Amarillo College and International Aerospace Coatings (IAC) celebrated the life and legacy of the late Donnie Hammer on Oct. 9 with the presentation of the inaugural Donnie Hammer Memorial Scholarship. Established by IAC in partnership with the college, the scholarship supports students in the AC Aviation Maintenance Program who share Hammer’s passion for aircraft and commitment to excellence.
“This scholarship ensures Donnie’s spirit continues to inspire future generations,” said Martin Forde, IAC general manager. “He was a mentor, a friend, and a professional who embodied the values we strive to uphold every day. We’re proud to honor his memory by investing in students like Bryan, who represent the future of aviation.”
The scholarship’s first recipient, aviation student Bryan Lopez, said he was humbled by the recognition at the event, held at AC’s East Campus Public Service Training Center, where Hammer’s family and friends, IAC leadership, and Amarillo College faculty and students gathered to honor Hammer’s decades of dedication to the aviation industry.
“At first, I thought it was just another scholarship,” Lopez said. “But when I learned about Donnie’s story and what he meant to IAC and the aviation community, it became much more meaningful. I’m just grateful for the opportunity — it helps take some financial pressure off and motivates me to keep working toward certification.”
Lopez, a student in AC’s Aviation Maintenance Technology Program, plans to pursue his aviation maintenance license and build his career in Amarillo’s growing aerospace industry.
“We are proud to work alongside IAC to give our students meaningful opportunities,” said David Hall, AC’s dean of technical education. “The Donnie Hammer Memorial Scholarship is not only a tribute to an extraordinary individual — it’s an investment in the skilled professionals who will keep the aviation industry strong for years to come.”
The November Girls Who Science program in the Don Harrington Discovery Center’s East Wing Auditorium will feature guest speaker, Michele Thiem, who has 25 years of experience at Valero headquarters in San Antonio. The event takes place 4:45-6:15 p.m. Nov. 3, open for all community members to attend at no cost, The program now coincides with their new monthly evening hours, Free First Mondays, where the rest of their building will be open for the first Monday of each month from 4:30 to 7 p.m.
Amarillo Public Library’s annual Books to Broadway event, starts at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 in the Amarillo Civic Center Heritage Room. Doors open at 6 p.m. with a silent auction and complimentary dessert bar, followed by the free muscial review produced by the WTAMU School of Music and hosted by Friends of the Amarillo Public Library. This year’s theme is “In the Laboratory: Science, Sci-Fi, and Mad Scientists on Broadway,” with theater-style seating. Premium seating tickets include two drink coupons and are $25 each; sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information or to reserve premium tickets, contact Stacy Clopton at 806-378-3051 or by email at Stacy.Clopton@amarillolibrary.org.
The Hope & Healing Place, 1721 S. Tyler St. in Amarillo, invites the community from across the Texas Panhandle to join them for Hope for the Holidays, a free gathering designed to bring support, reflection, and connection to those who are grieving during the holiday season. Whether it’s the first season without a loved one or the ache returns year after year, the evening is meant to offer comfort, understanding, and hope. The event takes place 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4. This year’s theme is “Tradition and Celebration After Loss.” The event is open to all — children (with a guardian), teens, and adults; RSVPs are encouraged to help them plan for supplies and refreshments. Email programs@hhpamarillo.org, call (806) 371-8998 ext. 4 or visit their event page on Facebook. The event also serves as the kickoff for the HopeGiving fundraising campaign.
The Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) will host Girl Power: Girls in Real Life 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Amarillo Civic Center Regency Room, 401 South Buchanan St. Keynote speaker Amy Stark, M.D., Amarillo regional chair of psychiatry at TTUHSC School of Medicine, will discuss self-esteem and building healthy relationships. Additional speakers and activities include Whitney Chapman, lead counselor at North Heights Alternative School, who will offer parents and guardians strategies for navigating challenging teenage years; and Suzie McKee, a fitness instructor, who will lead a country dance breakout session. Girls in fifth through eighth grade are encouraged to attend with a female guardian. Admission is $5 per person and includes dinner, photos, door prizes, a T-shirt and more. Scholarships are available. Check-in begins at 5:30 p.m. To register, visit bit.ly/3Ut3YDd. For more information, call 806-414-9904 or visit www.laurabushinstitute.org
Christmas Roundup: A Holiday Market returns for its 45th Year, in the Amarillo Civic Center Complex’s North and South Exhibit Halls, at 401 S. Buchanan St. “This is an exciting year for Christmas Roundup. With two full halls of vendors, we are sure this community holiday tradition will bring something for everyone,” Payton Priest and Carlie Shea Ragland, 2025 co-chairs, said. Thousands are expected to browse wares offered by more than 140 merchants from pop-up shops in more than 200 booths. The seasonal celebration will also include cocktails, entertainment, door prizes and a silent auction. Shopping hours are noon-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 8 and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 9. A weekend pass is $10, and children 12 and younger get in free. Tickets can be purchased at the door, and proceeds benefit the educational programming of the Amarillo Museum of Art. For more information on merchants and the schedule, visit Christmas Roundup Amarillo on Facebook, ChristmasRoundupAmarillo on Instagram or visit www.amoa-alliance.com or https://www.amoa.org/2025-christmas-roundup .
West Texas A&M University’s Harrington String Quartet will open its season with the concert “New Threads in an Old Tapestry,” 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at The Church in Austin Park, 2525 Wimberly Road in Amarillo. The concert will introduce audiences to the quartet’s newest member, violist Brenton Caldwell. Season tickets are on sale for $50, or individual concert tickets are $20. Call 806-651-2840. “We are delighted to present the new incarnation of the Harrington String Quartet,” said Dr. Rossitza Goza, first violin and WT’s Dorothy and Don Patterson Professor of Violin. “Our program not only celebrates the addition of a new member, but it also showcases works by two of the greatest quartet composers, Beethoven and Shostakovich, alongside a new piece by visionary American composer Caroline Shaw.”
“Outside the Box,” featuring the work of Amber Miller, an art graduate student from El Paso, opens with a reception at 5 p.m. Nov. 6 at West Texas A&M University. The new art exhibition, which celebrates unconventional beauty and examining impossibly high body standards, will be on view through Nov. 29 in the Dord Fitz Formal Art Gallery in Mary Moody Northen Hall on WT’s campus in Canyon. Viewers are so used to the bodies presented in art from ancient times to the latest superhero film that “they take them literally, as in, this is what people are supposed to look like,” said Miller, whose exhibition is on view as part of her pursuit of a Master of Fine Arts degree. Fitz Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and by appointment Fridays and Saturdays. Email rweingart@wtamu.edu.
“Smiles For Freedom” will be evident Nov. 7 when Brady Dental Group offers free dental treatment for veterans and active-duty military of all branches of the service, according to Dr. Kimberly Gilbert of Brady Dental Group: “We have a heart for our Veterans. Dr. Laura Turner, Dr. Jordan Short, Dr. Shealee Allen, Dr. Chris Brady, our entire staff and I, have been thinking of ways that we can honor those people whose service to our country allows us to freely do what we love to do.” Free screenings were given in October to determine veterans’ needs.
This week’s Furry Friend, Jinbei, “(pronounced Jean-Bay) is a handsome tabby. His soft short-haired coat is a light orange/tan with light striping. Jinbei has deep golden eyes, a pink nose and short white whiskers. He is a very friendly kitty that loves attention. He has been around adults and children and likes playing with other cats. Jinbei is an active, playful fellow that will enjoy lots of toys, perches, cat trees, as well as interactive play with his person, and perhaps another kitty housemate.” APSCA adoptions can be made at the shelter, 11901 S. Coulter, noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Call 806-622-0555, or visit www.amarillospcashelter.com or www.adoptapet.com.
Vintage Amarillo, a biennial event benefiting the Amarillo Symphony Guild, is set for Nov. 8 at the Amarillo Club. The fundraiser will feature silent and live auctions with wines, trips, jewelry, art and more. The silent auction and cocktail hour start at 6 p.m., with a special multi-course dinner and the live auction at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $200 per person. The guild is a volunteer organization that supports and promotes the Amarillo Symphony through community involvement, fundraising and educational outreach. For more information or to purchase tickets, call Trinity Thornton at the Symphony office at 806-376-8782, ext. 1116, or email trinity@amarillosymphony.org.
West Texas A&M University’s Great Books Series continues with Dr. Monica Hart, associate professor of English in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, leading a discussion of William Blake’s “Songs of Innocence and of Experience” at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 at Burrowing Owl Books’s Amarillo location, 2461 W. Interstate 40 in Wolflin Square. For information, email organizer Dr. Daniel Bloom at dbloom@wtamu.edu. In a related event, at the monthly gathering of the Burrowing Owl Poetry Circle, led by WT professor Dr. Pat Tyrer, attendees can share their own works or those by others, or they can simply listen at 6 p.m. Nov. 20 at Burrowing Owl Books, 400 15th St. in Canyon. For information, call 806-651-2476 or email ptyrer@wtamu.edu.
Amarillo’s Bubba’s 33, 2813 W. Interstate 40, is honored to welcome American heroes with a free meal. They continue their annual Veterans Day tradition of welcoming veterans and active U.S. military to enjoy free lunch on Tuesday, Nov. 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 pm. For veterans and active military unable to attend this year’s event, the restaurant will distribute raincheck vouchers from 9 a.m. to noon on Veteran’s Day, good through May 31, 2026. Proof of service includes military or VA card, or discharge papers.
For a Veterans Day Concert, Amarillo College is inviting the community to an evening of reflection and music at “Heroes and Martyrs, Idols and Mentors,” set to begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11 in the Concert Hall Theatre on AC’s Washington Street campus. The event features songs of remembrance, gratitude, and patriotic pride, with Dr. Robert Hansen, voice, and Steve Simpson, piano, leading the performance, inviting the audience to sing along.
The Don Harrington Discovery Center is offering festive fall-themed and STEM-based day camps on Nov. 24, 25, and 26 for children who are out of school for Fall Break. DHDC’s Discovery Day Camps will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Half-day options and add-ons for pre-care and/or after-care are available. Camps are for children ages 4-11. Campers also have the opportunity to explore the center’s interactive exhibits, including the traveling exhibit Leonardo’s Lab, which explores the mind of the Renaissance man himself, Leonardo da Vinci. Cost for camps and add-ons ranges from $10 to $55. To learn more, visit https://discoverycentercollective.org/don-harrington-discovery-center/day-camps/ .
