Thumbs up, thumbs down
Thumbs up to Stamford Public Schools officials working with parents on developing alternatives to virtual high school graduations. “I appreciate that they’re listening to students and parents,” said Stamford High School student Jenna Calorossi, who created an online petition seeking an alternative solution. Ultimately, the input of the health department must outweigh all other factors, but it’s encouraging to see a collaboration between the community and officials on a way to satisfy students and parents regarding a landmark day in their lives.
Thumbs up to King School, meanwhile, for giving its commencement a very memorable personal touch. This weekend, staff from the Stamford school will visit the homes of each member of the Class of 2020 to present diplomas and invite them to shift tassels while maintaining appropriate social distance. Educators and participants at the 84 homes in Connecticut and New York will wear caps and gowns.
Thumbs down to the recent rash of car thefts in Stamford. Unfortunately, it’s a reminder to drivers to lock their vehicles. Apparently, too many of these thefts were made easier because of unlocked doors with keys left inside. We’ve seen this trend before, including in Greenwich and New Canaan. Once thieves realize unlocked doors are common, they target neighborhoods. Videos on security cameras capture youths running down streets checking door handles. For the sake of everyone, keep those doors locked and pocket those fobs.
Thumbs up to Proctor & Gamble donating $2.5 million to Stamford-based Americares. The donation will be in the form of cash and protective gear, which Americares distributes to health workers combating COVID-19. Americares has assisted health facilities in 12 countries during the pandemic, and delivered more than 60 tons of gloves, masks, gowns and disinfectants.
Thumbs up to Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo for pitching the idea of closing part of Greenwich Avenue for limited hours to create an outdoor dining area while seating is limited during the pandemic. Ideas of reinventing Greenwich’s downtown came up frequently during campaign season. This could present a chance to explore innovations, while luring more customers to struggling businesses. Hopefully, this can happen quickly and inspire ideas for the future.
Thumbs up to a few of our own. Of the many awards collected by Hearst Connecticut Media in the annual Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists contest, two deserve another round of applause. Emilie Munson and Kaitlyn Krasselt collected the Theodore Driscoll Award for Investigative Reporting for “Harassed at Work,” a series that exposed workplace harassment in the state, while Tara O’Neill picked up the First Amendment Award for her work covering a protest surrounding a police shooting that resulted in her arrest by Bridgeport police. The awards, two of the top three presented last week, invite entries from all media in Connecticut.
Thumbs down to nursing homes cited for poor infectioncontrol practices during the pandemic. While there are a lot of factors contributing to the high rate of deaths related to coronavirus at nursing homes, it is unsettling that some of them declined to separate COVID-19-positive residents from others, improperly or failed to use protective equipment and failed fundamentals such as proper hygiene. We admire the work of staffs at nursing homes, but such watchdogs must remain vigilant to reinforce best practices.
Thumbs down to a rise in hospitalizations, albeit small, near the end of the first week of the first phase of Connecticut’s reopening. Hospitalizations have been a key metric as the state looks to get back to business amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the numbers had been favorable leading into the reopening of restaurants for outdoor dining, along with other changes. But weekend numbers saw a slight increase, indicating the state is not out of the woods yet. Officials will be watching the numbers closely as Phase 2 of the reopening approaches next month.