Viewing the changes

With Omni Reporter just over a month old, it's jaw-dropping to take stock of how much as happened in my home state of Vermont over the past four weeks. The short list: the state shut down, curb-side pick-up became common, essential workers stepped up, volunteers stepped in everywhere to help, masks became required in public, thousands of unemployment checks were sent out, some small crews were allowed back to work this month, and, this week, the Vermont State Colleges' chancellor resigned after a now-withdrawn plan to close three college campuses met with fierce criticism.

However, as the impact of COVID-19 deepened, the march toward spring never stopped. The weather warmed, people got outside, the birds chirped a little louder, and gardeners started planting. All the regular signs of spring still came out amid this irregular year, as if to remind us they're still here — and so are we, still strong and determined to press on.

We'll be doing more stories related to the things of spring in the coming weeks, along with providing insights into the more difficult topics that a pandemic brings with it. For now, that's the dichotomy living among us, but the part of life that bridges the two, is the fact that neighbors keep helping each other. We know that won't let up, because it's who we are. And that gives us all hope.

— Gareth Henderson