Why Dolly Parton is a hero of the pandemic
The country legend, philanthropist and literacy champion is tackling vaccine hesitancy – with her trademark wit and cheerfulness
3 March 2021 • 5:13pm
If you happened to be waiting in line for a vaccine at the Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Tennessee yesterday, then you may have been lucky enough to witness a spontaneous serenade.
Jolene – but with a twist, singing: “Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, I’m begging of you, please don’t hesitate. Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, because once you’re dead, then that’s a bit too late.”
Pure genius, and surprisingly catchy too – so don’t be surprised if you hear others warbling it in vaccine centres over the coming weeks.
Seeing them smile, and talk: HCC literary specialist creates masks with clear-mouth windows to help hearing impaired
Holyoke Community College literacy specialist Ash Aliengena, right, and HCC student Jackie Santana, model accessible face masks Aliengena created as part of Aliengena’s “See More Smiles” accessible face mask project. SUBMITTED PHOTO
Modified: 1/7/2021 3:57:44 PM
HOLYOKE As the pandemic wore on with no end in sight last fall, Jackie Santana grew more and more frustrated.
The proliferation of masks and other face coverings to help stop the spread of COVID-19 had made daily life much more difficult for her, a deaf woman who depends on lip-reading as well as sign language to communicate.