DeKALB — DeKalb’s Rotary Club expects to complete the restoration of The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Clock by Veterans Day on Nov. 11. 

The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Clock, 101 Lincoln Highway, has undergone the first step in the plan to restore the clock, which was to get it functioning again because it hasn’t worked properly since the late ‘90s. The club got involved because the clock was dedicated in 1921, the same year the DeKalb Rotary Club was founded, said Brian Corr,  president of the DeKalb Rotary Club. 

The Rotary Club is planning to focus on the clock’s physical appearance. “If you get up close to it, you’ll notice that the paint is sort of fading, and it’s getting rusty in places,” Corr said. “So the next step is going to be to fix the rough spots and get it painted.” 

They are now in the process of getting the painter to begin work. However, the club is expecting it to be a rather long process. 

“It’s not like painting the side of a house or something you know, it’s metal… quite frankly, it has to be resistant to the weather… and also has lots of little decorative ornaments on it, so it’s going to be a rather elaborate paint job,” Corr said. 

The least expensive quote for painting the exterior of the clock the club has seen ranges around $15,000, Corr said in a June 3 Northern Star article.

As far as the fundraising for the restoration itself, the club has broken even on the costs. “I think we might have to draw a little bit of our own resources for the painting,” he said. 

Aside from  The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Clock, The DeKalb Rotary Club also gives out scholarships to students and is involved in many community projects. Another project the club has coming up is building playground equipment in the DeKalb area for children to play in. Last year, The Dekalb Rotary Club helped purchase a ballistic vest for the DeKalb Police Department’s K-9 unit. 

For additional information regarding The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Clock, visit the DeKalb Rotary Club’s website. Donations can be made on the website. 

The DeKalb Rotary Club welcomes anyone to attend their meetings every Monday night at the Ellwood House, 420 Linden Place. 

This report has been corrected to include the year the DeKalb Rotary Club was founded.