While it is certainly nice to see the sun, like most of you, I miss conventional spring activities. For our family, that would have included cheering on the high school softball team (on the newly-renovated Blatz field)! Instead, we are all home, tethered to our computers and noise-cancelling headphones.
While so much has been lost or postponed this spring, much has also been created. I'm proud to be part of an ad hoc sewing group making masks. My Aunt Bob (Barbara) would be proud to know that her old sewing machine has connected me with friends, old and new. Together, we call ourselves Wakefield Mask Makers and invite anyone to join us in exchanging materials and ideas. Thanks to generous fabric donations, we estimate that we have donated over 2500 masks to local organizations, including hospitals, community and senior centers, businesses and neighbors.
No doubt these are trying times, and I am grateful for Wakefield's collective response to the unprecedented COVID challenge. Under the leadership of our town administrator, health director and emergency management director, Wakefield was one of the first towns to close parks, arrange hotel rooms for first responders needing to isolate from family, and distribute masks directly to the homes of all residents. The Town Council instituted an emergency order in mid March to ensure that the town can respond as needed.
As the Governor outlines the state's reopening plan, Wakefield is doing the same. We certainly will be working hard with local business owners and non-profits to find a way for our community to adapt and rebound. While encouraging, life is unlikely to be normal again for quite a while, so we all need to be patient and continue to take precautions.
