The first issue of The Left Bank of the Charles Review arrived with the new year, promised quarterly by Joseph Levendusky – a traveler, lover of music, left-leaning political critic and sitter in cafés.

Public meetings this week look at changing policing to be more community-centered; school Covid-19 issues and action against insurrectionists; pinning down details on a domestic partnership law; and below-market homeownership resulting from utility zoning.   

Public meetings this week look at why the city can’t grant direct Covid-19 aid, affordable housing work citywide under Covid-19, public schools’ approach to remote learning and in-person classes, development at large hazardous waste site and much more.

The City Manager’s Task Force to Examine the Future of Public Safety in Cambridge was appointed Thursday by City Manager Louis A. DePasquale.

An 18-member task force will look into how the city could move some police functions to other departments, but the City Council cannot decide – or limit – what weapons the department uses, according to an opinion from the city’s Law Department.

Preliminary crime numbers for the past year became available Monday, showing an overall increase in incidents of 8 percent over 2019, with violent crimes down but property crimes up – tempered by the fact that 2019 saw the lowest rate of crime in the city in more than 60 years.

Public meetings this week look at a roadblock to socially distanced exercise; how Kendall Square evolves under the CRA’s watch; a new way to decide in-person vs. remote learning; a dog park for the Cambridge Crossing neighborhood; and the police department’s inventory list.

Though some Cambridge arts organizations enter the holidays with $15 billion in Save Our Stages disaster recovery upended by the White House as part of a larger political war, there are still presents being delivered in a year defined by doors locked against the spread of coronavirus.

The family of Paul Wilson is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of whoever is responsible for his Jan. 2, 2019, killing in Danehy Park.

Public meetings this week bring renewed discussion on the future of an empty lot on Cherry Street in The Port, homelessness in Cambridge, coronavirus in public schools, Kendall Square development and allegations that Beauty’s Pizza packed in too many customers for too long.