Your Morning Matters: Speaking of freedom

Good morning and welcome to Your Morning Matters.

It's Monday, May 11, 2020, and this is the week that many people have waited for: The Grand Reopening of Ohio! Hair will be cut. Food will be served. Cuticles will be recuticled. Beers will be served in mass quantities.

And all of it under some vague guidance of social distancing and quasi-optional masks and understaffed local health department enforcement and, really, none of it is for me, yet.

And I think that's the point. I've been hearing a lot about "freedom" lately, often couched in terms that lead me to believe some well-heeled, well-tested, well-isolated operators of the nation's commerce machine are working to convince a segment of the population that once they get right back out there they'll truly be free.

Please don't fill up my inbox. I know this does not describe everyone looking to go out and get back to some kind of normal.

Here's my idea of freedom: My hair is going to get weirder and my beard scruffier. My wife and I will eat and drink at home, where I work. I hope that my wife's employer protects her once she goes back, but if she doesn't feel safe at work, that'll be another hard discussion. I have seen what COVID-19 can do. It's impacted friends, co-workers and family members. That it hasn't visited upon the houses of people who deny its lethal reality or shout down doctors or journalists is their blessing. I hope they remain free of its effects.

There are consequences to our decisions; consequences for us, family members, hospital workers and everyone we meet. Be mindful: How you define "freedom" might impact another person's definition. Your freedom to go to a store should not impact someone's freedom to keep working or living. Masks are more than just common courtesies.

Let's be careful out there!

And now, more of the things you need to know about what's happening in the Mahoning Valley:

After nearly two months of being stuck at home, Ohioans will have the opportunity to shop, get haircuts and eat at a restaurant starting this week. Here's what you can expect if you are out and about this week.

Other matters

In this week's installment of The Earnheardts, Mary Beth tells us, "Adam and I have dozens, maybe hundreds, of other kids. We're college professors. Our other kids are our YSU students, and they're stuck in a pandemic during their college years. And for many of them, this sucks." Mahoning Matters

In analyzing the primary election saga, Bill "Doc" Binning notes some decline among President Donald Trump's support. "It is foolhardy to try to read the chicken entrails of an Ohio primary and envision the Trump vote in the Valley in November. However, his performance will determine Christina Hagan's fate." Mahoning Matters

A Hermitage, Pa., fitness center is open for business, against the orders of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. On Saturday, Hermitage police fined the business for the second day in a row. WKBN

The Youngstown Flea announced that the "Market for Makers" will reopen June 13. This will be the fifth year for the outdoor market that takes place outside the Covelli Centre. WFMJ

S'quared Holdings recently closed on the purchase of L'uva Bella Winery. The investment fund is jointly owned by Marisa Sergi, CEO and winemaker of RedHead Brands, and Evan Schumann, an entrepreneur whose family owns Bedford-based metal refinery I. Schumann & Co. The Business Journal

Mover and Makers

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fitz Frames has shifted its focus from making kids glasses to manufacturing protective eyewear for frontline medical workers at its manufacturing facility at the Youngstown Business Incubator. Mahoning Matters

This story was made possible by Farmers National Bank.

Your comments matter

"Inadequate response to this health issue is unforgivable. When the ship is sinking you shouldn't give most of the life vests to those in the rafts, and only a couple to the hundreds in the water."

— Jack Zaku, on the marketplace for personal protective equipment being harried by states, all competing for the same supply, which is becoming increasingly expensive.

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Event of the day

Do you need a recommendation for your next great read? The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County is hosting its daily Book Chat Live on Facebook at 10 a.m.

To see what else is going on around the Mahoning Valley, check out Mahoning Matters' event calendar here, or click the Events tab on the top menu at mahoningmatters.com.

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This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 6:55 AM with the headline "Your Morning Matters: Speaking of freedom."