About Potter County, TX

Great stories like this just have to be shared. There's a very happy man from Happy waking up in a brand new home worth $185,000 that he won in a raffle drawing at the Big Texan Steak Ranch on Sunday night. Farmer and rancher, Dudley McNeill is the new owner of a beautiful 1,775 square foot home in the City of Amarillo, Texas. Mr. McNeill got the news over the phone since he was unable to attend the drawing, but never-the-less it was great news to him. The home was raffled off as part of a fundraiser for the international Myelin Project, which does research for cures of demyelinating diseases along with promoting education about them.

The home is a brand new 1,775 square foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom dream for many who paid their $50 to get a chance to win. The raffle sold $150,000 worth of tickets, which is $10,000 less than the $185,000 appraisal value. The beautiful home sits at 3600 Springfield Ave. within the City View development near Hollywood Road in the City of Amarillo, Texas.

Although the fundraiser didn't make any money for its cause in the end, many are still optimistic and have future hopes. Over 100 hopeful people turned out at the Big Texan in high hopes of winning the home. And this was a very unusual raffle. Unlike most raffles in which the first name drawn wins, this raffle was complete opposite. The last name to be drawn was the big winner.

It's really great to hear stories like this about the communities in which I serve and to be able to share them with others.

Your Sound Choice In Amarillo Real Estate - Realtor® Tom Kile

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Just over three years ago, one of the schools in the Amarillo, Texas area was becoming extremely over crowded and, to keep up their good education image in the community, the Panhandle Independent School District decided to build a new school to help relieve the population of the other and to do renovations on the other school to update it. Now, over 650 students in the Panhandle ISD are using the much needed new school facilities a year ahead of time.

Students will no longer have to walk from their classrooms to the gym or library in the cold because of the new enclosed walkway. And, they won't have to rush through lunch anymore because there are now two cafeterias to accommodate all the students.

All 110+ band students will no longer have to rub shoulders in the band hall. They now have plenty of standing and storage room for themselves and all their instruments.

The new facilities are huge, with a whole lot more room.

Scheduling for the school was due to be finished next year, but has finished ahead of schedule, after just 18 months of development. Only a couple things remain to be completed, including a new high school gym and landscaping, which should be complete within the next month.

The new additions were approved by voters and paid for with $27.5 million in bonds. The bonds also provided modern science labs, larger libraries, computers with high-tech screens, a connection bridge between the junior high and high school and a new 60,000-square-foot elementary school.

The new facilities are already a huge hit with students, parents, teachers and those looking to buy property in Amarillo, Texas. It looks, like in times of need, the community of Amarillo really pulls together and comes through for its students.

Your Sound Choice for Amarillo Real Estate - Realtor® Tom Kile

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Recently, I have discovered that many areas in Amarillo have dedicated themselves to enhancing their attractions so their visitors can get the best experience possible. And now, these major additions and new touches have really increased value all over Amarillo. Therefore, I have taken time to compile a list of these wonderful enhancements to Amarillo in my blog.

The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum has come out with three fun new programs to help their visitors find their way across the state's largest history museum. Visitors can play PPHM Bingo at 10:30 a.m. each weekday. Family members actually compete with one another in a game of discovery and speed. They can play Chat with a Curator at 3:30 p.m. each week day, where visitors will get to meet a different curator everyday and learn about the artifacts and their job. They can also play Staff Favorites all day long. This game can be played and seen throughout the museum as each staff member describes their own personal connection to a particular artifact with a Staff Favorite label.

The Amarillo Zoo has many new programs and a new exhibit this summer. Combine that with free admission and it will top anyone's list as being a "must see". The zoo is opening the Herpetarium, which will include 60 animals from 30 species of exotic and native amphibians and reptiles.

Now, visitors can unlock zoo education with ZooKeys for the additional cost of $2.50. And, Zoo Fari carts can be driven around the zoo, giving the guests a chance to interact with and touch things like skulls, furs, snakes and feathers.

The Wonderland Amusement Park has opened up three new rides for this summer. Those rides include: The Hornet, a small but fast roller coaster with a sting, the Fiesta Swing and the Drop of Fear, a 200-foot tall tower of terror. All visitors can enjoy the park for $15.95 for adults and kids are $12.95; however, weekend prices are higher.

For anyone that loves horses, the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame will now be open with longer hours during the summer. From 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., you can take the extra time to enjoy the exhibit of the Quarter Horse Journal, a 60 year celebration, chronicling the entire Quarter Horse industry. The Hall of Fame & Museum is located at 2601 E. Quarter Horse Dr.

These all sound like awesome enhancements and additions to many of Amarillo's top attractions. I hope you get to take advantage of them before the summer is over.

Realtor® Tom Kile ~ Amarillo Texas Real Estate

If you like small town living in close proximity to the big city, you'll absolutely love the wonderful community of Bushland, Texas. Bushland is one of Texas' best places to call home, offering a quiet, simple way of life with less than 200 residents in the entire town. And, best of all, it's situated away from the fast pace of the bigger city, but close enough to get a taste of big city life when you want it.

Bushland is 14 miles west of Amarillo, Texas in southwest Potter County. The town was originally established as a train stop in 1908 for the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railroad. Afterward, farmers and ranchers began to flock to the area to settle into the new town.

Agriculture is still a large part of Bushland's main industry today. However, Bushland is also now home to the Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, a USDA certified agency established to research wind erosion on the Great Plains of the south.

Education in Bushland is great, too. There are both public and private schools offered. Public school is provided by the Bushland Independent School District, with one high school, one middle schoo, and one elementary school. Private school is provided by the Bushland First Baptist Church, which has also been leading the community's spiritual needs since the early 1900's.

The community offers many recreational opportunities. Bushland is full of parks and playgrounds that include picnic areas, ball fields, walking trails, party shelters, ponds and a community center. Anyone seeking larger attractions can travel the short distance to Amarillo for a huge amount of activities to keep everyone busy in their free time.

To put it plain and simple, Bushland is the perfect community for anyone seeking a simple life in a community with loyal residents. Bushland, Texas real estate is the place for you.

About the Author Realtor® Tom Kile

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Tips and Advice for Homeowners, Buyers and Sellers.

Many people travel through downtown Amarillo daily and don't realize how much history they are missing. However, with a handy guide and a careful eye, everyone can enjoy a stroll through downtown Amarillo and see that the city contains more than just tall buildings.

When one sets out on foot through the streets of downtown Amarillo, you see it and experience it very differently. All you have to do is slow down and take the time to pay attention to the details.

Polk Street alone contains nine sites of history. Therefore, I am taking advantage of my blog to list some of these sites as a guide for anyone interested in discovering Amarillo's downtown history for themselves.

High Plains Public Radio is located at 500 S. Polk St. It was built in 1902 by Stafford Lightburne. This is the oldest commercial building still standing in downtown Amarillo.

The Fisk Medical Arts Building is located at 724 S. Polk St. It was built in 1927 by Guy Carlander. This brick building features beautiful terra cotta ornamental trim. Don't forget to look for the blue statues that are on top of the building.

White and Kirk Building is located at 516 S. Polk St. It was built in 1938 by Guy Carlander. The style of this building is based on the Art Deco movement in the Pueblo Deco style.

The Santa Fe Building is located at 900 S. Polk St. It was built somewhere between 1928 and 1930 by E.A. Harrison. This building is a 14-story skyscraper that features a great mix of modern and Gothic ornamentation. Check out the lobby. It features marble and bronze.

The Kress Building is located at 702 S. Polk St. It was built in 1932 by R.R. Rowe. Like several other Kress retail stores of this time, the building features high-end architectural details. This building also represents the Pueblo Deco movement.

The Barfield Building is located at 602 S. Polk St. It was built in 1927 by Wyatt Hedrick. This building is a 10-story structure that was once home to a bank and other offices. It now stands vacant; however, it will soon be converted into apartments.

Polk Street United Methodist Church is located at 1401 S. Polk St. It was built in 1928 by J. Roy Smith and R. H. Hunt and Co. The main complex of the church features a Gothic style design and the adjoining parsonage features an English Tudor style. Look for the Good Shepherd in the stained-glass windows.

Acapulco's is located at 727 S. Polk St. It was built in 1972 by an unknown person. This particular building features some of the most elaborate artistic architectural work that can be found in downtown Amarillo. There are also beautiful flower details around the top of the building.

The Paramount Theater is located at 817 S. Polk St. It was built somewhere between 1928 and 1930 by E.A. Harrison. This building was once Amarillo's finest movie theater before it was converted into office space in 1969. There is a 33.5-foot neon sign that was restored in 2006.

I hope this guide helps make the most of your experience the next time you are in downtown Amarillo.

Realtor® Connie Taylor ~ Amarillo, Texas Real Estate

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