93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
A man who’s been inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in Springfield will be recognized by Columbia mayor Barbara Buffaloe and the council Tuesday night for his 37 years of service to the city. Mike Griggs retired on Friday.
While Mr. Griggs served most recently as deputy city manager, he is best known for his work as Columbia’s parks and recreation director. Griggs joined 939 the Eagle’s Fred Parry in-studio for an hourlong interview in February. He describes his 2022 Missouri Sports Hall of Fame induction as a team accomplishment, saying the overall culture created by former and current Columbia city employees was instrumental to his success and allowed him to be honored with that recognition.
Griggs says the parks and recreation industry has become a powerful engine for economic activity. He describes the Gans Creek cross country course as a world-class facility. Griggs says Columbia’s Gans Creek cross country course and the Thomas Adkins baseball complex are great facilities and also generate a significant economic impact through sports tourism. During that February interview with Fred, Mr. Griggs says he’s had many great days in Columbia government, but he also talked openly about his worst day, which happened in 2011. That’s the day Columbia Parks and Recreation employee William Bell died in an accident while working on the MKT trail.
Tomorrow night’s council meeting begins at 7 at city hall.
