If Amarillo Wants Good Parks, We're gonna have to pay

A few days ago the city of Amarillo put out a questionnaire asking folks to make some pretty tough decisions on parks here in the bomb city. This is a bit upsetting because parks are a quality of life issue and one thing that should be a draw when selling the city to potential businesses looking to relocate.

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Investment in cities like Amarillo comes from companies like Pantex or Amazon who bring people in from other places and if quality of life isn't here, the tenure isn't long. Think about this. why stay in a place if there is nothing to do when you're not working?

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Some of the numbers from the budget are down right scary, like get this. there was absolutely no money budgeted for lifeguard training. To be fair they are budgeting 132,000 for junior lifeguard training. Things at the zoo aren't much better. It's not a big one but notice that the concessions are never open anymore? Amarillo's zoo is hands down the least expensive zoo in the state with not a lot to show for the money either. I'd be willing to pay $10-15 Bucks if it meant that we had access to concessions and it were to bring in more animals and programs.

You get what you pay for, and honestly I don't think the folks in city hall give two flips about us. Yes, I agree that if there is an issue with their building it needs to be addressed. But where's the rest of the money going? It's not going to flood control, clearly the last few weeks have shown us that.

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I had a recent trip to the Warford Activity Center and the AC was out in certain sections of the building with folks saying it may be a while before it's fixed. Come on... we can do better than this.

Maybe it's time we find a way to setup a parks foundation or zoo foundation, possibly both. Because if Amarillo can't find a place to relax... what's left?

Say You're From Amarillo Without Saying You're From Amarillo

Amarillo is a pretty quirky place. We've got the Big Texan, the weird signs, and (obviously) the famed Cadillac Ranch. But more than that, there's a distinct culture of close-knit community, eccentrics, a thriving arts scene, and much more.

The point is, living in Amarillo is a unique experience. Because of that, it's really pretty easy to tell who's a native or a long-time resident. And I can prove it.

Here's a couple of ways you can say you're from Amarillo.....without saying you're from Amarillo.

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