The Annual Community Thanksgiving Service is set for Sunday, November 20, at Calvary Baptist Church, located at 1500 Cleveland Avenue. The service will begin at 6:00 p.m. and is hosted by Friona Christian Ministries. It is always an uplifting time of worshiping the Lord Jesus as a community of believers. An offering will be taken and the proceeds will be used throughout the year to help people in our community with basic needs. There will be a time of fellowship immediately following the service.
Parmer Medical Center in proud to introduce Vincent Esparza, MD. Dr. Esparza completed his Medical School training at Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Paul Foster School of Medicine in El Paso, Texas. He completed his internship in Texas Tech University Psych Program (UMC) in El Paso, Texas and his residency in Internal Medicine at Mountain View Regional Medical Center, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Dr. Esparza relocated to Friona from Las Cruces on October 30th and started working at Friona Rural Health Clinic on October 31st. When asked, Why Friona?, Dr. Esparza replied, "I like taking care of the hard-working people of Parmer County. I really enjoy the sense of community that is fostered here, and I hope to get the opportunity to be part of that."
Dr. Esparza enjoys rebuilding old cars, playing guitar, and spending time with his family and friends. He has a tiny, sweet Yorkie named Sarah that he loves to spend time with. His proudest accomplishment is graduating from Medical School.
Dr. Esparza wants to remind his patients to always use antibiotics responsibly.
If you have not had the opportunity to meet Dr. Esparza, please stop by Friona Rural Health Clinic or make an appointment to see him. He would love the opportunity to become acquainted with more members of the healthcare service area.
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Veterans Day Program - Everyone is invited to the FHS Veterans Day Program on Friday, November 11th. The event will start at 10:00 a.m. in the Friona High School Gym and will feature readings, veteran recognition, the FHS choir and band, and more. A reception will follow in the Hospitality Room at the high school and will be hosted by FCCLA members, Hospitality students, and Friends of the Library.
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Football on the air - tune in to KGRW 94.7 FM to hear Brian Fortner provide play-by-play action as the Friona Chieftains battle the Idalou Wildcats in a Bi-District football playoff game starting at 7 p.m. Friday night.
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In A Theater Near You - FHS Theatre will present the musical comedy "The Addams Family" on Sunday, November 13th @ 2:30 p.m. and Monday, November 14th @ 7:00 p.m. in the FHS Auditorium. Admission is $5.00 and the fun is free.
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School Meal Rescheduled - The Friona ISD Thanksgiving Meal has been moved to Friday, November 18th. The price will be $5.00 for everyone.
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Save the Date - The Annual Community Thanksgiving Service is set for Sunday, November 20, at Calvary Baptist Church, located at 1500 Cleveland Avenue. The service will begin at 6:00 p.m. and is hosted by Friona Christian Ministries.
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Santa's for Seniors - If you would like to adopt a resident for Christmas, the list is ready at Prairie Acres. Please contact the Activity department @ 806-250-3922.
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Just 4 Laughs - (1) A man told his doctor, "Doc, help me. I'm addicted to Twitter!" The doctor replied, "Sorry, I don't follow you." (2) Why did the yogurt go to the art exhibition? Because it was cultured. (3) What do you call an apology written in dots and dashes? Re-Morse code. (4) Why did the hipster burn his mouth? He drank the coffee before it was cool. Source: https://www.rd.com/list/short-jokes/
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November Vaccination Reminder - Parmer Medical Center will conduct a COVID Vaccine Clinic on Friday, November 18th from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Bovina at the XIT Recreation Center.
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Blood Drive Report - thanks to everyone who participated in the blood drive last week. The next drive will be in January. Special thanks to the cooking crew at Senior Citizens for preparing hamburgers and french fries for all of the blood donors and the Coffee Memorial workers (see photos on back page). The Friona Noon Lions Club hosted the blood drive and approved a $300 donation to the Senior Citizens organization for their help with the special meal.
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Fast Food Day - first popularized in the U.S. in the 1950s, fast food is considered any meal with low preparation time and served to a customer in a packaged form. The meal makes for quick dine-in, take-out or take-away. Merriam-Webster dictionary first recognized the term "fast food" in 1951. The United States hosts the largest fast food industry in the world. American fast-food restaurants are located in over 100 countries. Fun fact: The first Happy Meal was served in June of 1979.
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National Days
November 10: Marine Corps Birthday
November 11: Veterans Day
November 12: French Dip Day
November 13: Daylight Saving Time Ends
November 14: Seat Belt Day
November 15: Clean Out Fridge Day
November 16: Fast Food Day
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City Election - The City of Friona Special Election allowing for "The legal sale of all alcoholic beverages including mixed beverages" was defeated 176-173 by voters on Tuesday. The 349 votes out of a possible 1,551 represents a 22.5% voter turnout for the election.
In the General Election there were 7 polling locations in Parmer County. There are 4,452 registered voters in the county and a total of 1,768 votes were cast which represents a 39.71% voter turnout. Complete election results in next week's Friona Star.
County Election - All County candidates ran unopposed and were declared elected. They include Izzy Carrasco as County Judge, Eric Geske as Sheriff, Sandra Warren as District Clerk, Susie Spring as County Clerk, and Sharon May as County Treasurer. Also, Charles Wilkins as Pct. 2 Commissioner, Casey Russel as Pct. 4 Commissioner, Rhonda Wilkins as Pct. 1 JP, Deena Lucero as Pct. 2 JP, and Pam Haseloff as Pct. 3 JP.
State Election - District 86 State Representative John T. Smithee, 287th Judicial District Judge Kathryn Gurley, and Kevin Sparks as State Senator, ran unopposed and were declared elected.
Governor Greg Abbott was reelected and received 87% of the vote in Parmer County.
U.S. Election - U.S. Representative (District 19) Jodey Arrington was reelected and received 91% of the vote in Parmer County.
Friona Seniors Citizens (FSC) requested financial assistance from both the Friona City Council and the Parmer County Commissioner's Court through the Rebuild American funds provided to the City and County. Both entities made a 24-month financial commitment from these funds to help FSC recover from the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. As an organization, we are so grateful for their support.
Friona Senior Citizens is an important asset for residents of Friona and the surrounding areas. It provides nutritious meals, great socialization, and we are the only provider of Meals on Wheels for Friona.
Delicious meals are served at noon on Mondays and Thursdays at the Friendship House located at 1410 Washington Street. Everyone is invited and there is no minimum age requirement. Attendees have ranged in age from 2 years to 90+ years.
Meals are $5.00 for members and $6.00 for non-members. Takeout is available for an additional 50 cents. Membership is $40 per year and those funds help fund this organization throughout the year.
If you are interested in receiving Meals on Wheels on Mondays and Thursdays, you may contact Mary Joyce Barnett at 806-265-3583 or 806-265-5030.
You may call Susan Gonzales at 806-344-6333 by 10:00 a.m. on Monday and Thursday to order a takeout meal and/or find out what is on the menu for the day. Come join us for lunch sometime. You'll get a tasty meal and an opportunity to visit with friends and neighbors. We look forward to seeing you there!
Back Row (l-r): Mayor Greg Lewellen, Pct. 1 JP Rhonda Wilkins, Pct. 2 Commissioner Charles Wilkins, Pct. 1 Commissioner Kirk Frye. Front Row (l-r) Susan Gonzales, City Manager Lee Davila.
The Cooking Crew (l-r): Susan Gonzales, Mercedes Williams. Lina Padilla, Cynthia Gonzalez & Myra Rangal.
Larry Rector, Dee Clark, Gary Johnson, Beatrice Perkins, Fred Cook, Ted Procter