RED BRICKS FOREVER        KATCHMAN             4/26/12             RUNS:  3:00

IT’S BEEN 100 YEARS SINCE THE WATER MAIN HAS BEEN REDONE ON OXFORDS MOST POPULAR STREET.

NATURAL SOUND 

THE CONSTRUCTION OF UPTOWN’S HIGH STREET HAS STARTED AND WILL BE FINISHED LATE MAY OF 2012.

THE CITY OF OXFORD RECEIVED A GRANT TO REPLACE THE RED BRICKS THAT ARE 100 YEARS OLD FROM THE STATE OF OHIO.

OXFORD ALSO PAYS FOR THE WATER LINE CONSTRUCTION AND JUST THE MATERIALS ALONE WERE APPROXIMATELY 119 GRAND ACCORDING TO FLANIGAN. 

TEN INCHES OF CONCRETE WITH STEEL RODS WERE INITIALLY PUT UNDER THE RED BRICKS AND ARE NOW BEING UPGRADED FROM 10 TO 12 INCHES. 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, ALAN KYGER, DESCRIBES THE STRANGE MANOR OF THE PROCESS THIS YEAR: 

            Tape: Kyger…………………….runs: 12 secs
“They have never been completely taken up and redone that I know of in the history they have been patched here and patched there and things like that.”

OXFORD HAS CHOSEN TO DO ONE BLOCK EVERY OTHER YEAR TO SAVE MONEY AND IS CURRENTLY ON THE THIRD AND FINAL SECTION OF HIGH STREET.

THE WATER LINES BELOW ARE ALSO BEING UPDATED AND KYGER SAYS IT IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO GET UNDERNEATH THE BRICKS.

THE FIRST PART OF CONSTRUCTION STARTED MARCH FOURTH AND THE CONSTRUCTION ON THE ACTUAL STREET STARTS MAY SEVENTH.

OXFORD’S WATER DEPARTMENT SAYS IT WAS URGENT THAT THE WATER LINES BE DONE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE THE CONTRACTORS ARE COMING IN TO DO THE BRICK WORK AS SOON AS SCHOOLS OUT. 

WATER DISTRIBUTION MANAGER, SCOTT FLANIGAN, GIVES HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

            Tape: Flanigan………………..runs: 10 secs
“Main on High Street has been replaced and it actually has a stamp on it of 1890’s when it was manufactured so it’s over 100 years old.”

WHEN STUDENTS COME BACK THIS AUGUST FROM SUMMER BREAK THE ENTIRE CONSTRUCTION WILL BE COMPLETED.

OWNER OF THE APPLE TREE STORE, CHERI CORCORAN, SHARES HER OPINION OF HOW THE UPTOWN CONSTRUCTION EFFECTED HER CLOTHING AND ACCESSORY BUSINESS:

                       Tape: Corcoran…………………runs: 11 secs
“Actually went very smoothly except for the sidewalk construction and because of that we had to close down one day but it really was not that bad.”

THERE IS NEVER REALLY A GOOD TIME TO DISRUPT THE UPTOWN ACCORDING TO KYGER.

JUNIOR DANA HACKETT LIVES IN BELLA LOFTS APARTMENTS UPTWON EXPRESSES HER FRUSTRATION FOR THE UPTOWN CONSTRUCTION:

            Tape: Hackett……………………….runs: 8 secs
“I did notice the construction in the morning when I was trying to sleep and the parking uptown was really terrible.”

THE RED BRICK CONSTRUCTION WILL PICK UP WHERE IT LEFT OFF ON MAY SEVENTH, 2012, WITH THE HELP OF CONTRACTORS.