The town is navigating a cautious way forward with outdoor gatherings and events, most notably concerts and youth sports, after the State of Connecticut paused the current reopening plan in response to surges of the coronavirus in other parts of the country.
With hope that there might be an expansion of the current restrictions, the town is not yet canceling outdoor concerts on the green scheduled for August, though Parks & Recreation Director Rick Maynard said that if the guidelines aren’t expanded, those events are unlikely to happen, and if so, will definitely require significantly more labor for town staff.
The first concert that was to take place at the end of this month has officially been canceled, however, with no real hope state guidelines would be expanded in time to accommodate it, according to Maynard.
On the positive side, the town has tentatively rescheduled its annual fireworks display, originally set for July 11, to September, Maynard said. Officials will have to make a final decision on whether that is feasible and safe by late August, according to Maynard.
Guilford’s beach concert series is also not officially canceled, despite First Selectman Matt Hoey saying that the events were “in jeopardy” after some residents failed to properly social distance at the opening event on June 25.
That concert, which drew around 250 people, according to Maynard, was an example of both the wonderful environment and opportunity as well as the risks of summer on the shoreline in the age of coronavirus.
“I’d say except for the virus, it was a wonderful night,” Maynard quipped.
With the majority of people “properly distanced,” a small group dancing close together without face masks drew the ire of other residents as well as town officials, Maynard said.
“I’m not criticizing the group of people. They were there and they just kind of lost track that there’s a virus. You have to wear a mask or you have to separate out better,” Maynard said.
The next beach concert has been moved to August, and Maynard said there is a possibility that Parks & Recreation staff will create a grid using ropes or caution tape, hand out masks, and regularly remind people to social distance and wear their masks.
“We’ll do everything we can to make it safe, but thankfully, even with that concert and people not separating out very well, there was no uptick...in virus [cases]. And that was two weeks ago, so we would know,” Maynard said.
Concerts on the green are much more tricky because they draw significantly larger crowds—more than a 1,000, according to Maynard. Drawing grids or squares with paint on the grass is something that has been considered, but due to the sheer numbers, those concerts are simply not possible under current restrictions, as there is no effective way to limit the number of people coming onto the green, Maynard said.
Youth sports—with baseball, softball, and lacrosse currently the only ones in session—is another outdoor activity that has recently kicked off in Guilford. Maynard said that he and his staff worked hard ahead of games starting to create safe conditions, including removing bleachers and dugout benches and painting social distancing markers for spectators and players.
Guilford Little League President Mark Donovan said that after some initial adjustments, baseball and softball has been played safely and successfully in Guilford, and that there are even some preliminary thoughts about a postseason of some kind despite the fact that the Little League World Series is already canceled.
“I’m happy. I think we have a lot more people coming to a lot more games,” Donovan said.
With an extra staff member observing and assisting both players and spectators with the proper procedures, Donovan said that the Little League community has been “cordial and correct” as they adapt to new circumstances and he asks families to help regularly sanitize bats during games and assist with kids’ social distancing in their batting orders.
Families and parents were also sent a “very comprehensive” PowerPoint presentation, Donovan said, that helped detail what would be necessary and how families could assist in preventing viral spread, though he said some families are still unsure about letting their kids participate in sports this summer.
“We might have lost players this year for the first time...Parents are a little bit queasy,” Donovan said.
Even though keeping up these good practices takes a lot of work—Maynard said his staff has to re-paint the social distancing markers weekly after they mow the grass—there is talk of having even more baseball at the end of the regular season, according to Donovan.
The dozen or so teams in Guilford’s district could potentially find a way to play for a regional title, according to Donovan, and there have even been conversations about a small state-wide competition, though no one is currently comfortable expanding outside of Connecticut with the surge of virus cases in other parts of the country.
Maynard said that he and other town officials have been encouraged by how the youth baseball teams and community had taken precautions and implemented safety plans so far. He said that whether it is for concerts, sports, or any other type of event, town employees charged with keeping residents safe are willing to go the extra mile to make these things happen when possible in Guilford.
“If it means having a concert or not having a concert, we’ll do it,” Maynard. “They’re a fantastic crew, they’re willing to do it.”
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