Looking for a good news story last week, I put out a call to a local Facebook group to find residents who were showing support for frontline workers.
Greater Napanee didn’t disappoint.
There was no shortage of responses from elaborate displays to simple yet effective colourful signs made with markers. A mannequin dressed as a nurse on Camden Road created by Barb Davis-Walsh was mentioned several times by members of the group. Appropriately enough, she has named the nurse Hope. Banners and signs dot the windows of homes all throughout the region, offering uplifting messages at a time when good news stories can be few and far between. So big was the response of people showing their support that it was impossible to highlight them all, though a small section of them were featured on the paper’s website, www.NapaneeBeaver.ca as well as Page 18 of this week’s print edition.
Meanwhile cottage owners have stepped up, offering their rental homes free of charge to those in the medical field who want a place to stay without fear of bringing the disease home to their family.
Tomorrow marks Good Friday, which would normally mean a time of travelling to be with family and for most people a chance to be at home for three or four days. For many religious believers, Sunday would be a time when even those who only attend a church service on occasion would make a special effort to be there. Instead families will be staying home this weekend-at least who are wisely following the suggestions of Public Health-and all churches will be closed on Sunday.
Still, once again the Greater Napanee community has found a way to make the most of the situation. Church bells from several denominations will chime in unison at noon on Sunday while residents will be encouraged to stand on their lawns to cheer for those working to keep us all safe.
These shows of appreciation come at a time when positive cases of COVID-19 continue to rise. Last week the Ontario government released grim projections, saying deaths relating to the disease could total anywhere from 3,000 to 15,000 in the coming months. Frightening as those projections are, hopefully they’re enough to get the message home to, well, stay home. Despite the constant warnings, there’s daily stories of police having to break up social gatherings or firsthand accounts of store workers who see entire families in their stores simply browsing the aisles, not shopping for essentials. Though most appear to be doing the right thing, to fully limit the spread of COVID-19, it’s going to take everyone’s cooperation.
A little community spirit won’t hurt either. Fortunately here in Greater Napanee, there’s been no shortage of that.
-Adam Prudhomme