Council Members Honor Birthday

It’s not every day that a public hearing turns into a celebration filled with food and live music. But that’s what happened at yesterday’s meeting of the Cambridge City Council.

After brief discussions of bond ratings, potential land acquisition, and negotiations with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation—plus an unusual, approximately thirty-minute executive session held behind closed doors—the council took time to wish two of their own a happy birthday.

Councillor Leland Cheung, who is pursuing a degree at the Harvard Kennedy School, was the first to be wished a happy birthday with the passage of Resolution #11.

“I’m pleased that Councilor Cheung and I share the same astrological sign,” said Kenneth E. Reeves ’72.

Then, surprising Reeves, Mayor David P. Maher, on behalf of the entire city council, brought forth a late-order resolution wishing Reeves a happy 60th birthday.

“Whereas: No city councillor enjoys celebrating their birthday more than our colleague Ken Reeves,” he said.

“The exact year of Ken Reeves birth is questionable as he does not look a day over forty years old.”

Reeves responded to the resolution by saying, “Mayor Maher, I’ll vote for you next time.”

City employees rolled out a lit birthday cake on a cart, joking that they should have a fire marshal present. Then the council began singing “Happy Birthday.”

There was a bit of serious business on the agenda, however. The meeting concluded with discussions over snow removal, improved communication between police and residents, and a debate over the utility of the Yellow Pages. The council forwarded a resolution to the City Manager seeking more information on the feasibility of a phone book opt-out/opt-in program that would reduce costs associated with waste.

“I used the Yellow Pages today for a bakery,” Maher said, commenting on the publication’s relevance to many segments of the population. “Try the cake.”

—Staff writer David H. A. LeBoeuf can be reached at leboeuf@college.harvard.edu.