LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Say Hello to Hope for the Upcoming Year
PHOTO BY TERENCE DUFFY
During a year of divisiveness and polarization , there ’ s one thing a lot of us agree on : 2020 has been an awful year , and we can ’ t wait for it to be over . The coronavirus pandemic overshadowed everything , causing unprecedented shutdowns of businesses , schools and churches ; unemployment rates not seen since the Great Depression ; and a crash of the stock market .
On top of the disruption caused by the pandemic , the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement ( sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the resulting protests ) and California ’ s worst wildfire season on record ( and the blanket of ash ) were top stories this year .
But 2020 will forever be known as the year of COVID-19 — the death toll has surpassed 1.3 million worldwide , 250,000 in the United States and 18,000 in California — and it changed the way most of us go about our lives .
Wearing face masks in public spaces became mandatory . Concerts , art exhibitions , and convention and trade shows were canceled or postponed , and professional sports , after being delayed , were played either in isolated “ bubbles ” ( NBA and NHL ) or with few or no fans able to attend games ( MLB and NFL ).
Schools were forced to send students home to be taught remotely by teachers and by their parents , who had to balance the demands of careers and family . In September , women left the workforce at four times the rate men did , according to a story by NPR , with many citing the stress of homeschooling and working . Family events , such as birthdays and holiday gatherings , became verboten . Restaurants and other hospitality industries were hit particularly hard , with a survey by the National Restaurant Association from September reporting that 1 in 6 restaurants — about 100,000 nationwide — had “ closed either permanently or long-term ."
There have been silver linings : the continuation of a hot real estate market ( September ’ s median sales price in the Sacramento market was up 13.5 percent compared to 2019 ), the historically low interest rates ( 3.09 percent for a 30-year fixed mortgage in November in California ), the major stock market indexes bouncing back and the ingenuity of many business owners to continue offering services in a safe way .
Many of us are hoping that stability in the economy and being able to congregate , work and learn with others without fear of contracting or transmitting the virus will come soon . We look forward to these things happening in 2021 and beyond to enable that .
1 . A vaccine that will wipe out COVID-19 . An effective vaccine is the only certain way to beat COVID-19 , most medical experts agree , and there ’ s hope that one will be widely available in 2021 after Pfizer announced in November that preliminary data from its trial showed it to be more than 90 percent effective .
2 . A return to pre-COVID employment . The unemployment rate in California in February was 3.9 percent , according to the Employment Development Department , but it soared to 16.4 percent in April . By September , it had dropped to 11 percent , giving hope that more people may be back to work next year .
3 . A boom for restaurants and bars . Many owners adapted this year by adding outdoor seating — great examples are the closure from 18th to 19th streets of Capitol Avenue in Sacramento and the use of parklets along Sutter Street in Folsom . As new eateries open next year , I hope all will include outdoor dining options .
4 . More diversity and affordability in housing . The Sacramento housing market is robust , but the soaring prices also make it very difficult to purchase for many , especially young adults . As more people migrate from the Bay Area in search of more affordable housing , we need to make sure that ’ s not pushing our homegrown talent out of the region or pushing more people into homelessness .
5 . Schools reopen fully . One of the biggest disruptions this year has been the closure of schools and students being forced to engage in distance learning . One important aspect of attending school in person is socializing with friends and teachers ; until schools can safely and fully reopen , this will remain a challenge to children ’ s mental health and educational outcomes .
6 . Technology leading the way . Before the pandemic , many of us had not used videoconferencing . Digital meetings are now common and likely will continue to be a prominent way to communicate . Technology advances will play a key role as we continue to rebound from the economic downturn .
Comstock ’ s has focused much of its coverage in 2020 on the coronavirus pandemic and the shutdown ’ s effect on businesses , employees and our way of life . In the upcoming year , we look
Tom Couzens Executive Editor
December 2020 | comstocksmag . com 11