Gratitude, Respect and Fun
I am so grateful and proud to be part of a community that has stood strong and rallied together through one of the most challenging times I’ve ever seen. The world is a much different place now that we have hopefully come through this pandemic experience. In the last year and a half, we were shuttered for months, had to live by health and government rules, and were upset for a lot of different reasons. I heard from many people—some supportive and some unhappy with decisions I made. I did hear your concerns then, and I know you are ready for all things related to the pandemic to be over.
Thankfully the number of COVID-19 virus cases continues to decline, but public health officials state that there are still cases occurring. Although we have vaccines available, a large percentage of our population chooses not to be vaccinated. So, we keep encouraging people to roll up their sleeves and take the shot.
Wearing a mask in public to protect yourself and others is voluntary. We’re no longer under a state of emergency, and we’ve dropped our mandatory mask law. We removed signs directing the public to wear masks. It is truly your own decision if you choose to wear one or not. Regardless, let’s respect each other’s personal decisions. Feel free to wear one in situations where you think it is appropriate to do so. As you enter businesses, medical offices and other large group settings, you may be asked to wear a mask. Much like some of them require you wear shoes and a shirt for safety and hygiene reasons, they may ask you to wear a mask temporarily. This is only to protect workers and customers. Please respect and support these businesses and their requests. Protect yourselves and others around you. You may not know who around you has or has not been vaccinated, so it’s good to be safe.
Enjoy the summer season. As a community, we have come a long way in the last year and a half. It’s nice to see that we’re regaining some normalcy in our lives, and we hope not to have any setbacks. It’s time to appreciate our good fortunes, like the people in our lives and the beautiful place where we live. I hope you all will have an enjoyable, safe and fun summer.