Readers of this column know that I am a historian as well as a genealogist. Today’s column is about current events that are making history and will be part of future genealogists’ research.  

This is not respecting the constitutional role of the legislative branch. It is acting as if the Governor is the sole source of authority in state government.

To be perfectly frank and honest, in the early and middle stages of the state's response to COVID-19, I had very little to say in the way of criticism of Mills. However, I began to grow rather uncomfortable with that silence when more time passed. 

Gov. Janet Mills on Tuesday outlined a four-stage plan for Maine to gradually reopen businesses in the state. While her plan is to extend the current stay-at-home order through May 31, certain businesses and activities will be allowed to open beginning May 1 if they follow safety protocols developed by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.

Surely there is now ample evidence that the Penquis region has proven it can adhere to the appropriate guidelines without the need for a full closure of our community enterprises. 

Nearly 130 years later, Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center stands on that foundation. Our promise remains strong as our physicians, nurses, first responders and other frontline caregivers face the unprecedented challenges and uncertainty presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sunday, I decided to venture out into the vast unknown hellscape now known as "reality" to one of our illustrious essential businesses -- a home improvement store -- in order to acquire the necessary handful of items that I needed to repair said broken thing.

Re-opening businesses while COVID-19 is still circulating is not as simple as turning on a switch or sending an email to employees asking them to show up for work. For much of the state, schools have already been closed for the remainder of the academic year. Many parents will have no option but to stay home or modify their schedules to ensure that their kids have proper supervision.

I’ve been entering information from vital records (birth, marriage, death) into my genealogical software program. When you do the same chore remember that every category on the form can hide a valuable clue. Yes, it takes time and the temptation to skip all that in favor of researching is great, but if you don’t enter everything you take a chance you’ll eventually forget all the details and some of those may be what you need in the future.  

This week’s address focuses on another event that brings us all together uniquely as Mainers, Patriot’s Day. This year, Patriot’s Day is celebrated on April 20.

Congratulations, dear reader. Using my reality bending power to create alternative universes, I have now conjured a world in which you are reading this column in the Blaine House, and you are the governor of Maine. Everything else is the same. Same history. Same first year in office. Same COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe. The only difference is that now you are in the unfortunate position of having to make decisions.

President Donald Trump has made it clear – science or not – that he wants to quickly end the physical distancing requirements that are being used to slow the spread of COVID-19. And that he – alone – has the power to do it. Governors, including Maine Gov. Janet Mills among many others, are taking a much more cautious, science-and-public-health-first approach about ending orders that are keeping people at home

I want to acknowledge and thank the families, parents and caregivers who are working so hard to support remote learning for our students during this unprecedented emergency situation. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic reach across every aspect of our daily lives, and many families are struggling with lost jobs, lack of childcare, and access to even basic provisions. We know that many students have had to assume adult responsibilities -- like supervising younger siblings or taking a job to help support the family, and we know that many adults are arriving home in the evening, exhausted from essential jobs, to support children in different grade levels with remote school work. 

Now that everyone is being directed to practice social distancing and to stay at home, what does this mean for victim/survivors (adults and children) of domestic abuse? 

But for rural Mainers whose communities still don’t have access to high-speed broadband, telecommuting, remote learning and telehealth aren’t easy options. These unserved communities have been at a disadvantage for years, but the consequences of this rural broadband gap are even more dire during this stay-at-home order. 

In any crisis, we triage the issues we are facing, and our reactions proceed in relatively predictable ways. The COVID-19 pandemic is no different.

There’s a certain clarity that develops in a crisis. Old rules -- that seemed so important to protecting the public order, to good business practices, to the rules of commerce -- all of a sudden get tossed out and we adapt to new ways of doing things for the times. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we have changed the way we live our lives and conduct business.

As healthcare workers, we are doing what we have been trained to do -- what comes instinctively to the many who have heard a calling to care for their fellow human beings. COVID-19 has a lot of unknowns and is still evolving. Those in healthcare are navigating a delicate balance between being there for our families and answering our call of duty to care for our communities -- consciously separating ourselves from our loved ones, as our care of others puts those close to us at higher risk of exposure. While we know it is for the best, it’s a tough sacrifice.