Thank you Barbara!!
My suggestion is for folks to start Zooming. It is a wonderful virtual tool
that you can download for free. It is usually free for a 40-minute meeting,
but I think they've lifted the 40-minute limit now, given our current state.
I use Zoom all the time for my business and I'm happy to (virtually) walk
anyone through the app, if you are curious to learn more. A friend of mine
just told me about her new virtual cocktail hour with her sisters. She
wrote: * And of course cocktail hour will come a little bit earlier today
since I am meeting my sisters at our virtual bar, that we named. Three
Sisters Bar! *
Naming your gathering is an important piece of creating a new (hopefully
temporary) community/family/business custom.
Barbara, thank you for starting this discussion with the food pantry ideas,
and thank you everyone else for staying in community.
ej
On Fri, Mar 20, 2020 at 12:00 PM Barbara <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
*This Watertown Promenade is a terrible idea.* Sorry. *Seclusion is the
only solution to the spread of this disease.* We know we don’t have
little kids, but don’t go out in any kind of group, six feet or not. This
is serious. And is irresponsible behavior for a problem that is only in its
beginning stages. Social distancing is not a solution, it is a method of
lessening risk, but it is not a solution.
Particles of the virus are said to float on the air from 34 minutes to 4
hours, we read in different reports over the last week. If even a bit of it
is true, beware. Body heat keeps virus particles up in the air. Don’t walk
through anybody’s air, just in case. Even with a mask on. Most people won’t
get terribly sick, but you never know; not age, or gender, or blood type
will protect you. The risks are high.
Stay safe. And to stay safe you must isolate and think of
yourself—yourself—as having the virus already. Therefore, you must not
gather in any way. Many carriers are not symptomatic—it could be you, or
me. Please don’t take a chance with your lives, or others’.
“Cancel Everything” in your day wrote Yascha Mounk in the Atlantic after
Italian doctors had to tragically start sorting which patients to treat.
The NYT today leads with "Hospitals Struggle to Prepare for Surge of
Coronavirus Patients.” We know protective devices for our health care
providers are running out and beds will be at a premium if the hospitals
are not overwhelmed immediately.
Please don’t let Watertown ignore the severe warnings and promenade in
opposition to all serious medical advice and common sense. We have to each
be a leader in health and common sense. *Self-quarantine is an individual
and community responsibility that we must all observe.*
There will be a lot of cabin fever in the future because this pandemic
isn’t going away soon. Let’s explore creative and safe ways to entertain
ourselves as we separate ourselves from the rest of the
community—physically, not emotionally via the phone and airwaves. Perhaps
those with technical knowhow can list and give directions for sites on
which we can have tea and coffee with friends, hold meetings, have exercise
groups, celebrate birthdays, and have happy singalongs.
Please do not “promenade” today, or any day, in the face of disaster.
Barbara and Jeremy Ruskin
Please post to your lists.
------------------------------------
On Mar 20, 2020, at 10:52 AM, Sarah Bansen <sarah.bansen@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
A fun idea started by director of the Watertown Community Foundation.
Please participate tomorrow at 5 if you are able to!
Sarah
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: David Leon <dbleon1@xxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, Mar 20, 2020 at 7:59 AM
Subject: Fwd: Idea for tomorrow
To: Rachel Cohen <rachel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Richard Cohen <
richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, lisa port white <ldpw@xxxxxxx>, Joanne
Hammil <joanne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Sarah Bansen <sarah.bansen@xxxxxxxxx>, <
tesik53@xxxxxxxxx>, Tom Goodwillie <tomg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Ann Munson <
Annmunson60@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
*From:* "Sabin, Lora" <lsabin@xxxxxx>
*Date:* March 19, 2020 at 8:45:21 PM EDT
*To:* David Hansberry <dbleon1@xxxxxxx>, Bob Shay <bob@xxxxxxxxxx>,
Marian Grogan <mgrogan002@xxxxxxxxx>, Emily Barclay <
emily.barclay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Roberta Miller <
miller.ann.roberta@xxxxxxxxx>, "tesik@xxxxxxx" <tesik@xxxxxxx>, Aaron
Dushku <aarondushku@xxxxxxxxx>, Laurie Kahn <lauriebhp@xxxxxxxxx>, Alan
Medville <alan.medville@xxxxxxxxx>, Judy Dushku <judydushku@xxxxxxxxx>,
John Foote <jhf25@xxxxxxxxxxx>
*Cc:* Jon Hecht <jonathan.hecht@xxxxxxxx>
*Subject:* *FW: Idea for tomorrow*
FYI – what do you think? Spread the word….and see you at 5 pm?
Best to all!
Lora
*From: *Albrik A <albrik@xxxxxxxxx>
*Date: *Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 12:06 PM
*To: *Jan Singer <jan.singer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Cc: *Board <board@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Anahit Papazian <
anahit.papazian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Subject: *Re: Idea for tomorrow
I like it Jan ... we and our neighbors across the street have done this
couple of times in the last few days when the Sun was out
do we need to run it by town officials? I'm concerned that folks may not
take the distancing seriously ...
also, some famous folks have volunteered free music concerts or
exercise classes online. I was wondering if we could have a local singer
share 1/2 an hour of their time in a Zoom session fro the comfort of their
home? we can send the Zoom link to our list of contacts and see what the
response is ...
if we get a good response, we can do more of it, if not, well no harm done
at no cost
-Albrik
On Thu, Mar 19, 2020 at 11:25 AM Jan Singer <
jan.singer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Tomorrow marks a week since schools have closed and many in our community
began working from home.
The weather is supposed to be glorious, warm with peeks of sun. What if
we created an event - sort of a flash mob- where we all go to the sidewalk
in front of our homes, and begin a promenade, keeping our distance but
seeing and chatting with friends and neighbors? Some neighborhoods will be
easier than others but it's something literally everyone in town could
participate in. We could encourage the whole town to do it beginning at
5PM. Then encourage people to post to their own facebook page and to ours.
Thoughts?
Jan Singer
*Executive Director*
*Watertown Community Foundation*
*www.watertownfoundation.org* <http://www.watertownfoundation.org/>
*www.facebook.com/watertowncommunityfoundation*
<http://www.facebook.com/watertowncommunityfoundation>
