Outpost, a longtime NASA tavern, damaged by fire

From: Jorge R. Frank (jrfrank_at_ibm-pc.borg)
Date: 01/29/05 

Date: 29 Jan 2005 05:40:46 GMT

A part of space history dodged a bullet this morning...

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3013830

Outpost, a longtime NASA tavern, damaged by fire
By THAYER EVANS
Chronicle correspondent

WEBSTER -- An electrical short in a neon sign is being blamed for an early
morning blaze today that caused $15,000 worth of damage to a popular bar
and grill frequented by NASA employees.

The Outpost Tavern, located at the corner of NASA Parkway and Egret Bay
Boulevard, was closed when it caught on fire about 4:50 a.m., Webster Fire
Chief Jamie Galloway said.

He said the fire started outside on the building's east side and spread to
an attic before being extinguished by firefighters. The cause is likely to
be electrical from the wiring of a neon sign, Galloway said.

The blaze damaged an 18-foot-by-25-foot section of the structure's roof and
smoke from the fire did minor harm to the bar's vast collection of NASA
memorabilia, but many of the items are salvageable, said Stan Aden, 50, who
along with his wife, Sharon, owns the Outpost.

The 24-year-old red barn-like pub, which was once military barracks at
Ellington Field during World War II, has been featured in movies such as
Space Cowboys and Rocket Man.

"It could have been a lot worse," Aden said. "We really dodged a bullet. If
the fire started on the inside, we wouldn't be standing here right now."

Aden said the bar was insured, but not for the amount of money it will take
to repair it. He said he would like to have the Clear Lake landmark
reopened for business in time for the Super Bowl on Feb. 6.

"We're going to need some help," Aden said. "We're going to have to work on
the money. We'll get things rolling again, we hope."

Donations to rebuild the bar can be made at the Outpost or by mailing them
to P.O. Box 391, League City, Texas, 77574. 

-- 
JRF
Reply-to address spam-proofed - to reply by E-mail,
check "Organization" (I am not assimilated) and
think one step ahead of IBM.

Relevant Pages

  • NASA Responds to California Wildfire Emergency Imaging Request
    ... NASA RESPONDS TO CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE EMERGENCY IMAGING REQUEST ... Additional flights are planned for next week. ... Interagency Fire Center. ...
    (sci.space.news)
  • Re: troll (assumed) responses
    ... One fire on December 5, ... Finally, if NASA wishes to sell a "flash fire, ‘fueled' by ... pressure did not drop until 12.4 seconds into the fire), Gus had his ... NASA lists six, although it turns out there were many ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: Gus Grissom documentary: Murder on Apollo 1?
    ... I believe nbasa may have covered up the lack of medical attention at ... Nasa has a long history of trying to obscure the facts of astronauts ... fire, after all the vehicle was partally classified. ... The men were dead. ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Press Coverage of Apollo One.
    ... >> NASA initially tried to minimize the public descriptions of just how the ... >> within a day or two of the fire, a reporter fromt he New York Times (may ... In that Times article, the actual time frame ... >> BTW, during one of the early shuttle launches, I happened to be watching ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: OK, Whatd I miss ?
    ... That would be best for her and it is the desire of NASA to ... has no internal provisions for handling a military matter so..." ... And that all meant, "Support? ... where I could fire the asshole who put this question in a ...
    (rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic)