Amarillo community news: Vaccines, Elder Abuse Prevention Month, clinics, more

Amarillo Globe-News
·9 min read

NWTHS Behaviorial Health to offer special summer educators program

Northwest Texas Healthcare System Behavioral Health will be hosting a special program for educators this summer beginning June 14 through June 30 with sessions on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

Educators across the nation have experienced an increase in anxiety and depression, often suffering from debilitating, career-ending symptoms. This summer program offers educators ways to ease potential teacher struggles including:

  • Maintaining classroom discipline and other behaviors

  • Filling in gaps for absent teachers

  • Working with parents and their concerns

  • Expectations related to student learning.

  • Mindfulness and self-care

  • And several other topics

For more information or to register, call 806-351-7150.

DHDC opens new limited-time exhibit for month of June

Step back in time as the Don Harrington Discovery Center presents the captivating "Past to Present & Beyond" exhibit. Opened on June 1, this limited-time showcase features artifacts from the 1968 time capsule of the Helium Monument.

Visitors can explore eight displays of donated items and view a slideshow documenting the monument's original unveiling and its 2018 opening.

“The Don Harrington Discovery Center has been honored to steward the rich history of Amarillo through the Helium Monument time capsules,” Don Harrington Discovery Center CEO Wendy Taylor said. “We are thrilled to offer this free exhibit for the community to enjoy and reflect on our community's past, while looking toward the future.”

The exhibit will be available from now to June 30 in the Discovery Center's front lobby, with free admission. Regular admission is required to explore the rest of the center.

For more information, visit DHDC.org or follow the Don Harrington Discovery Center on Facebook.

Summer hours begin June 6 at AAMW

The City of Amarillo Animal Management & Welfare Department (AAMW) will have summer hours of operation beginning Tuesday, June 6.

The AAMW summer hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. (Normal hours of operation). AAMW is closed Sunday and Monday.

For more information, contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager Dave Henry at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov .

Amarillo City Council meetings moving to 3 p.m. schedule

Meeting times for Amarillo City Council will be moving from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. beginning Tuesday, June 13.

City council meetings will remain every other Tuesday at Amarillo City Hall. Agendas for city council meetings are posted at amarillo.gov .

For more information contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager Dave Henry at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov .

COVID-19 vaccines still available for free

Amarillo Public Health still has access to provide the community with free Covid vaccines. The availability, access and cost of Covid vaccines were not impacted by the end of the public health emergency since vaccine access, cost and distribution are determined by the supply of federally purchased vaccines, not the public health emergency.

As long as the federal government’s supply of vaccines last, Covid vaccines will remain free to all people, regardless of insurance coverage. Amarillo Public Health encourages residents to stay up-to-date on Covid vaccinations while the latest vaccine is still free and easily accessible. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to advise that everyone stay up-to-date on Covid vaccinations to best protect against severe illness, hospitalization and death due to Covid. Ask a physician or Amarillo Public Health for specific guidance about the recommendations.

The latest Covid vaccine is available for free Monday through Thursday with no appointment required at Amarillo Public Health, 850 Martin Road, and Amarillo Public Health mobile clinics. Nurses will be available at the mobile clinics to answer health-related questions.

Upcoming Mobile Vaccine Clinics include:

  • 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 7 at the Guyon Saunders Resource Center, 200 S. Tyler St.

  • 5:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. on June 7 at the Salvation Army of Amarillo, 400 S. Harrison St.

  • 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on June 9 at Unwind Your Mind at the Amarillo Zoo, 700 Comanchero Trail

  • 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on June 10 at the Summer Free for All at Sam Houston Park, 4101 Line Ave.

  • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 17 at the Juneteenth Parade and Celebration at Bones Hooks Park, 2000 N. Hughes St.

  • 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on June 22 at the Home Buyer Class at the Alamo Community Center, 1502 S. Cleveland St.

  • 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on June 25 at the Rainbow Riot, 451 E. Loop 335 S.

  • 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on June 30 at Neon Nebula at Starlight Ranch Event Center, 1415 Sunrise Dr. #4300

Learn more about finding a vaccine or scheduling a free ride to Amarillo Public Health at www.AmarilloAlerts.com/findavaccine.

Amarillo Museum of Art
Amarillo Museum of Art

ArtAfterDark to be held at AMoA on Friday

Guests can enjoy the annual ArtAfterDark event at the Amarillo Museum of Art (AMoA) on Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. Cost is $30 per person, or free for AMoA members. Memberships or tickets will be available at the door.

The after-hours celebratory event is designed to attract an audience interested in broadening their understanding and appreciation of art. Now in its eighth year, ArtAfterDark is a unique event that incorporates art with music and food and drinks as a fresh way to explore all facets of the exhibitions on view. Hands-on art activities, games and gallery hunts further enhance the evening experience.

Exhibitions currently on view include Jun Kaneko, Terry Allen, ArtSpace: Pop Imagery and selections from the Dr. and Mrs. William T. Price Collection of Asian Art. Food will be provided by Reagan's Brick Oven Pizza and SheSheCakes, with a full bar with a Signature Cocktail and giveaways by Still Austin Whiskey Co. Music will be provided by Charlie Shafter & Matt Martindale.

The Amarillo Museum of Art is located at 2200 South Van Buren on the Washington Street campus of Amarillo College. For additional information, visit www.amoa.org, email amoa@actx.edu, or call 806-371-5050 or 806-371-5392 (weekends).

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services held a “Paint Cadillac Ranch Purple” event in 2022. This year's event was cancelled due to weather.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services held a “Paint Cadillac Ranch Purple” event in 2022. This year's event was cancelled due to weather.

June is Elder Abuse Prevention Month in Texas, and it’s the perfect time to check on elderly friends and neighbors

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) works to protect the unprotected, and that includes the elderly members of our communities. Do you have an elderly neighbor who can no longer keep up their home, isn’t taking care of his or herself, or needs medical care? You may be the only person who knows or cares.

The annual awareness event in Amarillo, “Paint Cadillac Ranch Purple,” was cancelled due to weather conditions.

“Abuse may get the headlines, but one of the most common situations we encounter is self-neglect,” said Adult Protective Services (APS) Community Engagement Specialist Marci Leffler. “Sometimes when people become ill or depressed, they quit trying or simply can’t care for themselves without some help. That's when someone needs to make a call to the Texas Abuse Hotline.”

State law requires anyone who suspects adult abuse, neglect or financial exploitation to report it to the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 or online at TxAbuseHotline.org. Callers can remain anonymous. Learn how to recognize adult abuse, neglect and exploitation at EveryonesBusiness.org .

DHDC's hosts new series, Girls Who Science, held the first Monday of each month from 4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the DHDC. for girls ages 10 through 18, seeking a career in the STEM field. The event is free and open to the public, registration is not required, snacks will be available.
DHDC's hosts new series, Girls Who Science, held the first Monday of each month from 4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the DHDC. for girls ages 10 through 18, seeking a career in the STEM field. The event is free and open to the public, registration is not required, snacks will be available.

Discovery Center brings WTAMU Dean for Girls Who Science Program

For its Girls Who Science program happening Monday, June 5 at 4:45 p.m., the Don Harrington Discovery Center is bringing in Dr. Emily Hunt from West Texas A&M University.

Dr. Hunt is a professor and the Dean of the College of Engineering at WTAMU. She has been recognized as a leader in the field of nanocomposite energetic material combustion and continually makes vital contributions to her discipline. Dr. Hunt has developed, patented, and commercialized a multiple materials that are resistant to microbial growth. These material are already being used to fight corrosion in offshore oil and gas applications as well as commercially in paint, grout, and as protective surface coverings both in the US and internationally. Dr. Hunt also serves as the CEO of Buffalo Technology Group, LTD. Dr. Hunt has published in over 50 high impact journals in the field of engineering including Applied Physics Letters, Acta Materialia, and Intermetallics.

The Girls Who Science program is free to young women aged 10 - 18 and is at 4:45 the first Monday of every month. Esteemed women professionals in the STEM industry are brought in for conversations, a presentation, and Q&A. The Discovery Center will also provide an activity related to their field of study and a snack for participants during a break in the program. Young women in upper elementary school through high school are encouraged to attend.

Follow The Discovery Center on Facebook and Instagram for more information on their community programs. Information can be found on their website as well.

Free drop-in tennis clinics are being offered by the Alex O’Brien Tennis Foundation this summer at Memorial Park.
Free drop-in tennis clinics are being offered by the Alex O’Brien Tennis Foundation this summer at Memorial Park.

Alex O’Brien Tennis Foundation offering free tennis clinics at Memorial Park

Free drop-in tennis clinics are being offered by the Alex O’Brien Tennis Foundation (AOBTF) this summer at Memorial Park, located at 2501 South Washington in Amarillo.

Kids in kindergarten through high school can attend the tennis clinics Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. Weekday instruction is scheduled through July 14, excluding July 4. All levels of tennis players are welcome; equipment is available to borrow. Beginners learn proper racquet techniques, groundstroke and serve form, scoring and court etiquette.

Alex O’Brien was a student and star tennis player at Tascosa High School who went on to be a four-time All American at Stanford University and had an accomplished professional career. The foundation uses tennis as a platform to inspire, educate, and give hope to youth and has proudly served the Amarillo community since 1998, introducing thousands of children to the sport of tennis. Through partnerships with Kids, Inc, Amarillo ISD, Window on a Wider World and Amarillo Parks and Recreation, hundreds of kids receive free or lowcost tennis instruction each year. For more information, visit www.aobtf.org.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area Our Town Briefs for Sunday, June 4