Modesto rally brings out those who support reopening local businesses closed in pandemic
Michael Wood’s family has owned Southside Vacuum in Modesto since 1991.
Two weeks ago, Wood said police were called to the store and tried to close the shop because they weren’t essential.
“Home Depot and Lowe’s are open so why are they being treated differently than I am?” Wood said.
Wood said his store remains open for now and staff is following social-distancing guidelines and taking extra precautions, such as offering curbside service to pick up vacuums to clean and sell products.
However, Wood said he has friends who own businesses that have “lost” everything due to the coronavirus shutdown, which has lasted over five weeks.
Wood organized a rally Friday near the 2200 block of McHenry Avenue, where fellow demonstrators brought signs and American flags to protest the stay at-home order and urging government officials to open non-essential businesses.
The closure has been hard on non-essential businesses. Stanislaus County announced on Thursday that 334 private enterprises would receive nearly $3 million in federal coronavirus assistance from the county’s Small Business Relief Program.
The city of Modesto has increased the money it will lend to small businesses from $250,000 to $750,000 as part of its assistance program.
A Modesto resident who said he teaches CPR classes to businesses aside from his full-time job, said he is fine with businesses abiding by social-distancing rules when they open, and the time for them to open is now.
“It’s been tough for all the businesses that are dependent on revenue,” said Doug, who asked to only be identified by his first name. “There are certain businesses like car washes that shouldn’t have had to shut down.”
About 30 people showed up for the rally. As they drove by, drivers honked their horns in support.
“Open California” and “No Lockdown” were two of the more prominent signs at the rally, which coincided with rallies at the state capital in Sacramento and in Huntington Beach and downtown Los Angeles.
Not everyone wants to reopen
At least one person at the rally was there in support of the stay at-home order.
Maria Marquez, a Modesto resident, said her sister has been a nurse in Northern California for 41 years and her son works at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance. Both have been at the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Some of these people should go to the hospital and see what it’s like,” Marquez said.
Marquez said she fears she will get a phone call from either of them, saying they’ve been exposed to the virus.
Wood says he just wants the government to “find a way” for businesses to reopen.
“If I close my doors, I go out of business,” Wood said.
This story was originally published May 1, 2020 at 4:47 PM.
