The Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower has been quiet this week and yellow caution tape has encircled the base of the tower as a two-man crew from Verdin Company works at the top of the tower, about 160 feet up.
The crew is replacing the strikers in the five functioning bells. The striker hangs inside the bell, anchored by the same large bolt that holds the bell to the frame. Replacing the striker involves unbolting the bell from the support structure, lowering it to the upper deck of tower, changing out the striker, and then bolting the bell back into the steel frame. Plywood has been placed over the skylight of the observation deck, just in case something falls.
According to one of the Verdin crew, the largest striker (pictured on the right) weighs about 200 pounds.
While that work is being done at the top, Chris Durlam is installing a new electrical panel to service the electrical bell mechanisms.
Once the job is complete, Jefferson residents will again hear the entire Westminster chime playing on the quarter hour. It will be authentic, not the recording that has been played in recent years as the striker mechanisms failed one by one.
Cost to replace the five strikers is $32,650. As it’s a maintenance cost, the county is paying for it. Nine other bells are hanging on the bell tower without strikers. The board of supervisors, the Bell Tower Community Foundation, and county engineer Wade Weiss all hope those strikers can be installed before the bell tower’s 50th anniversary a year from now. Those bells will likely be taken all the way down from the tower for the installation of the strikers.
