Dear Councillor Reeves:
Congratulations on your re-election to the Cambridge City Council! You have been re-elected because of your hard work and dedication to a future vision for our city. Your long time commitment to Central Square, as exemplified by your initial vision and leadership of the Red Ribbon Commission, is of tremendous importance and widely appreciated. The Central Square Business Association wants to be among the first to offer you both our thanks for a job well done and our support for another successful term on the Council.
As you so well know, Central Square is the subject of much interest and new energy. With a number of new business openings, the impending developments by MIT, Novartis and Forest City at the east end of the Square, and Robin Lapidus now established as our Executive Director, the CSBA looks forward to active stewardship of the new vision for Central Square that you are helping to forge.
Unlike two years ago, when vacant space was the scourge of many commercial areas, Central Square now has almost no commercial vacancy. New retail stores and services, including a number that have expanded from other successful locations have helped to return Central Square to a new level of busyness that enlivens the Square at all hours of the day and on weekends. The City’s ongoing investment in public space improvements, dedication of staff resources, and partnership on so many other initiatives around planning and policy issues are huge factors in Central Square’s continued success.
The CSBA recognizes the unique roles that you have played, and during the coming term we will look to your leadership and guidance in matters that are critical to the Square’s long term success.
Respectfully yours,

Central Square Business Association
George R. Metzger President

Don’t miss this exciting evening where members of the CSBA, representatives from the City of Cambridge, and friends of Central Square come together to usher in new beginnings — and there is much to celebrate!

We need you to join us to help make our 80th Anniversary a momentous occasion.

Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Time: 6:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.
Location: MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Avenue, Central Square

Enjoy an evening of Cocktails and Comestibles – Awards for Notable Central Square Contributions – Central Square Entertainment – Learn about Central in Motion 2012.

Tickets:
$50.00 per person for CSBA Members
$70.00 per person for Non-Members

Please rsvp by February 6th, 2012 to 617-864-3211 or robincentralsquare@gmail.com
Checks can be sent in advance to CSBA, P.O. Box 390426, Cambridge, MA 02139 and made out to The Central Square Business Association

Call Robin Lapidus, CSBA Executive Director 617-864-3211 if you would like to be featured as a sponsor of this event!

Saturday March 3rd 6:00pm –Sunday March 4^th 6:00am

 When there’s an extra day in the year, is there a better way to spend it than dancing?  For the fifth time, The Dance Complex is hosting a (non-competition) dance marathon. Live bands, food and great dancing; all to help support the creation of a costume co-op, Betty’s Closet, named to honor the late Elders Dancer, Betty Milhendler. Come for an hour, come for twelve.  Get pledges, or just pay at the door: $20 general, $10 BDA/College ID.

Dance and dance some more.

Dance Community Meeting 29 Jan  at The Dance Complex

On Sunday, 29 January The Dance Complex will hold an important community meeting/potluck dinner. From 5:00-6:30pm anyone with a love of dance and/or a concern for The Dance Complex is invited to come and share food and ideas, learn about upcoming changes and learn how to get more involved in the movement arts center.

Some of the items for discussion will include a search for a new Executive Director, Betty’s Closet and the issue of fees and responsibility. There will be a posted agenda. Anyone with a potential topic for inclusion should contact Rozann Kraus.

For 20 years The Dance Complex has been home to thousands of dancers, teachers, choreographers and associated lovers of the arts. As a volunteer-based artist run facility, it has been a model for non-profits nationally and an inspiration for

programmatic innovation on the East Coast.

Bring Food to share and your dance-loving energy.

Application Moksa, LLC, Taslim Chowdhury, Manager, holder of an all alcoholic beverages as a restaurant license at 450 Massachusetts Avenue has applied to for a change of hours to open 7 days per week at 10:00am. The closing hour on Sunday will be 1:00am unless the following Monday is a legal holiday. They are currently licensed to open at 11:00am Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays.

License Commission General Hearing

6:00 PM Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Location:
Lombardi BuildingLombardi Building
831 Massachusettes Avenue
Basement Level Conference Room
Cambridge

Contact:
Chris O’Neil, coneil@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-6145

License Commission General Hearing
Tuesday evening, January 24, 2012 at six o’clock
Michael J. Lombardi Building
831 Massachusetts Avenue
Basement Conference Room

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE!

CENTRAL IN MOTION 2012

Our Kick Off Celebration 

and 80th Annual Meeting Of the Central Square 

Business Association

February 15th 2012 at the MIT Museum 

For more information please e-mail 

Robin Lapidus 

CSBA Executive Director

robincentralsquare@gmail.com

The proposed date for the 2012 Taste of Cambridge (TOC) on Sidney Street and in University Park is Tuesday, June 12th with a rain-date of Thursday June 14th.

Celebrate MLK Day With Service

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., volunteers of all ages are joining together for an afternoon of service to Cambridge residents in need. Come lend your hands and make a difference. WHERE: The YWCA at 7 Temple St. and the Cambridge Senior Center, 806 Mass. Ave. in Central Square, Cambridge WHEN: Monday, January 16th from 2:00-5:00 pm WHO: Adults, teens, and families welcome.

“The time is always right to do what’s right.” Dr. Martin Luther King

We couldn’t agree more!

And with just one week left before our 2nd Annual MLK Cambridge Day of Service, we’re getting ready to put hundreds of helping hands to work on fun, family-friendly crafts projects to benefit Cambridge residents in need.

We’re thrilled with the enthusiastic response to our advance calls for volunteers and support.

If you haven’t already signed up, NOW is the time. Advance registration (free) is very helpful for planning purposes, but, you can register at the door: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1138075013

Monday, January 16, 2-5 pm in Central Square
Volunteers are asked to assemble and check in on City Hall steps at 2:00 sharp. After a brief 15 minute welcome ceremony, we’ll fan out to the YWCA (7 Temple St.) and the Senior Center (806 Mass Ave). (If you arrive after 2:15, please go directly to either of the two service locations.)

If you’d like to be part of our event crew, helping with day-of logistics (event set-up and clean-up; assigning volunteers to locations; organizing and staging supplies; assisting young volunteers with tasks, as needed), please email: manyhelpinghandscambridge@gmail.com

This year’s event is shaping up to be even bigger and more fun than last year’s. A few highlights:

• Over 250 individuals and groups have pre-registered to lend a hand. Volunteer groups include: teachers from the MATCH School in Boston; Starbucks employees; high school students from Burlington, VT; veterans from New Bedford; and a youth hockey team. If you’d like to bring a group, just let us know and we’ll assign you to work together in the same location.

• The Cambridge business community has rallied around our cause with financial donations and gifts in kind to defray the cost of the supplies. See list of business and retail supporters below.*

• Award-wining singer-actress Valerie Stephens and Cambridge’s “Poet Populist” Toni Bee will lead us in song and verse at our welcome ceremony on City Hall steps at 2 p.m. CCTV will be there to film our gathering!

• Starbucks stores in Central Square and Harvard Square have put out collection baskets for donations to our food, winter clothing and children’s book drive. Volunteers are asked to bring donations with them on the 16th (see below).

What we’ll be making (no heavy lifting, all work is indoors): fleece scarves and blankets for homeless men, women and children; valentine cards for shut-in elders; bookmarks for students in adult literacy programs; and activity kits for children waiting in hospital emergency rooms.

Don’t come empty-handed!
If you can, please bring one or more of the following to share with someone in need.

• a gently used children’s book;
• gently used winter clothing;
• non-perishable food items.

*We are very grateful to our local business supporters: Cambridge Trust, TAGs Hardware, Masse’s Hardware, Fresh Pond Market, Henry Bear’s Park, Starbucks, Classic GraphicX, Whole Foods, Stop and Shop, Gentle Giant, Staples, TD Bank North and Keeper Springs Water.

Sit down, relax, and immerse yourself in the PlayStation^®Vita experience at the Vita Hill Social Club. At Vita Hill Social Club, you will be amongst first to experience PlayStation^® Vita and many of its features. You will have the opportunity to play tons of PS Vita games, including SoundShapes, UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss, LittleBigPlanet, Little Deviants, WipEout 2048, ModNation Racers, Reality Fighters, and Hot Shots Golf!

All you have to bring are your hands and the desire to have fun, and we’ll provide the rest.

Join us for the grand opening of the Boston PS Vita meetup on Wednesday, 1/18! Attendees will feast on free food and beverages, have unfettered access to a dozen PS Vita titles, and enter for chances to win a PS Vita system before it hits store shelves on February 22nd. Not bad, eh? All meetups start at 5:30pm local time, ending at 8:30pm.

We even whipped up a limited-edition PS Vita T-shirt for the occasion, which will go to the first 100 people to show up to each meetup. So don’t be late!

Hope to see you next week! Oh, and bring friends!

579 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge
Your host: Sid Shuman from PlayStation.Blog
5:30pm to 8:30pm

The next meeting of the Central Square Advisory Committee will be held on

Wednesday, January 25

6:00 – 8:30 PM

Sullivan Chamber

Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue

Topics:  Introduction to Goody-Clancy; what we’ve heard; and preliminary thoughts on issues and opportunities

All committee meetings are open to the public.  In addition to regular committee meetings, we will be planning public meetings/study area walking tours to solicit broader participation.