Rodney Darrell Walker, 49, formerly of Amarillo, died recently in Sacramento, Calif.

Memorial services were at 11 a.m. Saturday February 2, 2008 in New Hope Baptist Church with the Rev. Morris Mitchell, pastor of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, officiating. Arrangements are by by Warford-Walker Mortuary, 509 N. Hughes St.

Rodney Darrell Walker was born Dec. 6, 1958, in Amarillo. He attended Hilltop and Hamlet elementary schools and Horace Mann and Travis middle schools, where he played football, and graduated from Palo Duro High School. He attended Amarillo Junior College, where he participated in the choir. He was employed by Crouse-Hinds Cooper Industries and First Christian Church in Amarillo after graduation.

Rodney moved to Sacramento in 1980 and was employed by the state of California Business Services, Victims Compensation copy operations. There, his co-workers described him as a very kind and well-liked man.

Survivors include his parents, Frank A. Walker and Gloria J. Walker, both of Amarillo; two sisters, Colette Walker-Brackens Gill of Carrollton and Crista Walker of Amarillo; an uncle; aunts; and other relatives and friends.

Greetings!

It brings me tremendous joy to invite you to join us at the African American Education Summit on Thursday, February 14th, 2008 at Merket Alumni Center on the Texas Tech University campus.

This event entitled, “Meeting of the Minds: Saving Ourselves, Saving Our Students,” is part of an effort to empower the African American community throughout West Texas by imparting resources and the message of hope to our teachers, parents and students. Lubbock Independent School District, Texas Tech University and approximately fifty stakeholders from across the region are hosting this Summit trusting that it will encourage thoughtful resolutions to the educational plight of African Americans.

For more information regarding the Summit please visit www.westtexasaaes.org or click the photo below.

Due to limited seating, please submit your registration form (found at the website linked above) by February 8th, 2008. Admission to the Summit is free.

Sincerely,

Rich Baker
Summit Secretariat

Space Shuttle Columbia STS- 107 was Anderson ’s second trip into space. He served as the STS-107 payload commander. His first space flight occurred in 1998 when he flew as a mission specialist on Space Shuttle Endeavour during STS-89. That flight was the eighth Shuttle/Mir mission. Anderson spent 8 days, 19 hours and 47 minutes in space.

Born in 1959 in Plattsburgh , N.Y. , but he considered Spokane , Wash. , to be his hometown. His dad was in the Air Force, and Anderson was exposed to aviation as a kid. He said that science caught his attention when he was young. These interests were two of the reasons why he wanted to be an astronaut.

Anderson earned a bachelor’s degree in physics/astronomy from Washington in 1981. Then, he received a commission from the U.S. Air Force as a second lieutenant.

During his stint in the Air Force, Anderson received a master’s degree in physics in 1990 from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. Anderson flew various models of the KC-135 and the T-38A aircraft, logging more than 3,000 hours of flight time. He also became an instructor pilot.

Anderson fulfilled his dream of becoming an astronaut in late 1994 when NASA selected him as an astronaut candidate.

Video provided by Pastor Corey Sams, Cliffside Baptist Church - Amarillo

Crews snuff out grass fire
No injuries as blaze covers at least 40 acres
By Dan Packard, dan....@amarillo.com

A broken street light might have caused a grass fire in northwest Amarillo that kept firemen busy for about an hour Monday. Firefighters responded at about 11:40 a.m. to the blaze at the southeast corner of the intersection of Coulter Street and Ninth Avenue.

High wind pushed the flames eastward through a vacant field for about a mile to the edge of Medical Park North Lake.

Smoke blowing across Ninth Avenue caused the street’s closure until about 12:20 p.m.

No structures were threatened and no one was injured, said Capt. Bob Johnson of the Amarillo Fire Department.

Johnson estimated the fire consumed 40 to 50 acres of open field.

“It wasn’t too bad,” he said. “It wasn’t really going anyplace. The grass wasn’t too tall, either. That helped a lot.”

Four AFD grass units and four engines brought the fire under control in about an hour, Johnson said.

Johnson cited a broken street light near the intersection as a possible cause.

“A street light broke. It was bent over and people saw sparks coming out of it,” he said.

An official cause had not been determined late Monday.

This page contains my random thoughts. They could change frequently, or seldom, as my moods suggest, depending on news items or other events that motivate me and arouse my passions.

I’m sure you’ve heard by now that the City will be installing traffic cameras at six intersections to catch red-light runners. So far the major uproar has been the monthly cost of the traffic cameras and the utter failure of red-light cameras in Lubbock.

The terms of the contract stipulates that the City of Amarillo will pay American Traffic Solutions Inc. $4,750 per month for each camera. Yeah that’s correct! $28,500 per month for six traffic cameras and the contract term is for 60 months.

So this is where we break out the calculator: $4,750 per month per camera; $28,500 per month for six cameras; $342,000 per year; total expenditure for the 60 month contract $1.71 million dollars.

Scary? Fear not citizens of Amarillo, the city has an out clause. For a mere $1,800 per camera per month left in the contract. Well that’s not too bad, less than half cost of the camera.

$342,000 per year for six red-light cameras!!! Well get ready cause chances are great that a camera is coming to an intersection near you.

Don’t get hoodwinked by the monthly, yearly or even the total contract expenditure for the red-light cameras. Read more »

Mr. Obama, you should have asked me about the Latino vote
by L. Arthalia Cravin

The Latinos “sho did” come through for Miss Hillary in the recent Nevada caucuses. After the dust cleared, Hillary boldly thanked, of all people, Los Angeles’ Latino mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa for her 51 to 45 percent win over Obama. I have personal experience with the “Latino vote.”

A few years ago I ran for mayor of a small East-Texas town. During the campaign I regularly appeared on a local cable-access television show to discuss my position on the issues. During these “meet the candidate” session I had a regular Latino caller who praised my positions and my willingness to take on tough issues. In advance of an upcoming parade in which I wanted to address diversity I requested of “this gentleman” if he could arrange for two Latino children to appear with me, along with African American and Anglo children. He expressed his delight and willingness to help. On the day of the parade I anxiously waited for the Latino children to show up. When I called “the gentleman” who promised to get the children there, it became clear that he had reneged on his part of the bargain—so the parade went on with only black and white children. I did not get the Hispanic vote—in fact after the race in which I lost by a few votes, it became clear that the Latino voters did not vote for me and never intended to give any appearance that they supported the candidacy of the possibly first woman and African American mayor of the town. The reason, Latinos have two cards to play in politics—as victims in need of opportunities, or as “la raza” (the race, the family) who must stick together for the betterment of the group. They played the “la raza” card with me—they also played it with Obama—and they will continue to do so.

Read more »

This page contains my random thoughts. They could change frequently, or seldom, as my moods suggest, depending on news items or other events that motivate me and arouse my passions.

11:12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. 11:13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 11:15 Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
2 Corinthians 11:12-15 KJV

About the video: Bicycling Mormon missionaries in Georgia get a big surprise as they try to preach their teachings to a priest of the Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ.

What is the most popular wedding song in Japan? Need a hint?

More than twenty-three million Japanese (20% of the population) sing this song every year. Ok, I’ll tell you about the author.

Joseph Scriven, an Irishman born in 1819 and graduate of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland is the author. Name, still doesn’t ring a bell with you. We’ll continue on with the tale of Mr. Scriven:

Things were going well for young Mr. Scriven, he fell in love with a young woman and they planned to marry.

But tragedy struck. The evening before the wedding, his bride drowned. Joseph moved to a teaching post in Port Hope in Canada but sadness followed him. He again became engaged, but once more, just before the wedding his bride became ill and died.

In 1855 his mother in Ireland also became ill and to encourage her, he wrote a poem. That poem went on to become one of most beloved hymns in Christendom.

The words came easy for Mr. Scriven to write; he knew sorrow and pain. His whole life had been devoted to caring for the sick and needy. But in the end it all became too much; his spirit and finances went into steep decline.

Late one night, 10th August 1886, poor Joseph Scriven was deeply depressed. He was left alone while a friend stayed in an adjoining room. Later, when the friend went to check if Joseph was all right, he was surprised to see the room empty. A search was made but it wasn’t until the middle of the next day Joseph’s lifeless body was found, lying in some water.

To this day, we do not know if his death was an accident or suicide.

Read more »

Hiawatha Scott III, a native of Amarillo, Texas was born January 26, 1985. He passed away from life on January 21, 2008.

Hiawatha attended Palo Duro High School where he played basketball. He was an active member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church. He moved to Houston in his junior year of high school where he attended Hasting High School.

He worked for Wal-Mart. Hiawatha was a dedicated father, son, brother and friend.

Survivors include his son Adyn Jeremiah McDaniel Scott; parents, Hiawatha Scott, Jr. and Thelma Lynn Jones Scott; grandparents, Katherine Jones, Henry and Flora Lang. Also, three brothers, Themistocles Scott, Xavier Scott, and James Scott ; two sisters, Sonceri Charde Jones and Kathlyn Scott; one half brother, Ashtin Johnson; four half sisters, Ashly Scott, Gene Harris-Scott, Latavia Williams, and Elizabeth Johnson.

Parents in the Amarillo Independent School District who questioned why school was in session this past Labor Day won’t have any reason for concern during the next school year.

By a 5-2 vote Tuesday, AISD trustees approved the 2008-09 school calendar, the same calendar submitted by the district’s calendar committee that was rejected by a 4-3 vote in December.

The reversal - trustees James Allen and Mary Faulkner changed their opinions on the calendar - should serve the entire district well, from faculty and staff to students and parents.

As was the case in December, the 2008-09 calendar includes a holiday on Labor Day, which was not the case this calendar year.

This rankled some parents, many of whom previously gave the school calendar only a passing glance in their children’s school folders or on the district Web site.

Other holidays for 2008-09 include the day before Thanksgiving; Dec. 22-Jan. 2 for Christmas/New Year’s break; and March 16-20 for spring break. Students will not be in class Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as also was the case this year.

The AISD will have to seek a state waiver since the calendar falls two days short of the required 180 days of class instruction, but many districts in the Panhandle-area request and receive such waivers, and this won’t be the first time for the AISD.

Actually, most of the problem districts have with school calendars rests with the state. The state mandates 180 days of instruction and sets a required state date of Aug. 25.

Throw in the state’s be-all-and-end-all of public education - the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test - and all the rules, regulations and restrictions that go with it, and districts have little wiggle room on the calendar.

A two-day exemption won’t be a significant detriment to the quality of education in the AISD.

Thanks to two trustees changing their minds, the district has a reasonable calendar that - pending state approval - meets the needs of the wide array of individuals it must serve.