Franklin County Legislator Lindy Ellis, left, D-Saranac Lake, explais rules to people entering the Saranac Lake Farmers Market Saturday in Riverside Park. (Provided photo — Ken Youngblood)

To the editor:

I couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride for my hometown seeing Lindy Ellis and her masked friend hosting folks going to Riverside Park’s Farmers Market this past Saturday. Both were hitting the street to teach best practices to prevent the spread of COVID as volunteers in the Coalition for a COVID Free America.

Not only were people greeted warmly. They were educated in the do’s and don’ts of going to market in the age of corona. Neither Lindy nor her masked accomplice made apologies when the public seemed insufficiently attentive. The two of them combined their good natures to turn each momentary lapse in protocol into a teachable moment. 

Visitors were given the holy grail: a cloth mask that fits from chin to nose and is easy to breathe through — in addition, a personal bottle of the first hand sanitizer that spread easily, isn’t sticky and smellls good!

With their example, we can all breathe easier.

Ken Youngblood

Saranac Lake