01/22/2025
Tonight, our community has been shaken. The landscape of our downtown, our beloved Main Street, has been forever changed.
As we consider what it means to lose community cornerstones such as the Ovid Big M and the Uptown Diner, we are reminded that it isn’t the buildings that made these places such vibrant and vital community hubs. It is the people. People are what makes Ovid such a special place to live, and tonight, we find solace in knowing that while our losses were great, the swift, selfless actions of our first responders helped ensure that no lives were lost.
We are humbled by the volunteers from our community and surrounding towns and villages who faced frigid conditions. We are inspired by your dedication and bravery. We are also moved by the many individuals and businesses who donated food, water and warm beverages.
As we process the magnitude of tonight’s events and have a better understanding of the needs of our businesses and displaced families, we will provide further information about how you can help.
Until then, we ask that you keep those directly affected by the fire in your thoughts, and most of all, we ask you to do what the people of Ovid always do in the wake of tragedies like this–rally. Rally behind your friends, your neighbors, rally behind the employees who are out of work and the individuals who have lost their homes. Remind them of what it means to be from a community, not a town or village, but a community.
Together, we will get through the days ahead and come back stronger than ever.
Sincerely,
The Ovid Town and Ovid Village Boards
