Glendale’s Community Newspaper
www.glendalestar.com
Vol. 76 No. 21
INSIDE
This Week
‘No mask, no service’: Cautious reopenings BY TOM SCANLON
Glendale Star Managing Editor
Career & Education Opportunities In This Issue
NEWS..............3 Splash pads, other city facilities to reopen
May 21, 2020
After being virtually frozen for more than a month, Glendale businesses started to take tentative steps forward last week. From Westgate to Arrowhead, shops and restaurants were open, though with far less patrons than normal. Though restaurants were slowly accepting dine-in customers, the AMC Westgate movie theater and many shops remained closed, leaving plenty of space for those walking around. It was not the case everywhere, but some employees were wearing masks. The slow pace is the way Gov. Doug Ducey wants it. Like a lifeguard at a pool, Ducey’s message is,
“Walk, don’t run.” Ducey announced May 12 that his stay-home executive order would end three days later. “It is time to move forward with the next steps of Arizona’s economic recovery—while continuing to make health and safety our number one priority,” Ducey said. “This is not a green light to speed,” he added. “This is a green light to proceed.” Ducey said as long as they practice physical distancing and enhanced sanitation, gyms, spas, swimming pools and movie theaters could reopen. But few were ready to do so.
SEE REOPENING PAGE 4 Floyd’s 99 Barbershops are open, but with extra precautions in place. (Photo courtesy Floyd’s 99 Barbershops)
Caregiver lifts husband from depths of despair OPINION ....... 16 American Legion salutes fallen heroes
OPINION..................... 16 BUSINESS.................. 18 FEATURES.................. 20 RELIGION ................... 24 YOUTH........................ 26 CLASSIFIEDS ............. 28
BY TOM SCANLON
Glendale Star Managing Editor
Memorial Day was called Decoration Day when it was first celebrated May 30, 1866. The somber holiday first honored soldiers who died during the Civil War, then American soldiers who died in any war. Sean Shields is an American soldier who served in Afghanistan. Though he was involved in multiple firefights and a Humvee accident, he didn’t die there. He came home to Peoria, where he decided he was going to end his life.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ most recent report, “The number of veteran suicides exceeded 6,000 each year from 2008 to 2017.” Depressed and haunted by memories of battle, feeling life was nothing more than a losing battle between physical pain and mental anguish, Shields got drunk and decided he was going to kill himself. SEE SHIELDS PAGE 6
Breanna and Sean Shields, before injuries and PTSD that led him to the depths of despair. (Photo courtesy Breanna Shields)