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A Perspective on the Clock Tower

The Bigfork Clock Tower was the brainstorm of one local resident, who did much of the research and talked to the various organizations in town to see what it would take for this project to come to fruition.  Here's an article she found that deserves to be shared.  


Clock Towers and Church Bells


I live in a small town, and I mean small. The population hovers around 1000 people. It was a
challenge to learn to live here, to have my neighbors know exactly who I am, while I could barely
remember their names. But I have come to love it. I love how people do know me, that I can stop
on the sidewalk and chat with a whole assortment of interesting individuals.

I also love the old-time feel of this village. The Canada Post building still has its original clock
tower, and in recent years the clock was restored to chime every half hour. At the top of the hour,
it chimes the number of hours, and at the half-hour mark, it chimes once. I live close enough that
I can hear it clearly when I am outside, or when my windows are open.

I love that when I am sweating in the garden I can listen for the number of chimes to know how
much time I have spent at it. I love that I can tell my road-hockey-playing son to come home for
supper when the clock chimes five. And I even like it on the nights when I am lying in bed,
awake, and can hear what time it is. This is especially satisfying when I am just waking up from
sleeping-in!

It is such a pleasant, regular sound, I marvel at those who object to such things. So many towns
and cities across this nation have silent chimes and bells. What a waste. Historically, bells and
chimes were very expensive, and were often considered the crowning piece of a new structure.
The church I attend has a very high bell tower with its original bell. It is rung every Sunday
morning, as pigeons may flutter overhead (much to the caretaker’s dismay). Anyone may help
ring the bell, to pull the cord a few times before the bell gains enough momentum for the clapper
to hit the inside of it, and then to continue pulling as the music peals out. A cheerful sound,
calling us to worship.

Before I moved here, I never thought about how sound in a small town can add such richness to
life. In a place where the population is only 1000, it is generally pretty quiet. So quiet that I can
clearly hear clock towers and church bells.

Written By
Brenda Visser
The Write Way
brendavisser.wordpress.com

Coming Soon to Bigfork Village - the Clock Tower!

You have probably all noticed the renovations throughout Electric Avenue over the last several years, including but not limited to, the lobby renovation of the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts, the Double Eagle Building, the new patio dining & windows upgrade at Showthyme, the face lifts to the JugTree and to Bigfork Bay Gift and Gear, the new Persimmon gallery, the Pocketstone, etc.  In short, downtown Bigfork gets more beautiful and charming with every passing year.

To that end, the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork (CFBB) is undertaking a much-needed exterior renovation of the Bigfork Village Square building, which houses the Bigfork Museum and the Bigfork branch of the Flathead County Library in the heart of downtown Bigfork.  The exterior renovation project will include a new clock tower housing a 48” in diameter energy efficient LED backlit clock with a digital bell system which has the capacity to play music as well as the classic Westminster chimes.  To hear a sample, go to www.americlock.com/digital-bell-system.htm

The Clock Tower project should be complete by mid-June just in time for Summer 2012, with actual construction lasting about three to four weeks.

As with most community projects in Bigfork, it's the volunteers and donors who make things happen.  This project is being completed with the cooperation, support and/or funding from the following entities:

Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork - www.cfbbigfork.org
Bigfork Community Development Fund Trust  

Bigfork Chamber of Commerce - www.bigfork.org

George Gibson Architecture - www.gibsonarchitecture.com

Mountain High Construction - www.mountainhighconstruction.com

Frame of Reference - www.frameref.com
Mosaic Restaurant (formerly La Provence) -  www.facebook.com/pages/La-Provence-Restaurant/196810577020976
The UPS Store - www.theupsstorelocal.com/2556/
Brach Thompson 

Joanne Vaughn

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