Thanks to those who stepped up amid pandemic

I think everyone did the best they could during these trying times, and our county and our state did better than most.

As the pandemic drags on, with hopefully the worst of it behind us here in Maryland, I urge everyone to consider pausing for a moment to remember someone who helped you or others during this time and thanking them.

There are many people who deserve to be called heroes for their work during the pandemic, including doctors, nurses, paramedics and other first responders on the front lines. There were also people behind the scenes, including friends, neighbors, and acquaintances who helped in so many other ways. Personally, I am thankful for the people I work with here at the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court because they made a positive difference in so many people’s lives.

I’m thankful for the people in our licensing department who helped over 500 people get married that might not have been able to otherwise. When in-person wedding ceremonies were shut down statewide, Gov. Larry Hogan issued special authority to allow online ceremonies.

We did many of those weddings for people who were without health care coverage until they could get married. We did wedding ceremonies for service members facing deployment. We even did one for a couple from their hospital room.

I am thankful for the people on our domestic violence team. It is sad to say, but domestic violence did not stop during the pandemic. Our domestic violence team never shut down. They were available to assist people throughout the pandemic, processing emergency protective orders and helping refer them to community service providers to assist them in their time of need.

I am thankful for the people who work in our land records department, who made it possible for the real estate industry to keep functioning.

When in-person filing of deeds and other land record transactions shut down statewide, they moved seamlessly to online and drop-box filings that kept everything running. They were able to process an estimated $7 billion in real estate transactions in Anne Arundel County during the pandemic, and the local real estate market is having one of its best years ever.

I am thankful for the people who work in our courtroom, criminal and civil departments. People come to the courthouse seeking resolution for some of the most contentious issues in their lives, and this didn’t stop during the pandemic. Issues like divorce, child custody, adoption, and criminal matters still needed to be resolved. I’ve had a lot of people ask me if everyone in the court stopped working and went home during the pandemic. Far from it.

Thanks to the judges, court administrators, sheriffs, attorneys and everyone who works in the courthouse, our court was able to hear more cases than the rest of Maryland combined. There is still a backlog of cases, but we are working through it quickly, together.

I’m also grateful for the grocery stores and other businesses selling essential supplies. I’m grateful to the restaurant and hospitality industries, whose businesses were so hard hit and, hopefully, are now getting back on their feet. I’m grateful to the community organizations that saw the need for their services skyrocket even as their contributions decreased.

And I am certainly grateful for the teachers and school administrators who had to deal with so many changes so fast regarding classes online, in-person and hybrid, knowing the whole time that some people were going to tell them they were wrong no matter what they did.

I think everyone did the best they could during these trying times, and our county and our state did better than most. So, for that I am grateful as well. If you are grateful to a person or a group for what they did during the pandemic, I hope you take a moment to thank them too.