Two-a-day workouts began this week for Friona High School volleyball and football athletes. Coaches welcomed back returning lettermen, future starters, and even a few new faces. The process of determining what mix of players and strategies will yield the best results has officially begun.
Volleyball - The return of summer volleyball gave the Squaws the opportunity to improve their skills during the "off-season". Head Volleyball coach Bryan Masse said, "We were fortunate to be able to play a lot of games the past couple of months. The added experience will definitely help us improve as a team." The Squaws will scrimmage at Wildorado this Friday. On Saturday, August 7th, the team will host an alumni scrimmage involving former players. Starting around 6:00 p.m., Coach Masse and the varsity team will host a clinic in the main gym at the FHS Activity Center to explain the sport of volleyball including player responsibilities, strategies, and rules of the game. Everyone is invited to attend. After the clinic, the Friona Squaws will play the Alumni All-Stars in a scrimmage match.
Football - Once again, Division 2 District 3-AAA will be ranked as the toughest football district in the state of Texas. The district is home to the current state champions, the Canadian Wildcats. The Spearman Lynx boast a highly recruited Division 1 prospect in their offensive backfield. Add perennial playoff teams Childress and Friona to the mix and you have yourself "one tough district" to compete in. Head Football Coach Jimmy Arias said, "We have a good mix of returning players and younger players. We do have a tough district, but we look at it as a challenge to become a better team." The Chieftains will scrimmage at Sundown on August 13th at 6:00 p.m. and host Bushland for a scrimmage at 6:30 p.m. on August 19th.
The Friona Public Library and Texas AgriLife Extension wrapped up their Books & Bites program on Thursday, July 29th, with the book Groovy Joe, Ice Cream & Dinosaurs. Books & Bites was a reoccurring event each Thursday morning in July that was designed to teach children between 2nd and 5th grade about food and nutrition through reading. The program began with a storybook and was followed by a hands-on activity and a snack. After reading Groovy Joe, Ice Cream & Dinosaurs, the girls made Ice Cream in a Bag. They started by putting the ingredients for vanilla ice cream (1/4 cup of sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup of milk, and 1 cup of whipping cream) into a 1-quart zip-lock bag, sealing the zip with duct tape, and putting it into a 1-gallon zip-lock bag full of ice, ice cream salt, and water. To freeze the ice cream the girls took turns shaking the bag for 10 minutes and even asked the adults for help when they were tired. After enjoying their ice cream, the girls were surprised with gift bags that included the utensils they used during the program such as recipe books, water bottles, measuring cups, and more. The girls were also surprised with a WOW Pass as a prize from the Library. Texas AgriLife Extension hopes to bring the Books & Bites program back next year so more kids can participate!
Katiyah A. Perez, Ayaisha Zeller, Makena Zeller, Lakota Zeller with Wendy Case
West Texas Rural Telephone Cooperative (WTRT) held it 66th Annual Meeting in the new Hereford Civic Center on June 8th. Sy Olson, Corbin Riethmayer, Charles Christian, and Cody Grimsley were elected to the Board of Directors. CPA Lauren Young gave the Financial Report and told attendees that WTRT was in strong fiscal condition. Amy Linzey, CEO of WTRT, gave the Manager's Report. The following interview covers a portion of that report and a look to the future.
What is so important about fiber?
Fiber is the most reliable technology to meet the demands for bandwidth for the technologies of the future. Bandwidth is the ability to operate multiple devices at high speeds over the internet. Most households and businesses will have multiple smartphones, i-Pads, computers, etc. The demand for bandwidth is increasing at a rate of 35-40% each year.
Wireless technology does not have the bandwidth capability nor low latency that fiber allows. Wireless is only a complement to wireline, not a replacement. Wireless (including 5G) will not work without wireline facilities. It would be like driving a high performance sports car with a lawn mower engine.
West Texas Rural Telephone Cooperative (WTRT) has been installing fiber-optic-cable to enable us to serve our members with broadband internet. This multi-year project began in 2017 with funding from the Federal Communications Commission. This additional funding from the Federal Universal Service Fund was designed to help us deploy fiber in our rural service area over a 10-year period.
When will we get fiber?
The WTRT service area covers nearly 3,000 square miles, with a population of less than 1 person per square mile. Once deployed, the fiber will cover an estimated 1500 linear miles. We have installed approximately 1300 miles so far. When completed, our service area will be one of the few in the country to have fiber to the premises (your home or business). This project should be completed by mid-2022.
We are also in the process of installing fiber to the areas around the communities of Friona, Bovina and north Hereford. The community leaders of Friona and Bovina approached WTRT after the passing of the Telecom Act of 1996 in an effort to obtain better communications service for their communities. The Act allowed companies like WTRT to form competitive subsidiaries (like WT Services). WTRT was the first to do this in the state. It would appear that beyond these cities, the rural area would be part of WTRT. However, the exchanges of Friona, Bovina, and Hereford extend to an exchange boundary that meets the service area boundary of WTRT. WT Services is in the process of installing fiber to these areas, providing much needed broadband internet to approximately 300 customers.
Friona will be served with fiber (as it is today - we have some areas that already have fiber to the schools, business or homes) as well as fiber to the node. Aerial fiber will be used from our fiber fed nodes to your homes and businesses. We are awaiting approvals from the energy company to install our fiber on its poles and facilities. We have the equipment, fiber, and electronics available to begin the project as soon as the approvals are received. We have installed aerial fiber in another area and we are aware of several companies who have done the same - Vega and Texline are served with aerial fiber and it is working very well. Aerial is stable in areas where the lines are relatively protected. It is also fairly quick to install, we don't have to tear up streets, yards, alleys, or other infrastructure. Best of all, if you need a GigE, you will be able to purchase a GigE.
What is Redundancy and why is it important?
Redundancy is the ability to have duplicate routing and self-healing networks. For example, we have intentionally built our network in "rings" so that not all of our service area is impacted in the event of a fiber cut on our network. If a fiber cut were to occur, the systems in our network would re-route the traffic (data and voice) in another direction.
We recently experienced a fiber cut on our fiber in Amarillo, when a contractor cut our facility while digging with a backhoe. Because we have redundancy in our network, you weren't aware of the cut. Our Construction Team, traveled to Amarillo, dug around the cut and restored the outage in about 7 hours - shortly before storms hit the area. The traffic was automatically rerouted from where the cut occurred in Amarillo, over our facilities, through neighboring small rural telephone company facilities, to Lubbock and on to Dallas. In the past, we would have experienced a lengthy outage until our Team was able to get the cut restored.
In the past 6 months there have been two outages caused by fiber cuts on AT&T's network, one was a cut in a major artery in Waco, and the other between Post and Snyder. We contract with a database service that places caller id on your calls. What occurred as a result of these cuts, was that none of the calls in the Panhandle or in the state (in the Waco cut) could process a call. We contacted AT&T and requested that they provide redundant routing so this doesn't happen again. The order to reroute one of the links was worked on June 8th.
Besides fiber, what else is on the drawing board for WTRT and WT Services?
Currently, it is all about the fiber. We have a lot of competition from Elon Musk's "Better than Nothing" internet via satellite, numerous "Fixed Wireless" competitors, and some companies that are installing fiber. We want to be sure that you are served with state-of-the-art communications technologies and served well. The satellite and fixed wireless providers cannot compete with fiber-to-the-premise. The technology isn't comparable. You've had better than nothing communications, step up to fiber.
In the last 2-3 years, we upgraded Friona and Bovina with VDSL technology that allows us to send our state-of-the-art IPTV stream from Hereford to Friona and Bovina. Our system includes Cloud DVR, program restart, and many other features. We have community channels in Friona, Bovina, Hereford and now the Cooperative service area (channel 806 has been designated for the Cooperative). We place community announcements, business of the month, school events, community events, programming (films/sports events), and we are able to broadcast local sports, graduation events, etc. These are broadcast as a community service at no charge.
PLEASE NOTE; We need everyone to convert to the new IPTV system. We are no longer updating, supporting, or repairing the old system as it is end-of-life. It will be retired in the very near future.
We have rebooted our Two-way Radio Shop. They have a new website: mytwowayradioshop.com. We are expanding our distribution of two-way radio products nationwide. We have a new office on I-27 in Amarillo and have renovated the Radio Shop offices at our headquarters complex on South 385 near Hereford.
We are always working to provide you with more services. We now have an app on iTunes and Android, WT Smart Home. This app allows you to place parental controls on your children's or grandchildren's electronic devices - you can restrict sites that you don't want them to visit, control the times they are allowed on the internet, and restrict their gaming times. This works in concert with our WIFI Wizard. If you upgrade to our Experience IQ, your WIFI Wizard will protect any device that operates through the WIFI from hackers, malware, etc. - even your Ring doorbell.
We are offering cloud storage in our Friona Central Office. This office is designed to withstand an F-5 tornado. We would place a server for your storage, which you can update at any time and your data would never reach the internet.
What makes WTRT such a strong and vibrant company?
Our strength is in our Team members, our collective knowledge about our industry, technology, regulation, regulators and legislators, professionalism, etc. During the Covid pandemic, our Team members kept working. They wore protective gear and we never shut down. Their work allowed students to submit their school work via WIFI Hotspots. We partnered with local school districts to provide several "hotspots" throughout Friona, Bovina, and Hereford at no charge.
We also provide scholarships each year to deserving high school graduates in our service area. We are glad that we are able to support our communities.
Our mission is to connect our customers to the world from where they work and live with state-of-the-art communications technologies. Most of all, we are local and are committed to serving our customers well.
Cindy Hooley, the Heritage Estates Housing Manager has given an update about the renovations at the building. All of the showers that are being replaced have had the old inserts removed and they will be tiled showers now. Heritage Estates will also be transitioning from an assisted living facility to senior apartments during the fall. A coffee shop that serves coffee, tea, and pastries in the morning and afternoon will also be added. The details such as price and what is included are still being worked on.
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Prairie Acres Administrator says that the new beds are being put together and that the furniture is slowly being delivered. Prairie Acres is monitoring the recent upswing in Covid cases but is still allowing visitors. A call ahead of the visit is still required and visitors must wear a mask as well as be screened at the front door.
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A reminder that registration for the 2021-2022 school year is available on the parent portal for returning students. If help is needed for registration you can call or go to the Junior High on Thursday, August 5th, between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. New students must take all the required documents to get registered.
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The Friona Volunteer Fire Department has added an online payment link to their website for the 50 for 50 Gun Raffle. Tickets can also be purchased from Friona Firemen, 4-Way Pump, CHS, Property Associates, or by calling 806-265-7268. The drawing is scheduled for September 11, 2021. For more information about the rules or the prizes visit www.frionafire.com.
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The Chamber of Commerce has announced that the 65th Annual Miss Friona Scholarship Pageant and Little Miss Friona will be on Saturday, September 4th, 2021. The pageant is open to all eligible Friona girls classified as sophomore, junior, or senior in High School. Packets and more information will be available in the Chamber Office.
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Don't forget that the First Baptist Church will be having a shoe giveaway on Sunday, August 8th, for students in Kinder-High School. For info see ad on next page.
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The Friona Public Library closed temporarily for renovations on Monday, August 2nd until further notice. They are hoping to reopen Friday, August 6th and can't wait for the public to see the changes.
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The 64th Annual Maize Days Parade will be on September 11, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The theme for this year's parade is Boots & Bling so make plans to enter your floats! Vendor forms are also available in the Chamber Office or online at
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Friona Youth Sports is excited to announce that boys flag football and girls volleyball registration for 1st-6th graders is now open on their website! Registration closes August 25th! www.frionayouthsports.org
Registration is ONLY open to Parmer County residents or athletes who are currently enrolled in a Parmer County school for the 2021-2022 school year. Homeschool athletes are welcome. *Proof of residency or school enrollment may be required.
FYS need lots of volunteers to make the season run smoothly. Please consider coaching or helping out with other tasks. They are also looking for a representative from each Parmer County community to sit on the board of directors.
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National Days
August 5- Underwear Day
August 6- Water Balloon Day
August 7- Purple Heart Day
August 8- Sleep Under the Stars Night
August 9- Book Lovers Day
August 10- S'mores Day
August 11- Raspberry Bombe Day
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