Cheers &Jeers

Cheers

to the owners of Phinneys for doing what was necessary to survive the pandemic.

The iconic store in downtown Kentville, owned by Andrew and Miriam Zebian, is still going strong after 100 years in business.

That’s no small feat.

It speaks of decades of ingenuity, offering

importantly reliable products — and perhaps most — quality customer service.

And it speaks volumes about the support from the community at large.

We often hear stories of businesses closing due to a lack of local support. That’s not the case here.

Phinneys has been a staple in Kentville’s downtown core since Lewis (Lew) Wendell Phinney of Middleton bought the store in 1922.

And even prior to that, E.J. Bishop operated a men’s clothing store in the same location in the late 1800s.

Although it’s changed hands several times over the years, shoppers have remained steadfast in their support.

The Zebians, who purchased the business in 2013, said they are forever grateful for the support they received during the pandemic. Customers purchased gift certificates to be used at a later date.

They ordered online — a new service the

government Zebians rolled out when the provincial closed non-essential businesses in 2020 to combat COVID-19. And as restrictions were eased, customers resumed inperson shopping.

For Andrew Zebian, it’s not unusual to see him at the store long past closing time.

“When you’re in here, it’s very social. People come in and visit.

“It’s very one-on-one, so I don’t get all of my work done in the daytime,” he admitted during a recent interview with the SaltWire Network.

A police officer even asked him if everything was OK when they noticed the lights were on at the store early one morning.

Connecting with people and giving them the best shopping experience possible is what drives him.

Phinneys prides itself on offering a personalized service. Perhaps that’s been the key to their success all along.

Jeers

to those people throwing caution to the wind and living life like COVID is completely over. It’s not. While the provincial government lifted nearly all public health restrictions in

March, COVID is still circulating in our communities.

In fact, community transmission is much more likely now.

Plus, the highly infectious strain remains a real health risk, especially to those with weakened immune systems or who have underlying medical conditions.

The trouble is, we don’t know where the hot spots are.

Provincial data is now released weekly, offering a basic overview of how many died, how many cases were reported, median age range.

It’s not super helpful.

Although this variant is deemed milder,

continues it’s more infectious and the death toll to climb.

Last week, the province announced 10 new deaths attributed to COVID, bringing the total COVID-related deaths to 255. Since Dec. 8, when the so-called mild Omicron wave began, there’s been 143.

Remember when the premier and the province’s top health doctor held daily briefings and expressed condolences whenever there was a COVID-related death? Long gone are those days.

While it’s true we must learn to live with COVID, and it’s healthy to stop obsessing over the virus, for many, this reopening has been a bit too rushed. Removing safeguards — like masks, contract tracing and limiting indoor capacity — has only helped the virus spread..

For those who managed to miss the first few waves of COVID, that streak is likely coming to an end very soon.