Officials release new details for Bush 'Welcome Home' (Midland, TX)

My West Texas ^ | 1-13-09 | Jimmy Patterson

[STARWISE]

Tickets to be made available beginning 10 a.m. today at city hall, the Midland chamber, the George W. Bush Childhood home and Kent Kwik locations.

###

Midland city officials are working feverishly with White House officials to schedule what Mayor Wes Perry is calling “one of the most incredible events Midland has ever had.”

That event, a “Welcome Home Rally for President and Mrs. George W. Bush,” is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday, in Centennial Plaza, downtown Midland.

Free tickets can be obtained beginning 10 a.m. today at Midland City Hall, 300 N. Loraine; the Midland Chamber of Commerce, 109 N. Main; The George W. Bush Childhood Home, 1412 W. Ohio, and Kent Kwik locations in Midland and Odessa. Tickets are free.

Each ticket will allow an entire family into the event; persons picking up tickets will be limited to five. Persons with no ticket will not be admitted.

Gates will open 1 p.m. the day of the event.

A pre-program event featuring as-yet named entertainers and dignitaries will begin at 2 p.m. Gates will close at 4 p.m. and President Bush is scheduled to arrive shortly after 5 p.m.

* White House officials confirmed late Tuesday that Odessa native and country music legend Larry Gatlin has committed to perform at the event. Other entertainers are expected to appear as well.

“We’ll have more information forthcoming on who will be performing,” Perry said. “We’ll have some great videos, photos and two giant jumbotrons.

The president is expected to arrive between 4:30 and 5 p.m. Tuesday, and the event may last until 6 or 6:30 p.m. The weather reports we’re hearing keep getting better and better, certainly much better than what we had eight years ago.”

Staging for the event will be constructed at Texas Avenue and Loraine Street, according to city spokesperson Tina Jauz.

Texas and Wall streets, between Colorado and Main, and Loraine Street, between Texas and Illinois, will be closed for the event — some streets as early as this weekend — Perry said.

Perry said parking should not be a major problem, although people who don’t arrive early enough “may have to walk a little ways.”

Citizens also are encouraged, if they desire, to write letters of thanks to the president and first lady; receptacles will be designated in which to deposit letters and cards during the event.

Perry said he expects an even larger crowd than the 20,000 who crowded into Centennial Plaza in 2001 with temperatures in the 30s. He attributed his estimate in part to the entertainment lineup and pre-event buzz.

Persons with no ticket will not be allowed in.

[STARWISE]

Mayor Wes Perry announces Tuesday afternoon that tickets for the Bush visit to Midland next week are now available at the Bush Childhood Home and Kent Kwik Stores.

Video ~~ President Bush is Coming Home (with footage of his departure in 2001)

~~~

Several (very lucky) FReepers will be in attendance.

[STARWISE]

~~PING! (Will be anxious for the on-scene reports from those very lucky Dosers who’ll be attending (and you know who you are), as we know the lamestreams certainly won’t be covering this event.. ;)

[freeagle]

Are they all taken? I’d drive from California to welcome him home. I love the man!

[razorback-bert]

I will be out of town, maybe I can rent out my house for $2500 for the day.

[AmericanInTokyo]

One thing is for sure.

He ought to take his shoes off and have a cold beer.

That job would age ANYONE. (Watch what it does to Obambi).

[STARWISE]

LOL .. you probably could. They expect a bigger crowd for the homecoming than the departure in ‘01.

[Humal]

This will be very nice if I can see the screen for the tears.

[STARWISE]

I don’t know ... call the places listed. Tickets are free.

[CindyDawg]

Wish I could attend. Oh well, maybe the theaters will show it?

[STARWISE]

I know ... there won’t be any extended coverage, except for the local outlets in the area.

This site will have coverage, they said:

http://permianbasin360.com/

[razorback-bert]

I am only two blocks from George and Laura’s house, perhaps I need to raise the price.

[STARWISE]

New Information On President Bush’s Return to the Tall City
(1-13-09)

By: Sarah Snyder
NewsWest 9

###

Midland city officials are busy piecing together plans for President Bush’s visit the Basin next week.

It will be his first stop after he leaves the White House, and you have a chance to join in on the West Texas welcome.

President Bush’s team met with Midland city leaders at the Bush Childhood home on Tuesday to begin making preparations for his homecoming next Tuesday.

The tickets are free and you can get one beginning on Wednesday, January 14th at several locations around the Tall City:

* The George W. Bush Childhood Home, 1412 W. Ohio
* The Midland Chamber of Commerce, 109 N. Main
* Midland City Hall, 300 N. Loraine
* And all of the Kent Kwik locations in the Midland/Odessa area

One ticket will admit an entire family, but there is a limit of five tickets per person. The gates to get in will open at 1:00 pm on Tuesday and the program will begin at 2:00 with a live country music performance.

Mayor Wes Perry tells us this celebration will be one for the Midland history books. “This was President Bush’s decision,” Mayor Perry said. “He decided to do this, so we’re just trying to accomodate his wishes and make it something he truly will remember and something we will never forget.”

President Bush will arrive about 5:00 on Tuesday evening. He’s expected to make a speech, then spend time meeting folks at the rally. City officials say the festivities will last until about 6:30 that night.

http://www.newswest9.com/Global/story.asp?S=9668736&nav=menu505_2

[Humal]

Thanks, Starwise. I’ve saved the link.

[luvie]

Thanks for posting this! There are still some free tickets left I believe! :D

I hate the reason for this to happen, but I am glad he will
have a welcome back home from people who love him!

[celtic gal]

Speaking of aging..Hillary looked beat yesterday at the confirmation hearing...

I too would love to go to TX to welcome this fine man home to cheers of well done! I am going to miss him...hellsbells, I already miss him and Larua in DC. I can’t bear to see 0bama in the WH,...won’t watch.

[SkipW]

I don’t think that I will become depressed when George W Bush returns to Midland. This guy did as much to damage America as most Democrats.

Of course Obama will be worse for the country, but at least his working toward America’s loss of sovreignty will be out in the open. I hope I never see another Bush in the Oval Office.

[lighten_up]

I’ll agree that being President during 9/11 would be hard on anyone. I’ll also concede that I believe that Bush did what he thought was best for the country.

But the Iraq war is indefensible. If he was truly contrite, instead of wishing that the WMD’s were in Iraq (justifying the invasion), he would have wished that his intelligence was accurate thus keeping us out of Iraq altogether.

[WheresMyBailout]

I haven’t agreed with everthing the President has done, but on balance I believe George Bush will go down as an average to slightly above average President (at least in the eyes of the educated public ... not so much the liberal historians).

The biggest negative for George Bush was rampant inflation and high deficits. However, if Iraq turns out to become like South Korea ... a thriving democracy, Bush’s legacy will be a net positive.

[FroggyTheGremlim]

“Several (very lucky) FReepers will be in attendance. “

Please take pictures and post ‘em.

[Miss Marple]

Thanks for this information, STARWISE. I need to get my sound working on my computer so that I can watch it through the local feed. I am totally uninterested in the Inaugural balls, needless to say.