Plague year: 12 months with COVID

An overview of the pandemic’s affect on us all

By Nicole Davis | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – One whole year has passed since the original March lockdown and the beginning of a traumatic experience known as the Coronavirus pandemic. Three different COVID-19 vaccines have been released within the past few months, yet people continue to struggle with the uncertainty of catching the deadly virus. As citizens continue to wear masks, abide by safety protocols and stay safely distanced, many have faith that normal pre-COVID life will ensue within the next 12 months.

Livingston Manor Central School Superintendent John Evans, Peck’s Market manager Evan Irwin and Town of Rockland Councilman Andy McRell have provided insight into the educational, economic and political future of Livingston Manor in addition to reflecting on the past year’s turmoil.

A long way to go

Councilman Andy McRell believes that one year from now the United States will be pandemic free, but he also stresses that we have a long way to go. Hygiene and safety restrictions will remain in effect for quite a while as people gradually begin to feel safe and become accustomed to a new way of life. That life will certainly be altered as a result of this one-of-a-kind year, but McRell hopes a change will come.

“In five to ten years there will be a larger tax base with an increase in job and business opportunities for younger people,” he said. McRell feels families working in the hospitality industry or with school age children have unquestionably been the ones most affected by the virus in the past year. The Town of Rockland councilman adds, “With remote learning, those families take the brunt of the pandemic. I hope people who have lost their jobs were able to get the assistance needed to get by.”

Throughout the past year, McRell noticed that Livingston Manor residents did not seem to be very receptive to the influx of New York City people. That he feels is a major concern, as the morale of the town is hugely affected. “The sooner the town accepts the new, evolving changes occurring in Livingston Manor, the better,” he said. McRell believes one upside of the devastating pandemic is the increase in Livingston Manor residents and the ensuing housing boom. Local businesses and markets he feels will flourish with the new customers.

Financial losses, market fluctuations

Peck’s Market Manager Evan Irwin discussed the financial effects on the Livingston Manor supermarket resulting from the pandemic with Manor Ink. In late May, a projected loss of $10 to $20 million in tax revenues to Sullivan County’s $200 million budget due to the coronavirus was reported by county Director of Communications Dan Hust. That has led to a cataclysmic economic fallout throughout county villages and hamlets. Even though the labor market has recovered to some degree, thousands of county residents still face financial troubles.

Irwin looks forward to the day when he will be able to greet his customers with a friendly smile without needing to wear a mask. He said that the beginning of the pandemic in April was very difficult, with customers trying to come in without a masks. “But people are now falling into the routine of mask wearing,” he said. “There is no longer an issue with customers entering the store without one.”

Before rules were mandated, Peck’s employees all wore masks. “The staff has been very good at adapting to the new situation,” Irwin said. He also noted an increase in business. “As a result of many second homeowners moving to the area, we are getting a lot more business and I hope it continues.” With the influx of the new clientele, organic and natural products are more in demand. The produce section is in constant flux attempting to keep up.

The pandemic initially caught the supermarket industry off guard. Between the months of March and April, shortages of many products became a grave issue for Peck’s. “We became paranoid when certain products became available, ordering a lot in case of the second wave, to make sure the product will be in stock,” Irwin said.

Peck’s Market continues to thrive despite the COVID-19 pandemic. “There has been a major uptake in business as people stay home and refrain from dining in restaurants.” Irwin said. “In the past, we have a busy season then it slows down, and these three months are usually the slowest time of the year. But we did not have that this year. It has been non-stop since March of 2020.” The silver lining of the coronavirus pandemic appears to be that the community supermarket has flourished in a chaotic year.

A new approach to learning

On Mar. 13, LMCS students, staff and faculty went to school not knowing that it would be the final “normal” day of school before quarantine and lockdown protocols would be in place worldwide. Students enjoyed a long spring break while school staff worked diligently with the limited time they had to provide a safe alternative to the usual in-person education. Students spent the remainder of the 2019-20 school year with work assigned via Google Classroom in online schooling. Despite the struggles faced with online schooling, students were still able to receive an adequate education and LMCS seniors achieved their hard-earned diplomas in an unconventional graduation ceremony.

As the state deliberated over whether to reopen schools during the summer break, school staff worked to develop a new way of teaching. With the start of a new school year in September, students were broken up into two groups. Group A would attend school Mondays and Wednesdays while Group B would go on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday was designated an online school day, allowing students to remain in the safety of their homes, thus guaranteeing limited contact with other individuals.

Gradually, all students began attending school in the building Monday through Thursday – one advantage of the small enrollment at Livingston Manor Central School. Of course, students were also given the option to remain fully remote, attending their classes through Google Meets or Zoom. These meeting platforms have proved very useful when repurposed as a new form of teaching.

LMCS also implemented the use of acrylic sheet barriers in the senior lounge and cafeteria, mandated one-way traffic throughout the halls and initiated student temperature checks each morning. Additionally, a new directive required everyone in the building to keep their masks on at all times.

Pandemic-inspired use of technology

Superintendent John Evans emphasized that one positive result of the coronavirus pandemic is new uses for technology. As the basketball season begins, COVID-19 protocols have ruled that no spectators be allowed to attend the games to ensure student safety. But LMCS has enabled a way for families, friends and community members to watch the basketball games remotely. They can now live-stream games, gaining access via the school’s website. “We plan on utilizing live-streaming technology beyond sports with plays, concerts and other after-school activities,” Evans said. “We can even expand the audience to include family members who do not live in the area and also wish to watch the games.” Ironically, technology will now allow Livingston Manor Central School to increase community engagement and greatly aid students’ and families’ involvement with the school.

Although it is difficult to predict, Evans hopes school will go back to normal life within the following year. He has noticed the general disposition of students, staff and faculty appears to be one of fatigue and exhaustion with the routine they have adopted this past year. As one of the only schools in the county open four days of the week, along with Roscoe Central School, teachers have endured a tremendous workload, but have handled it with grace and poise. “It is quite exhausting to have this day-in, day-out uncertainty whether or not school will be remote due to a new exposure,” Evans said. “But with the vaccines and new discoveries regarding the coronavirus, I am optimistic that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and we will return to some kind of normalcy sometime soon.”

Organizing graduation for the Class of 2020 was anything but normal. Evans revealed that the administration worked frantically to figure out what would or would not be allowed. Gov. Cuomo did not provide information regarding social distancing rules until a week before the ceremony. LMCS had many different plans for the event, but they were all up in the air until the governor acted. Evans is hopeful the situation will be different this year. “By the time graduation, concerts and other May and June events roll around, these activities should be as close to normal as possible.” He said LMCS is planning to organize this year’s graduation ceremony outside with limited attendance to ensure safety.

A toll on staff and students

Remote learning is very difficult for students and, as a result of the pandemic, Evans said that attendance has greatly declined and grades have decreased as well. Mental health among students and teachers also appears to be a concern. Evans emphasized that the pandemic has taken a huge toll on students, staff and faculty. “Our public school system was not designed to be virtual,” he said. “It was designed to be in-person, with teachers trained to teach in an in-person environment.” But he said the 2019-20 school year was far more challenging due to the lack of COVID-19 knowledge and the few tools and resources available at the time.  He believes the 2020-21 school year will be better by comparison.

“In late March or early April 2020, the state was predicting a 20-percent reduction in school funding, which is $1.6 million to Livingston Manor,” Evans said. “This was a huge stressor throughout summer and early fall.” Luckily, LMCS did not see a loss of funding to that degree. But though the administration was able to save money by eliminating traveling expenses for sports teams and other activities, they did have to pay for the new safety measures.

“If we were providing disposable masks to every kid throughout the entire school year, that would cost LMCS around $86,000,” Evans said. To save money, the school chose to give two cloth masks to each student, which cost much less. Tens of thousands of dollars were also spent on acrylic sheet barriers, hand sanitizing stations and other health precautions, greatly affecting the school’s budget. Funding is further complicated by the 1.23-percent tax cap the school must work with this year. That means LMCS’s budget can only be increased by $109,000. “Financially and economically, COVID-19 has taken a massive toll on our state and nation, and on us locally as a school district,” Evans said. “We are not looking to cut anything, but finances are tight.”

This past year has been filled with once-in-a-lifetime events and with many unknowns regarding COVID-19. Whether or not the vaccine is effective is a debated question among the nation, but people must remain optimistic and hopeful. But, optimism alone will not stop the spread. Social distancing, wearing masks, limiting contact with others and staying safe when in public are essential. Remember to be mindful of your health as well as your neighbor’s safety.