Council Meeting Cancellations & A Note From Mayor Clem, March 12th, 2020
Obviously there have been many declarations of emergency, warnings about public gatherings, a presidential address, and the schools of Sultan and Monroe are now closing for several weeks to help prevent the ongoing spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
I want to emphasize the importance of precaution while at the same time guarding against the dangers of panic. The City of Gold Bar will cancel the March 17th city council meeting as well as the April 7th council meeting. We do this to comply with the recommendations against public gatherings and to hopefully do our part to curb the spread of this virus. Please keep in mind that you can spread this virus without feeling sick, or knowing you have it which is why we are encouraging an abundance of precaution.
That being said let me speak specifically to the few thousand residents that live in and around the City of Gold Bar. I know that there is confusion, there is concern, and there is also plenty of criticism about both the virus and the way that it is being handled and reacted to. The Sky Valley is strong, we aren’t typically in frequent community gatherings of more than 250 people, and we tend to know that it helps to have some extra supplies around the house. When we are faced with various difficulties we tend to work together and to help our neighbors. That’s why I’m encouraging the citizens of Gold Bar to do what they have always done, help each other. We can do this in several ways:
- Help prevent un-needed spread of germs and viruses. If you can stay home, please do. Keep your hands as clean as possible and try to clean them after touching often touched places like door handles etc. If you can avoid large groups and busy times at stores please do what you can. Don’t panic, if you need to go to the store, then go. If you want to go to a restaurant or a movie, then go. Just be safe, and be cautious and careful.
- Get your information from the CDC. We all like to communicate on social media, to watch the news, to pass around articles, and to be entertained by the antics of our state and federal governments (not to mention the city…) but in the matters of specific information about this disease how it spreads, and measures that you can take, please don’t source your information from Facebook, Instagram, and cable news. Remember that they are selling ratings and likes, and it’s sometimes good entertainment and sometimes good information, but too often it’s sensationalism that can lead to greater panic.
- Ask for help. If you need something, like hand sanitizer, soap, toilet paper, food, water etc. Please let someone know. The City will help in whatever way we can, there are food banks, churches, Red Hats, community groups, neighbors, and many other organizations that are in our city and are willing and able to provide help, but they need to know what you need and how they can help. So if you need something, say something, let the community provide for each other. We may take shots online at each other over politics, traffic, speeding, ATV’s, logging and whatever other issues are going on, but ultimately I believe that most people in this city would go without their own comforts if it meant being able to help someone else meet a need. Gold Bar and the Sky Valley are a wonderful community that prove time and again that we are stronger than our circumstances. Take this opportunity to help your neighbors and to be helped if you need something.
I’m not declaring an official state of emergency, that has already been done on many levels, and there is no organizational or financial benefit to declaring emergency in the city at this time.
Instead I’m again asking for precaution over panic.
Feel free to reach out to the city if you have questions, or need something from us. My cell phone number is published on the city’s website as well as the email addresses of staff and city council. We are here to help.
Thank you,
Bill Clem
Mayor, City of Gold Bar