Annus horribilis: That’s Latin for ‘2020’
There’s usually more good news in the annual year-end wrapup
‘Annus horribilis” is Latin for “2020.” No, the phrase actually means “horrible year,” but this must be the year for which the phrase was invented.
I am writing on Tuesday night, and I fear there will be terrible events Wednesday or Thursday that will come after this piece is submitted.
Like a vampire, we can’t rest until we plunge a stake through the heart of 2020 and make sure it’s really dead.
The virus
In January and February, many thought the news about the new virus was just the latest “The sky is falling!” hype from the national media, but we soon learned that this time the sky really was falling, figuratively speaking.
Locally, Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris showed true leadership in keeping the public informed, offering words of inspiration, and preparing the fairgrounds for overflow Coronavirus patients.
Schools closed in March for “10 days,” which turned out to be eight months and counting.
Distance Learning proved better than nothing, but nowhere near as good as traditional in-person learning.
Restaurants closed for all but takeout, opened for outdoor dining, opened for indoor dining, closed for indoor dining, and, at year’s end, closed for outdoor dining.
Miraculously, many have survived, but it has been a nightmare for them and so many other businesses.
Restaurateurs were justifiably livid when Gov. Gavin Newsom was caught dining indoors with his rich pals during a time when he ordered restaurants to close for all but takeout.
Newsom — and many other Democratic politicians — did not help persuade people of the importance of COVID-19 protocols when they failed to practice what they preach.
I, for one, take the virus more seriously than the governor, and do not engage in large indoor gatherings.
No one could agree on anything regarding the virus or anything else. Some people, including many Republican politicians, refused to wear masks.
Some parts of the country never had draconian lockdowns and seem no worse off than our once-Golden State.
The choices — go on like normal and overload the healthcare system or shut everything down and crush the
economy and people’s health and their souls — remind me of the Odyssey.
In Homer’s epic poem, the sailors must navigate narrow straits between two deadly monsters: Scylla and Charybdis.
Or, as the saying choose your poison.
As I write, 29,683 Antelope Valley residents have tested positive for the virus, and 244 have died. The numbers will be higher by the time you read this.
It got worse
The Coronavirus was quite enough, but then came the dreadful case of George Floyd, an African-American man who died under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer.
Riots broke out around the nation, but cooler heads prevailed here in the AV, with organizers putting on literally peaceful protests.
JetHawks fly the coop
Most everything shut down in local sports this year. Pro sports put on abbreviated seasons with no fans, and the Dodgers and Lakers won championships.
Major League Baseball officials, a greedy lot, pared down their number of minor league affiliates, and the Lancaster JetHawks are no more.
Politickin’
goes,
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, ended the year closer than anyone expected to achieving his dream of becoming Speaker of the House.
Contrary to predictions, Republicans won every “toss-up” seat and closed the Democrats’ margin.
Many predict the GOP will take the House in 2022, but you can see the previous paragraph about the value of predictions.
Mike Garcia, representing the Palmdale portion of the AV, was among the Republicans who defied predic
tions to hold onto his seat.
The Antelope Valley Union High School District voters did the right thing, re-electing Jill McGrady and electing back to the board Donita Winn.
That put an end to the foolishness wrought by board members Victoria Ruffin and Amanda Parrell — the no-no twins who obstructed everything.
Slumbering Los Angeles County residents made the mistake of electing far-left George Gascón over the excellent incumbent Jackie Lacey for District Attorney.
He essentially doesn’t want to prosecute anyone and wants to get previously prosecuted criminals out of prison. Recall talk began day one, and rightfully so.
Turn, turn, turn
As this awful year wound down, we learned of the passing of long time Antelope Valley Press Senior Scene columnist Bettie Urbina, age 95.
Bettie began writing columns with the old Ledger-Gazette in Lancaster in the 1950s, and after many years out of newspapers, returned to write for us, covering the senior beat.
She was a great columnist and an even greater person. She will be missed.
This was the last year on Earth for Billye Deaver, Steve Chimbole, Dorothy Rawlings, Bill Montamble, Al Munoz, Earl Prichard, A.C. Warnack, Ingrid Chapman, Dr. Sinn Moorthy, Deacon Ed Caputo, Beatriz Rodríguez Ramos, Miguel Ángel Díaz and Cynthia Beverly. They brought great joy to those whose lives they touched.
This was the first year on Earth for Evelyn Rosemarie Britton, Odin Wayne Roberson, Mateo Villaseñor Mejia, Abel Russell Breiner, Adriel Velasco and Kevin Rocha. They, too, brought much joy to this otherwise “annus horribilis.”