Helen and Daryl Nielsen recently gave the city of Solvang a gift of carillon bells as a "payback for all the good years we've known here." A community leader for generations, Daryl Nielsen was recently presented with the Santa Ynez Valley Man of the Year award from the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation.

When the new carillon bells in Solvang ring out each hour &emdash;on the hour &emdash;for residents and shoppers, they are sounding an affectionate message of appreciation from Daryl and Helen Nielsen to their beloved community.

"We thought they could be a kind of payback for all the good years we've known here," Daryl explained. "Both of us were born here and we raised our family here. Now we're doing a lot of traveling, and we got the idea last year after hearing a set of them at a Mormon Church in Ogden, Utah."

Being a man of action, Daryl got right to his mission, contacting Berdin Bell Co., their manufacturers, in Cincinnati, Ohio. It wasn't long before four large speakers were broadcasting in each direction from the Antique Center on First Street, with the cooperation of owners, Ron and Julie Paladino. The Westminster chimes strike the hour from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and fill the air with an array of melodies.

"After all, I'm going to be turning 80 this spring, so I don't have any time to waste," Daryl emphasizes. "Besides, I knew the company was reliable because it has a history in this area. They've worked on the real bells at our Santa Ynez Mission and at La Purisima Mission."

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The Solvang carillon is a computerized system which provides a choice of 250 songs for every mood and season. It chimed patriotic songs when the Olympic torch came through town, carols at Christmas, and a joyous "Singin' in the Rain" on a day of showers.

Plans are also in place for the installation of a traditional clock and a set of bells in the tallest tower of the five-story building. However, in this technical age those bells will be strictly decorative.

The setting for the Nielsens' gift to Solvang seems particularly appropriate. "I remember when my daddy built that building back in 1940."

After his discharge from the Army Corps of Engineers, Daryl joined his father in the construction business and operated a lumber yard for twenty years. During the 50s and 60s, he served as president of the board of directors for the Solvang Municipal Improvement District, the precursor to Solvang's City Council.

Daryl took his first "retirement" at age 49, and he and Helen traveled the world. It wasn't long before his restless spirit had him back to work, teaming up with Johannes Jaeger in the construction business. Continuing his interest in community politics, he was called to serve on an assortment of committees for planning, zoning and roads.

Although he claims he is again retired, he continues as owner of the King Frederik Best Western Motel in Solvang and the Pea Soup Andersen's Best Western Motel in Buellton. "But not the restaurant part," he inserts.

Deep-rooted as they are, all three of the Nielsen children &emdash; Dan, Sharon and Linda &emdash;have established their homes in the Santa Ynez Valley. There is a fifth generation now, with the arrival of a great-grandchild, Chase.

Perhaps someday Chase will take his children to the heart of Solvang to hear the carillon bells their great-great grandparents brought into all our lives, and he will tell them: "It was their way of saying 'Thank You'."