Amarillo area Our Town briefs for the week of Sept. 11, 2022

Hispanic Heritage Luncheon and Awards Celebration set for Oct. 12 at Civic Center

Organizers from three local organizations are hosting the Hispanic Heritage Luncheon and Awards Celebration, which will honor and recognize local leaders in our Amarillo community. The event is planned for Oct. 12, with lunch starting at 11:30 a.m. and the program at noon in the Amarillo Civic Center – Grand Plaza.

The event will be held during Hispanic Heritage Month, which is a national celebration of the history and cultures that Hispanic and Latin Americans have made to American society and culture. It is celebrated Sept. 15-Oct. 15.

This year the national theme "Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation," exemplifies what local organizations dedicated to serving the Hispanic community are working to achieve, according to a news release. The Barrio was established in 1889 making it one of the oldest neighborhoods in Amarillo. A panel of speakers who were raised in the Barrio neighborhood will share memories of the past, changes in the present and hopes for the future.

“We are excited to partner with the Barrio Neighborhood Planning Committee and the Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for this celebration,” said Mary Bralley, event chair with Los Barrios de Amarillo. "The Barrio has a long history of resilience and ingenuity, and we are glad to be able to share stories from residents to those in attendance. And in keeping with tradition, awards will be presented to local leaders and volunteers. All we need from you is your nomination!”

Award categories include Young Rising Star, Lifetime Heart of the Barrio, Business Community Service, Hispanic Woman of the Year and Hispanic Man of the Year. For table sponsorships and tickets, call Teresa Kenedy at (806) 437-6592.

Individual tickets are $50, with tables of 8 ranging from $400 to $6,000. Los Barrios de Amarillo was established in 1971 and is a 501 (c) 3 organization under the patronage of the Amarillo Wesley Community Center.

City of Amarillo MPO committee to meet Sept. 15

An Amarillo Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Committee Workshop is scheduled for Sept. 15 at 1:30 pm. The meeting will be held in room 105 of City Hall.

The public will be permitted to offer public comments as provided by the agenda and as permitted by the presiding officer during the meeting. Agenda items include Present and Discuss Category 2 Project Priority List, Presentation on State Infrastructure Bank Loan Program, Summary of the Transition from MPO to a Transportation Management Area (TMA).

Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards more than $200,000 to Texas nonprofits, libraries and schools

This week, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) announced the award of more than $200,000 to Texas nonprofit organizations, libraries and schools. The funds are part of more than $3 million recently awarded across the country and aim to narrow the gap between learners’ needs and programs’ financial resources by providing books, technology, equipment or materials to youth education programs.

Texas recipients include Avondale Elementary of Amarillo, with a grant for $3,984. A comprehensive list of grant recipients may be found online at www.dgliteracy.org. The Texas grants are expected to positively impact the lives of approximately 26,000 individuals in the state.

“The Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s work to help individuals pursue their dreams and educational goals stands at the forefront of the Foundation’s philanthropic passions, and we are proud to extend our ongoing commitment to support youth education through today’s grant announcement,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s chief executive officer and Dollar General Literacy Foundation chairman. “We understand the challenges educators and literacy programs may face and are proud to invest in local literacy and education initiatives to further demonstrate our mission of Serving Others.”

Each year, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation provides financial support to schools, nonprofit organizations and libraries within a 15-mile radius of Dollar General stores and distribution centers. To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation or apply for a literacy grant, visit www.dgliteracy.org.

Kylie Hiner Memorial Park to celebrate reaching goals with groundbreaking in October

CANYON – After two years of fundraising, the Kylie Hiner Memorial Park (KHMP) Committee announced its fundraising goal of $1.1 million has been surpassed to $1.3 million. The committee announced the news at the Sept. 6 Canyon City Commission meeting.

“Honoring Kylie’s name with this Playground allows all of us the ability to remember her contagious smile, reliving great memories and hearing children playing and laughing,” said Quinn Alexander, chair of the KHMP committee.

The groundbreaking for the KHMP will be held on Thursday, Oct. 20 in Conner Park, 1900 12th Ave., Canyon, at 11 a.m. This event is open to the public, and lunch will be provided after by Southwest AMBUCS Amarillo.

Donations for the KHMP were coordinated through and raised by Southwest AMBUCS Amarillo, Texas area chapter of National AMBUCS, Inc. AMBUCS is a non-profit service organization consisting of a diverse group of men and women who are dedicated to creating mobility and independence for people with disabilities.

Vance Hall, playground committee chairman for Southwest AMBUCS, said, “The Kylie Hiner Park will help children in all 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle. It will take a load off of the park that is in Amarillo, and will bring in children to this part of the area. Brothers and sisters who have siblings with special needs will be able to play on this playground together.”

The KHMP will be a fully accessible playground located at Connor Park in Canyon. Accessible equipment will include a zipline feature, an eclipse net climber, and panels that explore tactile and musical experiences. More information regarding the KHMP can be found at http://www.canyontx.com/708/Kylie-Hiner-Memorial-Park.

Amarillo Public Library to host 'Americans and the Holocaust' exhibition September-October

Residents of Amarillo and the surrounding region have a unique opportunity to learn more about one of the darkest times in American history when the Amarillo Public Library (APL) hosts "Americans and the Holocaust", a traveling exhibition created by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association.

"Americans and the Holocaust" examines the motives, pressures, and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war, and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s. APL is one of only 50 libraries nationwide — and the only public library in Texas — selected to host the touring library exhibition based on the special exhibition of the same name at the Museum in Washington, D.C.

"Americans and the Holocaust" will be on display at the Downtown Amarillo Public Library from Saturday, Sept. 17 to Sunday, Oct. 23 during library hours. The exhibit is self-guided and admission is free, as are all the related programs being held by the library.

A lecture series, "Modern Perspectives on the Holocaust," will offer presentations by renowned journalists and historians, as well as student presenters from Amarillo College’s Presidential Scholars Program who visited the site of approximately 1 million deaths during the Holocaust while touring Krakow and Oswiecim, Poland earlier this year. These weekly presentations take place in the Amarillo Civic Center’s Heritage Room on Saturday afternoons from Sept. 24 to Oct. 15. Doors open at 2 p.m., and presentations begin at 2:30 p.m. A documentary film series, "Americans and the Holocaust in Film," will take place Thursday evenings, Sept. 22 through Oct. 20, at the Amarillo Public Library’s Southwest Branch. Each featured film focuses on one or more aspects of the Americans and the Holocaust exhibition, and a brief audience discussion will follow the screenings. This series is made possible, in part, by the support from Panhandle PBS and Friends of the Amarillo Public Library. Films will begin at 7 p.m., and doors open to the public at 6:30 p.m.

For more information about "Americans and the Holocaust" and related programming, visit www.amarillolibrary.org.

Opportunity School to host LIPS 2022 featuring Marlin McKay

Opportunity School is Jazzin’ Up LIPS live and in person Oct. 6 at the Civic Center Grand Plaza. LIPS will have a speakeasy, jazzy vibe with a mix of live music and the LIPS antics people have come to know and love.

Former Opportunity School student and professional jazz musician Marlin McKay and his jazz ensemble will perform throughout the evening. LIPS will have the same favorites with live and silent auctions, food, heavy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and lip sync acts from members of the community.

“LIPS has been a favorite community event every year since its creation in 1993 and we are thrilled to back in person,” says Executive Director Jill Goodrich. “LIPS gives us the opportunity to partner with the community for a night of fun and entertainment all to benefit our families here at Opportunity School.”

Marlin McKay is currently a professor of music at Georgetown College in Kentucky and is a renowned musician in the jazz community. He also began his education at Opportunity School and then went on to Amarillo College and has performed over the years in Amarillo.

For information on our tiers of sponsorship, general admission, and reservations, visit www.opportunityschool.com.

Austin-based addiction clinic helps rural Texans quit smoking

Maps for Recovery is an Austin-based addiction clinic, and they are opening up telemedicine spots for rural Texas specifically to help people quit smoking. MAPS is now offering 100% telemedicine services that make it easy and convenient to get the care you need from anywhere in Texas. Instead of having to drive to a doctor’s office in the middle of your workday, you can meet with our medical team using Zoom. Insurance isn’t accepted and appointments are $200 each, but if you have a primary care doctor to help, here are the things you need to know.

MAPS for Recovery is accepting 120 new patients for their new smoking cessation program statewide. Call for an appointment at 806-370-6277 or visit Maps4Recovery.com. Their team of professionals is dedicated to helping our patients find freedom from their addictions and live healthier lives.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area Our Town briefs for the week of Sept. 11, 2022