Naugatuck Bell Ringers Growing in Numbers

Naugatuck, CT - Every night more and more Naugatuck neighborhoods are coming alive in a show of solidarity. For two minutes, between 8:00 and 8:02pm, neighbors are opening a window or coming out on their porch to ring a bell or a wind chime, sing a song, or just listen.

The "Ringing of the Bells" is symbol of solidarity and thanksgiving for our health care workers and first responders who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 virus. It is also meant as a way to remind the borough citizens that we are united even though we are physically separated.

Naugatuck Patch Mayor Nancy Sasso Janis first posted about the Naugatuck event on Monday, March 23 when Mayor Pete Hess authorized the nightly event. Mayor Hess, following the lead of a nearby town, shared this on his Facebook page:

STARTING TONIGHT -
Naugatuck let’s join together for the -
RINGING OF THE BELLS!
When: EVERY Evening from 8:00 to 8:02
Where: From your porch or window
RING Bells, Wind Chimes or Musical instruments or Break out in SONG!
This will be our time each evening to show our love, support and appreciation to our Health Care workers and First Responders and remind each other that we are United In Spirit though we are physically apart.
Spread the word - please SHARE

Since then, well over 700 readers have seen the Patch post and as of 3:00pm on Thursday, 761 have liked the article.

In the Candee Road area on Monday night, Nancy Sasso Janis was probably the only perseon on her street that came out. Despite the rain, Ms. Janis' son C.J. set up his synthesizer to play bell tones, while she rang a series of bells for the two minutes; the duo also brought a candle on the front porch and lit another in a front window in memory of loved ones.

The next night, the Patch Mayor was excited to hear that her neighbors were participating; she attempted to sing "God Bless America," but found herself choked up at the beginning of the song. On a chilly Wednesday evening, neighbors were blasting the National Anthem and bells were ringing once again.

About an hour before 8pm on Wednesday, the Naugatuck/Bethwood Patch Mayor posted on the Naugatuck site Facebook page: "45 minutes 'til places, Naugatuck Bell Ringers. Let's make tonight our strongest yet! - Nancy." Nearly 2,000 people were reached by that message and 18 shared it to their page.

Neighbors have gone out of their way to support each other in this time of isolation. The Patch Mayor dropped off an extra Christmas bell to a friend, sanitized of course and left on the recipient's porch during the day.

On the What's Happening In Naugatuck Facebook page, Mary Duff of Beebe Street posted a photo of a table she had set up with a collection of bells to share with any neighbors that wanted to participate. Her sister-in-law Ruth Teeple snapped the photo below. Barbara Hendrichs, Ms. Teeple's mother who lived in Naugatuck most of her life, collected the bells. The two ladies decided to share the beautiful bells because they wanted them to be used for something that their mother would have loved. "We have a lot - she would be so happy to have done this herself," wrote Ms. Duff.

On Monday there was a report of Whitney Houston's version of the Star Spangled Banner in the Cadbury Road area.

Some residents without a bell got creative. Kimmy DiMarco shared that she flashed her lights in the front of her home, while others used their wind chimes. Some played a YouTube video on their phone. Another family improvised with a maraca and a tambourine. Christmas decorations with bells work well, although that may mean a trip to the attic/crawl space to go retrieve them.

Ms. Janis will continue to post reminders about Ringing of the Bells on a nightly basis. As they say backstage in the theatre, "places" will be called before 8pm on several social media locations.

On Thursday, the city of Waterbury joined in. Mayor Neil O'Leary posted: "Waterbury's greatest asset is our residents! Let's support each other in a fun and safe way!"