Lucy Dathan

The month of Ramandan has begun, beginning the commemoration of one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Fasting from dawn until sunset, prayer, reflection and being in community with friends and family are the ways Muslims honor this tradition.

I am wishing all our friends and neighbors a safe, blessed and peaceful Ramadan.

Fact vs. Fiction. Wrong vs. Right. Winning vs. The Truth. These seem to be the common themes of many of the things we’re hearing on cable news or reading about on social medial (put it down for a day…it’ll do a body good…I swear). And while many continue to be frustrated with and question certain restrictions and strongly urged safety precautions, we ask that you take a deep breath and remember that we’re in this together.

Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. I am sure you have seen photos of clear skylines worldwide, in notoriously smoggy areas such as in China, India, Los Angeles and Italy. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in air quality all over the world.

I want to share an Op-ed that I wrote which was published in our local paper.

Due to the negative influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nonprofit HEDCO Inc. has announced it will provide loans up to $20,000 interest-free to small businesses owned by minorities and women.

During times of crisis, we come together like no one else. I am launching an effort with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to honor our friends and neighbors who are going above and beyond.

I am sure everyone has heard how hard it is for our local restaurants during this time and I know there are many people are supporting these wonderful establishments. Thank you for helping – we need to be there for them to make sure that they can survive this period so that when it is safe to relax these social distancing rules, they are there for us. With kids getting a well deserved break from their distance learning, I thought that it would be good to pull together some resources to entertain yourselves during this time off and maybe try some new restaurants.

You are making a difference. Your social distancing and care are helping to "flatten the curve."