Nyack Sketch Log: Thank You, Nyack Mask Makers

by Bill Batson

If the group photo was not on the list of casualties of COVID-19, you would be looking at a wide-angle image of 400 volunteer mask makers who kept our community safe in 2020. In my last column of this insufferable year, I thank, by name, the Nyack Mask Makers for embedding mask hygiene into the local culture. From my post as manager of the Nyack Farmers Market, I see 100% mask compliance every week, without the need for signage or enforcement. Without the selfless efforts of 400 neighbors, and an additional 200 donors, to make mask wearing a wide-spread custom, we would have experienced much more hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Nyack Mask Makers began with a sleepless night that inspired fevered dreams. Donna Timm and I came together on March 20, 2020, our immediate goal to provision Personal Protective Equipment to Montefiore Nyack Hospital. We were able to meet that goal in a head spinning 3 weeks, and leaving unsolicited dozens of masks at every nursing home in Rockland County by the end of April. We then coordinated with the Village of Nyack to provide masks for all. When the Nyack Farmers Market reopened in May, we gave out about 100 masks a day for the first 2 months and collaborated with Nyack merchants to give out masks at Safe Haven Street Closing.

What was the effect of all this mask making and wearing? To paraphrase Montefiore Nyack CEO Dr. Mark Geller, COVID cases bent, but did not break our local hospital. Groups like Nyack Nourishes (which provided meals) and Hear Some Noise (music and applause) and Nyack Mask Makers and Mask Warriors (PPE), buttressed the efforts of the staff to avoid rationing health care in Nyack.  And while many factors contribute to this ultimate result, in early December 2020, there were only 80 COVID cases in Nyack. Too many for comfort, at slightly more than 1%, but much less than many other areas of the country. We did well and we are keeping the rate down, simply by wearing masks.

So to those who made masks and distributed them for free, before you could buy one from Target to Petco to Vista Print, thank you.

Donna Timm and Bill Batson receiving a recognition on behalf of the Nyack Mask Makers from Gary’s Gutter Service. Sign by Peter Cheney.

Out of an abundance of caution, we have put aside a small stockpile of masks and can quickly rally the troops once more, if need be. However, we sincerely hope to be out of the mask making business for good. If another outbreak occurs, it would mean that the public gave up on masks before health officials gave the all clear. When citizens work together, any emergency, no matter how catastrophic can be overcome. But if people begin to completely disregard their civic responsibilities, a crisis can unfold that is too great to mitigate.

Here’s a list of our makers and some links to columns that describe their exploits. We thank them for answering the alarm bell that Donna and I rang 9 short months ago. And we cannot wait until the day when we might be able to gather, safely, and share a few hours of communal time, feeling the camaraderie of being volunteers and veterans of the front line of the battle to defend Nyack from COVID-19 (and the historic collapse of our federal government).

*If you contributed your time and talent, sewing machine or car to this effort, and do not find your name, or if your name is spelled incorrectly, we apologize for the oversight. Please a note with your name to Donna Timm at Donna@nyackmaskmakers.com.

The Nyack Mask Makers:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Kathleen Maier
            2. Laura Appelbaum
            3. Alicen Penzes Noselli
            4. Christa Waring
            5. Alicen Noselli
            6. Tamar MacCallan-Finkelman
            7. Liz Van Wynen
            8. Robyn Donohue
            9. Danielle Cassidy
            10. Suzette Martin
            11. Mary Hoffer
            12. Sheryl LeRoy
            13. Phoebe Rossiter
            14. Shana Dunbar
            15. Robert Timm
            16. Donna Timm
            17. Bill Batson
            18. Mark Mangan
            19. Tristan Dunnigan
            20. Donna Lightfoot-Cooper
            21. Marisol Simard
            22. Lainie Murrell
            23. Rose Croke
            24. Christine Klinger
            25. Anne Marie Mot
            26. Phoebe Rossiter
            27. Debra Sadowsky
            28. Maria Whittingham
            29. Margaret (Maggie)Carney
            30. Lenora Mesibov
            31. Shari Stanford
            32. Bonnie Caul
            33. Julie White
            34. Megan Bell
            35. Cari Perez
            36. Janet Fenton
            37. Triny Hertzberg
            38. Steve Taylor
            39. Elvira Etienne
            40. Judy DePalma
            41. Roxanne Drown
            42. Alicia Hanford
            43. Diane Sesti
            44. Mary ann Gray
            45. Marta Renzi
            46. Maria Weinstein
            47. J Tedesco
            48. Megan Artin
            49. Doris Greenberg
            50. Carole Brill
            51. Jacqueline Solomon
            52. Dana Vergara
            53. Mary ann Gray
            54. Susanna Bozhkov
            55. Jill Remaly
            56. Louise Male
            57. Rebecca Finnell
            58. Sally Minniefield
            59. Mary Lovera
            60. Skye Leith
            61. Amy Delia
            62. Helen McElroy
            63. Tiffany Fillhart
            64. Abby Mor
            65. Lisa Jenner
            66. María Jesús Muñoz Pardo
            67. Jennifer Pfeiffer
            68. Carol Napier
            69. Laura Pakaln
            70. Carrolita Porter
            71. Nancy Waack
            72. Angela Bernhardt
            73. Michelle Ordynans
            74. Caroline Murphy
            75. Candice Lewis-Warner
            76. Peter Cheney
            77. Susan Beckwith
            78. Andrea Mendez
            79. Mootsy Elliot
            80. Alayne Fitzpatrick
            81. Sue Ridge
            82. Billie Berman
            83. Peri Karkheck
            84. Gayle Yodowotz
            85. Joan Bernstein
            86. Gwen Keeble
            87. Kim Osborne
            88. Lori Gale
            89. Noreen Cordaro
            90. Deirdre MacCallan
            91. Sally Savage
            92. Cora Bodkin
            93. Gretchen Reinheimer
            94. Marjorie Feldman
            95. Aycha Rae
            96. Anne Lindstrom
            97. Ebony White
            98. Annie Gerard
            99. Susan Strange
            100. Patti Barrett
            101. DebbieVermilyea
            102. Kenneth Kimmel
            103. Elizabeth Co
            104. Nicole Cardish
            105. Jackie Rivera
            106. Nancy Diaz
            107. Zachary Masters
            108. Marcy Lawrence
            109. Julie Nimal
            110. Gloria Scherma
            111. Carol Cesta
            112. Phyllis Stahl
            113. Leslie Linkie
            114. Brenda Reuchekderfer
            115. Sandra Blejer
            116. Syndi Bergstein
            117. Mary Alice Barna
            118. Ellen Miret
            119. Maria Eugenia Barrionuevo
            120. Maria Persik
            121. Meryl Dinowitz
            122. Alice Fuller
            123. Joanne McNally
            124. Laura Fries
            125. Rachael Solomon
            126. Brittnay Alter
            127. Barbara “Bobbie” Procida
            128. Sharon Kelly
            129. Marian Fass
            130. Lisa Jankun
            131. Joanne McNally
            132. Susan Collins
            133. Mary Foisy
            134. Melanie Rock
            135. SetsukoToda
            136. Beverly miller
            137. Julie Kassel
            138. Cameron Spier
            139. Kate Gorman
            140. Marie Thorpe
            141. Franziska Hesse
            142. DanielaDi Iorio
            143. David Cohen
            144. Eleanor Sterling
            145. Tiffany Kogen
            146. Debra Schwartz
            147. Gloria Bristol
            148. Marjorie Kennedy
            149. Olivia Ray
            150. Dawn Arno
            151. Julia Trahan
            152. Kathy Minnerop
            153. Margie Raab
            154. Rita Cohen
            155. Lynne Foley
            156. Margaret Handler
            157. Diana Green
            158. Helene Davis
            159. Patricia Cunningham
            160. Marjorie Galen
            161. Betsy Walker
            162. Maija Kupris
            163. Barbara Valente
            164. Kate Gorman
            165. Anna Hall
            166. Kathi Kivi
            167. Anita Szeto
            168. Donald Roeseke
            169. Lorraine Freeman
            170. Shelly Siedner
            171. Susanna Willingham
            172. Bernadette Dizzine
            173. Gely Franke
            174. Kay Stephan
            175. Cameron Spier
            176. Pat Shinners
            177. Tanya Garzia
            178. Jesse Stevenson
            179. Shep Ringer
            180. Luis Bruno
            181. Ann Sparanese
            182. Dianel Angmuir
            183. Sharon Gross
            184. Virginia Soehnel
            185. Barbara LaBrake
            186. Subha Sujith
            187. Noemi Simpson
            188. Linda Style
            189. Adele Marino
            190. Laura Sommers
            191. Abigail Chapin
            192. Jill Drocea
            193. Josie Rothman
            194. Rose Gavigan
            195. Abby Perry-Zeik
            196. Tanya Garzia
            197. Jackie Rivera
            198. Jamie Matusow
            199. Susan Smolin
            200. Valeria Picerno
            201. Rachel Grob
            202. Susanne Clark
            203. Suzanna Frosch
            204. Teresa Scott
            205. Mellen Lovrin
            206. Amy Kanarek
            207. Maria Passarotti
            208. Carol-Ann Stadt
            209. Jennifer Foley
            210. Carol Finn
            211. Lilo Kassel
            212. Victoria Locovare
            213. Kyra Saulnier
            214. Lillian Croyle
            215. Ann Endress
            216. Lise Petricone
            217. Kate Jacobs
            218. Nicole Schmidt
            219. Terri Wanamaker
            220. Linda Ros
            221. Lillian Clements
            222. Maureen Kirby
            223. Joyce Santoro-Falborn
            224. Danielle OConnell
            225. Heather Grymes
            226. Laura Pakaln
            227. Helen Potter
            228. Amelia Martin
            229. Barry Koch
            230. Trine Giaever
            231. Nancy Ramputi
            232. Wendy Kyvik
            233. Claire Jacobson
            234. isabel Degenaars
            235. Mary Ellen McDermott
            236. Lori Frohmann
            237. Patricia Casey
            238. Debra Thompson
            239. Laurie Gessner
            240. Ana Gonzalez
            241. Tina Sadler
            242. Marsha Zion
            243. Barbara Scheulen
            244. Diane Vero
            245. Beverley Colgan
            246. Kathy Sanders
            247. Jenn McCormack
            248. Norma Costa
            249. Gin MacCallum
            250. Shirley Quinn
            251. Linda Lichtenstein
            252. Colleen Quinn
            253. Elsa Deutschkron
            254. Joanne Thompson
            255. Valerie Schmidt
            256. Victoria Zazyczny
            257. Maria Collins
            258. Nata Traub
            259. Annette Benzvy
            260. Laurie Carney
            261. Miriam Cinquegrana
            262. Mae Chin
            263. Anna Brodley
            264. Jennifer Walker
            265. Laurence Hybel
            266. Mayra Bloom
            267. Patricia Ballner
            268. Anabell Couffardi
            269. Barb Jordan
            270. Maritzade la Vega
            271. Margaret Winslow
            272. Loretta Tito
            273. Giuliana Lonigro
            274. Lisa Buckley
            275. Nicole Davi
            276. Patricia Bradford
            277. Laura Murphy
            278. Viviennevon Wiederhold
            279. Alissa Ryan
            280. Ruth Yannelli
            281. Maura Raff
            282. Mia Casino
            283. Sharon Woudenberg
            284. Neena Raizada
            285. Karen Lynch
            286. Jennifer Lore
            287. Nicole Leach
            288. Bonnie Block
            289. Chris Carroll
            290. Cathy Heider
            291. Karen Johns
            292. Orliir Gang
            293. Erna Ostrom
            294. JillKolodin
            295. Darryl Owens
            296. Madeleine McCann
            297. Gloria Powell
            298. Jeanie Shrager
            299. Carolyn Watson
            300. Anna Hammond
            301. Deirdre Rafferty
            302. Nellie Donnelly
            303. Anne Glicksman
            304. Julie McDonald
            305. Melissa Lucido
            306. Liz Kallen
            307. Jill Rosendfeld
            308. Cynthia Bryant
            309. Guerline Plaisir
            310. Sally Doran
            311. Eunice Turnbull
            312. Patricia Carney
            313. Sandy Volpe
            314. Sondra Nadohl
            315. Lisa Lockwood
            316. Tina Tankersley
            317. Yvonne Rode
            318. Jackie Rivera
            319. Rachel Beers
            320. Christine Marlow
            321. Jackie Rivera
            322. Suzanne Allen
            323. Daphna Epstein
            324. Heather Kono
            325. Nikki Siegel
            326. Heather Cornell
            327. Liel Eliad
            328. Meg Mayo
            329. Liel Eliad
            330. Lazuli Leith
            331. Donna Brophy
            332. Maureen Danzig
            333. Lily Chapin
            334. Chana Berkman
            335. Wendy Courtney
            336. Connie Kozelek
            337. Mary Lynn Hetsko
            338. Emelia Ruyle
            339. Laura Neil
            340. Christine Halecky
            341. AnnMayo-Kiely
            342. Julie Tomich
            343. Jessica Sanchez
            344. Tracy Herb
            345. Kate Cahill
            346. Mary Mark
            347. Barbara Erdsneker
            348. Rochelle Kepes
            349. Christine Wetzel
            350. Rekha Balapal
            351. Mirna Rodriguez
            352. Mara Cohen
            353. Ann Trudell
            354. Jennifer Gebbia
            355. Sophia Lee
            356. Beth Kinsley
            357. Rachel Lee
            358. Diane Churchill
            359. Samra Ullah
            360. Joanne Niebanck
            361. Samra Ullah
            362. Fiona Santos
            363. Deirdre Mclary
            364. Joyce Giraud
            365. Rahat Chaudhry
            366. Lori Weisberg
            367. MicheleHamilton
            368. Lisa Demarest
            369. Rosemarie Gatzek
            370. Karen Allen
            371. Rose Fox
            372. Amy Bezunartea
            373. Debbie Ceresnak
            374. David Schloss
            375. Analyse Veras
            376. Denise Oswald
            377. Ann Nordon
            378. Meredith Wisner
            379. D Sampat
            380. Frances Leiter
            381. Zoe Levine
            382. Anne Jones
            383. Kara Burns
            384. Ronnie Pascal
            385. Frany Khani
            386. Barbara Pfingst
            387. Maggie Colquitt
            388. Salmaan Syed
            389. Tyler Kehoe
            390. Shannon Kenefick
            391. Nellie Donnelly
            392. Barbara Erdsneker
            393. Kara Onativia
            394. Valerie Bernan
            395. Shayne Foster
            396. Annemarie Bettica
            397. Franki Gallo
            398. Laura Alcazar
            399. Kiesha Parker
            400. Nadine Schneider
            401. Jeff Rubin

*If you contributed your time and talent, sewing machine or car to this effort, and do not find your name, or if your name is spelled incorrectly, we apologize for the oversight. Please a note with your name to Donna Timm at Donna@nyackmaskmakers.com.

1. 1. 1. Nyack Sketch Log: March 24, 2020: Nyack Mask Makers
         Nyack Sketch Log:March 17, 2020: Special COVID-19 Edition: Wash Them, Do Not Shake Them
         Nyack Sketch Log:April 7, 2020, Nyack Sketch Log: #Masks4All

1. 1. Bill Batson is an activist, artist and writer who lives in Nyack, NY. “Nyack Sketch Log: Thank you Nyack Mask Makers” © 2020 Bill Batson.