6 • The Beacon January 7 , 2021
Reflect and remind ourselves of where we ’ ve been
Happy New Year ! Hopefully you , like me , enjoyed giving the year 2020 a swift kick to the scrapheap of years to forget . Yes , there were moments of happiness for many , and for others moments of sadness . For many , these feelings were mixed together with the addition of a new family member or the loss of a loved one .
As we move into a new year with the reality of a vaccine for COVID- 19 , perhaps at some point this year we will shift into a more normal gear . Regardless , we need to pause and mourn the loss of those in our community to this deadly pandemic and keep their loved ones in our prayers .
Each new year always brings the promise of
Mark Fortune
Mark ’ s Musings
renewed hope , faith in other people and the ability to see the positive in our communities and in ourselves . Much of what was accomplished in 2020 was overshadowed by the news of the pandemic , politics and , well , that ’ s about it , I think .
Despite these constant affronts , our community moved forward with several improvement projects , the wonderful Three Rivers Bridge project opened , and entrepreneurs took a leap of faith and opened a small business . Whether that is a restaurant , boutique or something else , we need to applaud those that started something and those that just stuck with it in 2020 with dogged determination and perseverance . All of these people are moving our community forward .
How ‘ bout those Buckeyes huh ? They steamrolled over the Clemson Tigers and are headed to the national championship game against Alabama . I think the Buckeyes can hold their own against the Crimson Tide , provided they play lights out like they did against Clemson . I believe they would have won if they were playing Alabama on that night .
And the Browns ended a 17-year playoff drought with a win against the Steelers . Although it was at times ugly , the scoreboard showed a win at the end , and that is all that mattered . How they play will matter this weekend when the Browns will again face their old nemesis from across the river . The Browns will take on the Steelers on Sunday at 8:15 p . m .
What lessons did we learn from this past year ? Did we learn to hold our loved ones a bit closer and to spend more time on the things that are of real value in this world ? The time that we spent working from home — for those that did and perhaps still are — should be viewed not as an annoyance , but as a gift to have more time with loved ones . Sure , it was difficult at times , especially for those that live alone .
As we get our full head of steam up for a new year , let ’ s pause for a moment to reflect on where we were in 2020 and thank our doctors , nurses , first responders and all those who put themselves in harm ’ s way in the face of the pandemic . Let ’ s say a special thank you to those who work at our assisted-living facilities and nursing homes . Thank you .
Austin named to dean ’ s list
Zachary Austin , a senior at Mount Vernon Nazarene University , was named to the dean ’ s list for the fall semester 2020 . He is majoring in
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criminal justice .
Austin is the son of Tanya Cognion and Garry Austin .
NEWS jsellers @ alonovus . com
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