UTICA — There’s no better way to pay homage to a friend than to carry out his unfulfilled dream. That dream will keep Utica residents in synch for years to come, thanks to members of Utica Sertoma.
“About four or five years ago, a member of our club, which was Sonny Stone, decided that we needed a town clock. It didn’t really come to pass and Sonny passed away a little over a year ago. Our club decided we’d see the project through in his honor,” said Al Shomaker, treasurer of the town clock project.
Shomaker, along with Paul and Tonya Palumbo, Bill Leffler and Gary Mader make up the committee working to bring Stone’s vision to fruition.
The four-faced clock will be located in front of the Utica branch of CES Credit Union, 8 N. Main St. The base of the clock will feature an octagonal shape that will house eight black granite plaques. Seven of the eight 12-by-12 inch plaques have already been sold contributing $14,000 of the $26,000 needed to fund the timepiece.
The area surrounding the clock base will be paved with 4-by-8-inch bricks that can also be sponsored to help defray the clock costs. Nearly 70 of the 510 brick pavers have been ordered so far. Even after the bricks have been laid, the public can still request sponsorship, according to Shomaker.
“We will continue to sell the pavers. Once they are [installed] they can be removed and engraved,” he said.
There have been some delays in the construction of the base, but the project is now moving full-speed ahead as David Troyer and his employees from Cornerstone Construction of Martinsburg were busy at work Thursday placing the limestone on the base.
Once the clock is installed, it will stand 14 feet high. The clock itself weighs 398 pounds and the post is roughly 200 pounds.
“We’ve got the base in and the clock is actually here in my garage,” he said.
While the companies that offer such clocks are limited, there were many options to select from, Shomaker said. The clock waiting to be installed is similar to the clock in Johnstown, he said.
So far, just over $16,000 has been raised. Currently, Sertoma has about $12,000 invested in the project. While the group anticipates a minimum contribution to the town clock of $5,000, its hope is that enough money is raised that some of the funds already spent could be recouped. Any extra money raised would be kept in an account for other community projects as well as maintenance of the clock.
“When you start something like this, people wonder if it will ever happen. This is definitely going to happen and it’s exciting,” he said.
The committee is hoping to dedicate the clock Dec. 10 during Utica’s Christmas Walk.
Sertoma has been active in Utica since 1970 and serves the community in many ways, especially projects that help those with hearing problems.
For those interested in brick pavers or the last remaining plaque, forms are available at Utica merchants as well as CES Credit Union and Park National Bank, both in Utica. Those wishing to make contributions to the town clock project, donations can be made at the Utica CES Credit Union or can be mailed to Utica Sertoma, P.O. Box 303, Utica, OH 43080.
