COURIER-POST, Friday, October 24, 2014 3TAB
our town
By Jeff Radio
Time Piece Stands Tall in Gazebo Park The downtown as once was, is still seen as a gathering place for residents to walk, gather, shop, and be seen. Commonly, there is a destination point within the downtown for residents to enjoy. It’s a centralized place that allows you to stimulate your senses by smelling the food from local eateries, viewing the foliage of the area, and hearing chimes from the town clock or church. Though times have changed; people have become more mobile with the ever evolving automobile, shopping has become more regionalized and larger manufacturing employers have changed to technology based businesses, Maple Shade still defines an old town charm. Walk along the tree lined, beautified downtown in Maple Shade and you would be hard pressed to miss the many eateries, unique stores and most importantly its destination‌ Gazebo Park. Twenty years ago, a local longtime resident, Bob Ries took the time to create and gift a symbol of Pride for the downtown of Maple Shade. His masterpiece, an 18-foot-tall copper and brass four sided clock at the corner of Main Street and Forklanding Road in Gazebo Park. His personal touches adorn the clock; personal initials “RJRâ€? for Robert and Judi Ries and brass maple leaves patterned after foliage from his backyard. His vision is our wonder; as Bob Ries worked on a similar clock outside of the area he saw the potential for having one in his own town. He painstakingly worked in his spare time to fabricate each panel, as it took nearly a year to build. Most recently the clock was restored with the significant help of local businessmen; Sterling Martin; owner of Thomson Lamination and his employees, Jimmy Tyson, Rich Hammel and Doug Anderson; owner of Cherry Hill Painting. Sterling Martin has been a true asset to the Maple Shade community as he has dedicated many years of volunteer service towards a multitude of projects. Restoring and upgrading the Maple Shade town clock with new technology is just one of his most recent accomplishments. Chimes were installed that currently play Westminister chimes, which sound every 15 minutes from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. There are more than 300 options of songs that could be chosen. An atomic clock was installed so the time will always be accurate. Maple Shade may not be the only town with a destination, a town clock and having a beautified downtown, but it can stand alone with a strong sense of town pride and the everlasting sounds of music to enlighten your visit. Jeff Radio is Chairman of the Board, Maple Shade Advisory Board of Commerce
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