{"id":8470,"date":"2026-03-18T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dahlman.online\/?p=8470"},"modified":"2026-03-18T11:30:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T15:30:02","slug":"crisis-in-a-small-town-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dahlman.online\/index.php\/2026\/03\/18\/crisis-in-a-small-town-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Crisis in a Small Town"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is an essay I wrote in the days that the reality of the Covid crisis was taking hold. It seems we’ve (and I include myself) made a hole for our memories about that time. Just thought it’s a good day for a reminder. Here’s “Crisis in a Small Town” on its sixth anniversary<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bad News at the Door Step<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you listen to the news, this week it seems all depressingly the same.  Social distancing, washing hands, flattening curves, an exponential crisis:  everywhere you turn you\u2019re being warned.  Here in Ohio the schools, restaurants, bars, casinos, racinos (yep, there\u2019s a difference) fitness clubs, and even my dentist\u2019s office are all closed.  When you run into people, out on the street or at the grocery store, they look a little guilty:  I\u2019m not in my house; is my excuse to be out \u201cgood\u201d enough?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pataskala, Ohio is dealing with the corona-virus crisis just like everyone else.  We\u2019ve had our bad moments.  There supposedly was a fight in the local grocery store:  one man took three packages of toilet paper when he was only allowed to have two, another took the last package left, and wanted the extra.  There were words, and a shoving match, and someone else had to intervene to stop something worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s odd:  why toilet paper?  How did that become the symbolic product shortage of the corona-virus, a disease of the lungs?  Sure, they\u2019ve run out of bacterial wipes, and paper towels, but toilet paper?  And why is everyone convinced that there will be shortages, that somehow they will be ordered into their homes with no way out?  But that\u2019s where Pataskala\u2019s residents are.  If you want white bread, you\u2019re probably out of luck.  Good thing I like rye!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to School<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I picked a great time to get back into education.  As the \u201clong-term sub\u201d for a middle school social studies teacher, I was just getting my legs (and voice) back when schools were closed.  Now, this \u201cold dog\u201d is going to have to learn a lot of new tricks.  Education isn\u2019t going to stop:  there\u2019s a whole new world in \u201cGoogle Classroom\u201d where students and teachers can interact and learn.  Good thing we were supposed to have spring break next week, I can buy some time to figure out how to make all this happen.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Republican Governor Mike DeWine will probably never get my vote, but he absolutely has earned my respect.  His handling of the crisis has been forthright and honest, and he is willing to make the tough decisions that might save lives here in Ohio.  He rolled out his \u201cplan\u201d over several days, not wanting to \u201cnail\u201d Ohioans with too much at one time.  Sure schools are closed until after April 3rd<\/sup>, but I would bet as we get closer, schools will remain shuttered much longer.  He\u2019s just in no hurry to deliver one more piece of bad news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the staff at the school will learn how to educate from a \u201csocial\u201d distance, via computer.  They\u2019ve already picked up the challenge, and many have offered to help an old \u201cchalk\u201d teacher with the new technology.  I\u2019ll get it, and if needs be, we can teach for the rest of the year.  I\u2019ll miss the contact, and the discussions, but that\u2019s the one thing we can\u2019t have for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good Cops<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By the way, since all the kids are at home, some parents are frantic.  They have to work, and the school and the YMCA and the library are all closed. There\u2019s nowhere for their kids to go.  The Pataskala Police Department has offered to stop by and check on them; just give them the address and your phone number.  \u201cWellness checks\u201d are something they\u2019re happy to do: making sure that young teens are OK at home is a great service to our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good Friends<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As I\u2019ve noted before, Pataskala is the home to more pizza shops than almost anything else (well, there\u2019s a lot of car parts places too).  There are also several restaurants of one kind or another, a Chinese carryout, two Mexican places, and a number of bars that serve food.  But the governor has ordered all restaurants closed, carryout or delivery only.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members of the community are putting the local menus online, and encouraging folks to buy some local carryout food at least once a week.  The big businesses, the chain restaurants will probably be all right, but places like the Nutcracker and Ziggys and the \u201challowed\u201d local pizza place, Capuanos, will need community support to survive the crisis.  I believe that they\u2019ll get all the help they need \u2013 it\u2019s just too bad Ziggys can\u2019t carryout beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of beer, even the local brewery, the Granville Brewery, is closed.  But I heard they\u2019ll fill your growlers for you if you need it, you just can\u2019t sit at the bar!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s lots of grousing and grumbling:  no one around here is sick \u2013 yet.  But there\u2019s also an underlying fear, of what might happen, if not to you, then to someone you love.  It seems that things will get much worse before they begin to get better.  But Pataskala, with all its flaws, will stand together to help each other.  Neighbors will check on neighbors, and friends with friends.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They might even loan you a roll of toilet paper.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Bad … Continue reading “Crisis in a Small Town”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nCrisis in a Small Town : Our America - Essays on Politics and American Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dahlman.online\/index.php\/2026\/03\/18\/crisis-in-a-small-town-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Crisis in a Small Town : Our America - Essays on Politics and American Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This is an essay I wrote in the days that the reality of the Covid crisis was taking hold. 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