2020, in hindsight

Typically at the end of the year, newsrooms compile a list of the stories that impacted the community the most over the past 12 months. However, in this most atypical of years, we feel the novel coronavirus is the story of the year. There is no denying that this pandemic has changed every aspect of life. From the Class of 2020 graduating virtually and via parade, to the ways we worship, celebrate milestones and watch sports, there are virtually no corners of our lives left untouched by the pandemic. And as a slow creep back toward a sense of normalcy looms, we realize that hand sanitizer, Zoom and the term "social distancing" are not going away anytime fast. Here is a look back at the ways the pandemic crept into our lives and changed everything along the way: A challenging year for health leaders Hancock Public Health announced on March 22 that the first resident of the county had tested positive for COVID-19. The first Hancock County resident to die of the virus, an 81-year-old man, was reported on April 8. Throughout the pandemic, Blanchard Valley Health System leaders including CEO Scott Malaney and Dr. Bill Kose, vice president of special projects, kept the public updated with regular presentations streamed on Facebook Live. Hancock Public Health, meanwhile, updated the public through regular social media posts. In addition to sharing numbers on how many cases had been diagnosed in the county and how many people had been hospitalized, Health Commissioner Karim Baroudi occasionally posted messages on Facebook updating the public and encouraging people to stay safe. Ohio National Guard members Savannah Buzzard, Sebastien Magyari, Greg Jenkins and Jason Phillips prepare to test community members at a free drive-thru COVID-19 testing event held Aug. 25 at The Cube. Hancock Public Health reports 216 individuals were tested at the event. Courier file photo The health system set up a COVID-19 testing center on March 19, although later began instead directing patients to their primary care physician. Negative pressure rooms — designed so air flows out of the room but virus-contaminated air does not circulate into the rest of the hospital — were added to Blanchard Valley Hospital, and the health system reported on the availability of testing and new treatments such as monoclonal antibodies. In late November, as the hospital neared its capacity, Baroudi issued a "stay safe health advisory." And the hospital, noting that staffing was even more of a concern than beds, put out the call for past employees who had the time to return and take some shifts. Many responded. Many area nursing homes experienced large numbers of virus cases. The Heritage, the first in Hancock County to have residents test positive — in July — would be especially affected, with large numbers of cases in the fall. Nursing homes in neighboring counties that had outbreaks earlier in the pandemic included, in April, both Mennonite Memorial Home in Bluffton and The Meadows at Leipsic. Ways of life have also changed for nursing home residents and their loved ones, who are not able to visit as they like. Photos of family members waving to their parents and grandparents inside care facilities have circulated online, and various efforts have been undertaken to send cards and other greetings to nursing home residents. Loneliness and isolation have been serious concerns among the elderly, both at home and in care facilities. For many weeks this fall, Putnam County had the state's highest incidence of coronavirus cases, based on population. The Putnam County Health Department and other community leaders launched a "My Why" campaign on social media encouraging people to take safety precautions seriously. A year of challenging, exhausting health news saw a major positive development as 2020 drew to a close: On Dec. 23, Hancock Public Health began vaccinating first responders against COVID-19, with Blanchard Valley administering its own vaccines on Christmas Eve. A learning curve Members of Van Buren High School's Class of 2020 travel through their community's streets during a parade in their honor. Eighty-four seniors were set to graduate during a virtual ceremony in May. (Courier file photo) Courier file photo The sudden switch to remote learning in Ohio's K-12 schools in March came with its fair share of frustration for educators, parents and students alike, with most learning to navigate an online classroom in real time for the first time. The virtual terrain has put even the most experienced educators and the most dedicated parents in a tough spot: trying to educate a generation of digital natives on their turf. Colleges and universities also made an abrupt switch to online learning in the spring, with a great many classes continuing to be held virtually. The pandemic canceled traditional graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2020, with communities rallying to support their graduates with signs, videos, parades and drive-in graduation ceremonies. Many school boards faced pressure from parents, tired of the disruption both at home and school, to open the buildings. Despite attempts to open the school buildings to students this school year, most finished 2020 either partly or fully remote and will enter 2021 the same way. A staff shortage and high quarantine numbers in November made keeping all the school buildings open almost impossible for many school districts, including Findlay City Schools. Masked children get off the bus at Lincoln Elementary School on Sept. 8, the day Findlay City Schools started classes on its hybrid learning model. (Courier file photo) Courier file photo Despite the challenges, educators say they're adjusting. "It's such a new style of teaching and learning. We should have predicted there would be a learning curve …," said Becky Biesiada, co-president of the Findlay Education Association. Businesses struggled It was a topsy-turvy year for many businesses in Findlay. To get a sense for the difficulties, one need look no further than mainstay Marathon Petroleum Corp. Reduced fuel demand in the pandemic forced the refiner to cut nearly 300 jobs in Findlay and 2,050 companywide in September. As Americans' business and vacation travel plummeted and work-from-home policies rose, fuel consumption slumped. Marathon Petroleum lost over $10 billion in the first three quarters of 2020. Most of the losses were from write-downs in the value of inventory and other assets on its books. The company had nearly 2,300 workers in Findlay in 2019. Companywide, it had about 17,000, excluding those with Speedway, which is being bought by 7-Eleven in the first quarter of 2021. The worker cuts in Findlay were proportionately in line with those companywide. To the relief of many in Findlay, Marathon reaffirmed that the city still is its home. "Even after the reductions, we will continue to employ more people in Findlay than in any other community where we operate, given that the Findlay campus remains our headquarters," Marathon Petroleum stated last September. Findlay's relief notwithstanding, many other businesses and their employees suffered through the year. A state order in mid-March temporarily closed all Ohio bars and restaurants to in-house patrons. Findlay restaurants designed to mainly serve dine-in customers were suddenly grasping for carryout and delivery business to survive. Something was better than nothing, but businesses' adjustments could not match the revenue generated by sit-in guests before the pandemic arrived. Many businesses had to lay off some employees. Andrew Snyder, technician for Rainbow International, demonstrates the protective gear technicians wear to clean up coronavirus contamination inside businesses and homes. (Courier file photo) Courier file photo Restaurants were permitted to reopen in late May, but things were still very different. Waiters and other workers wore masks. Customers found fewer tables, chairs and other customers, for that matter, with restaurants forced to limit numbers of diners inside. Fewer customers meant less revenue for the restaurants. "For lack of a better word, it's been hell," Neeli Oler, owner of Dark Horse Restaurant, said last spring. "It's been gut-wrenching, really." Oler was not talking only about herself and her business. "My biggest struggle is my employees" — her voice cracked — "I even tear up talking about it, just because they've struggled," she said last May. "They get unemployment, things like that, but it's more than that." "It's being together. It's them wanting to work, and wanting to be with their customers and stuff." Overall, the federal Payroll Protection Program was credited with helping many establishments stay in business and some workers employed during the March-to-May shutdown. In July, the state began banning establishments from serving alcohol after 10 p.m. Many of the affected have decried the rule, which is still in effect. Alexandria's owner Mike Mallett called it devastating and absurd. "We were just as safe at 9 o'clock as we were at 11. Nothing changed. We still had the same spacing, the same COVID rules were in place before and after the curfew," Mallett said. "These people that were at our bar, when they were forced to leave, they left a COVID-safe environment. They would go to a house party where it was not safe. They were safer at the bar. The whole thing is silly." Poor sports Many words were used to describe the way area athletics were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: Delayed. Postponed. Lost. And yet none completely sum up what happened to sports — and to athletes — when athletics were suddenly stopped in the second week of March. High school athletes, though, got the worst of it. Spring high school athletes, especially. Fall and winter athletes at least had some kind of season. Yes, high school wrestlers in Ohio didn't get to compete in the state championships — Ottawa-Glandorf and Upper Sandusky each saw their postseason boys basketball runs end in the regional tournament without losing a game. But for the baseball, softball, track and boys tennis players, the pandemic ended a season that hadn't started. The Class of 2020 especially got the brunt of it. In the pros, there's always next season. In college, you can get a redshirt. High school seniors couldn't — and didn't — get their seasons back. So while the diamonds and rubber tracks sat empty for months, senior athletes could only wonder what might have been. Sports was affected on every level. There was no March Madness in 2020. Men's and women's basketball tournaments simply didn't happen. The NBA and Major League Baseball seasons were pushed back, then shortened. When professional sports did return, it happened not in front of a cheering crowd, but instead in front of empty seats. There was college sports this fall, but it was awkward. Division II and III colleges merely scrapped their fall contact sports. There was no University of Findlay football, volleyball or soccer seasons. Bluffton and Ohio Northern's fall programs were also affected. Findlay — and other area colleges — have resumed sports this winter. But that also is different. No fans, no media are allowed at the games. High school sports did return this fall. Coaches wore masks, social distancing was practiced. And the seasons did happen. The crowds were smaller. The state did complete its fall sports season, but not without some quirks, which were felt locally. Leipsic's volleyball season was paused for a few weeks in September due to COVID concerns. Hopewell-Loudon saw its football season delayed by a COVID-19 outbreak. It ended up opening its season on Labor Day afternoon. Ada played only three games before halting its season. Findlay's high school football team had a pair of games canceled. Winter sports started, though cancellations and postponements have become a nightly occurrence. Economic impact on the city "Like throwing darts with a blindfold." That's how Paul Schmelzer, Findlay's safety director, described trying to gauge the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the city's budget in March. The same could be said now, with city officials bracing for another difficult budget year. For Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn, in the first year of her first term as mayor, 2020 proved to be a test of her mettle. In March, Muryn said her office was receiving new information about the pandemic daily, and that the city would have to remain nimble and manage its way through it. She promised no changes in city services, and that promise held true. For city officials, much of the past year has been a difficult mix of "stop loss" and advance, with caution. The city's budget was cut to only the necessities, but an effort was made to complete projects slated for the year. The city's capital plan was modified, eliminating plans this year to purchase new equipment, vehicles, repair parking lots and install new street lights. City officials were also quick to help shore-up small businesses, making loans available through the Findlay Revolving Loan fund. More recently, the city awarded 15 subgrants from federal COVID-19 funds to help local nonprofits. All city departments have been asked to keep a tight control on spending heading into 2021, but again, there has been no talk of interrupting city services. In fact, many departments turned in smaller budgets for next year, along with a long list of goals. The budget being proposed for 2021 is about $5.2 million higher than anticipated revenue. City expenses are still expected to be about $30 million, but revenue is only being projected at $24.7 million, due to the expected economic fallout from the pandemic. Next year's revenue estimate is equivalent to what Findlay collected nearly seven years ago, in 2014. Approving the new budget will be Findlay City Council's first legislative act of the new year. Ways of life In Findlay and Hancock County, several nonprofit agencies had to cancel some of their largest annual fundraisers due to the pandemic, including Hancock Literacy's Community Spelling Bee, Christian Clearing House's Spring Garage Sale and Kiwanis Club of Findlay's Pancake Day. Fundraising is down for many charities, just as the need for their services has climbed. In some cases, organizations were able to readjust and change their plans. St. Marks United Methodist Church of Findlay hosted a drive-in Easter service at Emory Adams Park. Similar to a drive-in movie experience, parishioners remained in their vehicles and tuned in to a designated radio station. (Courier file photo) Courier file photo When the pandemic forced the Hancock Historical Museum to cancel its traditional Oktoberfest, for example, the planning committee developed a weeklong community celebration instead. And Findlay's eighth annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure moved its fundraising 5K and family walk to a virtual event. Some annual events, however, such as the Backyard Mission Trip — which would have celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2020 — and the 21st annual Flag City BalloonFest were outright deflated. Also canceled: Fourth of July fireworks displays, Memorial Day observances, the Hancock County Fair and the entirety of Marathon Center for the Performing Arts' calendar. 50 North, which serves an older population at high risk for coronavirus, closed its doors in March. Staff stayed connected with members by phone calls, and essential services like mobile meals, grocery delivery, and chore and housekeeping help have continued. Virtual programming has also been implemented for fitness and activity classes. The virus also disrupted traditional church services and gatherings for most of the year. In-person services were largely canceled for months at a time, and many churches transitioned to virtual worship and parking lot events. Even at churches where in-person worship has resumed, many have continued to offer a virtual option as well. By this point, most of us have celebrated a pandemic birthday. Again, this required a degree of creativity and flexibility, with many families hosting drive-by parades to celebrate. Many brides and grooms were forced to choose between a scaled-down wedding and reception or postponing their nuptials until 2021. Funerals, too, are not exempt from pandemic protocols. Many were scrapped for private family events, or were put off until a celebration of life can be safely held in 2021. More and more frequently, funeral services are being livestreamed for friends and family watching from home.