Governor Walz announced new pandemic restrictions on November 18. The restriction went into effect from midnight Friday, November 21, to midnight Friday, December 18. The latest order essentially closed restaurants, bars, and movie theaters to on-premises enjoyment by members of the public.

Consequently, our traditional holiday party in early December is no longer possible. We’d begun planning a special holiday gathering at the Nonna Rosa Ristorante Italiano in Robbinsdale. Recently acquired by former MN GOP Deputy Chair Jesse Pfliger and his business partner Tony Lazzaro, they had offered to open the restaurant just to our group one evening. Although we will be unable to enjoy Nonna Rosa’s hospitality for our holiday party, seriously consider trying their take-out while we wait for the ban on table service to be lifted..

Sadly, the Mann Cinema 6 Theaters in Hopkins has become a permanent casualty of the emergency order. As reported by AlphaNews the Hopkins movie theater announced in a Facebook posting that it will be permanently closing its doors. “While Hopkins Cinema 6 did all it could to adjust, it is not enough to stay afloat, and we sadly join a growing number of small businesses and movie theaters closing permanently.”
It was a venue that could hold over 100 people in compliance with earlier physical distancing criteria, and we made good use of it for private movie events and presentations.

While nowhere close to the same experience, Zoom conferences may be the only option for SD49 Republican gatherings until the pandemic restriction are lifted.