Yup, another Covid-19 masking article. Why? Because this thing ain't over folks?

Good Afternoon People of Lawrence!

ok, let's get down to business...

Each morning I receive a brief Covid-19 report from our Health Officer, Keith Levine, and receive reports from the NJ Office of Emergency Management about statewide trends. In the past couple of weeks, it has become increasingly clear that things are trending the wrong way in our fight against the virus. Keith wrote the following to me:

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Kevin:

Omicron is competing with Delta in our region (meaning NY, NJ, CT area) w/ about 13% of cases being Omicron, which is not high but increases with time. We still do not know how Omicron will affect things, more on that as it develops. Hospitalizations and cases requiring a ventilator are also steeply rising in NJ, Mercer County has experienced a 250% increase in cases since early November so holiday season illness spread is in full swing right now and will only get worse.

For perspective, deaths due to COVID (in the USA) are higher in 2021 than they were in 2020 (hard to believe but true). Mercer Co. deaths are at about 1060 and NJ as a whole is around 30k last I saw. Hard to keep up with all the stats but I check them every so often.

12/9: 19

12/10: 17

12/13: 10

12/14: 12

12/15: 12

12/16: 9

This brings us to a total of 3320 confirmed cases and 96 deaths to date.

Keith

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I think it is always good to allow the community a check "under the hood" and share some internal communications that I think are important for you to see.

I am not an alarmist, but clearly, the virus is gaining strength again with this new strain. It is coming at a time when families are making plans to gather and celebrate the holidays. So, I simply offer to you all, to remain diligent and not let your guard down. Keep a mask with you at all times. When you go into a store or a public place when social distancing is not possible or realistic, wear your mask to protect yourself and others. Although we all want this covid thing to be over, it isn't. We need to remain focused on doing what we know is the right thing to do. Despite political opinions to the contrary, the right type of mask protects us from the spread of the virus. https://www.mayoclinic.org/.../coronavirus-mask/art-20485449

Here are some trends we need to be aware of in our state:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/map/new-jersey?fbclid=IwAR1h3KCIPi9KZGQLd6SDlGWia7iPG7VI0EpOZjtujXvTcWjk_U9s0z9h3Fw

Here is some good information for those that remain unvaccinated:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-vaccine/art-20484859?fbclid=IwAR3_UUxaBD4wrpmAt15x2rTJOPJdZjiHpdE38CsEBjIS4W5YQ1iJQy9S3Ao

Peace and love.... Peace and Love

Lawrence Township Grant Matrix to December 2021

From time to time I share our internal Township grant matrix which tracks all of our applications for grant funding and their status.  Below is a link to the Lawrence Township Grant Matrix to December 2021.  In summary, in 2021 we applied for $3,124,802 in County, State and Federal grant funding for various projects.  We received $1,895,200 in awarded funds and still have some applications pending decision.

Our grant "game" is critical to keeping our municipal tax rate as low as possible.  We will continue to work hard to find and apply for grants that work for our community.  Please know that many grants require a match from the applicant.   A "match" is money required from the applicant that equals (or is a percentage) of the amount being awarded.  For example, if we apply for a grant to assist us in developing a recreational site (like a dog park), we most likely will be required to commit to spending a certain amount of our own money on the project.  As a result, we need to make sure that the grant fits our needs at the time it is to be awarded because it will impact our budget.  

Here is the link to our most current grant matrix as prepared by our Grant Czar Brenda Kramer: 

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:60549e3f-9671-463f-b1b2-62b7adfcb315