Beech Tree News Network

We are entering a busy time. We have to decide how to have a safe Halloween, how we will vote in the general election, and how to celebrate Thanksgiving. So far this year, most events have been affected by Covid-19 recommendations and guidelines.

First, trick or treating in Morgantown is approaching. The City will close some streets on October 31^st from 4:00 to 7:30 PM. A Kentucky Public Health document made the following suggestions for trick-or-treating:

-Place individually wrapped candy outside on the porch, driveway, or table.

-Maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet from anyone not within your household.

-Always wear a face covering. Halloween masks do not count as a face covering.

-Clean hands before and after touching the wrapped candy.

-Trick-or-treat in family groups, and don’t congregate in large groups.

-Trick-or-treat in your own neighborhood, and do not travel to other neighborhoods.

-Use hand sanitizer often, especially after contacting frequently-touched surfaces and before eating anything.

I wonder whether the number of Halloween participants will be different this year. Time will tell.

Second, voting in the Kentucky general election this year was made easy. Absentee ballots were available (Ballot requests could be made up to October 9th.). Early voting began on October 13. According to Secretary of State Michael Adams (https://www.sos.ky.gov/elections/Pages/2020-General-Updates.aspx), “Beginning Oct. 13, three weeks before the election, every weekday between Oct. 13 and Election Day, and every Saturday for at least four hours, every county clerk will provide at least one location for in-person voting. Early voting is not absentee voting – anyone can vote early for any reason, and no appointment will be necessary.” Then on November 3, voting in the general election will be available: every county will have at least one vote center, where any voter in the county may vote, regardless of his or her precinct. This year, the options for voting in the general election were certainly helpful. If you haven’t voted, I encourage you to do so.

Third, Thanksgiving celebrations may also look a bit different. My family’s traditional Thanksgiving has involved taking food and traveling to eat a meal with extended family members – in a good-size crowd. At this point, I don’t believe that will happen. My Thanksgiving (November 26^th) will likely be celebrated with immediate family members who can come. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted some guidance for fall and winter holidays such as Thanksgiving. Some of the advice included the following (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.htm...):

-Improve ventilation with outside air to improve indoor air quality.

-Wear a mask while preparing or serving food to others who don’t live in your household.

-If serving any food, consider having one person serve all the food so that multiple people are not handling the serving utensils.

For me, Thanksgiving is about being thankful and being with family. And I am very thankful for all my blessings this year.

Living in a pandemic, we have to adjust, making a few changes. Those include making choices about (1) how to have a safe Halloween, (2) how to vote in the general election, and (3) how to celebrate Thanksgiving. Adjustments may help us stay well – not a bad thing.