Well yes that was snow and zero degree wind chill Monday morning. Not enough snow to amount to anything though. Just annoying. Our volunteer firefighters and EMS were dispatched to two different accidents caused by slick roads. The first call was at 6:30 a.m. to an accident on the 214 overpass where two vehicles hit almost head-on. Injuries were minor. The second was a while later to a pickup rollover at FM2397 and FM3140. Firemen used the jaws to cut off the cab to extricate the driver, identified as Cody Lanier.
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A man named Charles Wherry Jackson, 66, of Clyde, Texas died Wednesday April 9 in a pickup rollover east of Bovina on Hwy 60. Official report said the rear passenger tire had a blowout. The pickup was eastbound but ended up on the north side of the highway after rolling across the westbound lanes. Mr. Jackson was alone in the pickup but was said to be traveling with other vehicles on the way to Amarillo. The group, grocery chain employees, had attended a conference in Ruidoso. Blackwell-Mullins Funeral Home transported Mr. Jackson’s body to Clyde.
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The little blue building on Hwy 60 from whence Becky Soto and staff have dispensed countless burritos is no longer blue. Becky’s Burritos has a new coat of orange paint and some nice red awnings. Maybe you have noticed. It is hard to miss. Try the brisket and bean burrito for $3.50. It is my every Friday lunch. Good salsa too. Call ahead. 250-2010.
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After 32 years, first grade teacher Marka Herbert will retire at the end of this school year. She said she has a chart in her classroom to count down the days. Marka’s husband Donald retired last year. Marka joins Patsy Allen and Gayle Murdock, all veteran teachers, who are hanging it up at the end of May. Together the three ladies have over 100 years of teaching experience. Good luck ladies and thanks for your years of serving the Friona ISD.
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Received a renewal from former Friona resident and Atmos Energy employee Darrell Barlow, now enjoying retirement up in Wagoner, Oklahoma. Hey Darrell, hello from Friona.
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Let’s see if I can get the babies straight that were born within the last week. Kirk and Annette Frye’s daughter Kandace had baby daughter Norah Kandace Burk. That is a grandgirl and a grandboy within three weeks for the Fryes. Lucretia Field Morgan and husband Kyle welcomed their number two, Emma Diane. Grandparents are Vickie and Dennis Field. Kandace and Lucretia had their babies one day apart and were two doors apart at the Amarillo hospital and they had the same doctor. Beau Barnett and wife Brittany had a baby boy named Briggs this past week. He joins sister Bristol. They live in Tennessee where Beau is a police officer. Grandparents are Jana and David Barnett. Congratulations to all.
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Briar Barnett Reyes and husband Juan and their two kids left this week for a mission trip to Thailand. They will be gone for about a month, living in huts part of the time with no running water. They are in training with Youth With a Mission, a mission organization in Lindale near Tyler operated by Debbie Reeve Lascalles and family. Seems like last month I was taking photos of Briar playing basketball and Juan running track. Does time pass that fast for you too?
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A major cattle operation took place Saturday and Sunday. A group of men headed by Jim Taylor, John Taylor, Eldon Reeb, and Bryan Harris (if I left out some guys I apologize) spent four hours Saturday afternoon cutting up 1,700 steaks, and marinating them overnight, for the senior class steak dinner. Sunday morning they fired up four grills at the 4-Way Pump shop and cooked all 1,700 of them. Senior dads shuttled the steaks in coolers in the back of pickups trucks from 4-Way to the junior high cafeteria. It was a heckuva operation. The Taylor brothers hinted this might be their last year to cook for the senior class steak dinner. They have been doing it now for over 20 years.
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Imagine if you invite 1,300+ people to Sunday dinner and served them baked potatoes. On Saturday a group of senior moms gathered to wrap the potatoes in foil. On Sunday morning another group of moms tended to baking them. They started at 7:45 a.m. The timing is important to serve the folks a hot baked potato. Took a lot of womanpower to pull that operation off. And a lot of foil. I didn’t even ask how many gallons of green beans they used. Green beans took the place of salad this year. Easier to serve than salad and I think was a good choice. Of course there were miles of desserts. All in all this senior class steak dinner takes a ton of coordination. Hats off to seniors, parents, and volunteers for another successful dinner.
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At their Monday meeting, county commissioners continued the burn ban for at least the next 90 days. No outside burning. You could pay a fine.
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At the Sunday steak dinner I talked with former Friona elementary school principal Jerry Shelton for a minute. Haven’t seen Jerry in a long while, probably since they moved to Tulia many years ago.
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Former Friona Methodist Church pastor Ron Colwell moved from here to Odessa. Now in July they are moving again, this time to Albuquerque. Interesting that both the Odessa and Albuquerque churches are Asbury Methodist Church.
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At last week’s blood drive, Pat Martin won the gift card for Hunan’s Restaurant and Rhonda Murphree won the Hernandez Mexican Restaurant gift card. Thanks to these local merchants for helping with the blood drive. In case you missed it there were 61 blood donations.
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Happy birthday to the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum in Canyon. It opened April 14, 1933 and now contains more than 2 million artifacts. I’ve been there several times and it is always interesting. You should go.
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Always enjoy receiving the Friends of the Library newsletter. It is chock full of interesting tidbits. Their annual meeting is April 27 at 2:00 p.m. at the Redeemer Center. Eight baskets are on display at the library. For $1 each ticket you can enter to win one of them. Drawing will be at the April 27 meeting. Go by and look.
The used book shop on 6th St. is now closed permanently. Glendel Jones is caretaker of the library garden. A Lilah Gaye Gee-Mary Kate Zeman educational scholarship has been established. Ruby Rodriguez is keeping the library scrapbook that you can see at the spring meeting.
The 2014 Summer Reading program will begin June 4 and each Wednesday in June at 10:00 a.m. in the junior high auditorium. Plus on Tuesday June 10 the Southwest Dairy Mobile classroom will be at the city park. Friends of the Library memberships are $5 individuals, $10 family, $25 businesses, and $200 lifetime. You should join. Go by and see Darla and the girls.
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This was tucked at the bottom of one of the library newsletter pages: “Longtime librarian Billie Fairchild, 94, now of Round Rock, has brand new identical twin great-great granddaughters! Isabela and Dakota were born March 6, 2014. Congratulations great-great grandma Gigi and great grandpa Sleepy & great grandma Ruby!”
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Happy 7th anniversary to Ashley (Smiley) and Jayson Gutierrez and their three boys too. They live in El Paso but visit Mitchell and Kim Smiley and Ron and Melba Smiley often here in Friona.
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The donut shop is closed for now but I was told it will re-open with new manager/owners soon. No doubt I will be checking it out when it opens.
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This year’s Maize Days parade and booths in the park will be held Saturday October 4. Homecoming game is Friday October 3 as the Chiefs host Lubbock Roosevelt. Miss Friona and Little Miss Friona pageant information details later.
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The Friona Texas Federal Credit Union annual meeting is Tuesday April 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the junior high cafeteria. I’ll be there. Board chairman Bruce Fleming will have a big announcement to make. We’ll tell you about it next week. Until then!
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