Hi Everyone, 

Thank you for your continued support as we fight to save the Roosevelt school building in Keego Harbor from demolition. A LOT has happened over the past few weeks, and I'm writing to share a few important updates: 

• On Monday 3/18, despite continued protests from the community, the West Bloomfield School Board voted 5-2 to approve contracts to move forward with asbestos abatement and demolition. You can find a great recap here: https://www.candgnews.com/news/regional-elected-officials-residents-speak-out-against-wb-board-of-eds-42-decision-to-demolish-roosevelt-5108 
  
  
• During this same meeting, the WBSB ignored a $1.7M offer to purchase the building and convert it into a combination of housing and community space. This offer would have generated $2.25M in revenue for the district ($1.7M for the general fund, plus saving taxpayers $500k+ in bond funds that are allocated to demolition costs). 
  
  
• In response, The Heart of the Lakes Community charitable non-profit and a few other community members filed an injunction against the school board to stop demolition. A temporary restraining order was granted while the judge reviewed our allegations that the school board violated the Open Meeting Act, but this order was unfortunately lifted yesterday (Wednesday 4/3).
  
  
• This means we're now at a critical decision point. Asbestos abatement could begin as soon as Monday 4/8, but there is still time to pursue additional legal action that would stop this from happening. To continue our fight for preserving Roosevelt, we need to raise an additional $7k for legal expenses within the next 7 days. 
  
  
• This entire campaign is led by a handful of volunteers who are working hard to preserve an important part of our community's history. If you feel passionate about this issue and wish to assist with legal expenses, we would be grateful for anything you can contribute. Donations can be made via Zelle or GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-roosevelt 
• For additional updates, please join our Save Roosevelt Community Action Group Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/saveroosevelt

Thank you again for your support. Roosevelt is worth fighting for, and we appreciate everyone who has signed this petition. 

Best,

Colleen Wade
colleen.wade at mac.com