This week marks the anniversary of the March 20, 2020 Stay Safe, Stay Home COVID-19 pandemic orders. In recognition, the Harbor News took a look back at where we’ve been and a look ahead at where we might be going.

On March 20, a headline in the Harbor News proclaimed “Clinton Resident Tests Positive for COVID-19.” After causing wide spread damage in Asia and Europe, the virus had arrived in Clinton. What people initially hoped would only be a short-term problem became a way of life that has had serious ramifications throughout the last year.

Sadly, on March 26, Clinton became the first town in the area to experience a death related to the virus. A total of eight residents to date have lost their lives due to the virus.

Besides the deaths, residents were forced to make serious changes to day-to-day life. Many businesses were closed for nearly two months before being allowed to reopen. Masks became required when indoors or in public gatherings. Schools were moved to remote classes in the spring for the rest of the 2019-’20 and for parts of the 2020-’21 school year. Annual events like graduation, Christmas in Clinton, and the Clinton Summerfest were all modified or outright canceled.

However, the virus also caused people to adapt to new challenges and come up with new ways going about life. Virtual meetings became the way to hold town meetings, retail and restaurants in town were modified to allow for socially distant experiences like outdoor dining or shopping, and some citizens picked up new recreational hobbies.

With vaccines here and their ability ramping up, there is hope the pandemic could soon finally be under control, though the most recent data at press time showed Clinton still well into the red zone with more than 36 cases per 100,000. However, Governor Ned Lamont has announced that some restrictions will be lifted in April, signaling a return to some sense of normalcy, as long as hospitalizations and deaths from COVID remain on a downward trend.

With the return to some sort of normal life on the horizon, the Harbor News reached out to community leaders to find out what they learned during the past year.

Business

Paul Orsini, executive director of the Clinton Chamber of Commerce, said that he believes some of the changes that went into effect last year could help restaurants once the weather warms up.

The executive order that allows for relaxed regulations for outdoor dining that allowed more restaurants to open last year is set to expire in April. There is a bill proposed in the state’s General Assembly that would extend the current parameters for the duration of the COVID–19 pandemic, which Orsini said would be a big help for the industry.

“That would be a great help because I think one thing is it’s going to take people a little to get used to and comfortable coming back inside and sitting around people,” Orsini said.

The ability to increase outdoor seating could help draw in more customers and offset the costs of having reduced seating available.

Another effect from COVID-19 that Orsini believes may stick around is the increased online presence that many businesses adopted over the last year both in terms of increased advertising and how services were delivered.

Orsini said that businesses will have to be aggressive in their online presence because they will no longer be competing with just local shops for customers, but with businesses in the region, if not the state.

“I think there’s also going to be a move away from the office footprint and people will know how to work from home now,” Orsini observed.

Unfortunately, Orsini said he is concerned that, as businesses learned to be more streamlined over the last year, they may decide they can get by in the future with a reduced staff.

“That could end up being the biggest tragedy,” Orsini said of the possible job loss.

Orsini said he had no concrete numbers for just how many businesses in Clinton are no longer around due to the virus, but the evidence of its impact can be seen just by traveling through downtown.

According to Orsini, popular destinations like Scottish Dave’s and Blend cannot be opened yet while the nearby Coffee Break closed its doors for good. All three establishments are located on the same block in the heart of Clinton’s downtown.

“It’s felt all over, just drive downtown,” said Orsini.

Orsini has felt the stress of owning a business in these trying times firsthand as the owner of Doc’s Bar and Grill.

“You’re still seeing an impact, people are still worried,” he said.

However, Orsini said he is cautiously optimistic that things are getting better as he said the spring weather, vaccine news, and reopening plan are causing the general mood to be improving.

Additionally, some lines of work actually were able to thrive during the pandemic according to Orsini.

“There’s a lot of good stories out there. A lot of businesses really saw a boom, painting companies, construction, and landscaping companies,” said Orsini.

Recreation

When the pandemic hit people were warned to keep their distance from one another, gyms were closed for a time, and summer sports camps were put on hold. Even basketball rims were removed lest anyone be tempted to hold a pickup game with too many people.

As a result, people found new hobbies that may well remain popular into the future, according to Parks & Recreation Director Robert Potter.

“They’re finding that there’s more to do outdoors year-round. I definitely see that sticking around,” Potter said.

Potter said the department was forced to adapt to life under the virus like every other department in town and found creative outlets like holding outdoor aerobic classes. When the pandemic was at its height, many team sports that place players in close contact were deemed unwise to play. As a result, Potter said that people turned to sports are naturally socially distant such as tennis or pickle ball.

“All through the winter I’ve had people calling asking when the nets go back up. We event kept the courts open in the fall a little later than we normally do. The courts were flooded at nights and on the weekends,” Potter observed.

Potter also said he noticed an increase in people using the hiking and walking trails, especially with their dogs.

Potter said he thinks that the new interests people picked up will remain popular in the future for one simple fact: They’re fun.

“The pandemic forced people to get outside and move around. I don’t think they realized how enjoyable some of these activities are,” said Potter.

Government

As anyone who has had to attend a meeting—or has a kid in school—can tell you Zoom meetings have become a focal point of conducting business in the past year. For the past year, the myriad boards and commissions in Clinton have conducted their meetings and public hearings all virtually. While some people may enjoy the ability to conduct or observe town business from their home and want virtual meetings to remain, don’t count on Clinton’s top board as being one of them.

Chris Aniskovich, chair of the Town Council, told the Harbor News that he hopes to return to in-person council meetings as soon as the all clear is given.

“Honestly, for the Town Council I don’t see it happening. Hopefully in the summer sometime we can get back to in person,” said Aniskovich.

Aniskovich said that the online meetings can have an awkward dynamic where people go to speak at the same time so things get lost, Internet connections can be a problem, and in his view not as much is accomplished each meeting as could be compared to in person.

“When you’re not all together at a table, then things get harder,” said Aniskovich.

That’s not to say that the town will be totally writing off increased online presence. Town Manager Karl Kilduff has said the town will be evaluating what services can be provided online, particularly in the land use department, so that residents are better served with more efficient services.