Dateline Midland Texas - May 20, 2049 - Jimmy Patterson

Authorities yesterday found the body of the occupant of an abandoned apartment in the Midland Millennials Tower. The apartment, thought to be empty since late 2011, apparently had been occupied by a man that some knew as Jason W. The Millennials Tower, a failed attempt to encourage residency in Midland's old downtown, was closed and boarded up in December of 2012. The deceased was one of the first tenants of the property when it was opened to much fanfare in March 2010.

In researching the archives of the Midland Reporter Telegram, a local newspaper that ceased being published on June 30th, 2014, it was found that Jason had attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Millennials Tower. He was quoted as having said "I knew the potential was here and that people like me could have our home in the middle of the city."

"This is great!" Jason had exclaimed to building co-owner Senator Wes Perry as Perry cut the ribbon.

By opening day, the building had leased 3 apartments with plans for all 50 units to be leased up by the end of the year.

Sometime in 2011, the two other tenants besides Jason that had leased before the grand opening moved out. The building owners having leased no other units since the ribbon cutting, Jason was the remaining tenant. It was thought that he moved out a few months after the earlier tenants.

A year later the power to the building was turned off and the lower floors boarded up. It remained in that condition for 37 years, with only minor damage from Midland's April 10, 2020 tornado, until the property's recent sale to the Wal-Mart Corporation for development of the city's much anticipated seventh Wal-Mart store.

During the clearing of the building interior prior to demolition, Jason's body was found. People familiar with the neighborhood thought that Jason had moved out, but that he still wanted to live downtown. Apparently, he never gave up his dream.

"Yeah, I remember Jason coming in at night. He had this vision of a building full of people like him," said Wall Street Bar and Grill owner, bartender and long-time downtown expert, Bob. "People like him with a vision of walking one block to work and one block to eat here and never really having to leave the east end of downtown."

It appears that Jason continued to occupy his apartment after the building was boarded up as copies of the Reporter Telegram housing classifieds were found in the bedroom dated as late as October 4, 2014. This reporter noted that several "houses for sale" ads had been circled, apparently by Jason. All were notable for the low listing price and reference to the then-current housing slump in the ad. Typical was the ad for a home in the old Greentree subdivision, now the site of the city's nuclear power plant and ground water desalination plant, that was titled "post bust pricing! less than 30 euros per square foot! motivated seller!"

In spite of attractively priced housing that was only 5 minutes away if he had ridden the newly opened EZ Monorail, Jason stuck to his dream until the end. Rest in peace, Jason.

Dateline Midland,Texas May 21st, Stewart Doreen , Austin Statesman

The troubling discovery of the body found in Midland's Millennials Tower is today rocking the state as many officials here in Austin are pointing fingers at each other and wondering just how this man lay dead for 38 years and still voted each election .

When asked if he ever knew the man , Governor Bill Dingus stated "Knew him ? Hell , he sent me money!"

Senator Wes Perry said "I haven't a clue."

Tom Craddick had no comment again.

Some local officials have speculated the man had medical problems, but the walk to Walgreens for a prescription refill was just too stressful. Police,however, have guardly speculated that due to absolutely no marks on the mans mummified body this was obviously a death by boredom brought on by over expectations.

The body was sent to Lubbock Hospital to see if resuscitation was an option.

Guys....all Jason said was that he thought that there was potential downtown. And he may even be right.

I want someone to try it. I hope it even works....even though I have my doubts.

Just as long as I am not compelled by the government to become an investor in someone else's building.

Awwww Criminey ! HEY SHEPHERD ! Mom sez we hafta come in now .

The indications are that Jason is a West Point grad headed home to Midland.

From Afghanistan.

So, yeah, maybe you guys need to come in for a nap and some pudding.

I agree that the downtown housing market should be tested and without our tax dollars.

West Point and Afghanistan or not, I owe Jason an apology: I am sorry Jason. Write back and I'll buy you a beer or two when you hit town. I'll have to figure out how to do it anonymously. (If it is West Point and/or Afghanistan, it's a round for Jason and his buddies, perhaps non-anonymously. Perhaps.)

I truly would like to see a downtown housing solution work, but I won't be one of the tenants.

The juxtaposition of the downtown housing thread and the woman-in-Zagreb story was too much, though. I should have left it at my original comment: "Zagreb Housing Market Shown to Have Only Slightly Less Demand Than Midland Downtown's; Woman Found in Apartment After 42 Years." I mean, c'mon, Nat found a great story and the link was obvious...at least to me and Otto.

No tequila tonight. No pudding either. Low fat milk and Girl Scout cookies.

Jason,
My ex-brother-in-law Mike was called back to West Point after the dump-out in Nam and was assigned to teach History (his major,of course..and at this time he was a major too).

Back in the '70s sophomores were invited to dine with their professor's families to learn manners befitting an officer and to be at ease in gatherings.

Mike's wife Linda was a wonderful cook (and quite a dish herself, I might add) but one evening she became rushed and forgot to pull the few bay leaves out of the roast!

Dinner was served to this stressed and overly polite crowd as everyone ate everything on their plate..including the bay leaves .

Linda watched in horror as these two guys popped these things in their mouths and chewed away but was too embarrassed to say anything.

Afterwards the two of them laughed about it and the next day Mike told the other profs about it and soon enough bay leaves were left in ALL roasts served to sophmores at all Officer dinner parties.

The next day those who attended were asked if they ate the leaves, those who owned up to it got ragged ! I guess this was just to show that just because you survived through your first year you still had a couple more to go.

Were they still doing this when you left WP ?

Oh,... I'm glad we see eye to eye on private investment being the key to any downtown success!

Stay healthy amigo and when you hit the city limits , give a holler right here . Shepherd and I will buy you a beer and Walsingham will buy you a pudding .

Hello fellas.
Man, I never thought I would become a character in a story when I wrote on this blog. Actually I loved it. Reading that made my day. Sheapard might be right. I will be some crazy guy sitting in my apartment in downtown wondering why there isnt pretty girls down on the street walking to get an expresso. The thing is, I think I would rather be a crazy guy in a cool joint downtown than paying 1000 a month for 750 sf at briarwood. Atleast my joint will have some character. The reality of it is that I will probably be living in the RV park in west odessa with all the other people that cant find housing or sharing a room with my three year old nephew at my brothers house. haha So much for the hot chicks getting expresso.

As far as the bay leaves in the roast, I dont think i encountered that tradition while I was a sophmore at the Academy. There are so many weird traditions there it is hard to keep tabs sometimes. I graduated in 03 so it that might have died out by then. I did go to the dinners at the prof's house though and it was exactly like you said. We were all just sitting there eating trying not to break some sort of west point protocal.

All right gents, I let you buy me a beer and some pudding too. Maybe we can all meet at a trendy new cosmopolitan joint in downtown midland called CLUB Z or something like that for the occasion. haha

I will be out of the loop for a couple of weeks so dont mistake that for misinterest. I am about to go on my mid tour leave to switzerland. No offense but I will be more interested in the hot chicas going to get an expresso than checking the midland blog site.

JW

Sorry I can be the one to serve you those drinks today, maybe by 2049 my barkeep skills will have advanced beyond using a pulltap corkscrew on a bottle of red. I doubt it though, I'm French. Why should I serve anything else?

Regarding old buildings and old ladies, I attended an estate sale 4-5 years ago at a house on Harvard I think, just north of Memorial stadium. The childless widow had not left her home in twenty years. The only contact she had with the outside world was a couple, who brought her groceries, mowed the grass and took out the trash, and the MRT, of which she had neatly stacked about 40 years worth against a wall in her living room.

We may be on to something here !

As the summer kicks in the C of C will once again use the police to scare the hell outta some innocent family traveling thru on I-20 .

And with their hearts in their throats at being pulled over in West Texas they are notified they are to be GUESTS in our Petropolis !

I think we need to create a new tradition of welcome (thanks to the Walser) . Nothing says Welcome more than the gift of pudding .

By sharing a spoon of pudding a person might come to feel their luggage will not be opened and spread over the bar ditch . By seeing a police officer/S.O. slurping a bit of tasty pudding from the traditional communal mesquite spoon one might come to ease with him/her self knowing they REALLY weren't getting dragged in and booked !

Maybe we can get these C of C gals...or realtoresses to dress up in Indian Princess costumes and say that this gift of welcome of " Permian Pudding " is an age-old tradition of the friendly and peaceful Comanche and along with free motel and meals ,you get a free haircut .

I truly think we're on to something here and if you can smooth the rough edges , your suggestions would be appreciated because I will PERSONALLY bring it to the attention of Bill Dingus who will..er..

Yes , the devil is always in the details but we may REEEEEEALY be on to something here !