Now what? (Life now that the Stay at Home order has been overturned)

“But according to the Code of the Order of the Brethren...”

“The code, Miss Turner, is more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules.”

Captain Barbossa to Elizabeth Swan in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

On Wednesday night, May 13, an hour before the monthly city council meeting, the news went out that the Wisconsin Supreme Court had struck down Governor Ever's Safer at Home order essentially taking the teeth out of that dog's bite. The day before that our own sheriff Chris Fitzgerald had released a letter stating his intention to no longer enforce an order he considered unenforceable. So the question on everyone's mind is “Now what?”

Can restaurants and taverns open?

Can worshipers return to worshiping inside their sanctuary regularly instead of on-line?

And will there be a Memorial Day parade or Liberty Fest?

The day after the Supreme Court's ruling I happened to be hiking on the Ice Age Trail south of Stevens Point when I received a call from one of the owners of a local eatery wanting to know if they could open. They had been unsuccessful in reaching anyone at HHS and wanted to know if I had heard anything. While I hadn't I offered to reach out to Program Manager for Public Health Laura Sauve and she informed me that since the Safer at Home order had been struck down that there was no official order restraining them from opening. That being said she encouraged the owners to check in with Dave Armstrong at Barron County Economic Development in their preparations to open up their doors to make sure they were following recommended guidelines.

On Friday, Barron County Executive Jeff French made public Barron County COVID-19 Guidance for Community Members, Businesses, and Community Organizations. In a conversation I had with him prior to its release he wanted to emphasize that these were not rules per se with ramifications of enforcement but simply guidelines for people to reference. Unlike an armistice at the end of a war when people run out into the streets to celebrate, the threat of people becoming infected with the virus remains real. So the gist of what I got from Jeff is get back to living but do so responsibly.

So, can a restaurant or tavern open? Well, they already are so, yes. They are encouraged, however, to responsibly arrange their tables within their dining establishment, to offer hand sanitizer and encourage “social distancing”, that phrase that is now part of our daily parlance. So dine responsibly.

Can churches re-open? While the county's official position is to continue to discourage gatherings of 10 or more at this time they will defer to each congregation or denomination to determine under what conditions they reopen. Two local congregations “re-opened” this past Sunday and others will soon follow. I know definitively that no one from Chetek PD or Barron County will be issuing citations to any congregation that decides to gather in their building. My guess is all of us who have been on-line these past 8 weeks will remain on-line in the future as a service to those who feel uncomfortable participating in a large gathering right now or simply because we discovered that by being on-line creates another door to our ministry. Worship responsibly.

And what about graduation? The operations of our schools are governed by the Department of Public Instruction and what they say goes. I know that a few weeks ago C-WHS was working on a plan to hold a graduation ceremony on the football field but that idea got shot down by “the powers that be.” While I don't speak for the schools at this point I am not aware of any formal graduation plan for the graduates of the Class of 2020. I'm sure Superintendent Johnson and Principal Zeman will keep parents and students in the loop when their plan becomes do-able.

And what about Memorial Day observances and Liberty Fest? Again, while these beloved events occur within city limits they really are not run by the city. The American Legion oversees Memorial Day observances and the Chamber is responsible for Liberty Fest. Last week Robert Lund of the American Legion reached out to me wondering about the city's official position on parades to wit I replied that officially we have none. While I'm pretty sure there will be something going out on the bridge and then at the new Veteran's Memorial across from Lake View Cemetery this coming Monday, it definitely won't look like what we're used to. Observe responsibly.

Same goes for Liberty Fest. We lost the Fishy Four this year but that was the C-W Scholarship Foundation's call. It is their fundraiser after all. In my brief conversations with Chamber event coordinator Jennifer Blatz she remains certain that there will be fireworks and hopeful for a number of the other standard Liberty Fest events like the craft show, the car show and, of course, the parade. But again that is the Chamber's call.

The other night I thought I heard Governor Evers say on one of the nightly news programs that with the Supreme Court's ruling it was now the "Wild West" in Wisconsin as anything goes. I beg to differ. Before this all began our way of life ran for the most part on certain firm ground rules and a lot of common sense. There will always be that pull for more “rules and regulations” to govern how we do

things. But the minute you invent a rule a governing authority has to be ready to enforce that rule which comes back to Sheriff Fitzgerald's argument: there are simply not enough cops and deputies to enforce all the rules. Every restaurant and tavern owner wants customers in their establishment. Every pastor wishes for more people in their sanctuary. Trust them to do what must be done to make sure that eating, drinking and worshiping may be done in a safe and responsible manner. I think we're gonna be okay. But we'll know soon enough if my faith in common sense is well-placed – or not.

The parks are open and the playground equipment too. Same goes for the bathrooms there. You'll note a sign on the bathroom doors that indicates how often they are cleaned. They'll also be locked at night. You be the judge. If you're comfortable knowing that we cannot clean the bathrooms every four hours as HHS is recommending then you're welcome to use them. And if not, well don't – but please don't pee in the bushes instead!

A lot of us see things differently. Some think we should have never shut down. Others think we're rushing way too soon to get back open. And a lot of us find ourselves somewhere in between. Let's be nice to each other and be gracious to another as well as we all try to navigate these strange waters the best we can.

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.

WWLD? (What Would Fiorella LaGuardia Do?)

Fiorella LaGuardia, New York's 99th Mayor

“What would Fiorello LaGuardia do?”

This is a text I received this past week after the news broke that the city of Rice Lake passed Resolution 20-16 giving the green light to Rice Lake area businesses to “reopen” prior to the official end of Governor Ever's official Shelter-in-Place order which is set to expire May 26. For those who don't recognize the name, Fiorello LaGuardia was the 99^th Mayor of New York City who served for three terms between 1934-1945 and was, as we would say now, a “big deal” back then. My friend who grew up in New York state, tongue-in-cheek, was asking if I was thinking about asking Chetek's common council to follow suit.

Of course, municipal leaders all over the county, myself included, have been having lots of conversations about Rice Lake's decision especially since both Sheriff Fitzgerald and the County Board are officially not in favor of it. Every week since “the shutdown” began in mid-March I have been conferring with fellow mayors Ron Fladten (Barron) and Bert Skinner (Cumberland) as they and their municipal councils try to navigate the same waters as we are. As of last Friday, “wait and see” seemed to be the order of the day. Everyone is chomping at the bit, as it were, for May 26 to get here but not ready to charge out of the gate before the starting bell.

Resolution 20-16

As I review Resolution 20-16 it's sounds to me that this is what they might call a “soft” opening – it allows many businesses to operate but under a number of limitations including how many patrons are allowed within and frequent repetition of that phrase that has become very much a part of our American lexicon these days: “practice social distancing.” But it doesn't cover every business. The way I read it, places like Lake 7 Theater and, say, practically every house of worship in Barron County cannot re-open until the official “less than 10” maximum occupancy has been raised. So the resolution gives the locals a shot in the arm and is a sign of solidarity but nothing can truly reopen by their rule until May 11. The Supreme Court is supposed to rule on the legislature's challenge to the Governor's extension of the Shelter-in-Place order by Tuesday morning (as in today, May 5). Depending on which way they rule, it may make this resolution mute. Which brings us back to “wait and see.”

I did reach out to our city attorney, Randi Osberg, for legal advice and his opinion was that it's never good to be first in line for a firing squad (that's my paraphrase of his words). “Being among the first...may mean you bear the cost while others stand by waiting...” Waiting for what? Obviously, to see what happens to the first in line. And what if it doesn't work out so good for him – or us?

As a pastor, I also asked about the constitutionality-issue that has been raised in the news lately; mainly, isn't the State violating citizens foundational right to assemble? His advice on that was that contrary to what many believe it wasn't a slam-dunk case. “The government can regulate these activities and does so all the time (e.g., you can't shout 'fire' in a crowded theater and then claim you were exercising your right to free speech.)” When Chetek Lutheran purchased electronic chimes for their bell tower years ago they still had to comply with city noise ordinances to do so. That's just called being a good neighbor. “The old saw 'your freedom to swing your fist ends at your neighbor's nose' shows the issue. One's right to go to church can impact the public's right to their health. Is the regulation content neutral? A ban on gatherings over a certain size for a limited time probably works; saying no church services probably doesn't. So, if two parts of a law say you can't and only one is unconstitutional, you can still be held in violation...” The long and short of it is his counsel is to “stay the course a bit longer.”

Governor Evers, please let us have our Liberty Fest...

In the last few weeks I have also had convgersations with many local business owners trying to gauge how they're doing and what their thoughts are if we were to be so bold and follow in Rice Lake's path. At the same time Chief Ambrozaitus reached out to the local tavern owners and had similar conversations with them. I won't say that I speak for all of them but what Chief and I heard is that restaurants don't want to risk losing their food service license, bar owners, despite the push of the Tavern League to open up May 12, don't want to risk losing their liquor license, and the specialty shops like Whimsical Wares, Lucky Day and Off 'R Rockers are leery of turning on their “Open” sign without the Governor's official approval. There are too many unanswered questions regarding liability. As far as our local congregations go, they, too, chafe against Executive Order #28 but continue to abide by the parameters of that order. (What a relief that on the eve of Easter weekend Governor Evers issued a statement that clarified that like places that sold beer and liquor, churches were considered an essential business. In case you don't hear it in my tone of voice, that's sarcasm.)

So, what would LaGuardia do? Apparently he was a little guy like me but with a flair for the dramatic. Given his legacy as one of the greatest mayors of all time, I suppose he would be front and center of the “re-open” debate. Of course, it helps when you're the mayor of the largest city in America and personal friends with FDR. I met Governor Evers once on the podium at the ceremony of the dedication of the new school additions in 2000 when he was the Assistant Secretary of Public Instruction. I don't suppose he remembers me.

So, for the time being, we'll stay the course and hope for the best. I know these sound like tired and worn platitudes but at this juncture it seems like the better course of wisdom. We all want to get back to work and what we mean is we want to get back to normal. But “normal” from herein out at least in the short term is probably going to look very not-so-normal. We'll get through it. In the last few years we've weathered a tornado, a few tragic deaths of some great teenage kids, an unprecedented windstorm and now this. We've got through all these things and will get through all of this by the grace of God, a tenacious spirit and a lot of help from each other.

Sheltered in Place and feeling it

We are officially into Day 3 of the state-wide shelter-in-place order that went into affect Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. If you haven't already done so click on this link to see the order itself: Shelter in Place . It's brand new ground for all of us and there is some confusion as to what is “kosher” and what is not.

Among many other things, here's a few things you CAN'T DO:

• Pick-up basketball, football, soccer, ultimate frisbee games say, on the football field or at any of the practice fields at the schools. For the immediate future these are all verboten.
• The playgrounds at Airport Park, Phillips (“Beach”) Park and at the schools are closed until further notice (and just when the days are getting nicer, too).
• The Youth Center on Knapp Street is closed at this time as well.

It's weird to see this playground empty at Friday noon

But having said all this,

Here's what you CAN do:

• You CAN send the kids out into the yard to play. FRESH AIR has always been good for us no matter the circumstances.
• You CAN go for a walk.
• You CAN go for a run.
• You CAN go for a bike ride.

  

  Okay, this is clearly not taken around here...but soon

• You CAN go hiking say, on the Nature Trail behind the high school (but it might be muddy). Or just under 20 miles away there's the Chippewa Moraine State Recreational Area, due east of New Auburn. The State is telling us that all State parks are open but none of their facilities at the parks are. So, plan wisely.
• You CAN go fishing at the dam.

In all these things the six-feet rule applies in that we are to maintain that kind of a space-bubble between yourself and any of your neighbors you may happen to meet. (Of course, this six foot rule does not apply to the people that you live with – unless that's how your family rolls).

Every extrovert's nightmare, every introvert's dream...
but they say it helps lessen the chance of "the spread"

I know we're all feeling a bit cooped up and more than a little stir-crazy. The main thing in all of this is use common sense and do your part to help “flatten the curve” and inhibit the potential spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, did you see this past week's Chetek Alert?

With regards to the Public Works Department:

For the immediate future as a preventative measure, Public Works Department Dan Knapp is staggering his crew so that half are off this week and the other half will be off next week. The logic in this is simple: in the chance that one of our guys would be exposed to someone who had tested positive for the virus, only part of our crew would have to be quarantined. Probably every municipality across the State is doing the same thing. The guys are being paid as they normally would and not forced to use sick or vacation pay.

If you read this week's Alert than you saw this short news release:

From The Chetek Alert (Wednesday, March 25, 2020)

So do your best to not make more work for our outstanding public works crew. They make sure that our garbage gets carted away and the system that both brings water to and from our homes continues to function as it normally would.

Calhoun Memorial Library:

While the library is closed until further notice, you may not be aware that:

• Our public Wi-Fi continues to be available 24-7. The network is “publiclibrary” and no password is required.
• Looking for free stuff to do on-line? Then check out Stuck at home? to see oodles of links to follow to things like a live feed to the pandas at the Atlanta Zoo or go “under the sea” at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium. This page also has lots of links to free concerts and such.

  

  Monterrey Aquarium right
  in your own home

• And while you can't check out or order any materials from the library right now with your library card gives you access to online streaming services like Libby and Overdrive. More than likely if you're used to checking out E-books you are already familiar with what's out there.
• And in case you weren't aware, Calhoun Memorial Library no longer charges fines for overdue books. So, if you have something now Carol and her staff are encouraging you to hang on to it. When we re-open and you return your item you'll be “square with the house.”

In case you were wondering, all non-essential city employees such as The Center Director Donna Bachowski and Librarian Carol Burnham and her staff remain on the payroll even though they are unable to work at this time. As far as the city is concerned we have already budgeted the money for their salaries and we want to take care of our own during these unique circumstances.

Still open for business

Chetek Police Department

Chief Ambrozaitus and his crew continue to patrol as they normally would. Even though the “Shelter-in-Place” directive gives them authority to cite individuals who are in violation of it, they are simply trusting that everyone voluntarily cooperates with it for the greater good.

However, if you're in an emergency call 9-1-1 and our crew will be on hand to assist you because global pandemic or not our officers seek to serve and protect.

City Hall

City Hall might be closed to the public at present but Carmen and the girls are still at work, still answering phone calls and answering questions. If your custom is to drop off your water bill in person, you can drop it in the drop-box outside the front door. That box is checked frequently throughout the day but if it makes you feel better call City Hall after you drop off your bill to let them know. Karen will only be too happy to mail out your receipt to you. The thing everyone wants to know about these days is how to secure an absentee ballot. The thing is there's still time to do so but the window to get one will close next week. If you have any questions regarding how to get yours call Carmen at 715-924-4838 and she will walk you through the steps.

I think we can all agree that we have an outstanding team of individuals who work diligently to serve our residents and make sure our city continues to function as normally as it can during these abnormal times. Take care of yourself, look out for your neighbor and if you have any questions or concerns call me at 715-925-6078.

It's gonna be a great day!

Funny you should ask: Are the April 7th elections going to be held?

With the April elections just a little over two weeks away and given that it feels like every day some new governmental restriction has been put in place regarding public gatherings of one kind or another, one of the questions that keeps coming up is: are they on? That is, will they occur on the 7^th as planned or will they be postponed?

The safe answer is to tell you what we know today and that is the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) has announced that the spring elections will occur as scheduled. The one exception is that there will be no voting allowed on premise at Meadowbrook (formerly Knapp Haven). This was mandated state-wide a few weeks ago about all nursing homes. Of course, the grand caveat in all of this is the real and present danger of COVID-19 that may cause elected executives such as Governor Evers to postpone the elections. But assuming that they will occur as scheduled here are some things you need to know about April 7^th.

If you plan to vote in person you will experience this:

1. You will be greeted at the door by one of our police officers. Only three voters may be in council chambers at one time. This officer will help ensure that.
2. You will be asked to don a set of non-latex gloves.
3. The election workers who will be working all must be under the age of 65 and all will be wearing masks.
4. Voting screens and digital pens will be disinfected regularly

If you're like me, voting at City Hall is usually no more than a 5-minute stop. But given the unusual circumstances we are all facing, give yourself more time that day than you normally would expect to take.

If you plan to vote by absentee ballot, remember this:

1. You must be registered to vote in order to cast an absentee ballot. If you are not yet registered call City Hall at 715-924-4838 and Carmen will walk you through this process.
2. The deadline to register by mail has already passed.
3. The deadline to register online to vote has been extended by federal court until Monday, March 30. You may request your absentee ballot online at https://myvote.wi.gov
4. Voters who need to register may also do so in person at City Hall until Friday, April 3 and on Election Day at the polling place. Again, call City Hall with any questions you may have.
5. Request your absentee ballot as soon as possible. The deadline is Thursday, April 2.

This graphic came from the Wisconsin Elections Commission website

These times can make even the most optimistic of us feel just a tad discombobulated. Every day some new federal or state guideline is announced. But life will go on and hopefully sooner than later things will go back to normal. But like the age-old tongue-in-cheek saying goes “Vote early, vote often.” Now you and I know there's no way there gonna let any of us cast our vote more than once but one of the great things of a local election is that your voice is really heard if you vote. Make sure you do come April 7th.

State of flux (or what's changed since last Friday regarding the City's response to this global pandemic)

State of flux - a state of uncertainty about what should be done (usually following some important event) preceding the establishment of a new direction of action.

If you're feeling discombobulated these days, you're in good company. This is brand new territory for all of us. No school. No sports. And every day we learn of a new recommendation limiting social interaction. Last week we were discouraged from attending gatherings of 500 or more which was quickly amended to 250 than to 50 and now – at least as of Monday afternoon – 10. What will be next?

Since last week, every municipality throughout the State, Chetek included, have been holding meetings and having multiple conversations as to how respond to the new reality of COVID-19. Last week, after several consultations with county leaders such as Barron County Executive Jeff French and the mayors of neighboring communities as well as our own department heads, our decision was to stay calm and operate as we normally do. Governor Evers decision to shut down the schools late Friday afternoon, however, changed all that.

Monday afternoon we had a department head meeting at City Hall. This included Chief Ambrozaitus (Police), Dan Knapp (Public Works), Joe Atwood (Building & Zoning), Donna Bachowski (The Center), Carol Burnham (Library) and City Clerk Carmen Newman. After having an opportunity to share what, if any, part of their operations would be affected by the federal and state governmental recommendations the following decisions were made:

The Center will be closed until further notice.

When the Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) suspended the bulk of their programming throughout the county on Monday the decision to close was practically made for us. These programs include the weekly Friday Soup and Salad Bar, Dining at 5, Beneficial Bites and the like. Meals on Wheels will continue as usual and the lunch meals will be modified to a “Grab & Go” format. AARP, who helps seniors with preparing tax forms, has canceled all appointments indefinitely. And many of the other groups that frequent the Center, such as the Stitching Sisters, have on their own accord suspended meeting regularly. With nothing going on, then, it makes no sense to keep the lights on. This also affects all those who have rented The Center for an event in the next several weeks. All deposits will be completely refunded.

The Calhoun Memorial Library is now closed.

On Monday morning the library board chose to soldier on as usual but at the same time limit the number of computers available to patrons and insisting that all children under the age of 14 be accompanied by an adult. All programming, however, like Story Time, Book Club and Brown-Bagging It, is suspended for the time being. As the day progressed and more and more area libraries closed and as delivery services to the facilities were suspended altogether to remain open was no longer practical. As of Monday night, the Calhoun Memorial Library will be closed for the immediate future. All due dates have been automatically set for April 6. With delivery services canceled, a patron can't even order books on-line.

Access to City Hall will be limited.

For the immediate future, the closest you can get to City Hall will be the front door. Utility bills may be deposited in the drop box as usual or paid for on-line. The girls will be at their posts as usual and you may contact them by phone and they will only be too happy to help you. If you are concerned about the April 7 election, the option to pick-up an absentee ballot is still viable. If you go to https://myvote.wi.gov it will walk you through how to register. A little fun fact though: if you want to cast your vote this way be sure you to do so by Monday, March 30. Remember, the front door to City Hall is presently locked and you can't come to the front desk and hand deliver it.

Police and Public Works

The men and women of our police department and the guys at the City Shop will continue to carry on at their posts serving and protecting. As a municipality we offer 24-7 protection and that will remain to be the case. All public works services will continue as they normally would.

Of course, if we've learned anything during this last week or so it's that EVERYTHING is in a state of flux and subject to change. It's a real possibility that this Sunday while it may be a beautiful day and the roads clear for travel every church will be closed on account of the social distancing measures the government is asking us to take. We will keep you in the loop but in the mean time, take care, keep breathing (it's critical!) and remember to follow your mom's advice which is to wash your hands and drink lots of water.

The sky isn't falling or the City's present position on COVID19

“Now, therefore, I, Tony Evers, Governor of the State of Wisconsin, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of this state, and specifically by Sections 100.305, 321.39, 323.10, 323.12, and 323.13 of the Wisconsin Statutes, hereby:

1. Proclaim that a public health emergency, as defined in Section 323.02(16) of the Wisconsin Statutes, exists for the State of Wisconsin...

Executive Order #72. Signed March 12, 2020

As I'm sure you are all aware, COVID19 is all the news. In fact, it seems to be the only thing on the news these days. Many major college campuses have been shut down. The Big Ten tournament and all the NCAA winter tournaments are canceled. Major League spring ball and opening day have been postponed. And the NBA season is currently suspended. If the powers that be were trying to get our attention I think they've got it. The question you may have right now is how the City of Chetek is locally choosing to respond to this global pandemic?

March will not be as mad...or will it?

If I can be frank, my first reaction to all of these drastic measures as well as the rush to grab up as many rolls of toilet paper as may yet be found in Barron County was to seriously eye-roll the whole thing. After all, more people die every year of the “normal” flu than any who will from this latest strand of it. But upon reflection, I am reminded that a significant amount of our population in this community is in the at-risk age range and so I want you to know what our stance is as of today.

You've heard of a run on the bank? There seems to be a run on TP.
Taken Friday, March 13 at KJs in Chetek.

In the last 24-hours I have had conversations with Mayor Ron Fladten (Barron), Mayor Bert Skinner (Cumberland), Village Board President Mark Trowbridge (Cameron) and Jeff French (Barron County Administrator). I wanted to know if they had put in motion any particular policies or procedures affecting the running of either their municipal or county offices. None of them had. While offering the caveat that this is a very fluid situation and things may change, Jeff French informed me that as of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12 all county offices would remain open and function as they normally do.

People still go there but
only with assistance

That being said, Programs Director of the Barron County Jail Amanda Poppe sent out an email yesterday informing all volunteers that until April 17 all programming at the jail (i.e., church services, one-on-one chaplain visits, classes, etc.) would be canceled effective immediately. Given my involvement as a volunteer chaplain I called Amanda for further clarification. At the jail they limit physical contact with inmates to a handshake and there is no gathering larger than 15 people at the same time. Why, then, would they take such drastic measures to literally lock us out? The concern is that many of our volunteers are senior citizens and if they unknowingly infected one of the inmates there the virus would be transferred quickly throughout the jail. Fair enough.

I went to The Center today for Friday's salad bar and what is usually a very hopping place was strangely quiet as only 15 people were present. Selena Sackrider, who is the site manager for the Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC), informed me that sometime Friday afternoon an emergency meeting was being held to discuss preventative measures and she speculated that the county would cancel the Friday salad bar and other gatherings where people congregated until further notice (apparently Washburn County has already taken such a measure).

At 11:30 a.m. on Fridays, the Center is usually always full.
NOT today.

I also had conversations with both Calhoun Memorial Librarian Carol Burnham and The Center's Director Donna Bachowski regarding the facilities they are responsible for. Here's what they had to say:

Carol Burnham:

The library is open and ready
to serve you

“The library email has been buzzing. We have hand sanitizers everywhere. We disinfect and wipe counters, keyboards and mice every couple of hours or let computer users do it themselves. The virus supposedly lives only four hours on dry surfaces so we may start to check items in on a time delay. I had double my usual kids at story time on Wednesday. Go figure! I thought that would drop off completely. 17 attended our lunch time speaker on Tuesday. People do not seem to be self-quarantining. We have only small groups at a time...I am not aware of any area libraries closed. And all this at the time the census wants people to come to libraries to fill out the census online.”

Donna Bachowski:

“We got notice that Washburn County canceled and we expected that we were next. As far as activities I feel it's up to the volunteers running classes if they want to continue. I assure them that they don't HAVE to come and that they should use good judgment.”

If you are someone who likes to pay your water bill in person you may have noticed that there are a few notices on City Hall's door these days. Essentially it says, “IF YOU ARE SICK STAY HOME AND GET BETTER.” The drop box at City Hall remains available and if you choose you may make your payments on-line. Meanwhile, counters and entry door handles are being wiped regularly. (By the way, if you came in during the last couple of days, Ollie the dog is NOT there to keep sick people away; her people are on vacation and so she's keeping the girls company.)

This sign is on our front door, too

I also talked by phone to Dr. Jennifer Martin-McKay last night. Dr. McKay is a pediatrician in Coon Rapids and, full disclosure, my sister as well. I wanted to get her perspective on this whole matter as a medical professional. Honestly, I wanted to know if this is as big a deal as the media seems to be portraying it. Her reply was to say, in so many words, that she and other medical professionals in her circle are sincerely worried about the spread of this virus. She feels that people are going to want to be tested but there are not enough kits let alone adequate protections available (i.e., gowns and masks) for those who will administer the testing. “The thing that is trying to be done is to flatten out the size of the 'bell curve' and so, in short, don't travel if you don't have to and stay away from large gatherings (right now defined by our governor as 250 people or more).” While I love my sister politically we sail in different boats. I asked her if she thought that some of the media hype is politically driven. While she conceded some of it might be she personally doesn't trust the government to tell us the whole truth based on the make-up of President Trump's task force to address COVID19. “Better to wash your hands, cut-out unnecessary travel and if you're feeling symptomatic, stay home if at all possible.”

This is from Barron County Public Health's FB page. This is the "curve"
everyone is trying to flatten out

This seems to be a long walk around the block just to return to the original question which was, “How is the City of Chetek responding locally to this global pandemic?” but I wanted to give some context to what my official position presently is. Namely,

• Given that at present there has not been one diagnosed case of COVID19 in Barron County
• Given that all county offices and other neighboring municipalities offices remain open for business
• Given that all city employees have been reminded that if they are feeling symptomatic they should not try to 'push through it' but use accrued sick time
• Given that at City Hall and the Library equipment and surfaces most touched by the public are frequently sanitized
• And given that all of us have been reminded lately that nothing helps more than a good thorough hand-washing with soap and water, staying home if we're sick and simply using good judgment with regards to contact with others, City Hall, The Center and the Calhoun Memorial Library remain open for business as usual.

As most of you are aware, my real job is that I'm a pastor. Linda and I had dinner with a couple who are members at St. Joe's in Rice Lake last Sunday evening and they shared with us that at all Catholic churches until further notice people are being discouraged from sharing the peace. Instead, people are encouraged to fist-bump, elbow-bump or “air-five” one another. I haven't made up my mind yet if we will follow suit at Refuge this Sunday. There will be a whole lot less than 250 people there and most of our crowd is well under what would be called the "grey-line". But in the end I don't want to coerce people to share the right hand of fellowship (let alone a 'holy kiss') nor scare them into an introvert's bubble. In my mind, they should just be smart, keep breathing, keep smiling, keep hoping because with 100 per cent certainty this too will pass.

Maybe this is a sign of the times, the fist-bump sharing of peace?

We will keep everyone apprised in case anything changes but in the mean time, take care, and remember to follow your mom's advice which is to wash your hands and drink plenty of water.

It's funny how moms know so much