Earth Day, WT news among this week's community happenings of note
Wildcat Bluff Discovery Center to celebrate Earth Day
Wildcat Bluff Discovery Center is celebrating Earth Day this year with a public event meant for nature lovers of all ages from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 20. Including activities, crafts, and vendors, Wildcat Bluff’s Earth Day celebration will encourage community members to get outside and learn more about nature.
Vendors and food trucks so far include:
Palo Duro Canyon
Caprock Canyon
Texas Master Naturalists
Roots Plant Craft
Antojos Ice Cream Shop
The Smash Truck
DonutNV of Amarillo
Sweet Sipz
Guided hikes will start at 9 a.m., and one of the first groups will be led by local nonprofit Ogallala Life. Their hike will highlight the history of the Bluff's land and the work being done with the West Amarillo Creek restoration project. This event is included with membership or Wildcat Bluff general admission.
Follow the Don Harrington Discovery Center and Wildcat Bluff Discovery Center on Facebook and Instagram for more information on their community programs.
City parks hosting annual clean-up day at Thompson Park on April 20
Amarillo Parks and Recreation will be hosting the annual Thompson Park Clean-up on Saturday, April 20, running from 9 to 10:30 a.m.
Volunteers are invited to gather at Picnic Area 36 within Thompson Park to assist in the cleanup efforts, contributing to the beautification of Amarillo by collecting trash and supporting the Keep Amarillo Beautiful initiative.
Canyon ISD Seeks Community Input for Strategic Plan
CANYON - Canyon Independent School District is shaping the future and wants your input. Superintendent Darryl Flusche invites you to join one of our Community Focus Groups on Thursday, April 18, as the district crafts its roadmap for the next three to five years.
"Your insights are vital as we chart our course forward," Flusche said. "Join us to share your vision for Canyon ISD's future."
The event will be held Thursday at 9:45 a.m. and at 6:30 p.m. at the Canyon ISD District Support Center, 3301 N. 23rd St. in Canyon.
RSVP is not required, but appreciated. Bring your cell phone for interactive participation. For questions or more information, contact them at (806) 677-2600 or visit canyonisd.net.A community survey is available on their website, with input will adding to the district's strategies and goals.
"Join us — your ideas will shape our district’s future," a news release states.
Wendler issues blood drive challenge for WT community
CANYON — West Texas A&M University President Walter V. Wendler is challenging the campus and Canyon community to tie or beat a record high in an upcoming blood drive.
This year, Coffee Memorial Blood Center’s annual April blood drive on campus will be the President’s Challenge Blood Drive. If students, faculty, staff and community members donate 200 units, the President will treat the campus to a picnic lunch May 1.
“WT is our biggest partner, but numbers have fallen off since a high of just over 200 units donated in April 2018,” said Misti Newsom, Coffee Memorial recruitment manager. “One unit can save three lives, so that was about 600 lives impacted from just that one drive.”
The drive will run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 16, 17 and 18 in Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on WT’s Canyon campus.
Wendler, who will personally donate to the drive, said he expects WT to step up and once again provide record numbers of donated units.
To make an appointment, visit obi.org or call 877-340-8777. WT students, faculty and staff should bring their Buff ID. All donors are entered to win a new iPad and will get a free T-shirt, a $10 Pak-A-Sak gift card, and one free entry to AMP’D Adventure Park in Amarillo and the Oklahoma City Zoo.
Stewarding Our Aquifer Field Day set for April 16
Farmers, ranchers, Master Naturalists, agency personnel, educators, and the interested public are invited to attend the next Stewarding Our Aquifer Field Day (SOA) presented by Ogallala Commons (www.ogallalacommons.org) on Tuesday, April 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Wildcat Bluff Discovery Center, located at 2301 N. Soncy Rd. in Amarillo.
The purpose of the educational event is to provide information about management practices that can reduce groundwater depletion in the region, improve recharge of the Ogallala Aquifer, as well as assist in the transition from irrigated agriculture to rainfed agriculture.
Doors open at 9 a.m. at the Classroom at Wildcat Bluff Discovery Center with registration and snacks. The opening presentation at 9:30 a.m. will be a History and Overview of Wildcat Bluff Discovery Center by Kyle Hadley, Director of Exhibits and Facilities, Don Harrington Discovery Center. The following presentation will be conducted via a Zoom recording, with a presentation entitled "Long-Term Impacts of Natural Infrastructure in Dryland Streams (NIDS): Lessons from the Southwest” offered by Laura Norman, Ph.D., Supervisory Research Physical Scientist, US Geological Survey, Tucson, AZ. After a short break, Warren Thetford (Projects Coordinator) and Will Masters (Executive Director), both representing Ogallala Life Conservation, Inc., will present, “It’s the Rain You Keep - NIDS in the Texas Panhandle.”
At 11:45 a.m., lunch will be served, and then at 12:20 p.m., the group departs for a field tour to view some of the 80-100 leaky weir structures that have been installed along West Amarillo Creek on the Wildcat Bluff Discovery Center property.
Registration for the event is $30 per person (which includes the cost of lunch and snacks). To register and pay online, please click on this link: https://bit.ly/4an4fx4 Otherwise, please contact Darryl Birkenfeld, Deputy Director, Ogallala Commons to register for the event (darryl@ogallalacommons.org or by phone at 806-945-2255). Registration can be paid at the door.
WT student body president named Fulbright Scholar, will teach in Spain
CANYON — The student body president of West Texas A&M University soon will be working with a new group of scholars an ocean away from Canyon. Filiberto Avila, a senior digital media and communication major from Spearman, recently won a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Program award for the 2024-2025 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
He was celebrated during WT’s Fulbright Day event from noon to 1 p.m. April 9 in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on the Canyon campus.
As a Fulbright participant, Avila will study, conduct research and teach abroad for the upcoming academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected in an open, merit-based competition that considers leadership potential, academic and/or professional achievement, and record of service.
“The Fulbright program represents the pinnacle of cultural exchange and education, and I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to its legacy while continuing my personal and professional growth,” Avila said. “Becoming a cultural ambassador is the aspect of the Fulbright program that excites me the most. Spain is a country so rich in culture and history, and I’m very excited to immerse myself in its vibrant traditions and community.”
Previously, Avila worked as an intern at Momoc Real People in Madrid in summer 2023. The brand is committed to sustainable, ethical and vegan fashion. As community manager, Avila developed and implemented social network strategies and provided professional translation services.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is administered at WT through the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships. Anyone interested in applying for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program or other nationally competitive opportunities, or in learning more about such opportunities, can contact Cordova at jcordova@wtamu.edu. Additional information can be found at wtamu.edu/academics/nationally-competitive-scholarships/index.html.
WT sending 2 equestrian teams to national championships in May
CANYON — Two West Texas A&M University equestrian teams have qualified to compete for national championships in May.
“This is an incredible accomplishment,” said Julia Bastian, WT Equestrian co-coach. “Very few other schools have been able to qualify teams in both western and hunt seat disciplines.”
The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championship will be held May 3 to 5 at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Tryon, North Carolina.
The WT hunt seat team was named Zone 7 champion at a March 30 contest in Roscoe, Illinois. Marty Kacsh, a senior animal science / pre-vet major from Evergreen, Colorado, was named reserve champion in intermediate equitation and also will compete at nationals individually. The western team qualified for nationals after placing fourth overall at a semifinal competition March 23 and 24 in Findlay, Ohio. Three students also qualified in individual events: Anna Wilhelm, a senior equine industry and business major from Shannon, Illinois, in open horsemanship; Jennica Dannehl, a senior equine industry and business major from Bertrand, Nebraska, in level-two ranch riding; and Kaitlyn Evans, a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Valley View, in level-one horsemanship.
Amarillo Parks and Recreation Department hosting Independence Day +1 Event with fireworks, drone show, more
The City of Amarillo Parks and Recreation Department, in collaboration with Outdoor Amarillo, is hosting a unique Fourth of July-themed event for the Amarillo community – the Independence Day +1 Fireworks and Drone Show. Independence Day +1 is free to the public.
Outdoor Amarillo, a non-profit organization, is partnering with the parks department to promote outdoor recreation and community engagement. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. on July 5 at John Stiff Park and will continue throughout the evening.
Free festivities include:
Concerts: A live performance by a local band and a headliner – with announcements coming.
Beer Garden A variety of beverages will be available - must be 21 or older to enter.
Food Trucks: A diverse selection of culinary delights from Amarillo's finest food trucks.
Fun Zone for Kids: Children can enjoy the dedicated fun zone complete with games and activities.
Fireworks and Drone Show: A breathtaking display of fireworks and cutting-edge drone technology will light up the night, commemorating the spirit of independence.
Sponsorships are available for this historic Amarillo event. Sponsors can showcase commitment to the community and ensure success of this inaugural event. For sponsorship information, contact Outdoor Amarillo by email at info@outdooramarillo.org . For food truck information, contact the parks department at (806) 378-3036 or by email at contact@amarilloparks.org . Also for more information, contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager David Henry at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov .
Website helping local seniors facing food insecurity
Food insecure senior adults across the Texas Panhandle now have access to a new resource to find food pantry, mobile, home-delivered, and congregate meal options close to home.
The Mary E. Bivins Foundation launched SeniorHungerSolutions.com the first of April, which coincides with Senior Hunger Awareness Month. The website not only provides food resources across the region, but also breaks down the number of food insecure older adults by county, providing data that highlights a growing problem within our community.
“Our research found that there are several thousand food insecure older adults living in the Texas Panhandle,” explains Mary E. Bivins Program ONicer Jessica Tudyk. “Randall County, for example, has at least 2,593 seniors who lack consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.”
The Senior Hunger Solutions project first started several years ago when representatives from the Amarillo Area Foundation, Harrington Cancer and Health Foundation, High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation, and the Mary E. Bivins Foundation gathered to discuss the concern. The Senior Hunger Study identified the scope of hunger and food insecurity among seniors in the top 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle, produced a list of resources, and served as a catalyst for discussion and collaboration among organizations already serving the growing food insecure senior population.
"Addressing hunger and food insecurity among older adults is an important part of the Mary E. Bivins Foundation’s mission, so we immediately started working on a way to help senior adults find the resources they need to become food secure,” says Tudyk. “SeniorHungerSolutions.com features dedicated pages for all 26 Panhandle Counties, providing a detailed list of food resources specific to each county.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area Our Town briefs for April 14, 2024
