The education of our children should be the upmost importance. CFSD had time to implement and train staff/teachers and should have been prepared to go to “virtual learning”. Giving supplies to parents for parents to teach our children is not acceptable. We want our children to be given the education that they deserve and that we pay for via taxes.

Two U.S. companies — Pfizer and Moderna — have reported that their vaccines are 90%+ effective in providing immunity from COVID-19. This is groundbreaking, game-changing news for people here in the United States and all over the world — but only if everyone can access these treatments. NOW is the time to demand these treatments be free and accessible to EVERYONE. We have a tiny window to pressure President-elect Biden's COVID-19 task force to ensure PEOPLE come before PROFITS. A Biden administration must not only immediately rejoin the World Health Organization (WHO) — the United States has got to go further. Add your name now to urge President-elect Biden's COVID task force to support the global COVAX initiative AND ensure that any FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine is made COMPLETELY free and fully accessible to everyone, as quickly as possible.

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.

On December 2nd, 2020 the greater Quad City area was about to be treated to a rare, Wednesday afternoon broadcast of the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers versus the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. This game was originally scheduled for broadcast on Thanksgiving night, which would have been a perfect cherry on top of a day filled with food, family, and football. However, due to concerns amid the Coronavirus pandemic, this game was delayed...multiple times. Ultimately, the National Football League decided on the date of December 2nd, at 2:40pm CST for kickoff of this highly anticipated game. On the chilly morning of December 2nd, KWQC made an announcement on their Facebook page regarding programming for the day. They announced that they would not be broadcasting this game, instead favoring regularly scheduled programming. With minimal notification about this network decision, the greater Quad City area was thrown into a state of panic when tuning in to watch the final game of Week 12 of the NFL Season. Instead of first downs and touchdowns, the community was subjected to the remainder of the Kelly Clarkson Show followed by Paula Sands Live. I do not believe Kelly Clarkson had any say in this decision to forego broadcasting the game, as I have many friends and relatives outside the Quad City Area who tuned into the game via their local NBC affiliate with no issue. I do believe, however, that Paula Sands selfishly refused to give up her show for the day to broadcast a NFL game. This move speaks to the types of evil that people in positions of power are capable of. During these strange and trying times, sports are one of the few things left as “normal” for a majority of people. Choosing to forego broadcasting this highly anticipated football game in favor of a show explaining recipes of drinks found on the internet was a massively selfish mistake by both Paula Sands and KWQC. I speak for majority of Quad Citizens in demanding that KWQC apologize for this gaffe and ensure that this won’t be fumbled by the network in the future, if ever presented this situation again. As the great Jeff Bridges stated in The Big Lebowski, THIS AGGRESSION WILL NOT STAND, MAN!

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.

Students receive the highest quality of education in school buildings with face-to-face contact with educators. In order to appropriately address students’ academic and social-emotional needs, the schools need to be consistently and fully staffed. For educators and children to be healthy and safe so they can be present in person, Covid-19 transmission and infection rates within Brookline’s schools need to be identified, monitored and minimized. While we understand that discussions are underway between the Town of Brookline and the Public Schools of Brookline concerning implementation of a program of asymptomatic testing of staff, an immediate and more comprehensive approach is urgently needed.

Teachers need to be recognized. They are killing themselves to educate the future of our country and have not gotten an ounce of recognition.

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.

President-Elect Biden's inauguration is just over a month away. And while Biden's inaugural committee has rightly rejected money from fossil fuel corporations, they're still planning to accept up to $1 million from individual corporations -- even though Barack Obama rejected corporate contributions for his inauguration in 2009. This inauguration will be different due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Instead of gala inaugural balls and parties happening in person, most of it will happen online. That should mean it's even less important than ever before to raise money from corporate interests to fund it. If the Biden-Harris administration is serious about “building back better” in a way that remedies the longstanding ills of the country, Joe Biden should not let corporate interests have this kind of unnecessary influence. Rejecting their contributions to the inauguration fund is a key step this administration can take to signal where their allegiances lie.

This is a letter from his mother- My name is Montye Benjamin I am the mother of Jayvis LeDell Benjamin. Jayvis was UNARMED and killed by officer Lynn Thomas of the Avondale Estates Police Department in Dekalb county Georgia. I would like the opportunity to share with you my experience seeking justice for my son. As his mother I will continue to be his Advocate and voice that was silence by officer Thomas who sentencing Jayvis to a roadside execution, being the judge and jury on the street. My journey includes many barriers that was put in place attempting to force me to quit or having no hope for justice with limited resources, legal counseling and mainly with little to no support from my community. On the night that my son was killed, a false narrative was given that he stole a car and assaulted officer who commanded him to get back in a wrecked car. I did not find out the truth until I appeared before the Grand Jury that my son only ran a red light. On January 18, 2013, Jayvis ran a red-light losing control of the car he was driving running into a telephone pole head on. Officer Thomas witness Jayvis running the light then calling into dispatch stating, “that guy is going 120 miles an hour, I am going to go look for him”. Upon arriving officer Thomas exits his patrol car approaches Jayvis and begin to pat both his left and right side appearing to decide either to use his tazer or gun. Officer Thomas then release from the holster his gun pointing it directly at Jayvis, before Jayvis exit the car. Jayvis then proceed to exit the car brushing away the broken window on the driver side, once he exits he then raised his hand up stating “Do ya’ll see this $h1#. Do see ya’ll see what he trying to do to me” repeatedly and then officer Thomas shouting, “get back into the car”. At no time did officer Thomas access for injuries from the impact of the car hitting the telephone pole. You can see that Jayvis was engaging with the people in the community that began to come out of their home because the power was knock out and the loud noise of the impact hitting the telephone pole. On April 30, 2015 a Grand Jury hearing “Strongly Advised Indictment” of Officer Thomas. On May 1, 2015 DA James announced during a press conference that a warrant would be issued for Officer Thomas and he would appear before a criminal grand jury. Almost a year later the Former DA presented an altered clip of the dash cam video, only showing Jayvis and not officer Thomas exiting the patrol car. Former DA Robert James ruled the shooting justified stating that he did not agree with the jury decision and they needed to be trained to evaluate a police involve shooting. The case was in the appellate court process because the judge dismissed the case. This decision was made on the altered video that was entered to the court and not the same one that was shown during the grand jury hearing. Five months after DA James rule the shooting justified Officer Thomas was promoted to chief of his department. Several request by me and my attorney’s to get the original dash cam video and we are yet to received it or our request has ever been honored. Jayvis and I have been “Denied Due Process”. I am so glad that I was able to view the dash cam video during the grand jury hearing, had I not seen it I would have never known the TRUTH. Jayvis should’ve received a traffic citation and a day in court, not a death sentence. There was no police chase, stolen car report or fitting any description. It wasn’t until after Jayvis was DEAD, that thomas came up with the stolen car report. Also, a background check was done on Jayvis after he was murdered and conducted by the GBI and the DA office showing he did not have any altercations or a criminal record with the justice system. It was the GBI investigator that actually motivated me to look deeper into Jayvis case. When I spoke with him he said that he could not discuss Jayvis case because of the open investigation by the DA office, but that I needed to request all copies of each investigation. The GBI completed their investigation March 2013, and the DA did not completed his until April 2015. For the justice system to function the way it does today I know I may not see justice in my life time but at least I do know the truth and he was murdered by lynn thomas. The only purpose of his badge, gun and uniform is to protect himself with the support of the court system that expect the average citizen to respect the very laws they are paid to enforce. I am presently requesting that Jayvis case be reopened with a special prosecutor and investigator with true transparency. I have been fighting Justice for Jayvis, for the last 7 years. I will continue to do so with my last breathe. My son was racially profiled and murdered with no accountability or remorse for life lost due to thomas incompetence and negligence. Thomas holding the position of chief has really taunted the respect, integrity and honor of the title chief.

On May 16, 2016, Jabril Robinson and his gf were having an altercation outside his gf’s mothers house. The gf’s mother called police wanting police to help de-escalate the fight, but she was quoted as saying, “If I knew they was gonna kill that young man I would have never got them police involved. Never. I love that boy like a son. God! God this is crazy!” She just wanted their help. Both Robinson’s gf and gf’s mother kept being questioned if Robinson had a gun multiple times even though they kept saying that he didn’t. Officers told the mother and gf that they would look for him, talk to him, and bring him back. When Clayton County Police Officer Charlie McDaniel and Dwayne Parkin spotted Robinson, he ran and they chased him behind the house where they shot him multiple times in the back. When he struggled to get up, they shot him in the back of the head. They were called to de-escalate, so why did Jabril Robinson end up dead? Sounds like Charlie McDaniel and Dwayne Parkin, who are civil officers, decided to take the law into their own hands over an argument between two civilians that they are meant to protect.

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.