The Friona Chamber of Commerce banquet date has been changed to Thursday March 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the community center. Tickets are $25 and will not be sold at the door. The Chamber is still seeking nominations for the citizen awards. Do you know someone that has been an asset to their colleagues and the community? Nominations are needed for citizen, man, woman, teacher, employee, and boy and girl student of the year. Forms are available at the Chamber office. If you need help with the process call the Chamber at 250-3491.
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The Panhandle Plains Historical Museum (PPHM) in Canyon will be hosting Toddler Tuesdays. It is a program for young children ages 2-5. The program will be held the second Tuesday of each month and is free with museum admission. On February 11 Dr. Elizabeth will present Polish fairytales. Families with children of all ages are encouraged to participate.
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Friday Jan 31 is the final home basketball game for the Squaws. It will be senior night for the Chiefs and Squaws, managers, and cheerleaders. Senior parents will be introduced and the basketball king and queen will be announced. All of this takes place about 6:00 p.m. before the varsity girls game at 6:30.
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Also before the basketball games Friday night the baseball team will serve a pancake supper in the high school cafeteria beginning at 5:00 p.m. Cost is $6 for pancakes, bacon or sausage, butter, syrup, and juice. Proceeds help purchase equipment and other expenses for the baseball team which started practice last week. The Chiefs will scrimmage Clarendon there Saturday February 8 and Tulia here Tuesday February 11 at 4:30 p.m. The baseball schedule is printed elsewhere in this Star.
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The Friona ISD calendar for February is on page 7 this week. Parents, grandparents, family and friends might want to clip the calendar and keep it handy to keep up with February school activities.
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Filing period for city, school, and hospital district elections opened January 29 and runs to February 28. Four seats will be available on the city council. Three of the seats are in the regular election. One seat will be a special election. The seat held by Nancy Davis will be up for special election to fill the one-year unexpired term of Charlie Pope who resigned last year. Mrs. Davis was appointed to fill the seat until the May 10 election. Terms of the other council seats, two councilmen and the mayor, will be two years. Deadline for filing for the special election seat is March 10.
There are two school board seats coming up for election and three seats on the hospital district board. Application forms for these respective elections are available at city hall, the FISD administration building, and at Parmer Medical Center.
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Last week I said Wayne Stone had been a county employee for 38 years. That was incorrect. It should have said 29 years. That’s what happens when someone tells me something and I don’t write it down. I did say he has retired and that part is correct.
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FHS graduate Dario Hernandez has been a Marine for more than 10 years. I believe he was recently promoted to Gunnery Sergeant. Dario finally received a Purple Heart medal this month for injuries suffered October 3, 2004 in Iraq. A photo of the medal and certificate were posted on Facebook. Thank you Dario and your brother Juan (US Army) for your service to our country.
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It is Girl Scout Cookie time again. At the basketball games Friday night some Girl Scouts were milling about the fans selling their cookies. I bought one of the new flavors, Cranberry Citrus Crisp. Kenny Austin and I sampled them there in the gym. We agreed they taste like animal crackers and would be best suited for dunking in milk. My favorite is still Peanut Butter Crème. May have to buy a box of those this Friday night after I finish my pancakes.
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Did I just read somewhere that Algebra II will no longer be a requirement in Texas high schools? Pretty sure I did. That has to make some students happy but educators will say it is another step backwards in our quest to lead the world in smart kids.
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Don’t forget about our local SnackPak4Kids program. They are forever in need of 16 oz peanut butter and Pop Tarts or money donations. Becky Jones and Jo Beth Gipson are the coordinators. They meet at 5:15 p.m. Thursdays at the Senior Citizen house to pack the backpacks. Help is appreciated.
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Received an email from Melanie Gallman Braun who writes a fitness column for us. She sent an email that she would not have a column this week. She is in Wisconsin because her mother-in-law was killed in a traffic accident last week. Our thoughts and prayers to the Braun family.
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A fire at King’s Manor in Hereford Monday night caused the evacuation of the residents across the street to an elementary school. Steve Horrell, Deaf Smith Electric Co-Op member services manager, lives across the street from King’s Manor. He said he joined many other citizens in bringing blankets to the scene for the residents being evacuated. The Hereford fire chief said it was amazing how people responded with blankets and other help. The fire was said to be in the kitchen of the nursing home and caused extensive damage. Some residents were being housed in other area nursing homes for now.
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Chieftain Cole Stowers was featured as the Amarillo Globe News athlete of the week after scoring 48 points, a school record, against Olton Friday night. The previous scoring record of 45 points was held by Nathan Haile. Cole also had 11 three-pointers which tied the school record held by Nick Ortiz. It was also Cole’s 17th birthday. Good job Cole. After a loss to Dimmitt Tuesday the Chiefs district record is 3-5 with five games left to play.
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M. H. and Dixie Carson of Bovina will celebrate their 67th wedding anniversary on Friday January 31, 2014. That is a lot of years. Congrats to the Carsons.
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Our EMS and volunteer firemen were called out twice in zero degree temperatures Tuesday morning. At 5:00 a.m. the firemen responded to a grass fire east on FM2397 then two hours later firemen and EMS responded to a vehicle rollover on south FM1172. We continue to be blessed with these local citizen volunteers. Thanks to you all. See you next week. Until then!
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