By Eric W. Schoen
I’ve read about 2020 in newspaper and magazines. Heard about it on television and radio. Reports make it like we don’t know it was not a very good year. And repeat all the terrible tragedy that occurred.
It’s important that we never forget what we went through. But thankfully if you are reading this newspaper, you have survived. And if we all do what we should do, 2021 will be a very good year!
The Covid 19 vaccine. If it is offered to you take it. There are many vaccines from childhood through adulthood that are mandatory. We have seen the flu shot save lives or at least lessen the impact of the flu with minimal side affects. Sore arm. Deal with it! Make sure you know where you fall on the Centers for Disease Control vaccination scale (those in the media fall into Category 1C) and make sure those that care for your health are aware you want the vaccine as soon as it is legally available to you.
Do I need to tell you to wear a mask? I hate it as much as you do. But until we reach herd immunity keep it on. The surgical masks and KN 95 and N95 masks are most protective. Other types of masks not as protective. If the blue surgical masks make you feel like you are always in the hospital, buy a box of black surgical masks like I did.
Wash your hands properly. Paper towel to turn on the faucet, wet your hands, use a an anti-bacterial soap, rinse your hands, dry them with a fresh piece of paper towel which you will use to open the door to the bathroom. Government wants us to wash our hands but so many places including big coffee chains, fast food restaurants and department stores have closed off their bathrooms.
Do what I did at the almost out of business Lord and Taylor. The handicapped bathroom stall in the men’s room was closed and a handicapped person needed to use it. Most locks on bathroom doors can be opened with a quarter. I opened the door and then got a manager to explain why the handicapped stall was closed. She claimed plumbing issues. I reminded her that there are 100’s of plumbers looking for work and that when I return to the store the handicapped stall better be open!
As Madonna sang in Evita, ‘you keep your distance!’ Six foot minimum (any questions find someone with a size 12 shoe like me to help you out) and the greater the distance the better. If you see someone without a mask in a store or not socially distanced on line say something or get a manager or inform a sales clerk. Why should they jeopardize your health?
For the second time I visited the Bingo Kosher Discount Supermarket in Rockland (they have low salt, low carb, high fiber small bags of popcorn I like) and found within minutes people not wearing masks or not wearing them properly. At least six if not a dozen. I called them out and they put their masks on. I told store management. Masks must cover your nose and mouth. Bring the surgical mask higher on your face under your glasses and the glasses won’t get fogged up!
A pharmacist I know told me that he knew of people not going to the doctor or dentist out of fear of contracting COVID-19. These people ended up with health issues. In terms of dentists they have been following stringent safety guidelines for years. In terms of doctors they have implemented cleaning procedures so stringent and safeguards within the office that you should have no fear of visiting them.
Get fresh air everyday. Crack open those windows in your house or apartment. Go to a big park like Tibbetts Brook Park or Saxon Woods and if the temperature is above 40 degrees take a power walk. Take off your masks and get fresh air. If it’s a big park you will never need to be close to anyone. But it doesn’t hurt to say hello or wave to your fellow park goers. It helps break the isolation so many of us feel.
Support small businesses as much as you can afford to. So many have gone out of business while the big retailers and grocery stores thrive. Many of these small businesses are your neighbors and friends. They need your help!
So do the so many people who are laid off. Don’t ask just cook a meal for their family. Offer to babysit while they research jobs or go on an interview. Buy a little treat for the children. Distance learning (learning with the aid of a computer) can be hard for many children. Offer to help their children with school work.
There is no reason why department stores have their fitting rooms closed. Century 21 didn’t, Marshall’s and TJMAXX do. A properly sanitized fitting room with floor to ceiling walls is perfectly safe. Is bringing your clothes home from the store to try on safer than trying on the clothes the right then and there at the store? No offense but Who knows what goes on in people’s homes. Tell management to open the fitting rooms or you won’t shop in the store anymore.
The state made voting easier this year with reforms including extension of absentee ballots and early voting. Let’s cement these reforms into law. In the middle of a pandemic do you really want to subject yourself or the poll workers to voting at a polling location where you don’t know the quality of the air? Early voting makes sense.
We have to stop trucks from hitting bridges on our regions parkways. Nothing that has been tried has worked. We get screwed when traffic gets backed up. We need height barriers preventing trucks from entering the roadways. New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) doesn’t like them? Too bad. I call on our great County Executive George Latimer to put the barriers up. To paraphrase President Ronald Reagan, if the NYSDOT doesn’t like them, Mr. Latimer should say, ‘NYSDOT OR NEW YORK STATE. I dare you to tear down those height barriers!’
We have elections this year for Yonkers City Council. One incumbent voted against the disgraceful action of the Yonkers City Council striking down term limits so one is to assume she is not running. Get active in politics. Run for office. You never know whose name you will see on the ballot! It could be yours!
Many people like to pay there Yonkers Tax bill in person. $3 to park in City Hall Government Garage to pay taxes or parking tickets, even if you are 5 minutes. This is a disgrace or as we say in Yiddish a shanda! And it looks like some of the repair work they did in the garage several years ago is crumbling down. Spaces blocked off inside the garage where it looks like parts have fallen down like Humpty Dumpty.
People shouldn’t have to pay $3 to pay their taxes. There needs to be a 15-20 minute grace period where no fee would be charged if you are being a good citizen paying your obligations. There are 4 spaces next to the Parking Violations Bureau. At least one was for the handicapped. They are all now occupied by City of Yonkers vehicles. They should be 15-20 minute spaces making it easier and free to pay your obligations.
Make sure you Support the kind of local journalism you see in this newspaper. Support our advertisers. That’s the only way we can bring you local news.
From my family to yours, a Happy, Healthy New Year in a world of Peace. 2021? Things are looking up!
A CLOSING NOTE: We remember those poor souls, 9 children and 3 adults who lost their lives at the fire at the Yonkers Jewish Community Center which was across from St Joseph’s Hospital on December 20, 1965. May their memory be a blessing.
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
