I was woken up this morning at 10 minutes to seven by St. Mary’s
new chime bell system.
“I was woken up this morning at 10 minutes to seven by St. Mary’s new chime bell system. Isn’t there a law that prevents that much noise that early in the morning? I live by Las Animas Park. My windows were closed (and they are dual pane), yet I still heard those chimes loud and clear. This was my only day to sleep in, and I was angry to be jolted awake. I could not go back to sleep. So what’s the deal – are they allowed to disturb the peace?”
Red Phone: Dear Sounding Off, When St. Mary Parish recently re-installed the Sunday morning chimes that have been absent for two years, the church had an overwhelmingly positive response.
“We heard many more comments like ‘What happened to the church bells?,’ ‘I sure miss the bells’ and ‘When will we fix them?’,” said Rose Barry, the parish liturgist.
The chimes have been active since April after a parishioner donated the funds to replace the worn out carillon. The chimes, which ring five minutes before Mass begins, last 90 seconds. During the week, they ring three times, on Saturday twice and on Sunday eight times.
The church strives to be a good a good neighbor and member of the community and cares what people think, Barry said.
“We have always done our best to accommodate our neighbors and we can easily eliminate that first chime,” Barry said. “This is the only complaint we’ve received, but it only takes one. Several years ago, we silenced the 6:55 a.m. Sunday chime when a parishioner mentioned that the peal disturbed his bedridden wife.”
Open house at Christopher High?
“I was just wondering if the public was going to get a tour of Christopher High School. Is there anything they are invited to.”
Red Phone: Dear On The Prowl, Christopher High School, which will soon be opening its doors despite ongoing construction, will be having a barbecue Aug. 16 for parents and students to come by and see the school. In addition, there will be a time for parents to come in and meet the teachers on Sept. 22.
“Currently we don’t have anything scheduled for the general public until our grand opening ceremony in October,” said CHS Activities Director Gloria Hennessy. “That may change though. We’ve been so focused on getting the school ready for the students in a couple weeks.”
Halfway house should leave
“There’s a halfway house or sober living house that’s moved into the neighborhood, and the neighbors never feel safe anymore. How do they get into a residential neighborhood here in Gilroy? Do they need approval or a business license? Who gives them the license, the City of Gilroy? And aren’t neighbors supposed to be notified? How do I make them go away? How do we get rid of this? It’s awful. We have people loitering, and transient men are hanging around. This is not a good situation, we have children and we’re scared. Thank you.”
Red Phone: Dear Halfway There, There is a home on 7455 Furlong Avenue run by Advent Group Ministries that provides help with substance abuse. However, the shelters are not controlled by local municipalities.
“These homes are regulated and permitted by the State of California,” said Gilroy police Sgt. Kurt Ashley. “The city does not have input on them or their location.”
To learn more, visit the National Institute on Chemical Dependency’s Web site at www.nicd.us.
