Bricks and Bulldozers on 8th Street.

[stephendare]

Someone just ran across this old story and forwarded it.

Its such a funny typically Springfield kind of a thing that I thought I would repost it.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/9156167/detail.html

Owner's Protest Halts Demolition, Saves Historic Bricks

POSTED: Wednesday, May 3, 2006
UPDATED: 6:19 pm EDT May 3, 2006


A brick battle in Springfield led to a man standing on top of a construction backhoe Monday, stopping a demolition project in its tracks.

Steven Dare owned an old firehouse that was recently torn down in Springfield.

The bricks came tumbling down on Monday, after the foundation was clipped by construction crews working nearby, forcing the city to order an emergency demolition.

Dare said based on the building's condition, he certainly could understand why it was torn down. He even said the pile of timbers taken from roof should go.

Dare said the building was historic, and that the old bricks it was built with should be saved and reused. However, instead of holding on to the bricks, he said the construction crew was crushing them and throwing them in the trash, and that's when he decided to do something.

"This guy come up and just stand on my machine and said, 'Don't move. Don't nobody do nothing. This is my property,' He said he owned the property," said demolition worker Stephen Denard.

Dare said the bricks are more than 100 years old and should be used elsewhere in the neighborhood, and that was what prompted his spontaneous protest.

"I'm up on top of the bulldozer wheel. They were all screaming, and I was getting called names," Dare said.

With the backhoe halted, the workers argued with Dare for hours. Even neighbors got involved in the disagreement.

Eventually police had to be called to make sure things didn't get out of hand. City officials also showed up to the scene to mediate.

"He's worked a deal out with the contractor to conserve the bricks. There's no problem. Everything's good," said Derek Igou of COJ Property Safety Division.

The construction workers have laid the bricks aside from the other debris in the demolition area.

Dare said anyone wanting any of the brick can pick them up Wednesday evening from the construction area near the intersection of 8th and Hubbard streets.

[02roadking]

So, where are the bricks?

[shanshan1218]

That's beyond awesome that you did that!

[hooplady]

So, where are the bricks?

All over the 'hood.  I seem to recall that Stephen let anyone have them who was willing to keep them in the historic area, so people showed up with buckets and wheelbarrows and their bare hands.  Surprised that you didn't end up with a few, fellow preservationist scavenger! 

[civil42806]

So, where are the bricks?

All over the 'hood.  I seem to recall that Stephen let anyone have them who was willing to keep them in the historic area, so people showed up with buckets and wheelbarrows and their bare hands.  Surprised that you didn't end up with a few, fellow preservationist scavenger! 

how many windows got a brick through them!!!   Interesting question, so Stephen what did happen to all those bricks?

[Ocklawaha]

Yo Stephendare? Want to do it all over again? Check this out, you might recall me telling you a similar bulldozer stopping story.

Why fight for the Ocklawaha River? The first time I went up the Ocklawaha, I thought it was dreamlike. It was a canopy river. It was spring-fed and swift. I was concerned about the environment worldwide. What could I do about the African plains? What could I do about India? How could I affect things in Alaska or the Grand Canyon? But here, by God, was a piece of Florida. A lovely natural area, right in my backyard, that was being threatened for no good reason."
     ~Marjorie Harris Carr

Florida lawmakers are being asked to decide whether to retain Rodman Reservoir or to drain the reservoir and restore the free-flowing Ocklawaha River and its flood plain forest.

History:
The construction of the controversial Cross Florida Barge Canal Project --initiated in 1935 -- was not begun in earnest by the Army Corps of Engineers until 1964. The Corps needed a pool with sufficient water to float barges, so they built Rodman Dam (1968) across the Ocklawaha, eight miles from where the river joins the St. Johns. The waters of the Ocklawaha backed up and spread out over the flood plain to encompass 16 miles of the Ocklawaha River. Out of fear that cutting the canal across Marion County would puncture and contaminate the freshwater aquifer and freshwater supply, the Canal Project was officially deauthorized in 1991.

After jumping in front of some big yellow machines, it's now time to bring them back and undo the mess they have made of "MY FLORIDA". If anyone else is up to the challenge, here it is...
http://www.fladefenders.org/ocklawahariver.php

Stephen, your story was a great intro into getting folks to stand up and be counted. Now wonder where I got that funny nickname...

Humm?

OCKLAWAHA