I am in awe of Alice Wolf and her 16 years in the Legislature after a legendary local political career. She was known for being an issues person, but she was much more.

Going into Thanksgiving, I am thinking about Cambridge’s identity and its role with the homeless. We cannot solve the world’s problems – but is it really a black mark that we are known as a compassionate city?

Twenty years after we added biotechnology and graphic design as well as space and funding to CRLS technical education, it has been depleted and ignored again.

Before Covid, many folks said Cambridge baseball was on the decline because of competition with newer sports or the pace of the game. Our goal is to grow the numbers.

For the 13th year, Hope For the Holidays has given out financial support to 35 families based on referrals from Cambridge schools, the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, Hildebrand Family Self Help and other organizations.

Interim schools superintendent Victoria Greer has a clean slate from which to improve things and to not play the game the usual way. A fresh start that focuses on data and gets widespread buy-in for a reset presents real hope for Cambridge Public Schools.

Crises expose weakness and typically cause division, but can also unify around a common cause. As we think about a new superintendent, do we want a “politician”; a hard-nosed “reformer”; a relationship and trust builder; or a leader unafraid of taking on the status quo?

We have no excuse for failing to plan better around reopening schools and virtual learning than we did for the fast closing of schools in the spring, which left many kids behind.

The past weeks have been a time for soul searching for white America. These acknowledgements come out of many conversations and reflections.

If we accept that during coronavirus campus closings we may cover fewer textbook chapters but can reach more children and families on a far more personal level, this could lead to new strategies to close the achievement gap.