Hits and Misses
It’s a long-held notion that Americans generally know little about the outside world, and that fact has unfortunately been brought home in some of the assertions that are made about the coronavirus. It’s become an article of faith in some circles that the restrictions that have been enacted in Pennsylvania and in other parts of the country are designed to hurt President Trump’s reelection chances and will be lifted after the vote in November. But restrictions designed to curb the spread of COVID-19 are in place all over the world. Israel instituted a second national lockdown last week as cases shot upward, and Britain is putting in place more stringent measures, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson promising that they could stay in place as long as six months. The number of positive cases has quadrupled over the last month, and Johnson said Britain has reached “a perilous turning point.” This should remind us that when it comes to COVID-19 we are all, truly, in this together.
The Vulcan Parking Garage at California University of Pennsylvania had only been open for six years when it abruptly closed in 2016 after a piece of concrete broke off the second level and crashed to the level below. A subsequent investigation revealed more safety hazards. Two years ago, Cal U. filed suit against the contractor who built the garage, Manheim Corp., as well as its bond holder, and a settlement was reached last week. Manheim and its bond holder have agreed to pay $2.4 million to fix structural flaws within the garage, and an additional $1.3 million for legal fees, lost parking revenue and engineering costs. Cal U. officials are aiming for repairs to be made soon, and hoping it will be ready for spring semester. One can only hope that COVID-19 numbers will be low enough by then that students and faculty can safely return to campus.
One of the many uncertainties created by COVID-19 is how charities and nonprofits would fare at a time when individuals and businesses are facing trying times. But Washington County is in a giving mood if the Washington County Community Foundation’s annual Day of Giving is any indication. The organization recently raised more than $1.2 million, topping last year’s haul of just a little over $1 million. According to Betsie Trew, president and CEO of the foundation, “We knew local charities that were struggling financially because of the pandemic, but we also knew that many individuals and companies were also struggling. The fact that this year’s giving exceeded last year’s giving by 20% is a testament to the very generous hearts in our county.”
The news this week that the Rex Theater on Pittsburgh South Side will be closing its doors due to the coronavirus was sobering for anyone who follows the region’s music or cultural scene. It’s one of many venues around the country that will be not be bouncing back because of the pandemic. There was also news this week that the Metropolitan Opera in New York, one of the leading arts organization in the country, is calling off its whole 2020-21 season. As the The New York Times put it, “{span}The decision is likely to send ripples of concern through New York and the rest of the country, as Broadway theaters, symphony halls, rock venues, comedy clubs, dance spaces and other live arts institutions grapple with the question of when it will be safe again to perform indoors. Far from being a gilded outlier, the Met, the nation’s largest performing arts organization, may well prove to be a bellwether.” Federal and state aid has flowed to arts organizations since the start of the pandemic, but this shows that much more will likely be needed.