Minor issue arises with city clock tower

In as little as two weeks, Bonners Ferry's new four-faced clock tower on the roof at City Hall could be operating.

Funded with $21,000 in contributions, the clock tower is being developed on the former 50-foot cinder block hose tower built in the 1950s.

BF Builders recently installed two 350-pound, metallic platforms and ledges fabricated by North Idaho Iron Works on the tower for catwalks for the clock dials, which will be seen from both the North and South hills.

Issues, however, with the tower walls have surfaced, according Jay Cohn, chairman of the city's Clock Tower Advisory Committee.

Two of the four walls on the tower, which will display the five-foot diameter clocks, are not of equal thickness. This is expected to create a problem with the clock spindles.

“Try to imagine spindles going into the clock handles,” Cohn said. “Two fit well with the clock and tower walls. Two of the other walls are almost twice as thick.”

It's been proposed “shaving off” portions of the two thicker walls, he said.

“Or we could exchange spindles,” Cohn said.

Both are being explored.

The effort to develop the clock tower began 10 months ago. The structure will be named The Harold Sims Clock Tower. Sims was mayor of Bonners Ferry from 1974 to 1999.