Cambridge's new Madame Mayor
Bay State Banner, Feb 21st, 2008
CAMBRIDGE — It’s public comment time in the Sullivan Chamber at Cambridge City Hall, and newly elected Mayor E. Denise Simmons is making sure everyone gets a turn at the microphone.
Sitting in a high-backed chair with the city seal carved into the oak, she listens impassively as speaker after speaker comes forward to share observations on everything from the history of sewage overflow in the Miller’s River to proposals teaching drunks to drive.
Every petitioner from the People’s Republic gets the mayor’s undivided attention — for three minutes. Then the gavel comes down.
In the high-ceilinged council hall, the right of the citizenry to address their elected representatives is a cherished tradition, but not an open invitation to filibuster. Simmons’ quiet manner in maintaining the proper balance is in keeping with a career that has opened doors with persistence rather than thunderbolts.