Two important meetings coming up in Springfield:

On Jan. 8, the McKnight Neighborhood Council will host an open-forum meeting “on ending violence and crime in the City of Springfield.” Organizers say both Mayor Domenic Sarno and Police Commissioner William Fitchet have committed to attend the meeting.

Representatives from the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, the Springfield PD’s community policing division, the McKnight Safety Committee and the local neighborhood watch will also participate in a panel.

While the meeting will focus on crime in the Mason Square community, the forum, organizers add, “is open to all residents of Springfield, who are invited to bring their best ideas forward.”

The meeting will take place this Friday, Jan. 8, from 6-8 p.m. in the auditorium of the Rebecca Johnson School, at 55 Catherine St. For more information , contact the McKnight Neighborhood Council at 413- 746-6206.

The following day, Sat., Jan. 9, the Springfield Health Disparities Project will host a roundtable, where representatives from Mass Senior Action will talk about their work for quality, accessible healthcare. The event will run from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the office of Tapestry Health, at 365 Bay St.

The SHDP holds Health Equity Roundtables on the second Saturday of each month. For information, contact Betty Agin at 413-654-2888.