The NEWS:
CCSD Trustees held an emergency meeting this morning to take care of routine business that had routine due dates.
State law requires meetings outside of the regular schedule to be labeled, "emergency." But we're in the middle of an actual emergency, and there is a lot of confusion and unanswered questions about what students and teachers and parents are supposed to do. At the very least, calling and "emergency" meeting without planning to address some of the issues related to the pandemic was a communication gaffe.
Alas, an item was added to the agenda at the last minute to talk about distance learning, which started today.
CCSD Superintendent Jesus Jara said that 63 percent of students have access to the internet. Which means 47 percent will have to pick up paper packets at food distribution points, or go without homework.
Jara also said he is not abiding by the an order from the State Dept. of Ed to have distance learning in place by today. There are simply too many hurdles to overcome. We’ll have more on this tomorrow and Wednesday.
The Washington Post is reporting - via its ever changing coronavirus map - that the U.S. had 100 deaths from the novel virus - the single biggest death toll yet.
Worldwide, there have been 375,458 confirmed cases and 16,371 deaths - a 4 percent death rate. The death rate from the flu is less than 1 percent.
The New York Times is reporting that Republican led legislators in Texas and Ohio are labeling abortion as unnecessary elective procedures, to be stopped while the coronavirus is spreading. Critics argue that coronavirus is not treated in abortion clinics.
The INTERVIEW:
We talked today to Robin Slonina and Troy Heard. Robin runs a body painting and event company in the arts district. Troy runs the Majestic Theatre in the arts district.
Both of them have had to shut their businesses when Gov. Sisolak ordered a shut-down of non-essential businesses. The Majestic had just opened an interactive show - Garden Party - in which actors would physically interact with audience members.
Slonina had to cancel a charity event she was planning for One Drop. She also lost income on the canceled Electric Daisy Carnival.
"My concern is not making it through, it's what's going to happen on the other side. Who's going to want to come into an enclosed space," said Heard.
He's also worried about whether people who make up their audiences are going to have expendable income after the pandemic recedes.
"How long does it take to recover from everyone in the city losing months of work," adds Slonina.
In the meantime, both Slonina and Heard are keeping busy, planning for the future. Slonina is launching a TV show on You Too (known as YTA) called Vegas Unveiled. They're producing it with Vegas: The Network. The idea is to get artists to film themselves teaching their kids to do tightrope, or doing acrobatics in open spaces that are now empty on the Strip. It will premiere March 30, and run an hour a night.
Heard is doing online interactive online shows, where people can dial in and talk to characters.