Best of the CRANDIC 2021: COVID-19

““Dr. Perencevich has been a steady voice of reason and science during the pandemic, in the face of… gestures to everything.”

—Kelcey P.

““Art house cinema, but at home. Bags of popcorn, but to go. Movies, but outside.”

—Nick B.

““Safety first resonates. They haven’t caved to peer pressure and have gone a million miles above and beyond to provide everyone with things from the library for all ages.”

—Paul M.

““They never stopped teaching and engaging throughout the pandemic.”

—Jamie H.

““Truly miracle workers! How did they pull it together? And so smoothly, when the world was chaos. It was so amazing as a patron to still be able to get my goods without the in-person experience. And I have to imagine a great opportunity that farmers were still able to get their goods to their fans. In the online format, I found that I ended up trying [more] new vendors than I had in my previous farmers market routine and really enjoying it. It was also neat that I got some of the stories of the vendors that I just never asked about in the in-person format when I would hand my money and take my tomatoes.”

—Becca D.

““Mayor Teague was one of the first to defiantly stand up for us against our dangerously irrational governor, Kim Reynolds. He has continued to do so throughout the pandemic, and I have no doubt that his actions have helped to save lives. Thank you, Mayor Teague, for your unwavering support and care for your citizens!”

—Greg W.

“”A T-rex and a unicorn roller skate down the street” sounds like the set-up for a silly joke. In Iowa City, it’s a delightful reality at a time when fun distractions are as good as gold. The minds and skating talents behind the costumes are Laura Claps (the T-rex) and Sara Montgomery (the unicorn), Iowa City residents, partners and 10-year roller derby players.
“[Sara] said, ‘You know, tomorrow we should just put these costumes on and skate around and just wave,’” Claps explained. “Really our target audience was kids who are at home, sitting in the window just kind of looking out … It’s just gotten an incredible reaction from the community, kids and adults included.”

(From the article “Iowa City’s inflatable roller-skating animal brigade lifts spirits during COVID-19 crisis” by Emma McClatchey, published April 10, 2020)

““Last year, when COVID-19 was just beginning to establish its kudzu control over us, the cancellation of Mission Creek 2020 was what shook many of us in eastern Iowa out of our illusions of isolation and personal safety. Now, almost a year later, Ghost Creek is telling us gently that illusion is OK again—that it might not yet be safe to gather, but it’s safe to dream of gathering. It’s safe to hope. … Benjamin Handler, who adapted and directed the piece, has a distinct knack for this kind of storytelling: the kind that invites, if not outright forces, the viewer to overlay their own experiences, that exists more as a conversation than a declamation.”

(From the article “Ghost Creek shimmers in the fog of our pandemic-fatigued minds” by Genevieve Trainor, published Feb. 18)

““In the absence of a scheduling resource for all Iowans who qualify for COVID-19 vaccination, one Iowa City web developer got creative. The @IAVaccineAlerts Twitter account, created by University of Iowa Information Technology Services employee Brian Finley, is perhaps the most efficient vaccine scheduling aid in Iowa. Finley automated the account to tweet whenever a retail vaccine site (specifically, Hy-Vee, Walgreens and CVS pharmacies across the state) has available appointments. The openings can be fleeting, but each tweet is another opportunity for an Iowan to nab a spot—a scrappy sort of process familiar to those who have tried to score tickets online to a popular concert or musical.”

(From the article “Vaccine appointments can feel elusive. This Iowa Twitter account helps” by Emma McClatchey, published March 19)

““Steadfast in protecting us and keeping us up to date on inventory, with cool new options for Surprise Bags.”

—Kelcey P.