May 26 , 2009

MEMORIAL SERVICE

The Midland Police Department will host the annual Peace Officer’s Memorial Service in connection with National Law Enforcement Week, May 10-16, 2009.  The service is scheduled for Friday, May 15, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. in the atrium at Clay Desta Center, #6 Desta Drive. The public is encouraged to attend.

The service honors law enforcement officers who have lost their lives protecting their communities.  Fourteen Texas Peace Officers died in the line of duty from May 1, 2008, – April 30, 2009.

They are:  Officer Everett Dennis/Carthage Police Dept., Sergeant Barbara Shumate/Texas Department of Corrections, Officer Gary Gryder/Houston Police Dept., Detective Tommy Keen/Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Game Warden George Whatley Jr./Texas Parks and Wildlife, Sheriff Brent Lee/Trinity County Sheriff’s Office, Officer Robert Davis/San Antonio Police Dept., Officer Timothy Abernathy/Houston Police Dept., Officer Mark Simmons/Amarillo Police Dept., Senior Corporal Norman Smith/Dallas Police Dept., Detention Officer Cesar Arreola/El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Lieutenant Stuart Alexander/Corpus Christi Police Dept., Sergeant Randy White/Bridgeport Police Dept., and Deputy D. Robert Harvey/Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office.

Also being remembered are three Midland Police Department Officers who died in the line of duty.  Officer John Wyrick, November 10, 1935.  Officer Bryan Scoggins, April 14, 1961.  Lieutenant Gordon Smith Jr., November 28, 1961.

Representatives from several area law enforcement agencies will participate in the service.  The public is invited to attend. 

CITY POOLS READY TO OPEN

It will be a fun filled summer at the City of Midland Pools!  The summer season begins on Saturday, May 23, from 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., at the Washington Aquatic Facility, 1803 E. Indiana.  Everyone is invited to the first day festivities and entrance to the Washington Aquatic Facility will only be 50-cents per person (children under two are free)on May 24th.   All proceeds will be presented to the High Sky Children’s Ranch.  There will be fun activities for all ages including a number of drawings for various prizes, gift certificates, and season passes.  Everyone is encouraged to attend.

On Sunday May 24, from 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., the Doug Russell Pool, 900 N. Midland Drive, will have its customer celebration day.  Admission is FREE on this day.

On Saturday, May 30th, both pools will open, the Washington Aquatic Facility and Doug Russell Pool, for the summer season.  The fee is $1.00 per person. 

For more information, visit the City of Midland’s website at www.midlandtexas.gov.  You can contact the City of Midland at 685.7381 or by email at jwoodson@midlandtexas.gov. 

IMPROVED WATER PRESSURE IN WEST MIDLAND

The City of Midland is excited to announce the New Edgewood Booster Station is now operational.  The new station is located in the alley east of Edgewood Drive, just north of Storey Drive.  The media is invited for a tour on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

The station will replace the existing station that was over 50 years old which was located under the elevated tower at Edgewood Drive and Storey Drive.  Growth of the City had rendered the existing station obsolete.  The 50 year-old electrical gear was failing and its three pumps, one 200 hp, one 150 hp, and one 100 hp, could not keep up with demands.  The western parts of the City suffered the most due to this.  The new station has increased water pressure to west Midland.

The first step in the project was to convert a 30" line which feed the City from the McMillen Well Field into a distribution line.  The McMillen Well Field is exhausted and hasn't been used for 8 years.  Connections were made from the well field line to the system and new pump station. 

The new station has four 200 hp pumps as well as modern electrical and control circuits.  The station was designed to operate on three pumps with the fourth as a standby.  With three pumps running, the station moves over 21 mgd or 15,000 gpm.  This water not only provides pressure to the area currently served, the southwest portion of the City, but also moves water to the west side of town all the way north to County Road 60.  This has already proven to maintain pressures higher than these areas have ever experienced.

Construction cost of the station was $4.125 million and conversion of the McMillen line was $1.04 million.  The life expectancy of this station is over 50 years.

hp - horsepower
mgd - million gallons per day
gpm - gallons per minute

Media Contact: Stuart Purvis/Director of Utilities at 685.7261

STREET CLOSURE

On Tuesday, May 26, 2009, the City of Midland Transportation Division will be working on an area of Wood Drive.

Wood Drive between Midland Drive and Oriole Drive will be closed for eight hours to allow workers to level up the roadway.  Motorists who normally use Wood Drive should use the alley on Fir to get to Midland Drive and the alley on Meadowview and Green Hill to get to Oriole for access to their homes.

The project is expected to be completed in one day.

Media Contact: Eric Johnson/Assistant Transportation Manager at 685.7983

FOOD SAFETY TIPS FOR SUMMER GRILLING

The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer, and Memorial Day is fast approaching.  Midland Health & Senior Services offers some tips for enjoying a cookout with friends and family.

Clean: First things first- make sure you start with clean surfaces and clean hands.

Separate: Raw meats and poultry should be prepared separately from veggies and cooked foods. When you chop meats and veggies, be sure to use separate cutting boards.

Cook: Masters of the grill are no match for food borne illness, so it’s important to have all the right tools. Your food thermometer is the most important tool telling you if your food is thoroughly cooked, as color is not a reliable indicator of doneness.

Steaks and Chops 145 °F        
Hamburgers            160 °F
Poultry & Hot Dogs 165 °F         
Fish                           145 °F

If you prefer to prepare meats using a smoker, the temperature in the smoker should be maintained between 225 °F – 300°F.

Chill: It’s important to keep hot food hot and cold food cold and cold food can be kept chilled at 40°F or below with ice packs or ice sources underneath.

Enjoy a tasty and safe meal!

Media Contact: Celestino Garcia/Health & Senior Services Administrator at 681.7613

The City of Midland will observe Memorial Day on Monday, May 25, 2009.

In observance of this holiday, City of Midland offices will be closed.

All Monday trash pickups will move to Tuesday and all Tuesday pickups will move to Wednesday.  Normal service will resume on Thursday and Friday.  Visit www.midlandtexas.gov for a complete trash pickup schedule. 

Emergency personnel will work normal shifts to provide services to the community.

Emergency personnel will work normal shifts to provide services to the community. 

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