All: Great news! Starting today, most of Harvard Square is pedestrian only! And the Dance Party will happen every month, in a different place! And the rat problem has been solved by baiting traps with birth control for rodents! And Angela Merkel is coming out of retirement to be our next City Manager!   Alas, those are

All: Spring will spring this weekend, and with two full years of Covid behind us, the hope is that we can continue to open up and have in person gatherings – while being aware and taking appropriate safety measures. The state and city Covid response has led to a lifting of mask mandates and continued

All: I cannot start this newsletter without a somber note of acknowledgement of the war in Ukraine putting millions of innocent people at risk by an autocratic evil President. We should also acknowledge there is another major war of similar evil waged by Ethiopia against Tigray which is not in the news, but just as

All: This week has been full – some summaries below of two recent important meetings. The city is also in the midst of gathering public input into the City Manager search process. Vice Mayor Mallon, as Chair of the Government Operations Committee, is leading the effort and has been working nonstop getting the word out.

All: February is here! Black History Month – when there are many events and activities to ensure that we broaden our understanding of history. As with Women’s History (next month), the reason for this calling out of Black History is because history has underreported, neglected, ignored, and dismissed the contributions of African American/Black/BIPOC people …

Happy January – and an impending Snowmageddon. The city has declared a snow emergency and has opened warming centers for those in need.  Check in on your neighbors and make sure you have what you need for the next couple of days.  If you have a sled or skis or snowshoes and enjoy the snow,

Mothers Out Front’s Award Happy Hopeful January!It’s officially mid-January.  A year since Biden took office, and a week of activities related to celebrating Martin Luther King Jr’s life and legacy. I participated in several (all virtual remote) events on racial justice and the unfinished work of the movement of which MLK was part – for

Signing the Oath of Office! All: Happy New year! We’re onto a new year, 2022, and a new Council term. Let’s hope for some progress and healing and forward momentum towards fulfilling goals – as a city, state, country and world. In a former time, my family celebrated Feast of the Epiphany on January 6,

Our new kittens! All: A whirlwind of a year is winding down. Happy New Year – I do not plan to send an update next week – so likely the next newsletter will be in the new year. I am sure we are all hoping for a better 2022.  I haven’t taken the time to

All: Why is Ithaca beating Cambridge to zero emissions city and buildings?  This week I won’t put out a full newsletter, since we sent one on Tuesday. However, I didn’t want to wait on the news that after a lot of work, on the agenda for Monday’s meeting is a very exciting policy order that