During his Prairie Home Companion show, Garrison Keilor would talk about Powdermilk Biscuits made by Norwegian bachelor farmers. As he noted, these biscuits are made of, “the whole wheat that gives shy persons the strength to get up and do what needs to be done.”
Well, members of the Midcoast Maine community can take a bow for doing what needs to be done during the pandemic.
Let’s start with the general public. Almost everyone has taken mask mandates seriously, wearing them in stores and restaurants and while walking along Maine Street in Brunswick. Fortunately, most storeowners haven’t had to cope with belligerent yahoos refusing to wear masks and yammering on about freedom. (Oddly, some of those same yahoos crave the freedom to carry an AR 47 into a store, never mind the understandable fear it causes in other shoppers. Go figure.)
Other parts of the country haven’t demonstrated the same degree of compliance. Moreover, local store employees have been unfailingly polite and good natured at a time, which has been stressful for everyone.
And then there is the sage response of Bowdoin College to the pandemic. The college’s disciplined approach, while at times frustrating for some students, faculty and staff, has resulted in minimal COVID cases on campus. I applaud the students, especially, for making the best of a tough situation. When I see them trudging along carrying meals back to their rooms, I ache for their missing the full college experience.
The Brunswick Downtown Association has kept the citizenry well informed about goings-on around town, including the current status of restaurants.
The local restaurants have responded well to CDC guidelines, ensuring maximum safety for their patrons while also expanding take-put opportunities.
Planners of the Veterans Plaza Project managed to raise the necessary funds to support this wonderful tribute on the mall to those who’ve served in the military and to hold a memorable dedication ceremony, despite the limitations imposed by COVID guidelines.
Local nonprofit agencies, such as MidCoast Hunger Prevention, Oasis Free Clinics, Harpswell Aging at Home and Sanctuary Baking have done their best to continue providing needed services to their clientele. Supporters of these and other organizations continue to give generously of their time and dollars to help them fulfill their central missions.
The area’s churches and synagogues have adapted to conditions which prevent in-person gatherings by using the latest technologies to air services and get people together by ZOOM.
The Maine Center for Disease Control has done an excellent job of keeping Mainers up-to-date on guidelines and on vaccination possibilities. The vaccination site at Brunswick Parks and Recreation Center ran a flawless process, facilitated by the presence of wonderful volunteers.
On an added note, this area doesn’t seem to have as many vaccination naysayers as there are in other parts of the country. It’s ironic that while many of those naysayers claim to be “pro life,” but they’re not in favor of getting vaccinated to help ensure the health of everyone.
The Brunswick School Committee has faced an especially challenging job of balancing the needs of students and parents and teachers when everyone shares the strong belief that students learn best in real live in-person school settings. Working parents have faced the extra burden of making it possible for their children to participate in school remotely.
Rising COVID cases in many parts of the country suggest that now is not the time to let down our guards. Hang in there, people Let’s continue to do our part so that the local area — and the nation — can return to life as we’ve known it as soon as possible. Thank you.
David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future ‘Just a Little Old” columns. dtreadw575@aol.com.
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