Community feels pinch of virus crackdown

Like everywhere else, the coronavirus is shutting down much of day-to-day life in Saukville as restaurants or bars are closing or limited to take-out and delivery business, churches are canceling services and other activities. 

A state of emergency has been declared by the village, making it eligible for state and federal assistance, should there be any, and Village Hall was closed as of Tuesday, except for absentee voting and voter registration.

Water bills and other envelopes can be placed in the utility drop box at the Village Hall entrance.

The Oscar Grady Library was also closed Monday and all its activities were canceled.

“As a public space, the library cannot guarantee a germ-free environment or germ-free physical materials,” Librarian Jen Gerber wrote in an online letter to patrons.

“The library will do our best to offer technology support and access to virtual programming, e-resources ... and online educational and information databases during this time.”

Gerber said the library is looking to place books from its collection in Free Little Libraries around the community and asking Saukville residents to alert library staff of where they are located.

“Please send us the address, and we will stop by with various books for it in order to replenish them if needed,” Gerber said in an announcement.

The Saukville Community Food Pantry held a free community meal last Saturday at Parkside United Church of Christ, but has canceled the meals scheduled for March 28 and April 11, pantry Director Mark Gierach said. 

The pantry is also canceling food distributions on Thursdays and will only hold them Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon using an appointment system and curbside pick-up.

A sign-up sheet, divided into half-hour increments, will be available on the pantry’s Facebook page and on its website. 

Patrons will be asked to stay in their cars, and a volunteer will bring items out to them.  Patrons will be able to identify items to which they are allergic and specify types of proteins they want. Otherwise, boxes will packed with staples, Gierach stated in a press release.

Food will be delivered to people who are quarantined with the coronavirus or who have been exposed to someone who has been quarantined, Gierach said.

Gierach said demand has been high.

“There was a lot of food that went out the door in the last week, so donations now to not just our pantry but all food pantries is extremely important,” he said. 

Classes at Saukville Elementary School have been suspended, as in the rest of the Port Washington Saukville School District.

Ozaukee Christian School in the Town of Trenton, and which was formerly located in Saukville, also suspended classes this week, Administrator Kris Austin said.

“Students were here for a half-day (Monday) for final instructions about learning at home over the next few weeks, reviewing Google Classroom and packing up their books/personal items,” she said.

“We made sure all third through eighth grade students took either a laptop or Chromebook with them. Younger students will use the devices they have at home.”

On Tuesday, teachers made videos of phonics lessons and parents were able to come in for instructions on how to use Google Classroom.

In the Village of Newburg, Clerk Deanna Alexander said Village Hall will remain open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

That announcement was made before the announcement late Tuesday that a Washington County resident had tested positive for Covid-19. Alexander could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

With restaurants and bars limited to take-out service, d’Klein Bar and Events created a public Facebook page, “Local Menus for Takeout & Delivery in Northern Ozaukee” where restaurants can post their menus.