by Ammie Bryant

At the time that this issue (April 2020) is set to upload to the printer,* we face the impending ramifications of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. 

The State Board of Education has closed all schools until at least April 6, 2020. Events, from concerts and plays to church services and business meetings, have been canceled or have gone virtual. Some restaurants are closing their dining rooms. Today, the U.S. government announced that everyone should limit travel, avoid gatherings of more than 10 people in one place, and stay in our homes as much as possible.  

Half of the stories in this issue include information about local events scheduled for April and early May.  I have chosen to run those stories as they were submitted even though it appears that most, if not all, could be canceled or postponed or otherwise changed to accommodate these restrictions. I have chosen to run these stories because I do not want to “erase” all of the hard work that has gone into planning and preparing for each of them. It is my hope that our readers will make every effort to support each of these groups in whatever way that they can, from sending in donations if a fundraiser event is canceled, to planning to attend a postponed performance once it is rescheduled in the future. Be sure to check our website often as we update it with information about these events, and others, as we receive it.

Also, please remember local businesses, including our advertisers. We hope that if you have the means, that you will look for ways to support them. The Stillwater Chamber of Commerce is compiling a list of ways that we can all support local businesses so that they will be able to recover from the economic impact of this health crisis and be here to continue to fuel the local economy while supporting their employees and families.

It is my fervent prayer that, by the time you read this, everyone will have come together (virtually) to bear the inconveniences, disappointments, and sacrifices that will “flatten the curve” of hospitalizations that will likely overwhelm our healthcare system. In doing so, we will spare the lives of those most vulnerable, while the experts work to develop treatments and a vaccine to help mitigate the impacts of this crisis. Hopefully, one or two months from now, we will all be able to look back and know that we made a difference to the point that others will claim it was all an overreaction.

Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, and we will all move onward together, in spirit, and physically apart.

*EDITOR’S NOTE: Full color magazines require several weeks of lead time to produce and print. We uploaded the April issue to the printers at the beginning of spring break week (March 16-20) in order to have them back for distribution by the first week of April. This editorial was written at that time just before community and statewide closures became mandated.