Memorial Day Pandemic Style 2020
This Memorial Day is certainly one to be remembered. Not because of the ceremonies at Veteran Parks honoring those who gave their lives for our country. Nor because of the amazing Memorial Day parades where groups of civic minded individuals gather together to honor and celebrate the day. Nor because of the family picnics with hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill celebrating the unofficial start of the summer season. This one will go down in the history books because all of those things we have come to take for granted have been cancelled due to a world wide pandemic know to us all as Covid-19.
Schools have been closed since March 13th, Distance Learning has taken its place. Schools will remain closed for the remainder of the year. No one knows what school will look like next year, but they have all summer to figure that out, and hopefully they will.
Restaurants are only open for take out and only essential businesses are open. We have to wear masks when in public and can only gather in groups of 5 or less. Life has certainly changed.
It is now May 20th and we are beginning Phase 1 of our state's reopening. Life will slowly begin to come back to a "new normal". There are sure to be hicups along the way, but hopefully people will be smart and continue to be safe and follow the rules (even if they don't believe in them) as these rules are more for the safety of others than they are for ourselves.
I felt very strongly, this year more than ever before, that the Whitney Memorial Day Display needed to be put up. After hearing that all the Memorial Day Parades, Veterans Breakfasts, and Memorial Day Ceremonies were being cancelled (and I totally understand and agree with that) I felt that the community needed to see that some things could still happen in spite of the pandemic. I felt the community needed this display now more than ever.
I knew that there was a way we could put it up and still follow all the rules of the masks, social distancing, and size of groups. It would take a lot longer because we would not be able to ask the community to help like in year's past, but where there's a will, there's a way. So, with the superintendent's permission, and the coordination and cooperation of a team of Eli Whitney staff members and a Whitney alumni, we got it done. Several teachers out came after a full day of distance learning/teaching to volunteer for a shift planting poppies, and by 6 pm, the display was complete.
Covid-19 has changed the world as we know it. We have been in quarantine for what feels like forever, but in reality it's been about 3 months. We have become familiar with social distancing rules, although the term "physical distancing" would have been a much better term in my opinion. We will survive, those who have come before us have survived worse.
We started at 11 am. It took me 2 1/2 hours to put all the flags around the display.
(Click on the photos to be taken to a larger view)
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Mr. Veteri, the assistant principal,
and my former 5th grade student.
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Rich Tomas, a Whitney alumni
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Can you believe we have been doing this for 10 years?
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| You don't realize how many flags there are until you are the only person putting them in! |
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Thank you Mr. Mike for getting all the boxes out for us and hanging the window flags and the wreaths!
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Police and fire trucks going by with horns honking!
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People are already stopping by to look and take pictures and we aren't even done yet.
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| Thank you Rich Tomas for volunteering for the last 5 years! |
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We couldn't have done it without your help!
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The school day is over and our teachers and staff are beginning to arrive for their shifts.
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Have a safe Memorial Day Weekend America!
Remember the reason for this holiday, to honor the sacrifices of those brave men and women who died in the service of our country.
