City prepares for clock tower installation

The Onaway city council approved the purchase of a four-sided illuminated clock as part of the renovation of the courthouse. The clock also includes an elaborate carillon system capable of playing about 300 different tunes, according to city manager Joe Hefele.

The clock is scheduled to be installed before June 1, and will be officially dedicated with the ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration over the July 4 holiday.

The manufacturer is the Verdin Company, the largest maker of outdoor clocks in the world. The Cincinnati company has been in business since 1842, and has been responsible for a number of innovations in the field such as self-winding mechanisms and electric bell ringers.

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Hefele said the design chosen for the Onaway tower is the Euro Classic, which has all 12 Roman numerals on the clock face.

He noted that the gift from the Wagner estate was what put them over the top in the funding for the project, but that many other private donors contributed money to the project.

“It has been a real community effort,” Hefele said.

He added the tower will have four speakers on each side to allow the bells to be heard from every direction. The speakers will be painted the same color as the tower awning and will be installed under the eave of the roof for protection from the elements.

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