Hessville bar patrons remove masks, still believe they slow virus spread

The world is a much different place at McGing ’s Pub and Grub a year after the world came to a screeching pandemic-fueled halt.

The Hessville bar had opened March 14, 2020, just three days before Gov. Eric Holcomb ordered the state to shelter in place.

Owner Lisa McGing, who’d bought the former Flick’s Tavern with goal of revamping it, ended up having to cancel their inaugural St. Patrick’s Day party, and she and her employees were terrified at what their future held.

Tuesday afternoon, as patrons popped in for lunch and a drink or two, the ambience was lighter. On the first day of Holcomb’s lifting state’s mask mandate, half of them had their masks and half didn’t.

Now that the state’s not insisting on masks, businesses are free to enforce or not enforce masks as they choose. Some businesses, like Black Sheep Vape Shop in Highland, still have a giant sign on the door telling customers they must have a mask to enter and are met with a giant plexiglass window across the counter upon entry. Employees at Green Witch Cafe in downtown Highland also donned their masks Tuesday.

McGing’s, on the other hand, won’t force anyone to wear a mask. But they also don’t plan to discourage it, either.

“We have a lot of retirees and older folks come in, and I just want them to be safe,” Gonzales said. “I’ll always have (my mask) on me.”

Curt Simon, who owns H& K Auto Detailing in Hessville, said his business doesn’t deal with the public for long periods of time, plus they have a spray they use in the cars that disinfects for COVID19 and other viruses. But even with that level of safety, he’d rather people mask up.

“We’re still going to be as safe as possible,” Simon said. “It’s a paper mask. It’s not like you’re wearing a tieback suit.”

McGing’s ended up having its happy ending — after a rollicking St. Patrick’s Day party, they had a second a few days after to make up for the lost one, said bartender Kim Gonzales.

They were able to open a little earlier than the surrounding bars last May because they run a full kitchen, so business was crazy, McGing added.

“We had people from all over coming in because they just wanted to be around people,” McGing, who got her first vaccine dose Tuesday, said. “Even those patrons who went back to their ‘homes,’ (usual bars), I thank them dearly, because I don’t know what would’ve happened.”

McGing’s always insisted on safety and few people complained and those who didn’t get their way learned their lesson.

“There was a guy who came in and said “I don’t need no mask! This is a public place!’ He sat right in that seat there on the corner,” patron Fred Slowinski recalled, pointing to his left. “Well, they called 911, and he was escorted out.”

Slowinski, whose mask was in his pocket, said he wished people would’ve taken mask-wearing more seriously. His older brother died from COVID-19 in January, he said.

“It took 2 ½ weeks (to kill him),’ Slowinski said. “He went to the hospital — first week, they had him on oxygen; the second week, he was on a ventilator. Ten days later, he was dead.

“The way I see it, you got two choices: You can wear a mask or get the shot, or you can die.”