School

AUSTIN—Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar is reminding shoppers they can save money on clothes and school supplies during the state’s sales tax holiday on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 6-8.

Every year, near the end of July, Canadian starts buzzing in anticipation for the upcoming school year—and, of course, the Wildcat Football season. But before children pile into classrooms and crowds gather for the Friday night lights, there’s some housekeeping that needs sorted out as summer comes to a close.

Neighborhood Watch groups are typically on the lookout for crime. In my West Texas village, “If you see something, say something” has a different meaning. The housing developments surrounding us on all sides have altered the environment and hunting grounds for thousands of animals we don’t usually see crossing our yards. We’re used to seeing deer, squirrels, rabbits, hawks, feral cats, and an occasional skunk or armadillo. Lately, it’s been like watching an episode of Wild Kingdom.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offices in Williamson, Lubbock, and Gregg counties will host a 2021 Junior Master Gardener Hybrid Multi-County Teacher Training Workshop on July 22 in their respective counties.

The Pittman family had a successful time last week at the National Junior Braunvieh Show in Texarkana, Arkansas. Cambree won fifth overall Junior Showman and collected first- and second-place awards in junior photography. Her brother, Colt, placed second on the quiz bowl team, while JoJo, his bred-and-owned heifer, won her division both days and was Reserve Champion Grand Mini. Coy won second in intermediate photography and second in sales talk. All three youngsters are the children of Clydene and Cody Pittman of Canadian.

July 4 will be sort of back to normal this year. The weather will be hot—probably in the upper 90s. Main Street will be decorated with American flags. A parade will feature the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts; the Brownies and Girl Scouts; pets decorated in red, white, and blue; and a succession of motorcycles, ATVs, and a few horses. Since Main Street is only three blocks long, it’s a short parade. Following the parade are races. There’s a 5K and a 1-mile run. There are bicycle races and kayak races on the South Concho River that runs through town.

“The Fight Goes On” scholarship committee announced last week that it had selected two recipients from the Class of 2021: Gary Anderson (left) and Giovanni (Geo) Ivan Esparza (right). Both Anderson and Esparza will receive $4,000 checks to go toward their future educational endeavors. Committee member Kyle Northcott announced their decision, saying that it is made possible because of the generous contributions to the scholarship fund from members of this community. The “Fight Goes On” Scholarship is awarded each year to a senior who has overcome adversity and displays the belief that all things are possible and that hard work does overcome great obstacles. It is given in memory of Linda Anderson, whose brave and lengthy battle against cancer before her death in 2015 inspired others around her to never give up and to keep fighting.

Maybe news about reading scores. Only four in 10 Texas third-graders read at grade level. So in 2019, legislators passed a bill requiring all kindergarten, first-, second-, and third-grade teachers and elementary principals to go back to school. This fall, more than 120,000 teachers will have completed a college-level course on the science of reading. Called the Texas Reading Academy, the course features online and in-person instruction on how to teach children to read.

Amarillo College is thrilled to announce that it has received a magnanimous gift of $15 million from author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. The gift, which was unsolicited and therefore unanticipated, is by far the largest in the storied history of Amarillo College.

Former Canadian resident Skye Elise Newton graduated on Saturday, May 29, from Henrietta High School and plans to attend Midwestern State University this fall, where she will major in business management, with a minor in accounting. Skye was an honor student at Henrietta ISD, a member of the National Honor Society, and graduated 15th in her class with a 4.0 GPA. Her honors include Who’s Who Awards in economics, accounting and business management, as well as a 2015 Presidential Education Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement, signed by President Barak Obama. Skye is the daughter of Joyce Newton, and the granddaughter of Cleta and Troy Newton, of Wichita Falls. She attended the Canadi an YMCA daycare and was a pre-K student at the Canadian Elementary School before her family’s move to Wichita Falls.