Burlington Area School District Board President Peter Turke described it as “the lesser of two bad options.”
He was speaking of the choices the board faced in its decision Tuesday night to make masks optional to start the school year. Imposing a mask mandate would have hacked off a significant number of district residents who have been vehemently vocal in their opposition to forcing people to wear masks in schools. However, leaving the masking decision up to individuals puts a chink in the district’s armor against the surging number of coronavirus cases, according to public health officials.
The compromise, the board decided on a 5-2 vote, is to start the school year on Sept. 7 with masks optional and retain the possibility of a mask mandate as a tool to keep students in class should the pandemic worsen.
The decision and the board’s debate on the topic of masks in schools is the lead story in this week’s edition of the Burlington Standard Press. The newspaper will be available at local retail outlets on Thursday and subscribers will receive their copies with Thursday’s mail. To arrange for weekly delivery, click here: SUBSCRIBE
Here’s a look at some of the other stories in this week’s edition:
• AIR AMBULANCE EYES CITY BASE: Flight for Life emergency medical helicopter service looks to expand its operation into the City of Burlington under a series of proposals the Common Council plans to consider in September. The council on Tuesday learned about the proposals, and resolutions, primarily consisting of Flight for Life leasing hangars at Burlington Municipal Airport to conduct its operations.
• TALL TALES THRIVES: The Tall Tales Music Festival, which returned last weekend after one-year layoff due to pandemic, brought several rising stars in the music scene and was blessed with ideal weather and robust crowds.
• CLEAN GETAWAY: The annual Clean Sweep event in Burlington last Saturday brought in hundreds of vehicles from seven area communities on a sunny Saturday morning at the city’s Wastewater Treatment Facility. The event attracted 435 vehicles with area residents disposing of unwanted household hazardous waste and electronics.
• MAN DUE TO APPEAR IN COURT: A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18 for a Burlington man charged in a motorcycle crash in 2019 in Racine. Wesley Isaiah Corathers Jr., 39, was charged Nov. 18, 2019, with reckless driving causing great bodily harm and reckless driving causing injury.
• BACK TO THE MOVIES: People are slowly returning to local theaters, according to one owner, but will a new affection for streaming movie releases prove too much to overcome?
• ALL-AREA BASEBALL TEAM: See which local baseball players ended up on the Southern Lakes Newspapers Dream Team. We’ll also have a look ahead at the prospects of local high school football teams that open the season on Friday.
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