Due to the Coronavirus Crisis, the Arcanum Alumni Advisory Committee has chosen to cancel the Trojan Alumni Homecoming for April 18. If you made dinner reservations, your monies will be mailed back to you. All scholarship donations will be used for five scholarships. All scholarship donations are always accepted and greatly appreciated. Therefore your donations will be used to help fund this year’s alumni scholarships. These recipients will be named at a later date. The committee would like to thank all the volunteers who have worked on the event this year. They hope to see you healthy next year. Arcanum Alumni Association and the TAH Committee appreciate all the local businesses and everyone’s support again this year.

The Arcanum Business Association is now accepting craft vendor applications for the 2020 Old Fashioned Days festival that will be in Arcanum Friday, May 15, Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17. Spaces are 10’ x 10’ for street space and you must bring your own pop up tent. There are also a few spots under the big tent. First come, first serve. If you are interested send an email to Jason Blackburn at [email protected].

Our local Farmers Market will start every Saturday during summer beginning June 9 from 9 a.m. to noon at Veterans Park on West George. All vendors are welcome to come and setup, contact Sharon Troutwine with questions. They are specifically looking for garden produce, fruit, honey, baked goods, quality crafts and homemade items. More details to come later this spring.

The Arcanum Preservation Society is partnering with local students from Arcanum and Franklin-Monroe high schools to develop the logo for their new nonprofit society. APS encourages students to familiarize themselves with architecture, history and preservation. The art must be turned in to APS by May 1. The art will be displayed to the public at a reception held at the Arcanum Wayne Trail Historical Society during Old Fashion Days on the afternoon of May 16 from 1 to 4 p.m. The winning art will be chosen by the Arcanum Preservation Society’s Board of Directors. All students need to contact APS for a copy of the Contest Guidelines, Photo Release form, the organization’s Mission Statement and directions for turning in their art.

The APS was started in July 2019 by a group of Arcanum citizens in response to concerns about the future of the town’s historic Town Hall and Opera House. The group has started the process of becoming a 501c (3) nonprofit and are busy laying the groundwork to see the Opera House and other buildings in Arcanum restored. The APS uses the powerful tool of historic preservation to revitalize our community, strengthen the local economy and enhance the quality of life in Arcanum Ohio. The group can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

While we they have been inundated with the news from every turn over the past two weeks, how are you handling all the anxiety and stress over the COVID-19 outbreak? I know I was uncertain in the beginning about what to believe and how to plan for what could happen. Now, it appears that what they have been predicting will happen unless we all take the necessary mandated precautions. It’s still not fun though, is it? I think I realized it was really serious when the NCAA canceled March Madness; I never thought that I would see that happen!

Does it run through your mind every time you wash your hands? Do you wash your hands more often now? I never liked using hand sanitizer because it dried out my skin really bad, but I must admit when it is offered or available to me I use it as a precaution. Here are some simple tips I found online after doing a little research that make sense and I thought you might find helpful.

First, know the facts – this might involve doing a research but always remember there are lots of websites that might give you some misinformation so be sure to check out reputable information. I would suggest the CDC or a recent update from health officials or the government.

Another important component is put the pandemic in perspective, or balancing out what we should do and should not do. Be vigilant rather than under-reacting. It’s tempting to rationalize especially when our economic interests are at stake.

We are hard-wired for a fight-or-flight response; therefore we need to identify the source of our anxiety. We tend to want to blame someone for all of this and in a world pandemic crisis the field of who to blame is way too broad. Since this is normal, an article I read suggested that we distance ourselves from the blame game and propel ourselves to staying calm and coming up with a plan to walk right though the next few weeks by planning ahead. Maybe instead of watching television all day long, take a walk out in the yard or read that dusty book on the shelf – allow your mind to slow down and take a different view than the normal hustle and bustle of your old schedule.

Next, don’t be afraid to ask for help. We are here to help each other out, so avoid being a do-it-yourselfer when you’re not qualified. Grab some other clear-thinking person to ask what she thinks or what he would do about stockpiling food, or taking that plane trip, or talking to little Billy about what’s going on with grandma in the hospital and his school being closed. You may choose not to follow the advice you seek, but it’s essential to have other perspectives.

Don’t procrastinate about preparing for the worst. If you haven’t been able to get an extra weeks’ supply of food or medication, do it today. Please remember you only need a week or two of supplies, we have seen enough hoarding of supplies please be mindful of others. If you feel frozen, ask a buddy to push you to act and help you make wise decisions about how much you need of what.

Connect, connect, connect. Social distancing and mandates to shelter in place may require us to stay in our homes, but that doesn’t mean we have to isolate ourselves. Stay in communication with family, friends, and neighbors via telephone, text, and email – use all means possible to anyone who means a lot to you; especially those who induce a sense of calm rather than chaos. People need to hear your voice — and vice versa.

Lastly, don’t skip the self-care. Slow down, engage in healthy practices and try to sustain regular routines that bring comfort and stability. Therapy, conversation, exercise, yoga, meditation and religious and spiritual practices are good starting points; also consider the impacts of making art, singing, journaling and being useful to others. This might be a good time to start something new that makes you feel better about yourself. You are important to others, so make yourself important to you!