LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The remarkable people who keep things moving in this pandemic

Like many readers, the closing of schools and daycare centers meant a lot more time at home with our son.

While balancing work meetings and deadlines made it difficult to maintain a constant schedule for our toddler, he always looked forward to Tuesday mornings — garbage collection day.

For the past four months, around 10 a.m., my son, my wife and I would walk outside so he could see and wave to the “Big truck! Big Blue truck!” as it drove westbound down our street, looped around and headed east to pick up our recyclables. Then as it went to the next house on the street.

A week or so in, the man behind the wheel began to wave back and soon thereafter the two of them would wave to each other as he went down one side of the street and up the other.

Three weeks ago we made the tough decision to send our son back to daycare. On that Tuesday, my wife and I walked out to our sidewalk and stopped the truck as he pulled in front of our house. We expressed to him our gratitude for engaging with our son each week and wished him well.

We could tell he shared the same sentiment. Each week, I still make it a priority to walk out to our street and say hello as he picks up our canister and moves onto another house.

While the state continues to battle COVID and many of us remain home, let’s not forget the men and women who pick up the trash, repair the streets, drive the buses, and ensure our homes have electricity that we’d otherwise not see while at work.

Say hello, thank you, and wish them a good day or week because, like our health care professionals, their jobs don’t stop during the pandemic.

Jack O’Connor, Phoenix.

Children aren’t apt to get sick. The older people they live with are.

Dear Gov. Ducey, your mandated delay in opening schools is understandable considering we are the worst spot on the globe for COVID-19 outbreaks.

I’ve watched and read about the current president’s insane demands to get students back in school because of the “science.” Apparently, he believes that because kids don’t die from this, their parents, grandparents and teachers won’t.

He’s never taught. And since he paid others to take tests for him, he might not have spent much time in school; however, it is a petri dish.

During a normal year, teachers and staff are consistently fighting colds or getting ill from exposure. Finding substitutes to cover an occasional day or three is difficult.

In our district, I often had to cover for my peers, because a single sub couldn’t be found. What are we going to do when, not if, outbreaks occur? Adults are sick for months.

Who will teach the students? Who will run the offices? And what are we going to do when teachers and beloved staff die?

The trauma of students and employees will be something hard to even imagine. Please keep this in mind when you think about reopening and feel the pressure of this president’s unconscionable demands.

Jonathan Brechner, Scottsdale

Trump has so debased the Oval Office, it ain’t worth beans

After watching President Trump promote Goya Foods while sitting in the Oval Office behind the presidential desk, the Republican members of Congress Devin Nunes, Jim Jordan and our own Debbie Lesko must be so proud!

They defended a man during impeachment who has debased the most powerful job in the world by promoting a food company.

What a waste of time for a man who should be defending our servicemen against Russian bounty payments.

I guess the only thing President Trump knows about bounties are the paper towels!

Marvin Mondlick, Scottsdale