This is a great opportunity to win $1,000 on your next vacation just for visiting Amarillo, Texas.  And who couldn't use a little extra money after their vacation?  Now through September 30, 2009, Amarillo is holding a sweepstakes for visitors staying in their local hotels or motels.  There will be 10 random drawings held between now and then; all for $1,000 each. To enter, be sure to ask the hotel or motel clerk where you are staying for a sweepstakes application for each night of your stay.  Fill out each application with your name, address, phone number and email address and attach a copy of your Amarillo hotel bill showing that you stayed between the dates of March 1, 2009 and September 30, 2009.  Send the applications and the copy of your hotel bill to the Amarillo Convention & Vis... 04/13/2009

Everyone loves the Spring and that is evident when you begin to see more and more people around strolling the streets, parks and neighborhoods trying to enjoy the wonderful Spring weather.  Therefore, I thought I would take advantage of my blog and post some of the great community events going on in Amarillo, Texas this April. April 11 - 14 ~ Panhandle Plains Historical Museum presents Loan Star Still Lifes.  Natural and man-made still life objects will be on display in an artificial setting (4th Avenue, Canyon).  For more information, call (806) 651-2244 or visit www.panhandleplains.org. April 16 ~ Amarillo Museum of Art from 6-9 p.m. every Thursday.  This month, enjoy art activities, films, tea tastings, coffee, gallery tours and live music (2200 S. Van Buren, Amarillo).  For more inf... 04/06/2009

I'm always looking for something fun and inexpensive to do in Amarillo during my free time.  So, when I saw that Make-A-Wish Car Show will be at the Amarillo Civic Center this weekend, I thought I would pass along the information. The Make-A-Wish Car Show will feature hundreds of cars from the past.  Therefore, you will find cars, cars and more cars filling the Amarillo Civic Center this Saturday, February 28th.  This will be the 25th annual Make-A-Wish Car Show in Amarillo.  And this year, the event is sponsored by the Panhandle Council of Car Clubs. The car show will begin Saturday at 10am and end at 7pm.  It will pick back up on Sunday beginning at 10am and end at 5pm.  So far, there are around 300 classic cars featured at this year's event.  The oldest car is expected to be a 1910 H... 02/27/2009

Everyone loves to have a good time in Amarillo, Texas and there are several events in the month of February to take advantage of.  Best of all, each event will be fun for the whole family. ·         The Arts of India - February 13th - April 12th at the Amarillo Museum of Art (2200 S. Van Buren).  This great event is FREE.  For more information, call 806-371-5050 or visit their website at www.amarilloar.org. ·         Nights at the Museum - February 13th from 5:50-9:30 p.m. (1600 Quarter Horse Drive).  This event is for children ages 4-11 and will cost $20.00 per night for first child then $15.00 for each additional child.  For more information, call 806-376-5181 or visit their website at www.aqhhalloffame.com. ·         Lone Star Ballet - February 13th & 14th at the Globe-New Center for... 02/13/2009

If you're like many Amarillo homeowners, your garage stores everything BUT the car.  Are you looking for more storage and a covered parking space?  Here are a few ideas to get your stuff off the ground and your car back in the garage. 1. Shelves, shelves, shelves.  Simple wooden shelves can be bought at your local home improvement store, painted or stained and hung on the walls quickly, easily and affordably. 2. Pegboard; the old standby.  Pegboard is quick to put up and easy to use.  Adding hooks can help you store small gardening tools, hammers, etc. out of the way but in easy reach for future use.  You might want to avoid using regular S-hooks, though, because they have a tendancy to fall out of the holes in the pegboard.  If you want to be even more organized, outline each tool with... 02/09/2009

Six year old Karon Silva from Amarillo, Texas needs your help.  Karon suffers from Epilepsy that racks her little body.  When Karon was just two and half years old, her parents bought Boston, a golden retriever.  Boston is a unique dog.  He can sense when Karon is going to have a seizure and alerts her mother.  Boston never leaves Karon's side. The Silva family is hoping to get their wonderful Boston certified as a seizure alert dog so he will be able to go with Karon everywhere she goes in public, such as school, stores, restaurants, etc.  The need for seizure alert dogs is on the rise, but the cost is still high.  It will cost $2,000 for Boston to get certified.  The Silva's have half of the money but need help getting the other half. It is so important for Karon and many other Epilep... 02/06/2009

Even with the economic outlook on unsteady terms, sales across the country were up 6.5% in December 2008, with inventory levels falling 12%, creating less than six months' inventory in many large metropolitan areas, including Houston and Dallas.  A six month inventory is considered the rate at which supply and demand has evened out.  In the western United States, sales increased almost 14% and the south experienced a 7% increase.  These statistics seem to indicate that buyers are indeed taking advantage of the lower prices and low mortgage rates.  Approximately 45% of the December home sales were attributed to foreclosures and short sales.  Could this be the "bottom" the real estate market is so desperately hoping for?  It's too early to tell.  But, if numbers stay positive for the next... 02/02/2009

Amarillo's vacant lots were once a dumping ground for trash.  And complaining about it soon became a sport.  Therefore, the United Way of Amarillo & Canyon's Day of Caring Committee led the community to clean up its neighborhoods.  Last spring hundreds of volunteers banded together and spread out from San Jacinto Christian Academy to vacant lots.  Volunteers filled trash bags with trash, mown weeds and overgrowth.  They also painted over graffiti.  Since the cleanup, the San Jacinto Christian Academy students have vowed to continue their efforts for the rest of the year and on into the summer months. Generation Next Worship Center has committed to continue and maintain the cleanup effort for the next school year and summer months.  San Jacinto Christian students will then carry on the f... 01/23/2009

Head over to Texas Tech University of Health Sciences Center in Amarillo on Friday, January 23rd from 2-4pm and get a free health screening from student members of the National Community Pharmacist Association.  This is a special screening being held during the January Wellness Challenge at the Amarillo university.  Pharmacy students will offer free blood-pressure screenings, calculate Body Mass Index (BMI) and Body Fat Percentage and provide diet suggestions as well as nutritional education.  All this is open and free to the public.  The event takes place on the first floor of the Texas Tech School of Medicine building located at the Amarillo Pharmaceutical Care Center (1400 S Coulter St).  If you wish to attend and would like more information, please email Brenda Ojeda at Brenda.Ojeda... 01/20/2009

While no one has a crystal ball that they can magically gaze into and declare with absolute certainty that 2009 will be the comeback of the real estate market, there has been some positive news that deserves attention.  Thanks to the aggressive tactics the US government has taken to keep interest rates at a 50-year low (hovering around 5% and sometimes lower for 30-year fixed rate loans and even lower for 15-year loans), veteran financial analysts, such as Richard Bove with Ladenburg Thomas, believe that the current real estate market is on an upswing and looks to be continuing such into 2009.  When you add in the stimulus package in the works from the new administration, it appears that housing prices will begin to stabilize and may even begin to rise slowly in 2009.  More signs of a p... 01/05/2009

The holidays are definitely here and this is the season for giving.  For over 30 years, the Amarillo Empty Stocking Fund has been providing hope and joy for those less fortunate, people down on their luck and the displaced.  With so many people out of work this year, it's more important than ever to give a helping hand. The Empty Stocking Fund helps provide the basic necessities for living to individuals and families.  Sometimes, if possible, the fund provides a small gift for children.  So, please keep in mind this holiday season that if it were not for the generous support of Amarillo residents, these people would have nothing for Christmas. Every penny given to the Empty Stocking Fund goes directly to those who need it.  The Amarillo Globe newspaper has absorbed all the operation cos... 12/12/2008

The holidays are a special time of year for just about everyone and Amarillo , Texas residents really know how to do it up right.  Amarillo features a variety of events around the holidays for everyone to enjoy. This time of year every family can find events to fill their free time. Amarillo really goes all out.  Bring your kids to have breakfast with Santa, or take your loved one on a romantic evening stroll around the community listening to Christmas hymns. Some great events you can enjoy this holiday season are: ·         Holiday in the City Parade - This is one of Amarillo 's most exciting holiday events of the year.  The parade is filled with floats that are decorated with lights, garland and everything else you can imagine.  The parade starts in downtown Amarillo and ends at the A... 12/05/2008

For the last 34 years, Amarillo Globe-News newspaper has sponsored the Empty Stocking Fund.  The fund provides some basic necessities for local Amarillo families as well as individuals, which may include a small gift for needy children.  Every penny donated to the Empty Stocking Fund goes directly to the fund.  The newspaper absorbs all the operating costs of the fund.  To help raise funds, the Amarillo College Community Band and two choir groups from the Amarillo Youth Choir will give a concert on December 7th from 3-5pm at the Globe-News Center.  Admission is free, but donations will be accepted.  All proceeds benefit the fund.  If you would like to send a donation, please make checks out to: The Empty Stocking Fund PO Box 2091 Amarillo, TX 79166. If you would like to donate online us... 12/01/2008

Everyone wants to find an affordable home, especially first-time buyers.  So, a great place to begin your search is in Amarillo , Texas .  The community has some wonderful little fixer-uppers.  A fixer-upper is a home that needs repairs or upgrades.  These types of properties are usually small, but can also be a cost-effective way to buy a home. Okay, I know what most of you are thinking.  Size matters.  But in today's economy, you have to ask yourself, "How much does size really matter?"  Affordability is what most first-time buyers are looking for, so they will have to expect less space and expect the property to need a little tender loving care. If you're a first-time buyer looking for an affordable home, you may want to consider a fixer-upper.  Of course, you will also have to overl... 11/26/2008

LADY SANDIES WRITE HISTORY: THIRD CONSECUTIVE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP A FIRST FOR CLASS 5A SCHOOLS The Amarillo High School varsity volleyball team beat Austin Westlake in the State volleyball finals Saturday, Nov. 22, to become the first Class 5A team in the State's history to win three consecutive state volleyball championships. The Sandies vs. Westlake match finished 19-25, 25-22, 17-25, 25-19, and 15-11. The match was held at Strahan Coliseum in San Marcos. Last year, the Lady Sandies also played Austin Westlake for the state title. This year's win is coach Jan Barker's 7th state title as a volleyball coach at Amarillo High. Senior Aryn Bohannon was named most valuable player for the Class 5A state tournament, with 14 kills, 13 digs, two blocks and an ace. WAY TO GO GIRLS!!!! 11/25/2008

Amarillo, Texas has some really great schools in the community.  But even with good schools, sometimes bringing home a report card can be very traumatic for some students.  Some students just need a little extra help.  So, one local organization has started the Brainfuse program.  Brainfuse is an online tutorial that helps students bring up their grades. Brainfuse has been funded by the Harrington Library Consortium, available to almost all libraries in the Texas Panhandle.  The program gives students the opportunity to get one-on-one tutoring from a professional.  The program is available from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the week in both English and Spanish. Library officials can assure parents that the program is safe and reliable for children to improve their studies. The professi... 11/20/2008

Every community across the nation needs a good public library.   Amarillo , Texas has one of the best library systems around.  The Amarillo Public Library was founded by handful of women from the Just Us Girls Club.  Since then, the library has served Amarillo residents for over 100 years. In the beginning, the library only had one location and 123 books.  Now, the Amarillo Public Library System has five locations that offer a varied collection of learning materials including over 1/2 million printed books, books on cassette tape and CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes of documentaries, CDs, MP3s, and 56 computers throughout the 5 libraries with Internet access and the wonderful, much used Microsoft office program. The Amarillo Public Library offers several programs that take place daily, weekly an... 11/14/2008

Amarillo, Texas will be celebrating Veterans Day for days before November 11.  There will also be traveling replica of the Vietnam Veteran Memorial with over 58,000 names on it coming through the city.  This will definitely be an emotional day for many Amarillo residents. Some of the events you can take advantage of and enjoy are: November 7 - Take a Vet to School from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at Austin Middle School at 1808 Wimberly Road in Amarillo .   Military Appreciation Night at 7:05 p.m. at the Amarillo Civic Center with the Amarillo Gorillas at 401 S. Buchanan Street .  All veterans will receive discount tickets. November 8 - American Legion Post 54 Breakfast from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at 617 S.W. Seventh Avenue in Amarillo .  They will be accepting donations at the breakfast. H... 11/07/2008

As you probably already know, today is voting day.  To help you get out the vote, the following are the polling places by precinct in Amarillo today: Precinct 110 - High Plains AG Park Nutri-Chem, 1219 E FM, 1151 Claude Hwy, Amarillo, TX 79118 Precinct 111 - Comanche Trail Church, 2700 E 34th St, Amarillo, TX 79103 Precinct 112 - Landergin Elementary, 3409 S Taylor St, Amarillo, TX 79110 Precinct 113 - Lamar Elementary, 3800 S Lipscomb St, Amarillo, TX 79110 Precinct 114 - South Lawn Elementary, 4719 Bowie St, Amarillo, TX 79110 Precinct 131 - Village of Lake Tanglewood Town Hall, #1 Tanglewood Dr, Amarillo, TX 79118 Precinct 208 - Falcon Club, 9001 Bridle Trails Dr, Amarillo, TX 79119 Precinct 219 - Christ Covenant Presbyterian Church, 7801 W 34th Ave, Amarillo, TX 79121 Precinct 220 -... 11/04/2008

You will definitely want to be in Amarillo this weekend.  Every Friday, the Amarillo Activity Youth Center hosts a Teen Scene from 8am-Midnight.  This is a great, safe place for Amarillo teens to hang out and have fun with a basketball court, dance floor, arcade and lots of other fun things to do.  For more info on this great program, call 373-2292. Also this weekend, from Friday through Sunday (October 24-26), the Amarillo Invitational Balloon Rally will be held at Tradewind Airport.  It is completely free for visitors.  All are welcome.  On Friday, watch the Amarillo Glows at sundown.  There will be a morning flight (7am) and afternoon flight (4pm) on Saturday, concluding with a Sunday morning flight at 7am.  For more info, please call 806-367-8311. For a splash of Native American cul... 10/20/2008