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Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Hetty Lui McKinnon—James Beard Award-winning food writer and cook—for a discussion of her new cookbook Linger: Salads, Sweets and Stories to Savor. She will be joined in conversation by Irene Li—founder of Mei Mei Dumpling Company in South Boston and author of the cookbook Perfectly Good Food. Registration is required.

Join us for an insightful conversation about community, bookselling, and publishing moderated by Perpetua Cannistraro, Publicist at Beacon Press, and Boston Publishing Chair of the National Women's Book Association. Panelists include Christina Pascucci-Ciampa, the owner of All She Wrote Books; Franchesca Viaud, the store Manager at JustBook-ish; Kayla Januchowski, the General Manager at Lovestruck Books; and Caroline Brink, the Director of Operations at Beacon Hill Books. Registration is required. Cosponsored by Cambridge Public Library.

Please join the Cambridge Public Library in welcoming Cristanne Miller, the co-editor of The Letters of Emily Dickinson, for a reading and conversation moderated by the Library's Program and Events Coordinator, Zachary Bond. Named one of the Top 10 "Books We Love" by Fresh Air. In her review, Maureen Corrigan called this edition, a major expansion on previous editions, "probably the closest thing we’ll ever have to an intimate autobiography of Emily Dickinson."

The Boston Festival Orchestra returns to the Cambridge Public Library for the second year of its AAPI Heritage Concert, celebrating the extraordinary breadth of musical voices from Asian American and Pacific Islander composers. This program brings together works that reflect personal history, cultural inheritance, and bold contemporary expression — offering a powerful snapshot of the many ways identity and artistry intersect. Join BFO Artistic Director Alyssa Wang, BFO musicians, and guest artists for an intimate chamber music experience that pairs performance with conversation, inviting audiences to engage with the cultural, historical, and human stories behind the music. This concert continues the BFO’s commitment to amplifying AAPI voices and creating space for meaningful artistic exchange. For registration: https://patron.bforchestra.org/ticketing/bfo/AAPImonth

The past year featured the launch of several strategic initiatives, the unveiling of critical new resources, and the achievement of many critical milestones across the City. In this newsletter, we look back at some of the highlights and milestones that may have gone under-the-radar in 2024. Highlights include the launch of a new alternative 9-11 response team, a new outreach van for individuals who are unhoused, new programming for older adults and expanded offerings for families, the most checked out library books over the past year, and much more. Finally, meet some of the people behind the scenes leading this important work.

Join us for a discussion with 5 Black men working restoratively in different contexts: at home with family, through meditation and yoga, on the sports field, in business, and in the courts providing health and mental wellness. How and why have these men chosen to create a Restorative climate inside institutions that have a history of violence against Black men and what tools are they using to keep the fire for this practice alive outside of the Talking Circle? Panelists include Sam Williams, a yogi, professor and healer; Damon Banks, a Social Worker and Chief Probation Officer; Omo Moses, the CEO of Math Talk and the author of The White Peril; Herman Banks, an educator and consultant; and Vinson Givans, a mitigation manager and football coach. The conversation will be moderated by Indi Wit The Tea, a journalist and media personality. This event is cosponsored by Cambridge Public Library.

Using 30 languages represented in Cambridge, the new Welcome poster states, “You are welcome here,” and was woven together in a quilt-like design to represent the City’s rich cultural diversity. It also contains text to remind community members of their right to receive services and information in their preferred language, regardless of their immigration status. We encourage you to display this poster in a public-facing area of your department, like a reception desk. The poster is intended to convey solidarity with our immigrant community members visually. It can also be used as a tool for visitors to indicate the language they prefer to communicate in, which will help City staff coordinate appropriate interpretation or translation follow up.

CPD's Secret Santa for Seniors Gift Drive is Back for Its 19th Year. This program relies solely on generous donations from Cambridge businesses, residents, community members, and CPD employees. Gift bags are organized and distributed to seniors throughout the city on the days leading up to Christmas to remind them that they are not forgotten. The program is a great way to support Local Businesses and Seniors This Holiday Season. Gifts can be dropped off 24/7 at drop boxes in the first-floor main lobby of the Robert W. Healy Public Safety Facility at 125 Sixth Street in Cambridge through Monday, December 19th. For more information, please contact Kessen Green at (617) 349-6009 or email kgreen@cambridgepolice.org.

Join Angela Tate, the Chief Curator at Boston's historic Museum of African American History, for a presentation about the Black Voices of the Revolution: Liberty, Emancipation, and the Struggle for Independence, an exhibition currently on display at the MAAH. Registration is required.

In anticipation of the extremely cold weather this weekend, the City of Cambridge is expanding capacity at shelters and offering important safety tips. The Winter Warming Center, located in the basement of 806 Massachusetts Ave. will be open on Saturday, Feb. 4. Libraries will also be open for regular hours over the weekend. Limit outdoor time for the whole family, including pets. If you go outside, dress in layers and cover exposed skin. Wear a hat and mittens (not gloves). Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs. When outside, stay active to maintain body heat and take frequent breaks from the cold.