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Slowly, but surely, things all around are starting to get a little closer to what we remember as being normal.
And that's encouraging, especially when you look back and think about how much we've gone through in the past year.
We've experienced stay-at-home orders, seen businesses and restaurants forced to operate on reduced hours or closed (some, sadly, permanently) and been kept from seeing friends and relatives.
Then there are all of the gatherings and events that had become staples in our lives that had to be canceled or, in some cases, shifted to a virtual format.
One of those was the Jefferson-Harrison Regional Spelling Bee Presented by the Herald-Star. Organizers were forced to postpone last year's bee one day before it was scheduled to be held. The decision came as COVID-19 fears were growing across the state, and as Gov. Mike DeWine announced that he had ordered schools closed for three weeks.
That postponement eventually became a cancellation, which proved to be disappointing for the 51 pupils who had qualified for the district event, which, up until that time, had been held annually since 1985.
What's encouraging, though, is that this year's bee will go on as scheduled. It will be a virtual event held March 13, and will include 51 participants who will be representing the Buckeye Local, Edison Local, Harrison Hills City, Indian Creek Local, Steubenville City and Toronto City school districts, as well as one representative each from the Heart of Mary Homeschool Association, Ohio Virtual Academy and the Mary Seat of Wisdom Montessori School.
You'll find profiles of each of the participants in a special section that will be included in Friday's edition.
Just like in years past, the winner of the regional bee will qualify to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. That event will take on a different look as well. This year's national bee will not be held in National Harbor, Md. There will be no Bee Week, which traditionally has started during Memorial Day weekend and offered the participants the chance to get to know each other and offered the opportunity for them and their families to take in the sights in the Washington, D.C., area.
Those who qualify for this year's national bee will participate in a virtual event, with only the top dozen finishers or so getting to participate in the in-person portion, which will be a made-for-TV event July 8 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
Despite all of those changes, the purpose of the bee remains the same, according to Scripps: To help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives. That said, there's also a lot on the line for those who will participate in the regional bee.
In addition to earning that coveted spot into the national competition, the winner will receive the Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, which is a 2021 United States Mint Proof Set provided by Jay Sugarman, chairman and CEO of iStar Financial, in honor of his late father; a one-year subscription to Britannica Online Premium; a one-year subscription to Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online; a trophy; and $250 from Huntington Bank.
Everyone who participates will receive a book bag, courtesy of PNC Bank, and $25 from Huntington Bank.
That the regional bee will be held at all this year is a testament to the work done by Ron Sismondo, the bee coordinator; the staff of the Jefferson County Educational Service Center; and coordinators in each of the area's school districts, whose efforts make the annual event possible.
Sponsors include S.T.A.R.T. and Old Glory Embroidery; Ascent Resources; Encino Energy; the Franciscan University of Steubenville; Tri-State Financial Services; Gary Cain Realty and Auctioneers; Gus's Goodies; McBane Insurnace and Financial Services; Huntington Bank; PNC Bank; and the Ohio Lottery Commission.
It's been a long road for the participants in this year's spelling bee. They have been preparing for the event since school resumed in August, working around the complications that have been brought on by online schooling and studying. We hope you will join us in supporting each of the competitors in this year's bee. They deserve to be recognized for the hard work and diligence that has been required to earn their spots.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steuebenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.)