By Jeff Lampe
Rambling through central Illinois, pondering which sniffle is a symptom and which is not.
As a resident of a flyover state dominated by a major metropolis, it’s hard not to have a chip on your shoulder.
Reasons are numerous, including the handling of COVID-19. Back in March and April, when the coasts and Chicago were grappling with the pandemic, it was frustrating to be lumped into the same group for requirements and mitigations.
The COVID wave was not here then. Yet we were shut down. Well, the wave is here now. And I’m betting we’d be more willing to shut down this time if we hadn’t been forced to do so when it was unnecessary. Too late now, of course, but it might be worth pondering moving forward. Nah, we don’t matter to the powers that be.
Brimfield is gaining a new business. Clint Martin will open Brimfield Family Dentistry next year in the old Casey’s store (which last housed Larson Insurance Services). “We bought the building and are doing renovations, so we won’t be up and running until about March,” said Martin, a Princeville High School graduate who has been working as a dentist in the area for almost nine years. An artist’s rendering of the new office is pictured above. “We have a growing family and this opportunity kind of presented itself and I jumped at it,” said Martin, who is currently scheduling appointments for the first week of April. Give him a holler at (309) 320-8750. … Speaking of dentists, I hunted pheasants last week in Iowa with a tooth puller (a conservative Trump backer) who was adamant that masks, sterilizing equipment and hand-washing stop the spread of COVID-19. While most dentists have worked through the pandemic, studies by the American Dental Association show the rate of infection among dentists is less than 1 percent. … There were so many pheasants in Iowa, even I was able to shoot a few. For anybody wondering why there are more pheasants across the border, the answer is simple: Grass! Iowa has much more grass than we do.
Cancellations are cropping up. Among the COVID casualties are the Brimfield and Elmwood Christmas Walks. … Speaking of shutdowns, Brimfield Library Directory Cheryl Harlow says yoga and tai chi at the library are cancelled for now and the building will no longer be open. Patrons can get books delivered curbside and can use library laptops to print by appointment. … Parting shot: Happy retirement to Mike and Cheryl Clardy, who published their final issue of The Farmington Shopper on Wednesday. It’s a shame to see papers closing, but if any Farmington business needs a place to advertise their services, give us a call. And watch for a visit from our advertising salesman Ralph and his tricorn Stetson, Revolutionary War hat.
Contact Jeff Lampe at (309) 231-6040 or jeff@wklypost.com
