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Happy holidays to all Editor:

Dec. 25, Christians celebrate the miraculous birth of the Prophet Jesus. From Dec. 10 until Dec. 18, Jews celebrate Hanukkah.

As members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, we wish everyone a merry holiday season. While Muslims do not celebrate the birth of Jesus, we believe he is a beloved Prophet of God. His mother Mary is also an extremely revered personality, as an entire chapter in the Holy Qur’an is named after her.

We understand the disappointment many of our Jewish and Christian brothers and sisters are feeling having to celebrate during pandemic restrictions, as we too have had to celebrate our holidays in these conditions.

We hope that everyone makes safe choices and that the pandemic ends soon so that we can celebrate our holidays in community next year.

Happy holidays to everyone.

Imam Khalid Khan

Bay Point

Plan ahead: Don’t drink and drive Editor:

With so many options such as rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft, there is no excuse to drive while impaired, but sadly we at MADD still see the tragic results when people don’t plan ahead to get home safely.

Even in this pandemic when people aren’t driving as much, the impact is still felt. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports an alarming increase in the presence of alcohol and other drugs during this COVID-19 pandemic, and the California Highway Patrol has seen the number of DUI arrests and crashes with fatalities involving drugs and/or alcohol increase from the same time period last year. Such behaviors during the pandemic combined with already high rates of deadly crashes during the holidays are reasons to be more vigilant than ever this time of year.

In the hopes of making the roads safer in Contra Costa County this holiday season, we at MADD urge everyone to plan ahead for a safe ride home and never get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Don’t let the poor decision of, “I’m still OK to drive,” be the reason your life and the lives of others are tragically changed forever.

You can help save lives and prevent injuries on our roadways by doing the following:

Plan ahead and designate a nondrinking sober driver BEFORE the celebration begins to ensure everyone arrives home safely;

Don’t put your life and that of others the editor in danger by having the person who’s “less drunk” be your driver.

Host parties responsibly by offering mocktails and other nonalcoholic beverages and by providing alternate transportation or accommodations for guests who have been drinking.

Please join us in creating a future of No More Victims of impaired driving this holiday season and beyond. For more information, visit www.madd.org.

Natasha Thomas

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Regional Executive Director

Council needs to learn to compromise Editor:

Tell the Brentwood City Council to choose an application process, not waste money on a special election or appoint Rarey to vacancy.

Former Councilmember Karen Rarey knew that if she ran for mayor and lost, instead of running for reelection in District 3, she’d no longer be on the city council. She took that risk, ran and lost. Councilmember Susannah Meyer was elected in District 3 to replace her. Now, Meyer, the other new Councilmember Jovita Mendoza and their special interest group are trying to get Rarey appointed to Mayor Joel Bryant’s empty council seat to have three votes to the council. That’s not right.

Do we want a small, local, special interest group to control the majority of our council? Of course not. They need to accept the fact that Rarey lost. And she needs to be respectful of the people’s vote, gracious in defeat and step away, instead of trying to get back on the council and be the leader of a new majority coalition for a seat she can’t even run for in two years!

It’s time to give the new leadership that the people voted for a chance. Joel Bryant is that leader. The council needs to hold an application, interview and appointment process, not waste $200,000 of our tax dollars on a special election and not appoint Rarey to his open seat.

They say politics is the art of compromise. Jovita and Susannah need to remember that and learn to compromise and find common ground with Mayor Bryant and Councilmember Johnny Rodriguez and appoint someone, preferably from District 4 to fill the seat for the next two years.

Please take the City Council survey on the city’s website by next Monday, Dec. 28, at www.brentwoodca.gov/gov/admin/ opencityhall.asp.

Join me in telling the council we want them to hold an application and appointment process, not a special election and not appoint Rarey.

Pauline Giles

Brentwood