The first big summer weekend is here on Block Island, opening without the usual fanfare of fireworks and parades and steak fries. Those were the traditional sights and sounds and aromas of the July Fourth Weekend.
What apparently will not change is the enthusiasm people have for this island community in the summer, as leaders in the tourism industry and on the municipal side expect the island to be busy.
There are also untraditional symbols that highlight what the First Warden called a Fourth of July “unlike any other:” Facemasks, signs about wearing a facemask, signs about reminding people that we are a small town with a little medical center are abundant.
And there is no question that some islanders who have been experiencing the shutdown on the island since March are nervous about the numbers of people coming over from the mainland.
When the first wave of travelers arrived and landed, red flags popped up everywhere about the numbers of people coming off the boat not wearing face coverings of any kind. The Town Council quickly passed an ordinance requiring the wearing of masks while outside and when people are not able to comfortably physically distance themselves
