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By: David Deschesne

Editor/Publisher, Fort Fairfield Journal, October 24, 2007, p. 8

After months of preparation, the Fort Fairfield Arbor Committee is happy to see the new town clock finally in place and telling time.

“We set the foundation a month ago,” said Arbor Committee member, Scott Fields, “once we got a firm date on the delivery of the clock.”

Specifications were sent ahead of time and the landscaping company, King’s Gardner completed the landscaping shortly after the base was installed.

“It’s going to be a great addition to the town. When people come into town, the first thing they’ll see is the clock and once their attention is directed, they’ll also see our Community Bandstand.” At 48 feet in diameter, the Fort Fairfield Community Bandstand is currently the largest in the state.

The clock sits at the Main Street frontage of Fields Lane.

“This was the best spot. The Housing Authority was very receptive and gave us an easement for the clock with no problems.”

Fields plans on benches similar to those at CP Park being placed around the clock’s small flower garden area next summer.

The clock’s garden area has been commissioned in memory of Dolly Reed.

“Rayle Ainsworth, Dolly’s daughter, was very active in the design of the park.”

The clock, which weighs in at around 400 pounds is a replica of a Howard Clock from early Boston days. It was manufactured in Cincinnati, Ohio by the Verdin Company. It sits on a cast aluminum base, painted satin black and features state of the art electronic computer circuitry as the heart of its time-keeping mechanism.

“We use only military-grade computer chips,” said Bruce Harkness, installation and service engineer for Verdin. “The computer is resistant to the extreme cold and heat and automatically resets the clock for daylight savings time.” The computer also has a battery back-up and will automatically reset itself after a power outage.

The Verdin Company manufactures bells, carillons and clocks and has been in business since 1842.

A formal dedication ceremony is planned for the summer of next year, sometime during the Maine Potato Blossom Festival.