Visitors: Where's Cd'A we used to know?

We just wanted to take the time to provide your community with some feedback, as tourists and visitors who have loved coming to visit CDA in the past. This visit we have had a very different experience. We hope you will take our observations as constructive, with the intent of helping you to understand what visitors like us may be observing and feeling.

My husband and I are from Arizona and have been driving up the coast of California, Oregon and Washington for the past month, doing our best to socially distance while enjoying the beauty of nature. Our experience has been positive in about nine out of 10 places we have visited. Cities and stores have been diligent in keeping us safe with mask requirements and social distancing ordinances. The majority of people in the towns we have visited were considerate and observed the mask and social distancing mandates.

We are now in CDA and have been shocked with the lack of regard for our health and the health of others from both the people living here and the businesses we have visited. At the Harvest Foods we were one of the only people wearing masks, even though the sign out front said to please wear a mask when entering. When I checked out, the person at the cash register had her mask pulled down around her neck.

The Bakery by the Lake had employees handling food and none were wearing masks, so I turned and walked back out the door. Are masks not required for food service workers? We have not yet encountered this type of disregard for public safety in our home state of Arizona or any other location we have visited.

In our view, masks should never be seen as a political statement, but as a common courtesy and a protection to those who visit your town and to your healthcare workers and their families. We noted you have some ordinances in place, but there seems to be a lack of enforcement and/or education to protect the lives of your residents and those visiting your town.

Unfortunately we now have a whole different view of CDA than we did in our past visits, and will be leaving town earlier than planned and probably never return. When we think of CDA, instead of picturing your beautiful lake and the cute town, we will now be picturing a town with a disregard for safety and human life.

Thanks for taking the time to read about our experience and how your town's decisions, or non-decisions, may affect tourism — both now and in the future.

Phyllis and John Hysong reside in Arizona.