Every day decisions must be made in our lives which deviate living from the norm. Much of it is stimulated by the results of the pandemic COVID-19. Schools and school boards must make decisions in uncharted areas. Online only, or a hybrid, or, blend? In the most recent week many schools have changed to online learning instead of strictly classroom situations or, a blend of online learning and classroom. The majority of the public schools in our counties made the change to only online because of the increases in COVID-19 deaths and cases.
Safety is paramount. It is unfortunate that some situations become political in any direction regarding masks, or, online learning. Health is a priority. Politics is secondary. Views are plentiful. We would be better if we could have visual affects of COVID-19, however, we can not see it or easily identify it. The rate of four percent is seemingly small, until the four percent touches our loved ones.
There are legitimate concerns about the quality of learning online. Motivation becomes a greater quality for the individual. Those reluctant to take online learning seriously may fall behind, however. One view is in Reader’s Commentary this week is on page 4.
• There are many side effects to COVID-19, which we understand through many examples. The enthusiastic Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club, which last met in March at the Montgomery VFW Post 7452, set a meeting for 7 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 6 at One East Benton Street, the former Aurora Public Library. Setting parameters to keep distance was important. The day is a test to see where the group goes in future weeks. They had been meeting every other Thursday morning and had been drawing close to 100 at the VFW. Ron Hain, the Kane County sheriff, was the scheduled speaker. Masks were an essential request.
• A peaceful march and rally in Oswego Sunday was a part of the continuing focus of Black Lives Matter, a theme to emphasize that all lives matter.
There were six speakers, the first four are students at Murphy Junior High in Oswego.The four dedicated youngsters: Shyell Lowe, Kameryn Rasberry, Kiersten Rasberry, and Isabell Gershon. Two involved adults were speakers, Julianna Karvelius, a teacher at Murphy Junior High School who was the organizer of the march and rally, and Ella Fahlstrom, a mother of four. Each spoke with passion and dedication.
“I was not involved, until I heard George Floyd call out for his mother (May 25 in Minneapolis a few minutes prior to his death at the knee of a police officer),” Fahlstrom told The Voice. “That was a clarion call to all mothers. We have to be active and reach out for understanding.”
Understanding in society is pivotal. One of her final words in her brief remarks in front of approximately 60 standing outside of and seated in the pavilion, “I am thankful to the (Caucasians) white people in attendance. “We need your help, if we are to be successful (reaching other members of society).”
The rally was the first held by the group since a rally in Wheatland area that drew 200. Another rally is in the works.
The Oswego Police Department maintained a presence at the rally which was youthful and peaceful on a sun-drenched day.
• Kane County COVID-19 testing Monday, July 27 through Sunday, Aug. 2 included more than 2,000 free tests. Here are the sites by day and the number of tests at each place: July 27, regional office of education in Geneva, 239; July 28, Kimball Middle School, Elgin, 401; July 29, Kimball Middle School, 403; July 30, Dundee-Crown High School, Carpentersville, 367; July 31, Illinois Youth Center, St. Charles, 212; August 1, Phillips Park, Aurora, 186; August 2, Dundee-Crown, 348.
• The 1967 Chevrolet Camero donated to raise funds for Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity (see The Voice July 30 issue) has 400 tickets for $100 each available at the Genesis Community Church in Montgomery, 1300 Broadway, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and at foxvalleyhabitat.org.
Clear and Concise, Week 31:
A visit to common words most commonly pronounced incorrectly because old habits prevail, however, a change to be correct should be easy:
• Larvae: It may be minute, however, it should be Larvee and not Larvay.
• Minute: Depending on the meaning it could minute, or, mi-nute;
• Often: The silent letter T makes it Offen;
• Data: If the word had two letter Ts, they both would be pronounced, however, with one letter T, the first part is pronounced as though it were day-ta;
• Status: Similar to Day-ta, above, it is stay-tus and not stattus.
• Economics: The letter E is long and pronounced as an E, and not as eckonomics;
• Okay, it should be helpful to those who care, however, habits are formed early in life. Some individuals who grew up in or lived in the Atlantic regions will pronounce the prefix con as though it were khaan. It makes it interesting at times.
• In the Chicago area one identifying expression is use of the word by instead of to as in let’s go by their house, when it should be let’s go to their house. It is distinctive Chicago and we do not hear it as different because it is in our common usage.