March 12, 2020 by Carol Britton Meyer
As the Hingham community struggles with concerns centering around the coronavirus, The Rev. Tim Schenck of St. John's Church offers some words of encouragement and advice today in an email to parishioners announcing the shut-down of all in-person parish activities and Sunday worship for the next two weeks.
"I invite you to reach out to each other," he states in part. "Check in on the most vulnerable among us, make a phone call, say a prayer, connect in ways you may not otherwise have done. . . . I do know that there will be glimpses of hope and resurrection all around us, even in the days ahead. I pray that through this, we will emerge renewed, strengthened, and emboldened in our faith."
Rev. Schenck's remarks can be a source of comfort for the entire community: "The good news is that God is often revealed in the midst of trying times, and we all remain in the potter's loving hands."
As Hingham officials and other members of the community work to find the best approach for dealing with the coronavirus threat, individuals and families are heading out in droves to stock up on groceries, hand sanitizer, face masks, and cleaning products, often finding large crowds of customers with overflowing shopping carts.
There is a widespread shortage of not only hand sanitizer and face masks, but also powdered milk and toilet tissue at local stores and even online.
A local grocery store clerk was heard to say Wednesday night that the number of shoppers over the past four days surpassed the Christmas season. One customer called the large number of shoppers at Trader Joe's on Thursday "nuts."
On the school front, Supt. Paul Austin will be participating in a conference call of all Massachusetts superintendents tomorrow and continues to keep the community posted.
Extra hand sanitizer has been placed in more locations than usual at Town Hall, where officials are addressing the coronavirus issue.
"We are thinking through a number of alternatives relating to public meetings and I know that the town moderator is working with town counsel and Executive Health Officer Susan Sarni to think through approaches to the upcoming [April 27] town meeting," Selectmen Chair Karen Johnson told the Hingham Anchor. "I think we are acting responsibly and thoughtfully, being mindful that we are in an area that has been defined by the state as low-risk for the virus.
"We are fortunate that we are coming to the end of the busy meeting season so that many groups can take a break before town meeting," Johnson said. "We are hoping to have more information about the virus by the end of the month and will continue to monitor and plan accordingly. The town is in direct contact with the state and is working on this issue every day."
Director of Elder Services Jennifer Young said the senior center is following the recommendations of the Hingham Health Department. "We're making accommodations for any programs and classes that don't allow for a six-foot social gap [six feet apart]," she said. "Our programs are still happening on a class-by-class, program-by-program, hour-by-hour basis."
The March 23 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Hingham Senior Center has been postponed because such a large crowd was expected.