SLTmay21pgs_cs.qxp_SLTtemplate 4/28/21 8:55 AM Page 6
SOUTHERN STUMPIN’ By David Abbott • Managing Editor • Ph. 334-834-1170 • Fax: 334-834-4525 • E-mail: david@hattonbrown.com
Here Comes The Sun...? H
indsight is supposed to be 2020. But now, fatality rate of 0.0017%, or 1.7 deaths per 100,000 2020 is in our hindsight. You might be think- vaccinated people. Measured by the same standard, ing, Dave, it’s May; you’re more than a few Covid-19 would have a fatality rate of 1.8%, or months late in pointing this out. Shouldn’t this 1,800 deaths per 100,000 infected people, a thouhave been said in January or at the latest February? sand times higher than the vaccine, if indeed those Probably, but I resisted. While others proclaimed, reported numbers are more or less accurate. Of “Good bye and good riddance 2020, welcome course these are just rough figures, but mathemati2021,” I said, not so fast, let’s just wait and see. I’m cally, our odds appear much better with the vaccine not one to believe in jinxes but I didn’t want to than with the virus. speak too soon. Heck, 2021 could be even worse; what do viruses and wildfires and all the rest care Show Must Go On about an arbitrary page flip on a calendar anyway? Another hopeful indication, and specific to our But now, more than a third of the way through this not-so-new-anymore new year, I have to admit, industry: Expo Richmond is finally happening. The 37th East Coast Sawmill and Logging Equipment it looks to me like there are positive signs…knock Exposition is slated for Friday, May 21 through on wood. Hopefully nothing happens to make me Saturday, May 22, at the Richmond Raceway regret writing that between now and when this hits Complex in Richmond, Va. The biennial event, your mailbox. But there are several hopeful signs previously held in even-numbered years, was origithat have me feeling cautiously optimistic. Nothnally scheduled for the first weekend of May 2020. ing’s perfect, and there are always new challenges to face, but that’s normal, and that’s what we want: Due to the pandemic, it was at first rescheduled for October last year and finally moved to this year. normal. Feels like maybe we’re on the way there. On the pandemic front, the vaccine seems to be working. Here in Alabama, we reported 998 Covid19-caused deaths in one week at the end of January; by the end of March it was only 99 deaths a week, and has continued to decline since then. Nationwide, we saw about 1.2 million new coronavirus cases weekly in January; that’s been cut by 75% to about 300,000 new cases a week two months later. It stands to reason that as more of us gain resistance, the virus has fewer places to go. Something close to 200 million Americans, and more than half of all adults, have received at least one vaccine, according to CDC, and Expo is back in Richmond this month. more are getting it every day. About To my knowledge, this is the first sizable gather100 million are supposed to be fully vaccinated ing in our industry since March of 2020, when now, close to a third of us, including me, my wife everything started shutting down. “I think someand our parents. body sooner or later has to do it,” says Expo ChairSome have felt perhaps understandable trepidation, but so far, no one has turned into zombies that man Jamie Coleman. He and Lesley Moseley, Executive Director of the Virginia Forest Products I know of. Some have experienced negative side Assn., have been working hard to organize the effects, even reportedly fatal side effects for a relaevent. “I think it’s a good time to have an expo,” tive few, but much less so than for the virus. Coleman continues. “The hardwood industry is in a Roughly 33 million people have had Covid-19: good place right now, so are the pine sawmills, 200 million vaccinated is six times as many vacpretty much any aspect of our industry. People cines as viruses. Of those 33 million who tested have been cooped up for a year or longer; they positive, 586 thousand have (allegedly) died from want to get back out.” the virus or from complications arising therefrom. Ron Jenkins, head of the Virginia Loggers Assn., Of 200 million vaccinated, roughly 3,500 have (allegedly) died since having been vaccinated. If all concurs. “I think we are moving in a good direction,” he says. “More people are getting vaccinatof those deaths were caused, directly or indirectly, ed, so I think it is looking very positive. So many by the vaccine, or from complications arising loggers in Virginia really just want to get out, get therefrom (that’s unclear, but let’s assume so for with people, enjoy the time together like we used discussion’s sake), then the vaccine would have a 6
l
to, and I think they have been looking forward to the in-person get-togethers again.” The timing looks right: Governor Ralph Northam recently announced loosened restrictions, allowing sports and entertainment venues to operate at expanded capacity starting Saturday, May 15th, a week before Expo. Governor Northam noted in his announcement that Virginia’s vaccinations are up while the Commonwealth’s Covid-19 cases are down. Masks and social distancing will still be required, but generally, people have good reason to feel safer. As of late April, Moseley reported 1,100 registered attendees, which is on track with the 2018 Expo at the same point. “We have a large number of attendees who register the day of the event, historically,” she points out. “So we are encouraged by those numbers with the governor’s new orders taking effect.” The new rules will allow them to have up to 10,000 people outside, a max number that exceeds Expo’s normal attendance. For indoor exhibits and registration, Expo uses four buildings; organizers are placing exhibitors in the two largest buildings. The governor’s cap (30% capacity or 500 people, whichever is higher) will allow them to accommodate 1,000 people inside the buildings. They’ve also moved registration to the opposite side of the Raceway to alleviate the crowds in the interior buildings and keep more people outside as much as possible. “Jamie and I have been working hard on trying to figure out how to spread out our exhibitors in order for everyone to get maximum exposure and not have to wait in line to get in the building,” Moseley explains. She likens the logistics to solving a Tetris puzzle. The number of exhibitors is down slightly from 2018, she admits. They had 280 exhibitors then and, as of late April, 205 now. Some exhibitors who would be coming from Canada can’t make it down due to travel restrictions there. “It is still a work in progress because I have people wanting more booths or new exhibitors calling up,” Moseley says. “We’ve been getting two or three calls or emails a day of new exhibitors wanting to sign up, so it is a constantly changing map.” The VFPA board is planning to hold back-toback Expos, this year and in 2022, to get the schedule back on its normal rotation, Moseley reports. “We are just really excited to have the Expo and to finally have it happen,” Moseley sums it up. All in all, Expo this year feels like a light at the end of the tunnel. I plan to be there and I hope to see some of you there as well. SLT Excelsior!
MAY 2021 l Southern Loggin’ Times
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
