chuckography

"Leggo my logo."

Each year, on New Year's Eve, the newspaper I retired from has a "Drop In For Retirees."

Gives old timers a chance to see friends and take a walk through the building to see what's changed.

I like to do that each year between 1-3 pm because they set out a buffet so I get another "freebie" from the paper.

This year I was surprised to see a very large replica of our 8-lane Ravenel Bridge in the conference room.

Made entirely from Legos.

Even the cables.

And a variety of tiny Lego vehicles, including a yellow school bus, an 18-wheeler and small cars.

Columnist Brian Hicks quipped the only thing missing was a sideways SUV, swerved against a bridge railing, blocking traffic.

Of course, it would be difficult to read the three signs the distraught driver had painted on his vehicle, warning police to stay back.

Paul Sharry, the retiring head of the paper's corporate HR, was there with his wife on his last day of 39-years with the paper.

He said he was looking forward to NOT having to set the alarm clock.

An article on display stated that Paul had started out in 1976 in the Circulation department.

I reminded him that he should plan to come to the quarterly luncheons of our Retirees Group, called the 134 Gang*. He appreciated that it was meeting at a sensible 11:30.

Paul said "Sure, why not, I'll probably have nothing else to do that day." 

*(134 is the long-time address of the paper on Columbus Street and, earlier, also at its plant on Meeting Street).

I filled a plate, picked up a bottled water, and wandered over for closer looks at the Lego-built bridge.

It was pretty detailed, including the 8-lanes that replaced the former 2-lane and 3-lane bridges dating back to 1929 and 1966.

Growing up in Charleston, I drove many times back and forth to the Isle of Palms and Mt. Pleasant on the John P. Grace that opened in 1929.

This was with one lane going in each direction. Yikes.

The Grace was still being used when I came back to Charleston and did my first Bridge Run in 1994.

That turned out to be the last use of that bridge for the annual run and the next year, the event was moved over to the 3-lane Silas N. Pearman Bridge that had opened in 1966.

I walked the Run for the next 11 or 12 years and did my last one in 2005 over the new Ravenel.

I joked that I had done all three and didn't have to do another Run/Walk until a newer bridge was built.

No, I don't consider the Lego one a "new" bridge.

I did get a bonus years later when a friend asked me if I wanted a piece of the Grace Bridge. Duh, I said, yes I would like to have that.

 It became part of my 13 Bridge Run bib numbers display. Let me stress, I WALKED each of those years.

Earlier I have blogged about my grandmother who ran a boarding house downtown.

Several of her guests included workers on the bridge in 1928 and a Supervisor.

One chilly Sunday morning, the Supervisor took her out to the Charleston side of the bridge under construction.
Thankfully, they took the time to pose a few photos.


You rock, Granny!

(Click on the photos and links for more details).

Thanks for stopping by for a retiree's view of The Bridges of Charleston County.

Labels: Bridges of Charleston County, John P. Grace bridge, Leggo my Lego, Lego logo, Paul Sharry, Silas N. Pearman bridge

posted by chuckography @ 4:10 PM