MMB Grand Re-Opening~The Stroke, The Kid and the Airport Advisory Board

Nena Barton

On October 16, 2014 Nena was taking pictures outside the newly remodeled Visitor's Center at 7th and Ringgold when she suddenly came inside, immediately sitting down.

"Jim, I need to go home," she said with some urgency.

Walking outside,  I grabbed her arm as she tried to step off the side of small step porch, disoriented.  Her comments were not making sense.

The Valley Baptist emergency room confirmed that Nena had experienced a stroke, actually two strokes showing up on the CAT scan, one a hemorrhagic or bleeding stroke, the other a T.I.A. or transient ischemic attack, sometimes called a "mini-stroke."

Nena's four day hospital stay, including 2-1/2 days in ICU were memorable, sometimes comedic.  Her immediate goal was to go home, insisting she was "OK."  When she found use of a bedpan repugnant, she was moved to a room with a bathroom.  When it was suggested that, on her release, she be transferred to a physical therapy facility, she danced around the nurses to demonstrate that was unnecessary.

Brownsville Tourist Visitor's Center

From the get-go it was obvious Nena had memory issues.  A young therapist tried to test her memory with basic questions.  Nena did not know the year or the month and still doesn't, but turned the question back to the young mental health professional:  "Why don't YOU name five animals?" she suggested.

The important things were not forgotten:  Rose Gowen's arrogance, Tony Martinez acting as if he owned the city and its assets without regard for burdening and bilking the taxpayers, the rubber-stamping, groveling City Commission, unelected United Brownsville operatives positioning themselves to profit from development of the industrial corridor, etc.  She was anxious for us to get back to our "life."

But, the last week of November, brought a second life-changing circumstance. We were entrusted with the care of our 4.75 year old grandson, Jack, on a daily basis. The boy, a veritable "why?" machine, adapted quickly to our routine and rules, but could we take him "on the road?"  The first test would be the Airport Advisory Board meeting held 1/6/14 at 12:00 PM.

Aviation Director Larry Brown

Jack brought his Kindle Fire 6 with him in a woven cotton "Ecuador" shoulder bag gifted by his grandmother.  The volume was turned down to not disturb the meeting.  When Operation's Chief Sesha Voorey handed Jack a printout showing "AOA Status As of 1/06/14, reflecting current runways open, permanently closed and temporarily closed, Jack turned the drawing around and around to get perspective. Jack, like no one else in history, seemed totally mesmerized by Aviation Director Larry Brown's Statistical Summary. When Commissioner Jessica Tetreau offered Jack the small bag of Lay's Potato Chips that came with her prepared lunch, he simply tucked them into the "Ecuador" bag and kept listening.

Brown explained that the current firefighting vehicle was being sent our for $188,000 in repairs approved by the City Commission.  In the interim, an FAA approved vehicle, was on a six month, $60,000 lease.  The repairs are expected to give the airport at least 5 years of service fighting aircraft fires at which time a new vehicle will be purchased with the repaired truck relegated to a backup. Larry Brown is nothing, if not a planner.

Next stop:  Metropolitan Planning Organization board meeting.