Another great weekend weather-wise and all around I think. Today’s weather will be sunny, with a high near 83 degrees. West wind 7 to 9 mph. There’s a chance of showers and thunderstorms, with increasing clouds, and a low around 67 in the evening.
The lake was very busy, as were surrounding areas and establishments, over the weekend. I think people are so happy to get out of their houses and be in the open air. I have spoken to a number of local real estate professionals and also some restaurant and other entertainment venue owners and they are crazy-busy. I hope for our collective health and for the economy’s sake that we do not get any large bounce in cases locally and that things can stay robust. I note that unemployment claims in some areas of the country have been increasing again due to second-wave business closures. Let’s hope for a great finish to summer here at the lake. With only 38 cases in the County, we are very fortunate!
Here’s an important message from the desk of Dr. Jennifer Corder, Deputy Health Officer for Garrett and Allegany Counties. Diagnosing COVID-19 requires either a PCR test or an antigen detection test. The PCR test is the type of test used for the majority of people diagnosed with COVID-19. The community needs to be aware of the imperfections of these tests. Recently there has been a lot of chatter about so-called “false positive” PCR tests. The likelihood of a false positive PCR for COVID-19 test results is exceptionally low. PCR tests are fraught with a different problem, however, in that they produce an abundance of false negatives. Check out the full press release here fin our Latest News section for the complete story.
There’s a lot of talk locally (and all over) about school reopening plans. Here’s a statement and a link for information on state school openings from Dr. Karen B. Salmon, State Superintendent of Schools: “With the state firmly in recovery, local systems will have the flexibility to determine, in consultation with their local health officers, how they will open, and which groups of students and staff will be able to re-enter buildings. Some systems have begun to lay out a path to begin the year all-virtual, and some plan to move forward with a ‘hybrid’ approach. Our job is to help systems succeed and keep staff and students safe with established guardrails, regardless of which path they choose.”
Speaking of education, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Tuesday, July 28, 2020, meeting of the State Board of Education will be conducted entirely via livestream, and there will be no public access to the Nancy S. Grasmick State Education Building. Beginning at 9:30 a.m., State Board members and presenters will participate in the virtual meeting, and members of the public will be able to hear the audio and see presentations in real time via live stream. Click here for more information including details on how to call in.
The Mountain Laurel Garden Club is sponsoring a Garden Art & Collectibles Sale (rain or shine, no pets) on Saturday, August 1, 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., in the parking lot of Crossroads Church, Route 219/Sand Flat Road. The sale features items donated or made by members that were originally slated to be part of the boutique associated with the garden tour canceled earlier this summer. All workers and shoppers must wear masks and appropriate social distancing measures will be observed.
I read this (really!) in a fortune cookie I received recently at a Chinese restaurant in the Cumberland area and thought I would share: “You must get off your bottom to get to the top.” Well, I don’t know what philosopher came up with that, but I like it, as it reflects my own philosophy on life and business and is one I share with my consulting and coaching clients. Life can be tough and “you don’t have to be great to start, but you must start to be great.” You get it…
Have a great week dear readers…
