In Case You're Wondering.

You certainly don't need me to tell you about our big problem.  It's a global virus pandemic.  I hope it hasn't affected you.  If you need medical advice, either consult your doctor, or, if you know her, ask our neighbor, Deborah Holmes, who's in primary care, or, if you know him, ask Chester Morris, who's a retired gynecologist, or ask me.  You're going to get some medical advice in this post anyway, but if you want more, just ask.

Here are the two glaring issues:  One is how seriously to take this "social distancing" advice many people are talking about, and the other is where, exactly, is our Commission?

1)  Take it extremely seriously.  My advice to you is not to leave your house.  Try not to leave for anything.  Don't take an exercise walk in the neighborhood, let your pet out the back door, instead of walking it in the streets, and figure out how not to have to go to the store.  If you simply must do the latter, wear a face mask, don't get close to other people, make it quick, and buy larger than usual amounts of stuff that will keep (not too perishable, canned, frozen), so you don't have to go again for a long time.  Here's the thing about this particular virus.  It's...virulent.  It will attack your lungs.  You might not notice anything, or you might get sick, or you might get very sick, or you might die.  Your goal is not to be exposed to it.  The way you get exposed is to be exposed to someone else who has it.  That person might not know s/he has it.  It is said to have a two-week incubation period.  For two weeks, you or someone else is walking around, feeling fine, and breeding large numbers of viruses, which will eventually wreak havoc on you.  But until that stops you, you're spreading viruses to other people.  Or those other people, who also don't yet know they're infected, are spreading it to you.  This is why the advice from every knowledgeable doctor is to stay home.  It's you, your partner, if you have one, and your pet, if you have one.  And it needs to stay that way until this pandemic dies out.  Right now, the numbers (of seropositive people, sick people, and dead people) are rising every day and every week.  Stay home.  Do not be one of these statistics.  Don't endanger yourself, and don't endanger anyone else.  I told you, neither you nor anyone else knows when they're dangerous.

2) Ginny O'Halpin (our mayor) and David Hernandez (our acting manager) and Luis Cabrera (our police chief) did a video last week.  If you're on the Village e-mail list, you've seen it.  They were all in the log cabin, and someone filmed them.  This was a good gesture.  There is no current plan for another Commission meeting.  They will happen again, but no one knows when.  No part of this is predictable.  That's not what you want to hear, but it's the fact.  In the meantime, as almost everyone's ability to function is impeded or destroyed, accommodations are being made.  I'm told, for example (Chuck, correct me if I'm wrong) that tax day will be in July, not in April this year.  If that's true, then our requirement to create a budget for the coming year (a requirement that starts to be addressed in the summer) will also likely be delayed.  If that's true, then nothing will change yet.  That means our tax rate won't change.  But we all still have to pay the tax, which will be dicey for those of us whose ability to earn has been limited or ended.  Unless the date when taxes are due (I'm talking about property tax, and it starts in November, if you want the best discount) is also delayed.  Which it might be.  But my point is that what we now need, as a follow-up to last week's very limited exposure to our mayor, acting manager, and police chief, is a full Commission meeting.  Last week, I "attended" two "meetings."  One was a meeting of a board of directors of which I'm a member, and the other was a presentation by a jazz group I like.  Each "meeting" was on ZOOM.  You know ZOOM.  Dan Samaria and Chuck Ross have brought us ZOOM.  In the cases of the two "meetings" I "attended" last week, all participants were in their own homes, and the jazz group had an audience of 15-20 people who were also in their own homes.  In the latter case, the members of the jazz group were in two different states, and the members of the audience were in many different states.  And it all comes together on ZOOM.  So we need a Commission meeting.  If all the meeting accomplishes is making contact with other Village residents, and informing and maybe supporting or reassuring, that's more than good enough.  I wouldn't expect the actual transaction of any Village business.  I doubt anything is urgent right now.  If something is, then it needs to be addressed.  But this is a time to hear from the Village attorney, too, to know what to expect and what are our options.

So, if you want more medical advice, go get it. Whatever you do, stay in your homes.  If you want a Commission meeting, lean on your Commissioners to figure out how to have one.  Not to be niggling about it, but you're still paying them.  Tell them, or someone, what you want and what you need.

And stay connected.  If you don't have someone at home, or if you've gotten sick to death of each other for now, reach out to other people you know.  Call your friends and relatives.  It's free, and it's safe.