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www.mybaycity.com July 23, 2004
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It's The Eve of Destruction - The Jail & Fish's Are Wrecking Ball Targets

. . . over and over again my friend - Ah, You don't believe, . . .

July 23, 2004       Leave a Comment
By: O. J. Cunningham

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1965 - September 25th, the day that the single “Eve of Destruction” soared to #1 in both the Cash Box and Billboard charts.
 
Mike Gray
Library Board - Chairperson

The Eve of Destruction . . .

But you tell me
Over and over and over again,
my friend
Ah, you don't believe
We're on the eve
of destruction.


I watched the fences go up all day Thursday and Friday - encircling the city blocks that once hosted Fish's, Sneaky Pete's and the Old Jail.

City trucks buzzed in and out of the enclosed area . . . always careful to close the gates whenever they went in or out. There were way too many guys in hard hats. They were everywhere.

See Steve Kent's Article About Library Prep-Work inside this issue . . .

The new, bright orange signs closing off Jefferson between Sixth Street and Center have been in place for the better part of two weeks.

Port-a-potties sprouted here and there - announcing the start of of "something big?"


Nonetheless, it would be a hard sell to convince anyone around here that the actual construction of the Downtown Branch of the Bay County Public Library was going to begin on Monday, July 26th.It's been well over a year since the official ground-breaking. That event was followed by the frustrated digging to eliminate the contaminated (gasoline tanks) soil behind the old jail. Before that, quite a few years of real estate negotiations and other typical Bay City/Bay County political shenanigans seemed to make headlines every three or four months.

So, you're probably still wondering what do Bay County Library Board Chair-person, Mike Gray and 60's folk-rocker Barry McGuire have in common?

Michael K. Gray is the Administrative Services Director as well as the Executive Assistant to County Executive Thomas Hickner. Gray also serves as the ADA Coordinator for County government. His office is located with County Administration on the 4th floor of the County Building at 515 Center Avenue. Oh yes! He's also the chairperson for the Library Board of Directors.

Barry McGuire - He's the "one hit wonder" who rocketed to the top of the Billboard charts in 1965 with a bigger than life song lyric that most anyone over forty (40) will recognize . . .They both (McGuire and Gray) believe . . . It's the The Eve of Destruction . . .

On Friday, Mike Gray told me (with a twinkle in his voice), that the fences were up, and there are just a few pieces of paperwork to finish the transfer of the old county jail to the Library Board.

Gray went on to say there's a bit (maybe a bit more than a bit) of asbestos - See Dave Rogers' Article About Asbestos Removal in this issue . . .) to be removed from a the old jail.

With those details out of the way, the project will be handed off to Dore Demolition to level the existing buildings to make way for new library construction.

I, for one, am just as excited as Gray about the start of the project. You see, the corporate offices of O.J. Advertising, Inc. and MyBayCity.com are located right across the street (in Battery Park) from the future site of the new library. I moved the company here almost two years ago, anticipating the construction of a marvelous library facility.

Like everyone else, I have to admit, that I've become a bit impatient.

But, today's the day it all begins.

New Doubletree Hotel. New Condos on the river. And finally, the start of the new library.

Expected completion date: Early 2006. I love this town!!

In case you need a little help with the full version of Barry McGuire's song, here's the Full Lyrics To Eve of Destruction to jog your memory.



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O. J. Cunningham

O. J. Cunningham is the Publisher of MyBayCity.com. Cunningham previously published Sports Page & Bay City Enterprise. He is the President/CEO of OJ Advertising, Inc.

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