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Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Mayor's update: Reaching out at a time of high anxiety, anger and sadness, and remembering to stay safe

By Grayson Vandegrift
Mayor, City of Midway
     I have been reaching out to leaders in our church community in hopes of continuing a conversation we started in our park nearly 3 years ago so that they can help us decide where we should go next. I will keep you updated as to those details.
     Ours is a time of high anxiety, anger, and sadness. Since I have no answers about what the future holds, I always find comfort in looking to the past. Our shared history and my faith teaches me that we are not novel in struggling with racism, division, and pandemic. We continue to have a problem with institutionalized racism in this country, but we can lay the next stepping stone to healing.
     To my black and brown neighbors, I see you, and I’m with you. To those still suffering from the plague of hatred, I hope you find a way to open up your heart.
     We are merely temporary on this stage, so each of us has no choice but to decide whether we will help lay the path forward to peace, or whether we look the other way to more anger and division. Even if all of our efforts only lay one stone on a path of a thousand, we should lay it anyway.
     As we continue this struggle for equality, let’s not forget about the global pandemic we are also dealing with, and while it is a more temporary situation, it is still here. Keep practicing good social distancing; try to keep get-togethers outdoors; wear a mask if you can when you enter a store, pharmacy, or any place with tight quarters; and practice good personal hygiene. Stay well, and God bless.

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