Here is what a few of your WHS Board Members have been doing and noticing during the pandemic.
Jeanne Union: I’m taking two ballet classes a week via zoom – and before the stay at home decree I was lucky if I took one each week. No excuses, no commuting, no problem! I’m also refreshing my French language skills using Duolingo.
Denise Vuilleumier: I’ve continued to go to the office everyday during the pandemic as the business I work for is deemed essential. We design and construct large concrete water tanks for municipalities (think 1-30 million gallons). As one of four still in the office, it’s a whole new norm. So, my days are filled with helping to keep safe 500 field employees working on project sites around the US while also helping to keep our 150 now remote office employees engaged, safe, and well – sane. And while I would love to say that I am being creative, painting and taking beautiful hikes – that would be a lie. I’m too exhausted. Alyssa and I have found the time to sew a couple of dozen face masks and make our way through a couple of Netflix series. It is nice to use the 4H sewing skills for more than pillows! Stay safe – miss seeing everyone!
Jim Clark: Carolyn and I have been hunkering down, staying isolated.
On sunny days we do a lot of yard work — burning fallen pine branches, pruning forsythia, cutting down a birch tree, etc. If it’s raining, we do inside projects, sort through old papers, watch the news on CNN and MSNBC, or I read Jill Lepore’s These Truths, a dense and very detailed history of the U.S. We’ve been enjoying the quiet life.
Kelly Ross, Treasurer: The thing that strikes me most about the effect of COVID-19 in town is how much it has changed the town center. With Town Hall, the Museum, the Library, The Parish Center for the Arts, the First Parish Church, Roudenbush, and Roudenbush at Frost, the town center is normally full of activity. Now whenever I drive through, even at morning rush hour time, the town center seems almost like a ghost town.
Dan Lacroix, Vice President: April is usually a very busy time for those of us who commemorate the first days of the American Revolution, and in particular, the events of April 19th, 1775. While we’ve participated in the annual Col. John Robinson Trail walk in all sorts of weather conditions, there was no question that we had to cancel the event this year. Since April 19th fell on a Sunday this year, my family and I decided to at least walk the last 4 of the 10 miles from Westford to the North Bridge. It was a beautiful day, and a great reason to get out of the house!
Leslie Howard, President: My days are spent with my three young children and my husband who is now working from home. We are busy with schoolwork and remote learning while getting outside as much as we can! The littlest is just happy to have her whole family home with her! We participated in the Westford Bear Hunt and have done Birthday Parades. I’ve been sewing masks and scrub caps for my friend and her coworkers at MGH, as well as others. We’ve been doing a lot of FaceTime and Zoom, but miss seeing our friends and going to our activities around town. Now that I’m not going to the grocery store, I’m realizing just how much I used to just “run into Market Basket.” I’m looking forward to an iced latte from Starbucks!
Linda Greene, Director: How has the pandemic affected my life? Social distancing is horrible, while Zoom has been a great way to connect with family and friends, I miss hugging my mom. I hate wearing a face mask (which feels more like a blanket across my face) when out grocery shopping. I am walking more than I have since I was high school, and I have recently discovered I like doing jigsaw puzzles. I have a couple disinfected puzzles I can share.