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Gary A. Hage

Goodreads Author

Born

in Fort Lauderdale, FL, The United States

Website

http://www.amazon.com/author/garyhage

Genre

Fiction, Nonfiction

Influences

My father, Walter E. Peele, renowned architect Francis L. Abreu, and t ...more

Member Since

March 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/garyahage

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I was born the son of Carroll G. Hage in Fort Lauderdale, Florida during 1956. It was a time when the city was still young and innocent in so many ways. Having first been inhabited by the Tequesta Indians for more than two thousand years, the city of Fort Lauderdale got its name from the first of three forts that where built there by the United States in 1838 during the Second Seminole War, and named after Major William Lauderdale who commanded the soldiers that built it. However, the city did not begin any organized development until fifty years after the forts were abandoned in 1842 once the war had ended. The city incorporated in 1911 and then with the 1920s Florida Land Boom arriving, the city fathers realized they needed to build a mod I was born the son of Carroll G. Hage in Fort Lauderdale, Florida during 1956. It was a time when the city was still young and innocent in so many ways. Having first been inhabited by the Tequesta Indians for more than two thousand years, the city of Fort Lauderdale got its name from the first of three forts that where built there by the United States in 1838 during the Second Seminole War, and named after Major William Lauderdale who commanded the soldiers that built it. However, the city did not begin any organized development until fifty years after the forts were abandoned in 1842 once the war had ended. The city incorporated in 1911 and then with the 1920s Florida Land Boom arriving, the city fathers realized they needed to build a modern infrastructure, including a drinking water filtration plant to draw land investors and new citizens into the area.

Thus came the conception and building of the city's original Water Filtration Plant in 1926, or Dixie Water Treatment Plant as I grew up knowing it by. After returning from WWII, my father was given a job at the plant in 1947 by Walter E. Peele (to whom the plant is currently named after). Dad started as a mechanics helper, working alongside of Mr. Peele, and then quickly worked his way up the ladder to the Plant Supervisor's position in charge of operations and maintenance of Dixie. So I got to spend a lot of time as a child at the plant with my father, both after school and on the weekends. As a result of this, I developed a strong connection to this historic registered National Water Works Landmark Building.

In all, Dad worked there for 22-years of his 31-year career working for the City of Fort Lauderdale's Utilities Department. After graduating from Fort Lauderdale High School in 1974, I too followed in my father's footsteps and went to work for the city, also in the Utilities Department. First as a janitor cleaning the Utilities administration building, before becoming a Utilities Engineering Draftsman. I spent many years working in the utilities industry, before becoming an over the road long distance truck driver, and eventually owning my own specialized trucking company for fifteen years with my wife. We have since retired from life on the road and sold the trucking company. Today we enjoy living fulltime in our luxury RV and managing a trailhead and campground for the State on the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenways located central Florida. Originally known as the right of way for the infamous Cross Florida Barge Canal Project.

Now its no wonder that my first attempt at writing a non-fiction book, was to write, A young boy's stories about Dixie, History of the Walter E. Peele Dixie Water Treatment Plant. It is my second book, the first being a fiction novella called, Fallen Angel of the Highway, which is the tragic story of a young man who's dream to become a truck driver comes to fruition. Unlike my first book, A young boy's stories about Dixie was inspired by my father's 1958 Harley Sportster motorcycle that I had grow up riding on the back of with my father, and then having had the privilege of buying back from his best friend in 2013. In addition to my desire to share the never before written history about the Dixie Water Treatment Plant, and my family's involvement in Fort Lauderdale's early growth. It was a way for me to honor not only my father, but also the others who once worked at the plant, and of course, Dixie herself.

In all, the project took me almost three years to complete. But before I could finish it, I almost died during a chemotherapy treatment to treat a very aggressive neck and throat cancer that I had developed in December of 2016 and ended up in the hospital for 17-days. In the beginning, the doctors were telling my wife to prepare herself, as they did not believe that I was going to live. Instead, I was able to fight hard and came back to life on the forth or fifth day. I had to finish what I had set out to do. ...more

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Gary A. Hage’s books

Average rating: 3.67 · 3 ratings · 3 reviews · 2 distinct works

	Fallen Angel of the Highway liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A young boy's stories about Dixie, History of the Walter E. Peele Dixie Water Treatment Plant it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Gary A. Hage's Blog

Inspirations

It is amazing to me some of the things that can inspire one (like myself) to sit down and begin writing a manuscript for a book and then publishing it.

My first project, Fallen Angel of the Highway was born out of a request for a copy of a photo to use as a stencil for my next tattoo. Not just any tattoo, but a very special one. A commemorative tat celebrating the tenth anniversary of my dad's pass Read more of this blog post »

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Published on October 08, 2014 15:06

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Gary’s Quotes

“The beauty of the trees, the softness of the air, the fragrance of the grass, speaks to me.

The summit of the mountain, the thunder of the sky, the rhythm of the sea, speaks to me.

The strength of the fire, the taste of salmon, the trail of the sun, and the life that never goes away, they speak to me.

And my heart soars.”
― Dan George

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