THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 25, 1994 TAG: 9412230224
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Close Up
SOURCE: Rebecca A. Myers
LENGTH: Long : 129 lines
When Santa Claus needs help, he turns to one of his elves.
When Floyd Twiford needs help, he turns to James Mintz.
``In all the years that I've known him, I don't think I've ever stumped him with any problem I've had,'' said Twiford, co-owner of Coleman Nursery.
So when Twiford came up with the idea to build a huge grandfather clock for a new Christmas Wonderland exhibit, he turned to his old friend James Mintz.
Twiford knew that Mintz, a collector of clocks, had built a clock or two, so he approached his friend with a little sketch of a big clock.
The first words out of Mintz's mouth were, ``It's pretty big, isn't it?''
Sheepishly, Twiford replied, ``Yes, it is.''
Without hesitating, Mintz agreed to the challenge. ``Sure, I think we can do that all right,'' he said.
``You're serious?'' Twiford queried, visibly relieved.
``Sure, I'm serious,'' Mintz replied.
Mintz would be perfect for the job, thought Twiford. He already was a daily visitor to the nursery, which was right across the street from his Sterling Point home, and the two had been friends for nearly 40 years.
So working together - 30 minutes here, an hour there - the pair took about a month to finish the 7-foot-tall, 30-inch-square grandfather clock, surrounded by openings for animated figures.
``I did the work, and he was my . . . let's say . . . assistant!'' Mintz said with a chuckle.
The clock was built in the corridor of the nursery's main building, right in front of the Coleman Room door.
``We started the clock in a little building that Floyd picked out, but it wasn't very long before we decided that that wasn't a smart thing to do because after we got it assembled, we wouldn't be able to get it out of there!'' said Mintz, laughing. ``So we decided right quick to move somewhere else.''
In the early stages, the duo's project looked more like a coffin than a grandfather clock, conceded Twiford, so Mintz suggested they add some ``fancy molding.'' Mintz found some leftover crown molding in the attic of his home, and Twiford remembered having some excess molding from another Christmas exhibit.
``I'm right proud of this one,'' said a beaming Twiford of the finished product.
The inside of the clock is divided into two sections - front and rear - separated by a partition. The front section contains the clock's mechanism, called the movement, while the rear and sides showcase Coleman's newest additions to Christmas Wonderland.
An assortment of elves occupy the four holes on the left and right sides of the clock, while Santa and an animated child make themselves at home on the back. Hanging from the chimes inside the clock are two little Christmas mice. Two more elves share space on top of the clock - one checking a list of Santa's toys, the other testing a new yo-yo.
Mintz, 81, a retired official of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, took up clock-making and collecting as a hobby about 21 years ago, but his desire dates further back than that.
``When I was working in the machine shop before the war, I had a friend who was always saying when he retired, he was going to build a clock. He intrigued me,'' said Mintz.
``I was a very young man then, and he intrigued me with his great desire. It stuck in my mind all through my tenure in the shipyard, and I kept thinking, `I'm going to build me a clock, too.' And so I did.''
Mintz's first clock, made of teak, was built in 1973. Mintz built it, he said, ``mainly to show people in the neighborhood what a clock was, how it functions.''
Thanks to Mintz, the 400,000 visitors to Coleman's Winter Wonderland will now have that same chance.
Name: James C. Mintz
Nickname: Jimmy
Neighborhood: Sterling Point
Number of years in Portsmouth: 75
Birthplace: Montgomery, Ala.
Birthdate: Feb. 28, 1913
Occupation: Civilian assistant to the production officer, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, retired in 1969 after 32 years of service
Marital status: Married for 56 years
Children/grandchildren: None
Fondest childhood memory: My first home run on our sandlot baseball field in North Carolina
First concert: A wonderful concert by Anna Kaskas, held in the old assembly hall in the Navy Yard about 1940
What song or book title best describes your life? ``The Power of Positive Thinking''
If you won the lottery, what's the very first thing you'd buy? A Mercedes convertible for my wife
If you could trade places for just one day with anyone in the world, who would it be and why? Prince Philip of England. I would like to have a chat with the Queen.
Biggest accomplishment: Building our home in Sterling Point in 1954
Most embarrassing moment: Showing up at the wrong dinner meeting in Washington during World War II
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? At 81 years, many things come to mind. I think, however, among them all, I would like to be more patient.
Perfect way to spend the day: After an early rising, to spend the morning puttering in our flower garden, taking an afternoon drive in the country, followed by dinner in a good restaurant.
I can't resist: At my age, I have to resist many things, and I do. Apple pie is my favorite.
Favorite Portsmouth restaurant: Amory's by choice. We patronize most of Portsmouth's fine restaurants.
Favorite Portsmouth hangout: I don't hang out. I do spend considerable time at Coleman's Nursery.
Biggest problem facing Portsmouth: Probably too many administrators. Also, lack of income-producing commercial activity
If you had three wishes for Portsmouth, what would they be?
Develop a quaint village of downtown shops.
Encourage all types of antique shops, etc.
Investigate this type of successful activity throughout the South, and leave heavy merchandising to the shopping centers.
Other than its small-town atmosphere, what do you like about living in Portsmouth? The friendliness of the people; the old-timers I have known so many years; the Navy Yard and most emphatically the Naval Shipyard Museum, which has contributed to Portsmouth for so many years; the waterfront activities and especially the ferries (the ferries are not as dramatic as the old-time ones; they are, however, serving a very good purpose); to be able to ride around the old streets enjoying them and the old houses, etc.; and lastly, the suburban areas are extremely good. Ellen and I are two of the early residents of Sterling Point, having built there in 1954. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MARK MITCHELL
by CNB