200,000--a sum equal to that provided for the city's millennium light show--for a program to increase safety for women walking the streets of Cambridge late at night.

City Clerk Margaret C. Drury said that Healy will consider the order and see if it is feasible.

In other business, many residents came to speak in support of an ordinance to make Harvard Square an official historic district. The ordinance would force new construction in the Square to adhere to strict guidelines, and would protect existing buildings from being significantly altered

Cambridge resident Elizabeth Kline, one of the people who worked to develop the ordinance over the past two-and-a-half years, said the council cannot afford to wait any longer before voting on the matter.

"The soul of Harvard Square is disappearing," she said.

Kline said that historic districts are "good for business" and that the ordinance will mean that pedestrians will be safer and new development in the Square will be appropriate.

"[The ordinance] isn't perfect, but after years of patient deliberations, it's the best we're going to get," she said.

After more than 30 minutes of speeches, however, Councillor Henrietta S. Davis revealed that several councillors still had reservations about the ordinance and that a vote would not be taken at the meeting.

"I understand that there's not a readiness to vote this evening," Davis said.

Supporters of the ordinance said they were disappointed that a vote was not taken.

"They have had plenty of time to review the issue," said Bonnie H. Smith, a business owner and historian.

"I'm very disappointed in that they didn't do the right thing," Smith added.

Robert La Tremouille was the only speaker who spoke against the ordinance, arguing that one section should be amended. If passed as is, La Tremouille said, the ordinance would eliminate the current protection against new signs in residential East Harvard Square.

"It wipes out existing petitions against signs," La Tremouille exclaimed. "This is outrageous!"