Ceremony dedicates Cooper Park Clock, gifted to City of New Albany, Main St. Association/UPDATED 9-28
New Albany, MS– CORRECTION: City has no lease on Cooper Park
There was an error of fact in a story we posted Wednesday, September 21, about the new clock that had been installed in Cooper Park:
Based on information received from a New Albany city official, we reported that the City of New Albany has a lease on Cooper Park. That is not the case. The city official who originally provided us with that information has corrected the record.
Chuck Cooper, who represents the Cooper estate, affirms that there is no lease. The Cooper estate simply permits the city to use the space as Cooper Park, but receives no lease payments or any other compensation from the city. The city does indemnify Cooper regarding any mishaps that might occur at the park. Cooper continues to pay full property taxes annually on the property.
We apologize to our readers for the error.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
New Albany, MS- Nearly a hundred people gathered Wednesday morning in Cooper Park in downtown New Albany for the dedication of a new clock and clock tower.
The clock is a gift to the New Albany Main Street Association and the City of New Albany from Renasant Bank, and is installed in a small city park on the south side of Bankhead Street in downtown New Albany.
Face of custom-made clock gifted by Renasant Bank
City utility department personnel helped install the clock in Cooper Park, a city park. City hall sources tell NAnewsweb.com that the land for Cooper Park is leased to the city.
The clock and clock tower were built by the Verdin Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1842, the Verdin Company is managed by the sixth generation of the Verdin family. It is a designer and manufacturer of large custom-made clocks and clock towers. Verdin also operates its own foundry that pours castings for bronze bells used in clocks, churches and other locations throughout the world.
Michael Brown, president of the local branch of Renasant Bank, presided at the brief ceremony. Brown praised the efforts of the Main Street Association and specifically those of former New Albany Mayor Billy Wiseman and his wife Martha Kate, for conceiving the idea for the clock and seeing it through to completion.
The clock on its tower stands 18 to 20 feet high. It has two faces, one facing approximately north and the other south, which are lighted at night. Atop the clock is the advertising logo of Renasant Bank, in letters about 2-1/2 inches high. Those present for the Wednesday morning ceremony seemed all to agree that the clock is of an attractive, traditional design, and of pleasing proportions for its location. It seems likely that the clock will become an attractive and enduring icon representing the city to visitors and residents.
It is not known at this time whether Renasant Bank has entered into any kind of agreement with the city to pay for rights to advertise on city property.
Cooper Park Clock Dedication Ceremony September 21, 2016
(click to enlarge and/or download photos)
“It is not known at this time whether Renasant Bank has entered into any kind of agreement with the city to pay for rights to advertise on city property.”
I’m going to go way out on a limb here and say the payment for being able to advertise on city property was the donation of a fancy 20′ tall clock to the city…just maybe.
But let’s take this a step further. How much do you think Coca Cola is paying for that restored logo on the wall behind the clock. I’m betting it’s nothing or annual maintenance at most and I’ve always been told that logo is a point of historic pride for the city.