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. Coming up on this episode, news and local weather for the upcoming week.
And, as always, we will conclude this episode with the trivia question of the week for a $25 gift card to Fish City Grill.
Let’s take a look at this week’s headlines:
• Local protest remains calm amid the chaos around the country
• Mansfield residents speak out on attending the protest in Dallas Friday night
• Did a meteor cause a major house fire in Mansfield? We have the answer
• Pickled Mansfield denied supplemental funds by council
• The City implements Phase Two of re-opening Mansfield
• It may look fake but don’t toss that debit card that you received by mail
• Man’s Best Field Dog Park is set to open
• Ben Barber students blast their work into space
• Are you out of work? The coronavirus has created a slew of job openings
Alexa is here with the weather and we have an in-studio interview with off-the-beaten-path restauranteurs Jan and John Cox of Steven’s Garden and Grill. 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. 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.
NEWS
Welcome back to About Mansfield.
Dozens of Mansfield residents showed up Sunday afternoon at the corner of Broad Street and Holland to protest the death George Floyd. Organizer Terrie Chantel said the event was very peaceful. [CHANTEL 1]
With major protests in Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton, About Mansfield asked Chantel why it was important to gather here in Mansfield. [CHANTEL 2]
The protest was peaceful enough to where little police presence was required. Chantel, who was onsite for several hours, describes her only interaction with “Mansfield’s Finest.” [CHANTEL 3]
Speaking from the protest, Mansfield resident Sofia explains why she was protesting. [SOFIA]
–0–
What started as a peaceful protest at the Dallas Police Department Friday night turned ugly after midnight. About Mansfield spoke with Sara, Karla and Candy, all Mansfield residents who attended to the protest. [SARA, KARLA AND CANDY INTERVIEWS]
–0–
A bright green fireball, possibly a meteor, fell from the sky Thursday night, which could be seen across much of North Texas from Burleson, throughout Mansfield and as far as Mesquite. Coincidentally, a major house fire on Matlock Road erupted around the same time and social media started putting two-and-two together, thinking the fire may have been caused by the falling metagalactic mass. Jeff Smith is the Public Information Officer for the Mansfield Fire Department and debunks the meteor theory. [SMITH]
There is no official word on what the green fireball was. According to NASA, meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and burn up. The fireballs or “shooting stars” are called meteors. When a meteoroid survives a trip through the atmosphere and hits the ground, it’s called a meteorite.
–0–
One local nonprofit was denied financial support by the city council at their most recent meeting. About Mansfield’s Robby Terry has the followup story.
TERRY: As we reported on an episode a couple of weeks ago, local nonprofit Pickled Mansfield Society approached city council asking for ninety thousand dollars of supplemental financial support by way of the Hotel Occupancy Tax coffers due to having to pay vendors or refund sponsors for their Pickle Parade and Palooza, which was canceled just a day before the event was to happen. Governor Greg Abbott shut down all social events statewide due to the coronavirus outbreak.
It took council less than two minutes to introduce the agenda item and ultimately, in a six-to-one vote, decline their request for funds. Councilperson Julie Short explains. [SHORT]
Councilman Mike Lehman was the lone vote in support of the supplemental funding request. Reporting for About Mansfield, I’m Robby Terry.
–0–
The City of Mansfield released Phase Two on Monday of “Welcome Back Mansfield” with the re-opening of several municipal facilities including: the Mansfield Public Safety and Municipal Court Building, Mansfield Animal Care and Control, the Chris W Burkett Service Center, the Mansfield Economic Development Corporation building and the Parks and Rec/CVB building. The City of Mansfield would like you to know that even though the Public Safety building is open, the Municipal Courts are still closed.
–0–
Some Americans may be unwittingly throwing their long-awaited stimulus payments into the trash. That’s because, starting last week, the Treasury Department and the IRS started sending out economic impact payments in regular white envelopes that could be confused for junk mail.
Mansfield resident Elon Werner almost threw his away. [WERNER]
There is a process to get a new one, in the event you tossed your stimulus card into the rubbish. Simply call E-I-P Card Customer Service at 1-800-240-8100 and select the “Lost/Stolen” option. Your card will be deactivated to prevent anyone from using it and a new replacement card will be ordered. For more information, you can log onto EIPCard.com.
–0–
The long-awaited dog park is about to open. Mansfield Parks and Rec has announced that June tenth will be the official opening of “Mans Best Field” located at West Broad and Sixth Street. The seven acre dog park will have four separate paddocks; two for small dogs and two for large dogs. The park will be open to residents and non-residents, but all dogs must be current on vaccinations and city registration. To see a complete list of the rules, log onto our website, AboutMansfield.com, and click on the LINKS tab.
–0–
When the SpaceX launched this past weekend it took more than some Mansfield students’ hopes and dreams, it also took some of their hard work. About Mansfield’s Stacie Main has the report.
–0–
The coronavirus has turned the economy upside with people on furlough or outright losing their job. Companies from industries spanning from technology to retail are hiring to meet increased demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic. According to an article published by LinkedIn, companies such as: The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, Kroger, Albertson’s, Allied Universal, CVS and many more are looking to hire between 20,000 and 50,000 new employees nationwide while Amazon and Instacart are looking to fill 175,000 to 300,000 new employment positions.
You can access the LinkedIn list via our website, AboutMansfield.com. Just click on the LINKS tab.
–0–
Saturday June 6 marks the 76th anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy, also known as D-Day, in an effort with allies to liberate western Europe from Nazi Germany. We’d like to take a moment to thank our World War II veterans for their service to our country and a brief moment of silence for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. [10 SECONDS OF SILENCE]
WEATHER
STEVE: Saturday is also National Gardening Exercise Day. Let’s find out if Mother Nature is going to cooperate. Alexa? [ALEXA 1]
And how’s the weather outlook for the upcoming week? [ALEXA 2]
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.
Coming up after the break, we’ll talk in-studio about Mansfield’s best kept secret with restauranteurs Jan and John Cox of Steven’s Garden and Grill. 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.
INTERVIEW
Jan & John Cox, Steven’s Garden & Grill
COMMENTARY
I sat at home Friday night, in front of the TV, and for two hours, watched the protest in Dallas unfold on the local news. I went to bed around midnight with the concern that a few rocks and bricks had been thrown at Dallas police officers. The next morning, I was horrified to find out what had transpired after midnight. The chaos, not only in Dallas but across the country, has gotten out of hand.
You’re on the Internet right now. I know you are because you’re listening to this podcast. You’re just a click away from social media. It’s time for you to use your voice, use your words to help stop the senseless rioting, looting, and burning.
The pandemonium is no longer a racial issue. And, it’s not a political issue. It’s a societal issue and involves every person within the sound of my voice and yours. Civil disobedience, or peaceful protesting, appears to be a thing of the past. It’s one thing to protest or rally and exercise your First Amendment right. As a member of the media, I am 100 percent in favor of that. But, when store windows are broken, shops are looted, owners are brutally beaten while trying to protect their livelihood, cars are overturned or set on fire, and cities are trashed, it’s a whole different ballgame. That’s not a protest. That’s all about you.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” It’s time to end the silence. Speak out, let your voice be heard that the rioting and chaos across the country is senseless and needs to stop.
That’s my opinion. What’s yours?
LISTENER COMMENTS
We welcome all feedback about the program. Feel free to chime-in by sending an email to 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.
TRIVIA WINNER
Congratulations to Mark Walker who was the first person to email the correct answer to last week’s trivia question — What was the Blessing Funeral Home two-story building originally used for in 1877? Dr. John Collier and his family occupied the lower floor while the upper floor housed the female educators and students of the Mansfield Male and Female College. Mark 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. 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.
TRIVIA
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 Fish City Grill, home of the world famous Oyster Nachos. You can find them at the corner of Debbie Lane and 157 or on the Internet at FishCityGrill.com.
Let’s get to this week’s question. Coleen?
The Mansfield Independent School District not only has a collection of elementary, intermediate, middle and high schools but also Pre-K, STEM, and Career & Technology academies as well as an Alternative Education Center and an Early College High School. This week’s trivia question is:
[YOU MUST LISTEN TO THE SHOW FOR THE QUESTION]
Good luck and thanks to Fish City Grill 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 a fascinating Mansfield resident and retired NASA engineer Dennis Webb. The show will be released on Wednesday June 10th. 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.