NORWAY — The Board of Selectmen took no action Thursday night to reduce the hourly striking of the Norway Opera House bell.

“Let it sit,” Chairman Bruce Cook said.

The board was told there were no complaints made directly to Town Manager David Holt about the hourly ringing of the bell.

The board made no motion to alter the 24/7 striking of the bell, and it will continue to ring around the clock.

The issue arose recently when Holt told the board that the bell’s striker needed to be fixed, and during that time equipment could be placed on it to regulate when it would strike.

When it has been working, it has been striking on the hour seven days a week. Recently at least one person has said the noise is irritating late at night.

Holt said he had the striker fixed for about $400, then purchased the equipment -at just under another $400 – necessary to regulate the striker and had it installed at the time the bell was fixed.

Selectmen said they had heard very few comments about the striking of the bell around the clock, but Holt said the issue comes up periodically by a person who lives under the clock tower. The only concern is the striking in the early-morning hours when many people are trying to sleep, he said.

“I tend to like it,” said Cook, who lives outside of the downtown area but can still hear it ringing in the distance.

In other news:

• Holt told the board that work to repair the cement abutments on the Pennesseewasse Stream dam work is completed; and

• Holt told the board that Recreation Department Director Deb Partridge has researched the boat launch at Hobbs Pond and determined that the town owns it. She will now contact the state to see what improvements can be made to it.

ldixon@sunmediagroup.net

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