As I sat down to begin this letter, I couldn’t help but think back to this time last year, and how excited the town was to kick off spring with our awesome Food Truck Friday events. The beginning of May brings with it the buzz of prom, spring sports championships, high school graduations, college graduations, weddings, all kinds of celebrations that bring us together as a community. So, I wondered, what exciting and great news do I have to share during this scary and very difficult time with the COVID-19 pandemic?

It seems like life as we know it has come to a screeching halt. We have been told to stay home, schools are closed, people are working from home and many are not working at all. Yet, despite all of this, there have been great things going on in our community.

We have witnessed teachers parading through neighborhoods in town to see their students. Residents are donating thousands of dollars to provide meals for needy families. Neighbors have gone door to door collecting non-perishable food for local food banks. Union County residents have come together to try and ease the heartache of all Union County seniors by setting up an Adopt-a-Senior Facebook page.

When life stopped for us all, a few decided that nothing was going to stop them. I could not be prouder to live in Weddington and Union County than I am right now. Our Weddington staff has done a tremendous job of keeping the town running. Although the town hall has been closed, staff have been working their normal hours from home and have really done a fantastic job. We have all had to adjust our lives and I pray that very soon we will return to our old normal.

As the restrictions begin to be lifted and we slowly begin to venture out, please remember all the important recommendations from the CDC, which you can find at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html. 

While we continue to navigate this situation please be mindful that everyone deals with stress and fear in their own way. Try to be more tolerant and accepting of people that handle this crisis differently than you. Pray for one another, check on your neighbor, and offer to help the elderly if possible. We will come out of this a stronger community. I wish each of you safety and good health.

Warmest Regards,

Elizabeth Callis

Mayor of Weddington