AMARILLO, Texas — They used to refer to the place pictured here as the “multipurpose event venue,” aka . . . the MPEV. It’s now gotta name. And in a little more than a day from now some guy in an umpire uniform is going to stand behind home plate and shout “Play ball!” to two … Continue reading Almost time to ‘Play ball!’
I have been known to speak disparagingly about naming structures after living humans, fearing that the person being honored might do something down the road that would embarrass himself or herself — and the community that honored them. However, I also have been known to make exceptions, holding to the belief that the individuals honored … Continue reading Hodgetown: a fitting name
My wife and I are continuing to make new acquaintances in our new home in Collin County and as we do, we routinely tell folks from where we moved. We came here from Amarillo, we tell folks. The response is varied. “Oh yeah. I’ve been through there. Have you eaten the big steak?” is one. … Continue reading Yes, the city surely has ‘changed’
I have to hand it to the Amarillo Sod Poodles baseball organization. They’ve come up with a mascot for the AA baseball team that seems oh, so very appropriate for what they’ve decided to call the team. The mascot’s name is “Ruckus” and it looks like, well, a “Sod Poodle,” which the community is told … Continue reading ‘Ruckus’ a better mascot than that . . . other thing
Hey, I heard they turned on the lights at Hodgetown! You know what that means? It means that when the Amarillo Sod Poodles open their AA minor league baseball season at home on April 8 they won’t be playing hardball in the dark. Amarillo, Texas, is less than a month away from entering a new … Continue reading Lights on at Hodgetown
I don’t get back to Amarillo, Texas, as often these days. My wife and I are getting set to plant new roots in a home in Collin County. We aren’t going to cease returning to the city we called “home” for more than decades. I am getting anxious to witness the rebirth of its downtown … Continue reading Watching the rebirth of a city’s downtown
I am beginning to believe I might have set the bar too low in seeking to project the future of downtown Amarillo, Texas and, by extension, the rest of the city. The picture linked to this blog post is a rendition of what Hodgetown — the name of the new ballpark that is nearing completion … Continue reading Huge future awaits downtown Amarillo
Jerry Hodge has gotten 2019 off to a rockin’ start, wouldn’t you say? I mean, he awakes on New Year’s Day to learn that he has been named Man of the Year for 2018 by the Amarillo Globe-News. The newspaper cited the former Amarillo mayor’s work in helping bring a minor-league baseball team to the … Continue reading ‘Hodgetown’ it is!
Beth Duke is a longtime friend of mine; I’ve known her since January 1995 when I first moved to Amarillo, Texas, to become editorial page editor of the Amarillo Globe-News, where she was serving as features editor and later as city editor. Thus, I feel safe in saying that Duke is doing what she now … Continue reading City set for a smashing new year
I stood with first lady Melania Trump’s Christmas décor she used to deck out the White House in 2017. This year, I have to say all those red Christmas trees don’t do it for me. She told a Liberty University audience that the trees “look fantastic,” in her view. Well, that’s her belief. She’s … Continue reading Christmas 2017 decor OK; this year, not so hot
