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
Thank you for keeping it going all year! The Hyattsville Wire is one of the few regular blogs / newsletters I consistently read. I live in Greenbelt, and I am a sales rep for a small wine importer and distributor. I work closely with many of the businesses along the corridor. Reading your insights and background details has been invaluable. THANK YOU!
Thanks so much for sharing your comments Joe. That means a lot. And thanks for reading the Wire! Happy New Year!
Thank you Alison this is a great thing and you should definitely keep it going.. Can you send me an email tho?
We are thankful for you, Alison! You have kept us “in the know” throughout and your positivity, thoughtfulness, and insights have boosted our spirits! Keep it coming and GO HYATTSVILLE! Proud to be here and together through the storm.
Thank you Donna! What is the best email? Also, feel free to email me at news@hyattsvillewire.com and we can connect.
I really enjoy reading the Hyattsville Wire. It’s a great source of local information, something I treasure.
With deep appreciation for your steadfast work in keeping the Wire alive. I was born in Hyattsville in 1933 and graduated from Hyattsville High School in 1951 – the last class. My friends from that era love to read the Wire!
Great post, and kudos for your work, esp this year. As founder/editor of Greenbelt Online.org, I look to your work for inspiration. Thankfully we have the Greenbelt News Review to cover news, but in our coverage of everything else, we aspire to the high level of professionalism that you maintain.
Alison:
Thank you for being part of the glue keeping our community together. You help me resist the urge to crawl under my bed until its all over. Your work brings us just a little closer to one another.
Warmest regards,
Marsha Mazz
Jefferson ST, Hyattsville
Alison — thank you for all your work. You really help keep this community together, and I so appreciate all you’ve done to keep us connected and sane this past year. All the best to you and yours, and looking forward to more good reporting 2021.
Thank you for being a voice for our community! It was so nice to check in throughout the year to see what was still going on around us! I’m looking forward to hearing more from you in 2021!
Nice article. I frequent your webpage daily to catch up on the latest new in the corridor. Thank you for being the voice for our community.