The former mayor, who passed away last October, is remembered less for his moodiness than his progressive vision for the city during his nine years as the driver of the 'Bus. Two-thirds of the current skyline reportedly went up under his watch, including the Huntington Center, One Nationwide Plaza, and the AEP building. Moody also used his political savvy to set aside land for construction of Route 315 which, in an apparent tribute to Moody's legacy, is still under construction 34 years later.
Though history appears to have been kind to Moody's contributions as a mayor, he is remembered more, um, endearingly, for an incident that occurred during his final term in office. He was out for a late night drive, perhaps after having a few too many drinks, and was involved in a car accident that is less noteworthy than the explanation he provided when asked why he was driving around at that hour: "I was inspecting the city," he said at the time.
Given the opportunity to drive back in time with Mayor Moody, seat-belts fastened of course, what would Columbus have looked like?
City landmarks such as the Nationwide Plaza were under construction, and the Rhodes State Office Tower had been completed the year before, which at 692 feet surpassed the LeVeque tower as the tallest building in Columbus. The old Ohio Penetentiary, the source of childhood nightmares for any kid unlucky enough to get a glimpse of it through a car window, was still nine years from its ultimate demise. The ghost of Sam Sheppard, the Ohio doctor who allegedly murdered his wife and whose story was the basis for the movie The Fugitive, may have still been roaming the Pen as Mayor Moody drove by.
On that day in 1975, when Moody's mandate to inspect the city was renewed, the citizens of Columbus were dealing with some of the same problems and questions as today's residents. A sluggish economy led to a spirited national debate over the role of the government in getting things back on track. One column in the November 5th edition of The Dispatch supported a recent speech by William Simon, then the secretary of the treasury, debunking the idea that the government can "identify, solve and somehow pay for all of the problems of society . . . a path that will inevitably lead to socialism in the United States."
Over at the Horseshoe, Buckeye fans were seeking redemption in the 1975 season after losing the January 1st Rose Bowl to USC by a score of 18-17. Ohio State, with returning Heisman trophy winner Archie Griffin in the backfield, was ranked #1 in the nation at the time and with a scrappy Illinois team coming to town the following weekend, the pressure was on coach Woody Hayes to have the team playing up to preseason expectations. Sound familiar?
Non sports fans in Columbus had the option of heading over to the Southern Theatre to see Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby star in "Let's Do It Again" while those searching for a little more spice could have opted for the Busty Russell Amateur Night over at the New Garden Burlesque at 5th and High. The burlesque house opened daily at 10am, meaning there were probably at least a handful of patrons checking out Busty when I was born at 2pm that day. The Garden Theatre still stands today, though it appears to be searching for a new owner or a wrecking ball.
Learning about Mayor Moody - and the city he inspected - inspired me to go out and inspect the city for myself. My city-wide inspection began last night with a trip to the Newport Music Hall to see Mat Kearney, an up-and-coming singer and songwriter who wears a fedora. Between songs Kearney noted that the Newport is America's "Longest Continually Running Rock Club." Though I couldn't confirm this claim, I can say that the smell in the bathroom alone was all the evidence that I needed: the Newport has been around for a while, at least since Moody was reelected.
My friend Chris went along for the inspection. As we walked into the Newport we worried aloud whether we'd be the only relics from the 1970's attending this concert, and then we spent nearly the entire opening act looking at every single person in our field of view and categorizing each person as 'older than us' or 'younger than us.' It was satisfying to find an equal number of people in each category as this allowed us to feel neither young nor old, just somewhere in the very gray and confusing middle. We also wondered if other people might be playing the same game; was someone out there giving us the once over and adding us to their own statistical survey? Who else was here on a city inspection? We tucked in our bellies and maintained our cool.
Of course, a city inspection is not without its dangers. Sometimes when night falls and beer spills, the wild animals come out to hunt. (See: Cougars)
At one point, we had to avert our eyes when we noticed a pack of local Cougars belting out the lyrics of one of Kearney's songs. They were high-fiving each other, too. Somehow it made us feel less cool to be howling the same lyrics that Cougars might enjoy, and we started to worry that if we sang too loud the Cougars would hear the sounds of fresh meat and pounce on us from the shadows of a nearby pillar.
But tonight, there would be no attack, no car accident, no stirring on the streets of Columbus. We mouthed the words to Kearney's songs, keeping one eye on the stage and the other on a swivel. Moody would've been proud of the guy who was born on his re-election day; on this night, the city was at peace under my watch.
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