Amarillo Our Town Briefs

Community Health and Resource Fair set for April 15

Amarillo Public Health is hosting the Spring Into Wellness Community Health and Resource Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 15, at Southwest Church of Christ, 45th and Cornell.

The Spring Into Wellness Community Health and Resource Fair is free to the public and will provide a variety of resources – from healthcare testing and education to assistance with finances and government program navigation – to the local community. The event will also feature local food trucks, bounce houses for children, door prizes and giveaways.

Local organizations offering services and information include: 2-1-1; Amarillo Area CASA; Amarillo Better Birth Initiative; Amarillo College Dental Hygiene Program; Amarillo Public Health; Breast Center of Excellence; American Red Cross; Caprock Home Health; City Federal Credit Union; Coalition of Health Services: Texas Home VisitingContagion Athletics; Daravida Family Chiropractic & Wellness; Edward Jones – Chantel Perales; Family Support Services; Get FIT; Haven Health Clinics; High Plains Food Bank; Limitless Achievements, Inc.; Opportunity SchoolPanhandle Behavioral Health Alliance; Panhandle Breast Health; Panhandle Community Services; Region 16 Head Start; Smile Big Texas; Texas STAR Medicaid Plan; Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center; Texas Workforce Solutions; Tobacco Free Amarillo; Vexus Fiber; and West Texas Medicare Group.

There will also be a variety of food trucks on hand for the event.

Amarillo Public Health will also provide an on-site vaccination clinic. People ages 5 years and older who received their last COVID vaccine dose before September 2022 should get the latest booster to protect against severe disease from the new strains. Children ages 6 months to 4 years who completed the primary series at least two months ago should also get the latest booster. Nurses will be available at the clinic to answer health-related questions.

For more information about the Spring Into Wellness Community Health and Resource Fair, contact Amarillo Public Health at 806-378-6300.

WT’s Start by Believing Campaign to relaunch with panel discussion, free dinner

CANYON — End Violence Against Women International estimates that 1 in 5 women have been sexually assaulted during their college years. To help address that locally, West Texas A&M University will kick off Sexual Assault Awareness Month at 6 p.m. April 10 in Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on the Canyon campus.

The event is free and open to the public.

Lt. Barbara Ferrara, master peace officer with the WT University Police Department, will speak at the event, which will relaunch WT’s “Start by Believing” campaign. A panel Q&A will follow the presentation with a QR code available for audience members to anonymously submit questions. The event will begin with a pancake dinner sponsored by Northwest Texas Healthcare System. Attendees also will be entered to win door prizes.

The Start by Believing campaign was launched by End Violence Against Women International in April 2011 and is designed to end the cycle of silence and change the way to which sexual assault is responded. The type of response a victim receives upon initially reporting a sexual assault determines whether they report to law enforcement and seek medical care, according to End Violence Against Women International.

Organizations team up for Earth Day cleanup

Keep Amarillo Clean, Region 16 TEA and Rotary International are partnering in a cleanup day across the Panhandle from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 22.

Keep Amarillo Clean is a non-profit community service organization; Region 16 Texas Education Agency includes 61 school districts with more than 60,000 students; and Rotary International in the Texas Panhandle includes groups in Amarillo, Borger, Canadian, Canyon, Childress, Dahlhart, Dimmitt, Dumas, Hereford, Pampa, Panhandle, Perryton, Shamrock, Spearman and Tulia.

Students and members of these organizations are encouraged to help clean up their communities during this Earth Day event.

For more information, follow Keep Amarillo Clean on Facebook, call (806) 678-4615 or email keepamarilloclean@gmail.com

The road to progress: AMPO meetings set for April

Want to have a say in transportation planning and goals for Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle? The Amarillo Metropolitan Planning Organization (AMPO) is providing two opportunities for public engagement. AMPO is holding public meetings this month for the community to discuss future transportation goals:

• Monday, April 10, 5 to 7 p.m. Amarillo Downtown Library, 413 S.E. Fourth Ave.

• Thursday, April 13, 5 to 7 p.m., Cole Community Center in Canyon, 300 16th St.

What is the AMPO? The AMPO is a federally-mandated organization responsible for transportation policy in metropolitan areas. The AMPO consists of nearly 360 square miles in the Texas Panhandle, including the City of Amarillo. For information on the AMPO, go to: https://bit.ly/3ZHBk1g

“The main focus of these public meetings is to help determine a mission and goals for Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle’s transportation systems,” said COA AMPO Director Travis Muno. “We encourage residents to discuss the transportation needs they feel are important and projects that could address transportation needs.”

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

Canyon welcomes Amazon Prime docuseries

The city of Canyon welcomes the Amazon Prime docuseries "The Story of Art in America (SOAIA)" to town to highlight local artists. The show will interview four local artists and a local art historian for the episode about Canyon.

"The Story of Art in America" is a docuseries streaming on Amazon Prime Video, for an audience of travelers with a sensibility for America’s arts and cultural heritage. This will be the third season of SOAIA, with the first season focusing on the western region of the country, and the second season focusing on the southeastern region of the country. Season three will focus only on the state of Texas, with participating cities being: Canyon, Dallas, Texarkana, Corsicana, Saledo, Georgetown, Odessa, and Alpine.

Artists interviewed on April 4 and 5 include Andrew Miller, Jon Revett, Marsha Clements, and the Oliver Saddle Shop. A panel originally compiled a list of 13 artists and sent that to the SOAIA crew, where the final artists were chosen by the director and producer.

Season 3 of the series is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video in January of 2024.

AISD observes Autism Awareness Month at the Discovery Center

On Wednesday, April 5, more than 90 guests visited the Discovery Center after hours for a sensory-friendly family night. These families were all part of the Amarillo Independent School District and had at least one child diagnosed with autism. This special event was coordinated by Barb Hobbs, AISD’s Autism Specialist. Hobbs said this family night at the Discovery Center would be the only official event hosted by the district for Autism Awareness Month.

“Kids like dinos and science,” Hobbs said. “This is a favorite place for a lot of students no matter what level they’re at, and the whole family is invited. Families can also see other families and know they’re not alone.”

National Autism Awareness Month is meant to raise awareness of what autism is and highlight how to make the world more inclusive for those who are on the spectrum. When asked what she wished more people knew about autism, Hobbs said she wished more people would “embrace neurodiversity.”Hobbs said there are currently 380 students with autism in AISD. As the school district’s Autism Specialist, she offers parent trainings, coordinates family outings, works with and trains teachers, and helps where kids in the classroom or in separate programs may be struggling.

Hobbs also invited families who attended the event to leave their handprints in chalk on the sidewalk in front of the Discovery Center’s entrance. She created a chalk mural saying “Together Embracing Neurodiversity,” picturing hands clasped together around the phrase “For Autism.” Guests left behind their hands around the mural with their names and chalk drawings, which will stay on the Discovery Center’s sidewalk indefinitely.

Two AC students chosen to serve as SkillsUSA Texas Ambassadors

The Construction Technology Program at Amarillo College is pleased to announce that two of its high-achieving students have been selected to participate in the 2023 SkillsUSA Texas Ambassador Fellowship Program. Additionally, those two students – Vania Esparza and Brandon Martinez Olvera – will be among a contingent of 30 AC students who will take part in the SkillsUSA state competition April 14-15 in Houston.

Those 30 AC students, who will compete in construction, welding, machining and automotive events, will be honored at a meet-and-greet gathering at 8:30 a.m. Monday, April 10 at the Student Services Building on AC’s East Campus. The public and media are invited and encouraged to attend.

Esparza and Martinez Olvera are two of only six designated ambassadors statewide, each of whom will receive scholarship stipends of $1,500-$2,500 and be recognized at the state conference while in Houston.

SkillsUSA Texas Ambassadors also will attend and be asked to speak at three national events during their one-year tenure. Travel expenses will be covered by SkillsUSA, and each ambassador will additionally be assigned an industry mentor to guide them in their official duties.

“This is a rare and wonderful opportunity for Vania and Brandon to develop and hone leadership skills that could provide a lifetime of benefits,” said AC Construction Technology Program Coordinator Ernie Sheets.

Event to celebrate life of Jax and his love of baseball at fundraiser for Epilepsy Foundation

The Amarillo community is invited to celebrate the life of Jaxson Memdoza at a fundraiser, the Jaxson Mendoza Memorial Baseball Day (JMMBD), to benefit the Epilepsy Foundation of Texas on Saturday, April 22 at the Rick Klein Baseball complex located at 3901 S. Grand.

In August 2022, at just 14 years of age, Jaxson Erik Mendoza of Amarillo lost his battle with epilepsy. His family, friends and community lost an amazing soul, a kid who was full of life and determination to overcome a life-altering diagnosis of Epilepsy. Jax was determined to continue living life to the fullest and has been described by most as a Gentle Warrior since his passing. Jax had a love for sports….most of all, baseball. The community is invited to participate in an event memorializing his name and his love for family, friends, faith and the game with a fun baseball-filled day.

This event will raise money for the Epilepsy Foundation of Texas and also lay the foundation of a scholarship fund in Jaxson's memory.

There will be special JMMBD merchandise for purchase, raffles consisting of autographed Sod Poodles baseballs and a custom bat from Bomb City Baseball up for grabs, food trucks on-site to enjoy all day, and a bounce house for the littles. There will also be youth league games going at the ballpark all day. In addition to the family fun, baseball and softball teams can pre-register to compete in a series of teams-based skills challenges that include velocity throwing, base running relays and catching drills. Teams from ages 6 all the way through high school are all welcome to participate. Teams wanting to sign up are asked to fill out the registration form located at https://forms.gle/T8BdBCxNDggVEkBPA or send an email to Jaxsonmendozabaseball@gmail.com.

For more details and to see event updates and announcements, visit the Jaxson Mendoza Memorial Baseball Day Facebook page.

Discovery Center opens registration for Summer Camp

The Don Harrington Discovery Center’s Summer Camp Discovery offers week-long camps for children ages 3 years old to those entering the fifth grade. Campers will learn on their level with a science-based curriculum and qualified teachers. Caregivers have eight themes to choose from over the summer. Each weekly theme is packed with age-appropriate activities, crafts, discovery, and fun.

Camp dates this year are from June 5 to July 28, with a three-day camp the week of July 4. Campers can be registered for a week or all summer as there will be a different theme each week of the summer.

This year's themes are Braving the Wilderness, Beautiful Oops, Lost in the Solar System, Make It or Break It, Superhero Instruction Manual, Where the Wild Things Are, Age of the Dinosaurs, and Secret Spy Society. Each week, campers entering 1st grade through 5th grade will also have an assigned day at Wildcat Bluff Nature Center.

Spots are limited– registration is now open at DHDC.org. Cost is $175 per week for members or $225 per week for non-members. Pre-care and after-care options are available.

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

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo Our Town briefs