6 • The Beacon May 6 , 2021

If April showers bring May flowers , what do May showers bring ? Weeds , grass to mow , a healthy start on a garden and the beauty of spring in Coshocton County . April seemed a bit lacking in rain , although I did not verify the numbers . If memory serves , the past few Mays have seemed to be wetter and a bit chillier than others I remember . But as we all know , memory tends to fade with time — and the years .

April also brought a talented group of players to the Browns via the NFL draft , which was coincidentally held in the city by the lake . Current ownership seems to be taking things seriously with the intention of putting together a team that can make it all the way to the big game . Of course , the Browns came close last season — one penalty call away . But who remembers things

Mark Fortune

Mark ’ s Musings like that ?

This past Saturday — now but a distant memory for most of us — was an absolutely beautiful day . Sunday warmed up quite a bit , and you could almost hear the grass growing . And yes , for those who are wondering , on a really hot summer day you can hear the corn growing . Try it sometime .

Saw a new one this weekend — well , not really . Not only was a person texting while driving , but also they were eating , texting and driving . Heck , why not read a book too ?

In the past two weeks , new COVID-19 cases in the U . S . have dropped by almost half . This is certainly positive news

that comes on the heels of continuing growth in vaccinations . The most tragic news is coming from India , where a lack of ventilators and oxygen are increasing the death rate . Other nations are coming to the aid of India .

We ’ re only a few weeks away from high school graduation , which , thankfully , will be allowed in a different atmosphere than last year . It is unfortunate the Class of 2020 graduated without the fanfare of typical years , yet everyone made the best of it . They will always remember how the pandemic affected their lives — as all of us will remember . For those who have lost friends or family members to the virus , it will always be a source of sadness . What do we do with that ?

I believe we need to cherish more deeply , take more time to

reflect and , somehow , be less busy . Figuring that one out could be the real challenge as things begin to open up again . Will we quickly return to our “ prepandemic lives ” — lives that were filled with technological gadgets , electronics and entertainment — or will we seek to find a happy medium if you will pardon the cliché ?

Here ’ s hoping — and believing — we can take this experience and , as millions around

the world have already done , turn it into something positive . The key is knowing and understanding what is really important in life — our relationships with family and friends .

The Coshocton Rotary Club will run the Lease a U . S . Flag program once again this year . The project will kick off this Memorial Day and run for all major holidays between May and November .

For the price of $ 25 a year , the Coshocton Rotary Club will place a flag in your front yard a few days before the listed holidays . A 3-by- 5-foot flag on a 10-foot staff will be placed in a plastic anchor pipe buried in your yard . The anchor will be flush with the ground cap on it when not in use . The flag will remain the property of the Coshocton Rotary Club . The club picks up the flags and stores them when not in use .

The deadline for the first installation is Friday , May 14 to get registrations in . Renewal forms / applications were published in the Beacon .

All proceeds from this project are used to support projects in the Coshocton community . If interested , checks for $ 25 , along with address and phone number , can be mailed to the Coshocton Rotary Club at P . O . Box 675 , Coshocton , OH 43812 . One also may sign up online at www . Coshoctonrotaryflags21 . eventbrite . com .

For questions call 740-502- 3536 and leave a message or email coshoctonrotary @ gmail . com .