Amarillo, TX

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 using your credit card, please click here. For more information or to donate over the phone, please call 806-345-3363. If you are a family or individual in need of some assistance this weekend, please click here to download an application for help. Thank you for any help you can give this holiday season.

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 overlook the imperfections. That's why it's called a fixer-upper. One of the top benefits to buying a fixer-upper is the equity you can build over time. Hey, face it; the equity you build now can put you in your dream home later.

As always, when buying a home, it is important to get an inspection. This is even more important when buying a fixer-upper. You don't want to get stuck in a money trap. Some basic repairs to expect with a fixer-upper is new flooring, paint, window treatment, landscaping, and other minor repairs. Anything more than that, you will have to use your better judgment and weigh the price of the home versus the repair costs.

Just remember to take your time when buying any home. It would not hurt to look at 10 to 20 homes before making a final decision. Good luck with your house-hunting experience.

Amarillo, Texas Real Estate

Amarillo, Texas Homes For Sale

Amarillo, Texas Neighborhoods

Amarillo, Texas Realtor

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!!!!

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 professional tutors working with Brainfuse each have four year degrees, are specialists in their subject, and are all current educators. They have even had background checks. The tutors range from graduate students to retired teachers.

To access the program, students only need a library card and pin number.

If you have a student in Amarillo , Texas schools, you can access the program by clicking on any of the links below:

http://proxy.harringtonlc.org:2048/login?url=http://main.hlc.tx.brainfuse.com

http://www.brainfuse.com/

http://www.harringtonlc.org/

http://www.amarillolibrary.org/

Amarillo, Texas Real Estate

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 and monthly. Story-time is held each week day, sometimes two or three times a day. Meeting facilities are also available for non-profit organizations. Must reserve the room in advance.

The library, now, wants to hear from you. They want to know what your story is. If you have used the library to learn something exciting about your family history, or if you found information to help your business, or if you have ever taken advantage of the library's online resources to prepare for test or homework help, they want you to let them know how the library made a difference in your life.

To let the library know how it's made a difference in your life, just write them a short paragraph of 75 words or less and send it to stacy.yates@amarillolibrary.org. Just by submitting your story, you will have the chance to win a cash prize and be featured in the marketing campaign of the Library.

Library Address and Hours of Operation:

Central Library Southwest Branch

413 E 4th 6801 W 45th

Amarillo, TX 79101 Amarillo , TX 79109

(806) 378-3054 (806) 359-2094

Monday - Thursday 9am to 9pm Friday & Saturday - 9am to 6pm Sunday - 2pm to 6pm.

East Branch North Branch Northwest Branch

2232 E 27th 1500 NE 24th 6100 W 9th

Amarillo, TX 79103 Amarillo , TX 79107 Amarillo , TX 79106

(806) 342-1589 (806) 381-7931 (806) 359-2035

Monday & Tuesday 12pm to 9pm Wednesday - Friday 9am to 6pm Saturday closed Sunday 2pm to 6pm.

Amarillo Texas real estate for sale

Amarillo Public Library System: http://www.amarillolibrary.org/about/index.php

Amarillo Public Library Calendar: http://www.amarillolibrary.org/calendar.php/