In response to Tom Dawson’s “My Turn” letter in the Dec. 9 paper, I’ve had a completely different attitude about shopping local. I look for businesses that support our neighbors and community by complying with the COVID-19 mitigation measures that the city has mandated. Recently, I wrote an email to a local business because I had noticed that most of the employees were not wearing masks. I vocalized my desire to shop locally to the owner and because this establishment seemed to be thumbing their nose at the mitigation measures, I let him know that I would be shopping elsewhere.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a very detailed response from the business owner outlying the company’s plan to combat COVID-19, retain employees and treat customers with respect. He wrote, ” I found that trying to force my employees to comply with a mandate resulted in surly employees, resentment and turnover….I pivoted to simply asking my employees to be polite. I ask all employees to have a mask available and if a customer approaches wearing a mask to respond in kind.” Communicating with the business owner allowed me to see that, like the rest of us, he’s doing the best he can given the circumstances. I also regained my respect for the management of the establishment and will continue to shop there.

However, does no one else see the irony in individually wrapping 11,000 cookies at the governor’s mansion “as a mitigation against the spread of COVID-19”, but yet the governor, staff and others didn’t “individually wrap” (mask) up? Most of the world has learned by now that people, not cookies, spread the COVID-19 virus. Yes, there are inconsistencies with the protocols and that is maddening. Please know that I am neither a sheep nor member of the mask police, but I think it would be great if we could all just be polite and respect each other by masking up around those of us that are.

• Susan Patterson is a longtime Juneau resident. Columns, My Turns and Letters to the Editor represent the view of the author, not the view of the Juneau Empire. Have something to say? Here’s how to submit a My Turn or letter.