The following letter was submitted by citizen Mary Finney to the Cape Charles Town Council and Town Manager.
Dear Cape Charles Elected Officials,
I would like to respond the ‘notice’ that was sent out recently to residents of Cape Charles from town manager Hozey regarding the decision to cancel Festive Fridays and all other holiday events. As a citizen of Northampton County, I would like you to be aware that I, and many, many other locals (and non-locals) are extremely upset by this latest proclamation. While you blame this on the increased “cases” of the Covid virus, you cite the public “laxness” and complacency as the cause.
This is not only insulting, but false. The nature of all viruses is that we cannot control them. Furthermore, basing public policy on ambiguous stats such as ‘case numbers” shows a disinclination to look more closely at the reality of the statewide or national effects of the virus- such as mortality rates, hospitalization rates, and survival rates. Per the CDC, the death rate in Virginia so far in November is the lowest it’s been since mid-March.
Statewide, hospitalizations are almost 2% lower than they were this time last year. Currently, the CDC lists survival rate at above 98% for this virus. As I suspect you know, ‘case numbers’ are easily manipulated, and are used to push a pro-shut down agenda. Covid cases may be ‘up’, but that is due to increased testing and the fact that many folks have been exposed to this virus and have an immunity to it, as should be allowed to happen!! Also, cases DO NOT equal illness.
So, basing your choice to quash the much anticipated and profitable town holiday celebrations on this kind of information is negligent, heavy-handed, and smacks of totalitarianism.
Let me remind you that NOBODY is forgetting that the town was filled with tourists all summer. Despite repeating our governor’s fear mongering words about ‘surging cases’, an honest evaluation of the actual situation shows this to be irrelevant .That being said, I am well aware that Cape Charles is home to a large number of liberals ( progressives, socialist democrats ) who attach great importance to Ralph Northam’s edicts. I submit that he has proved to have higher regard for his political future in his party of choice and his ability to wield executive power than for the good of the average working citizens of Virginia. It is a fact that the mandatory shutdowns and restrictions have been devastating to our local and national economies.
A decision such canceling Holiday events across the board shows that your assembly also savors power, using it to control as many aspects of the private citizens and businesses as possible. And like our governor, using the excuse “it’s for your safety” to mollify the hoi polloi.
Canceling the extremely popular Holiday events will be a death blow to many local merchants and restaurant owners. Even taking the possibility of ‘spreading the virus’ into account, there are ways in which these events could be safely held. Has your group even discussed this?? Most of these traditional events take place OUTSIDE.
Common sense (not so common here, I’m afraid) tells us that this is not conducive to spreading sickness.
I think you need to ask yourselves; WHOSE side are you on??? Hundreds of voting citizens are wondering about this exact question.
Joseph Garvey says
I totally agree. My wife and I do everything we can to support the local merchants. We planned our whole Holiday season around our towns Christmas events. What are the merchants supposed to do? Does the town council have any clue what kind of planning and expense the stores put into these events? This decision needs to be overturned!
Deb Lewis says
WELL SAID! THANK YOU.
Many, and I mean many folks are of the same mind.
Bad decisions made by these local
“Officials” are becoming common for our town.
Carla Jasper says
Bravo! We need to take back our country before it is destroyed by these people. Thank you for your intelligent “spot on” comments.
Julie Jones says
This is confusing, to me, on several levels. There was a golf cart parade on July 4, that went through the town. There were concerts in Central Park last summer. The playground and tennis courts are open. The restrooms in Central Park are open, with a sign that indicates “use at your own risk.”
The sweetest Grand Illumination we have attended here was about 4 or 5 years ago. There was a man playing guitar in the Gazebo in the park and children from the Cape Charles Christian School led the singing of carols, no song sheets needed, because everyone knew the songs. And at least once, the crab pot was dropped in Central Park.
If all of those outdoor events could happen in the summer, then the big question, raised so eloquently in the letter above, is why are these outdoor events being cancelled now? Surely creative minds could figure out a way to bring joy to this little town. When you are forced to do things differently, you always learn something. Sometimes you learn that you never want to do things that way again. But sometimes you learn a way that just might be better.
Cape Charles, we need a little Christmas!
Karen Gay says
I absolutely agree with the letter writer. All we hear in the news is cases, cases, cases, when most people who have a case don’t even have symptoms. One thing we never see is the deaths over time. Now this measure really matters! All the VA Dept of Health tells us is how many people have died. I downloaded the numbers and produced a graph on the deaths. In all of VA, with 8.5 million people, since July 1st, an average of 14.6 people a day are dying with or from COVID-19. We know a lot more about coronavirus now, and people who are vulnerable with auto-immune or other diseases should be very careful. There is no need to protect the rest of us. We are capable for deciding for ourselves how to protect our health.
John willis says
Karen you seem nice. Crab Nazi says crab for you
Dr Cheever says
Let’s unpack what you are saying
1. “…most people who have a case don’t even have symptoms”
2.”people who are vulnerable with auto-immune or other diseases should be very careful.”
3.”We are capable for deciding for ourselves how to protect our health.”
So are you advocating that vulnerable people should be locked in their homes? Or that the Christian principle of love your neighbor as yourself , no longer applies and you should all continue being the self centered assholes that you have become?
Karen Gay says
Hi there Dr Cheeser, I had to giggle when I read what I believe is your reply to my comment to the article. Your summarization of my comment was just right. Good job! However, your next statement is an assumption (and I’m sure you know all about that!) and absolutely not true. I believe that everyone (not the government) is responsible for his or her own health. If a compromised individual wants to quarantine they should. We’ve all seen the devastation that forced lockdowns have had on our elderly who now die alone without family or friends holding their hands. I don’t know anyone who would choose to die like this.
Your next statement about Christians and assholes has me flummoxed. Do you notice how your comment devolved from a competent summary to a huge assumption and then to calling names? I think you need to work on your composition and thinking skills before you comment again.
Dr Cheever says
Karen, you seem to be missing the finer details of your own statements. Again, I’ll quote “…most people who have a case don’t even have symptoms” So, all those asymptomatic people running around maskless is what is making all those elderly people die alone. If you care, wear a mask. It won’t protect you ; it protects me and before you attempt to argue the effectiveness of the mask please lookup the most recent study by the CDC.
During WWII we asked people to plant Victory gardens, we rationed meat, sugar, coffee, there was real hardships. People did it. We asked people to wear a simple mask. There is no hardship in doing that and they can’t.
I have read in here numerous times that our Country was founded on Christian values. It may have been, but those principles have long gone. It’s the self-centered, selfish era. I’m puzzled by your attitude of “We are capable for deciding for ourselves how to protect our health” Wearing a mask isn’t protecting your health it’s protecting “our” health. So much for those Christian attitudes.
Karen Gay says
Dear Dr. Cheever, who said anything about masks? Again you stray off topic. Masks or no masks have nothing to do with elderly people dying alone. They are dying alone because of executive orders and well-meaning nursing home staff trying to save lives at the cost of that which is critical to many of us for a meaningful life.
Dr Cheevers says
Dear Ms Gay, executive orders don’t kill people. I’m not sure you understand the topic. Less elderly people would be dying if people actually cared about other people and actually wore masks. Yes, back to masks and why is that? Because a good portion of those elderly people might actually have avoid death.
You seem to think that the executive order is the reason for elderly people dying and your concerns are they are dying alone and not the fact that they are just dying!
Think about that, if they avoided death they are not dying alone.
Joe says
Wow! Great point Dr.. maybe we should all just avoid dying. Can the government mandate how many time over weight people can go to McDonald’s? Or how many cigarettes are person can smoke? How many times a person works out? Why stop at masks?
Emily Dickenson says
Please clarify your statement that “masks don’t protect you- they protect others”….. What? Either masks are the panacea for this scourge or they aren’t…which is it? Other than a symbol of virtue that shows “you care”, or a symbol of compliance to ridiculous and hypocritical governors…? And so it goes. As you illustrate, the pro-hysteria, mask pushing crowd never fails to fall back upon calling the ones who disagree, or at least, QUESTION the narrative, ‘selfish’, ‘assholes’, ‘religious hypocrites’, etc etc etc. Dr. Cheever, you are apparently so emotionally invested in the certainty of your beliefs that it triggers the patronizing response so prevalent among your similar thinking comrades. The fact that you are “puzzled” by the attitude of self-determination and personal responsibility of those who wish that politicians would stay out of our health care, personal lives, and businesses speaks volumes about you.
Dr Cheevers says
Emily, it’s called science. It isn’t too hard to understand and have nothing to do with rights, opinions ,feelings or whatnot.
Publius Americanus says
https://swprs.org/
Like all these studies and reports regarding the INeffectiveness of masks?
Hey Doc, outside of every surgical suite, there’s a BioHaz can for masks and gloves and gowns…..
Where’s the BioHaz cans for OUR masks? Or are we on a crusade to kill all the garbagemen?
Do this math for me……….take the number of U.S Deaths……and put that over the number of U. S. cases plus banana. What’s the death rate?
Banana you say? How do I calculate a rate with banana?
Well, Doc…..banana represents all the people who DID NOT KNOW THEY HAD IT.
And without that number, we can’t do math.
So tell me Doc, what’s the death rate?
TWANLOC.
Dr Cheeves says
Publius, after following the link you so kindly provided and reading through the site, I would say that 3rd graders are as capable as anyone on that site in performing research. What first struck me was the name Yinon Weiss, listed as a researcher. He isn’t a researcher, he has no medical degree, he is a technology entrepreneur. It appears that there isn’t anyone on the site with a medical degree. Furthermore, we all know how well the Swiss did with the herd concept – poorly. I think you should find a better source. Would you like me to recommend a few? You could start with the CDC.
A question for you. Do you put your used tissues in a Bio-Haz bin? I think not. By the time your sanitation worker picks up your trash the mask is more than likely benign. I have never seen my sanitation workers rolling around in open bags of trash, so I would have to say they are safe for the most part.
You also seem to be hung up on a death rate. Why? Is a death rate of 30 out of 100 acceptable to you? 60 out of 100? Any needless death is unacceptable. Not only is this virus killing people, but it is clogging up our hospitals and health care system. Have you tried to see your doctor in person lately? You are probably unable. Flattening the curve doesn’t stop the virus, it provides the health care system an ability to utilize resources efficiently.
As I mentioned to someone else let’s have this conversation 10 days after Thanksgiving. Look to science for the answer and not some geopolitical group.
Colleen Kelley says
I am with you Karen, the “Dr” isn’t making any sense. You said nothing about masks and where is the Christian attitude coming from? Lots of assumptions and very mean spirited with the language
Dr Cheeves says
Colleen, to see how we get to masks all we need to do is follow the letter. The writer bemoans the fact the Holiday festivities have been cancelled and can’t believve the Town had the gaul to cite the increase in cases, and the lax attitudes and complacency of the public.
However imperical data points to exactly those factors for the increase in cases. Note the President’s little party outside in the Rose Garden, 15 people came down with Covid. Recently, a family birthday party increased the total number of cases by 12. A College football game caused more cases. What connectiosn are you , Karen and the writer missing? , The fact that we haven’t reached the super spread event called Thankgiving means that cases are going to rise. and if they do – then the letter writers premise is shot to hell, isn’t it?
Too many people are focused on the virus and not on what it is doing to our health care centers. I doubt the writters statistic on hospitalization being lower and a 98% recovery rate does not mean means nothing. A good percentage of those consumed hospital resources. What this means is that if you have a heart attack you may not be going to your nearest hospital you may be going to the next closest one.
Is this virus hurting merchants? Of course it is. Here is where the masks come in. Just imagine if people actually wore mask back April. It wouldn’t make the virus go away but it would have flatten the curve where the health care system could absorb the cases but nope you know better – its government telling you what to do. It’s not, it’s science.
Why should Cape Charles be any different than Chincoteague, Berlin, Ocean City and other cancel their festivities?
Publius Americanus says
A flattened curve has ends that extend out LONGER.
“Flattening” the curve extends the life of the virus.
Why do you hate people and want them to die, Doc?
I mean I know you get more $$$$$ per patient, and with the Fed kicker of a Covid diagnosis it goes up even further.
Are you pushing this Like Fauci is, to elevate yourself over we mere humans? Is it mere ego that allows you to gleefully ignore the suffering of others who are without work?
Wow, Doc. Kinda cold you are.
Slide Easy says
You may want to look over that log before you leap….
A Friend says
“Dr. Cheever’s'” grammatical errors coupled with the use of vulgarity in a public forum indicates a lack of basic, not to mention, higher education. It does, however, indicate a less than educated individual; certainly not a physician. Just another failing in life “Libtard” trying to be relevant.
Paul Plante says
Yo, Doc, what it is, dude!
Where’s it at?
And in answer to your probing question “So are you advocating that vulnerable people should be locked in their homes,” the true answer is that who is doing such advocating is Democratic Socialist governor of New York young Andy Cuomo, as follows:
Matilda’s Law is an executive order in New York State that was issued on March 20, 2020 (effective March 22, 2020) to protect public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It directs vulnerable populations including those 70 years old and older, those with compromised immune systems, and those with underlying conditions to take specific precautions.
These included limiting and screening visitors, and staying at home unless obtaining supplies, medical care, emergency services, or practicing solitary outdoor exercise.
The directive was named in honor of Matilda Cuomo, the former First Lady of New York state and mother of Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The so-called Matilda’s Law is in reality a dictatorial edict from young Andy which indicates that the Christian principle of love your neighbor as yourself , no longer applies and that Andy is going to continue being the self centered asshole that he has become.
If you happen to be a proctologist, you might want to send him your credentials as the dude is a real bug about the health of his rectum, and he likes to keep a top-notch team of experts on the subject around him at all times to keep it functioning in top-notch fashion.
You sound like you could be a God-send to him on that score.
Allan Burns says
Good letter! Some very good points are made.
Mary Finney says
I have received a few responses from the mayor and Mr. Dize. They are, as to be expected, defensive and condescending. I have forwarded them to the Mirror for publication if Mr. Creed sees fit. I urge all citizens to likewise resist the dictates of the town. The more we comply to unreasonable demands, the more they will increase and continue.
Note: Thank you Mary for standing up for us…will publish the Mayor, TMs responses with the next edition.
Gene Kelly says
We as business owners abided by “The Rules” this Summer season. Reduced seating, social distancing, mask wearing became par for the course. It worked! The amount of visitors and residents out for one night a week will not even approach the volume we encountered this Summer! We have endured 15 years of desolate January and February potholes, now we are adding December to that mix! If customers are afraid of contracting the virus …just stay home! We at Kelly’s Gingernut Pub welcome your business this Winter! We will of course abide by “The Rules”… Thank you all, Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
Publius Americanus says
Gene,
As I said back in April, mouthwash will kill this virus. Now it has been PROVEN that listerine will do so.
Because of the (hic) alcohol in it.(Wayne has been Virus proof all along!!!lol)
Son, you’d be doing the Town a favor if you told them Powers That Be(totalitarian) to go pound sand and got back to dispensing “medicine” full time, full capacity.
Note: Does sterno work as well? If so, I’m def covered.
MJM says
We need to check where that medical degree Dr. Cheever has and where it came from. I suspect the degree came from the same school where Jay C. Ford got his degree in Community Relations. No ability to converse or opine was displayed, at least not to the level a physician would command. No one here is advocating the weak and aged should stay home. Just our politicians. There is also a complete inability on display to understand that the world is not such a narrow focus created by fear, which a Dr. would normally not display. What really makes me positive there is no medical degree here is the complete inability to recognize the most basic and instinct of all human activities. A little thing called the survival instinct. That instinct can kick in from different directions depending upon our way of life. Deciding our own path to survival does not make us self centered assholes. When the governor or mayor tells us there is a new law that makes it impossible for our business and lifestyle to survive, anyone would be a fool to not notice the red infra red dot centered in our chest. There is certainly a valid all American reason for very serious pushback. Oh, well then perhaps the good Dr. is a Dr. after all, and also a self centered asshole who believes they can repair anyone shot in the chest, and make lots of money off the surgery. Is that the case Dr. Cheever ? Oh the irony of it all.
Nioaka Marshall says
Dr. Cheever must be a pseudonym. I can not find any record ANYWHERE of anyone with that name. I would also like to know where he got his medical training, if in fact he is real.
Lifelong says
I love Ms. Finneys letter! I feel the Dr. thinks people are not capable of making good sound decisions on their own without others telling them what they should and shouldn’t do! How they should and shouldn’t feel and their way is the best way! No one is saying to be reckless! Use common sense! Respect the fact that just because someone doesn’t do what you believe is the right way does not make them wrong!
Jwalton says
Lifelong, I agree with the Dr. look around cases are increasing because people aren’t using common sense. People aren’t making good sound decisions. Just wait for the rise of cases 10 days after Thanksgiving.
Mary Paar says
This “horrible virus” has a much better survival rate than the average flu. We never shut down for the flu. All thinking people see this plandemic for what it is; an attempt to control the masses through fear and intimidation, with the added threat of prosecution now in democrat run cities and states if you refuse to allow your civil liberties to be suppressed. There is no real science about a mask, either paper or cloth, keeping your germs to yourself and effectively providing a barrier to others germs invading your space. Your eyes are receptors for germs, just like your skin and ears. We arent stupid, no matter what spin MSM and those trying to initiate the “Great Reset” to socialism want to push onto us. Ever wonder how Hitler prevailed? Starts with little stuff and escalates quickly; like rumors about Jews ( or businesses or people) , defunding the police, disarming the citizens, doxing those who disagree, creating social divisions. People take care of their family members who have special needs, be they aged or otherwise compromised. They always have. We do not need the government to tell us to stay home and await the next great fear they want to release to ensure our compliance.
And, MSM has cancelled the real credentialed doctors who have publicly said the masks are a control issue, not a safety feature, the protocols that use hydroxychloroquine work and that people do not need to social distance. Try a little Prager U or Candace Owens interview with Dr Stella Immanuel for some real facts about the “horrible virus.
Cape Charles leaders do what they perceive to be “the best thing” for the town. Its up to the rest of us to do what we perceive to be the best for each of us. I have always sanitized after each customer, regardless of a “plandemic” You are welcome to say Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday, I Love You and Have a Great Day at Focus Optical Boutique.
A Friend says
Hear! Hear!
David Muir says
You note that this “‘horrible virus’ has a much better survival rate than the average flu.” According to the CDC, average annual fatalities in the US from the flu are between 12,000 and 61,000 (since 2010). In just 9 months, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of a quarter million Americans, despite all the lockdowns and other precautions taken. Given all that, I’m not sure how you arrive at your conclusion.
I’m also bemused by the hand-wringing and hysteria surrounding the town’s decision to cancel holiday events. Call me a libertarian, but since when did we expect the government to stage our holiday celebrations for us? The town is not forcing businesses to close, nor is it banning Christmas decorations or any of the other things that Mason Street stores have done for themselves in past years. The town has simply decided not to use taxpayer money to fund community events that it believes are risky. How do we get from that simple decision to “totalitarianism”? Winter must be early this year, because there are a hell of a lot of snowflakes around.
Mary F says
Mr. Muir, As I’m sure you have heard, much evidence has shown that a LARGE percentage of the deaths blamed on Covid19 were in fact caused by other previous illnesses , diseases, conditions. However, that 250K number sure does come in handy to those pushing the continued hysteria. The fact remains that this illness is above 98% survivable, much the same as any yearly flu. Furthermore, your assumption that I expect the town to stage holiday celebrations is WRONG. My disagreement is with them essentially banning them. You, as most leftists do, are distorting the statistics to push your preferred narrative.
David Muir says
MaryF,
You claim that many of the 250K deaths come from sources other than COVID-19. If that were true, we could expect deaths in 2020 to closely mirror the average number of deaths in other years. But that is not the case. According to the CDC, the number of deaths in the US in 2020 is 260,000 higher than the average. What can we attribute all those excess deaths to? If our tinfoil hat is not properly tuned, we could find many causes:
a) 5G networks
b) Children killed by pedophiles under pizza parlors
c) BLM and Antifa terrorists
But the truth is probably much more prosaic. It’s COVID-19 plus otherwise preventable deaths stemming from an overloaded health system. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s probably a duck. Let’s not overthink it.
You also say that this illness is 98% survivable. I disagree with you. I think the disease will probably be survived by more than 99% of people who contract it. But if we use your numbers as a guide, 6.4 million Americans will die if we were all to contract the disease. Is that acceptable to you?
Now let’s talk about Cape Charles. You say that the town is “essentially banning” holiday celebrations. I have read Public Message #19 from the town manager several times and I must be missing something. While the State of Virginia has imposed restrictions on gatherings, I find no evidence that the town has imposed additional restrictions on stores and local businesses. Am I distorting the “statistics” or have you worked yourself into a lather for no good reason?
Finally, you assume that I am a leftist. You know nothing of my political leanings and they are not important. What is important is for us to ground our thinking in real data and be able to change our outlook when presented with cold, hard facts. Only then will we emerge from the bizarre rabbit holes that so many fellow Americans have disappeared into. Please come back.
Joseph McDonald says
According to new data, the U.S. currently ranks first in total COVID-19 cases, new cases per day and deaths. Genevieve Briand, assistant program director of the Applied Economics master’s degree program at Hopkins, critically analyzed the effect of COVID-19 on U.S. deaths using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in her webinar titled “COVID-19 Deaths: A Look at U.S. Data.”
From mid-March to mid-September, U.S. total deaths have reached 1.7 million, of which 200,000, or 12% of total deaths, are COVID-19-related.
In 2017, an average of 7,708 deaths occurred each day. That’s a grand total of two million eight hundred thirteen thousand four hundred twenty deaths (2,813,420). January, February, and December were the months with the highest average daily number of deaths (8,478, 8,351, and 8,344, respectively). June, July, and August were the months with the lowest average daily number of deaths (7,298, 7,157, and 7,158, respectively).
Source: National Vital Statistics System. Underlying cause of death data, 1999–2017. https://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html.
Ray Otton says
“You claim that many of the 250K deaths come from sources other than COVID-19. If that were true, we could expect deaths in 2020 to closely mirror the average number of deaths in other years. But that is not the case. According to the CDC, the number of deaths in the US in 2020 is 260,000 higher than the average.”
No.
Turns out COVID had virtually no impact on 2020 deaths. Sounds counter intuitive until you read the article:
https://web.archive.org/web/20201126223119/https://www.jhunewsletter.com/article/2020/11/a-closer-look-at-u-s-deaths-due-to-covid-19
BTW, though pretty good new, this article got BURIED by the social media platforms and main stream media.
Odd, no?
David Muir says
The article you cite is interesting but it has since been retracted for being factually inaccurate. While it’s true that many deaths attributed to COVID-19 may have additional underlying factors (e.g., heart disease), the article is wrong about there being no excess deaths in 2020 compared with the average year.
A CDC report, “Excess Deaths Associated with COVID-19, by Age and Race and Ethnicity — United States, January 26–October 3, 2020,” says the following: “Overall, an estimated 299,028 excess deaths occurred from late January through October 3, 2020.” The 260,000 number I cite in my original post is outdated.
Ray Otton says
“The article you cite is interesting but it has since been retracted for being factually inaccurate. While it’s true that many deaths attributed to COVID-19 may have additional underlying factors (e.g., heart disease), the article is wrong about there being no excess deaths in 2020 compared with the average year. ”
Isn’t it odd that John-Hopkins pulled their own article?………..Maybe a little outside pressure?
They then stated that contrary to the author’s contention in the article they pulled, people who have comorbidities would be more at risk.
However, while it is true those with comorbities and other issues would be more at risk, it doesn’t explain the drop in the numbers of the other illnesses.
Then there’s this from the NY Post –
https://nypost.com/2020/11/26/cdc-warns-eight-covid-19-infections-missed-for-every-one-counted/
All in all it feel very much like the experts are pissing in our ears and telling us it’s raining. No wonder folks are fed up and starting to disobey.
The next question is……….what happens if we ever do have a REAL viral pandemic?
Margot Gorske says
Okay cancel the events. But then explain the following to me. We have people renting here from CA, NY, WY, KS, and just about every other state. How is this not super spreader? I don’t see why cancelling events to safeguard the town is okay but allowing a revolving parade of renters from hotspots is not an equal danger. Seems like cherry picking to me.