This week's community news includes Rose Memorial, guest lectures

Amarillo area Our Town briefs for Oct. 15, 2023

BSA Hospice of the Southwest to host annual Rose Memorial on Sunday, Oct. 15

BSA Hospice of the Southwest is once again inviting the community to its annual Rose Memorial. This heartfelt gathering, set for this Sunday, offers a place for local residents to come together and honor the lives of those who have passed away.

Anyone who would like to attend is welcome. The Rose Memorial will be held Sunday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. at Pray Amarillo Church, 4000 SW 50th Ave.

The non-denominational service will include a time of meditation, prayer, and songs. Alyssa Jenkins, LMSW, BSA Hospice of the Southwest Bereavement Coordinator, said, “The Rose Memorial is more than just an event; it's a testament to the enduring love and memories we hold for our departed loved ones.”

The tradition of placing roses on patients at the in-patient hospice unit began with Sister Olivia, who saw the rose as a poignant emblem in hospice care. It signifies the splendor of life and serves as a reminder of God's unending love. Sister Prendergast started the Rose Memorial in 1980.

“Grieving is a journey, and it's essential to remember and honor the lives of those we've lost,” Jenkins added. “Their legacy lives on in our hearts and minds and this is a time to honor them.”

BSA Hospice of the Southwest supports over 1,000 patients and their families annually. Their bereavement program remains a pillar of strength, offering support to survivors for a minimum of 13 months after the passing of a loved one, and longer if required.

For additional details on the Rose Memorial Service, please contact (806) 356-0026.

Center for Advancement offering women GED classes

The Lucille and Leo Caiafa Jr., Center for Advancement has, once again, partnered with Amarillo College to offer free GED classes for women at our facility located at 2308 SW 7th St., Amarillo.

They are taking appointments for enrollment and pre-assessment testing now through Thursday, Oct. 19. They will have an instructor from Amarillo College teaching classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings 9 a.m.–11 a.m. or Tuesday and Thursday evenings 5:30–7:30 p.m. beginning Oct. 24.

All instruction, workbooks and testing are free. "We are excited to offer a safe and supportive environment for women to achieve their goal of obtaining their GED." Call 806-358-7803 to make an appointment to enroll.

Amarillo Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Committee meeting on Oct. 19

There will be a Amarillo Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Committee meeting on Oct. 19 at 1:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in room 105 of Amarillo 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 Presentation on the TxDOT’s Active Transportation Plan, Discuss and Consider adoption of the draft FY24 MPO Project Priority List, Discuss and Consider a resolution to adopted a revised Public Participation Plan, Discuss and Consider a resolution to adopt a revision to the FY 24 UPWP and receive an update on current construction projects.

City council approves more than $1 million for wastewater infrastructure needs

The Amarillo City Council unanimously approved Tuesday several items to address longstanding infrastructure needs, including the following emergency requisitions at the Hollywood Road Wastewater Treatment Facility (HRWTF).

A total of $989,000 for desludging of the facility’s equalization basin. A total of $356,250 for the transfer of sludge from the facility to the River Road Water Reclamation Facility (RRWRF). A total of $129,375 for the emergency procurement of the transfer of sludge to the RRWRF for ground injection from the HRWTF.

In addition, council members approved $107, 691 for a replacement motor for a high-service pump and $81,318 for a replacement vertical turbine pump at the RRWRF. A total of $91,935 in drainage assessment revenue was approved to repair a turbine pump for water removal from Lawrence Lake.

Most of these expenditures will be funded through water and sewer revenues.

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

Area behavioral health care providers to host mental health lecture

Texas Tech Physicians Psychiatry, Northwest Texas Healthcare System Behavioral Health and Texas Panhandle Centers will host the annual Hugh A. Pennal Lecture Series on Friday, Oct. 20 at Hodgetown Stadium,715 South Buchanan St.

This year’s lecture will feature a panel of medical experts in psychiatry, family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics. They will discuss their approach for providing mental health care in a primary care setting.

The day begins with registration and lunch at 12:30 p.m., a panel discussion 1-2 p.m. and networking 2-4 p.m.There is a need for psychiatric services in the Texas Panhandle that cannot be served by psychiatrists alone. This panel discussion aims to inform community providers about other ways to access primary psychiatric treatment for patients when there is a shortage of psychiatrists and wait times preclude urgent care. Attendees will be able to recognize which mental illnesses need pharmacological interventions and which need behavioral interventions. Attendees also will become more familiar with non-traditional psychiatric resources like CPAN and PeriPAN.

Panel speakers will include Amy Stark, M.D., Texas Tech Physicians Psychiatry, Rachel Anderson, M.D., Texas Tech Physicians Pediatrics, Teresa Baker, M.D., Texas Tech Physicians Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Shyla Arismendez, M.D., Northwest Physicians Group-Primary Care.

Registration is available at http://spklr.io/6180lsjn. There is no cost to attend.

'The American Buffalo' and 'Strong Spirit' to premiere on Panhandle PBS

“The American Buffalo,” a new two-part, four-hour film directed by Ken Burns, will premiere at 7 p.m. Oct. 16 and 17 on Panhandle PBS. Following the documentary is the premiere of “Strong Spirit,” a two-part series from Panhandle PBS that coincides with “The American Buffalo,” and features bison and Native Americans in the Texas Panhandle.

“The American Buffalo,” tells the history of an improbable, shaggy beast that is at the center of many of the country’s most mythic and heartbreaking tales. “It is a quintessentially American story,” Ken Burns said, “filled with unforgettable stories and people. But it is also a morality tale encompassing two historically significant lessons that resonate today: how humans can damage the natural world and also how we can work together to make choices to preserve the environment around us. The story of the American buffalo is also the story of Native nations who lived with and relied on the buffalo to survive, developing a sacred relationship that evolved over more than 10,000 years but which was almost completely severed in fewer than 100.”

Immediately following “The American Buffalo” is the premiere of “Strong Spirit,” a two-part series produced by Panhandle PBS that features bison and Native Americans in the Texas Panhandle. Episode One, which will premiere at 9 p.m. Oct. 16, looks at the bison’s impact on the animals and plants that surround it. Viewers will also learn about the descendants of the buffalo that Charles and Mary Ann “Molly” Goodnight preserved that roam Caprock Canyon State Park today. Local Native Americans will share perspectives on connecting with their own history in Episode Two, which will air at 9 p.m. Oct. 17. Plus, the episode will explore the way Native American and other cultures use stories to pass down knowledge and traditions.

Full episodes and segments will be available on the station’s social media pages, the Panhandle PBS YouTube channel, and website, panhandlePBS.org/AmericanBuffalo.

Panhandle PBS is excited to co-host an in-person watch party for “The American Buffalo” at the historic Mulkey Theatre in Clarendon. This event is free and open to the public, and will take place at the same time the series is premiering on Panhandle PBS, Oct. 16 and 17 from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information, please contact the Mulkey Theatre at (806) 874-2421.

Texas Panhandle War Memorial, BOOM to host Trunk Or Treat — Halloween For Heroes event Oct. 27

As the community prepare for a safe and fun filled Halloween season, once again BOOM and the Texas Panhandle War Memorial (TPWM) are teaming up with local heroes for a fun evening at the Panhandle War Memorial on Friday, Oct. 27.

You are invited to come to TPWM for their annal Trunk Or Treat — Halloween For Heroes, hosted by local hero organizations, from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 27. Guests are encouraged to come in costume and get treats, play games and have fun at the event, located at 4111 S. Georgia St. There will be free hot dogs and chips, while supplies last.

Roberto Cardinale featured speaker for AMoA's Ladd Lecture Oct. 26

The Ladd Lecture will be held Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Amarillo College Concert Hall Theater. It is free and open to the public.

Artist and scholar Roberto Cardinale will speak at the Amarillo Museum of Art about his passion for ecclesiastical architecture. His work is inspired by his background as a Benedictine monk as well as his travels throughout the southwestern US and Mexico. He specializes in accurate recreations of historic churches, synagogues, and missions which are built of pine then handsomely painted.

Cardinale has a BA in Mathematics and Philosophy, an MA in Art from the University of Northern Colorado, and a Doctorate in Art Education from Arizona State University. He served as president of the San Antonio Art Institute and the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. In addition, he has been a professor at Ohio State University, University of Arizona, and Boston University, where he was Director of the Program in Artisanry.

The Ladd Lecture is an ongoing series of lectures by distinguished experts from across the United States. It is dedicated to a greater understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts. The lecture series is sponsored by Mrs. Frank A. Ladd in memory of her husband, Mr. Frank A. Ladd.

The AMoA Alliance is hosting a pre-lecture Cocktail Buffet Reception beginning at 6 PM at the Amarillo Museum of Art. Tickets for the pre-lecture reception are $40 per person and may be purchased online (amoa-alliance.com/ladd-lecture) or over the phone at (806) 371-5050.

The Amarillo Museum of Art is located at 2200 South Van Buren on the Washington Street campus of Amarillo College. Hours are Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, 1 -5 p.m. For additional information, visit www.amoa.org, email amoa@actx.edu, or call 806-371-5050 or 806-371-5392 (weekends).

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area Our Town briefs for Oct. 15, 2023