PARISH councils have traditionally been seen as the dullest form of local government, where local windbags spout interminably about dog fouling, grass cutting and who has been stealing the contents of the county council grit bin for their own personal use. That image was blown right out of the water a couple of months ago by that infamous meeting of Handforth Parish Council, just a few miles away from where I began my journalistic career in Macclesfield. The ranting and raving of councillors, and the cool actions of acting parish clerk Jackie Weaver became an internet sensation, which was almost as popular as the lunatic antics of the deranged parish councillors of Dawn French’s Dibley.
Charette said Mayor Seth Fleetwood has been no help. We ve sent countless letters and emails asking for just 10 minutes of his time, but there has been no response. Every day now something worse is happening. What s it gonna take? This is what I ve been having nightmares about, said Charette s wife Bekah. I worry about a kid getting kidnapped. I worry about somebody having a weapon. I worry about the emotional trauma that s gonna come from that.
Over the past two months, KING 5 has repeatedly asked Fleetwood to sit down for an interview, but he has said he has not been available.
Cities Are Razing Homeless Encampments Despite Record Cold Weather and COVID
Activists with Services Not Sweeps place signs on their vehicles for a car blockade before Los Angeles City Bureau of Sanitation workers conduct a cleanup sweep of a homeless encampment during the COVID-19 pandemic on January 28, 2021, in Los Angeles, California.
Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
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The deadly spate of winter storms and frigid temperatures that swept across the country this week threw into relief the inhumane treatment of unhoused populations in the United States. In defiance of pandemic guidelines, city agencies and police across the country have refused to suspend the practice of demolishing encampments and driving out those who have sought to make shelter, potentially exposing vulnerable people to dangerous temperatures and worsening viral spread.
Matfen Jean Conteh Another quiet week in Matfen village as the temperatures plummeted and the weather conspired with the lockdown to keep people indoors. I’m planning to put together the next Matfen Community Newsletter soon, the first one of 2021, so get in touch via jeanconteh@waitrose.com if you have anything you’d like to contribute. It will appear every two months this year. It’s meant to be a round-up of what’s been happening in the community, as well as plans and ideas for the future. It’s a space for anyone in the community to publicise events, ideas and activities, or to share positive thoughts and reflections about life in Matfen over the years. Since it started last year, it has been distributed through Rev Rachel’s email list. If you haven’t received it so far and would like to do so, get in touch on the email above and I’ll ad you to the list.