Yes, I suppose the clock could have been saved if it could have been carefully removed and stored in a pre-determined place for safe-keeping, indefinitely, until such time as a museum is possibly established. All of this presupposes that the idea (and enough support for it) arose long before the building was under the wrecking ball. That didn't happen despite ample opportunity and warning. It should be noted that Lenny Nix actually filed a motion to stop the demolition from occurring at the 11th hour in Bergen County Superior Court based on historic grounds. He lost, but he tried based on his convictions. Good for him (even though he publically called for my firing).
The lesson here (for all of us, myself included) is: voice your concerns early and often in public, preferably at Planning Board, Zoning Board and Council Meetings. The more frequent and numerous the voices, the more likely you will effectuate your desired outcome, for better or worse.