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The children's bell tower in Bodega Bay is a magical place. It stands on open
ground, a thick growth of cypress trees on one side and green hills on the
other. In the background are high dunes and a tantalizing glimpse of the ocean. The
tower is 18 feet high, three tubular steel pyramids from which hang 140
bells, almost all of them sent by Italians:
school bells, church bells, ships' bells, mining bells, cow bells. The
centerpiece is a majestic bell, thirty inches high, from the Marinelli foundry in
Italy, which has been making bells for the papacy for a thousand years. Nicholas' name and
the names of the seven recipients are on it, and Pope John Paul II went to the
foundry to bless it. Whenever the wind blows, as it often does on this exposed
coast, the bells chime, sometimes a few at a time, emphasizing the solitude
of the surroundings, sometimes an entire orchestra, sounding like happy children
at play. Then the sound fades away, and the children are gone.
 The Bell Memorial in Bodega Bay, California Although it was inspired by Nicholas' death, the tower was designed to be a memorial accessible to everyone a place where children would feel at ease. Its delicacy reflects both the preciousness and fragility of young life. Many families visit it to give thanks for their children, others find some solace for a loss. The bell tower was conceived and built by a San Francisco sculptor, Bruce Hasson. It is on the west side of Route 1, 1 1/2 miles north of Bodega Bay.
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