The county burn ban will be in effect at midnight Monday March 30 until further notice. We have had some nice weather but it is dry again. Friona firefighters answered a grass fire call about 2:00 p.m. Monday east of town on Hwy 60. County commissioners and Judge Trey Ellis voted to reinstate the burn ban at Monday's meeting.
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We have been notified that Friona ISD will have classes on Friday April 3. That is Good Friday. Normally school is out but this must be a makeup snow day. So parents mark your calendars. The school calendar for the month of April is in this Star.
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At Lions Club last week, John Jordan, who is employed at High Plains Dairy/Blue Sky Farms, said that dairy owner Harry DeWit has purchased some buffaloes. He said they had 21 pregnant buffaloes out there and might have plans to get a few more, including a bull. I spoke with Harry and he said eventually they will be pastured on Highway 86 across from the dairy. The baby calves should be arriving sometime in May. Should make for some interesting sightseeing.
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At Monday's county commissioners meeting the following people were appointed to the Parmer County Historical Commission: Gladys and Don Spring, Richard Carson, Bonnie Howard, Tommie Fulcher, Mack Heald, Gay Goettsch, Sharon White, Mary Johnston, Hollis Horton, Joe Bob Mann, and Wendy Carthel. Also, David Norton of Farwell was appointed to the Appraisal District Board. The commissioners bought a new postage machine for the courthouse and approved a request from Bovina and Farwell to use the county voter machines for the May 9 election.
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This has been National Work Zone Awareness Week. TxDOT says 146 people were killed in work zone crashes in 2014. They said in 2014 there were 19,393 work zone crashes. That is hard to believe. The biggest percentage of deaths in work zones were motorists, not workers. Speed and driver inattention were named as the two biggest contributors to work zone crashes. Slow down and pay attention in our highway work zones. Thank you.
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I enjoyed attending the Cargill Employee Service Awards banquet Saturday night at the Hereford Country Club. This is about the 10th year at least that I have been invited to attend. Maybe more. I've lost count. We dined on a terrific filet mignon, with green beans and twice baked potatoes. A very nice evening as a hard working group of Cargill employees were duly recognized for 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of work. Earl Quintana of Bovina received a 40-year award and it was said he plans to retire in October.
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Are the American Pickers coming to Friona? Maybe, maybe not. They are looking for places to "pick" but the guidelines are pretty strict. Has to be a huge private collection of stuff, no stores, malls, or businesses. They also say they are not looking for agriculture equipment or old tractors. There is more info in this week's Star about what they are looking for.
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The Friona All-Sports Banquet has been scheduled for Monday May 18 in the junior high cafeteria. The senior class steak dinner is Sunday April 12. Aluminum cans are still being collected in the trailer at the Kendrick Farm Store for the benefit of the Class of 2015 all-night drug free party.
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The Chiefs baseball team beat San Jacinto 8-7 Saturday. They lost at Texico Tuesday 12-4. District play opens Tuesday March 31 with a 4:30 game vs. Shallowater here at the Chieftain Ball Park, followed by the JV about 6:30. KNNK 100.5 FM will broadcast all varsity baseball district games. You can also listen at WT Services channel 6 or online at knnkradio.com.
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The Squaws track team placed 2nd at a meet in Tucumcari Saturday. They go to Dimmitt track meet Friday. The state powerlift meet in Abilene is this weekend. Good Luck Edgar.
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Have a few anniversaries to celebrate this week. Joe and Marlene Mueller 48 years, Fred and Janet (Mingus) Rose 41 years, Lisa and Mark Neill 33 years, Tiny and Lupe Taylor 13 years, and the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) 5 years. Just had to throw that last one in. Congratulations to all of these folks.
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Spoke to Mildred Mingus this week. She read about the hospital and called. Mildred and two other nurses came to Friona from Dallas in 1947 to work at the hospital, which at the time was a converted military barracks. She said eventually the other two nurses moved on but she fell in love, got married and stayed. She remembers Dr. Robert Stokes at the hospital and when Lynn Nelson was born. Lynn is most recently the head nurse at the hospital. Mildred said Dr. Paul Spring was an intern at Methodist Hospital in Dallas when she was in nurse's training there. Mildred is now 93-years-old and living in Ennis with her daughter Janet Rose. Thanks for the call and the memories Mildred.
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The Clovis Home & Garden Show is March 28-29 at the Clovis Civic Center. 10-5 Saturday and 11-5 Sunday (New Mexico time). We better be thinking about gardening and yard work I guess. Doppler Dave says we are not done with winter weather yet though.
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The bugs are back. Drove through a bug shower on the way to the DSEC annual meeting at the Hereford Bull Barn Tuesday evening. Been a long time since I've had to scrub bugs off my windshield.
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Been going to the Electric Co-Op meeting for many years and I believe Tuesday night's crowd was one of the largest yet. Danny's Hens & Fins catered again so I had plenty of fish and tartar sauce to eat. Donald Wright, Steve Olson, and Danny Hand were re-elected to the Co-Op Board of Directors. They handed members a thin cutting board and a program when they signed in which made it tricky for them to go through the food line but there were plenty of DSEC employees to help carry stuff to the tables. Among General Manager Mike Veazey's report was this bit of trivia: DSEC's existing transmission, distribution, and underground lines now total 4,902 miles serving 16,173 meters.
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Tickets to the April 12 senior class steak dinner have been increased this year to $15 adults in advance and $16 at the door. Children under 10 are $10/$11. The increase is because of an increase in beef prices they say. Serving is 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Takeouts available. Tickets available from any senior or parents.
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The hectic spring schedule continues. The April FISD school calendar is in this Star. Cut it out and stick it on the fridge. We will see you next week with all of the Chamber of Commerce citizen award winners. Until then!
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