SNOHOMISH – The street clock is taller than his store.
David Doto is happy about its size, style and looks. The clock, with its four faces, stands about 17 feet tall and weighs at least two tons. Painted with green and gold, the clock is about 100 years old.
“Yeah, it’s a beast,” Doto said, looking up to the clock.
The clock’s frame and faces were installed this week in front of Doto’s store, Legends Clocks and Antiques, on First Street after the shopkeeper got the city’s OK for the project.
Doto believes the clock fits in well with the city’s downtown character, which features historic buildings and many antique shops.
“It’s got to be good for the town,” said Doto, an Arlington resident.
On Tuesday afternoon, he climbed a ladder to tighten nuts and bolts in the timepiece.
Drivers noticed and smiled at the big structure in a downtown where small U.S. flags fluttered in the breeze and people licked ice cream under the sun.
Al Winston, 72, stopped by and inspected the work. “Man! That’s quite a project,” Winston said.
Winston has lived his entire life in Snohomish. The clock is a good addition for the downtown, he said.
“You must plan to have a store here for long,” Winston said.
“Who knows?” Doto said.
When Doto, 58, found the clock last year, he thought it belonged in the downtown that he loves, he said. He’s worked on the project at his store and at home.
Now all the pieces of the clock are ready to be put together, Doto said. He’ll soon have it up and running. Once complete, he’ll still have to wind it every week.
The cost of the project continues to mount, he said.
“I haven’t added up yet. I’m afraid to,” he said.
For now, he’s enjoying his time with the clock.
“Once you start it, you can’t stop it,” he said.
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
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