2020 Hometown Heroes

2020 Hometown HEROES Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS May 14, 2020 Page 17 By May, most businesses had a plan in place and were open, some with reduced hours or fewer days of the week. Throughout this whole time we have noticed that no two stories are the same for the businesses contacted. Each has had to make choices for work and home that they never expected to make. Each has had to cope, as we ALL have, but with the added stress of their business survival. For local retailers and service providers the past months have hit hard. Many were not able to operate at all. They had to send staff home. For those small retailers, inventory has sat on the shelves with no one allowed to come in to buy. The lights are off, but that doesn’t mean the cost of maintaining a building and other costs are gone. And for some businesses there is the challenge of seasonal inventory. Inventory on hand in March may be out of season. They have inventory to carry over to next year and it is a guessing game as to when they can open again and what season it will be. Even so, LDN has talked to businesses often to make sure details in the Information Station is kept up to date. These business owners are strong and resilient. They are facing this storm with mighty courage and with great hope that they will be able to keep their businesses intact for when they may once again open their doors. Also, this month, Governor JB Pritzker put the state in “Phase two” of recovery and said that CONTINUED u