Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1314457
O n this crystal clear day one week before Thanksgiving 2020, it's anything but routine. This special time of year which signals the kick-off of the annual holiday season has taken a dramatically different path due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is however, so much to be thankful for. The many heroes who have stepped up during this year have been a real positive influence amidst a very dark time. The pandemic and wildfires are just two of the tragedies we have recently faced but there were, and continue to be, others. There is a light at the end of this dark tunnel. I suspect the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the many other dire situations we have en- dured this year will bring forth posi- tive and much needed change. The fact that we were able to come up with a minimum of two promising vaccines and will soon be receiving them is a miracle in itself. Kids will be back in school at some point next year, restaurants and retail will be back in business and tourism will be able to resume across the country. Thank you to all the firefighters for saving our homes and lives during the extreme wildfires we faced in the fall. We feel nothing but deep gratitude for risking your own lives to preserve the lives of others. The same goes for those hospital workers who go to work every day while risking exposure to COVID-19 in order to save lives. The list does not end there. We are surrounded by great- ness in people who make a difference every day. The thera- pists. The teachers. The essential workers. The people providing and distributing food to those in need. The staff and volunteers at all these local nonprofits and volunteer organizations. Thank you to all of you. You will find profiles and stories on many of these individuals and organizations in the pages of this edition of Carmel Magazine. This year has been a disaster and things that in ordinary times would have been a big deal are insignificant compared to the challenges and fears we have experienced daily since March. Everything has taken a different path, but we have adapted. Zoom meetings, Zoom cocktail parties, Zoom school and more. The show must go on! Shortened seasons and altered schedules have been part of it, but we did it and did a great job. The workarounds to bring us live spor ting events on tele- vision such as football, baseball, basketball and golf has been a much-needed distraction and semblance of normalcy. Watching the Masters tournament last weekend was awe- some and a big congratulantions goes out to our cover story subject Dustin Johnson. His dominant performance finishing 20 under par seemed like a fitting number and history was made this year in Augusta. The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is coming up and that means that a whole lot of money will be raised for charity once again. Check out our feature on the Pro-Am and its 75 years of giving, as this wonderful tournament continues to enter tain us and raise money. Lastly, 20 years of Carmel Magazine seemed like a great milestone to celebrate leading up to this year but when we hit that mark in 2020 that milestone seemed pretty insignificant. Cer tainly nothing that carries any weight in these times. Hopefully when we hit 25 years, we can have a big celebration. I have such gratitude for our advertisers who have support- ed us and allowed us to continue publishing this regional lifestyle magazine. Without the ad revenue, we would have to cease publication and that would be sad. We remain commit- ted to putting out a quality product with interesting and diverse content interspersed with our advertisers' messages as the ads are the lifeline to our existence and provide important content as well. Here's hoping that 2021 brings everyone some good news, positive change and good health. We are fortunate to live in one of the greatest places on the planet, and I for one embrace our recovery and what will become a new and bet- ter normal. 44 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 1 PUBLISHER'S NOTE S T E V E S N I D E R 2 s t season has taken a dram Check out our feature on the Pro-Am and its 75 years of giving, as this wonderful tournament continues to entertain us and raise money. The Show Must Go On