The COVID-19 Pandemic still has its tentacles in planning and events, especially concerning those involving larger groups. Last year the local Lions Club cancelled its annual carnival due to Governor Baker’s stay-at-home orders. The local American Legion Post 47, equally affected, cancelled its Laser Light Show at Goodwill Park in July to celebrate its 100^th anniversary.

With each local organization in doubt about scheduling 2021 events, Gov. Baker’s recent all-systems-go order beginning May 29,2021 to resume activities at pre-pandemic levels had local planners scrambling to salvage community events previously put on hold.

The local Lions Club, usually taking an entire year to plan its carnival event, announced this week that the club will hold the event from July 7-10 at Holliston High School. Lions’ member Ged Gove said the club will try to bring about the event with four weeks’ planning time instead of the usual 12 months.

Meanwhile the local Legion had rebooked the cancelled 2020 Laser Show to July 10^, 2021, in hopes that gathering would once again be allowed. It soon became apparent that the Lions’ firework display, held on the last day of the carnival, would conflict with the already scheduled Legion Laser Light Show on Saturday July 10.

In a quickly-scheduled meeting, the Lions Club opted not to have the fireworks display this year in deference to the already scheduled Laser Light Show. The result is “the best of both worlds” for townspeople, having been quarantined for longer than anyone can remember.