An era ending: Auditorium coming down quickly

If you’re looking for typical “Out There” fodder this afternoon, I’m sorry to disappoint you.

A few of the “nosebleed” seats remain on one side of the hall.

Today’s blog post isn’t about the woods and waters. It’s not about fish and fowl. It’s not about moose or deer or other critters.

As you’ve likely guessed, today’s blog covers the “passing” of one of the city’s great landmarks: Bangor Auditorium.

“So,” you ask yourself. “Why is the

Not much left on the civic center side.

BDN’s outdoor editor writing about a demolition project?”

Well, here’s my answer: I’m like a lot of you. I’ve spent hundreds of hours in the old barn on Buck Street, and while I’m eager to explore the new Cross Insurance Center, it’s hard to watch a place that holds so many good memories come crumbling down.

Concrete dust flying.

I saw the Shrine Circus at the old Auditorium. Saw my first elephant there, I’m quite sure. I watched

Ted Williams cast flies from a platform onto a stage during the Eastern Maine Sportsman’s Show (so I guess there is an “outdoors” link to this blog after all). Saw Matt Rossignol score 51 there. And Cindy Blodgett? Saw her score hundreds more. I watched the Maine men’s basketball team battle a Mark Aguirre-led DePaul squad. I saw the Flying Wallendas on the high wire. Heck, my high school senior prom was even staged in the adjacent civic center.

Another reason I’m posting some

Just a hollow shell of its former self.

photos today: Many of you asked me to.

Last week I posted a single photo on Facebook and heard from many Mainers-in-exile who wanted more pictures that documented the end of an era.

And each day when I arrive for work, I’ve noticed that we’ve had a few more visitors on the BDN lot.

Popular spot to watch? Judging from the Moxie can and lawn chair (and the onlooker in the car), I’d say so.

Most have their cameras. And they’re not taking photos of reporters and editors arriving for work — they’re interested in the demolition project just a few yards away.

Although I’m not a photographer by trade, I did my best here. As

you can see, the crews are making pretty quick progress. Before long, all we’ll have is our memories.

Oh … wait. We’ll also have the brand new Cross Insurance Center.

And that seems like a pretty cool place to make some new memories.

 

John Holyoke

About John Holyoke

John Holyoke has been enjoying himself in Maine's great outdoors since he was a kid. Today, he's the Outdoors editor for the BDN, a job that allows him to meet up with Maine outdoors enthusiasts in their natural habitat. The stories he gathers provide fodder for his columns, and this blog.