'We can get through this together'

“We want to acknowledge the great losses we as a community have suffered during this pandemic and take a moment of silence to hear the bells ring for each community member,” said Belinda Ballah, who has organized the project. “Bells have been used throughout history to draw attention to this sort of thing,” Ballah noted.

Churches, agencies and parks throughout the county will be sounded, from The History Museum of Hood River County and St. Mary’s Catholic Church on the Heights to Wy’east Community Church in Odell, Cascade Locks Bible Church, Oak Grove Park, and churches in Parkdale, according to Ballah, director of the Hood River County Prevention program. She said locations in Cascade Locks and in Klickitat County have also been invited to participate, and the list may grow.

“It’s nice when so much division seems to be going on right now in our country, that there is a unifying event that really focuses on the things that are important. It is good we can honor those and it shows we have compassion for the way it has affected everyone in our community,” said Pastor Doug Massingill of Wy’east Community Church.

Ballah said the bell-ringing plan came about at the same time as the invitation from President-elect Joe Biden to communities to honor coronavirus victims with local lighting ceremonies in conjunction with a national lighting ceremony on Jan. 19 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The bell-ringing plan came about via Ballah’s role as a member of the Joint Information Center (JIC) of the Hood River County Emergency Operations Center.

“The idea came to mind a couple of weeks ago as I was listening to the news and heard of another community doing this,” Ballah said. “The timing of it was great as we have been brainstorming as a group (the JIC) to remind people of the need to continue to be vigilant in our efforts to stay safe and keep our community safe — hand washing, wearing masks, social distancing. It struck me that we have had real loss in our community, family and friends have been deeply impacted by deaths due to COVID and perhaps the overall community is just not aware of this."

Ballah said last week that on Jan. 15 she will send bell-keepers the latest information after the weekly Friday morning Health Department conference call discussing coronavirus updates.

She said all bellringers have been asked to maintain coronavirus prevention precautions and will wear masks, keep social distance, wash their hands and resist the urge to gather together.

“We can and will get through this together,” Ballah said.