GINNY BIXBY
The (Charlottesville) Daily Progress
Charlottesville city staff kept the timeline for removing the cityâs Confederate statues quiet due to concerns of potential violence and threats to public safety, according to documents obtained by The Daily Progress.
City Procurement Manager Vernice Grooms authorized the emergency procurement of services to remove the statues of Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas âStonewallâ Jackson, which were taken down on June 11, just a few days following the City Councilâs vote to remove them. Safety was at the top of city staffâs list, according to the documents.
âThe city is approaching the fourth anniversary of the deadly riots and mayhem that followed City Councilâs original announcement in 2017 of its intention to remove the statues,â the emergency procurement authorization says. âThere exists concern on the part of the City Manager/Director of Emergency Management that if
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Journey moves state park’s historic building out of harms way After months of planning, Orchard Beach State Park’s historic shelter building now sits a safe 230 feet back from the eroding Lake Michigan shoreline. The necessary, winding, 1,200-foot journey through this popular park in Manistee, Michigan, wasn’t swift; the entire move took 23 hours over three days, from Thursday, Dec. 10, to Saturday, Dec. 12.
For more than 70 years, the building sat perched high atop a bluff overlooking the Great Lake. However, high water and wave action have made the bluff unstable, requiring that the 850-ton building be relocated within the park to preserve its story, protect public safety and keep the building open for future recreation.