LEROYPENNYSAVER&NEWS -AUGUST30, 2015
PassingTheTorch
byLynneBelluscio
LeRoy’sStatueofLibertywill
soonbe repaired.Thanks toallof
the folkswho sent in checks and
madedonations,wehave reached
our goal of $10,000. In fact we
havesurpassedourgoalandsome
peoplearestill sending inchecks.
That isOK, because, aswe look
at the pedestal we know there
will be additional repairs thatwe
didn’t anticipate. And until we
can take a closer look after the
statue is removed, we have no
ideawhatwill be necessary.
On Thursday, August 13, we
held an informal gathering on
WolcottStreet in frontof theStat-
ueofLiberty. MichelePanepento
and her daughterAnna (Class of
2025), agreed to join us in cos-
tume.Youmayhaveseen them in
theOatkaFestival parade.
First I asked -Evan and Jacob
Williams (Class of 2023 and
2022 respectively) to read some
interesting facts about theStatue
of Liberty in NewYork Harbor:
“The original name of theStatue
of Libertywas “LibertyEnlight-
ening the World.” The face of
Lady Liberty was supposedly
the face of the sculptor Auguste
Bartholdi’s mother Charlotte.
For comic book fans, the comic
bookcharacterMissAmericawas
givenherpowersby theStatueof
Liberty.Thestatue inNewYork’s
Harborwearsasize879shoeand
has a 35 footwaistline.
Both the French and Ameri-
cans contributed money for the
StatueofLibertyand remarkably
80%of thedonationswereadol-
lar or less. Lady Liberty wears
a crown of seven spikes for the
seven continents and the seven
seas.When theoriginal Statueof
Libertywascompleted inFrance,
it was necessary to ship all 350
piecesacross theAtlanticOcean.
They were packed in 214 crates
andwerealmost lostat seaduring
a terrible storm. It is estimated
that the Statue of Liberty in the
New York Harbor is struck by
lighteningonandaverageof 600
times each year. This October,
the NewYork Statue of Liberty
will be celebrating its 129 An-
niversary.”
After the boys read their re-
ports, it was time to take in the
checks. Weasked that thechecks
begiven tooneof the
students, who would
read the amount and
the donor, and then
present the check to
Michele, representing
Lady Liberty. The
students were told
that the care of the
Statue was now their
responsibility. They
were to watch over
herandmakesureshe
would always raise
her torch to “enlight-
en theworld.”
First there was a
$200 check from the
class of 1958. Then
the Alumni Associ-
ation, of graduates
from over 50 years
ago, presented a
check of $1,280. The Class of
1970 - - the largest class to ever
graduate from LeRoy Central
School presented a check for
$1,000whichwasmatched by a
$500check fromoneof the1970
alumni.TheWomenof theMoose
presentedacheckfor$647.05and
theLeRoyMooseClub, proudly
presented a check for $3,650,
which they had collected during
the Oatka Festival event. The
generosity of the Moose Club
was in commemoration of their
participation in 1950, when the
MooseClubpurchased theStatue
ofLiberty andpresented it to the
local BoyScouts.
Verysoon, inearlySeptember,
the Statue will be removed and
taken toOrconIndustriesonLake
Street,whereshewillbefitted for
acushion.Then Ihope to takeher
toOberlin, Ohio to theMacKay
Lodge Conservation Laboratory
where Thomas Podnar will have
an opportunity to evaluate her.
Work will continue through the
winter and in the meantime, we
will look at the pedestal.
We know it is leaning toward
the creek and we will probably
have tomake some adjustments.
Theplan is tohaveher reinstalled
by next July and rededicate
her during the Oatka Festival.
We hope you will join us next
summer as thegenerationsof the
future take the torch of liberty.
