The Parmer County Commissioners Court met in regular session on Monday, August 23, 2021 at 10 a.m. in the County Courtroom of the Parmer County Courthouse in Farwell, Texas. The meeting began with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag and Texas Flag.
There were no public comments. Minutes from the August 9th meeting were read and approved. Commissioners approved the payment of the accounts payables as presented by County Treasurer Sharon May. The Treasurer's payroll report was also approved.
Commissioners approved a proposed tax rate of $0.5334 per $100 for Year 2021. This is a 0.05% decrease from last year's rate of $0.5337 per $100. However, most residents will see a net increase in taxes due to higher valuations of their property. A public meeting to vote on the proposed tax rate will be held on September 13, 2021 at 9:30 in the Parmer County Court Room First Floor. For more information, please see the Notice of Meeting to Vote on Tax Rate on page 10.
Commissioners approved the order for a Special Election for Constitutional Amendments to be held on November 2, 2021. In the past, the County Judge could approve the order but under new state laws the Commissioners Court must be on record with their approval.
In other business, Robert White was reappointed to serve on the Board of Directors at the Central Plains Center. A request to run a water line under County Road R and Country Road 17 was approved. Also, approval was given for a bond for District Deputy Clerk Rose Longley.
Sheriff Randy Geries reported that he was currently housing 25 inmates in the Parmer County Law Enforcement Center. Seven of the inmates are from Deaf Smith County.
The next scheduled Commissioners Court meeting is Monday, September 13th.
All meetings are open to the public. The Commissioner's Court reserves the right to go into Executive Session at any time. The agenda may be found on the Parmer County website. Information in this article is only a summary. Any questions concerning specific actions should be directed to the Commissioners Court.
Wash your hands. Wear a mask. Keep a safe distance. Sound familiar? Unfortunately these safety measures have become urgent again because of the return of the Covid virus. Parmer County is currently listed as a "High Risk" area.
The most recent report from Parmer Medical Center shows that 110 individuals in Parmer County have been tested for Covid during the month of August. Out of the 81 tests that have been completed, 38 have registered positive for the Covid virus. That 47% positivity rate is not a good sign. As a stark comparison, for the month of July only 27 tests were administered with 9 coming back positive for Covid.
Parmer Medical Center is hosting a Free Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic on Friday, August 27th from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the XIT Recreation Center in Bovina, Texas. Pfizer vaccines are now available for ages 12 and up. Call for an appointment at 806-240-1562 or 806-240-1761. Walk-ins are available.
Branson Trip — Dale and Donna Schueler will be leaders of a Diamond Tours Bus trip to Branson, Missouri on Nov. 29 - Dec. 4. They still have room available if you are interested. Please call 806-294-3585 or 806-265-5960.
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Friona Blood Drive — Coffee Memorial Blood Center workers collected 30 units of blood at last Thursday's community blood drive. Since each unit can save up to three lives, around 90 individuals will benefit from blood collected. Thanks to everyone who donated!
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Covid-19 Vaccines — Parmer Medical Center is hosting a Free Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic on Friday, August 27th from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the XIT Recreation Center in Bovina, Texas. They are now offering Pfizer for ages 12 and up. Call for an appointment at 806-240-1562 or 806-240-1761. Walk-ins are available.
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Youth Fishing Day — The Texas Junior Anglers will host a Youth Fishing Day at Reeve Lake on Sunday, September 12th from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event is presented by the Friona Economic Development Corporation. No pre-registration is required. Fishing equipment will be provided, if needed.
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Band Booster T-Shirts — You can now order band booster t-shirts for the upcoming marching season. Sizes are available from Youth XS - Adult 3XL. They will be $20.00 each. Orders due to Katie Gilley by Friday, September 3rd. To order, text Katie at 806-346-4934 or email her at kgilley@frionaisd.com. If you have ordered, but not paid by the 3rd, your order will be cancelled.
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Book Shop News — While the Friends of the Library Book Shop appreciates all donations of good quality used books, we need to ask that you postpone large donations until further notice. We can still accept small boxes or bags of books. The book shop is located at 618 Euclid and is open on Wednesday afternoons from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. and by appointment.
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Pageant News — The 65th Annual Miss Friona Scholarship Pageant and Little Miss Pageant have been rescheduled for Saturday, September 11th. The events will begin at 3:00 p.m. in the Friona High School Auditorium.
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Maize Days — Vendor forms for the 64th Annual Maize Days Celebration are available in the Chamber Office or online at www.friona-chamber.com. The deadline to submit the vendor forms is on Friday, September 3, 2021 at 3:00 p.m.
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Snack Pak News — The next Snack Pak packing for this school year is Tuesday, August 31st at 3 p.m. If you would like to help, meet at the Friona United Methodist Church (North entrance on 9th street).
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Burnt Ends Day is September 1st — Once considered trimmings or left-overs, burnt ends come from the point of a brisket. The name comes from the longer cooking time required for tender brisket. As a result, these thinner points become a little charred and tougher than the rest of the meat. Delicious on their own, burnt ends also taste amazing on sandwiches and in stews. They can be sweet, spicy, smoky, or all three at once!
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National Days
August 26 — Dog Day
August 27 — Just Because Day
August 28 — Bow Tie Day
August 29 — Lemon Juice Day
August 30 — Grief Awareness Day
August 31 — Trail Mix Day
September 1 — Burnt Ends Day
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Classmates and graduates of Friona's Class of 1959 gathered in Amarillo on August 20th to celebrate class members reaching 80 years old. Name tags with a school picture attached were used to ensure that everyone could be recognized.
Classmates from Oregon to Kansas to Arkansas and all over Texas arrived for the gathering. A pizza meal on Friday night got everyone warmed up for a full day of show and tell on Saturday. Actually everyone enjoyed just sitting and visiting. Many photos were passed around which conjured up many good stories. There were 48 graduates in May 1959. In the 62 years following, 19 have died.
A total of 26 people celebrated some or all of the weekend festivities. The spouses have always been a big part of the reunions. The gathering ended with a meal Saturday night followed by a birthday cake for dessert. The group was enthusiastic about scheduling the next reunion in two years.
Bottom row (l-r): Pat Cranfill Liston and Keith Taylor; Seated (l-r): Johnny Tomlin Douglas, LaVon Fleming Reeve, Nancy Outland Roden, Raye Jean Jones Daniel, Kay Kirk Renner, Elaine Holcomb White, and Junita Schwab Larkin; Standing (l-r): Wayne Rhodes, Frank Ready, Bomar Stacy, Gary McLaughlin, Gene Pope, Keith Menefee, Larry Moyer, and Janiece Bock Baxter; Not pictured: Oneil Greeson.