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EAST HAMPTON — Custom-designed commemorative Bevin Bells cowbell sales to mark the centennial of the local fire department have far exceeded expectations, according to fire officials.
Originally, 100 limited-edition bells were ordered, however, they sold out within a week and a half, said Jerry Cloutier, chairman of the East Hampton Volunteer Fire Department 100 year Anniversary Committee.
East Hampton-based Bevin Bells, a sixth-generation family company founded in 1832, is co-owned by former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin.
Cloutier posted on Facebook that the collectibles allow people to bring home “a piece of history.” Cloutier, a Navy veteran, has been with the fire service for 27 years, and is an emergency preparedness specialist at the Millstone Power Station in Waterford.
Upcoming celebratory events include a picnic with all past members of the department, appreciation dinner and awards, he said. Special red versions of the bells will be distributed to those who attend the picnic.
The 70-person volunteer department, which takes about 400 calls for service a year, has 70 volunteers spread over three stations, Cloutier said.
The white cowbell features the fire department’s current patch on one side and anniversary patch on the other side. It was designed by resident and patch contest winner Ekaterine Tcheldize, who competed against seven other entries, Cloutier said.
The commemorative bell resembles the official patch with crossed axes. It incorporates a gold Bevin bell decorated with a blue, fully rigged ship, topped with “America’s Bird” and decorated with a tiny ladder, fire hydrant and red sash.
“The design popped out at us, especially with the eagle on it,” Cloutier said. “[It] incorporated everything on it.”
The two types of bells, both official and for collectors, have been restocked and are flying off the shelves at family-operated Paul & Sandy’s Too garden center and hardware store at 83 E. High St., according to employee Michele MacGranor.
The committee has ordered another 200 bells for the garden center, Cloutier said, with all proceeds going to the fire department. They are also available at Ace Hardware at 25 E. High St.
“We predict we’ll have to order another batch from Bevin Bells,” he added.
The store carries different styles of Bevin Bells year-round, including one for the Chatham Historical Society and a Pumpkin Town USA cowbell in honor of Paul’s & Sandy’s Too's widely popular fall drive-through attraction, billed as a “premiere non-scary fall attraction.”
“People come in from all over” for the chance to purchase a bell, MacGranor said.
The volunteer department was established in 1923. Remnants of the original firehouse remain at the Co. 3 station on White Birch Road, including an antique hand-pump truck formerly drawn by horses.
Bells are $10 apiece, and all proceeds will benefit the department and celebratory events.
They will come in handy during the Old Home Days parade July 8, which steps off at 11 a.m. The theme, honoring the legacy of the department, is "A Century of Service." About 20 other fire departments are invited to participate in the event.
To purchase the bells, stop in at the fire station at 3 Barton Hill Road. For information on Paul’s and Sandy’s Too, visit Paul And Sandy's on Facebook. They can also be reserved at the store by calling 860-267-0143.