Welcome to another episode of About Mansfield, I’m Steve Cosio with Coleen Daniell, who is social distancing by broadcasting from home, and Robby Terry is in-studio. Thank you for being here. This is special coverage of COVID-19 and how the coronavirus is affecting the lives of those who live in Mansfield. Coming up on this episode, news and local weather for the upcoming week.
Let’s take a look at this week’s headlines:
• A new line of disposal face shields are developed in Mansfield
• The LOT Downtown clears their event calendar until the fall
• What are the recycling do’s and don’ts in Mansfield? We’ll give your a rundown
• Smart irrigation tips for a greener lawn that won’t break you bank
• Are you ready for cicadas? Millions of them?
• Speaking of insects, summer’s coming and we have tips on how to keep mosquitoes at bay
• Have you had your dream vacation dashed by the coronavirus? Today we present another segment of “Broken Vacations.”
Alexa has the weather and we have an in-studio interview with StarCenter Operations Manager Adam Larson. And, as always, we will conclude this episode with the trivia question of the week for a $25 gift card to El Primo’s Mexican Grill and Cantina. We are Mansfield’s only source for news, talk and information. This is About Mansfield.
Hi, this is John with Pool Aid, your local pool care specialist. With the exceptional amount of rain that we’ve experienced so far this year, spring is a vital time to clean pool filters, skim leaves and debris and keep skimmers clean to ensure proper circulation as well as keep your pool sweep in good working conditions. If you have any questions or concerns or need a certified professional to help keep your pool safe and clean. Visit us on the internet at PoolAid.net. That’s PoolAid.net. We’re here for you.
NEWS
Welcome back to About Mansfield.
In response to community need, paper products manufacturer Southern Champion Tray has developed a disposable face shield and is donating them to healthcare providers and first responders. A prototype was recently reviewed by leading physicians in Chattanooga, Tennessee and now a larger quantity of face shields is being produced to donate to medical providers and first responders for further testing. To keep pace with the urgent need for face shields, Southern Champion will continue to manufacture this design and is prepared to make suggested improvements from medical personnel for future production runs. Southern Champion will donate face shields to frontline workers in the Mansfield community from their manufacturing plant located in downtown Mansfield. Southern Champion is accepting requests from medical providers and first responders by email at faceshield@sctray.com.
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Since the opening in 2016, thousands of Mansfield and area residents have enjoyed The LOT Downtown as a destination place for the community to come together for events and activities such as the annual lineup of free concerts and movies. For the first time ever, and based on community input, the 2020 summer season of The LOT has been postponed until the fall. The LOT officials expressed their disappointment via social media but also included that the outdoor events facility is always available to host private celebrations and activities. For more information on how you can rent the facility, visit their website at TheLOTDowntown.com.
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Recycling your Memorial Day bottles and cans is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what you should toss into the big green bin each week. In addition to aluminum and steel cans, Republic Services also takes food and beverage cartons, glass bottles and jars, mixed paper, magazines, newspapers and flattened cardboard as well as kitchen, laundry and bath bottles and containers. There is a short list of items that you should NOT put in the recycling bin and they include: plastic bags or wrapping, food or liquids, clothing or linens, hoses, wires, chains, electronics or general trash. For further clarification, you can always contact Republic Services on their website, RepublicServices.com.
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About 25% of the state’s population lives in North Texas. That’s more than 6 million water users and a lot of thirsty lawns. About Mansfield’s Robby Terry has some money saving tips on keeping your lawn beautiful.
ROBBY: Everybody loves a green lawn but, not sure how much to water your grass? The Water Is Awesome organization offers up some tips and facts to consider when watering your lawn with an irrigation system such as:
• If you’re watering more than twice a week, you’re watering too much.
• Don’t water between 10 and 6. Up to 30 percent of the water we spray on lawns during the heat of the day is lost to evaporation.
• And, speaking of evaporation, give your sprinklers a rest on windy days.
Watering your lawn accounts for about half of all the water you use at home. Monitoring the amount you use to irrigate conserves water and can even save you money on your water bill. Fixing leaks or damaged sprinkler heads can also help on the pocketbook as well as decreasing the amount of storm drain runoff. For more information on watering tips for your lawn, visit WaterIsAwesome.com. Reporting for About Mansfield, I’m Robby Terry.
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[CICADA SFX] It’s an all-too-familiar sound in Texas every summer as the male cicada inundates our eardrums with that distinct — and occasionally annoying — chirping that they use to attract a mate. As summer nears, 2020 has another trick up its sleeve. This time, it’s lots of cicadas as a new brood of the insect will emerge for their once-in-17-year mating season. NPR reports that as many as 1.5 million cicadas could emerge per acre. And did we mention that the bugs are known for their distinct — and overwhelming — chirping? Communities with large numbers of cicadas emerging at once may have a substantial noise issue. Unlike annual cicadas, “periodical cicadas” emerge every 13 or 17 years, depending on the species. Brood Nine, as this grouping is called, last emerged in 2003. They’ll be back in force this summer for a mating melee but once they’ve done their deed, they’ll die within a few weeks. But not before we are serenaded with… [CICADA SFX]
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Backyard cookouts with the family are great, but mosquito bites can be potentially dangerous to your health. Fortunately, you don’t have to be restricted when you’re spending time outside if you take a few proactive steps. Mosquitoes love water, so the best way to beat them is to eliminate those breeding sites. Even the most unexpected places can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and the illnesses they can carry. The City of Mansfield recommends that you unclog rain gutters, drain flower pot dishes, turn over wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use as well as dump water from toys and containers in the yard and replace the water in bird baths and pet dishes daily on a daily basis. Mosquito dunks are available at local home stores and can be used to kill larvae in areas like french drains and rain barrels, where it is difficult to remove standing water. Most people believe summer is the start of mosquito season, but in reality, mosquito season begins when outdoor temperatures warm to 50°F or warmer. Instead of waiting until you hear their buzzing, or feel the bite and start itching, be proactive and start your outdoor mosquito control efforts now. For more information, the city website has contains Mansfield’s mosquito control policy, a list of frequently asked questions and Tarrant County Public Health prevention videos. We have a link on our website and click on the LINKS tab.
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The coronavirus has shattered many dream vacations for Mansfield residents, present company included. With that, we offer up another segment of Broken Vacations — stories of once-in-a-lifetime holidays that were dashed by COVID-19. Listener CONNIE, when were you planning on going to Scotland? [BROKEN VACATION]
If you had a dream vacation dashed by the virus, send us an email to news@aboutmansfield.com. We’ll get you on the telephone and talk about your story.
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WEATHER
This coming Saturday, May 30 is National Water a Flower Day. If you plan to do your watering outdoors, let’s find out if Mother Nature is going to cooperate. Alexa? [ALEXA]
And how’s the weather outlook for the upcoming week? [ALEXA]
That’s a look at news and weather. If you have a news tip that you would like us to follow up on, send us an email to news@aboutmansfield.com. Again, that’s news@aboutmansfield.com.
Just a reminder to follow this podcast so you will be automatically notified when a new episode is released. The easiest way is to log on to our website at About Mansfield dot com and enter your email address under the “Follow Podcast by Email” heading on the home page. About Mansfield can also be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, iHeart Podcasts and many more platforms.
Last week’s episode we aired our final local candidate interview. Due to the coronavirus, the council and school board elections have been postponed to November 3rd. All 15 local candidates will be invited to come to the studio for an interview in September.
In the meantime, coming up after the break, we have a fascinating in-studio interview with Mansfield StarCenter Operations Manager Adam Larson. It’s fun and informative so stay with us. And don’t forget, we have the Trivia Question of the Week a little bit later in the episode. Stay with us. I’m Steve Cosio with Coleen Daniell and Robby Terry and this is About Mansfield.
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INTERVIEW
[ADAM LARSON]
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We welcome all feedback about the program, whether it’s about a specific news story or feature that you heard. Feel free to chime-in by email at comments@aboutmansfield.com or by voicemail at 817-435-2938. That’s 817-435-2938. We’ll read or play back some of the comments in a future episode.
Congratulations to Miranda Gonzalez who was the first person to email the correct answer to last week’s trivia question — What year did the first post office open in Mansfield? The answer? 1860 – the same year that the Pony Express was created. Miranda has won a $25 gift card to El Primo’s Mexican Grill and Cantina.
After the break, this week’s trivia question of the week. I’m Coleen Daniell and this is About Mansfield.
Hi, this is John with Pool Aid, your local pool care specialist. The CDC has determined that pool maintenance services are an essential business due to the added threat of bacteria, algae, mold and funguses. That is a byproduct of the lack of cleaning in chemical imbalance. Allow us to be an essential part of your pool. If you have any questions or concerns or need a certified professional to help keep your pool safe and clean. Visit us on the internet at PoolAid.net. That’s PoolAid.net. We’re here for you.
TRIVIA QUESTION of the WEEK
It’s time for the highly-coveted, wildly popular Trivia Question of the Week! The first person to email the correct answer to trivia@aboutmansfield.com will receive a $25 gift card to El Primo’s Mexican and Grill and Cantina, located on the corner of Matlock and Country Club Drive. It’s where the locals go! You can find them on the Internet at ElPrimos.net. Let’s get to the question. Coleen?
[YOU MUST LISTEN TO THE SHOW FOR THE QUESTION!]
Good luck and thanks to Todd and Robert at El Primo’s for the gift card.
CLOSING
Coming up next week on About Mansfield: continuing coverage of the coronavirus and how it affects the lives of Mansfield residents and we will talk in-studio with off-the-beaten-path restauranteurs Jan and John Cox of Steven’s Garden and Grill. The show will be released on Wednesday June 3rd. Until then, don’t forget to follow to this podcast, if you haven’t already, so you never miss an episode. It’s free and easy. Just enter your email address on our website, About Mansfield dot com. We will never send you any spam, we promise. Thanks for listening. For Coleen Daniell and Robby Terry, I’m Steve Cosio and this… is About Mansfield.
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