As we say goodbye to this utterly crazy year, I wanted to do something a little different and talk to you all directly since I’m always quietly writing behind the scenes.

When the coronavirus first hit the Route 1 corridor back in mid-March, I had no idea how I would continue writing about the area—everything pretty much came to a stop just as the corridor seemed to be gaining more recognition among D.C. media.

The pandemic canceled or postponed a lot of the things we normally write about — new restaurants opening, new development, events and everything in between — and made reporting more difficult, especially when we were all told to stay at home.

But as it turned out, there was a lot to share.

How front-line workers ran testing sites and the ways the community helped essential workers, how local crafters made and distributed face masks while others gave online tutorials to help people make their own at home.

The ways local restaurants adapted, offering curbside pickup and delivery and making better use of sidewalks. How everyone from college students to grocery stores to trick-or-treaters changed their routines.

How people pitched in, making hand sanitizer, supporting local restaurants, helping food banks and raising money so that local businesses like the Cornerstone Grill and The Bagel Place could stay afloat.

And how people kept moving forward despite all the challenges, giving live cello concerts from their porch, using music to ensure that the Black Lives Matter protests stayed peaceful, recalling the racial history that shaped the area, debating how to acknowledge it, supporting Black-owned businesses, and keeping the polls running leading up to and on a historic Election Day.

Like all of you, I am relieved to put this year behind us, to focus on beating this virus, rebooting our local economy and making the pulse of the Route 1 corridor even stronger.

But looking back over the past year, I’m also thankful for all that you have done, and for staying with the Hyattsville Wire as we wrote about it all. Thanks for reading and liking our posts, for sharing our stories, and offering your comments and news tips. It was because of you that we made it through this year wrought with challenges.

From me to you, cheers to 2021!

— Alison Beckwith
Founding Editor, The Hyattsville Wire