On April 15, 2020, Moab Mayor Emily Niehaus issued a proclamation encouraging Moab residents to connect with their neighbors by stepping outside each day at 6 p.m. to wave and shout words of greeting and support. The suggested action is intended to help all residents who may be feeling isolated or alone during this time of social distancing amid Utah Gov. Gary Herbert’s "Stay Safe, Stay Home" directive.
Mayor Niehaus said she got the idea for the "Moab Neighborly Salute" from her hometown of Oakwood, Ohio, which issued a similar proclamation in late March.
"This is a great way for us to check in with each other. Hopefully, we can all do this and join together to keep in touch with our neighbors," Niehaus said. "It’s a way in which we can really check in on each other, specifically, the elders of our community."
The proclamation reads as follows:
City of Moab
Neighborly Salute Proclamation
WHEREAS, the City of Moab, like the rest of our nation, is responding seriously to governmental dictates and health concerns resulting from the COVID - 19 crisis; and
WHEREAS, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert is leading our state in addressing COVID - 19 with the health, welfare and safety of all Utahns as his top priority; and
WHEREAS, on March 27, Utah Governor Herbert issued a “Stay Safe, Stay Home” directive, encouraging all Utahns to practice social distancing, stay home and work from home as much as possible, limit travel, and avoid social gatherings; and
WHEREAS, since March 17, Moab and Grand County residents have been practicing social distancing under orders from the Southeast Utah Department of; and
WHEREAS, the Stay Safe, Stay Home directive, combined with social distancing mandates and other physical barriers created by the COVID-19 pandemic, results in a feeling of isolation for many residents; and
WHEREAS, in Moab, there is and always has been a strong sense of community, neighborliness, and genuine concern for one another; and
WHEREAS, as a tangible and daily way for residents to connect in person while still practicing social distancing, all Moab residents are invited and encouraged to step outside at 6:00 p.m. each evening for a few moments to wave at each other and shout out words of greeting and support;
NOW, THEREFORE, under the power vested in me, I, Emily S. Niehaus, Mayor of the City of Moab, do hereby encourage all residents to step outside each day at 6:00 p.m. to participate in a
MOAB NEIGHBORLY SALUTE
View the signed proclamation