Local News

Coping with COVID: March 23

Local musicians help H-F stay connected. The Chronicle starts a list for local businesses to post their solutions to operating under the state’s stay-home order. Metra is helping healthcare workers. WHO recommends a shift from “social distancing” to “physical distancing” (because socializing is still important).  

Connecting with music. It’s not an accident that local festivals and farmers markets always have live music. We connect with each other through music, whether we perform it, dance to it or just let it wash over us. There’s not much live music to be found these days. However, on Wednesday, March 18, Robin Wallen Noble posted an idea in a local Facebook group, Moms & Dads of Homewood-Flossmoor: “We have so many talented musicians and singers. In light of the charming serenades in Italy, France, etc… What if there was a nightly FB performance in our community?” On Thursday, local musicians responded with the first performances of what Noble calls HoFlo Serenades. The first was Heather Hoefle, District 153 music teacher, who shared “Lullaby for the World,” a piece she wrote for the occasion. She plays flute while her husband accompanies on euphonium. 


Keep the local news flowing: The Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle has started experiencing reduced ad sales due to the impact of COVID-19-related restrictions, and we expect the situation to get worse before it gets better. We could use a little help to keep things going (and we’re sensitive to the fact that we’re far from alone in that regard!). We have a donation link on our front page and would be grateful for whatever bit of help readers can provide.


Businesses adapt: Local businesses have been moving quickly to adapt to the Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s order mandating physical distancing, effectively closing most stores and restaurants to the public. The Chronicle has started a web page where H-F businesses can share their new ways of doing business, including adjusted hours, whether they offer pickup or delivery services and how customers can place orders. Businesses are posting on their own websites and social media pages, but through the Homewood and Flossmoor business associations they have been invited to use the Chronicle page as a clearinghouse for information. 


Homewood trustees to hold hybrid board meeting. Trustees and the village clerk will be attending the board meeting Tuesday, March 24, by conference call. Mayor Richard Hofeld, Village Manager Jim Marino and Assistant Village Manager Napoleon Haney will be in the board room at village hall, 2020 Chestnut Road. And residents will be allowed to attend provided they observe recommendations to keep at least six feet apart to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The meeting will be recorded and the video will be posted on the village website


Metra supports healthcare workers. Metra posted on Monday: “Medical personnel on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic can ride free on Metra trains for the duration of the state’s ‘stay at home’ order. For details click here.”


Terminology: physical versus social distancing. During a March 20 briefing, World Health Organization doctor Maria Van Kerkhove said: “You may have heard us use the phrase physical distancing instead of social distancing … Keeping the physical distance from people so that we can prevent the virus from transferring to one another; that’s absolutely essential. But it doesn’t mean that socially we have to disconnect from our loved ones, from our family. Technology right now has advanced so greatly that we can keep connected in many ways without actually physically being in the same room or physically being in the same space with people so … we’re changing to say physical distance and that’s on purpose because we want people to still remain connected.”

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