In the history of COVID-19, 2020 will be remembered as the year that March came in like a lamb and went out like a lion, pandemically speaking. This week, the Recorder marks the one-year anniversary of the virus with a series that looks back at how our lives have changed as a result. There have been losses and gains, but first, let’s relive that fateful month that, in retrospect, started so innocently.
The early days of March were all about the presidential primaries — remember Super Tuesday? Joe Biden surged, except in Franklin County, where Bernie Sanders led both Biden and Elizabeth Warren, who was on the ballot in her home state. Inside was the headline, “Tensions rise as US death toll from coronavirus reaches 9.”
The front page lead art for March 6 proclaimed “Green Wave celebration,” showing the entire Greenfield High School hockey team splayed on the ice, heads together, mouthing a happy cry for their 2-1 overtime win over Wahconah for the Western Mass. Division 3A title. They would go on a few days later to win the MIAA Div. 3A state championship.
Those halcyon days were numbered as COVID-19 first hits the front page on Saturday, March 7, 2020, with the headline “Area officials, health care workers preparing for COVID-19” and “What you should know about COVID-19.” Inside, garden columnist Pat Leuchtman previewed Smith College’s annual Bulb Show. One year later, that event would be held virtually (one of the new terms in the virus lexicon). Realtors were still advertising open houses.
On March 10, the annual Pete Seeger sing-along was held in Ashfield. The front-page lead art showed a stageful of musicians belting out songs. Nationally, on that same day, a choir practice in Washington state became a superspreader event, infecting 52 of 61 singers, two of whom died. That signaled the end of community choruses and church choirs, here and elsewhere.
On March 12, “WHO declares virus crisis a pandemic.” From then on, it was “all-COVID, all-the-time” for the Recorder and the world.
On March 13, a photo of bare shelves at Big Y in Greenfield illustrated the story, “Locals taking precautions over coronavirus, retail outlets running out of supplies.” Inside, “Towns cancel upcoming events due to coronavirus.”
March 16: “Governor bans dining out to fight virus.” Inside, Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional School districts announced a two-week closure to undertake a deep cleaning.
March 17: “Area eateries opt for takeout after state order.” The phrase “curb service” enters the virus lexicon.
March 18: “5 suspected COVID-19 cases at Baystate Franklin.” Test results took three to five days.
“Virtual church is still church,” proclaimed a front-page headline on March 19, 2020 about the new Zoom services of Northfield’s First Parish church. That was back when readers still needed an explanation of what Zoom was and how it worked. O, brave new world — for the tech-savvy, at least.
As sports fans contemplated a world without sports, Recorder sports editor Jeff Lajoie plumbed the bound volumes of the Recorder for “A look back” with a six-part series about Greenfield’s outdoor hockey team which ran from 1926 to 1942.
On March 21, the Emergency Operations Center opens at John Zon Community Center. One year later, it would become a vaccination site.
By the end of March 2020, “drive-thru” had entered the virus lexicon as masked members of the Bernardston Kiwanis Club pulled off its first chicken pot pie dinner distributed in the parking lot of United Church of Bernardston.
March 23rd saw the first front-page story about local nursing home deaths: “Eight COVID-19 cases at nursing home.”
March 25: “Olympics off” but “Business is booming at liquor stores” as Gov. Baker closed all bars and restaurant dining rooms.
March 28: In “New norms for grieving families,” funeral director David Quinn, Jr. said, “It’s a terrible, terrible thing to do this to a family, to tell them they they’re limiting the number of people at a funeral service.”
March 30’s front page carried the headline, “Two COVID-19 deaths reported in county.” The first Franklin County death was reported on March 26 as a male in his 80s. The second was reported March 27 as a female in her 90s.
An Associated Press headline read, “Up to 200,000 US deaths foreseen.” One year later, that toll would be 532,000 (and counting).