The threat of Covid19 is real. It has killed far too many and creates lasting health effects for more. 1.) Children can’t be expected to maintain sufficient social distancing to keep this pandemic from spreading. They are social creatures. Allowing them back in a physical school setting will cause a new spike in cases. Teachers and staff cannot be expected to carry the responsibility of ensuring everyone is following social distancing guidelines, while teaching and worrying about their own health. Every staff member or student could carry the virus home, even if they are asymptomatic. 2.) Social isolation is very hard. It is wearing on all of us. However, continued spread also means continued isolation. Not to mention the lasting effects of Covid, which will limit one’s ability to go about normal activities the remainder of their lives. This can be a hard teachable moment in life. Talk to your children, have an open dialogue of what this pandemic means and that keeping them healthy is a priority. 3.) Mental health is absolutely a concern; however, it should ALWAYS be a concern. Now is a time parents/guardians must take time to connect with their children and become more in tune with their children's feelings. Help their children work on strategies and coping mechanisms needed for the curveballs life throws at us. Schools cannot be expected to also fix the mental health of our nation. 4.) The economic impact on families is real and it’s difficult, whether schools are open or not. Covid has rippling effects on everyone. However, it is not a school's job to save the economy. It is a school's job to teach our children, which is being done virtually. To put teachers and students health at risk because families need a babysitter is unreasonable and not grounds for schools to open during a very active pandemic. 5.) Deforest has gone above and beyond what most districts have, in means of educating our children. They have been consistent and provided all the resources needed. As in life, there are days adults are adrift in the workplace, just like there are days students are not focused in a school setting. Education interruption will occur if schools open and then need to close repeatedly due to infection spread. And if one becomes gravely ill, there will be an even larger interruption. 6.) Parent's concern for lack of physical activity is also not a reason to open schools. This is a time for parents to be creative. If you don't want them in front of the screen take it away! Have them go outside, go for a walk, play a family game, teach them how to cook, ride a bike, go sledding – get outside or be active indoors if the weather doesn’t cooperate. 7.) Deforest should not be pressured to open. The staff is doing a great job educating students. Teachers have poured their hearts into educating the students they miss dearly, all while under the stress and scrutiny of everyone. We should be supporting our schools and educators, not making them feel unappreciated for their dedication. 8.) Understand that if students go back to in person learning, they will be sitting in a chair, with a mask on all day, working from the same computer they do at home. They will not be together at lunch, they will not be playing or interacting with their friends or even able to collaborate any differently than they do now. This is not in anyone’s best interest, it’s is the exact opposite. At home students can get up and move around, talk to friends on the phone at lunch and even get outside. The threat of Covid19 is real. It has killed far too many and created lasting health effects for even more. Let’s not be the reason more lives are lost or altered. Let’s be the reason we all survive and can return to normal sooner rather than later. Please sign this petition to keep the Deforest schools virtual until it is safe to return. Our kids and teachers deserve it!

On November 3, 2020, former Vice President Joe Biden was elected to be the 46th President of the United States by overwhelming margins in the popular vote and the Electoral College. Despite Biden’s decisive victory, Donald Trump and other prominent Republicans commenced a daily assault on the legitimacy of the election that includes filing dozens of frivolous lawsuits seeking to have the results invalidated. Hundreds of Republican elected officials across the country amplified these false claims, and in doing so, they helped incite the January 6 attack on the Capitol building, which left five people dead, including one Capitol Police officer. And even after this deadly insurrection, 147 Republicans still voted against certifying the election — this is unfathomable. The courageous Reconstruction Congress implanted into our governing document safeguards to cleanse from our government ranks any traitors and others who would seek to destroy the Union. To that end, Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment stipulates that: “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof". (The above text was taken verbatim from Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dated December 11, 2020) During the four years Trump was President, House Republicans pledged their loyalty to Trump above our country. In 2019, every house Republican refused to vote to impeach Trump for his numerous violations of his Oath of Office and his abuses of power. They have proven over and over again that they are unreasonable, condone lawlessness and are unfit to hold ANY position in elected public office. ALL 147 Republicans who voted against certifying the 2020 Election should be REMOVED and not seated in 2021.

The Big 10 is clearly bending the rules here so they can allow a "reputable" football program to be in the championship. No other conference would do something this ridiculous. Indiana hasn't made it to a major bowl game since 1968 and they are scared that IU will not bring in as much revenue as OSU. We want to do right by all of the Hoosiers around the world and want to ensure that we have the chance to not only play in the Big 10 championship but the College Football Playoffs.

Pickleball is ‘America’s Fastest Growing Sport’ and one that is enjoyed by players of all ages and abilities, spread by the grassroots enthusiasm of its participants. It is a sport more appropriate to the “People’s House” than Tennis, which developed under the aristocratic patronage of the Royalty of both England and France. Pickleball originated in the United States, created through old-fashioned American ingenuity and creativity when a planned family badminton game had to be cancelled due to the lack of correct equipment. While the large, space-hungry tennis court demands a high level of athletic conditioning, Pickleball is played on a much smaller court which allows for more efficient use of public land (in parks nationwide as well as in the White House lawn) and can be effectively played by a much broader spectrum of America’s casual athletes. Pickleball is also a much more community-based, social sport than tennis, encouraging people of all backgrounds to find common cause and enjoyment together. Changing the White House tennis court to multiple Pickleball courts would be an inspiration to increased fitness achievable by all Americans, as well as a of symbol both American ingenuity and the effective and efficient use of our public lands.

The communities of Dannebrog, Cairo, and Boelus have a strong tradition of supporting successful baseball programs. There are many boys who would appreciate the opportunity to play high school baseball at Centura. Several students have been walking door to door asking people to sign the petition for this cause, but they couldn't reach everyone. Please sign the petition if you support high school baseball at Centura!

Firework displays are not only disruptive to the community but also cause significant distress in some populations, including veterans, children, and others with noise sensitivity. Many of our pets are also noise phobic, and fireworks can cause pets to injure themselves, run away from home, or destroy things within the home. Public announcement of firework displays is a common courtesy that will allow people to plan adequately to keep themselves and their pets safe.

I am a parent of a student at Roosevelt Elementary and have been very involved within the building through the PTO for the past 6 years. A steering committee appointed by the Board is considering recommendations that might result in a consolidation from five elementary schools to four. The consolidation would close one elementary school. Roosevelt is on the chopping block. Roosevelt is a historical building and the marque of the district. It is short sighted not to see all the benefits that Roosevelt has to offer. The proposed renovations that were approved and voted on by residents in the latest bond have yet to come to fruition. Roosevelt is fully utilized and costs are low to operate compared to the other schools with fewer students. Roosevelt has that neighborhood feel and allows students to walk to school; enjoy a smaller, more intimate setting with friends from their neighborhood; provides working parents that commute efficiency and convenience; and serves as a cornerstone in the community. Roosevelt proximity offers a variety of housing options for a diverse student population. Abandonment of Roosevelt Elementary may lead to a decline in neighboring property values or vandalism. If Roosevelt is demolished, it may remain a vacant lot for years or be replaced with an undesirable new use. Moreover, consolidating our historic neighborhood school into a large anonymous “sprawl school” on the outskirts of town may strain the sense of community and add new costs. Tell West Bloomfield School Board to suspend their decision and keep Roosevelt as an operational school.

Teddi Alvey, a mother of five, grandmother of ten and retired nurse, has kept chickens as pets for 45 years; first in Utah, then Arizona, and in Missouri City, outside Houston, since 1998. Teddi along with many neighbors, including a FDC home have daily rituals that include these chickens. Children from this neighborhood all want to go to "Oma's" house to see these chickens on a daily basis. Neighbors taking care of neighbors and the HOA wants to destroy it. Not one neighbor has a complaint and the Alveys have had these chickens since they moved in this home in the 90s. The HOA back then said they were allowed to keep them as long as there were no roosters. 22 years later it is a problem with the new HOA.

I am a Entrepreneur and Business Broker. Since the pandemic began I have been witnessing the terrible impact on small businesses and it is devastating. Just recently I have witnessed the hope vanish in the eyes of many business owners that were trying desperately to stay afloat. The pandemic has impacted them drastically in the ability to operate. Businesses are getting strangled with the current restrictions, and if continued, they will eventually be forced to close. If they do manage to stay open, they struggle to find employees. The labor pool has been completely diminished.

It’s so important for students to learn about the lgbtqia+ community. We aren’t going away so instead of ignoring the fact we need to educate young students about this topic, teach about it. There’s so many adolescents that are apart of this community and for them to learn more about the history aspect and learn more about same sex sex etc. they would feel so much safer in an environment that shows they care.

These fish help control populations of pan fish that are destroying other fish’s reproduction. Fish such as the white perch eat bass fry and deplete the population. Tiger musky are apex predators integral to keeping a balance in their waterways. These fish cohabitate with pike populations and bring anglers to the area as a very desired sport fish.

Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated in broad daylight from a sudden, well-executed, technologically sophisticated ambush. A remote controlled machine gun mounted to a Nissan shot the scientist and then self-detonated. Trump spent the last 4 years fanning flames with Iran and now President-Elect Biden will inherit a powder keg with a short fuse. But there’s a way out of this. President-Elect Biden can restore the Iran deal that Trump broke apart in 2018. And now he needs to make that a priority. Sign the petition: Tell President-Elect Biden and Congress to pledge to restore the Iran deal! Under Obama, the Iran deal was a major step forward in easing tensions with Iran and protecting US interests. But just like with the Paris Climate Accord, Trump was eager to shred Obama’s legacy wherever he could. When the US pulled out of the Iran deal, they set the stage for this deeply disturbing, high tech assassination. If Iran retaliates, Trump could use the last few weeks in power to launch an offensive, and leave Biden to clean up not just a pandemic, a climate crisis, an immigration crisis at the border, but now a new war in the Middle East. Restoring the Iran deal needs to be a Day 1 priority for both the Biden administration and Congress now. If President-Elect Biden can double-down now on his campaign promise to bring back the Iran deal, tensions could soften, and we could stop Trump from permanently destroying US foreign policy on his way out of the White House. Sign the petition: Tell President-Elect Biden and Congress to pledge to restore the Iran deal! Source https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/28/world/middleeast/israel-iran-nuclear-deal.html