Amarillo Our Town briefs
Amarillo City Transit offering reduced monthly pass
Qualified individuals will soon find it cheaper to use Amarillo City Transit (ACT) transportation.
Beginning in February, ACT will offer a reduced monthly pass of $15. Reduced passes will be available to qualified individuals and can be purchased at the ACT Main Office (800 S.E. 23rd Ave.) and at Amarillo City Hall.
The following groups are eligible for the ACT Monthly Pass:
● Seniors 65 and older
● Medicare cardholders
● Riders with disabilities
● Students (K-12)
●Individuals with an ACT Reduced Fare ID (RFID) Card
Individuals with a monthly pass can use ACT transportation on an unlimited basis. Monthly passes must be renewed each month.
For more information contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager Dave Henry at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov
Laura W. Bush Institute to host Day of the Woman
The Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) will host its annual Day of the Woman event from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7 at the Amarillo Civic Center Grand Plaza, 401 S. Buchanan St.
The event will feature a presentation from Deborah Clegg, Ph.D., vice president for research at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, and Jentry Williams, DPT, owner and founder of Re-form Physical Therapy and Pilates in Amarillo.
Clegg will speak about how the food people eat and its processing impacts our hormonal balance and cancer risk.
Clegg earned a B.S. in nutrition from Oregon State University, an M.B.A. from Boston University and a Ph.D. in nutrition from the University of Georgia. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship with the Cincinnati Diabetes and Obesity Center at the University of Cincinnati. Clegg has a unique background in both clinical and basic sciences, and extensive experience as a grant reviewer for institutions including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Diabetes Association, Veterans Affairs and the Swiss Government Federal Foundation.
Williams will share how mindful movement affects mental health and overall emotional well-being. Williams is a 2011 graduate of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at TTUHSC in Amarillo. Williams is a fully-certified STOTT Pilates instructor and is passionate about the benefits of Pilates in physical therapy practice.
Tickets to the event are $10. Tables can be reserved for $100. Dinner is included. Registration is required for attendance. To RSVP, email angela.knapp@ttuhsc.edu or call (806) 414-9941. Door prizes will be presented.
WT’s Black History Month celebrations began Feb. 1
CANYON, — West Texas A&M University's Office for Diversity and Inclusion is hosting four events in coming weeks in honor of Black History Month. Amarillo Venom head coach Julian Reese read Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” on Feb. 1 at the Jack B. Kelley Student Center. Following his reading, a panel of experts discussed the Birmingham letter and its call to action for nonviolent protests against unjust laws.
At 6 p.m. Feb. 7, also in Legacy Hall at the Jack B. Kelley Student Center, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion will host Cultural Trivia Night, a celebration of Black history and culture. Commemorations will conclude with two events focused on navigating success for diverse student populations on March 2.
Dr. Curtis Hill, a professional counselor at Dallas College and proprietor of counseling and lifecoaching business Relationships Refocused, will lead a professional development workshop for WT faculty and staff at 2:30 p.m. March 2 in the JBK Senate Chamber. Then, Hill and WT alumni will talk about their experiences as students and how they achieved college success in a discussion at 6 p.m. March 2 in Legacy Hall. WT alumni scheduled to take part include Eric Collins, Paticus Henderson, Khashari Wilson, Jennifer Tuttor and Aurora Garcia-Comer.
All events are free and open to the public. For information, call 806-651-8482 or visit wtamu.edu/diversity.
Amarillo Public Library offers story walks, tax assistance
The Amarillo Public Library maintains two Story Walks to allow kids and families to enjoy two healthy things at the same time — reading and a nice walk — at the Amarillo Zoo and Medi-Park Lake. The stories change every four to six weeks, so patrons can go back again and again. In February, the Zoo’s Story Walk will feature "Secret Valentine" by Catherine Stock, and visitors to the Story Walk at Medi Park can read "Cold Little Duck, Duck, Duck" by Lisa Westberg Peters.
The Zoo Story Walk was provided by Friends of the Amarillo Public Library. The Story Walk at Medi-Park was installed by Layton Lutz of Scout Troop 87 as his Eagle Scout project. Financial support was provided by the Friends of the Amarillo Public Library, the Junior League of Amarillo, the Waite and Genevieve Phillips Foundation, Street Toyota, the Barrett and Carol Pierce Charitable Fund, Moore Smiles Pediatric Dentistry in Dumas, and one anonymous donor.
In addition, the Amarillo Public Library is pleased to partner with Panhandle Community Services to make free income tax preparation available to those who qualify. To take advantage of this service, you’ll need to make an appointment to meet with a PCS counselor and bring your identification, social security cards (yours and your dependents'), this year’s tax documents, and last year’s tax return.
After that initial consultation at the North Branch Library, your documents will be sent to volunteer tax processors who will complete your return. The turn-around time for tax returns is estimated to be about a week to two weeks. When your return is ready, you may sign it virtually or schedule an appointment to sign in person at the North Branch Library. If you need assistance with back taxes, PCS can help with e-filing through 2019 and can prepare paper returns through 2017.
Appointments for initial consultations, signing returns, and follow-up calls will be made through the online portal at https://apltaxhelp.timetap.com or you may call the North Branch for help setting up an appointment. Tax assistance appointments will be available Feb. 1 through April 12 on the following schedule: 12:30-7 p.m. Mondays, 12:30-4:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 12:30-4:30 p.m. Saturdays.
City of Canyon to host public forum on Utility Rates Study
CANYON – The City of Canyon is inviting Canyon residents to give feedback on the recently presented Utility Rates Study in a conversational public forum. Comments from the forum will be brought to the City of Canyon Commission before it is voted on for approval.
The Canyon City Commission was presented the 2023 Water, Wastewater and Municipal Solid Waste Cost of Service and Rate Design Study at their regular meeting on Jan. 9. This study was performed by NewGen (NewGen) Strategies and Solutions. NewGen was hired as a consultant in September of 2021.
The study looked at the current and projected utility billing rates from 2021 through Fiscal Year 2027 to make recommendations for changes to the current rates. NewGen also considered the inclusion of varying rates based on water meter size in the rate and fee design and additional analysis on potential capital improvement projects’ funding. The rates studied were the cost of water, wastewater, and solid waste services for both commercial and residential accounts. NewGen found that while some of the City of Canyon’s rates were right on track with projected needs, some rates may need change.
Members of the City of Canyon staff will be at the forum to answer questions and explain more about the results of the study. Canyon residents who are unable to attend the forum may also email their comments and questions to Megan Nelson at mnelson@canyontx.com.
The forum will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Canyon Area Library, 1501 3rd Ave., Canyon. The full study and more information can be found at https://www.canyontx.com/1731/2023-Water-Wastewater-and-Municipal-Soli.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo Our Town briefs
