“For the past six months, Paul and Theresa Payne have hunkered down at home to avoid coming into contact with the coronavirus,” writes Renee Beasley Jones in Saturday’s (9/26) Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer (KY). “Friday Night’s Symphony Stroll—a free community event at Smothers Park hosted by Owensboro Symphony—offered the local couple the chance to enjoy a safe evening out. The Paynes sat with long-time friends David and Rose Marie Cecil at the park’s Overlook Stage, listening to Maestro Troy Quinn conduct a chamber orchestra…. The four friends wore face masks. ‘I was ready to get out,’ Theresa Payne said. ‘This is wonderful.’ … One man watched the stroll from the roof of the RiverPark Center’s parking garage. Parents pushed baby strollers. Many guests brought their dogs…. The crowd was a mix of ages…. Couples sat in swings overlooking the river. Others walked with friends and family between the five music venues, which included a jazz ensemble, brass quintet, string quartet, percussion ensemble and chamber orchestra…. Gwyn Payne, the symphony’s chief executive officer, was pleased with the event’s large crowd. ‘This is exactly what we had envisioned—an evening the whole community could enjoy in a safe manner,’ she said.”
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