March 20 wasn’t a typical Friday in Lynnfield, Mass. In fact, it may have been the strangest of Fridays in recent memory for residents of that town and many others throughout Massachusetts, for it was the Friday that closed out the first week of a partial statewide shutdown to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Schools had been shuttered on short notice, forcing parents and teachers to scramble to figure out childcare solutions. Many people transitioned to working from home while some were laid off. Restaurants closed. Barber shops and hair salons locked their doors. Parks and playgrounds were deemed off limits. These were strange times, indeed. Continue reading Mitchener Uses Running Superpower to Bring Laughter to Neighbors During Pandemic →

Christopher Agbay stood at the trailhead and stared into the woods ahead of him. The sun was still rising, gradually illuminating the trail he was about to take on. On good days, the Wapack Trail packs a serious punch. On days where conditions aren’t so great—days like this—it can be downright grueling. Thunderstorms had recently soaked the area for several hours. Now here he was, at 6:45 a.m., ready to embrace whatever the trails had in store for him. Continue reading Ultra Lessons Propel Agbay, Bakery to Find Opportunity, Optimism Amid Pandemic →