Locals make do amid cancellations and social distancing
IMPERIAL — Those who planned to attend a public event in Imperial Valley this weekend, or even next month, have been forced to change plans.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, locals events scheduled as far back as May have been either canceled or rescheduled.
This comes after state public health experts announced Wednesday that gatherings with 250 people or more should be rescheduled or canceled, and smaller gatherings can take place if organizers implement 6 feet of social distancing.
Following this order was Naval Air Facility El Centro, which was set to host the biggest event taking place this weekend in the Valley.
On Thursday, the air facility announced it would be canceling its annual Air Show, which draws hundreds of spectators throughout the county and from outside the area. It was scheduled to take place Saturday.
The base had already canceled its annual Food Fest scheduled to take place Friday due to concerns over the virus.
Also scheduled for Saturday was Holtville Rotary’s second annual Pulled Pork Cook-Off. It was canceled, as well.
So was a CrossFit fundraising event scheduled to take place in Imperial Saturday on behalf of Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego.
In fact, “canceled” or “postponed” is sure to be found on the flier of practically every event taking place within the next two to three weeks. That includes the third annual Imperial Valley
Ag Expo, which being postponed from its original date of April 2.
This statewide public health announcement has even affected informational events taking place in the Valley — Imperial County Office of Education’s Dangers of Vaping events, the city of Brawley’s State of the City Address and similar gatherings are all postponed.
While large gatherings may be on hold in the Valley, a glance around the area on Saturday showed that locals are still out and about.
Halos and Tiaras, a Holtville-based non-profit organization that raises funds to help local cancer-striken children, announced it is still planning to go ahead with its annual Golf Tournament and Ball Drop on April 18.
“There’s 43 kids diagnosed with cancer every day — that’s more than the coronavirus,” Halos and Tiaras President Marcy Bingham said Saturday. “I know a lot of people are scared and concerned, which they should be, but we’re not going to cancel our event.”
Early Saturday afternoon, the parking lot outside Cornerstone Community Church in Holtville was filled with cars. Family members in mourning gathered there for a loved one’s funeral services.
Just next to the church was the Holtville Public Library, which was hosting a public event, Social Story Hour, for children with autism and their families.
Families on Saturday afternoon were also stopping by Denny’s, Chili’s and Johnny Carino’s on Dogwood Road in El Centro to enjoy lunch.
Customers were stopping by Kennedy’s Market in Heber to pick up some carne asada for their family gatherings. A few yard sales were also going on throughout the small town.
Coming out of Planet Fitness in Calexico after a hard workout was Angel Alvarez.
“It looked like everybody in there was just doing their own thing,” he said.
The Calexico resident admitted that he was wasn’t really comfortable going to gym amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but he still decided to come, nonetheless.
“I’ve been told by my girlfriend, ‘Maybe you shouldn’t go to the gym because all of this stuff is going on,” Alvarez said. “For me right now, I’m just going to come in the mornings, and hopefully no one coughs on me.”
The Moreno family in Brawley also stayed active Saturday.
The family spent their day dribbling up and down the basketball courts at Abe Gonzales Park in Brawley.
“Good thing there’s nice weather,” said Michael Moreno, who was one of about 10 Morenos on the court.
Shooting some hoops on the court next over was Brawley resident Juan Ayala and his 9-year-old son. His young daughter stayed at home.
Ayala said he and his family, canceled any travel plans, such as going to Mexicali for his mother’s birthday, and are trying to stay home more often.
“Just in case, bro,” Ayala said. “I don’t want to put these guys under risk. I think I heard they’re going to close the Imperial Valley Mall.”
The mall was in fact open Saturday.
Standing outside a place that was not open Saturday was Eduardo Cano and James Hill.
The two are members of the Imperial County Foster Parent Association, a non-profit started last year to bring all of the Valley’s foster parents and youth together.
The association scheduled Saturday to be a fun day out at Strikezone in El Centro. Some 58 kids were expected to attend.
Cano and Hill, however, were waiting outside to tell foster parents and guardians the bowling alley was closed.
A sign, which read, “Based on the recommendations from the State of California, which is limiting gatherings with more than 250 people, Strikezone will be closed until further notice,” was posted outside the front entrance.
“They didn’t close it for the flu, but they’re going to close it for this virus, which is still just cold and flu symptoms,” Hill said. “They said there’s three as many times people dying from the flu than it is from this stuff. So why panic? Everybody is buying hand sanitizer and toilet paper — I ain’t doing it.”
Hill and Cano agreed that the association will be rescheduling the event at a different venue: Ricochet Rec Center in Imperial.
The center was open on Saturday, with a sign outside that stated, “Out of respect to other customers, if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, we would ask that you postpone your visit to Ricochet until you are symptom free.”