Treasurer Fitzgerald Visits Jefferson's Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower

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Treasurer Fitzgerald visits Jefferson's Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower with tour guide Pat Richards

DES MOINES, IA (09/01/2016)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald toured Jefferson's Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower on Tuesday. The tower, originally dedicated in 1966, was awarded Vision Iowa's Community Attraction and Tourism grant this summer. The grant will allow for the Tower's restoration and expansion into a full four-octave, 47-bell carillon. "As a member of the Vision Iowa board, it was a pleasure to see one of the many projects our grants help to fund," Treasurer Fitzgerald said. "The 14-story tower offers beautiful views of Greene County and speaks to the heart of what the Vision Iowa program aims to provide."

Treasurer Fitzgerald was joined by Pat Richards, the Tower's tour guide and volunteer coordinator, as she discussed the bells and pointed out important landmarks across Jefferson. The Tower provides views of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Gardens and a statue honoring Jeffersonian Doreen Wilber, the 1972 Olympic gold medal winner in archery, among others.

Vision Iowa awarded the restoration and expansion project a grant of $87,102 this summer, with work being completed this fall. The project will cost almost $441,000 in total. "My time on the Vision Iowa board has offered me the opportunity to visit with many towns across the state," Treasurer Fitzgerald said. "It is an honor to see hardworking Iowa communities preserve their histories and invest in lasting community attractions and monuments."

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