[RP TownTalk] Anniversary Town Clock

[Andrew Farrington]

Ms. Ferguson, thank you.

Town, I'll do it, if you like.  Call me or email, anytime.

  -Andrew Farrington



On Thu, 10 Aug 2006, johnferg27 at aol.com wrote:

>
> The Town Clock was purchased in 1995 to commemorate the Town's 75th 
> anniversary.  The cost of the clock ($25,000) was totally paid with 
> donations from residents and businesses.  To see a complete list of 
> donors, see The Riverdale Story:  Mansion to Municipality, pages vii, 
> viii.
>
> The Verdin Company of Cincinnati, Ohio made the clock.  This company 
> dates back to 1842 and continues as a family business over the last six 
> generations. Some of the national sites that display a Verdin clock (or 
> clocks) are the Smithsonian, Notre Dame, the Mayo Clinic, and the 
> National Basilica in Washington, D. C. plus others that can be seen on 
> the Verdin website.  This is a well-made clock that should be respected 
> and maintained.
>
> As this was my project, I oversaw the maintenance of the clock from 1995 
> to 2001.  The console is located in the Gordon Wells building at Town 
> Center under an arrangement with Mr. Wells and an annual token payment 
> was agreed upon to cover electricity.
>
> The chimes were programmed to ring from 7 or 8 am to 11 pm.  The clock 
> has a surge protector that shuts down the chimes when an electrical 
> storm or power outage occurs.  A manual is available at Town Hall (or by 
> request from Verdin) that outlines the operation of the clock.  I was 
> able to reboot the chime operation when the surge protector shut it 
> down.
>
> I learned to make basic adjustments and, on a few occasions, called a 
> certified Verdin repair specialist in.  The fee(s) were reasonable.
>
> The clock operated dependably over the six years that I monitored its 
> status.  If no one has taken on the oversight of its operation, then no 
> call has been made in the past five years for a Verdin specialist to 
> lubricate and check out the mechanical system.  I know there are many 
> residents very well qualified as computer specialists -- far beyond the 
> knowledge I had on the subject.  If one person would read the manual and 
> take note of the time and the status of the chiming just once each week, 
> I feel the clock would operate very dependably.  Of course, it would be 
> important to determine whether any routine maintenance has been done in 
> the past five years.  I know the Town budget has discretionary 
> categories that would permit such modest maintenance expense with little 
> problem.
>
> Also, the clock is equipped with chips that will provide an assortment 
> of chime programs -- patriotic, traditional, seasonal, etcetera. 
> Again, that process is not prohibitive to operate and I recall when the 
> Veterans Monument was dedicated that Rob was good enough to play the 
> patriotic chime program at the end of the dedication.
>
> Hope you will keep the Anniversary Clock as something "special" about 
> the Town.
>
> Ann  Ferguson
>