 Catch up and get ahead with the edge for the week of August 8th. This episode of The Edge is sponsored in part by the friends of communities in schools in San Antonio. It's back to school time again, and children of all ages are required to receive minimum immunizations in order to be eligible to attend school in Texas. Why are minimum vaccinations required, and what makes these and other vaccinations important? Now Castessa sat down with Dr. Dennis Conrad for a conversation on immunizations to find out. From the measles. So we have a responsibility not only to protect our children, but to protect our community. The entire community. And that's why immunizations are so important. In the school classroom, because of the number of children together in a very closed area, is one of the most effective ways to spread infectious disease. Don't forget, you can find back to school events and shots on our KISS map. That's kids immunizations and school supplies. Last week, Texas agreed to soften its voter identification laws in response to a federal appeals court ruling that said Texas's 2011 voter ID law was discriminatory and discouraged minority voters. Under the new terms, registered voters will be able to vote without a photo ID. In recent years, even with 80% of those eligible registered to vote, just 12% actually came out to cast a ballot. What else can be done to encourage people to get out to the polls and vote? Councilman Ron Nuremberg says moving local elections to November would make a big difference. Watch. This is not an anomaly, but a larger trend in San Antonio that we can remedy. We can do better and we have to. Each vote cast is an investment in our future. The proposal to move our elections to November to help boost civic engagement is an easy step toward greater participation and more significant community input. The bargaining agreement between the police union and the city of San Antonio looks headed toward the finish line. But watch video from KLRN's Texas Week with Rick Casey to hear why Councilman Ray Saldana says he's not ready to sign off on the deal. Watch. Well, this is the only time to have the conversation. Unfortunately, the contract only comes around every five years. So, in theory, we could get to the point where we settle this contract without the reforms and we could have community meetings and community town halls and folks can protest. That will ultimately lead to some policy recommendation. You ultimately can't change the contract unless it's during the contract negotiations. So, if we have a great idea in a month, we cannot employ that contract for another five years. So, if it's a good idea in five years, it's a good idea today for us to discuss this. People from across San Antonio met at Esperanza Peace and Justice Center to talk about gentrification and displacement during an event titled Take Back Our City. An 11,000-year-old timeline wrapped around the walls of the meeting room helps show how today's events are deeply rooted in the past. Watch our video of the conversation to hear stories like this one from Irisema Cavazos, who described how two generations of her family, who were American citizens, were forced to leave the United States when her grandfather was deported to Mexico during the Great Depression. Find these stories and more at nowcast.sa. Thanks for watching The Edge. See you next time.