Monday 06/22/2026
Monday is my usual day to go to FOPAL. Friday, Frank had texted me a picture of 13 boxes of donations at my section, so I knew there was a lot to do. So I figured to go down there early and work past lunch time. I had gotten well into it about 10, when I checked my email and saw there was a re-scheduled meeting of the Transition committee at 11:30. I didn’t want to miss that (the committee trying to plan how to integrate the residents of the new satellite location into the Channing House social life) so I finished one more box and headed back. I shall have to return later in the week.
The Transition committee heard, among other things, some comments from people who have paid a deposit to have early chances to buy into Arris. Rhonda said the staff had completed their pet policy and had it vetted by the legal team. In the Tower where I live there have never been pets allowed, but Arris will allow them. Which raises all sorts of issues with a senior population. What to do about dogs that poop in the common spaces and the owner doesn’t pick up? In regard to that, Rhonda said that she understands that at The Forum, a large senior residence a few miles away, they actually do DNA tests to make sure which animal left which poop.
What to do when (not if) the pet owner has to move into assisted living, which is in our no-pets-allowed buildings? Or just dies? We didn’t see the actual policy, but Rhonda quoted one of the first prospects to review it, “That’s the most hostile pet policy I’ve ever seen!”
At 4pm we had another meeting about our problems with U.S. Immigration (see 7.177). A resident, Prue, had worked a connection and gotten a NYT reporter interested. The reporter was present for the meeting. So look for an op. ed. in the big newspaper soon. Rhonda updated the situation: one additional person had had to leave employment because their work permit had not been renewed, and ten were still in limbo, with permits running out and no response on extensions.
If a DACA person’s permit status is not renewed, they enter a gray zone in which they are not legal residents. So not only can they not work, they can’t drive, their Cal DLs are invalid. If they were caught driving, that would be a crime and they could be deported. So they basically can’t do anything. Channing House can’t keep them on the payroll. We do give them 60 days unpaid leave so if they get a renewal, they can come back to their former position and seniority, but after that, they would have to re-apply, losing seniority status. Three people described their work history and the emotional stress of waiting for a bureaucratic process to complete, if it ever does. These are skilled people with degrees and professional credentials and long work histories, waiting to see if their lives are about to be turned upside down.
Unfortunately for the “dreamers”, the Deferred Action people, Congress has never acted to create an actual path to citizenship. They are stuck in the DACA status with no way to get naturalized — but no family or work history in any country but this one.
Codgerville 