A Winters Express Letter to the Editor
I have a big community ask of each of you. Can we please keep following the mask mandate in grocery stores, especially here in town at Lorenzo’s, until the state guidelines change and the employees themselves are no longer required to mask? I know, I know. California choosing to be more stringent than the CDC is frustrating. We are all so tired of wearing those darn things, and we are especially tired of being told what to do. I personally hate the masks with a fierce passion, and I really understand how frustrating it is being fully vaccinated and still not being able to return to “normal.” But, I saw four different people not wearing their masks in Lorenzo’s today, and personally witnessed two verbal altercations. We don’t need to fight over this. The employees in Lorenzo’s are literally our friends and neighbors. They are masking appropriately, following all guidelines, and doing what they can to keep our community safe and free from the ravages of a deadly virus. They have been excellent about this for over a year now, and continued working while many of us had the privilege to shelter at home to stay healthy. The least we can do to show how grateful we are is to wear our masks in the store as requested so we can protect the employees as they protect us. What sets Winters apart from other places, and what makes it such a great place to live, is that we are a strongly knit community. Let’s keep that community spirit alive and well, and continue to mask for just a little while longer in the places that ask it of us. June 15 will be here before we know it. –SARAH SHIRLEY
