The leaders of Atwater had just declared it a"sanctuary city" for businesses in defiance of California stay-at-home orders when they showed up at the future home of Jessie Chauhan's Rapid XPress Car Wash.
In this Central Valley city, where there have been 27 cases of COVID-19 among its 30,000 residents, reopening has been marked by a slew of awkward interactions and questions about how to both resuscitate a flailing economy and stay safe from a deadly virus. "I'm OK we're reopening. But I'm not OK with not following the social distancing rules," he said."I want my employees and myself wearing masks, gloves, all that, to protect them and others. But at the same time, the show must go on, right? We've got to reopen."
The politically potent"sanctuary city" label was the brainchild of Mayor Pro Tem Brian Raymond, who said he knew that"using the state's own language against it" would turn heads in liberal California. Atwater residents have had to navigate varying levels of restrictions at the state, county and city levels.
Next door, Rosa Pedraza peeked one eye through a miniblind when a Times reporter knocked on the door of Rosa's Hair Salon, where she was seeing customers by appointment. When the beloved Granny's Pantry Restaurant opened its dining room last week, Fawn and Larry Oliver, 65 and 69, were delighted to be the first customers."This feels really, really good," Fawn Oliver said.