Dear Friends,

A great loss has hit our gnomonic community in Italy. Our friend Giacomo Agnelli died about a week ago.  Giacomo was one of the great gnomonists of the past. He had written dozens of articles in engineering and horology, also dealing with mechatronics [mechanical] sundials. He had worked at the European space project, and had frequent ...articles for our magazines [on] gnomonics. He had participated in all meetings of horology in Italy and was known for his satirical cartoons and caricatures gnomonic...

Nicola Severino

Visit A Tribute to Giacomo Agnelli

The restored Sun City dial re-dedication ceremony held October 7^th, 2011 was a huge success.  A large crowd of several hundred dial enthusiasts came to the grounds of the large dial at the Sundial Recreation Center at 8:30 in the morning to celebrate the restoration of the dial that months before was an endangered and condemned landmark. 

The dial was the idea of John Meeker, Sun City developer.  In the 1970’s “he saw the potential in building not just a place for old people to live, but to create a community where there was a love affair for what it stood for …. The sundial is the perfect example of what he stood for. He gave it more hours than there were in a day, it stood one foot taller than its twin in Carefree Arizona and it was all about living life large. Virtually everything he did was bigger and better than what folks expected…” said Dell Webb Museum president. NASS member John Carmichael discussed the unique gnomon that has four shadow casting edges and NASS member Simon Wheaton-Smith talked about how the sundial told time and its features to the many people in attendance.  Letters and email sent from NASS and international Sundial List members were instrumental in the Sun City board decision to save the dial from demolition.  NASS Roger Bailey’s letter to the Sun City administrators was specifically mentioned.

The sundial is located at The Sundial Recreation Center located at 14801N. 103rd Avenue, Sun City, AZ 85351. Photos by John Carmichael.

Some dials are lost, others found.  Last year students walking through the central quad of Miami University  located in Oxford, Ohio, saw that the Tri Delta Sundial, a nearly 2 meter armillary dial, was missing.  The armillary was a gift to the university on its 50^th anniversary in 1962 by the Miami chapter of Tri Delta. [See the NASS Registry for details]

The dial was stolen in May, 2010 just before graduation.  In an article from the Miami Student News Cody Powell, assistant VP of operations for physical facilities said, “It is one of the coolest features on campus…. There were a lot of students hoping to have their pictures taken by the sundial, but it wasn’t available.”

Apparently the dial was removed by a Miami University student with help of several other people.  The dial was loosened and when they attempted to grab it, the dial toppled off the pedestal.  They then took the damaged dial and ran.

The accused have gone to court and the dial has been returned.  “Ultimately, the individual who did the damage did cover the cost of the majority of the repair,” said Powell.  The dial was restored to its place of distinction on top of its marble pedestal in the quad ... at a cost of $28,000.  The students have tweated in delight.

On September 22, 2011 Penn State University dedicated a massive granite sundial donated by trustee and alumnus Joel Myers.  Designed and sculptured by artist Mark Mennin, it is installed in the university's arboretum.

At the dedication Myers  said, "We wanted to create something unique...The sundial is to be a destination".  Though still lacking a few final touches, such as a bit of polishing, the dial is functional and tells time to the nearest minute.