Andy Holloway introduced guest Laramie McEntire and gave a short soliloquy on the importance of the day and freedoms we enjoy for the sacrifices made. He then presented Sherry McCavit, president of the Louise Bowers Slentz Foundation Fund board, and Sarah Griffin, grants program officer of the Amarillo Area Foundation.

Subdued best describes Christmas decorations this year in my West Texas village. After the elaborate Halloween and Thanksgiving displays on my street, I was expecting even grander Christmas décor. So far, there are no displays in yards, just multicolored lights on eaves and gables, fences, gates, and trees. Two dueling trends this year are multicolored lights and solid blue. Maybe the blue is a fashion choice or it could be a subliminal expression of the collective mood. Has Christmas lost its excitement or are the people who went all out for Halloween and Thanksgiving displays simply played out? Here’s a rundown on this year’s anticlimactic Christmas decoration choices…

Music filled the sanctuary at the First Baptist Church Sunday evening, Dec. 5, as Paula Forrest and friends performed sacred hymns and traditional holiday favorites. Because of the pandemic, no concert was held last year, and Paula expressed her gratitude for the gathering and the ability to play for, and with, her friends. Accompanied by Forrest, Presley Harper sang “Mary, Did You Know?” and “O Come, All You Unfaithful.” Nicholas Sparks and David Uribe—high school seniors from Wheeler— were joined by their band director, John Bratton, to play a holiday brass medley. Matt Phenix, pastor of the First Baptist Church, sang a stirring rendition of “Holy Night.” The audience sang along as Forrest played a variety of Christmas favorites. After expressing her gratitude for those attending, she ended the concert with an energetic performance of “Go Tell It on the Mountain.”

Marcee Cooke will be graduating from Texas A&M University on Saturday, Dec. 18, with her Bachelor of Science degree. Cooke, who was a member of Canadian High School Class of 2018, double-majored in animal science with an emphasis in meat science, as well as in agricultural communication and journalism.