Back in the 1970’s and 1980’s there was a program on TV called “Eight is Enough.” Generation X’ers will probably remember the show. It was based on the true story of a journalist and his wife who were raising eight children. “The Brady Bunch” and “The Partridge Family” were other TV shows that focused on large families. Each of these half-hour sitcoms idealized the trials and rewards of raising a lot of children.
Our graduating seniors are facing some of the most important questions and decisions of their young lives. What do I do after I graduate? Do I try to find a job? Do I take a break from school and work and just kick back and relax for a while? Do I go to a vocational school or a college and if so what school or schools should I apply to? Will I get accepted at the school I want to attend?
Most of us don’t know what it’s like to skip a meal, involuntarily, or look in the refrigerator and wonder what you’re going to fix for dinner that evening. Because of the coronavirus, for a growing number of people in the area, this has become a reality. Two organizations are helping to make sure that individuals and families don’t have to face this dilemma.
Virtual schooling has been a new and challenging experience for most students, parents and teachers. It was born out of necessity due to the coronavirus quarantine. The system was put into place very quickly and, with anything innovative, there have been some glitches along the way. However, for the most part, everyone involved has adapted to online schooling.
Citizens in our community, our country and throughout the world have been coping with the psychological, physical and economic effects of COVID-19 for the past two months or more. For veterans and first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress, the struggle is even greater. Two local non-profit organizations have stepped up to the challenge to assist veterans in overcoming the additional stresses of COVID-19.
Education has taken on a new look and feel since mandatory closure of schools took place three weeks ago. Teachers, school administrators, parents and students have stepped up to the challenges (technical and otherwise) of online classes. Teachers and administrators spent their one-week spring break learning how to use the software and preparing lessons for their classes.
Nestled in a quiet spot off Neff Lake Road in Brooksville is The Arc Nature Coast’s Tumbleweeds Garden. It’s a labor of love for the volunteers, staff and the clients. Up to twelve clients work at a time on a rotating basis tending the garden, which produces an abundance of fruit and vegetables. The organization received funding for the garden through a grant from the Hernando County Health Department and the University of Florida IFAS Extension Service.
When everyone in Hernando County heard that we had the first death from COVID-19 on April 6, there was speculation as to who the forty-six year-old woman was. The brief statement issued that day did not reveal the story behind that impersonal statistic or the family affected by her untimely death.
by SARAH NACHIN
HERNANDO SUN
COVID-19 has taken a toll on everyone - emotionally, financially and physically. However, no one faces the stress of this current crisis like our first responders, doctors, nurses and other healthcare personnel.
Hernando County recently lost a beloved philanthropist, humanitarian, World War II-era veteran, active member of the Temple Beth David congregation for twenty-seven years and friend to many in our community and, indeed, all over the world. Mel Greene passed away on Tuesday, March 24. Mel was ninety-two years-old and he succumbed to a ruptured aneurysm.
