Community engagement has appeared in many forms near Central Square – publications, radical businesses, public art, protests, politics and social services. Other parts of the city have also been sites of engagement, but Central Square is an especially interesting site of activism.

Public meetings this week look at independent counsel for elected officials, renter credit checks and the city’s winter expenses; design review on two lab buildings that will begin transforming the CambridgeSide mall; the city’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic; and an interim schools superintendent.

Loyalists have often been described as selfist, elitist and cowardly. But they were a more diverse group who opposed revolting against England for a variety of economic, religious, emotional and political reasons, and defining a Loyalist woman is complicated.

Facing continued criticism for its plans to cut service, the MBTA announced Monday that it would “bring back service as fast as possible on bus and subways” and look into restoring commuter rail and ferry service.

Under the “Missing Middle” zoning proposal, existing double- and triple-decker properties would be irresistible to developers, and could be torn down and their tenants evicted. The resulting new units would sell for millions of dollars.

In a reversal, Cambridge won’t follow the state’s lead in letting large sports and entertainment venues reopen and increasing gathering limits, and now has a local vaccination partnership in place with Somerville, Arlington, Tufts and others – but no vaccine.

Public meetings this week look at tree protection and cannabis delivery business laws, the Ragon Institute’s proposal to build near Kendall, MCAS standardized testing issues and much more.

There are many possibilities for a new name for the Agassiz neighborhood, and voting should follow our ranked-choice proportional representation ballot where your vote counts even if your top favorites are eliminated.

Opposition to MBTA service cuts continued to grow as national, state and local leaders joined a Friday online rally organized by Public Transit Public Good, a transit advocacy group – and there are signs it is having an effect.

Though President Donald Trump has since left office, the impact of his words have persisted and compounded at an alarming rate.