The lead engineer with the company that designed the pedestrian bridge that collapsed in Miami, killing and injuring several, had called the state two days earlier to report cracks in the concrete span, but he left a voicemail message that wasn’t heard until the day after the bridge fell. Not good. A witness to the loud boom that followed the collapse said, “it sounded like the world was ending.” The estimated weight of the bridge was 950-tons. Another witness said it sounded like a bomb.
The AstroDome, ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’, will be designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, the highest honor the state can bestow on a historic structure. The Dome opened on April 9, 1965 to a sold-out crowd of more than 47,000 for a baseball game between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees. The Dome will be 53 years old next month and the county spends about $170,000 each year to maintain the Dome but they will begin their $105-million renovation in October.
Toys R Us says it will slowly shut all 800 stores in the US. There are 18 stores in Houston area. They filed for bankruptcy six months ago and have struggled to pay down nearly $8-billion in debt. Charles Lazarus founded Children’s Bargain Town in 1948 in Washington, then opened the first Toys R Us in 1957 and in 1965 Geoffrey the giraffe became the company’s mascot.
Don’t forget to feed the birds. Our feathered friends are now migrating, and some will endure a 600-mile flight over the Gulf of Mexico to Texas. I went to Tractor Supply this morning to pick up bird seed, corn, mealworms and sunflower seeds so I can do my part for their trip. After standing in line twice, I decided that the nicest people shop at Tractor Supply on Sunday mornings. They have a great assortment of spring vegetable seeds and products. Everyone in the store was happy, kind, and not hurried. There was the “store” cat that welcomed us with her friendly purrs at the checkout counter AND the baby chicks AND baby ducks were making such precious spring sounds. It was a really, nice visit.
A group of prairie chickens are known as a “little house” or a “pack” of prairie chickens. Thanks to the GCBO newsletter for this little tidbit of info and some gorgeous bird pictures.
Speaking of chicken…Chick-Fil-A just released their newest menu item, a seasonal beverage/dessert called the Frosted Sunrise, a blend of their signature vanilla Icedream and Simply Orange Juice. I say, just bring back the raisin & carrot salad AND the chicken salad sandwich and I’ll be happy. Who ever heard of a “healthy” chicken restaurant without a chicken salad sandwich?!?
It’s the newest thing: If you google ‘pickle flavored foods’ you will find Pickle-Ice Freeze Pops, Pickle Candy Canes, Pickle Cashews, Pickle Peanuts, Pickle Mints, Pickle Candy, Intense Pickle Doritos, Pickle Popcorn, Pickle Gummies, and Pickle Salt Shakers. In June, Sonic will unveil their Pickle Juice Snow Cone Slush. Tasters say it’s surprisingly delicious. Very sweet and tangy. I know that when working the concession at games, I always had requests for pickle snow cones, so here’s your chance.
Did you know that The Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show animals must have their urine tested for drugs? They also pluck the animal’s hair for a DNA analysis. The pig that I read about took an hour to relieve himself, having walked around with a clear bag tied around his belly to catch the pee. I just never thought about this. City girl.
A 32-year-old man has been charged with online solicitation of a minor under 14, accused of sending sexually explicit messages to a 10-year-old Pearland girl. The girl’s parents showed the Pearland Police the messages but are still wondering how the man got the girl’s phone number. Parents…are you listening?
RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Actor Peter Fonda is 78. Actress Patricia Richardson is 67. Jill Taylor on Home Improvement. Actress Kristin Davis is 53. Charlotte York on Sex and the City. Actress Dakota Fanning is 24. Actor Patrick Duffy is 69. Actor Kurk Russell is 67. Actress Lesley-Anne Down is 64. Cinderella in 1965. Actor Rob Lowe is 54. Singer John Sebastian is 74. The Lovin’Spoonful, Welcome Back, Do You Believe in Magic, Summer in the City.
Country singer Charley Pride is 84. Singer-actress Vanessa Williams is 55. Rapper-actress-talk show host Queen Latifah is 48. Rock singer Adam Levine is 39. Maroon 5. Actress Lily Collins is 29. Game show host Chuck Woolery is 77. Singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker is 76. Actor Erik Estrada is 69. Rock singer musician Nancy Wilson is 64. Folk singer Patty Griffin is 54.
Rock musician Wolfgang Van Halen is 27. Author Philip Roth is 85. Portnoy’s Complaint. Actress Ursula Andress is 82. Bond girl Honey Ryder in Dr. No and Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale. Actress Glenn Close is 71. Actor Bruce Willis is 63. Rapper Bun B is 45. Blues singer-musician Marcia Ball is 69. Actor William Hurt is 68. The Big Chill. Movie Director Spike Lee is 61. Model Kathy Ireland is 55.
Actor Gary Sinise is 63. He took his Lieutenant Dan role in Forrest Gump, then formed The Gary Sinise Foundation, The Lt. Dan Band and has been helping our military heroes adjust to combat injuries, providing homes, boosting moral on military bases, educating the public and more, ever since.
Actress Emily Blunt is 35. She will play in Mary Poppins Returns where the stories will be taken from PL Travers additional seven books. Michael and Jane are all grown up with Michael living on Cherry Tree Lane with his three children. Lin-Manual Miranda (Hamilton) and Dick Van Dyke will also be in it, along with Meryl Streep. The original Mary Poppins was set in 1910. This sequel goes forward to 1935. They plan a 2018 Christmas Day release, so it will be a while, but I bet it’s practically perfect in every way. I’m going to drive you crazy talking about this one.
Texas should have an especially beautiful bluebonnet season. Great for roadside pictures of the kids but be careful of fire ants, rattlesnakes and other critters that can be hiding in the pretty. Be sure to treat the flowers with care because every time you sit on one, you likely kill it. Do not pick the flowers (the seeds need to fall off for next year’s flowers) or pull them up.
Fleur-de-lis, or “lily flower” in French, is a symbol whose petals represent faith, wisdom, and chivalry.
Roses are red, violets are blue, your daisies are droopy, oh, what can you do? Mix two tablespoons of white vinegar & two tablespoons of sugar together and add to your flower vase water. Replace both the water and the vinegar mixture daily. This will keep your spring flower bouquet looking pretty for longer. It is amazing how white and apple cider vinegar can be used for so many common household solutions.
Charles Manson died in a prison hospital while serving a life sentence for orchestrating the 1969 killings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and eight others. His body has been on ice since November 2017 while many came forward to claim his corpse. There were a bunch of wills filed and many claimed to be his heir. A grandson of the cult leader has now won the bizarre California court battle to claim his remains.
Cooking classes this week-end at HEB March 23, 6-8pm in Lake Jackson. Shrimp fried rice, chicken egg rolls and a homemade sauce. Stop by the Business Center and see if they have any openings. 21 and up only. $20 per person.
Walmart plans to expand grocery delivery to 100 cities. Order by 1pm – have it delivered in four hours.
Happy 75th Birthday Lake Jackson. This information was taken from the Lake Jackson Historical Association. In the early 1940’s The Dow Chemical Company, located in Midland, Michigan was looking for a site to build a chemical complex. Dow wanted to extract magnesium from seawater with technology based on its patents for extracting magnesium from the brines beneath the Midland area. Texas looked like a good choice. Dow narrowed the field of potential sites to Corpus Christi and Freeport. As the story goes, the Dow Board of Directors personally visited both locations. They arrived in Corpus Christi during the worst cold spell in decades. The hotels had inadequate heating and the automobiles had no heaters. However, when the Board of Directors arrived in Freeport, the cold front had passed, and the weather was sunny and warm. They then decided for the Freeport site on March 7, 1940. Even though the story is often repeated, in reality, the company had done extensive studies of both locations comparing land availability, access to raw materials, access to transportation and other factors before authorizing an $18-million plant. The first load of construction equipment arrived in Freeport by train on March 22, 1940. Workers soon began building in the area known today as Plant A.
WikiAnswers says that $1-million dollars in 1940 would be worth $22-million dollars in today’s money.
Coming Home, celebrating 75 years of Lake Jackson will be this Friday and Saturday evening at The Clarion. Wine, beer and great music from generations of musicians that are coming home to entertain us. Earlier in the day on Saturday, 9am – 2pm, is the Auto and Cycle Show family fun at the Civic Center. It’s not too late to show a car or be a vendor. There will be Pinewood Derby racing, door prizes and bounce house for the kids. Come help us celebrate.
Andrew Liveris is leaving DowDuPont after four decades and will be replaced by Jim Fitterling when Dow reclaims its name as an independent company next year. 56-year-old Fitterling is the first openly gay executive to be named CEO of a major chemical company and will continue as a vocal proponent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in corporate America.
What is Human Trafficking? A Nigerian woman on a cul-de-sac in Cinco Ranch was forced to work without pay as a nanny to five children – forced to sleep on the floor, bathe in cold water, eat leftovers, work 20-hour shifts seven days a week, she could not take breaks, sit down or watch TV, could not use the phone (sounds like the job of a mother except for the following), see a doctor for an injured arm attend church regularly or walk beyond the immediate neighborhood with the young children. The couple slapped her, called her ‘the idiot’, withheld her passport and threatened harm if she did not cook, clean and tend to the children. The couple had helped the woman travel to the US from their native Nigeria by creating false documents that enabled the forced labor. They have now been sentenced to seven months in federal prison and will owe the woman $121,000 in compensation. A concerned, observant neighbor brought this situation to the attention of a human trafficking task force.
JoyBell C.- “It’s not very easy to grow up into a woman. We are always taught, almost bombarded, with ideals of what we should be at every age in our lives: “This is what you should wear at age twenty”, “That is what you must act like at age twenty-five”, “This is what you should be doing when you are seventeen.” But amidst all the many voices that bark all these orders and set these ideals for girls today, there lacks the voice of assurance. There is no comfort and assurance. I want to be able to say, that there are four things admirable for a woman to be, at any age! Whether you are four or forty-four or nineteen! It’s always wonderful to be elegant, it’s always fashionable to have grace, it’s always glamorous to be brave, and it’s always important to own a delectable perfume! Yes, wearing a beautiful fragrance is in style at any age!”
Thank you for reading this,
– Lisa
