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As of last Friday, the Illinois Department of Public Health had recorded more than half a million cases of COVID-19 since spring, including more than 10,500 deaths statewide.

Of more than 5,362 people in Illinois who were reported to be hospitalized with the disease at the end of last week, nearly 1,000 patients were in the ICU and almost 500 were on ventilators.

Confirmed cases continue to climb at a frightening pace, hospital capacity is shrinking – and health experts are telling us the worst is yet to come.

If that scares you, it should.

For the skeptics, denialists, and conspiracy theorists, the presidential election has come and gone – and the virus did not disappear. Its spread has worsened, with no relief in sight.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signaled he’s likely to issue a stay-home order, as he did last spring, in an attempt to limit the spread. That could come this week.

We are where we are because, in part, of the reckless behavior of too many citizens in ignoring months of warnings about wearing masks and social distancing. For some reason, they seem unconcerned about the possibility that their conduct could mean they – or someone they know – might end up with a breathing tube shoved down their throat as the medical profession tries to save their life.

That virus does not travel alone, you know. It doesn’t circulate itself. People do that. When people stay home, so does the virus.

We appreciate the efforts of city officials in Woodstock to seek, amid a public health crisis, a “balance” between the safety of our citizens and the economic survival of local businesses, particularly bars and restaurants.

Newly announced city restrictions – a compromise between the governor’s ban on inside dining and widespread defiance of the order – offer enforceable guidelines that city police and county health officials can monitor. (See story on Page 1.)

Restaurants have been, mostly, diligent in We’re not closed. We’re only doing takeout.

Whddya mean the speakeasy is closed?

requiring mask-wearing by employees and customers as much as practical in a setting where people are eating and drinking. Individuals may decide how much risk they wish to take, but they must understand they also are taking risks for people they come in contact with at home, at work, and elsewhere.

In announcing the local restrictions, the city cited a study by Northwestern and Stanford universities, as published recently in Nature magazine, that found a correlation between rising rates of infection and group settings – such as hotels, restaurants, bars, and gyms. Full-blown lockdowns aren’t necessary to limit the spread of the virus, the study indicated, but enforced use of masks, social distancing, and

EDITORIAL CARTOON BY LUKE GOINS

capacity limits in public gatherings are considered economically viable ways to control transmission of the virus, but only if everyone follows the rules.

Everyone.

With Thanksgiving next week, and Christmas just a month away, everyone needs to consider a different approach this year to interactions with friends and family.

While our traditions are important to our social and emotional well-being, we must do what we can to ensure that this is not the last year we all have the opportunity to celebrate together.

While exercising reasonable precautions, enjoy the holidays.

This letter of appreciation goes out to Jeff Van Landuyt, who will be retiring from director of Public Works for the city of Woodstock. As chairman of Woodstock’s Transportation Commission, it has truly been an honor and pleasure to work with him on the many issues the commission faced to include revision of the Transportation Plan for the city, the preparation for the Route 47 reconstruction, and the forthcoming bicycle plan and map.

He has provided guidance to make the commission more meaningful, effective, and efficient. That leaves out patience with our propensity to believe (in the beginning) that everything can be done at once and with little or no cost. With his knowledge, we avoided mistakes that come with the lack of understanding of logistics unique to a municipality.

Eight years ago Jeff bought into the concept that the commission can work with [Woodstock School] District 200 engineering students on projects and problems that face the city. The district created an elective capstone class for Project Lead the Way students to bring together their accumulated engineering skills over their first three years. He joined us in helping the students select a project, spent the time to make sure it was relevant fitting into future city plans, and introducing the students to experts for specialized help. Everyone involved benefited.

At the end of the school year, he arranged for the students to make their presentations to the City Council and the Transportation Commission. I have been told that this continuing cooperation between a municipality and school district occurs only in Woodstock.

Jeff has helped make Woodstock the very unique and special place that it is to live, and [I] wish him only the best as he retires.

Andrew Celentano Woodstock

When Woodstock schools closed early for spring break last March with the hope of curbing the spread of the COVID-19 virus, I titled that week’s Declarations, “This, too, shall pass.” Even my most pessimistic thoughts wouldn’t have had us hunkering down again as Thanksgiving nears.

Sometime in the past two weeks, I read a piece about the importance of not dwelling on what we are giving up. Instead, it suggested there is energy, satisfaction, and joy in creating something new and safe. Seems to me that’s where we need to be with Thanksgiving 2020.

This week, The Scientific American reported that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who many of us came to admire and trust for his calm presence and wisdom regarding COVID-19, will not celebrate Thanksgiving as usual. He, his wife, and three adult daughters, decided, due in part to his age, 79, they would not gather as a family. Rather, Dr. Fauci and his wife will enjoy “a nice, quiet dinner.” It was a family decision made out of love and concern for others.

With positive cases at record highs in McHenry County, Illinois, and across the United States, gathering inside isn’t wise – even wearing masks and adhering to physical-distancing standards. Like Dr. Fauci and his wife, people who live under the same roof all the time aren’t increasing their risk by sitting down together with turkey and the trimmings, but inviting or joining others from outside your bubble may not be wise.

Not gathering in person inside may be the most loving thing families can do for one another Cheryl Wormley this Thanksgiving. Declarations

There’s a full week between now and turkey day. That’s plenty of time to plan safe observances filled with food, friends, family, and gratitude.

Gatherings outside, limited to 10 people, seem to be more favorable in the eyes of health professionals. After our record-setting warm first week of November, the weather is more seasonable, but folks tailgate at 45 and 50 degrees. Maybe a tailgate Thanksgiving would work for some of us. Might be really pleasant with a fire.

Should there be a really nice day, in the 60s or better, a spur-of-themoment Thanksgiving picnic is a possibility. Thanksgiving can be any day. It doesn’t have to be the fourth Thursday of November.

The Wormleys decided to take advantage of the warm weather Nov. 7 to gather for our Thanksgiving. Actually, we called it our Gratitude Day. Our plan was to keep the menu simple, but we let everyone bring a favorite dish, so it was quite a spread. Son Paul, our host, said we’d keep it short. Instead of an all-afternoon affair or one that went into the evening, we arrived at 11:30 a.m. and departed at 2:30 p.m.

There’s more to Thanksgiving than a big dinner with friends and family. Thanksgiving is a time to share and help. Grocery stores are featuring frozen turkeys for less than $1 a pound. So why not buy a couple? You could keep one and donate the other to a food pantry. The same goes for the trimmings. Cans of sweet potatoes, green beans, corn, gravy, cranberries, and more could be given to a food pantry or the free pantry at the library.

If you can’t begin to eat a whole turkey, think of someone who would enjoy a bit of already-roasted turkey. Call and arrange a time for drop-off. That would work for other trimmings, including pies.

Technology is sure to play a significant role in Thanksgiving 2020. Creative minds will find ways to meet, eat, and catch up via Zoom, FaceTime, and the like.

Now that I have poured out some of my thoughts on the topic, I’m curious about what you are planning. Email me at c.wormley@thewoodstockindependent.com or call me at 815-5197402. I’ll share as many of your creative plans as possible the next week or so in Declarations.

Cheryl Wormley is publisher of The Woodstock Independent. Her email address is c.wormley@thewoodstockindependent.com.

Continued from Previous page Day. Last year, so many in the McHenry County community joined us at the Woodstock Opera House for a wonderful presentation and celebration of National Philanthropy Day. Sadly, this type of celebration didn’t happen this year, but the events since last year’s celebration have given us many reasons to reflect on and be thankful for philanthropy.

The word itself, philanthropy, can be intimidating. But when you take the time to acquaint yourself with the word, it becomes much more warm and approachable. I just asked Siri what philanthropy means, and she told me “the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.”

That tells me that any one of us can be philanthropists. There is no minimum donation to be a philanthropist, generosity is relative, and so you just have to care about others and give, to be a philanthropist. There are more than 990 community foundations throughout the United States, and we have been blessed to have our very own in McHenry County since 2001.

As I step into the role of chairman next month, I look forward with gratitude for all of the McHenry County philanthropists from the past, present and future, who have and will help The Community Foundation for McHenry County continue to support not-for-profits with a multitude of missions in McHenry County for generations to come.

Tamara Marshall vice chairwoman The Community Foundation for McHenry County

We need help. Someone please climb the stairs to the top of the Opera House tower and turn on the switch to call Batman and have him bring Superman with him. Between both of them they can pick up the ridiculous [five-story apartment] building on the corner of Madison and Church streets and take it far, far away.

OK, so much for super heroes. But wouldn’t it be nice to be able to call them in times like this? What were our city fathers thinking? Was anyone thinking of the people across on Madison? How would you like to live there and have to look at that every day?

Oh, wait. Maybe that’s where all the rumors come from that are all over town, how down the road comes Phase II, when the city would like to buy several homes (top dollar, I’m sure), take them down, and put up a parking garage.

Hmmm, Ridiculous II. Only time will tell.

P.S. Please don’t shut off the Batlight. I’m sure we can use their help on the Die Cast property.

Della Busch Woodstock

$75 in Woodstock, Bull Valley and Wonder Lake. $77 in McHenry County. $82 for snowbirds and $90 outside McHenry County.

We strive for accuracy. To suggest corrections or clarifications, email news@ thewoodstockindependent.com.

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