[Kerry Laidlaw]: You have three minutes. First of all, I apologize for getting here late. I was at softball. I wasn't gonna come because I knew it got withdrawn, but as I'm sitting home watching the Zoom meeting, I'm absolutely infuriated for a couple of reasons. So yes, we do know that they can withdraw it, which I'm happy that they withdrew it, especially from the area that it was put in. As we all know, I am very vocal about addiction. I am one of those junkie addicts who was on methadone for two years. I got off successfully and have remained clean and sober for 19 years of sobriety with nothing in my bag. So it does work. It's just a handout. And I know we didn't mean anything by it. And I love the person who was just speaking. But this is the reason why I was embarrassed to tell people I was on methadone for those two years at first, because people don't understand methadone. Okay. But places like have it off though, are a disgrace. Okay, and I'm going to tell you that right now. That is not the facility that we would want in Medford. And I'm going to tell you why. Kappadoko also care about his numbers. I go down Massacasse Boulevard, that lady who spoke completely lied. I'm down there talking with those addicts. Those addicts, half of them are still my friends, because I will never turn my back on an addict out there still suffering. I am not above anybody. None of us are in this world. So with that being said. I take pitches weekly because I go down there three times a week. My daughter, as we know, is softball. She goes to a program that's two blocks away from that. They're calling it a dispensary. It's a dosing window. That's what it is. And what a dosing window is, someone's going to go in there. If they're too high, they're going to get refused their medication. What's going to happen? A fight's going to break out. Then you want to admit the police department is going to have to step involved. Mind you, they got no contract. The funding, I don't care how much money they're going to offer the city, no amount of money is going to be worth what it's going to do to this community. Like I said, you want to put it somewhere, put it at LMH and make sure it's a program like a Bayquote or a Cambridge Health Alliance facility. Somewhere that has a good reputation, a good background, and actually is there with people to get treatment. All they're doing is they're dosing and sending them out their way. Dosing and sending them out their way. So yeah, they are coughing dope down the street. Yeah, they are sticking needles. You're going to find needles everywhere. And I'm sorry, I will never be okay with that. Because what I will do as the person that I am, and I will stand in front of you, whoever approves this, I will take all of that garbage and all those tents and I will throw them on their front lawn. And I can promise you that, because it's unacceptable. We are the taxpayers in this city, and we should be heard. And when something is so outrageous, as some people say, oh, it's a wonderful idea. Those people who are speaking who have degrees, I really don't care, because their opinion means nothing to me. I don't want to talk to them for 30 seconds. Well, that's fine. My 30 seconds count too, Zach. You know what I mean? I know. I just wanted to let you know. I just wanted to let you know. Thank you. But it's just something that I sit here, and I listen to people who have, like, counseling degrees, and this degree, I have a counseling degree too. But unless you've walked in the shoes of an addict and you've been there doing outreach on a daily basis, you have no idea what it entails for the city and it'll be a dumpster fire. And that's all I'm gonna say.
[Kerry Laidlaw]: I just have a basic yes or no question for you guys right now. Because we can go back and forth all night with this whole thing with the debate everyone has their opinions and I know everyone's been working their hardest to keep everybody safe and I appreciate that. So having I, as a woman who could not wear a mask for two years and who has remained COVID unvaccinated. Okay, so no, I'm not here to kill the world. I'm not here to hurt children or hurt anybody like the things that have been said about me. But I just have, like I said, a yes or no question. Will the children be discriminated against if they turn up to school without a mask before the 14th? I was told no, and I just wanna confirm that with you all. My children did go to school today, mask free, as there is no longer a mandate in place in the state of Massachusetts. And I appreciate that, and I thank the Roberts, and I thank everybody for being respectful about that, and I just wanna make sure that that's being clarified.
[Kerry Laidlaw]: Correct. I just wanted to make sure that that was correct and that if the children chose to go to school without a mask before March 14th, that they would be allowed their education, not bullied, harassed, ridiculed, and made fun of by their peers, like some children who have had medical exemptions were. I just need to make this very clear. Yes or no.