On Thursday evening, Sept. 28, Village of Roslyn officials announced the celebration of the fully restored Clock Tower, the unveiling of a bronze donors plaque and the burial of a community time capsule at the Ellen E. Ward Memorial Clock Tower.

"During the Centennial Celebration of the Clock Tower, private contributions were made to the 1895 Clock Tower Committee of the Roslyn Landmark Society," said Mayor John Durkin. "These funds were used to re-point the south and west sides of the monument. That work was completed successfully in 1997. Some of the leaders of that group are with us tonight.

"Now, the village has made the remainder of the repairs to preserve this historical landmark," he continued in his remarks. "The New York State Offices of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation provided a matching grant of $34,000 to the village to complete the masonry re-pointing work. This grant has been matched by voluntary contributions. I am pleased to report that the strong leadership of this fund drive represented by Angela Anton and Doug Pierce, co-chairs of the Clock Tower Trust Fund Committee, has raised the matching funds for both the New York State grant as well as the $15,000 Challenge Grant offered by the Gerry Charitable Trust."

Mayor Durkin also praised preservationist and architectural historian John Collins who prepared the drawings and repair specifications, including restoration of the windows and oak Roman grills. "John, as the clerk of the works, managed the repair project as well," the mayor added.

In addition, the mayor cited Capitol Restoration Corp, the Bellmore-based firm that was selected to complete the repairs.

"The village has spent over $105,000 or private donations to restore the clock tower," the mayor said. "And, we thank all of our donors who made contributions from as little as $10 to as much as $6,000. Because of this strong community support, no taxpayer funds were needed or used to extend the life of the Ellen E. Ward Memorial Clock Tower for generations to come.

"Now for the time capsule, also paid for by private funds, our Village Clerk, Anita Frangella, has been busy gathering the materials for preservation in the time capsule," the mayor continued. "Along with the village staff, she has done a terrific job. The listing I have seen has more than 65 items for the next group of Roslynites to examine. What I intend to do next is always a risk for an elected official. I want to single out one item from the capsule and the group that provided it. However, since I can't win or lose their vote, please join me in recognizing the children and parents from the Roslyn Trinity Cooperative Day Schools and the 2005 Children's Quilt. We applaud their work, imagination and participation.

"When the next repair occurs 50 or so years from now, we hope that the time capsule and its contents will help the next group of preservationists appreciate the commitment and dedication of the Roslyn community to maintaining this Long Island landmark," the mayor concluded, while also thanking the evening's hosts, the Murphy family, proprietors of the George Washington Manor for sponsoring a reception that was also held on Sept. 28.