OPEN (a four letter-word worth saying over and over again)

It has begun.

Slowly yet surely the “open” lights are beginning to come back on around town.

Two weeks ago, golf courses opened.

Last week, area resorts threw down the welcome mat.

And tomorrow – Tuesday, May 12 – 61 days after the Safer-at-Home order was given, local retail shops like Whimsical Wares, Lucky Day, and Time Again will open their doors to customers after Governor Tony Evers issued yet another order from Madison permitting them to do so.

Today Chief Ron Ambrozaitus and myself reached out to the owners to make sure they had seen the most recent order (of course, they had) and understood what the conditions of that order were. The number one question we most wanted to know was: “When do you think you can open?" Here is what they told us:

Wendy from Whimsical Wares:

OPEN!

“Tomorrow or Wednesday by the latest.”

Terry Warren from Time & Again:

“Tomorrow! I'm so excited!”

The Moulettes from Lucky Day:

“Probably by the weekend. We want to confer with the other owners in town so that we're all on the same page.”

Bill from Candy Corner & Creations:

OPEN!

“We'll be open this weekend. This is such great news!”

Lori & Kelly from Off 'R Rockers:

“We're shooting for this weekend!”

(We were unsuccessful in reaching Kelly Timm of Carpe

OPEN!

Diem.)

And what of the eateries and the taverns in town? When do they get to open? That's anybody's guess. As it stands, officially May 26 but the Supreme Court is still conferring and the politicians in Madison are still working out deals in those proverbial “smoke-filled” rooms down there. We can only keep hoping for the best. But a baby step like this is still something to celebrate.

Other “newsie” items:

• The special election for Representative Sean Duffy's former seat is TOMORROW (May 12). You may vote in person at City Hall. Election workers will be masked and gloved and you will be need to don gloves at the door. The machine will be periodically wiped down. Unlike the April election if you are voting by absentee ballot it is too late to mail it. Simply drive by City Hall and drop it off.
• The Chetek Food Shelf is adequately stocked and then some. You may see on the national news that there are food shortages in certain places but NOT HERE. The Chetek Food Shelf is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am – 1 pm for all residents of the Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Area School District.
• The MAY council meeting is on WEDNESDAY, May 13 on account of the special election on Tuesday. The meeting will begin at 6 pm as usual. There will be three lines available for the public comment portion of the meeting. If you have something you would like to share with the council please call (715) 924-4838 and you will be placed on speaker phone. You may also join via the Chetek Alert's LIVE Facebook feed and add your pubic comments at that time in the meeting. While the council does not any action on what is shared with them it is your opportunity to be heard. Seating is limited in chambers in order to comply with social distancing recommendations.

Here are the recommendations that they will be operating under:

From Dave Armstrong (Barron County Economic Development Director)

We are all eager to “get on” with living. I so appreciate how this town cares for each other. Here's a message I got from one of our local businesses still able to serve food during this time: “We live in an awesome community! People have been awesome.” I'm sure we all agree. But the rest of their sentence was “but with that being said I can't do just take-out much longer. I am waiting to hear when we can open...” Let's keep hoping for their sake and for everyone elses that's sooner than later.