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Kate Smith Goes Into Storage As Spectrum Demolition Nears

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The iconic statues outside the Spectrum -- Kate Smith, Gary Dornhoefer, and Doctor "J" (Julius Erving) -- are being moved, to make way for the arena's demolition in the coming weeks.

With one last 'God Bless America,' away she goes
With one last 'God Bless America,' away she goes.
Gary Dornhoefer & Cesare Maniago statue outside the Spectrum
Statue of Gary Dornhoefer & Cesare Maniago outside the Spectrum.
Gary Dornhoefer outside the Spectrum on Thursday
(Photo by Mike DeNardo)
Gary Dornhoefer watches the statues outside the Spectrum go into storage
Gary Dornhoefer watches the statues outside the Spectrum go into storage.
Getting Kate Smith ready for the big lift
Getting Kate Smith ready for the big lift.
Kate Smith 001 gets ready to go
Kate Smith gets ready to go.
Kate Smith on flatbed truck, headed for temporary storage
Kate Smith on flatbed truck, headed for temporary storage.
Statue of Gary Dornhoefer and goalie Cesare Maniago outside the Spectrum
Statue of Gary Dornhoefer and goalie Cesare Maniago outside the Spectrum.
Statue of Kate Smith seems to sing 'God Bless America' as it is lifted away to storage
Statue of Kate Smith seems to sing 'God Bless America' as it is lifted away to storage.
dornhoefer_tight
Former Flyer Gary Dornhoefer, watching the action
dr j spectrum 035
Statue of "Dr. J" Julius Erving outside the Spectrum.

A crane lifted the Kate Smith statue onto a flatbed truck outside the Spectrum.  Former Flyer Gary Dornhoefer (right) watched, before his own statue was moved:

"The memories are there.  She was a good luck charm.  The people certainly responded.  And even today they continue to play 'God Bless America.' "

But now, that's in the Flyers' current home, the Wells Fargo Center.

Comcast-Spectacor spokesman Ike Richman says fences will go up around their former home in mid-November:

"They'll start demolishing it from the inside, and then late November, maybe early December, you'll start seeing claws come out and they'll start taking apart the Spectrum."

The statues are being put into storage, and Richman says it still hasn't been determined whether they will be displayed at the Wells Fargo Center or the "Philly Live" complex planned for the Spectrum site.

Reported by Mike DeNardo, KYW Newsradio.
Photos by Mike DeNardo

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