They say we had wind, thunder, and lightning blow through Friona Sunday night after midnight. I didn’t hear it but had to reset some clocks after the electricity went off for a bit. Straight line winds further north near Summerfield (in Castro County) derailed 70 train cars. I drove there mid-morning and took a few photos of the clean-up operation. It was a busy scene with BNSF employees, cranes, front loaders, etc. A TV report said they should have it cleaned up and reopened by midnight. Don’t see how that could be possible. Bet there will be some rail cars lying around for quite a while.
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Tuesday rain report: Official weather guy John Gurley said Monday night’s rain brought varying amounts in the area. He reported .15” in Friona, .60” at Clay’s Corner, and Dennis Anthony said 4” was recorded at Bootleg.
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This is a good time to remind everyone about mosquitoes. With the rain we have received no doubt mosquitoes are breeding in standing water. If you have water standing around your property dump it out. I’ve talked to a couple of folks this week who suffered mosquito bites while out in the yard. Buy some Off, maybe wear long sleeves if you are working outside, and be careful to avoid mosquitoes and the possibility of West Nile Virus.
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Tenna Montana, daughter of Andy and Erika Montana, was named to the University of Incarnate Word’s Dean’s List for the 2013 spring semester. The university is located in San Antonio. Congratulations Tenna.
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CASA del Llano summer camp program offers children completing kindergarten through 7th grade an opportunity for fun, creativity, and learning. Registration will be from June 24 to July 2 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Casa del Llano, 309 E. 6th St. in Hereford. Apply in person. The camp will be July 2 – August 1 (Tuesday and Thursday from 1-3 p.m. for ages 5 thru 12. Cost is $25 per child. For more information contact the office at 806-364-4445 or email casa1@wtrt.net.
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Bovina will have a 4th of July parade starting at 10 a.m. in front of the fire station, proceed down 3rd St. and end at the city park. If you have a horse, bike, or any vehicle and want to be in the parade just show up. Booths in the park will be $35. If you want a booth call Ben Cantu sat 806-206-1796.There will not be a rodeo this year. Bovina will have fireworks but the exact site has not been decided.
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Well, Cowboy and Bronco fans, or all NFL fans, beginning with pre-season games this year the following items will NOT be allowed into any stadium at a National Football League game or event: purses or any other bag measuring more than approximately the size of a hand, coolers, fanny packs, briefcases, backpacks, luggage of any kind, computer bags, camera bags, and seat cushions. You can take purse contents in a clear Ziploc bag, a smart phone, binoculars, and cameras but only if it is not in its own bag. Here is the neat part: official NFL sponsored clear plastic bags, with a team logo, will be available for purchase at gate entrances and merchandising kiosks. How much will a Cowboy logo Ziploc bag cost?
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Received a nice note from Joy Graham along with her subscription renewal. Joy lives in Lubbock and is doing well. Said she enjoys reading about all of her Friona friends and keeping up with Friona news. Thanks and good to hear from you Joy.
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Mike and Reta Martin’s grandkids will be operating their “Cousin Camp Lemonade” stand at A-1 Service Center July 1-3. They will be open from 1 p.m. to whenever. They were here last year and we had a photo of them in the Star. Cute kids and very efficient. Plus it was good lemonade. Stop by and see them.
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Bryan and Dana Campbell celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary this week. Congratulations you two. They have their house listed and plan to move to Muenster, Tx. We will miss the Campbell family and wish them well. Know anyone that wants to buy a really nice house have them call Property Associates at 250-2745.
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Flowers and cake for Bryan and Allison Johnston who celebrated 31 years of marriage on June 19. Bryan is lawyering in Hereford. Allison will be preparing for another summer drama workshop in July after the wedding of her daughter Deirdre this weekend. She is a busy lady. Maybe that is why their marriage has lasted so long. Congratulations Johnstons.
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Saturday, June 22, at 8 p.m. in Clovis’ Ned Houk Park, the Clovis Community Band will perform “Music Under the Stars.” Friona residents Dave Thompson, Rickey Rector, and David Sides perform with the band. Take lawn chairs, blankets, and mosquito repellent.
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Bruce and Jo Beth Gipson left last week for a mission trip to Hungary. They flew to El Paso, then Chicago to London then Budapest. Long trip of some 40 hours she said. They are keeping in touch via Facebook and will return home on June 27.
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The Friona Economic Development Corporation (FEDC) purchased the lots at Main and Hwy 60 next to the post office from the owners of Hometown Hardware. The purchase price of the three lots was $40,000. The city, FEDC, and Chamber of Commerce are discussing plans on utilizing the lots as a ‘Welcome to Friona’ area, perhaps with an electronic message sign, landscaping, and/or widening the right turn lane to accommodate truck traffic turning east onto Hwy 60 from Main. No plans are definite at this time but city crews have cleaned off the area. Be interesting to watch the progress. Hats off to the FEDC and the city for transforming the cluttered lot into a presentable area for visitors and residents alike.
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Fast Stop was closed on and off for a couple of days because of computer network problems. It seriously disrupted my routine. Fast Stop is a daily stop for me and many other people on the way to work in the mornings. I get an Amarillo paper, maybe chocolate milk and donut sticks or a sausage egg biscuit. Many regular customers line up for coffee, fountain drinks, burritos etc. I’ve seen Fast Stop manager Esperanza Herrera almost every morning for the past 18 years. When they are closed we get out of sorts. This morning there was a help wanted sign on the door, looking for deli/grill help. If you know anyone looking for that kind of work send them to see Esperanza or Brenda Fairweather.
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Congress keeps kicking around a Farm Bill. One interesting point about the Farm Bill is that 80% of Farm Bill spending ($80 billion a year) goes to food stamps. They like to call it SNAP but it is still food stamps. About 50 million Americans receive food stamps. The government has actually run advertisements urging people to apply for food stamps. Nancy Pelosi has stated that the food stamp program creates jobs and boosts the economy. I suppose it does in a left-handed sort of way. The Farm Bill affects our area so we will be trying our best to keep up with it.
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My middle daughter, Kirsten McCurry, has a birthday this week. She was born in Dallas June 19, 1975. She was indeed a pretty baby and has grown into a pretty person, living in Frisco and mother to my grandkids Hannah and Holden. Happy birthday Kirsten. You make me proud.
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The Pudge Kendrick Memorial Golf Tournament will take place Saturday and Sunday at Friona Golf Club. Tee times Saturday are in the morning and afternoon. There will be food and fun out there along with door prizes and prize money to flight winners. About 60 teams will be playing, many from out-of-town. I’ll be hanging out taking some photos and listening to the normal B.S. being thrown around. It is always a popular event. Thanks to Danny Kendrick, Greg Lewellen, Dee King and the Kendrick Oil and Friona Golf Club employees and volunteers for coordinating the tournament. It is definitely an asset to the town.
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Don’t forget the Friona Interbank cookout on the bank lawn Friday June 21 from 11:30 to 1:30 in honor of bank president Gary Brown’s 50-years in banking. Friday is also the first official day of summer. Let’s hope this summer brings us ample rain for a change.
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And then there is this tweet from Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. “Does anyone know if President Obama intends to perform background checks on the Syrian Rebels before providing them weapons?” And during his trip to Germany President Obama is being greeted with protest signs that read “Yes we Scan” and “Ich bin ein snoop.” Have a great week. Until then!
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