You Have Old Messages - the big red message board just north of the post office is behind the times, literally. If you are looking for pulled pork sandwiches from the band you are out of luck. The event was last Fall. Mayor Lewellen said that the controller for the board needs replaced and he is waiting for the new part to arrive.
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Splashdown! - the Friona City Pool will open for business on Saturday, June 1st. More details and photo in next week's paper.
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VBS at First Baptist Church - First Baptist Church will host its Vacation Bible School "The Great Jungle Journey" from Sunday, June 2nd through Thursday, June 6th from 1 p.m. till 4 p.m. each day. Register online at www.fbcfriona.com.
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Save the Date - the next Friona Community Blood Drive is scheduled for Wednesday, June 12th from Noon until 7:00 p.m. Donors will receive a T-shirt, WOW pass to Wonderland Park, a squeeze cow, coupon for gallon of milk, and a pint of blue Bell ice cream to help celebrate National Dairy Month! More details next week.
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Game Show Day - Pat Sajak, 77, announced that after 41 years of hosting "Wheel of Fortune" he will be giving the wheel a final spin this year. According to ABC, Sajak's last episode is scheduled to air on June 7th. Ryan Seacrest will take over as the new host. According to no sources whatsoever, Pat said he wanted to buy some vowels and give retirement a spin.
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Texas Facts - Although Texas is often associated with the deserts of the southwestern US, only about 10% of the state is covered in desert. Source: funworldfacts.com
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National Days
May 30 - Water A Flower Day
May 31 - Smile Day
June 1 - Game Show Day
June 2 - Cancer Survivor's Day
June 3 - Repeat Day
June 4 - Cheese Day
June 5 - Running Day
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Since April, our neighborhood has had a front row seat for viewing the repairs of the North Water Tower. While observing this, I have been so thankful that I did not have to climb the tower and work on top of it everyday! Scaffolding was quickly installed to make the daily ascent easier (and safer), but in order to get to the very top, the workers still had to climb ladders to the top of the tank. First order of business was the inside of the tank and the hatch, with sandblasting and welding repairs. Then installing the framework necessary to make the rest of the repairs. (It is the part that looks like a giant spider on top). Next cables were attached to the arms and in our west Texas wind, then came the ghostly sound of wind blowing through the cables...and now that sandblasting has begun, the huge curtain hiding the tower.
Although elevated water storage tanks have been around since ancient times, in the modern era they became prevalent in the mid 19th Century. The oldest tower in the United States is in Louisville, Kentucky and was built in 1860. It is 185 feet tall. [150 foot tower = 65 pounds of pressure per square inch] Water towers are used to store pumped treated water so that there will be enough water during peak times of use, and they usually hold enough water for what its service area will use in one day in order to maintain good pressure and to distribute water throughout the system through an intake and outflow pipe. Towers are usually at least 100 feet tall but can be up to 300 feet high. Water towers are a vital part of any community and certainly provide personality to its service area often with names and logos painted on them. Vents are critical so that air can go out or come in as the water is pumped in or out and an access hatch is on the top.
Towers generally have many years of life, cleaned every 3 to 5 years, painted every 10 years or so and opened up and sandblasted inside and out. Epoxy paint, zinc-based primer and 2 coats of epoxy at a cost of roughly $150,000 with paint at $110 a gallon and up to $400 a gallon for high gloss polyurethane for the final coat make painting costly.
According to a Friona Star article dated July 18, 1963 our north tower is 61 years old. It is 136.5 feet tall from the foundation to the top of the water level and is 19 feet taller than the old water tower. The east tower was installed in 1929 and is 117.5 feet tall according to Prairie Progress c. 1981 and could hold 50,000 gallons. Before that water was from a tower in the city park and before that from Uncle Andy Wentworth's home in the 500 block of Woodland Avenue. Cost? $48,753.93 and would produce 60 pounds of water pressure. The water tower was manufactured by Chicago Bridge & Iron Works of Tulsa, which also built our first water tower and the ground storage tank on 6th Street.
Planning began in October 1962 when the need for more water storage was realized and erection of the tower was contracted to W.B. Abbott of Lubbock.
An altitude valve was also installed in 1963 at an additional cost of $727 to prevent overflow, to maintain water level and to maximum pressure and was connected to both water towers according to Clyde Fields, Water Superintendent.
February 18, 1963 footings were poured and completed on February 20, 1963.
March 20, 1963 the stand was erected and by April 20, 1963 construction of the tower was completed.
Electro rust proofing equipment May 6, 1963. (The city had 5 wells at that time and used both towers.)
Painting began on May 8, 1963 and was completed on May 27, 1963.
Sterilized and filled for the first time on May 28, 1963 and began service for the first time on June 12, 1963. [an anniversary of sorts]
According to Salvador Garcia, current water superintendent, our newly renovated north tower will be painted white with FRIONA in red on it.
PS - I well remember the installation of the North Tower in 1963, but I don't recall seeing it come into town as it may well have rivaled our modern wind turbines in size for a massive object being transported on our highways.
Year in Review - Friona Chapter FFA students hold up the banners they accumulated during the past school year. At the annual banquet held last Tuesday evening, new officers were introduced, seniors said goodbye, scholarships were awarded, and everyone enjoyed the meal prepared by Friona Vocational Agriculture Association members. See more FFA Banquet photos here.
FHS Class of 2024 - It was all smiles (and a few tears) last Friday night. See more photos from the graduation ceremony here.
