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NEW BERN, N.C. (WITN) – The clock at New Bern City Hall has been stuck at 4:07 for about two weeks.
The city says public works found a stripped gear inside the clock. Officials are waiting on the repair company, with a cost and timeline expected this week.
“They don’t have clocks like this every day anymore, and so sometimes locating those parts and being able to get them here so that we can fix it is a little bit tricky,” said Colleen Roberts, New Bern public information officer.
Jim Allocco, a Pamlico County resident, said he hopes the clock is fixed soon.
“I didn’t notice it, but the good news is time doesn’t always fly. Sometimes things need to slow down in life,” Allocco said.
The clock was also repaired in 2019 as part of a $130,000 project to modernize it and add automated adjustments during daylight saving time.
“It’s a lot of money, but you know it’s an icon here, so if it costs whatever it costs, it’s got to run,” Allocco said.
Caleb Sanchez, a New Bern resident, said the pause is part of the city’s charm.
“New Bern is a little quirky town, so it’s kind of in the groove with it. I think it’s quite funny,” Sanchez said.
“And most people kind of had a good laugh over it, that at least it’s right twice a day,” Roberts added.
The clock has been part of the New Bern landscape for around 300 years.
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