Take The Initiative

Thank you, Representative Liz Hanbidge, for your interest in introducing anti-declaw legislation in Pennsylvania. Similar legislation has been enacted in New York, and the time is right to do the right thing by ending this inhumane and unnecessary practice.

Declawing is amputation, whether performed by scalpel, clippers, or laser. We believe there is never a reason to declaw for non-therapeutic reasons (that is, unless surgery were necessary to treat animals' medical conditions). Declawing does not keep cats in homes, a fact acknowledged by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). Eight cities in California - Los Angeles, San Francisco, West Hollywood, Burbank, Santa Monica, Berkeley, Beverly Hills, and Culver City - plus St. Louis, MO the City and County of Denver, CO have enacted declaw bans. Declawing was banned in the state of New York in 2019. Veterinarians in the seven Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Alberta, New Brunswick, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador have rejected declawing as unethical and inhumane...and a bill to ban declawing is now active in the Ontario provincial parliament.

Statistics publicly available from the California cities having declaw bans indicate that the relinquishment of cats to shelters in those cities, in the years since the bans were enacted, has not increased - in fact, the number of cats dumped in shelters has DECREASED consistently in the ten to 18 years since the laws went into effect.

There is no reason to declaw cats to protect human health. The NIH, CDC, US Public Health Service, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the Canadian Medical Association, all have specifically stated that the declawing is "not advised," even for the animals of persons who are severely immunocompromised, including those with HIV. This opinion is echoed in statements on declawing published by the AAHA and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP).

We hope your bill will be successful and be a model for humane legislation in other states.

Pennsylvania’s horseracing industry receives almost $250 million in corporate welfare every year – over $3 billion since the subsidies began in 2005. It is far and away the most subsidized industry in PA. And this for a business that, as measured by demand (wagers, attendance), has been in steep decline for decades. What’s worse, this massive taxpayer bailout of a decidedly nonessential industry – there are roughly 10,000 racing jobs in an overall state workforce of six million – has all come at the expense of public education – our children and young adults. To help put this in proper perspective, the per horse subsidy is nearly three times the per student subsidy (for those in the State System of Higher Education).

There is, of course, another cost to all this – one measured in lives. Since 2010, more than 1,400 horses have died at the state’s three flat tracks; more, still, have perished at the three harness tracks. In fact, in 2019, Parx led the country in kills with 59. Nationally, Horseracing Wrongs has documented over 7,000 deaths at U.S. tracks just since 2014; we estimate that over 2,000 horses are killed racing or training across America every year – with hundreds more dying in their stalls. As if not enough, most – some 10,000-20,000 annually – spent or simply no-longer-wanted racehorses are mercilessly slaughtered at career’s end. Yes, slaughtered.

Still, the killing is but a part of the story. There is, too, the everyday abuse. To wit:

Grinding of Unformed Bodies: Young, would-be racehorses are thrust into intensive training at 18 months – years before their bodies are fully developed. On the maturation chart, these equine babes are the rough equivalent of kindergartners.

Confinement and Isolation: Racehorses, innately social and herd-oriented, are kept locked – alone – in tiny 12×12 stalls for over 23 hours a day. Cruelty, defined.

Negation: Practically all the horse’s natural instincts and desires are thwarted, creating an emotional and mental suffering that is brought home with crystal clarity in the stereotypies commonly seen in confined racehorses – cribbing, bobbing, weaving, pacing, digging, kicking, even self-mutilation.

Control and Subjugation: Horseracing is lip tattoos, nose chains, lip chains, blinkers, tongue ties, cribbing collars, mouth bits, and, of course, whips.

Drugging and Doping: Racehorses are incessantly injected, legally and otherwise, with myriad performance-enhancing, injury-masking, and pain-numbing chemicals.

Commodification: By law, racehorses are literal chattel. They are ever being bought, sold, traded, and dumped – a stressful, tenuous existence that in and of itself causes pain. In fact, studies show that up to 90% of racehorses suffer from chronic ulcers.

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Editorial Board has thrice condemned the subsidies keeping horseracing afloat, and most recently called for racing “to be put out of its misery.” Governor Wolf has proposed redirecting some 200 million of those annual subsidy dollars to fund college scholarships for 44,000 students. In other words, the time to act is now. While we would love to see a day when horseracing is banned – like dogracing, which has been outlawed in 41 states – for now we are simply asking that the subsidies stop. This eminently just, long overdue measure would be a win-win for Pennsylvania: good for our children, good for our horses.



For more information and to get involved:

www.horseracingwrongs.org

https://stopracingsubsidiespa.org/

The San Antonio Parks and Recreation Board is proposing a concrete path through McAllister Park’s Mud Creek Loop and over parts of its natural surface trail as part of an extension of San Antonio’s Greenway Trail system.

Without doubt, the Greenway Trail has added incredible value to the residents of San Antonio, however, Mud Creek Loop is not an appropriate location for an extension.

The Mud Creek Loop trail in McAllister park is a shaded, 2 mile dirt trail that meanders along Mud Creek under a cathedral of mature live oak trees. This trail has been established for over 30 years, and offers a unique experience to residents of San Antonio in that it is one of the few official, public dirt trails in a city park.

Mud Creek Loop offers solitude in a natural and unaltered environment and is enjoyed by mountain bikers, trail runners, walkers, dog walkers and residents of the bordering neighborhood. The natural surface trails in McAllister Park, including Mud Creek Loop, make up some of the few publicly available options for city residents to experience nature in its natural state within the urban core of San Antonio.

The construction of the Greenway Trail, a 10-foot wide concrete path with 4-foot mowed buffers on either side, through McAllister Park's Mud Creek Loop would have devastating effects on the unique, natural experience that Mud Creek Loop provides.

Additionally, it would degrade the area even more. Sadly, the Mud Creek area in McAllister Park is unhealthy and needs our help. The enormous heritage oak trees are being choked out by cedar elm. During a heavy rain, stormwater from the bordering neighborhoods floods into the creekway in violent torrents. Erosion is everywhere. Loss of biodiversity is everywhere. A mile of concrete won’t help.

You can learn more about the full campaign and ways we can help Mud Creek be a healthier and more beautiful place for plants, animals and people here: One Million for Mud Creek Campaign

Protecting the few remaining public natural areas is essential for the benefit of San Antonio residents now, and far in the future.

Tito Bradshaw, a beloved son, father and member of the bicycling community was ripped from our lives 4/1/19. The loss and sorrow we feel will continue to be with us even after this is over. The end of this case, however, continues to drag on and more injustices are coming to light. The woman who drove drunk and murdered Tito with her car, Linda Collier Mason, has a plea deal on the table. She may see absolutely no jail time and receive 10 years probation instead. The DA, who is supposed to be defending Tito, is supporting a narrative that this woman is an upstanding church-going citizen who is too elderly to go to jail and risk getting COVID. Tito is just one of many recent San Antonio cyclists deaths. Just before Tito died, renowned surgeon Dr. Naji Kayruz was struck and killed by a drunk driver. Weeks from today, mother and grandmother, Beatrice Gonzalez, was struck and killed by a drunk driver. This petition serves to bring awareness that drunk drivers are killing our friends and family AND THEY ALL DESERVE A JUST AND FAIR PUNISHMENT THAT FITS THE CRIME. Probation is not enough! We have a right to justice! It won't bring back our loved ones but let this be a message that this is not ok! Vehicle manslaughter is a felony and should not be given the sentence of a misdemeanor.

My 3 year old son Trey, is high risk during this covid pandemic because of his premature birth and asthma. His father is an antimasker that thinks this pandemic is fake. He refuses to wear a mask, refuses to social distance, goes out of town then immediately comes around my son. He even refuses to acknowledge my son’s asthma and has even gone to his doctors and attempted to get this diagnosis changed. He has taken me to court 7 times in the last 9 months. He even asked that I be put in prison for trying to keep my son safe. On 6 separate occasions, two different judges ruled my son high risk and ordered that his father follow pediatrician’s orders, CDC guidelines, and minimize my son’s exposure to covid. The judges even ordered that visitation be at my home to further minimize my son’s exposure to this deadly disease. This seventh time in court we saw a different judge who ordered that my son go with his father for visitation. I have spent over $60,000 in legal fees trying to keep my son safe and will continue to fight to keep him safe. We live in Texas and our covid-19 positivity rate is out of control. Our mayor and county judge do daily updates on tv and emergency alerts through texts. These officials beg us to stay home, be safe, and wear a mask. They say it is urgent that all residents follow the recommendations. Yet, their own Bexar County District judges refuse to follow them and actually orders people to actively disobey and ignore them! San Antonio is facing more covid cases than ever and a skyrocketing positivity rate. Hospitals are reaching capacity and people still don’t seem to care that their actions and decisions are putting others lives in danger. Why doesn’t a high risk 3 year old get the right to be safe during a pandemic? Bexar County judges need to recognize that children’s rights matter! They have a right to be kept safe from a deadly disease. Judges get to hold virtual court to keep themselves and their community safe, but a high risk 3 year is ordered to go with his antimasker father. Why wouldn’t a 3 year old get the same right to be kept safe?

Dear Senator the Hon Marise Payne,

On 1st February 2021, the Myanmar military staged a coup d’état and unlawfully detained the democratically elected President U Win Myint, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, National League for Democracy (NLD) parliamentarians-elect, and other prominent political activists across Myanmar. The powers of national jurisdiction were handed to Military Chief Min Aung Hlaing, who imposed a state of emergency for one year.

Moreover, the Myanmar military regime has been committing brutal crackdowns against peaceful protesters and ordinary civilians, disrupting internet services and coercing civil servants participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) to resume work. President-elect U Win Myint has called this coup a crime against the people of Myanmar and has urged the military to accept the 2020 democratic general election results.

On 4th January 2021, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pledged an attempt to mobilize enough international pressure on Myanmar’s military “to make sure that this coup fails.”

One of Myanmar’s leading activists for democracy, Ko Min Ko Naing, has asked international governments to move swiftly to assist the CDM springing up throughout Myanmar to dismantle the military dictatorship and to restore democracy in Myanmar.

Our organization, The Anti Myanmar Military Dictatorship Network (Australia), is a national network formed and led by people from Myanmar who currently reside in Australian states and territories. On behalf of Myanmar citizens, our representing Myanmar communities in Australia, and political sympathizers, we passionately request the Australian government to consider the following actions, as a matter of urgency:

1. Diplomatic and comprehensive pressure to release President U Win Myint, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Australian Economic Advisor Prof. Sean Turnell, and all other political prisoners immediately and unconditionally.

2. Actively participate in the international efforts seeking to apply pressure on the Myanmar military regime to accept the results of the 2020 democratic election.

3. Recognition of CRPH (Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw) as the legitimate and democratically elected government. The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw refers to the Union Parliament elected by the citizens of Myanmar. The CRPH was formed in response to the coup by elected lawmakers to serve as the legitimate governing body of Myanmar and conduct all regular functions of the Union Parliament.

4. Support the CDM (Civil Disobedience Movement) of the citizens of Myanmar, urgently and comprehensively.

5. Suspend all high-level contact with Myanmar’s military officials and question the Myanmar diplomatic mission’s loyalty to the legitimate government led by President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

6. Stop any military and protective service cooperation with Myanmar immediately.

7. Impose financial sanctions and instantly freeze the Australian assets and properties of the Myanmar military junta, their associates, and family members.

8. Impose targeted economic sanctions of all planned and ongoing investments and businesses related to the Myanmar military junta, their associates, and family members.

9. Impose a visa ban on the Myanmar military leaders, their associates, and family members; and immediately revoke any current Australian visas and permanent residency statuses.

The City of San Antonio and its NW Residents are about to lose a great portion of its Natural Wildlife and EcoSystem.

Two multi-million dollar retail shopping developments, Parkline and Roadrunner Plaza, off of Hausman Rd and UTSA Blvd. are set to be built in the near future, which will impact the precious wildlife and ecosystem in this area.

This natural land area is home to unique wildlife; birds, insects and small animals, which the residents in this area have come to enjoy as we walk and bike on the nature trails and parks along these roads.

As residents of the City of San Antonio, it is our duty to ensure this natural land and its inhabitants have a safe zone to keep them protected and for our families now and future generations to enjoy.

Tearing down the beautiful, old trees that have been here for hundreds of years and replacing them with more retail/office buildings, not only displaces all the wildlife and destroys an ecosystem, but will bring an influx of unwanted traffic making our streets less safe for the residents, children, and pets.

These two developments, in this current, unstable economy and their exceptionally high leasing rates, may also be adding to all the current retail shopping centers sitting empty or barely leased in this area.

To lose this precious natural habitat is a huge loss for the community.

I urge us as residents to petition the city to sanction the area for wildlife and prevent the building of these centers. Please, let us protect one of the last untouched natural ecosystems in Northwest San Antonio!

In September 1984, Frank Jarvis Atwood was in a Tucson neighborhood when a young girl went missing. He was arrested and charged with her kidnapping and murder with no evidence at the time of his arrest that he actually committed this crime. His prior criminal record made him an easy target for the authorities, although there was another suspect who was seen with the victim by multiple witnesses hours after Frank had supposedly kidnapped the young girl. Frank’s prior crime made him the likely suspect and easy target for authorities. Thus, the following court proceedings were mere formalities; his fate had already been sealed. Frank has been on Death Row since then, and now the State of Arizona is seeking to have him executed as early as October 2021, even though critical evidence casts serious doubt on his guilt.

THE MALL

Hours after Frank supposedly murdered the victim and fled, multiple Tucson Mall employees spotted the victim in the Tucson Mall accompanied by a strange woman. One store witness testified that the girl was crying and saying to the woman, “I want to go home, you’re not going to take me home,” while the woman had a firm grip on her shoulder. The chilling conversation between the woman and another store clerk is documented in the original police report below (where she mentions the victim by name!):

http://www.thefrankatwoodstory.gr/images/exh-17.jpg

Yet after lying to the police about her whereabouts that day and feigning forgetfulness, THE WOMAN WAS NEVER FURTHER INVESTIGATED:

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82229071/



OTHER ABDUCTION ATTEMPTS

The rush to mischaracterize Frank as the perpetrator intentionally disregards several instances of a person driving a car similar to Frank's black 280Z and descriptions resembling the woman who was seen in the mall with the victim. State witnesses each reported to FBI and Pima County Sheriff's Department how a black sports car chased an eleven year old boy down the street one block away from the disappearance site of the little girl, but a week before . . . while Frank was known to be in California.

Within a block or two of the disappearance site - again while Frank was in California - a lady was in the laundry room of an apartment complex with her young son when a woman attempted to kidnap the child; thankfully the boy's mom was able to wrestle control away from the crazed woman: Laundry Room Abduction Attempt

These occurrences of attempted abductions in virtually the same area where the victim was abducted, and at a time when Frank was known to be hundreds of miles away, is too much of a coincidence. Furthermore, the story of the perpetrator in the laundry room abduction attempt that "police killed her own little boy" sounds eerily similar to the story the woman gives to the store clerk in the police report above, namely that the victim was her own daughter that was given up in an illegal adoption (i.e. she is the victim of someone else trying to harm her own child).

THE BURIAL

Seven months after Frank was arrested, the victim’s remains were found on the surface of the desert in a Tucson location that had been previously thoroughly searched by land and air:

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82229755/

The presence of adipocere (“grave wax”) on the remains indicates that someone must have taken the time to bury the remains at least one foot under the ground (see expert testimony at the link below). This directly challenges the prosecutor’s story that Atwood scattered the remains in the desert as he quickly fled from the scene of the murder.

http://www.thefrankatwoodstory.gr/images/exh-18.jpg

Furthermore, the presence of adipocere indicates that the remains must have remained buried for at least two months, and the lack of animal markings on the remains indicates that the remains were unburied and scattered by humans (see the same expert testimony). However, it was impossible for Atwood to have performed this deed, since he was incarcerated at the time the remains were scattered in this manner. All this evidence indicates that some other person or persons disinterred the victim’s remains and scattered them in the desert. At the very least, it casts a serious reasonable doubt on Atwood’s guilt.

THE BUMPER

The only purported evidence of Frank’s guilt was alleged bicycle paint from the victim’s bicycle, which appeared on the bumper of Frank’s car. Five trained FBI Agents and two detectives testified that there was no bicycle paint from the victim’s bicycle on the bumper when it was taken into custody in September 1984 (Feb. 18, 1987 p.m. trial session; Apr. 23, 1986 Special Agent Klafka interview @ pp. 13-14). Yet days subsequent to Frank’s arrest, observable bicycle paint was streaked along the bumper, and the bumper had obvious signs of having been tampered with:

http://www.thefrankatwoodstory.gr/#evidence

Frank was accused of having hit the girl's bicycle with his bumper and denting the gravel pan under his car with her bicycle pedal, yet no sign of an accident was observed: Arizona Daily Star 1984

THE DENTED GRAVEL PAN

During Frank's trial, the State of Arizona alleged a 3" deformity in the gravel pan of Frank's car, displayed in images provided by the government's accident reconstructionist, Paul Larmour, at trial:

http://www.thefrankatwoodstory.gr/images/exh-11.jpg

The state argued that this significant depression resulted from Frank's vehicle having run over the victim's bicycle - the pedal, pinned under the car - causing the dent. However, while the automobile was on a lift at the FBI garage in San Antonio, there existed no such dent in the gravel pan:

http://www.thefrankatwoodstory.gr/images/exh-10.jpg

Furthermore, Pima County Sheriff's Department accident specialist Clifford McCarter testified that when in San Antonio, he was looking specifically for damage on the underside of the vehicle, but neither did he observe nor did he photograph a 3" dent in the gravel pan!

FORENSIC PROCESSING OF FRANK’S CAR

FBI Agent Burwitz ran a full forensic investigation of the inside of Frank’s car and testified in court that no trace evidence was ever found that the victim had ever been in Frank’s car (1987 Burwitz trial testimony, p.1). An FBI Agent even told Frank’s parents during the trial that “she could not, therefore, have been inside the vehicle at any time.” Yet Frank is considered guilty of having driven her in his car over 20 miles!

FRANK’S SUPPOSED CONFESSION OF GUILT

State authorities engaged a “jailhouse snitch” who had a prior history of acting as an informant against other criminals (for his own benefit) in an attempt to get a confession out of Frank. Due to his acting as a government agent, the trial judge did not even allow the informant’s testimony to be heard! Yet, this false confession was sensationalized by the media and the state referred to this “testimony” in future proceedings to sway the courts in their favor, despite the fact that the informant’s and Frank’s housing assignments in the jail prevented any possibility of a “confession”.

As well, at least one transient that Frank had been travelling with was put up in a hotel and given vouchers to fine dining steakhouses in exchange for information regarding Frank’s whereabouts on the day the crime occurred.

STRANGE OCCURRENCES DURING THE COURT PROCEEDINGS

One evening when Frank’s appeal attorney came home, her German Shepherd was found murdered by hanging, a clear sign that someone did not want her defending Frank.

NINTH CIRCUIT COURT RULINGS

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied Frank Atwood of any relief, upholding the lower courts’ decisions. While other rulings took the court years to finalize, the ruling against Frank took only an unprecedented two months. Regarding the adipocere expert testimony, the lower court ruling was upheld that Atwood did not carry “his burden of proving that there ever was a grave”. As if the expert testimony was not enough! The State falsely claimed that due to a “good deal of rain” in September 1984 (the rainfall was only .33” while the evaporation rate was nearly 3”), the adipocere would have formed on a body resting on the desert surface, which contradicts the known science of adipocere formation needing an anaerobic (no oxygen) environment.

The Court also denied any chance of a hearing in regard to the evidence of his car bumper having been tampered with. In short, due to the court’s bias - already believing him to be guilty because of the testimony of false witnesses and his prior record - the strong evidence supporting his innocence was cast by the wayside.

ARIZONA’S HISTORY OF MISHANDLING EXECUTIONS

In 2014, convicted murderer Joseph Wood was executed by a combination of multiple lethal injection drugs, but the administered cocktail took nearly 2 hours to kill him, as he snorted and gasped for air almost the entire time. Mr. Wood should have died within minutes (ref. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_of_Joseph_Wood

Now after seven years of halted executions, the Attorney General’s office is again in a hurry to execute Frank and another man who had documented severe mental illness when he committed the crime and is now blind. In their haste to “do justice to the victims’ families”, they are making critical mistakes:

They procured a lethal injection drug (costing $1.5 Million!) with only a 45 day shelf life once compounded, but the pharmacist from whom they procured the drug told them it had a 90 day shelf life. Due to the nature of the legal process for commencing the execution proceedings, this would put Frank’s execution after the 45 day expiration date, and would potentially cause him to greatly suffer due to being injected with an expired and less potent drug. After realizing his mistake, the Attorney General sought to ‘speed up’ the process and discard the established legal protocol in order to execute Frank hastily before evidence of his innocence can properly be considered. Fortunately, for now, the Supreme Court of Arizona has ordered the Attorney General to conduct testing of the drugs to establish that they will have the potency and stability necessary to be used under Arizona law. The question will be whether the Attorney General can prove in the future that they are ready to carry out a lethal injection execution without making the kinds of mistakes that caused the horrific death of Mr. Wood in 2014.


They also purchased the wrong chemical for execution by gas chamber. Whereas the legal protocol calls for sodium cyanide, they instead purchased potassium cyanide. Their plan is to allow inmates the option to die using the same gas that the Nazis used to kill the Jews at Auschwitz.


JUSTICE FOR FRANK AMIDST A BROKEN JUSTICE SYSTEM

As of May 31, 2017, the National Registry of Exonerations (i.e. exonerations from Death Row) reports that official misconduct was a contributing factor in 571 of 836 homicide exonerations 68.3%, very often in combination with perjury or false accusation, which also was a contributing factor in 68.3% of homicide exonerations.

Any reasonable juror, when presented with the full evidence of Frank’s case, would have been unable to reach a guilty verdict. But Frank has been denied the necessary evidentiary hearings by the courts, and a jury has never been given all the facts.

Yes, this was a tragic crime. We grieve over the unimaginable pain that the victim’s family had to endure all these years, but executing an innocent man will never assuage their pain.

Please join our petition and let your voice be heard. In order for justice to be properly served, the investigation must be reopened before Frank is unjustly put to death!

Full details of the case along with photographic exhibits can be viewed at http://www.thefrankatwoodstory.gr

The Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes location has been serving the surrounding lower-income area with quality entertainment and memories since 2004 and this year, 2021, it is being shutdown.

As disheartening and even expected as it was for the chain to shut the location down temporarily, imagine the surprise when not a week after announcing the location would be closing permanently, more locations across the country would be opening. (https://deadline.com/2021/06/alamo-drafthouse-completes-sale-out-of-bankruptcy-five-new-theaters-box-office-revives-1234767261/

This coupled with the idea that the future La Cantera location may still be be moving forward (https://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/movies-tv/article/Alamo-Drafthouse-closes-Westlakes-far-West-Side-16142058.php to serve another audience while the loyal fans of the original San Antonio location and the original reason for the chains growth in San Antonio, would be getting shafted out of a solid movie-going experience just doesn't feel right.

It may not be much, but here we are, diehard fans asking that the location of the original Alamo Drafthouse of San Antonio be saved, for us and for future moviegoers.

Please,

Save Our Westlakes Drafthouse

56,000 people will be attending the 2021 San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo this February 11 through 28th. January 2021 was the deadliest month of the pandemic in Bexar County. On average, 1,400 people are being infected each day, and as of Sunday, there are still 1,169 people in the hospital, 385 in the ICU, and 247 on ventilators.

County Judge Nelson Wolff has asked the San Antonio Rodeo to cancel rodeo and entertainment events because it is a danger to our community, but the Rodeo says the show must go on!

The San Antonio Rodeo narrative? It’s for the kids. Houston canceled its May rodeo and STILL raised $21.7M for the youth.

This isn't for the kids, this is for the money and it's 100% reckless, irresponsible, and unethical.

Please sign this petition to show the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo that you care about the health and wellbeing of your community and want to stop the spread.

What is happening in San Antonio is happening in every other city in Texas and around the US. The shelter is over capacity. Why are they constantly over capacity? Because the number of animals needing assistance way outnumbers adopters. Rescues. Fosters. These as well are unprecedented times. Summer is usually challenging for animal rescue but this year is even harder. And the animals in the care of any city shelter don't have a voice. We are their voice. What we need to do is help the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services increase their adoption rate. They don't have a choice but each day animals are on the euthanasia list. They don't want this. We don't want this. But we have to help them. Challenge each other. But it isn't okay to attack each other.

Space issues are real. Euthanizing healthy, adoptable animals for space is a hard thing to do for anyone involved. Of course we all wish there were options and we want to help be a part of the solution. Let's work together and help find more fosters. Adopters. Rescues across the country. Ways we can help get the message help on the wonderful animals available for adoption. Networking. Raising funds to build a boarding facility to help with animal overflow. Help the shelter get more funding. Be an Emergency Response Team.

We will promote the animals all on the urgent list. We will share the animals that lose their lives. We will be sad. We will be honest. But we will work together. We all are part of the accountability conversation.

We will challenge city leadership and I hope they challenge us back to work with them and find solutions. We will all make mistakes and let's be a part of working together.

Thank you for wanting to make change.

#MPRSTAND

Due to the actions of a few, the motor enthusiasts of San Antonio, TX have been the targets of scrutiny by local law enforcement when conducting car meets in local parking lots.

Many of the local car crews are comprised of individuals both young & old, civilian and military, but what draws them together is the sense of brotherhood and family.

This petition is to show that each and every signature is representative of your love for the car scene and show that you want our hobby to be seen a better light than what the media has made us out to be.

By signing, you stand alongside your brothers and sisters in the car community, and want us to come together as a whole and seek a compromise with local officials and law enforcement; so that we all can enjoy our passions without critic or excessive restraint.

#MPRSTAND

San Antonio has been a beautiful city for over 300 years, but in recent years an ongoing litter problem is threatening the cleanliness and beauty of the town we know and love. Along it's residential streets and boulevards, all across our public highways, and even surrounding our schools - garbage is strewn about.

Our increasing trash problem is not only a huge eyesore aesthetically, it also lowers property values, it's noticed by visitors and tourists, it's unsanitary, and an abundance of litter only encourages others to litter even more.

We ask and call upon our city officials and government to recognize this issue, and to work swiftly and diligently to help it's constituents solve the increasing burden of excessive trash and litter that currently plagues our city.

At Southwest Legacy High School from @southwestisd an injustice has been made . Student Ashley Saucedo ( @ashleysaguez ) took out the Mexico flag to show proud she is of her roots , we all know that there is people hundreds of people DAILY , who are trying to cross the border to get a better future , to live a better life , she did not do this to offend or disrespect any one in any way , shape , or form . When she went backstage they gave her diploma THEN took it away . They ( @southwestisd , @alamodomesa ) asked her to leave the Graduation Ceremony or she’ll be arrested . Ashley was also REMOVED from the graduation Ceremony video . We demand for her diploma and an APOLOGY from the district! San Antonio is full of MEXICAN Culture! The audacity to kick her out AND hold her diploma , it took over a decade , her sweat and tears , to receive her diploma , especially with the Worldwide Pandemic AND the Texas Snowstorm . This year was NOT easy . She deserves her Diploma !

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Before y’all say “she broke the rules” well guess what , many others did too and NOTHING happened to them , they said “only a small wave” yet others danced , posed , & showed their tattoos , who also signed the contract , they still received their diploma & were allowed to stay for the rest of the Graduation Ceremony.

ARRIBA MEXICO !

I feel that if we work together we can stop this horrible treatment of animals. Hopefully in the near future we will be able to completely end their inhumane treatment. First, we can start by leaving bad reviews on their website. Then we can possibly move on to something bigger. We are only making a small difference but, even the smallest act of activism can commence a movement.

The time has come to stand together and tell our administration we have had enough! We are at our breaking point and we will NOT continue to do this, especially to OUR CHILDREN. We all know the statistics. Kids are NOT hot spots, kids are NOT spreading the virus. Masks don’t work, and they cause serious health problems to our CHILDREN! BY DOING NOTHING WE ALLOW THE ABUSE OF POWER TO CONTINUE. Join this and by show of force let Carson County know your children will NOT be wearing masks and neither will we. As long as masks are enforced, my child will not be attending public school, and you will not get my federal funding. Enough is enough! Schools can’t operate without students and without students there is no Federal Funding. There is no scientific backing as to why our children cannot breathe fresh air and live the normal life that they deserve. This environment is creating mental health issues within our kids. Please choose to take a stand FOR OUR KIDS! For their FUTURE! I have two kids of my own and their first school experience has been robbed from them. My daughter started kindergarten last year and wearing a mask while inside AND outside is what she got to experience. My son will start this year and I refuse to stand by and let that happen again. It tears me up inside to think I let it happen once but not again.

Been two years no justice yet, we are going to fight for him. My heart hurts for this family, but we will do anything we can to help him receive the true justice he deserves.

The Jesse C. Carson High School dress code is extremely unfair towards female students. It is mainly directed towards females. It is also pushed harder on females during the school day. Women are more likely to be interrupted during the school because their clothing is “distracting”. When you interrupt a female’s school day to force her to change her clothes it implies that males learning environment are more important than her education. Simply because her clothing is “distracting male students”. Therefore we would like to completely abolish or at minimum change the dress code to fix the fact that it targets YOUNG women at schools.

Carson Lanes Family Fun Center has been an icon in the community since the 70’s. Many generations have had fun and made lasting memories there.

When the Burger Family took over and did a remodel, we lost a couple lanes but gained even more wholesome activities to do with our friends and families.

We are urging the Burger Family to reconsider the sale to just build another casino. Families and kids have very few wholesome places to have fun in Carson City. Losing this will be a detriment to our community and future generations.

Please spend the time to find an interested party to continue Eugene’s legacy and provide a place where Friends and Family can had fun.

Please help save the school we all love so much Rachel Carson.

One of our beloved teachers has been reassigned to Springville.

We will lose advisory, mixed-grade classes, and possibly dogs.



Why I love RC

You see there are many reasons why I love Rc


I love the teachers. They not only teach us, but care about us. They know our strengths and weaknesses, they know how we learn the best and because of this I am really blessed.


I love our garden. We work hard and we see it grow, food will overflow and we give it to the needy. We learn to help others.


Instead of our heads and textbooks we are outside learning it for ourselves. Doing experiments and not afraid to get our hands dirty.


I love how we help our community. We learn different points of views. We help others, and we learn we can do more than we think. Challenge ourselves and push our limits.


I love our site visits. Learning is not always inside but out. We learn in a different way that's partly why I want to stay. It helps clear our mind. We learn about what you can't learn in books. We learn the language of outside you don't want to let it pass you by.



Rc is not like any other school. That is why I love it. It's special and unique.

Why BSD should not take away the class Advisory.

Middle school is a big transition and has a lot of changes for the students. It can be a really challenging time for many students. Students often feel lost, stressed, and confused. Advisory is a really important aspect in school.

You need to have a community that you can trust. Middle school is a really challenging time and it's important to support the mental health of middle schoolers. Not everyone has a safe place at home or even at school. Advisory provides a safe place with a teacher and classmates to support you. Advisory is a place to also learn about social issues. Instead of structured learning its more of a discussion. I believe students have more of a voice because of this class. Learning to build relationships and respecting people's different views is also an important part of life. Advisory teaches you this skill.

In three years you can learn a lot about someone. I am a 7th grader at Rachel Carson middle school and I always look forward to Advisory. It is less stressful than a normal class because there is no concrete plan we must follow. The student conversations guided by the teacher set the direction of the class. We have learned a lot about racism and heard our classmates' personal stories. I have noticed friend's personal stories are much more powerful than characters we never met. Learning that these problems do not just happen far away but are experienced by the people that are right next to us make a bigger impact.

I understand that life does not go the way you plan it, and we must adapt to that. However, I believe that advisory is one of the most important classes in middle school and we must do everything we can to get it back.

Students will perform better academically if we have an advisory class. They feel more connected and valued. They can get help for school work in advisory from their teacher and classmates. The American Psychological Association did a study and found that students who developed strong relationships with their advisor performed better academically and socially.

Advisory has made a big impact to my middle school experience. I wish every middle schooler could be able to have this support.

Our school is not like other middle schools and we love it that way.