By Eric Schoen
For the first time this week I heard the term, ‘Spring Break.’ It’ a term usually uttered starting right after my birthday at the end of February right up until Easter. A migration of college students to Florida and other warm climates for sunning on the beach, beach volleyball, hotel rooms packed with more people than they can handle and loud music to celebrate.
Somehow in this pandemic you lose track of time. So many college students are learning virtually this year. Colleges have revised their schedules eliminating breaks to get as much school time in as early in the second half of the academic year to keep everyone safe not knowing what tomorrow will bring.
St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. Usually a big party and radio broadcast with the WVOX Radio 1460 family in New Rochelle led by Master of Ceremonies extraordinaire William O’Shaughnessy bringing together the movers and shakers of Westchester as well as the people who listen to this wonderful gem of a radio station. Followed by the Rory Dolan’s gathering I told you about last week.
When I did my radio show on March 11 it dawned on me to ask Don Stevens, Programming Director if the station was having its’ usual merriment at a restaurant in New Rochelle, the ‘Queen City of the Sound.’ Maybe a ‘virtual’ St. Patrick’s Day Broadcast, virtual like everything seems to be during this pandemic? No, not this year Director Stevens said looking so sad when referring to an event everyone enjoys.
Reading the newspaper on my iPad I saw the baseball schedule for the Yankees and the Mets. Baseball? A sign that spring is here. But have you heard anything about tickets sales for Yankee Stadium or Citi Field. And the official baseball season begins April 1. That’s two weeks away.
‘Take me out to the ball game, Take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks, I don’t care if I never get back!’ Will we be crooning that famous song this year? Sitting in the stands eating dirty water hot dogs?
Can we really, truly make plans anymore? How sad I feel for couples getting married now being told by our Governor how many guests they can have at their special occasions. And who the guests can dance with at their socially distanced reception! Pretty soon the government will dictate what music they can play. Nothing too fast as people will perspire and like working out at the gym that’s not a healthy thing in a pandemic.
I was in the mood for a cup of McDonald’s hot coffee after my radio show last week. I went from the studio on Broadcast Forum down Fifth Avenue (doesn’t that sound luxurious) and made a right on North Avenue to the McDonalds across from Iona College. No drive thru so you have to go inside. I was shocked to see tables not covered with tape and signs that I could sit at a table and enjoy my $1 large cup of steaming hot coffee.
I hadn’t been able to sit inside a McDonald’s and enjoy my coffee in who knows how long. Such a simple act, but a sign that maybe we are somehow getting back to normal. That McDonald’s has seating outside too and yes that was even open to sit at on a beautiful day.
A friend was going to be in Bronxville and asked me where he could wait till his next appointment. I knew the tables were still closed inside the Starbucks I have gone to but the Bronxville one has an open patio with seating. Would he be able to relax and wait sipping his Starbucks beverage outside at a table? If not there I knew that Bronxville has benches scattered around the village, some named after prominent deceased villagers. Would the benches be open?
Thankfully the seating on the patio is open as is the seating, though limited inside the Bronxville Starbucks too. It’s been a while since I had my coffee at Starbucks sitting inside talking to neighbors and friends getting little tips here and there to share with you my dear readers.
Then as I am writing my column Tuesday morning before press time, a New York Times bulletin popup came on my iPad stating there would be Shakespeare in Central Park in the beautiful open air Delacorte Theater this summer. Live theater! It’s over a year since I have been able to enjoy that. I bet it will encourage other theater companies to look for outdoor venues where they can perform.
Yes, I forgot about spring break. During the pandemic it is an accomplishment to wake up in the morning and know what day it is. Over 12,500 people have been vaccinated at the Yonkers Armory. I go for my second shot next week. Oh what a relief it will be two weeks later when I can say I am fully vaccinated.
That doesn’t mean that things are back to normal. Far from it. We still have to mask up, be socially distant and yes, as we were taught at age two wash our hands with soap and water singing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song. Now we have to sing it at least twice scrubbing our hands for 2o seconds.
To quote the Gershwins, “Things Are Looking Up.” Let’s hope so! But let’s not forget the song from the Musical Godspell. We still have to take things, ‘Day by Day.’
Final Thought:
I can’t believe that the Governor would have the person in charge of New York State Covid-19 vaccine distribution, even though he is volunteering his services, call County Executives throughout this state to gauge their support of him in the midst of the many crisis and scandals he is facing.
There was no other confidante of the Governor that he could have gotten to do this? No one ever thought that maybe, just maybe there would be a conflict of interest when the guy charged with distribution of this most needed vaccine would be calling County Leaders to see whether or not they would support the Governor.
Let’s face it, Andrew Cuomo is always up for a good fight. I doubt he is going anywhere. This makes a mess of the State budget and all State affairs. Do we really need this in the midst of the pandemic we are going through. Like many others, I think not.
And I must say that I was very disappointed in my long time friend State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins for her comments saying one more accuser and the Governor would have to step down. Are 4 accusations worse than 3? And now the number has again gone up.
Get your vaccines. Republicans the Trumps got theirs. Democrats the Biden’s got theirs. And let’s never forget the 15,000 poor souls who died needlessly in New York during this pandemic.
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.
