September News Releases
September 30, 2010
Lion cubs go on exhibit at the Abilene Zoo this Saturday! ABILENE, Texas – The five African lion cubs born on May 29, 2010 will go on exhibit this Saturday, Oct. 2, when the Abilene Zoo opens at 9:00 a.m.
“We’re thrilled to be able to introduce these little ones to our guests,” said Abilene Zoo Director Bill Gersonde. “It’s rather unusual for a first time mom to successfully raise this many cubs so we’re very proud of her and our staff who worked so hard caring for this very large litter.”
The Abilene Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for African lions. This conservation program, overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), coordinates the breeding of lions assuring genetic diversity of the species. Last year the zoo was given permission to breed its pair of lions by the SSP resulting in this year’s birth of the three males and two female cubs.
Thanks to the support of the Abilene Reporter News, a lion cubs naming contest was held. The winning names, for the males, are Gideon, Kovu, Zafar and, for the females, Kamari and Kinsey.
The lion cubs will be on display with their mother daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the lion exhibit.
The Abilene Zoo is located in Nelson Park, off Highway 36, at 2070 Zoo Lane. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays through the months of June, July, and August. The zoo is closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. For more information, visit the zoo’s website at www.abilenezoo.org. September 29, 2010Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District to provide additional Seasonal Influenza vaccination clinic ABILENE, Texas – Next month, the Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District will provide SEASONAL Influenza vaccinations at clinics to be held at the Main Health Facility, 850 North 6th Street, in Abilene. The clinics will be held on the following dates and times:
Clinics were held in September, and additional clinic days may be scheduled. The vaccinations are available to everyone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that everyone over the age of 6 months receive a flu vaccination. The charge for the Seasonal Influenza vaccination will be $15, and Medicare will be accepted from covered individuals. Pneumonia vaccine will also be available for $45. Individuals receiving both the SEASONAL Influenza and Pneumonia vaccinations at the same time will pay $55 for the two shots. Medicare will also be accepted for Pneumonia vaccinations.
The SEASONAL Influenza vaccine available at these clinics is effective for the three SEASONAL Influenza strains most likely to be circulating this flu season including the Novel 2009 H1N1 or Swine flu virus which circulated in 2009. A separate vaccine for the H1N1 flu virus will not be available this year. Everyone is encouraged to have a SEASONAL flu vaccination as soon as it is available.
Access the City of Abilene website, www.abilenetx.com, under City Spotlight/Hot Items for additional information and links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). September 28, 2010Summary of Downtown Cleanup efforts ABILENE, Texas – Approximately 60 people including City Council members, City of Abilene employees including Parks, Solid Waste Services and Stormwater Utility Services crews, Keep Abilene Beautiful (KAB) volunteers and Abilene Downtown Association members took part in the first-ever Downtown Cleanup on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010. Code officers also canvassed the surrounding area for any code violations and will follow up with the appropriate property owners if needed.
Here are the results of the two-hour long cleanup effort:
Councilman Robert O. Briley, Place 4, initiated the cleanup event in the hopes of inspiring others to get involved in beautification efforts. September 26, 2010Abilene Police Department: 1st Taser Discharge Location - 13-hundred block of S. Bowie Date/Time of Incident – 09/26/10 00:54 Investigation Status – Arrested
Officers were dispatched to a south side residence after receiving a call from a citizen reporting a male had intentionally rammed another vehicle. The male then stopped at a residence and was reportedly going to get a shotgun. A sergeant was first on scene, and upon trying to arrest the male, he was struck with an elbow in his mouth. The sergeant was injured during the fight but did not require medical treatment. After another officer arrived on scene, a Taser was discharged once and the suspect was taken into custody. The suspect did not require medical treatment at the scene. The suspect was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault, Assault on a Public Servant, Class A Assault Family Violence, and State Jail Felony Criminal Mischief. As of this release, the suspect is still in the Taylor County Jail on an $88,500 bond. September 24, 2010City University celebrates 6 years of successABILENE, Texas – City University celebrates its 6th year with the largest class enrollment to date. In the past five years, the class has graduated over 150 citizens. This year’s class is comprised of a diverse group of citizens, with 47 participants.
City University is a community leadership and involvement program that offers a way for participants to become better informed about City programs and services, learn how to access government and elected officials, and explore the value of serving on City boards and commissions. Participants go behind the scenes of City of Abilene facilities, find out how various divisions operate and meet City employees who deliver the services they count on throughout the year.
At Thursday’s opening session, City Manager Larry Gilley spoke to participants about the structure and operations of their local government. Participants also learned about the City of Abilene’s departmental organization for delivering programs and services from Managing Director for Administration Ronnie Kidd as well as the City’s budget and financial processes from Finance Director Mindy Patterson. A panel discussion completed the day’s session with State Representative Susan King, Dee Moore, Veronica Diaz, Billy Enriquez and Dr. Kelvin Kelley offering their perspectives on leadership and community service.
The City University class meets the third Thursday of each month, September through May.
September 23, 2010
"North Boat Ramp" at Lake Fort Phantom Hill to close temporarily due to parks improvement-related construction ABILENE, Texas – Beginning Monday, Oct. 4, 2010, the City of Abilene will restrict public access to the public boat ramp known as the "North Boat Ramp" at Lake Fort Phantom Hill while construction is underway. This part of the Lake Fort Phantom Hill Parks Improvements Project will involve construction of a new parking lot and associated improvements. Weather permitting, the "North Boat Ramp" will reopen Friday, Nov. 12 if not sooner. The public will still have access to the boat ramp on the east side of the dam, the boat ramp on the southeast end of the lake and the ramp in SeaBee Park. "In order to protect the safety of the public and allow the contractor unimpeded access for construction of the new lot, the North Boat Ramp will be closed temporarily," explained Tony Neitzler, Assistant Director of Community Services. "I appreciate the public's patience during the construction phase at Lake Fort Phantom Hill parks. The results will be well worth the temporary inconvenience." This latest construction WON'T include the boat ramp extension or the wave attenuation device installation. Those two parts of the parks improvements project will take place at a later date. The City, with assistance from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, began major improvements at Lake Fort Phantom Hill parks on July 20, 2010. Since then, Johnson Park has been closed to the public in order for construction to proceed safely and efficiently. Improvements will include the following at Johnson Park: pavilions, picnic facilities, restrooms, a playground, paving, parking and other recreational amenities; SeaBee Park: restrooms, a pavilion, nature observation facilities, paving and parking; and North Boat Ramp: parking, paving, ramp extension and a wave attenuation device intended to reduce wind and wave action on the boat unloading area.
The Lake Fort Phantom Hill Parks Improvements Project is expected to be completed by early July 2011. The total project cost is approximately $2.37 million. The City was able to leverage $1.5 million from the May 2006 Bond Election and City-issued Certificates of Obligation along with in-kind services to secure almost $900,000 in State and Federal funds for the parks improvements.
City Council extends lease agreement with private operator of Maxwell Golf Course ABILENE, Texas – During this morning’s meeting, the City Council approved the extension of the sixth addendum to the Maxwell Golf Course lease agreement with West Texas Golf Systems (WTGS). WTGS operates the municipal golf course for the City of Abilene. The addendum provides payment of $6,000 per month to WTGS and waives the gross rents to be paid. The lease agreement runs for a one year period beginning Oct. 1, 2010 through Sept. 30, 2011.
The Municipal Golf Course Advisory Board reviewed the request from the private operator and recommended its approval for an additional year. The City reserves the right to terminate either the addendum or the lease without penalty in the event it is determined that the lease is no longer in the best interest of the City of Abilene. The City would have to give WTGS 30 days written notice of such termination.
The City of Abilene has been providing $6,000 a month to WTGS since Oct. 1, 2008. In addition, the City has also waived 2 percent of gross receipts it would typically charge the company to rent the course. The operator attributes the shortfall to fewer rounds being played at the course.
Maxwell Golf Course, designed with the average golfer in mind, is located at 1002 S. 32nd Street. For more details about the course, go to www.golfmaxwell.com or call 325-692-2737. September 21, 2010Fall Clean and Tire Amnesty Days coming Oct. 7 - 9 ABILENE, Texas – Clear out unwanted items from your property and recycle them during the upcoming Fall Clean and Tire Amnesty Days. During this annual event, citizens have a chance to spruce up their homes and properties while conveniently dropping off their cast-off items at the City of Abilene’s Environmental Recycling Center (ERC), 2209 Oak St. The event will take place Thursday, Oct. 7 through Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010. Hours of operation are from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Due to safety concerns, Oak Street will turn into a one way street with vehicles entering from South 25th Street, on Saturday, Oct. 9.
Typically, the ERC is a drop-off point for citizens to bring almost any type of recyclable materials including plastics, glass and cardboard to bulkier items such as outdated electronics, furniture and old appliances. However, certain items such as large-scale remodeling project materials will not be accepted. While most items may be dropped off free of charge, citizens will be asked to off-load their own items.
At this year’s Fall Clean, citizens may bring up to eight (8) passenger tires without rims, free of charge with proof of residency (current water bill). However, truck tires without rims are $6.00 and with rims $8.00. Ag tires will be accepted without rims only for a $35.00 per tire service fee. No commercial or business tires will be accepted.
For more information on recycling or the Fall Clean event, call (325) 672-2209. September 20, 2010
City Council, City of Abilene employees, Keep Abilene Beautiful and Abilene Downtown Association partner for Downtown Cleanup ABILENE, Texas – City Council members, dozens of City of Abilene employees including Parks and Stormwater Utility Services crews, Keep Abilene Beautiful (KAB) volunteers and the Abilene Downtown Association will participate in the first-ever Downtown Cleanup scheduled for 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010. Cleanup participants will gather on the front lawn of Abilene City Hall, 555 Walnut Street, starting at 12:45 p.m.
“We all play a role in keeping Abilene beautiful,” explained Councilman Robert O. Briley who initiated the cleanup event. “By organizing this Downtown Cleanup event, we as the City Council are willing to get our hands dirty to demonstrate that it only takes a little bit of one’s time and effort to make a measureable difference in our community’s appearance. I commend Keep Abilene Beautiful and the Abilene Downtown Association for supporting this beautification effort.”
The City Council, City crews and KAB volunteers will concentrate on the downtown Abilene area bounded by N. 8th Street to the north, N. 6th Street to the south, Cedar Street to the west and Walnut Street to the east. The Abilene Downtown Association will cleanup the downtown area bounded by N. 6th Street to the north, N. 1st Street to the south, Cedar Street to the west and Pine Street to the east. In addition, code officers will canvas the surrounding area for any code violations and will follow up with the appropriate property owners if needed.
Councilman Briley said he hopes the event will inspire others to get involved. There are easy ways for citizens, businesses and organizations to participate in Abilene’s beautification efforts year-round. KAB offers the Adopt-A-Spot program in which participants pledge to keep a designated area clean. Such areas can include a street, creek, neighborhood and park. For more information, contact KAB at (325) 734 - 3301 or go online to www.keepabilenebeautiful.org.
City crews are continually working to maintain Abilene’s public areas. In addition to overseeing a well-developed parks system of approximately 30 parks totaling just over 1,000 acres, the Parks Division also provides the landscape management services to many other City properties totaling 257 acres. During the 2009 calendar year, the Stormwater Utility Services Division mowed 7,544 acres of improved creek channels, drainage easements, barrow ditches and detention ponds. This division also removed 10,224 cubic yards of silt, 1,917 cubic yards of vegetation and debris, and removed 6,696 cubic feet of trash from local creeks and drainage ways. Stormwater Utility maintenance crews also conducted 20.9 miles of unimproved creek channel maintenance during this time period. September 17, 2010New medical director selected for Abilene Fire Department ABILENE, Texas – Abilene Fire Chief Ken Dozier announced today that Robert Lawson, M.D. will serve as the medical director for the Abilene Fire Department (AFD) as it transitions to a more advanced level of emergency medical care. Current AFD Medical Director Zane Travis, M.D. has provided the medical direction and leadership to the fire department over the last eight years. Dr. Lawson is expected to assume his new duties on Oct. 1, 2010.
“The Abilene Fire Department has had the privilege to work under the leadership and direction of Dr. Zane Travis for over eight years,” said Abilene Fire Chief Ken Dozier. “Dr. Travis has been instrumental in helping us advance in our level of EMS service to the citizens of Abilene. We now look forward to working with Dr. Lawson as we continue to focus on the pre-hospital care of our citizens.”
Dr. Lawson is the medical director for the Trauma Center at Hendrick Medical Center. He also serves as the medical director for MetroCare Services which is the current ambulance provider for the City of Abilene.
The $25,000 in funding for the AFD’s paramedic service program medical direction was approved by the City Council during the Fiscal Year 2011 budget process.
Recently, an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Citizens Advisory Committee was formed to assist Chief Dozier and City staff in determining the feasibility and timetable for the fire department to become a Level 5 and/or Level 6 Emergency Medical Service provider. No date has been scheduled yet for the first meeting of the EMS Citizens Advisory Committee.
The Melvin Martin Center for Children’s Safety to host groundbreaking ceremony for police station Thursday, Sept. 23 ABILENE, Texas – The Melvin Martin Center for Children’s Safety, also known as Safety City, will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at its South 7th Street campus on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. Mayor Norm Archibald, City Council members, Abilene Police Chief Stan Standridge, and Friends of Safety City board members will break ground for the new Police Station. The groundbreaking marks the latest step in Safety City’s expansion efforts.
“The support from the community has been tremendous,” Police Chief Stan Standridge said. “We are now at the point to break ground for the new Police Station thanks to the giving spirit of citizens, local businesses and organizations. The new police education building will enhance the learning experience of thousands of kids who attend Safety City year after year.”
The 2,700-square-foot Police Station will house an amphitheater-type classroom that can accommodate up to 100 students with their parents. The circular layout will enable all students to view and hear the instructor and training videos. On display within the new facility will be a fully restored 1953 Dodge police car which police consider the building’s centerpiece. Car 187 was donated to the Abilene Police Department from the family of Officer Rodney Holder who died while on duty earlier this year. The building will also contain three offices for staff plus a kitchenette area where snacks are stored and served and a meeting/training room. The Police Station will serve as a place where students can eat lunch during inclement weather. It will also contain handicapped accessible restrooms. The current traffic safety classroom is located in three portable buildings. The building’s construction is scheduled for completion in spring 2011.
The Friends of Safety City board continues to raise funds for construction of the $237,000 facility. The board said they are close to reaching their fundraising goal with less than $15,000 to go. The Friends of Safety City will donate the building to the City of Abilene once it’s complete. In December 2009, the board also donated a 2,000-square-foot Fire Safety House where fire prevention and fire safety lessons are taught.
Every school year, approximately 3,600 third grade students and 1,000 first grade students from 79 different schools attend Safety City where they learn about bicycle, pedestrian, vehicle and fire safety as well as stranger danger, drug awareness and officer awareness. The Safety City staff also provides programs to another 500 elementary age students during the summer months. For more information, log on to the Safety City website, www.safetycityabilene.net. September 16, 2010
West Texas Book & Music Festival’s Brown Bag Lunch Series to air on TV Channel 7 ABILENE, Texas – The City of Abilene’s education/government channel, TV Channel 7, will air highlights from the West Texas Book & Music Festival’s Brown Bag Lunch Series of free talks by Texas authors later this month and next month.
The events will air for about an hour on the following days and times:
In addition, TV Channel 7 will air the entire Brown Bag Lunch Series for several hours on Saturday, Oct. 2, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The West Texas Books & Music Festival runs Sept. 20 – Sept. 25 in downtown Abilene. Most festival events are free of charge. For more festival information, go online to the Abilene Public Library’s website at www.abilenetx.com/apl.
TV Channel 7 is available on Suddenlink Cable Channel 7 and broadcast Channel 7 KXN TV. September 15, 2010Portion of Leggett Drive reduced to one lane tomorrow, Sept. 16, due to water line replacement work ABILENE, Texas – The latest phase of a water line replacement project on a section of Leggett Drive will begin tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010. As a result, the northbound lane of Leggett Drive, from S. 14th to Fairmont Streets, will be closed but the southbound lane will remain open to traffic. Residents who live in the affected area may cross the work area to access their driveways. Weather depending, this portion of the project is scheduled for completion on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010.
Drivers are asked to exercise patience and caution when driving by the road work zone and watch for construction personnel and equipment.
The Leggett Drive Water Main Replacement Project began on February 19, 2010. Currently, City of Abilene crews are replacing the water line and a City contractor will now begin restoring this section of the road. There are two more sections of Leggett Drive, from Fairmont to Monticello Streets and Monticello to 7th Streets, which are scheduled to be restored over the coming weeks. This project reflects the City of Abilene’s commitment to replacing aging water lines. The Water Utilities Department’s proactive effort reduces the number of water line breaks within city limits. Such breaks can cause disruptions in water service for affected customers.
The City’s water distribution system consists of almost 750 miles of underground water mains, five pumping stations, three ground storage tanks, six elevated storage tanks, over 12,000 valves, over 2,700 fire hydrants, and over 36,000 meters. September 13, 2010Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District to provide Seasonal Influenza vaccinations ABILENE, Texas – The Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District will provide SEASONAL Influenza vaccinations at clinics to be held at the Main Health Facility, 850 North 6th Street, in Abilene. The clinics will be held on the following dates and times:
Additional clinic days will be scheduled. The vaccinations are available to everyone, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that everyone over the age of six months receive a flu vaccination. The charge for the Seasonal Influenza vaccination will be $15, and Medicare will be accepted from covered individuals. Pneumonia vaccine will also be available for $45. Individuals receiving both the SEASONAL Influenza and Pneumonia vaccinations at the same time will pay $55 for the two shots. Medicare will also be accepted for Pneumonia vaccinations.
The SEASONAL Influenza vaccine available at these clinics is effective for the 3 SEASONAL Influenza strains most likely to be circulating this flu season including the Novel 2009 H1N1 or Swine flu virus which circulated in 2009. A separate vaccine for the H1N1 flu virus will not be available this year. Everyone is encouraged to have a SEASONAL flu vaccination as soon as it is available.
Access the City of Abilene website, www.abilenetx.com, under City Spotlight/Hot Items for additional information and links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
September 9, 2010
City Council approves Fiscal Year 2011 budget; Property tax rate to remain unchanged ABILENE, Texas – During today’s meeting, the City Council unanimously approved the revised Fiscal Year 2009-2010 (FY 10) General Fund budget of $67,911,830 and the proposed Fiscal Year 2010-2011 (FY 11) General Fund budget of $69,541,630. The FY 11 budget will be funded at the same property tax rate of 69.32 cents as the current fiscal year. The FY 11 budget calls for sales tax revenue to remain flat. The FY 10 revised revenue budget reflects a General Fund decrease of $2,318,900 or 3.28 percent below the FY 10 approved budget. The City of Abilene’s new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, 2010 and ends Sept. 30, 2011.
Today’s budget discussion revolved around a proposed tax rate of 69.86 cents. If approved, this would have resulted in an increase of .54 cent or just over a half-cent per $100 assessed valuation. For the average home value of $85,642 in Abilene, this would have amounted to an annual increase of $4.62. The proposed property tax rate would have raised an additional $236,200 in revenue for the City. The City Council decided to keep the property tax rate at the same rate as FY 10 without reducing the amount of the General Fund budget. Instead, the money will come from the City’s General Fund’s reserve fund which has a current balance of nearly $16 million. This action means the City will have 2.6 months of General Fund financial reserves instead of 2.7 months. The City’s policy recommendation is to have a fund balance of about $17.3 million or 3 months worth of reserves.
In addition, the City Council discussed the proposed 3 percent pay increase for non-civil service employees. The salary increase for non-civil service employees, which amounts to $534,160 for the year, was also approved. It will take effect the first pay period in the new fiscal year. Non-management employees have not received a salary increase since 2008. Management-level employees have not received one since 2007. The City Council will consider pay adjustments for the four City Council appointees (City Manager, City Attorney, Municipal Judge and City Secretary) separately. In addition, fire and police civil service personnel will receive the full benefit of their agreed upon raises through the meet and confer process, which amounts to $990,000, for the entire fiscal year.
In the FY 11 budget, city programs and services remain in tact. No furloughs are scheduled. Water, sewer and solid waste rates remain unchanged. There are no adjustments to City fees. The FY 11 budget also includes a new initiative for the Abilene Fire Department’s tactical operations involving paramedic service. The City Council approved the FY 11 purchase of nine cardiac monitors for $229,500 by borrowing money from the Fleet Replacement Fund. This money will be paid back to the Fleet Replacement Fund over a five year period. The additional $25,000 for program medical direction will be funded through the General Fund. The funding for three field resource medics at $235,500 is not included in the FY 11 budget. However, the City Council called for any increase in sales tax revenue in FY 11 to go towards the funding of these personnel.
When the FY 11 budget process began in February, there was a projected $4 million deficit for FY 11. This projection was due to the impact of fully funding the annualized salaries of fire and police civil service personnel who received the remainder of the salary increases agreed upon through the meet and confer process during the FY 10 budget year, having to replace the funding for the three furlough days taken during FY 10 to decrease operating costs, and the loss of sales tax revenue, as well as interest earnings and municipal court fines. The City was able to overcome this projected deficit through the voluntary retirement program and reduction in force, an increase in franchise fee revenue as well as nominal property tax roll value increases in revenue, and the holding of numerous job vacancies within the City.
The FY 11 personnel schedule contains 1,126 authorized full time positions of which 354 are civil service. This includes 184 police civil service personnel and 170 fire civil service personnel. 772 are non-civil service employees.
The City has implemented many cost saving measures throughout the current fiscal year. The measures have included the elimination of two management level positions, decreasing travel budgets, elimination of the two percent pay increase for non-civil service employees including City Council appointees, three furlough days for employees, directed transfers, and holding vacancies open. In addition, the Abilene Professional Fire Fighters Association and the Abilene Police Officers Association delayed scheduled pay raises for FY 10, and 32 City employees retired through the voluntary retirement incentive programs offered in the summer of 2009 and the spring of 2010 which created a reduction in the workforce.
September 8, 2010The Abilene Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigate mail stolen over the weekend ABILENE, Texas – The Abilene Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are jointly investigating a mail theft case. Investigators report that sometime over the past weekend, the mail collection box located at 3440 N. 1st Street was broken into and the mail inside taken. As a result, if you put mail inside this box between 2:00 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4 and 8:00 a.m. Monday, Sept. 6, your mail was likely stolen. If you placed mail inside this mailbox during this time period, please contact Postal Inspector WJ Vivoni at (817) 313-3208. Mail theft is a violation of the United States Federal Criminal Code, Title 18 USC 1708, and carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison. September 3, 2010
Abilene Fire Department: House fire due to downed electrical lines Early morning high winds caused tree branches to break, bringing down a home’s electrical service lines and sparking a blaze. The home, located in the 1600 block of Park Avenue, had the electrical service weatherhead stripped from the side of the house around 5 AM resulting in the electrical lines contacting the home’s aluminum siding. Apparently, the occupant contacted the power company about the issue but the large number of power line-related calls delayed their response. Eventually, the lines generated enough heat to ignite the wall’s underlying wood sheathing and fire began to spread up the wall. The occupant phoned 911 around 7:45 AM and Abilene firefighters were able to prevent the fire from further spread but were delayed in extinguishing the fire until power crews were able to de-energize the lines.
The home’s two occupants and several pets were able to escape safely, however one firefighter was taken to Hendrick Medical Center for treatment of an ankle sprain. Fire damage is estimated at $2,000 to $3,000 dollars.
September 2, 2010Abilene Zoological Gardens opens new Elm Creek Backyard exhibit this weekend ABILENE, Texas – After over a year of construction, the Abilene Zoological Gardens will open the new Elm Creek Backyard exhibit this Saturday, Sept. 4 at 9:00 a.m. Home to over 30 different species of native animals and built at a cost of approximately $1,500,000, zoo guests will enjoy discovering what may be in their very own backyard.
“It’s an exciting new facility,” says Zoo Director Bill Gersonde. “From the cougars to the otter, the rattlesnakes to the wood ducks, there’s an assortment of wonderful Texas wildlife for our guests to learn about and discover.”
Zoo visitors will enter through the former Discovery Center into the first gallery which houses fish and reptiles. The second gallery is filled with a variety of birds. The third gallery is home to small mammals, reptiles and invertebrates. As guests exit the final indoor gallery, they’ll follow the path to the outdoor exhibits which house a variety of birds and mammals including the zoo’s three cougars. Hundreds of plants landscape the area, and a small replica of Elm Creek meanders through the exhibit.
Elm Creek Backyard was funded by: Texas Parks & Wildlife $195,200 Grover Nelson Foundation $540,000 2006 Bond issue approved by Abilene voters $764,800
The Abilene Zoo is located in Nelson Park, off Highway 36, at 2070 Zoo Lane. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays through the months of June, July, and August. The zoo is closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. For more information, visit the zoo’s website at www.abilenezoo.org. September 1, 2010
Abilene Fire Department: Structure fire on 400 block of Ross Shortly before 9AM this morning, Abilene Fire Department crews responded to the call of a structure fire in the 400 block of Ross. Initial callers told dispatchers that the house was vacant and fire could be seen coming from the structure. Firefighters arrived to discover heavy smoke and flames issuing from a residential structure located at 417 Ross. The fire had also spread through an attached carport to a neighbor’s fence and then to a large brush pile. Fire crews made initial attacks inside the fire structure and outside to keep the flames off a neighboring house. A 2nd Alarm was initiated for additional manpower and equipment due to the significant area of the fire and threat to the neighboring structure. The fire structure sustained heavy fire, smoke, and water damage. The seat of the fire was found to be in the rear of the house. The house was vacant and there were no injuries.
The fire is being listed as suspicious in nature and investigators have asked that if anyone has any information regarding this fire to please contact Crime Stoppers at 676-TIPS.
In all nine units and 28 firefighters responded to the blaze. |