Steve Cordle
ECB Publishing, Inc.
U.S. Navy Petty Officer Third Class Chelsea Snodgrass was the guest speaker at the Monticello Kiwanis Club on August 12. A 2012 graduate of Taylor County High School, PO3 Snodgrass is home on leave from the USS Theodore Roosevelt, one of the Navy’s newer aircraft carriers. Like a lot of service members, Chelsea went into the particular branch of the service because her uncle Halsey Beshears and grandfather Robert York served in the Navy. After her eighteen day leave is up, Chelsea will return to D.C. and her next assignment as an intelligence specialist, who specializes in imagery analysis.
The Roosevelt made the news when on March 24, the first three confirmed cases of COVID 19 turned up on the ship while it was on deployment. Once the covid was diagnosed, there were well publicized difficulties in finding a port for the ship to dock.
“Once the covid cases were reported on the ship, the main priority that I saw was those sailors health, and to limit the spread as much as possible.” Snodgrass said. She went on to describe the immense amount of teamwork involved, from maintaining social distancing, using face masks, and keeping the ship clean. Under the circumstances, “it was incredibly humbling to see everyone come together in order to make sure that not only everyone was physically healthy but also mentally.” PO3 Snodgrass continued, “Everyone sent snacks to those in quarantine and notes encouraging them. This continued when we pulled into Guam in order to quarantine the crew. The entire island was so kind to us. They sent us snacks and letters through the USO. The USMC and Air Force aided us, and we received an outpouring of love from their entire community. “
One of the concerns of the ship’s crew was the lack of communication at sea and concerns about media reports about the situation. Even in the modern information age, lack of communication is a constant on the ship. Cell phones don't work when out at sea, so during deployment the main way to talk to your family is via email, Facebook, or to call on a payphone that the ship provides. PO3 Snodgrass had great praise for the Navy’s P.A. Office. “We're very lucky to have amazing P.A. officers in the Navy that reaches out to the public during times where we can't communicate to share crucial information.” She also mentioned an ombudsman program that reaches out personally to families during these times to answer any questions and aid in communication.
Like any service member, Chelsea Snodgrass is glad to be home to visit with family and friends and we appreciate her service to our country.
On Wednesday, Aug. 19, Ben Bowersox and Leitta Williamson were hosted at the Kiwanis Club of Monticello, discussing finances and market trends. While there is a lot of things we cannot control, investment planners are encouraging their clients to concentrate on the things they can control. Obviously, COVID-19 is a major concern in all of the markets, which at the start of 2020 was not on anyone’s radar. One of the factors that will determine how the economy progresses, is how long covid will be around. Bowersox stated that we have seen some very positive recovery numbers, despite July turning in some of the worst GDP numbers ever. It is expected that the recovery from that drop will happen in the 4th quarter. Several retail giants such as Target have reported large sales increases over the same period last year. In an election year, when the S&P is in a positive direction, the incumbent party wins. Once an election is settled, markets do tend to rebound, regardless of party due to the fact that markets like stability. Which brings it back to the old adage, “it’s the economy, stupid.” The Kiwanis Club meets at noon on Wednesdays at the Jefferson Country Club, on Boston Highway.
You must be logged in to post a comment.