Doylestown Mayor’s Report Events return with measured caution

Mayor Ron Strouse planned to present this report at the Sept. 20 borough council meeting.
This is the time of year when we host and welcome many outdoor events, bringing visitors to Doylestown from sometimes great distances.
We started off September with the Doylestown Arts Festival and the Bucks County Classic cycling races. Both of these events required extraordinary planning, in any year, but most of all, as we continue to battle the pandemic. Planning such events during this health crisis required skill and adaptability.
A great deal of thanks for a very successful Arts Festival goes to Paul Boger and Kris Boger, event directors, and a host of volunteers. The Bucks County Classic returned with exciting success due to the hard work of Laura Ruppert and the commitment of sponsors.
Outdoor events continue over the next weeks and, without exception, focus on protocols to make those events safer and successful and exciting too.

Indoor events are more challenging. We know of several that have been cancelled, some for the second year in a row. Large indoor gatherings are much more difficult to host and also keep safe for everyone concerned. It is everyone that we need to work to keep safe. The indoor events need to respect the health needs of everyone, regardless of age and underlying health. You may not be at high risk but that makes no difference. Those around you may be. It continues to be not so much about us but rather, about all of us.
The well-worn phrase “we are all in this together” may never have been more meaningful than it is now, as we tire of the pandemic but recognize the need to beat it too. We take direction from the CDC and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, both knowledgeable scientific and health resources. Neither is flawless as the science continues to evolve and we continue to learn more each day.
However, from the very beginning, too many months ago, the essential acts to beat the virus have not changed: wash your hands, engage in social distancing, wear makes when possible, and get vaccinated. Vaccinations may give us assurance but safe conduct doesn’t end there. How we conduct ourselves really does define not just healthy community but “community” itself.
We cannot rewrite the history of how we dealt with this pandemic. There are no winners in this battle. However, there are those who handle the battle better than some. None know this better that the people who are putting together community events and truly work to rebuild our businesses and our community.
For all of our sakes, we thank them for planning cautiously with the health interests of everyone in mind.

---

Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.