REMEMBERING BARBARA BUSH
HPD releases road closures, safety details on Barbara Bush funeral
Steven Devadanam
Apr 20, 2018, 9:44 am
Originally appeared on CultureMap/Houston.
As Houston prepares to welcome former presidents and international dignitaries for the visitation and funeral for Barbara Bush, the Houston Police Department and other agencies have released safety and road closure information.
With the Obamas, the Clintons and Melania Trump expected to attend the private funeral on April 21, locals can expect delays and heightened security and scrutiny.
Visitors who plan to attend the public service at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church — at the corner of Woodway Drive and Sage Road in the Tanglewood/Uptown area — must first go to the Second Baptist Church campus at 6400 Woodway Dr. — enter the parking lots via Voss Road — to park and go through security.
A shuttle service from Second Baptist to St. Martin’s and back (for both days) will be provided, as no one is allowed to walk up or drive to St. Martin’s.
As for closures and safety:
The Bush family motorcade will travel through Memorial Park on the way to the George H.W. Bush Library and Museum at Texas A&M University in College Station. It will enter College Station from northbound Highway 6 and proceed north on to Texas Avenue, according to information from Texas A&M. (Get map information here.)
Those wishing to pay their respects as the motorcade passes through College Station are asked to be in place by 2 pm.
The Houston Astros (37-30) aim to close out their series against the Chicago White Sox (23-45) on a high note Thursday night at Daikin Park. The three-game set is currently tied 1-1, and with a chance to secure their 11th series win at home, the Astros will send left-hander Framber Valdez to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET.
Valdez (6-4, 3.07 ERA) has quietly been one of the most consistent arms in the American League. Known for his heavy sinker and ground-ball inducing style, he enters the night with a stellar 1.06 WHIP and 84 strikeouts. With the Astros bullpen having absorbed some heavy usage earlier this week, Valdez will be counted on to give Houston quality length.
Opposing him will be right-hander Davis Martin (2-6, 3.62 ERA), who has pitched better than his win-loss record suggests. Martin has maintained a 1.21 WHIP and will try to quiet an Astros lineup that broke out for 10 runs in Wednesday’s win.
Houston’s offense has been led lately by Jeremy Peña, who is batting .439 over his last 10 games with five doubles, two homers, and six RBIs. Isaac Paredes continues to be a steady power threat, leading the team with 14 home runs and a .468 slugging percentage. José Altuve, fresh off his 2,300th career hit, adds veteran stability to the top of the order.
The Astros are 23-13 at home this season and have gone 6-4 over their last 10 games. When they avoid giving up home runs, they win — as shown by their 20-4 record in games where they keep the ball in the yard. That will be a key Thursday against a White Sox team that’s light on power but capable of grinding out runs when they out-hit opponents (16-9 when doing so).
Chicago, meanwhile, has struggled mightily on the road, going just 7-27 away from Guaranteed Rate Field. Still, they’ve had unexpected success against the Astros this season, winning three of the first five matchups. Andrew Benintendi and Mike Tauchman have been among the few bright spots in a lineup that’s hit just .227 over its last 10 games and been outscored by six runs.
With the series on the line and the division-leading Astros looking to stay hot, Thursday night offers a chance to assert their edge with a trusted ace on the hill and momentum building in the lineup.
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