Some 50 people met on the north lawn of the Wood County courthouse in Quitman Friday to express their feelings about getting the county and local communities back to work. Most in attendance did not wear a mask and a few, but not all, did abide by the safe distancing practice.

Organized by Jim Herlocker of Mineola, the gathering gave local citizens the opportunity to support getting people back to work during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are here because we are concerned about what is happening in our local economy. Everybody is scared to death of the virus and how it is running our lives,” Herlocker said. “It’s really causing a lot of problems in our communities. We are not here to bash anybody from the county judge and county commissioners; it’s all about going forward and what we need to do. They have done a good job and the governor has done a good job. We are happy with that.

“We need to be looking out for our people. We need to be strong with what we are doing, but we need to quit letting this virus run our lives. We need to get outside and get busy. We need to go back to work. We need to do things. I’m scared to death we are going to lose so many businesses.”

Herlocker said the restaurant association put out that only one in five restaurants will survive.

”That’s a terrible number and I don’t know how we are going to change this. We are going to have so many economic deaths on this and it’s going to take a long time for this to be resolved. It won’t be overnight,” Herlocker asserted.

He said he is also concerned with sales taxes and property taxes that fund cities and schools.

Herlocker said the county citizens have done a good job, limiting the number of reported cases. 

John Sherill, who is in the construction business, said, “The lifeblood of our communities are the business people gathered right here. You go on our streets in Mineola you see that our restaurants and small shops are not open. And if they are open, they are struggling to stay open. Let’s try to help our local, small businesses. Buy from them when you can. The only people who can save the small businesses are us. This is not political, but we want the courthouse to hear this. It’s time to get business back going as usual. Practice social distancing as best we can, but still support our businesses.”

Jim Allen of Golden had strong feelings about what is happening. “Obviously this is a business conversation we have been having, but I would like to express strongly with a loud voice everybody can hear. With everything we have, I am offended that Walmart and Lowe’s can have as many people as they have in their stores. In our small churches, where people can very well be spread out inside their buildings, we could still be having good worship services,” Allen stated.

“It is very imperative that we do maintain a sense of normalcy in a very not normal situation,” said Rev. Demetrius Boyd. “We have got to maintain our faith base considerations because that is what will strengthen us going forward.”

The number of cases was brought up by Phil Sadler. “There’s about a quarter-million people in the six contiguous areas around Wood County. In that number there have been less than 200 cases of coronavirus according to John Hopkins University and one fatality as of yesterday (April 16). I would think the people of Wood County and East Texas would use a little common sense,” Sadler said. “Maybe we don’t need to handshake anymore. We can maybe wink or nod or smile, but there are a lot of ways we can get back to work, do the things we need to do, and yet still avoid the conditions which cause this disease. If we don’t do something the economic disease is going to be worse that the viral disease. We have got to go back to work!”