The official website of the City of Mansfield, Texas

More music, more food and more fun. The second Rockin' Fourth of July fireworks spectacular Saturday, July 4 at Big League Dreams Mansfield Sports Park, is all about an even bigger celebration than last year's successful inaugural event.

Admission to the park is free. There is live entertainment, bounce houses and other attractions for families. Both Big League Dreams stadium club restaurants will be open selling food and beverages.

This year's live entertainment will be featured on two fields and includes Grammy-award nominated Brave Combo, as well as Beatles tribute band Me & My Monkey. The Mansfield Wind Symphony Brass will also perform.

The gates open at 6 p.m., with the fireworks show beginning at 9:30 p.m. Brave Combo will also play following the fireworks.

Big League Dreams is located at 500 Heritage Parkway South.

Read the flyer for more details.

Do you own a dog? If so, you have a lot of friends in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. There are about 1.2 million dogs in our area making about 3/4 lbs. of DOO every day. That's a total of 900,000 lbs. of doggy DOO, every single day. Dog DOO is a health problem for other dogs, humans, and it can be a water quality problem as well. So this summer, why not take the pledge to "DOO the Right Thing!" and pick up after your pet.

Simply fill out this form and return the completed form as directed at the bottom. Residents who complete the form are eligible to receive a free pet waste bag holder that can be clipped to a leash, belt loop, or belt so that you are never left without a way to pick up after your pet. Pet waste bag holders can be picked up at City Hall during normal business hours. For more information about this program, contact Howard Redfearn at 817-276-4240. For more information about pet wastes, visit this website.

On February 27, 2009 the Mansfield Parks and Recreation Department will receive the 2009 Texas Recreation and Parks Society Gold Medal Award.

This prestigious award is for Excellence in Parks and Recreation Management for cities with populations between 50,001 and 100,000.

Over the past couple of years there has been a shift from old tube televisions to the flat screen LCD and Plasma TVs. This means many garages and attics are now storing the older TV sets. If these sets are still working, residents are encouraged to take them to Goodwill or any of the local mission centers in the area to be made available for less fortunate residents. If the sets do not work, residents may contact Howard Redfearn at 817-276-4240 to register for a voucher to drop the old sets off.

Since this program is funded from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality through the North Central Texas Council of Governments, only 250 vouchers can be issued. All participants must present the voucher at the event to drop their set off. For any questions about this program, or to register for a voucher, please contact Howard Redfearn.

The City of Mansfield was notified by the Tarrant County Health Department that a resident of Mansfield has been hospitalized, and is currently being treated for West Nile Virus infection.

It is unclear at this time where this resident may have contacted mosquitoes carrying the disease. The City has partnered with the Tarrant County Health Department to conduct mosquito testing at various sites throughout the City. None of the mosquitoes collected have been detected to be carrying the virus.

It is important to remember recommendations for personal protection:

• Avoid outdoor activities at dawn and dusk.
• Drain any standing water in and around your homes. Mosquitoes use stagnant pools of water for breeding.
• Dress in long sleeves and pants when conducting outdoor activities
• Use an effective mosquito repellant, preferably one containing DEET, Picaridin or Permethrin.

There are approximately 23 species of mosquitoes in the North Central Texas area, and only one is of primary concern related to West Nile Virus. The Culex sp. mosquito is the one most commonly associated with West Nile Virus. This mosquito is highly active around dawn and dusk, and typically prefers to bite around the ankles.

The Culex species of mosquito typically only lives for around 2 weeks; however, new mosquitoes can be born everyday. These new mosquitoes would first have to bite an infected bird in order to transfer the virus to a human.

Is the City going to spray for mosquitoes? No. Spraying pesticides to control adult populations for mosquitoes is not an effective means of long term control. The most effective means for preventing West Nile Virus infections is for persons engaged in outdoor activities at high risk times to follow the personal protection recommendations.

City staff will continue to evaluate the situation, and if more information indicates the potential for a West Nile Virus outbreak, the City would take appropriate measures to respond.

It is extremely important for those who are over 50, under 15 and any one with a compromised immune system to avoid outdoor activities around dawn and dusk and to wear appropriate clothing and use repellants if engaging in outdoor activities at any time of the day.

Symptoms typically begin to show up from 3 to 15 days after being bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus. Symptoms are very similar to the flu and can include: fever, severe headache, light sensitivity, stiff neck, confusion and muscle weakness. If these symptoms begin, seek medical care as soon as possible, as with most diseases early detection and treatment can increase recovery success.

For more information about the City's mosquito program, how you can protect yourself and your family and how the City monitors West Nile, please follow this link: http://www.mansfield-tx.gov/departments/streets/mosquito/.