News

Publisher’s Note: This Too Shall Pass, Right?

March 20, 2020 By Nelson Spencer Jr.

The entire world is in total panic! People are getting sick, some even dying, of what feels like a foreign invasion. Oil prices are dangerously low (not a good thing for our industry), retirement accounts are being drained and many people are practicing social distancing while working from home. The latter can be a huge stress factor alone. Many have little access to friends and family, favorite restaurants and bars and by what mainstream news will have you think, toilet paper. What the heck is happening?

People are justifiably scared and experiencing very real stress. Now, maybe more so than at any other time in recent history, except possibly 9/11, people need comfort. People need good news. Businesses need to conduct business and commerce needs to continue.

Here is some of that good news, I think. Business on the inland and intracoastal waterways will continue. Although not free and clear, the heartland, where many in our industry do business and call home, per published best- and worst-case projections, is least likely to feel the pain. And perhaps most importantly, this too shall pass.

That said, we encourage readers to consider following guidelines like those set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and guidelines suggested by articles we publish, several of which are in this edition. We care about your health and the health of this industry. And to practice what we preach, we will be taking precautions for our own staff and their families. While we set up staff to be able to work from home, if needed, we will not be preparing a March 30 edition. Rest assured that we will still be working, double time for most of us. Our office will at no time be closed and our staff will be available via e-mail and phone transfer. Then it will be business as usual starting right away with the April 6 edition.

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We are still The Waterways Journal. We are still weekly and always will be. We will continue to provide you with business news, updates on colleagues and friends, historical articles that bring a bit of nostalgia to your lives, and more. We will do our part to provide some normalcy and hopefully good, positive news in a world full of distress.

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