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OBSERVATIONS
May 14, 2020 |
 |
 Wingate Lassiter |
"Now, let's have church!" so saith
the sheriff; but let's not rush into it
Sheriff Steve Bizzell makes a compelling case in a statement he sent out Wednesday afternoon: "Retail businesses are allowed to operate daily under rules; however, church folks can't even go to church once a week which is inconsistent and unfair....
"If social distancing and other guidelines are good enough to allow big-box stores to operate, why is it not good enough for in-person church services?" Sheriff Bizzell asks. "Currently worship services are limited indoors to 10 people, but 50 people can utilize the same space for a funeral.
"I think our pastors and church leaders would be more inclined to implement safety guidelines for their brothers and sisters, even more so than businesses do for their customers. Why can't churches be trusted to open and take precautions to protect their people's health and well-being?" he asks.
It's hard to argue against the sheriff's position, especially in light of the unfairness of the Governor's rules that allowed Wal-Mart and Lowes Home Improvement to remain fully open while most everyone else in retail business were ordered closed until this past week.
But here's the other side of the story: Folks sitting side by side in church for an hour are more likely to spread the dreaded coronavirus than the multitudes briefly passing one another in the store aisles.
And what about the elderly who are most vulnerable to infections brought on by COVID-19? I dare say there are more elderly in church pews on a typical Sunday than older folks walking the aisles of our grocery stores at any one time.
Yes, the churches could open by taking recommended precautions. But are the ministers and lay leaders who shepherd their congregations willing to take that risk before we've got this thing much more under control?
A "pop quiz" on Smithfield Town Government
How carefully are you reading the Weekly Sun's coverage of local governments' budget-making for the new fiscal year that starts July 1? That coverage is a crucial reason for the launching of this publication 17 months ago --- to offer you an opportunity to examine key decisions being made by your locally elected representatives.
So here's a "pop quiz" based on last week's coverage of the Smithfield Town Council's 2020-21 budget deliberations:
Smithfield currently has 17 fire hydrants that are out of service for one reason of another. How many hydrants in all has the town installed for fire protection:
(a) 96, (b) 690, (c) 960?
Normally the town collects about 400 tons of household refuse each month. During the coronavirus shutdown, how many tons did town crews collect in April:
(a) 450, (b) more than 500, (c) more than 1,000?
The Police Department is struggling to fill vacancies on its force. How many positions are currently unfilled:
(a) 7, (b) 12, (c) 21?
The Fire Department has 20 volunteer firefighters in addition to its full-time staff. How many does the fire chief want to add to ensure that the department's responses to structure fires are in compliance with state guidelines:
(a) 5, (b) 10, (c) 20?
The Parks & Recreation Department wants to increase pay for part-time lifeguards by 50 cents an hour. What's the current rate of pay for those positions:
(a) $7.50, (b) $10.00, (c) $12.50?
How many fire stations does the Town of Smithfield operate:
(a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3?
You can get the answers by re-reading last Friday's edition of the Sun, which covered the Town Council's budget sessions of May 5-6>
Meanwhile, you can listen in when the council continues its work on the budget at 6:30 p.m. today (Thursday) via teleconference by phoning 919-391-3517 or 1-800-719-7514 and entering conference code 808829 when prompted.
SMITHFIELD'S BLOOMING
Spectacular
amaryllis in the editor's backyard on Mother's Day:
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