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The Rice Thresher
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Main, University to be closed in the morning by LESLIE LIU THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF A memorial service for two Houston Fire Department officers who lost their lives in the line of duty will be held at Rice Stadium today. Before the service, a procession will follow Main Street, from the Mecom Fountain to University Boulevard. City officials will close roads and use limited stadium parking for the ceremony. Anticipated road closures as of press time are:
Campus Police Chief Bill Taylor said HFD officers are being told to park in the West Stadium Lot, because they will be coming to the campus as early as 6 a.m. to prepare for the march. Metro buses will transport marchers from the stadium lot to Mecom Fountain. University Relations Director Greg Marshall said the best way for students to access the parking lots will be through entrances off Rice Boulevard, since access to gates from Main and University will be greatly restricted. Taylor said he recommends that students arrive at campus early and park as far east in the parking lot as possible. There are normally 2,000 to 2,500 open spaces around the stadium during weekdays, and Taylor said he foresees a parking shortage. At 8:30 a.m., about 1,000 HFD officers and city officials will process from Mecom Fountain. The march will come up all lanes on Main and turn right onto University toward the stadium, where the service will begin at 10 a.m. According to Marshall, the service itself should last less than two hours. Marshall said he anticipates anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 attendees. "[The city] looked at a lot of different venues, most of which are not available now because the rodeo is happening," Marshall said. Taylor said the numbers are very difficult to estimate. He expects 5,000 firefighters to attend and bring family and friends to the service, but the event is also open to the public. Stadium capacity is 62,000. "The city approached us and asked us if they could hold it here," Vice President for Public Affairs Terry Shepard said. The memorial service is in honor of firefighters Lewis Evans Mayo, III, 44, and Kimberly Ann Smith, 30, who died fighting a three-alarm blaze at a McDonald's in far southwest Houston Monday. Three teenagers were arrested later that day and each charged with two counts of felony murder. They are accused of setting the fire to cover up a burglary. The 15-year-old assistant night manager of the restaurant was the last employee to leave Sunday night and allegedly gave the keys to the three suspects. The suspects were each held on $50,000 bail. The 15-year-old is being held in the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center. - back -
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