Looking like spring is here to stay. A couple of cooler days this week but let’s hope the freezing is behind us. (May have to eat those words later.) It was hot Saturday at the ball park for the Chiefs vs. Boys Ranch baseball game. Then Tuesday it was colder and a few little rain showers. Now if we can get some real spring rain.
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Mark your calendar for Monday April 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Friona library. A gentleman named Lee Carter from Amarillo will be here to teach you how to check out books on your e-reader gadget, iPad, Nook, Kindle, and so forth. April is National Library Month and the Library Friends have lots of library stuff planned, including an e-reader giveaway each Friday in April. Go by and sign-up for the drawings.
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Congratulations to Bovina high school powerlifter Gabriel Hancock. He won the state championship in the 114 pound class with a total lift of 905 pounds, his highest total of the season and a personal best.
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The public forum to meet the candidates for mayor and the school board will be Thursday April 18 at 6 p.m. in the junior high cafeteria. We would like to have some questions in advance. What would you like to ask a mayor or school board candidate? Email your questions to the Chamber at fedc@wtrt.net, or to the Friona Star at frionastar@wtrt.net. Chamber board members will screen the questions and use them to ask candidate questions at the forum. Make plans to be there and support the community and the candidates who are volunteering their time to run for office.
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From the Prairie Acres newsletter: the family council will meet April 18 at 7 p.m. in the conference room. This will be the last meeting until September. Cindy Rogers is president. The resident of the month is Dugan Butler and the employee of the month is Yolanda Martinez. Yolanda is a medication aide and has been employed since February 2008.
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The monthly caregiver support group meeting will be Tuesday April 16 at 10 a.m. at Friona Heritage Estates. It is open to the public, sponsored by Bluebonnet Home Health & Hospice. Caregivers and those looking for caregiver work are welcome to attend. For more information call 247-0057.
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Diane Orr says her dad, Vinton Simpson, was diagnosed with cancer last week. Tests are being run to determine what kind of treatment to provide. Keep Diane and family in your thoughts and prayers.
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Major surgery for JeDon Gallman at Methodist Hospital in Dallas was performed on Tuesday this week. His daughter Melanie said he was operated on for esophageal cancer, a serious operation and a long recovery. We send our thoughts for a positive outcome to JeDon, Kitty, Melanie and the family.
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Friona High School is planning its first Chieftain Challenge, a 5K obstacle course. The event is set for May 23. Details and requests for donations of various materials are in assistant principal Nick Kongamnach’s letter to the editor on page two this week.
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The Class of 2013 senior steak dinner is a week from Sunday (April 14) serving 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tickets in advance are $12/$10, at the door $13/$11. See any senior student or Cindy Miller or Alma Rivera. Takeouts and deliveries available. More info elsewhere in this week’s Star. Good steak, baked potato, salad, drink, homemade desserts. See you there.
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Our Friona Star photo albums from the past school year, football, volleyball, basketball, livestock shows, Miss Friona, Little Miss, Maize Days, and Cheeseburger Festival are still posted at frionaonline.com. You can order prints through the website. A standard 4x6 is $2.00. With graduation approaching might be a good time to order prints for your scrapbook or as part of a graduation gift. It is fairly simple to navigate but if you need help give us a call.
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Here is some good-to-know gang information provided by the DPS: Tango Blast has now superseded the Mexican Mafia to become the state’s most significant gang threat. The Tier 1 gangs in Texas are: Tango Blast 10,000 members; Texas Mexican Mafia 6,000 members; Texas Syndicate 4,500 members; and Barrio Azteca 3,500 members. Their press release states, “Gangs continue to pose a substantial threat to public safety in Texas and are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime in our communities.”
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Jo Beth Gipson’s mother is in the Friona hospital. They suspect she might have suffered a heart attack on Tuesday. Our thoughts are with Jo Beth and her family.
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The Class of 2013 senior banquet at First Baptist Church will be Monday April 8 at 6:30 p.m. The First Baptist Spring Revival will be held April 21-24, at 10:40 a.m. on Sunday and 7:00 p.m. each night.
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Busy week coming up: starting Friday April 5 with junior high district track at Olton and Chieftain baseball at Boys Ranch; Saturday district track meet in Muleshoe and Ladies Spring luncheon at First Baptist. Next week there is district golf, district tennis, area one-act play, state FCCLA, and the Chiefs play Sanford-Fritch twice, Tuesday and Saturday. And in the midst of it all the circus comes to town Monday.
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FHS graduate Justin Grimsley posted a photo on our Friona Star Facebook page from the NCAA basketball semifinals at Cowboy Stadium in Dallas. He said several former athletes from TCU were honored on the big screen there and among them was former Friona ISD superintendent Hal Ratcliff.
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I’ll be attending the Panhandle Press Association convention in Amarillo Friday and Saturday this week. It is being held at the Holiday Inn Medical Center. Always enjoy schmoozing with fellow newspaper publishers. Might even learn something. It ends with an awards luncheon Saturday. Might even win an award. Hope you have a good weekend too. Until then!
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