Following sale at public auction, long-vacant Cherry Street Manor comes down

West Paris native, historian and reporter Skipper Steely discovered this scene. He says: "What? 15-20 years of this problem, and today most of it is coming down at the old Cherry Street Manor -- water line and all. Time to take the mayor and city manager out to lunch. Thanks." After years of the property being vacant and sitting in decay, the property was bought by a private citizen a couple of months ago at an auction on the courthouse steps. (Photo submitted by Skipper Steely)

West Paris native, historian and reporter Skipper Steely discovered this scene. He says: “What? 15-20 years of this problem, and today most of it is coming down at the old Cherry Street Manor — water line and all. Time to take the mayor and city manager out to lunch. Thanks.” After years of the property being vacant and sitting in decay, the property was bought by a private citizen a couple of months ago at an auction on the courthouse steps. (Photo submitted by Skipper Steely)

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About the Author
Author

Charles Richards Charles Richards moved to Paris in 2004 after retiring from a 40-year career in journalism – the last 26 years as a news writer and sports writer with The Associated Press in Dallas and Washington, D.C. In mid-2004, The Paris News coaxed him out of retirement, and he began covering the police, court and regional beat for The Paris News. Then in early 2005, he was switched to coverage of a sharply divided Paris City Council. He was appointed by the City Council in 2006 to the 12-member City Charter Review Commission, which extensively rewrote the outmoded document. His writing awards include two first-place awards in statewide competition for feature writing. The most recent was his 2005 story on a Paris doctor’s startling use of leeches in a successful attempt to re-attach a man’s severed ear. Over his career, Richards’ interview subjects include Alabama Gov. George Wallace, President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush, David Koresh, Arnold Palmer, Muhammad Ali and numerous other political and sports figures. He is an alumnus of Texas Tech, where he was editor of the school newspaper. He lives in Paris with his wife, Barbara, who is retired after 30 years as a teacher and high school counselor.