We fell into fall on Sunday. Cooler temps early but 80s later on. Took a jacket to the homecoming game Friday night but didn’t need it. Guess it won’t be long until we will need coats. No rain in the immediate forecast.
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Anniversary time: Linda and Melvin Smith celebrated 34 years. Likewise former resident Gary and Suzi Mingus observed 34 years. If you or someone you know has an anniversary let us know. We do get some of our anniversary info from Facebook too.
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Socorro Gonzalez fell and broke a wrist over the weekend. Her daughter Sandra Valdez posted on Facebook they are searching for an orthopedic surgeon in Amarillo. Guess Socorro’s beauty salon customers will be handicapped for a while.
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Charlie Teague of Bovina, Chuck Teague’s dad, won the fire department’s 4-wheeler and trailer raffle drawing. Glen London won the TV raffle sponsored by the band boosters.
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Chamber golf results: Winners in the Chamber of Commerce golf tournament on Saturday were Blackburn Hardware 64, Dee King Trucking 65, Xcel Energy 66. Woman longest drive, Johnna Blackburn; man longest drive Curtis Baldwin; closest to the pin Jerry Walker.
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Friona Police Chief Frank Mooney and the Friona Police Department along with county first responders and law enforcement agencies are sponsoring the second annual National Night Out on Tuesday October 1 at the community center. Free hamburgers, chips, and water donated by Cargill and cooked by the Friona Fire Department. The LifeStar helicopter will be on hand too. Target will be present handing out goodies for the kids. There will be a bouncy house. Come out and bring the kids.
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Way to go Friona blood donors. The blood drive last Thursday collected 62 donations. Thank you all. Thanks to the 4-H kids and their sponsors for helping out at the blood drive. Just a word to donors: I was there after 5 p.m. and a lot of folks were waiting. Bessie Holt said there were very few donors between about 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. I know folks wait until school is out or they get off work but next time if you can get away between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to donate it will perhaps be a lot faster and cut down on waiting time. The next blood drive is November 21. We will remind you.
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A posting from the Ute Lake Chamber of Commerce said Ute Lake is up 7’4” since June 14. Good news for you weekend lakers.
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A bonfire for the Chieftains will be held Thursday October 10 at Reeve Lake. This is the night before district begins at Muleshoe. The Boosters are asking if you have any limbs, pallets, or old wood to add to the pile take it to the Reeve Lake area behind the Blackburn Hardware/Sonic building and donate to the bonfire.
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Claire Blanco has moved to California. Claire was a Friona resident for 23 years. Age and health concerns prompted the move to be near her daughters and family. Claire was one of the first folks I met when I moved to Friona in 1995. At the time she was a caregiver for Anne Spring. I knew Claire to be a crusty little lady who did not mind telling me how she thought things should be. She has been a good friend and a Friona Star supporter over the years. We wish Claire all the best out there in the hills of San Bernardino. She wanted me to say farewell and thanks to all of her Friona friends.
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Jim Dixon stopped by. Jim and Jane have coordinated the Dixon Six Mile Run and Two Mile Walk during Maize Days for 28 years and have decided to give it up. This was their last year for the event.
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Friona firemen were dispatched to a fire about 7:00 p.m. Sunday evening on the Leroy Burnett farm southeast of town. An old abandoned barn caught fire near where the Burnett home burned several years ago. The barn was empty and the family told firemen to let it burn. They stayed on scene while the structure burned. It was thought to have started by electrical wiring.
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The Chieftains travel to Lubbock Roosevelt this week to take on the Eagles. The game will be on KNNK radio, 100.5 FM and radio broadcast on WT Services channel 6. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
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It is United Way time again. The board met this week. There will be a meeting at 7:00 a.m. October 16 at Friona Interbank for the organizations requesting funds from the United Way to present their proposals. Officers are Rick White, president, John Gurley, vice-president, Marca Herring, secretary, and Larry Knowles, treasurer. You can donate to the United Way at Friona Interbank. The United Way funds help many local organizations. Your donation is appreciated.
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Friona Methodist Church reported that Noel White was in the hospital in Amarillo. Noel had a heart attack Sunday afternoon, went to PMC, was transferred to BSA by ambulance and has since had a stent put in. As of Tuesday his dad John said Noel was improving and should be out of ICU and in a room by now. Best wishes for a full recovery.
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The Chamber of Commerce says Christmas in the Park is coming December 2. They need volunteers to Light Up The Park. Call them if you can help. 250-3491.
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The Friona Star is on the White House press release email list. We were invited to join a conference call Wednesday (Sep 25) at 2:30 p.m. where senior administration officials would discuss the Affordable Care Act and efforts to educate the Hispanic community on the new health care law. We didn’t participate but are curious about all the efforts to sell the Obamacare program to us average Americans. Must be complicated.
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A reminder that the Friona city hall will be closed Monday, September 30. It is the end of the city fiscal year and city staff will be working on end of year reports and other end of year business.
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If you want to know more about the approaching Obamacare program in Texas and you are on Facebook, search and like Texas Tribune. They published some figures and other info about the Texas insurance exchange marketplace.
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That’s it for this week. Would like to wish James Cunningham a happy 93rd birthday on Sunday. This week James and Vernell put out 150 lbs of fertilizer and Wednesday afternoon Vernell was doing some ironing. James drove his tractor in the Maize Days parade again this year. God Bless America! Until then!
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