Friona Farmers Co-Op Gin’s annual stockholder meeting is Tuesday August 13 at 7 p.m. in the gin’s new barn, not at the junior high. Catered meal and door prizes will be available. Three directors will be elected as terms of Davy Carthel, John Jarecki, and Mitchell Wiseman will expire.
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The First Baptist Church’s monthly newsletter says there will be a city wide youth rally Thursday August 15 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Friona city park. All community young folks are invited to attend.
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Progress continues at Heritage Estates and Prairie Acres. Administrator Billy Ray Johnston reports Heritage has 14 residents and Prairie Acres has 47. He says they will be losing some aides with school starting so they are in need of certified nurse’s aides and LVNs. See the classified ad in this paper if interested. The Prairie Acres resident-of-the-month is Wanda Rogers and employee-of-the-month is Yvette Garcia. Yvette works in the activity department and has been employed since June 2006.
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Workers were removing the “MM” sign from the old Maurer Building on South Main Street this week. Teto (Jennings) Milner, whose family owns the historic building, said they were removing the sign because of hail damage. There has been a lot vandalism to the outside and inside the old building. Photo on this page.
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Former Friona grads Michael Johnston and Kelby Monroe are employed in the Hastings corporate office in Amarillo and Michael’s sister Deirdre Johnston Long is employed at the Hastings store in Canyon. Kelby recently moved back to the area from Austin.
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Recent anniversaries: Fabiola and Frank Dominguez 31 years; Linda and Kevin Welch 32 years; Trip and Courtney Horton of Beaumont 34 years; Roger and Lynn Nelson 29 years; Dr. Gary and Nedra Cash 47 years; George and Aundrea Frye 54 years; Buddy and Betty Wiseman spent their 62nd anniversary this week shucking and canning corn; and V’Laura and Justin Sundlie celebrated 7 years. Justin has accepted a job as pitching coach at Lubbock Christian University where he was an All-American catcher. He coached at Abernathy this past year. Let us know if you or someone you know is having an anniversary this month.
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Photojournalist and 2001 Friona grad Mike Ortiz has taken a job with WFAA TV in Dallas. He has most recently worked for a TV station in Maryland. We know Mike will be happy to get back to Texas and closer to family.
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I just found out that my WT Services cable has added the FX channel (95) and the National Geographic channel (96). May have had them for a while but I just found them. Also the Home Shopping Network channel moved from 77 to 43. And the TV guide runs on channel 75.
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Bonnie Pope took a tumble at work and sustained a compression fracture to her L1 vertebrae. She was in the local hospital for a few days but is now home waiting to decide on further treatment. Take it easy Bonnie.
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Planning is underway here at the Star for the Maize Days edition of the newspaper and the September 5 start of the football contest. The football contest will begin September 5 and run for 12 weeks with a $25 weekly prize and a $100 grand prize. Details to come later.
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Friona volunteer firefighters Ty Potts and Stephen Campbell recently completed a one-week fire school at College Station.
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The FHS yearbooks are here. You can get yours from Allison Johnston in the high school choir room. There are some extras if you didn’t pre- order one. They are $65. For more info call Allison at 806-220-1610.
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Sherri Alger was having surgery Tuesday of this week at BSA in Amarillo. She had an appendectomy then was back in the operating room for additional surgery due to some infection. She is said to be doing fine. Sherri and husband Tom are owners of A-Tex Dairy. Also, Melvin Smith had surgery in Amarillo this week.
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The local SnackPak4Kids program will be in high gear when school starts August 26. The effort sends food home with needy kids on the weekends. The children are selected by teachers and the SnackPaks are put in their backpacks at school. The SnackPak volunteers need donations of money, 16 oz peanut butter, and Pop Tarts. With the money they volunteers buy additional snack items to send home with the kids. To assist contact Jo Beth Gipson or Becky Jones. The packets are assembled at the Senior Citizen House on Thursdays at 5 p.m. If you want to make a monetary donation you can send or bring it here to the Star office and we will see that it gets to Jo Beth and Becky.
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I visited football and volleyball practice this week. Athletics are in full swing headed for the first day of school Monday August 26. Yes it was hot Tuesday about noon at football practice. Football practice next week will be held from 2:30 - 6:00 p.m., at least that is what our practice schedule shows. Yes indeed a lot of folks are about to get real busy around here. Come on along. Until then!
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