LeRoy Pennysaver & News

LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - APRIL 5, 2020 by Greg “Porp” Rogers To say a lot has changed since my last article is a gross understatement. COVID-19 has hit New York extremely hard. From the villages position, we are trying to keep our employees safe and still provide the necessary services that the community needs. We have scheduled our Police andDPWon split shifts and they are practicing social distancing to the best of their ability. We have taken the rims of the basketball courts in an effort to keep kids from congregating in these areas. These are not action’s we like to take, but felt necessary to in an effort to practice social distancing. For the most part you have all done a great job staying at home, and I encourage you to keep this up at least for a couple more weeks. It can truly be a matter of life and death. Some of the positives that has come out of this pandemic is the co-operation between, state, county and local governments all sharing knowledge and concerns, helping each other in the way it is supposed to be done. It is unfortunate that it takes a time like this to have the barriers and bureaucracy come down for the greater good of all. Someone said that in World War II people were asked to go across the ocean and fight for their lives, and back home many worked around the clock to provide the needed resources for the war effort for years. All they ask us to do is stay home, and if we must go out keep our distance for a couple of months. It seems like we should be able to do that. Our mandatory public hearing for the Village’s 2020-2021 budget is going to be through ZOOM. Next week we will put the link in the Pennysaver for the April 15, 2020 meeting. It is scheduled for 7:00 pm. In light of these uncertain times the village Board and the hard work of Sharon Jeary and department heads are putting forth a proposed budget rate of $10.70 which is no increase again this year. Years of debt reduction and fiscal responsibility put us in the position that we feel confident that we can live within this budget. No quote this week, just a request:“Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home” On Sunday, December 8th, 10:30am the bells at Our Lady of Mercy rang out for the first time since spring of 2017, after extensive work to replace the mechanisms that ring the bells, including the motors, the striker, and controller. The ceremonial ringing included a blessing of the new system by Fr. Matthew H. Phelan, O. de M., pastor. Since that time, each day, from 8am to 8pm, the bells have tolled in clock tower fashion at the top of the hour with a single toll at the bottom of the hour. In addition, the Angelus bell (a call to prayer for Catholics) has rung at noon and 6 p.m. [The traditional 6am ring is bypassed out of respect for local codes.] On weekends, a call to prayer rings 5 minutes before each Sunday Mass. This past weekend, a request was made by some neighbors to alter the ringing schedule out of consideration for health care professionals who were working overnight hours due to the COVID-19 crisis. The pastor decided to temporarily silence the bells in order to consult with the pastoral council and weigh the opinions of parishioners and the citizens of LeRoy. After a weekend of consultation, lively discussion through social media, silence, and prayerful consideration, it has been determined that bells shall be programmed according to the following parameters: While the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) social distancing guidelines are in place for the State of New York: · The church bells will continue to ring the Angelus at noon and 6pm. · In addition to the Angelus, the bells will ring a traditional “death knell,” or funeral toll at 9am and 3pm to call to mind those who of have died due to this pandemic and as reminder to pray for all those who place their lives in danger for others. The first day social distancing guidelines are lifted: · The bells will ring in celebration at 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. · The funeral toll will ring at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. · The Angelus will ring at noon and 6 p.m. Following this day of both celebration and prayer, the bells will return to the previous ringing pattern that followed the repairs. Church Bells To Call To Mind Current Crisis CUSTOMIZED T-SHIRTS • HATS • JACKETS • TOWELS EMBROIDERY MAKES GREAT GIFTS FOR YOUR FAMILY • FRIENDS • ETC. 1 Church St. | LeRoy, NY 14482 | 768-2201 | www.lpgraphics.net Mayor's Corner