Monday, November 23, 2020

Restaurants during the pandemic - Charcoal Guidos

 


By Francis Meuse

              The nationwide pandemic forced the permanent closure of more than 100,000 restaurants, while hundreds of thousands of others are in serious financial troubles.

              This has led to millions of workers to lose their jobs and others asked to work in unsafe conditions.

              The restaurant industry has predicted a 225 billion dollar loss, according to the National Restaurant Association. These numbers have affected a wide range of workers, from students trying to make part time money, to full time workers relying on a steady paycheck to support themselves and families.

              Lou Giovanetti, owner of Charcoal Guido’s in Waltham, Massachusetts, said his Italian restaurant was hit hard.

              “There’s a thin line of margin in the restaurant business,” said Giovanetti.

              He decided to close dine-in eating at Charcoal Guido’s due to the state lockdown. “Our staff went from 27 workers to only four workers,” said Giovanetti.

              The restaurant plans to use the “hibernation” phase during the incoming winter months.

                   The hibernation plan is a strategic way to keep restaurants operating, while keeping them from losing money. “This includes high margin foods, take out only, and limited menu sizes,” said Giovanetti.

                   “We never know what’s going to happen next, since the governor could decide to go back into lockdown at any time,” said Giovanetti. Those in the restaurant industry have tried to do many things to make up for the loss of revenue during the lockdown.

                   One idea includes outdoor dining for restaurants, which Charcoal Guido’s decided against, even though other restaurants on Moody Street created outdoor dining areas for those who choose to go out.

                 “An outdoor dining area can cost restaurants more than $20,000 to run,” said Giovanetti. Tables, chairs, umbrellas, gas tanks, and heating tanks are all factors that need to be paid for when creating outdoor dining.

                 “Poor weather can cause the whole outdoor dining operation to get ruined for a night, or even longer depending on the weather,” said Giovanetti. Many owners ask if outdoor dining is worth their businesses time.

                 Governor Baker announced new executive orders on reopening due to the rising Covid-19 cases in Massachusetts on the morning of October 29th. “There are many more important decisions us restaurant owners will be forced to make over the next few months,” said Giovanetti.

                 Although many dine-in restaurants are struggling to re-open, the fast food and primary take out spots have rebounded at a much quicker pace.

                 The convenience of picking up quick food, without having to come in contact with other individuals, has been viewed as a factor for this.

                  Kevin McAvoy, part time worker at BnF Pizza, saw his hours increase. “Take out restaurants make it easy for people to get food without having to worry about cooking or coming in contact with the virus,” said McAvoy.

                 “We didn’t have to worry about laying off workers, instead hours were cut for a period of time,” said McAvoy. Unlike many major restaurants in Waltham and around Massachusetts, sub shops and fast food places have been able to see the growth of their companies over the past few months.

                    According to The Wall Street journal, fast food restaurants and pizza shops have seen sales grow between 10% and 20% during the Pandemic. The advantage of having mobile apps, drive-thru services, and quick store pickups has helped the industry surge over recent months.

               David Ellison, a sixteen year old high school student, said the Coronavirus Pandemic has impacted him along with other members of his family. As a bus boy at Tuscan kitchen, Ellison has relied on a part time paycheck over the last year and a half.

               “Ever since I got the job at Tuscan kitchen, I have been able to pay for things on my own without the help of my parents,” said Ellison. A three month government lockdown, left workers from waiters and waitresses, to host and bus boys their jobless.

                “Over 20 workers, including my mother, were told we would not be working for a while,” Ellison said.

                This caused uncertainty in Ellison’s household. “Our family struggled for a bit considering the circumstances, but my parents were able to bounce back after a while,” Ellison said.

                Although his mother received unemployment benefits, Ellison did not. “My age and the amount of time I was able to work, made it difficult for me to collect any sort of unemployment payment,” Ellison said.

               “The virus has caused this problem for millions of people around the world, but I hope a possible second lockdown doesn’t cost my job again,” said Ellison.

               Ellison and other restaurants workers rely on tips and other payments week to week. “Another lockdown would be hard for my family to deal with,” said Ellison.

               His mother, Collette Ellison, worked as a waitress at the Tuscan Kitchen for the last 13 years.

               “As waitresses, we rely on building relationships with our customers,” she said. Although, the pandemic has forced her and other workers to be more cautious and more distant from those in the restaurant.

               “restrictions on the number of customers allowed in my work has created less opportunity and chances to work,” she said.

               Due to the pandemic, the restaurant industry has been required to make changes over the past six months and faced new rules by the government to reopen.

                 These restrictions included a limit on the number of people allowed in one area at a time, including a six person per table limit, disposables menus, and the number of workers allowed inside.


Wednesday, November 18, 2020

The Impact of COVID-19 on Students with Disabilities

 By Caroline Bunnell

For parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities such as Maureen Dumais, COVID-19, and online school had more of an impact on her daughters learning than she ever imagined. 

 

Dumais’ daughter was forced to learn virtually when schools closed during the spring and has only recently returned to in-person learning. 

 

“It can be over stimulating for her. When she has to see a lot of faces on the screen, that increases her anxiety and so once her anxiety increases, she can’t learn,” she said. 

 

Dumais is a parent of one of 149,745 students with disabilities in Massachusetts dealing with online schooling this year. 

 

In her case, Dumais is also a high school science teacher, instructing other parents’ children.

 

“I can’t imagine if I wasn’t a teacher how difficult it would be to try and help a child with severe special needs,” she said. 

 

“I’m an educator, but I’m not a special educator, I’m not certified in severe special needs, so I was having trouble trying to help her because I wasn’t familiar with the programs,” she said. 

 

Dumais’s daughter Ella, is 8 years old and has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, an intellectual disability, anxiety, and ADHD. 

 

She said that her daughter just went back to in-person learning on October 15, so it has been very difficult for Ella to do online school for that long period of time. 

 

Many schools have allowed students with disabilities to be back in-person. 

 

According to mass.gov, special educators will receive additional training and supplies in order to protect both themselves, and the students.

 

Carleigh Campana, 18, of Stow, Massachusetts, worked in classrooms with students who have disabilities all throughout high school, and is currently studying special education at James Madison University. 

 

She said that it’s really important to have special needs students in a physical classroom because they need routine and personalized assistance. 

 

“Most of the students thrive off of routine and structure and being at home all day does not give them that,” she said. 

 

Julie Fay, a special education teacher at Nashoba Regional High School, agreed with Campana and described what the school is doing for learning this school year. 

 

“Luckily, we are back in person now, with our students being the only ones in the building. Many of the students are immunocompromised, so protecting their health is very important to us,” she said. 

 

“However, it is nice to be back in the building, to give these kids some sense of normalcy,” she said.

 

According to the Marcus Autism Center, even at home, parents of kids with special needs should be implementing routine as much as possible.

 

“All children learn best from repetition, and children with autism spectrum disorder, especially appreciate predictability and patterns,” the Marcus Autism Center reports.

 

According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, schools are required to uphold the education plans described in the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). 

 

“A regular and consistent schedule of classes, interventions, services, and therapies required by the student’s IEP, offered synchronously and/or asynchronously,” the DESE notes. 

 

Schools have been working hard to accommodate students with all types of disabilities and personalizing different plans for each individual. 

 

According to Edutopia, a website educating people about how to educate every type of learner, it is important that teachers understand how difficult it is to achieve the same goals, that students would reach if they were in person. 

 

Dumais understands the need for routine, but also acknowledged the need for adaptation, because she knows her daughter could not truly focus for the amount of time allotted for learning, every day. 

 

“A lot of times I found myself just saying, let’s just go read a book, or let’s practice coloring, something to get her off the computer, because she was getting frustrated,” she said. 

 

Special Education teacher, Julie Fay, emphasized Dumais’ point and said that students with disabilities can’t be expected to learn the same way they would if they were physically at school. 

 

Fay said that although routine is important in a normal circumstance of learning, schools need to change their expectations for special education students, at this time. 

 

College student, Carleigh Campana, described how new COVID-19 restrictions can also make in-person learning more difficult. 

 

“For in-person, that’s really hard with social distancing, and masks. The masks I know are tough for a lot of individuals with disabilities, especially with autism because of the sensory aspect,” she said. 

 

“A lot of students are still learning boundaries and personal space in general from their peers and teachers, so keeping that six feet distance has to be really hard,” she said. 

 

Dumais said that she has been lucky because her daughter is doing well wearing a mask but has found social distancing much harder.

 

She said this has set Ella back in her understanding of social skills, because she missed such a larger amount of time of in person instruction. 

 

Campana said that she spent a majority of time working specifically on social skills with the students, which is one of the most significant things students were missing out on, while doing online learning. 

 

“The main focus of a special education program is functioning in society, and being as independent as you can, so that includes social skills. That includes things as simple as not hugging a stranger, or how to take turns, simple things like that which you really can’t get if you are stuck in your house,” she said. 

 

Dumais was grateful her daughter was allowed to return to in person learning, because she knows how much more beneficial it will be in the long run. 

 

“Allowing her to have the direct one on one time, with her providers sitting right next to her, able to redirect her is so much more beneficial to her learning. She needs a lot of redirection, a lot of movement breaks, and she can’t attend that long to a screen,” she said. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COVID-19, climate change, and racial tension: A recap of the 2020 Presidential Debate

 By: Caroline O'Sullivan

With a television audience of 73 million Americans, Republican President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden faced off for the first time to discuss their stance on important national topics. 

 

The first of three presidential debates, sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates, was held and broadcasted on live television on September 29th. The debate was held at the Health Education campus of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. 

 

Due to the COVID19 pandemic, only 80 viewers were able to attend the event in person. Per the Cleveland Clinic, these 80 individuals need to abide by proper social distancing protocols, remain six feet apart, and to wear masks at all times. 

 

Audience members were to remain silent throughout the debate to maintain flow. 

 

Moderating the debate was Fox News Anchor Chris Wallace.

 

The debate was divided into six, 15-minute segments, each segment covering a specific political topic. Each candidate was allowed two minutes to speak, with an opportunity for an open discussion after. 

 

The first topic surrounded the succession of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court's former associate justice. Ginsburg's final wish was that the replacement of her position is filled after the election. The Trump Administration is hoping to replace Ginsburgs' position right away with the Court of Appeals lawyer Amy Coney Barrett. 

 

The first question surrounded whether or not Ginsburg's succession should wait until before or after the election. 

 

Trump said, "We won the election; the election has consequences. We have the White House and a phenomenal nominee who is good in every way."

 

Following this statement, Trump said Coney Barrett has many liberal endorsers and has received high praise from many. "We won the election; we have the right to choose her."

 

Biden, speaking directly into the camera, said that this replacement was an abuse of power. 

 

"The American people have a right in the say for the Supreme Court Nominee, just like they vote for congressman and a president. We should wait to see how the election turns out before any decisions are made," said Biden. 

 

The second segment focused on the nation's current pandemic and why the American people should trust the candidates in dealing with this public health crisis. 

Biden jumped in and said that we have 5% of the world's population of cases in the United States alone, and 20% of the deaths. He said that Trump knew how severe this virus was, and he panicked. 

 

"He wasn't transparent. He waited." Biden said. 

 

Biden said that we should be providing more personal protective equipment (PPE) and use the money that the House of Representatives passed to get the help people need. Further, we need to find out what we need to do to save lives, he said.

 

Trump followed Biden by saying he saved lives according to White House doctor Anthony Fauci. "I did a phenomenal job." said Trump. He said that he got the proper PPE and made the ventilators needed to save people. 

 

"We are weeks away from a vaccine." Trump said. Trump also said that he hadn't done a good job due to his portrayal by fake news. He followed it by saying to Biden, "you could not have known how to do the job." 

 

Trump also brought up the Swine Flu (H1N1 virus) that swept the country back in 2009 and remarked on Biden's poor job of handling that vice president. Trump also led by saying that the COVID19 vaccine has become "political." 

 

Biden combated Trump's statement and said that many companies are talking about "maybe" having a vaccine. If we are lucky and we find something, it could be until 2021 before it arrives. How are we able to trust that one is weeks away, said Biden.

 

"He knew this virus was a major problem and did nothing about it.", said Biden. "If everyone social distanced and wore masks in January, this problem would have been so much better. 

 

Biden said that Trump placed disagreement and pressure onto Dr. Fauci and proposed how the American people should trust his statements with all the lies he has given. 

 

Biden followed by comparing his smaller, masked, and distanced political rallies with those of Trumps. 

 

Biden said during his political rallies, everyone is far away from each other and practicing safe protocols. 

 

Trump's political rallies of 30 to 40,000 individuals, completely disregarding the social distancing policy and prevention of the spread of COVID19, said Biden. "he is irresponsible." he said.

 

Trump answered this statement and said, "because people want to hear what I have to say."

 

When the third segment regarding the economy hit the debate, Fox News moderator Chris Wallace describes how Trump sees the economic recovery as a "V shape" where Biden believes it's "K-shaped." 

 

The V shape describes a sharp decline followed by an equally intense increase. The K shape postulates that the wealthiest Americans are "rebounding and thriving," while the middle and lower-income classes continue to suffer. 

 

During the debate, Trump said, "the economy is recovering faster than expected. I created the greatest economy, and it fell due to the China plague." Trump said he placed 10.4 million people back into the workforce after losing their jobs due to the COVID19 recession. 

 

"People want their businesses open." said Trump. Biden replied and said, "safely."

 

Biden quickly answers, saying Trump has fewer jobs in his current administration than when he entered office in 2016. "People that lost their jobs were those on the frontlines, saving the lives of others and dying at the hands of it. Trump has insisted opening despite an increase in cases. You can't fix the economy until you fix the crisis". 

 

Biden's economic plan would increase the corporate tax from 21% to 28%, making large business conglomerates pay more taxes and in a different tax bracket than middle-class Americans. 

 

Further, Biden said his economic plan would create more jobs, 1 trillion in economic growth. He also stated the importance of "buying American." 

 

The next segment surrounded racial tension and racism.

 

This year, Trump recently passed to expand the ban on racial sensitivity training that covers white privilege and race theory. 

 

When explaining why he did that, Trump said these trainings teach individuals to "hate our country."

 

"I ended it because it was racist. People were complaining that they were asked to do things that were insane, that it was a radical revolution that was taking place in our military, in our schools all over the place", said Trump. 

 

Trump also said he had released many Black prisoners from jail and that he is doing better than any republican surrounding race in this country. 

 

When asked to delve on the country's racism, Biden said, "it's about decency and the Constitution. We require equity and equality for the whole of America; we don't just walk away from it." 

 

Biden also said Trump wants to "divide, rather than unify" the United States. 

 

Biden's solution to alleviating the nation's racial tension and police brutality epidemic is through calling together a group of people and working it out. 

 

Biden believes that rather than defunding the police, they need further assistance from licensed mental health professionals and community policing. 

 

"Violence conducted by officers should be prosecuted." said Biden. 

 

When addressing climate change, Trump said that our numbers of carbon emissions are "low." He described the air and water quality as "crystal clear" and said that people are happy with his administration. 

 

Trump said that they are planting trees, and with better forest management, the forest fire problems can diminish. 

 

Biden offered a different plan. He said that cheap oil, fuel, and gas have zero renewable energy. "We must take the federal fleets and run them electronically." he said. 

 

Highways will have charging stations placed. The new infrastructure will be green. Cars will be built to be more weathered and emit less gas so the heat won't escape. Biden's green deal will pay for itself moving forward. 

 

Biden hopes to create more energy production jobs to help with the high unemployment rate and plans to rejoin the Paris Accord. He plans to donate money to Brazil to protect the endangered Amazon rainforest. 

 

"The Green deal will pay for itself moving forward," said Biden. 

 

At the closing of the debate, both Trump and Biden emphasized the importance of taking time to vote. Trump heavily encouraging his followers to vote in person or through absentee votes. Biden closed, saying he will "be a president not just for democrats, but for republicans."

 

 

More information gathered for this story can be found from these sources 

 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/30/economy/k-shaped-economic-recovery-trnd/index.html

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/09/29/presidential-debate-trump-claims-he-moved-end-racial-sensitivity-training-federal-agencies-because-i/3583361001/

 

Emma Weiss -The Hardships of Terminating

By Emma Weiss
                                                                    The Hardships of Firing

Jean Tennihan, the senior vice president of human resources at Dedham Institution for Savings, says she is “where she is supposed to be.” It took 46 years to get there.

            Jean Tennihan started as a part time teller at the community bank, which serves the Greater Boston area, when she was just 19 years old. She eventually moved up to a full-time teller, then landed in customer service, followed by a promotion to assistant branch manager. She later became a human resources representative and in 2010, was promoted to her current position, senior vice president. 

Dedham Savings has no stockholders to please, so unlike many nationwide or New-England wide banks, Dedham Savings forms their own decisions, which is just one of Tennihan’s favorite things about the bank.

             Tennihan’s responsibilities include hiring, terminating, and counseling employees. She also works on benefits and payroll, along with record reporting, government reporting, disciplinary action, and annual reports. Tennihan is responsible for the “people part,” as she says. Tennihan has hired every employee who currently works at Dedham Savings besides her other two HR representatives. 

            Tennihan said she “lives in the land of grey” in her job. 

She is on call at least once a week with 40 or more HR workers from other banks around New England. 

She said most people look at their job in HR as black and white, and she will never be able to do so, which can be both a blessing and a curse. 

            Tennihan said her least favorite part of her job is terminating. 

“Firing people always eats me up. Part of it is that even if we have sat with someone and told them what we had to do and set the expectations, there is still this lingering feeling that I hold on to; that I am sending them back out into this world with no job. They have to tell their friends and family that they lost their job and that their unemployed, and that is heart wrenching to me,” she said. 

            Tennihan recalled a time where the former CEO of Dedham Savings sat down and talked to her about her new position.

He said to Tennihan that he thought she was ready to do her first termination. 

“If your job ever gets easy, it is the wrong job. You should always feel affected,” she said the former CEO told her.

            Going into this position, Tennihan said that she thought her job was to “make everyone fit at the bank.” 

The first termination was with the “kindest man I have ever met,” she said. 

She said that he would “bow his head when he greeted you, he was so respectful and kind, everyone loved him, but he could not balance as a teller.” 

The man went through teller training multiple times to learn his job, but he just could not get the hang of it. 

            “I took him into my office, and I started to cry immediately,” Tennihan said, “and he counseled me instead, saying, Jean, it is okay, I will be fine.”

            Tennihan said he came back to the bank to see her after two months. He was driving a brand-new BMW because he had become salesman of the month at the BMW Gallery. 

“It was this little switch that went off…I was trying to make a square peg fit in a round hole…if I kept trying to make him work here, I would have held him back from where he belonged. It was a termination that ripped my heart out, and then it was a switch that made me realize that my job was not to make everyone fit in at Dedham Savings.”

            Tennihan said that one of the biggest hardships of firing people is that the situation could be the boss’s fault more than the employee. 

“Bosses can also be very black and white, and demanding of their employees,” she said. 

Tennihan recalled a story of a termination of a woman who claimed she was made to feel like she was not good enough for her position by her supervisor. When she told Tennihan her side of the story, Tennihan bought her flowers the next day, and apologized that she was made to feel this way at the bank. This made Tennihan realize she had to make her actions less formal and more personal within the bank.

            For example, there was an empty office that was too small for someone in HR to work at. So, Tennihan went to Home Goods, bought two big comfy chairs, a sofa, a pillow with the words “be kind” stitched onto it, and a framed Pablo Picasso quote. She created a space where she could counsel employees. She said her interest in mediation has helped with this job, working to make people happy. 

            Tennihan said that even after all these years, hiring is still her favorite part of the job. She gets excited about bringing someone into the company, knowing the possibilities that Dedham Savings can grant them with. 

 “We continue to marvel at the uniqueness of this organization as we look around and witness the day to day interactions of our workforce. The diversity and blending of cultures create a value and a subtle education to our day to day conversations. Our harmony is not only valued by our employees, but it is noticed and complimented by consultants, customers, and vendors who visit our bank. And while there may by an Organizational Chart that designates the necessary vertical reporting structure, there is a horizontal feel in every sense of the word as we acknowledge the value and individuality each employee brings through the door every day.” 

Tennihan said that there are always going to be people that hear things differently. She recalled one time where she was responsible for extending vacation time. Instead of just two weeks, she made it two weeks and two days, so employees could have a little time after their two-week break to bounce back into work. She could not wait to share this news. A lot of employees were excited. But one 15-year employee said in response, “is this going to be retroactive to the day I started at the bank?” 

Tennihan lost her sense of excitement and it was that moment when she realized how every individual has a different focus.

Tennihan said she never expected herself to work in HR. 

She never finished college and was not sure what the future would hold for her. 

She said her job reaffirmed her theory that “we land where we are supposed to be.”

 

Some Sports Are Allowed to Play During The Pandemic

 By Caroline Surrette 

Playing, watching, and coaching high school soccer this season comes with risks and new rules, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Woburn Memorial High School girls’ varsity soccer team’s 2020 season might be postponed indefinitely due to the pandemic and teams in the Middlesex League cancelled sports this fall season.  

Last week the team celebrated the senior players on their senior day. 

Senior captain of the WMHS team, Bridget Guiendon, said she wants to make the best of the season while she can.  

“The seniors have been playing soccer their whole lives and now they don’t get the season they truly deserve. It’s devastating for the players and their families watching them, “ coach of WMHS team, Trinity Fuller said.

Guiendon said the season kept getting delayed. She said not being able to practice as a team was frustrating.

Assistant coach and former collegiate player, Megan Crowith, said the preseason, which was cancelled, is important, because the players get to know one another.

“If they don’t get along off the field, it makes it that much harder for them to get along on the field,” Fuller agreed.    

Guiendon said despite not having a preseason they are making their team dynamic work.

Sophomore forward, Anna Casey, said her teammates are excited to start playing again.

Players must wear masks and social distance during practices and games.  The Massachusetts Interscholastic Association of Athletics Covid-19 Task force had to change rules for the 2020 soccer season to start.

The MIAA board voted to delay the start of the fall season until September 14. 

“Everyone is willing to do whatever it takes to play,” Casey said.

Guiendon and Casey said it is difficult running with a mask on.

“Wearing the mask was tough for them at first but we’re trying to make the best of it. I think we are doing a good job with it so far,” Fuller said.

Guiendon said coaches and spectators must wear masks and the athletic directors and coaches are responsible for holding their fans and players accountable.

Coaches must ensure social distancing is maintained between players constantly, according to the MIAA rule book. Casey said prior to contact at games and practices, all players must complete a survey and take their temperatures.

Guiendon said the teams are only allowed to practice together three times a week. She said they practice Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

“On Mondays we do conditioning drills. Thursdays we always scrimmage. Fridays we prepare for our games because our games are always on Saturdays,” Guiendon said.

“Drawing up drills can be difficult, there’s more factors that I have to consider because we are playing during a pandemic, but the girls do a good job following the rules that were put in place,” Fuller said.   

Guiendon said the referees and coaches in the league do a good job of enforcing the rules during games. 

“I think everyone wants to play so everyone’s following the rules. We all want to get through the season,” said Guiendon.    

Guiendon said one team in their league does not follow the rules.

Casey said there is a reason the rules were put in place and it’s frustrating to see other teams breaking them.

“I would hate to see their season get taken away from them because some people can’t follow the rules,” Crowith agreed.

The Boston Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released a statement that said, “If we can do sports, we'd certainly like to, but only if we feel like it can be done in a safe way. We may have to modify sports."

Casey said one new rule is if a player intentionally heads the ball it is a foul.

The MIAA modified the rules for the 2020-2021 soccer season. 

“There’s a foul called ‘the Covid foul,’ they call it when we get too close to a player on the opposing team,” Guiendon said.

Fuller said the goalie’s punts and goal kicks are not allowed to go past the half and corner kicks are now indirect kicks.

“It changes the dynamic of the game, it forces us to do a lot quicker and shorter on the ground passes,” Fuller said.  

Guiendon said they are no longer allowed to throw the ball in for throw ins, they must kick it in on the ground.

“We have to wait for the refs to blow the whistle to let us throw the ball in, before we could just grab the ball and throw it in. The game is more paced now,” Guiendon said.

Fuller said they also took away timeouts, which makes subbing and managing the game difficult.

“When I see the girls start to get sloppy and tired it’s hard to get them to regroup and start playing like a team again without a timeout. I have to make my message more direct between the quarters,” Fuller said.

The MIAA rule book states that there will be no timeouts allowed and the games will be played in four quarters with a half time after two quarters.

Guiendon said the quarters give players a mask break. She said between quarters they get two minutes to rest and ten minutes at the half.

“The refs are very strict about us keeping our masks on at all times, they threaten to throw us out of the game if your mask slips under our nose,” Casey said.

Fuller said the state is trying to keep everyone safe which includes the coaches, players, spectators, and refs.  

Guiendon said each player on her team was given one lanyard to give to a person of their choice. She said to watch the game spectators must wear the lanyard and those who don’t have one must watch form their cars or stand outside a fence far from the field.

Crowith said the league cancelled one of their games because Woburn had too many cases of Covid in the city.

“Our school didn’t have any cases at the time, our city had too many, so Reading said they didn’t want to play us,” Casey said.    

Guiendon said Woburn’s athletic director reached out and asked Reading if the players could play without spectators. She said the Reading athletic director said no because Woburn was a red zone.  

“It’s frustrating that we won’t get to make any of the games up that get cancelled, but it’s understandable. We will just have to capitalize in the games we do play,” Fuller said. 

Since the school year started there were 129 cases of Covid among students in Massachusetts, reported the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  Two of those cases were Woburn students, according to the DESE.      

The most players allowed on a varsity high school team in Massachusetts is 30, making it possible for athletes to encounter 120 other players in the Middlesex League according to Mass Soccer.  

Guiendon said no players in their league has had Covid-19.

Fuller said there are a lot of people in their county and they are trying their best to keep everyone healthy and give the athletes a good season.

“Our priority is to keep the players safe. I hope we can get through the season and give our seniors a senior day they will remember and enjoy,” Crowith said.

 

 

 A post game interview with senior captain Bridget Guiendon. 

Sources

Cohan, Alexi. “202 New Cases of Coronavirus Reported in Massachusetts Schools.” Boston Herald, Boston Herald, 22 Oct. 2020, www.bostonherald.com/2020/10/22/202-new-cases-of-coronavirus-reported-in-massachusetts-schools/.

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. “Positive COVID-19 Cases in Schools.” Coronavirus/COVID-19: Positive COVID-19 Cases in Schools, 2020, www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/positive-cases/.

MIAA. “Rule Modifications and Guidelines.” Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association , 2020, www.miaa.net/gen/miaa_generated_bin/documents/basic_module/SoccerModificationsFall2020.pdf.

Reports, Staff. “MIAA Votes to Delay Start of Fall Sports Season to Sept. 14.” NBC Boston, NBC10 Boston, 21 July 2020, www.nbcboston.com/news/coronavirus/miaa-considers-coronavirus-guidelines-for-school-sports/2163022/.  

“Rules and Overview.” Massachusetts Adult Soccer, www.mass-soccer.org/page/show/3238552-rules-and-overview.

New England Restaurant Scene Changing Due to Covid

By Dion Kourafalos

    Restaurant workers and locals alike say that the restaurant experience in the New England area has changed drastically due to Covid.

Some restaurants have been forced to shut down for good, while others have had to significantly alter the way they do business.

According to a recent study from the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, 20% of Massachusetts restaurants have been forced to close due to the pandemic. Out of almost 16,000 restaurants across the state, 3,400 have recently closed. 

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker called the struggles local restaurants are facing “heartbreaking”, but said “It’s part of what comes with Covid.”

Krystal Freitas, 19,  who works as a waitress at the Segregansett Country Club’s restaurant in Taunton, Massachusetts, said when the restaurant was first able to reopen during the first phase of Covid restrictions, they had to seat customers outside on their deck, and could only operate at 25% occupancy. 

When Phase Two was put into place, they were only able to operate at a 50% occupancy, and had to remove tables in accordance with social distancing guidelines.

Freitas said that these restrictions were tough for the business.

 “There was talk every week that we might have to shut down for good. Even our regular customers who still came in would be telling us they hoped we didn’t have to close.”

In the end Segregansett did not shut down, and is now almost back to where they were before the pandemic, said Freitas. 

“Thankfully we are still open and doing well. I’d say that recently we have had the same amount of customers daily that we had before Covid.”

Restaurant goers are also noticing a big difference in the overall dining experience before and after the pandemic, and the impact is felt all over New England.

Nolan Carlson, 19, from Seekonk, Massachusetts, said “Micheletti’s Restaurant in my town used to be the spot where people would go to hang out. It was a gathering place. Now it’s takeout only. Now they started using their ice cream window that wasn’t usually open before Covid. They just need more ways to attract customers with all the restrictions.”

Ethan Penn, 19, from West Hartford, Connecticut, said “In my city I think we rallied together to help the restaurants stay afloat. They set up the outdoor dining and takeout, and lots of people still went out and ordered food. I think the cities that don’t care are getting their restaurants shut down, so it is up to the cities to help them stay open.”

Local restaurants are not the only ones being affected by the pandemic, and chain restaurants are also shutting down in large numbers. Starbucks has been forced to close almost 400 stores, while McDonalds is shutting down 200.

Burger King has even put out an ad urging customers to order from McDonald’s, as well as other chain and local restaurants, in order to save these restaurants from going under.

The ad read, in part, "We never thought we'd be asking you to do this, but restaurants employing thousands of staff really need your support at the moment. So, if you want to help, keep treating yourself to tasty meals through home delivery, takeaway or drive thru."

Cam Clark, 19, who works at a Pizza Hut in Woburn, Massachusetts, said that after Covid they implemented new safety measures such as glass shields, social distancing guidelines, and wearing masks, but the way they prepared the food did not change.

However, Clark said the amount of customers in the location did change. “We’ve definitely had way less people come in after Covid than we did before.”


Women in the Workforce: The Impact of COVID-19

 By Jordyn Forte

When 24-year-old Ashley Lafontaine gave birth to her first child in January, she had anticipated taking a few weeks away from her job at Dave’s Marketplace on maternity leave. She never anticipated those few weeks turning into nine months and counting because of the Coronavirus.

 

On January 28 when Lafontaine’s daughter, Rileigh, was born, the Coronavirus had not yet slammed the United States.  

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had only confirmed the first Coronavirus case in the United States on January 21, a week before Lafontaine gave birth.

 

In the days and weeks following Rileigh’s birth, the number of Coronavirus cases in the United States continued to rise steadily, officially surpassing 100 confirmed cases in the U.S. on March 3.

 

As news about the severity of the Coronavirus emerged, Lafontaine said she decided to take more time out of work to spend with her then one-month-old infant. Due to childcare concerns, Lafontaine eventually left her job.

 

Data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey revealed that nearly one in five (19.6%) adults are out of work as a direct result of disrupted childcare arrangements.

 

Of those who have retained their jobs during the pandemic, “mothers with young children reduced their work hours four to five times more than fathers,” another study published in Gender, Work, and Organization found.

 

In Lafontaine’s case, the decision to quit was a result of scheduling conflicts.

 

With Dave’s Marketplace having reduced its hours because of the pandemic, Lafontaine said that her schedule – which was opposite to her husband, Jeff’s – no longer aligned with her husband’s, making it impossible for her to work, as it would leave her daughter without a caretaker.

 

Lafontaine said the threat of the Coronavirus, especially where she now has an infant’s health to consider, also weighed in heavily on her decision not to return to work.

 

While her husband picked up extra hours at his job – transporting car parts and materials for auto repair shops and dealerships – to compensate for their temporary loss of income, Lafontaine also looked for new ways to contribute to her family’s finances.

 

“I wanted to find a way to help while also staying safe and being able to take care of Rileigh,” Lafontaine said.

 

To do so, Lafontaine now works as a Door Dash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub delivery driver when her husband is at home watching their daughter.

 

Lafontaine also works as an independent consultant for Pampered Chef when she is at home caring for her daughter.

 

“Working for Pampered Chef is great because I can work around Rileigh’s schedule, which is different every day,” Lafontaine said.

 

Though things have been a bit tumultuous for her family since the onset of the pandemic, Lafontaine said that she is still grateful to be in the situation in which she finds herself, as she believes others have been impacted by the pandemic far more greatly than she and her family have been.

 

“I’m grateful I don’t have school-aged children during this crazy time. School closings and shut downs have caused thousands, if not millions, of families to experience financial issues, which only places added stress onto mothers and fathers who are trying to provide for their families during the pandemic,” Lafontaine said.

 

As a working mother of three school-aged children, Meredith Davis, 41, said that she has felt the stress of the pandemic in her everyday life.

 

“This pandemic has caused all sorts of headaches for Ben and I,” Davis said.

 

Davis’ children, Dylan, 12, Rebecca, 9, and Meghan, 8, all attend public school in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

 

When Davis, who works at Amazon, and her husband, Ben, who works for EDENS, a retail real estate owner, operator, and developer, are busy with work obligations, they generally rely on a babysitter to watch their three children.

 

However, when Rhode Island Gov., Gina M. Raimondo closed all public schools on March 14, the Davis’ were initially left without any childcare.

 

As a result, Davis said she was forced to reduce her work hours.

 

Weeks into the pandemic, Davis said her husband, who normally commutes to and from Boston, began to work from home. 

 

To accommodate this, Davis said she would stay home with the kids in the morning while her husband worked in his home office; the two of them would then reverse roles, with Davis going into work for a later, closing shift while her husband would stay with their children.

 

With her children’s education currently being delivered in a hybridized in-person and online format, Davis said that she and her husband are forced to keep juggling their schedules in a balancing act.

 

When their schedules do not line up and they need someone to watch the children, Davis said she reaches out to her father, who lives in Connecticut, as a last resort.

 

Like Davis’ father, there are a number of other grandparents who have been stepping in to assist with childcare roles during the pandemic. 

 

Donna Laplume, 54, has always played an active role in her grandchildren’s lives, but she said that the circumstances surrounding the pandemic have made her more involved in her grandkids’ everyday lives than ever before. 

 

Laplume lives with her 26-year-old son, Jordan, and his seven-year-old son, Hunter.

 

While her son works, Laplume watches her grandson.

 

Laplume’s grandson attends Flora S. Curtis Elementary School in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Because of the pandemic, Laplume’s grandson is receiving his education remotely this fall.

 

As a result, Laplume said that she has taken on the role of a teacher for her grandson.

 

“I do distance learning with Hunter from nine o’clock in the morning until two-thirty in the afternoon,” Laplume said, “and I help Hunter [with his schoolwork] when he needs it. I also check to make sure his work is done.”

 

Though Laplume is able to aid her grandson, she said that she is sure there are many grandparents who don’t know how to work laptops or newer technology well enough to properly assist their grandkids.

 

Helping her grandson with his virtual learning in the morning has also caused Laplume, who works as a customer service representative at Bed Bath & Beyond, to have to change her availability at work.

 

Laplume said that she used to work opening shifts but has since adjusted her availability to closing shifts because of pandemic-imposed childcare concerns.

 

Though Laplume said she is still working the same number of hours as she did before adjusting her availability, she said that her new schedule is demanding.

 

“Having to change my hours has had a tremendous effect on me, my routine, and my personal life. I do distance learning with Hunter until two-thirty in the afternoon and I have to be to work for three – I really only have Sunday to do as much as I can, so it’s difficult for me to make appointments and complete errands,” Laplume said.

 

“I was fortunate that I was able to change my hours at work,” Laplume said, “many people can’t, and if I hadn’t, I would have to rely on my 75-year-old mother, who has asthma and other health issues, for help – that would worry me.”

 

“This pandemic has really turned everyone’s lives upside down,” Laplume said.

 

Also disproportionately affected by the pandemic are those working on the frontline.

 

According to data produced by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), women account for 64.4% of the workforce in all frontline industries, and they comprise 76.8% of the global healthcare workforce.

 

Kristen Scott, 42, a Registered Nurse at Morton Hospital in Taunton, Massachusetts, said that the pandemic has affected her emotionally, mentally, and physically.

 

“I’ve watched too many patients lose their lives to the Coronavirus, most of them dying alone with no family by their side. My coworkers and I have had to serve as these patients’ family members, staying by their bedside and holding their hands as they take their last breaths,” Scott said.

 

“Caring for those infected by the virus is also stressful,” Scott said, “because I have myself and my loved ones to worry about too – my mother is 67 and I don’t want her getting sick.”

 

Scott’s concerns are shared by many others, as demonstrated by data collected by the American Nurses Association (ANA), which found that, “87% of nurses [who responded to the survey] fear going to work.”

 

With the pandemic consuming the entirety of both her home and work lives, Scott said she feels burnt out and exhausted, so much to the point in which she had to take a stress leave from work from July to September.

 

Multiple studies have found that depression, burnout, and suicide are generally more prominent in individuals working in the medical field than in other individuals.

 

According to the National Academy of Medicine, “Studies found that the risk for suicide among male physicians was 40% higher than for men in the general population, [and] for female physicians, that risk was 130% higher.

 

“Sadly, this pandemic will have lasting effects on many,” Scott said, “as the Coronavirus does not discriminate.” 





Restaurants during the pandemic - Charcoal Guidos

  By Francis Meuse               The nationwide pandemic forced the permanent closure of more than 100,000 restaurants, while hundreds of th...