I’m not going to lie. I’m beginning to feel like a COVID target again. When COVID first broke, I think many of us felt that way. Then we gained a little trust (not a lot of trust in my case, but some) that we could keep it at bay by following protocols suggested by the medical community. Things like wearing masks, washing hands, sanitizing, not gathering in groups, and dining outside all helped keep things really calm here for many months. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. And working in a school, regardless of statements that schools are not spreaders of COVID, is stressful. Really, schools have not been in session through most of the other waves during the pandemic. We were remote in the spring and out in the summer. Now it’s fall, we are back in session, and teaching outside is no longer an option. In truth, with all the car noises and such, teaching outside was never much of an option. Now the numbers continue to grow and I get even more worried. We really need to beat this back if we can. I’ve closed my circle tighter, I’ve had another COVID test (negative thankfully), I wear my mask, I wash my hands, I sanitize, and if I eat from a restaurant, I’m focusing on takeout. Please, for the sake of everyone in our community, let’s work together to turn this around.
Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Charlie Morano and three former students: Caitlin Nichols, Kelly Cleary, and Josh Grant on Nov. 17, Myllenna DeOliveira on Nov. 19, Tanya Patnaude and Michelle Oteri on Nov. 21, and Heather Hunt and Donna Enos on Nov. 22. If I’m not mistaken, Kelly and Mark Hess are celebrating their anniversary on Nov. 22 as well. Hope everyone had (or has) wonderful days of joy.
Vineyard Complementary Medicine is offering a Facebook live event this Thursday, Nov. 19, at 6 pm, on Technology and Screen Exposure. This is a major concern of mine as we all are spending more and more time on screens, especially kids, during these COVID times. It used to be two hours of screen time was the recommendation. Now we are on far more than that between school, work, and binge watching TV. Susan Sanford will be talking about the pitfalls of our devices. This is definitely worth checking into.
Don’t forget to sign up for the Red Stocking Fund if you find yourself and your family in need of help this holiday season. You can apply online using this link: theredstockingfund.org.
School is closed for Thanksgiving from Nov. 25 through Sunday, Nov. 29, and resumes on Monday, Nov. 30.
I encourage anyone interested in what is happening in schools to attend the various school committees and informational meetings available via Zoom. Committees continue to meet electronically and the calendar can be found at bit.ly/3lDSjy2. I’m a firm believer in participation in all levels of politics and community meetings. I can’t get to all the meetings, but I try to get to as many as I can.
I’ve got an early deadline for next week’s column, due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. Please get any news to me before Friday, Nov. 20.
That’s about it for this week. Have a good week. Stay healthy. Stay home as much as you can. Wear a mask and wash your hands. And if you can, keep your holiday events small to avoid exposure to COVID.
If you have any Edgartown Town Column suggestions, email Gail Gardner, ggardnermv@gmail.com.
