Money to pay for a bicentennial clock has been approved.
By Terry Karkos
Staff Writer

DIXFIELD – Donations for the $17,000 bicentennial clock project continue to trickle in despite Saturday’s town meeting vote that raised the remaining balance.

Bicentennial Committee member Charlotte Collins said that while voters did agree to raise $3,201, she’s hoping more donations roll in so taxpayers can save the money.

“I’m hoping we won’t have to spend that ($3,201),” Collins said Wednesday.

Since the town meeting, $200 has been donated toward the clock, increasing the donations-to-date figure to $10,399.37. Town meeting moderator Sen. Norman Ferguson Jr. even donated his $100 moderating fee to the clock, Collins said.

The town has also received $3,700 in matching funds from “a generous benefactor. We’re getting there,” Collins said, adding that the chance of getting a $1,000 donation from Wal-Mart in Mexico “looks really good.”

The clock is a two-dial E. Howard Post clock replica from Electric Time Company Inc., in Medfield, Mass. The total $17,000 cost includes freight and installation.

Currently standing in its place at Key Bank is a replica of the replica that was built and painted by Dirigo High School students in instructor Art Chamberlain’s woodworking, woodcarving and drafting classes.

“They worked on it off and on for nearly two months,” Chamberlain said. “Whoever walked by with nothing to do, worked on it. A lot of the kids showed a lot of interest.”

When he received a digital photo of the clock replica, Chamberlain said he used a computer to reduce the digital photo so that his students could make it to scale.

“Then one kid in my drafting and woodcarving classes laid out the pattern and another two to three kids sawed it out,” he added.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com