A Fresh Start

It was the last of a series of stunning images from 2020: Times Square deserted, except for small groups of first responders, as the ball dropped to ring in 2021. One final reminder: We have endured a year like no other — and now have a fresh start.

Of course, nothing really changed at midnight. Time, with a capital “T,” doesn’t observe such neat and tidy attempts to compartmentalize. All of the problems that existed at 11:59 p.m. on New Year’s Eve are still there. But there still was an unmistakable whiff of relief when the calendar turned over, and a feeling of a new start.

At the start of 2021, there is nothing more important than the ongoing battle with COVID-19, which devoured all of the bandwidth of the past year as well. There is some hope that the world can bring the pandemic under control in the coming year, though it’s important to keep in mind that there are no guarantees, and it will require continued commitment to social distancing and wearing masks, even as the vaccine rollout begins to gain momentum in the United States.

Communication is crucial, and it’s possible that a new administration in the White House will bring more unified leadership in taking the threat seriously and communicating clearly what people can expect, and what is expected of them. That’s particularly important as doses of the vaccine begin to be administered; too many people remain in the dark about where, how and when they will get the two shots that might help bring COVID-19 down. It will take time, but it’s essential that information flows as freely as the vaccine itself.

It’s worth pausing a moment to acknowledge that one of the greatest challenges of the pandemic — keeping kids in school safely — has been, all things considered, a remarkable success locally. Each school district has had its challenges, certainly, and there have been bumps in the road. But parents and taxpayers should take a moment to acknowledge the level-headed leadership and logistical dexterity of school officials and teachers alike: It is a crisis, and the response was commendable.

Students, too, deserve credit: Not since the epidemics of the 20th century has a school population faced such stress and disruption. Getting through the short term is challenge enough, but our educators and parents must consider the overall impact on a generation of young learners. It’s going to take close observation and innovative intervention in the coming years to address the damage.

In fact, mental health services will become urgent for the entire population in 2021 — and that’s an area that the East End has struggled with in recent years. Local government faces fiscal strife, but as it does it must keep in mind the needs of its most vulnerable populations, as well as the needs of virtually everyone who has survived this disaster, many with scars that will not fade quickly.

There is so much more, of course. But another top-of-the-list concern is getting local businesses back to good health. It’s going to be a heavy lift, but more hands can take hold.

Because while government has a role to play — for example, the loosened restrictions for restaurants, allowing outdoor dining in a region that was always wary of it, must be continued and expanded this year — every person plays a role. It’s about shopping locally instead of buying from Amazon or other online retailers, or going to big-box stores for major purchases. It’s about buying from local retailers, ordering takeout or delivery from local restaurants, enjoying the fare caught by local fishermen, and maintaining support for local arts organizations and other businesses so devastated in 2020.

It’s also crucial to continue support for the food pantries and other local charitable organizations that have been a lifeline for so many neighbors in need during the fiscal crisis resulting from COVID-19. The generosity of the South Fork in 2020 was incredible, but the same challenges are being carried forward into 2021 in many households.

In fact, that’s the message for the new year: January 1, indeed, feels like a fresh start, and can offer a boost, an injection of hope, at a time when one is sorely needed. But the underlying reality is that 2021 arrives with the same baggage from 2020, and it requires persistence and patience.

A new year is a new challenge. But we’re ready for it.