"We must not give in to the cynicism that the battle has been lost," she said.

Triantafillou said this term's council has "accomplished a great deal," but added that it needs to include more Cantabrigians in its lawmaking process.

"We need to listen with open minds to those who feel intimidated by the political process," she said.

Triantafillou--who along with Reeves and Councillor Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. wants to remove City Manager Robert W. Healy from office--said that perhaps she and Healy have more in common than is thought.

"I hope that my continuous pushing helped you to do your job better," she said.

In her last meeting, the council adopted an order emblematic of Triantafillou's compassionate approach. It unanimously voted to provide $200,000--a sum equal to that provided for the city's millennium light show--for a program to increase safety for women walking the streets of Cambridge late at night.

City Clerk Margaret C. Drury said that Healy will consider the order and see if it is feasible.

In other business, many residents came to speak in support of an ordinance to make Harvard Square an official historic district. The ordinance would force new construction in the Square to adhere to strict guidelines, and would protect existing buildings from being significantly altered