Karen Smith Welch's Blog

Taste the Heat

2010-08-19T18:14:00.003-05:00

The heat's not getting to you.

You do smell chiles.

Crews at Fiesta Foods at 1012 S.E. 10th Ave. and Amigos United at 3300 E. Interstate 40, are roasting peppers from Hatch, N.M., the chile capital of this region at least, if not the world.

Fiesta Foods has a double-barrel roaster going in the parking lot at S.E. 10th and Arthur St. I saw it today while driving back from an afternoon appointment.

Amigos United will wrap up its Get Fired Up Hatch Chile Roast Festival this weekend. Roasting time runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it's a complimentary service for customers who purchase a full 25-pound case or a half case.

These are the peppers that inspire all New Mexico restaurants to ask, "Red, green or Christmas."

Sometimes, I want the purity of either red or green, and sometimes there's nothing like the heat of both topping your enchiladas.

So who loves chiles? Any good recipes to share?

Downtown redux

2010-08-17T16:24:00.002-05:00

Rana Klein answered my online question about readers' wish lists for downtown Amarillo in two words: A river.

Believe it or not, a river -- or waterfront of some sort -- made it into a draft of a 1991 Strategic Action Plan for Downtown Amarillo.

I dusted off the copy I had from covering that revitalization effort (kindly referred to around here as decades of "instutional memory") and realized the ideas that a consultant and residents here came up with back then aren't too far from what wound up in the 2008 Downtown Strategic Action Plan being pursued now.

A different consultant with a different resident committee also sees the need to connect our downtown entertainment corridor, Polk Street, with Amarillo City Hall and the Amarillo Civic Center complex.

Both plans proposed to do that with greenspace and sidewalks that will attract pedestrians.
There's no river in the 2008 plan, but there's the idea that the connector should be inviting.

So, before I give you a recap of the wish list developed in our Facebook discussion two weeks ago, I'll ask you to answer this:

Do you work downtown? Do you walk between appointments and to lunch? What would it take to turn you into a more willing pedestrian?

Here's the wish list -- add to it if you want.

Outdoor tejano music festival
A baseball stadium/NOT a baseball stadium (comments mixed for and against)
Better shopping area
Jack in the Box, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Dave & Buster's
Night life
More sidewalk cafes, coffee houses, bakeries
A river
More entertainment options "especially for the older crowd who has outgrown the 'club scene'"
Drive-up coffee shop
Regular movie theaters, dinner movie theaters, live dinner theater
Comedy clubs
A water fountain/feature where kids can play
Jazz or piano bars
A place to buy fuel
A convenience store
More neon

Free samples!

2010-07-27T20:46:00.009-05:00

OK. Forgive me.

No giveaways here.

But I'm testing the theory that freebies are the best way to drag you in the store -- or in my case, the blog.

Sam's does it. United Supermarkets do it.

They station the folks with the little carts and microwaves and bites of pizza on napkins or cheese squares on toothpicks.

We eat our way through the stores, and I'll be the first to admit I'm apt to put something I like in the cart no matter how much willpower I try to summon.

I'm a product sample pushover.

Do you buy? And when you cave in, what do you get? Do you become regular buyers of something you sampled or is it a one-time fling?

If you can't recall your sampling behavior, you'll have another chance to experience it at United Market Street, 2530 S. Georgia St., in Amarillo this weekend.

United's Market Street locations will host a Best of Texas Expo from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Complimentary samplings may include Texas Gulf Shrimp and Cooked Crawfish farm-raised in Wichita Falls; Fredericksburg's Opas Smoked Sausage Wraps with Texas Mustard; Casa Rica and Mi Pueblo Tortillas from Plainview; and Market Street's own Patio Sangria.

So, munch! And let me know about your discoveries.

I may need to try them.

Salad days

2010-07-26T11:55:00.005-05:00

It's silly. I wrote that headline without even knowing the origin of the phrase.

But when I looked it up, I found it fits our Amarillo downtown redevelopment efforts thus far.

The meaning: days of youth and inexperience. Translated: We're new at this revitalization game.

But Santa Fe, N.M., isn't. And we could learn a lot by looking to the West.

I viewed the New Mexico's City Different through different eyes on a recent trip. And then I wondered: What downtown changes might make Amarillo, if not a City Different, at least a city with a vibrant enough core to draw visitors, whether from neighborhoods across town or across the region?

Several downtown revitalization groups are trying to figure that out, too. Might it be the aquatic center that's been a topic of possibility?

What features would persuade you to stay downtown rather than fleeing at the end of a business day? What would make you load up the kids and drive in on a weekend?

I snapped this shot at the Santa Fe Farmer's Market, which now draws thousands to the newly redeveloped Railyard District several times a week. Local produce farmers. Flower growers. Raisers of grass-fed beef and organic chickens. Fresh eggs, creamy goat cheese, homespun yarn. Guitarists, cellists and other musicians.

The entire indoor and outdoor marketplace bustles, a showcase for producers and artisans. Chefs in white jackets select vegetables alongside families with kids in strollers and tourists with cameras.

Could this happen in our downtown?

Join in the conversation. Post ideas, and let's talk.

Moon over Walmart

2010-03-17T18:33:00.004-05:00

OK, "Twilight Saga" fans, Walmart stores in Amarillo and Canyon will host Twilight-themed parties late Friday night.

The parties will open the Walmart "Twilight Saga Shops" and coincide with the DVD release of the series' latest film, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

The release parties are set for 11 p.m. at Walmarts at:

-- 4610 S. Coulter St., Amarillo
-- 3700 East Interstate 40, Amarillo
-- 4215 Canyon Drive, Amarillo
-- 5730 W. Amarillo Blvd., Amarillo
-- 1701 N. 23rd St., Canyon

Information from the mega-chain shows that Walmart plans giveaways for the first 100 people in line at party locations. Some stores also will have more giveaways in Twilight trivia contests.

And of course, there will be merchandise. Lots and lots of merchandise. After all, that's Walmart's biz.

To find out more, check out Walmart's Twilight page. The site also features movie trailers "especially made for those fans that prefer to watch more scenes with their favorite vampires' or favorite wolves' scenes.

More than a door ding

2010-03-16T12:25:00.005-05:00

The honor code takes a hit with Allstate's release of claims data showing how many hit-and-run accidents it handled in 2009 that involved a parked car.

In Amarillo, 71 percent of the insurance companies hit-and-run claims included a parked vehicle.

That puts Amarillo close to the 69 percent national average Allstate compiled from 200 of the United States' largest cities.

None of the 200 cities, however, could claim a "hit while parked" rate of less than 50 percent, according to Allstate's findings.

But what's up with Sterling Heights, Michigan? In that city of 127,349 residents, Allstate's claims showed 94 percent of the hit-and-runs involved cars just sitting by, minding their own business.

Makes you kind of afraid to park there.

Most states, including Texas, require a driver responsible for an accident with an unattended vehicle to notify the owner. But often there's no note or attempt at contact.

If you come out to discover your car has been crunched, here's what Allstate recommends:

Survey your immediate surroundings. Look for the other driver or a note on your windshield.

Call the police to file an accident report.

Get the facts at the scene. Ask people nearby if they witnessed the accident, write down what they saw and get their contact information.

Check for surveillance cameras. If the accident occurred in a parking lot, the incident could be on tape.

Take pictures. Allstate recommends you keep a disposable camera in your car if you don't have a camera in your cell phone. Shoot the damage and the surroundings.

Contact your insurance company. Report the incident immediately.

Score your food

2010-02-24T14:02:00.010-06:00

A new United Supermarkets partnership might make it harder to casually toss Twinkies in your grocery cart.

The Lubbock chain has joined with NuVal Nutritional Scoring System to add nutritional scores to the shelf price labels of products in its Colleyville and Frisco Market Street stores. (See the "31" on the hotdog-bun shelf tag?)

Plans call for the nutritional program to be rolled out to all United Supermarkets, Market Streets and Amigos stores across Texas by the end of the year.

United calls the program a means of helping guests cut through confusing nutrition information to make educated decisions about food quickly.

The NuVal scores food between one and 100. The higher the score, the better a product's nutrient value. A team of nutrition and medical experts developed the NuVal rating system, without retailer or manufacturer influence, according to a statements of both companies. (It's probably just as well that I loaded this photo too small for you to read the NuVal scores for candy bars.)

The NuVal system recently received official endorsement from the American College of Preventative Medicine.

Dr. Mark B. Johnson, ACPM president, said the system could help people to make better food choices.

“We believe that arming consumers with easy-to understand, at-a-glance, information about the nutritional quality of the food they purchase, at the point of purchase, can have a significant impact on changing their eating behaviors,” Johnson said.

NuVal scoring fits with United's "Living Well" campaign and its participation as a founding member of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation.

The foundation has declared a mission of reducing obesity by 2015, and members have committed more than $20 million to the joint initiative to raise awareness about the importance of balancing a healthy diet with physical activity.

Find out more on the foundation's facebook page. NuVal's got a facebook, too.

Car repair chain plans Amarillo store

2010-02-22T10:50:00.006-06:00

Amarillo figures into a Houston auto repair chain’s plan to triple its 50 faith-based franchises in the next five to seven years.

Christian Brothers Automotive Corp. will shift its plan to build a 5,000-square-foot store into gear once it obtains approval from the city of Amarillo for the rezoning of a tract on Coulter Street, north of Hillside, a company executive said.

The Amarillo Planning and Zoning Commission will consider Christian Brothers' request for "planned development" zoning during a meeting at 3 p.m. today in the Commission Chamber at Amarillo City Hall, 509 S.E. Seventh Ave.

A report by city planning staff recommends changing the "general retail" zoning designation for the site, a vacant tract next door to Discount Tire at 5820 S. Coulter St., Senior Planner Cris Valverde said.

General retail zoning allows businesses offering light auto maintenance, such as tire and oil changes, but not more extensive car repair.

Christian Brothers stores will replace engines, but they don't offer “heavy line jobs” like transmission rebuilding, body work or welding, according to Josh Wall, vice president of development for the chain.

With planned development zoning, the city can control specific site aspects, such as signs, hours of operation, landscaping, lighting and architectural compatibility with adjacent structures.

Christian Brothers’ stores look like a house, Wall said, with a gabled roof and a brick and stone exterior. Interior customer areas are decorated with hardwood floors, leather couches, artwork and decorative lighting.

The city mailed notices of the zoning application to owners of property within a 200-foot radius of the site, as required by state law. No one had contacted the city to oppose the zoning change by Friday, Valverde said.

Zoning ordinances must be approved once by the planning commission and twice by the City Commission to take effect.

The chain intends to begin construction in April or May, Wall said.

Christian Brothers Automotive Corp. touts a “family-first value system,” Wall said.

The company requires its franchise owners to be born-again Christians, though store employees can observe any faith they wish, or none at all, he said.

The chain also closes its stores on weekends to allow employees more family time, Wall said.

New stores stay open on weekends for the first four months of operation before adopting the Monday through Friday schedule.

Video chain to close Floydada store

2010-02-18T10:33:00.009-06:00

A Floydada store is among an estimated 760 stores being closed by a video and video game retailer as a result of its bankruptcy filing this month.

Movie Gallery Inc. and all of its subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for Chapter 11 reorganization on Feb. 2, according to the company's Web site. The company is an umbrella for the the Movie Gallery, Hollywood Video and Game Crazy chains.

A liquidation sale is under way at a Movie Gallery store at 302 N. Second St. in Floydada.

The company earlier had closed its Hollywood Video location at 5710 S.W. 45th Ave. in Amarillo and several hundred other underperforming stores, but the actions were not sufficient to prevent the bankruptcy filing, according to the filing.

The closings will leave the company with 1,906 stores nationwide, including 1,111 Movie Gallery, 545 Hollywood Video and 250 Game Crazy locations.

However, the retailer anticipates closing other stores during the Chapter 11 process, a restructuring page on its Web site states.

Movie Gallery stores in Hereford, Dimmitt, Dalhart, Perryton, Muleshoe, and a Hollywood Video in Clovis, N.M., remain open at this time, the Web site shows.

The retailer states it will continue to honor Movie Gallery and Hollywood Video gift cards at other stores in the area. Customers should call a customer relations hotline at 1‐877‐244‐6684 if using a card at another location is not practical.

Other information for customers can be found on the restructuring page or by calling the customer relations.

Help Haiti with America's Biggest Bedtime Story

2010-02-17T19:23:00.007-06:00

Psst! Want to hear a story?

Author and Golden Globe-winning actor John Lithgow will read his book "Carnival of the Animals" to anyone who logs onto the Pizza Hut Book It! Program Web site, starting at 9 a.m. (CST) Thursday. The Webcast will be available online until 11:59 p.m. Thursday.

"Carnival of Animals," inspired by a Camille Saint-Saens composition, is the story of a young boy who falls asleep in a natural history museum on a school field trip, and finds his classmates, teachers and family have been transformed into animals.

Lithgow read to us last year and will again this year because a Book It! survey showed half of all American parents don't read to their kids at bedtime. The Book It! folks hope the event encourages a nightly ritual.

Last year, 197,972 people participated. If more people log-on this year, Book It! will donate funds for 50,000 meals to Haiti Relief through the World Food Programme.

As a bonus, participants also can view a last year's Webcast, Lithgow reading his sing-along story, "I Got Two Dogs."

Parents and educators might want to troll around on the program's Web site. It offers a ton of reading encouragement tips by age group, as well as access to games and other activities.

Pizza Hut helped establish the Book It! national reading incentive program in 1985. The hope is that the six-month program for students in kindergarten through sixth grade will motivate children to develop a lifelong love of reading.

Fine-print fiasco

2010-02-01T12:03:00.004-06:00

THE FUTURE IS NOW.

That declaration blared from one of the latest credit card solicitations I received from American Express.

One of the happier results of the economic downturn has been the reduced need for my shredder because credit card mail offers slowed to a trickle.

But with additional regulations ready to take effect, credit card companies are again sending us offers they hope we can't refuse.

Never have I seen such an excellent example of why consumers should beware of the fine print as I got with this offer for American Express ZYNC.

American Express happily claims THE FUTURE IS GETTING YOU MORE THAN YOU PAY FOR.

Ominously true in terms of this fine print caveat:

"By signing or returning this application, I ask that a Card account be opened in my name and Card(s) issued as I request, and that you renew and replace them until I cancel. ... I agree to be liable for all charges to my account, including charges incurred with an Additional Card(s) issued on my account now or in the future. The information in this application is accurate through 11/25/2009."

Sign up in January under rules that expired in November? Just what could they do to you then?

Want a primer on new credit card regulations? Here's a summary from Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.

Building blocks and ideas

2010-01-26T11:51:00.003-06:00

I share with you this Lego viral video and a lesson learned about blogging.

A magical journey to ideas, yes?

Inspiration seemed to abandon me for a while there. I got so bogged down in my journalistic pigeonhole in December and January that I forgot this blog offers me an ability to stretch beyond my usual responsibilities.

I let the blog go because it was the one thing I produce that I thought few would miss.

Becky W. pulled me back on Monday by posting, "Have you given up the blog?"

You know, you read all these social media tips that say blogging should be a conversation. ... I guess I thought I'd just been talking to myself here.

Now, I'm looking for magic Lego boxes overflowing with ideas.

What do you want to know about Amarillo, business, retail trends, the economy, city government?

C'mon. Post something. Let's talk.

Amarillo City Meeting on Downtown Streetscape Plan

2009-12-02T17:03:00.002-06:00

Amarillo City Meeting on Downtown

Fan, tweet and eat for a cause

2009-12-02T10:58:00.010-06:00

A campaign launched by the Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q chain will benefit victims of the mass shooting at Fort Hood and their families.

The chain and other businesses have partnered with Solders' Angels, a nonprofit that helps veterans and their families, in an effort to give holiday gift packages to each of 43 families affected by the shootings.

Thirteen died and 30 were wounded in the Fort Hood shootings.

The packages will consist of toys, Christmas cards and pre-paid Visa/Mastercard cards that can be used to purchase essential items and for holiday shopping, according to information from Rudy's.

Rudy's has a store at the Western Crossing shopping center at Interstate 40 and Western Street.

Rudy's has said it will donate 50 cents for every new verifiable follower for the chain's Twitter account and fan of its Facebook page through Dec. 7.

Then, on Dec. 5, Rudy's will donate a portion of its revenues from online and store sales to Solders' Angels.

Established in 2003, Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer-based non-profit that provides aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, as well as veterans and military families.

Information about the organization is available by visiting its Web site or calling (626)529-5114.

Animation not always kiddie fare

2009-11-30T19:22:00.006-06:00

Make a point to see Disney's 3D animated version of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."

The animation is sumptious, even if the story conjures a time when poverty abounded.

But if your viewing party includes children, consider carefully whether they're up to seeing ghosts, a grim reaper and the scarier side of Ebenezer Scrooge's trip through Christmases past, present and future.

A woman in front of us in the theater spent a good chunk of film holding her hands over the eyes of the two children with her. It's rated PG for scary sequences and images.

Whataconcept: Free food

2009-11-30T18:37:00.003-06:00

Ever heard the "12 Days of Whataburger?"

I haven't either, thank goodness.

But as unmelodious as it sounds, the 12 Days of Whataburger could be a hit, as long as you can drop everything to take advantage of the chain's coupon campaign.

Whataburger launched an Internet campaign to send coupons for as many as 12 free menu to e-mail subscribers in December.

You can sign up here.

Coupons for fries, fried pies, taquitos will begin landing in your inbox on Tuesday.

Whataburger is billing this as a thank-you to customers who have worked hard all year to make ends meet.

But the thank-you window is short. You 24 hours to cash in because each coupon is only good for a day.

The "grand finale" coupon will be for a free Whataburger on Christmas Eve.

Not sure I'll drop the family dinner for trip through the drive-thru.

I'm suprised The coupons will include offers for free

For the snoozer in all of us

2009-11-25T17:57:00.003-06:00

I've covered the mania of Black Friday.

The past two years, I've been outside stores around 4 a.m., writing down the quotes of, um, dedicated deal-hunters with a pencil because ink won't flow from a pen in 20-degree temperatures.

This year, fellow stalwart reporter Cheryl Berzanskis has that duty and I'm grateful not to have a 3 a.m. wake-up call. The atmosphere is fun, but I've never found a bargain that would entice me forget that what I'm camping on is cold concrete.

Which brings me to a clever Black Friday promotion planned by Payless.

The shoe retailer invited customers to text SLEEPIN to a number through today. In return, the company will send those consumers a digital coupon on Thanksgiving Day that will be valid through the entire Thanksgiving weekend.

If you're reading this today, there may still be time to participate. Text SLEEPIN to 242424.

I'll try to find out soon how many customers Payless got to sleep in and still shop.

A landmark in tow

2009-10-29T18:18:00.004-05:00

The design blogs are all agog about this new pop-up camper designed by Axel Enthoven.

And I must say the Opera fold-out trailer is nothing like the pop-ups I ever spent a cramped night inside.

Notice the Sydney Opera House inspiration? Let's see, hot and cold running water, a stove, an espresso bar no less.

Springwise.com can give you the rest. That's where I first found it. But if you want to see a video (somewhat ethereal and idyllic), click here to go to the Opera Web site.

Got a habit to break?

2009-10-08T17:54:00.000-05:00

Do you take the elevator or escalator, when it really wouldn't hurt you to take the stairs? (No finger-pointing. I do.)

Volkswagen is pulling stunts to make better behavior more fun. I'm not sure what it has to do with selling cars but, as social experiments, the videos are very interesting.

Here's a stunt pulled to see if people would be better about using public trash receptables:

The car maker's Web site, Rolighetsteorin.se, contains more, but you'll need a translator. An English site, thefuntheory.com, doesn't appear to be running on all cylinders yet.

Down the Rabbit Hole

2009-10-07T17:58:00.003-05:00

Disney plans to introduce a fashion line inspired by its upcoming Tim Burton remake of "Alice in Wonderland" next spring.

Burton's films inspire costumes, but I'm not sure about actual clothing. Sweeney Todd rags anyone?

Disney recently introduced the collection at a Las Vegas fashion event, taking an "unsuspecting ... crowd by surprise as the maddest of tea parties came live before their eyes," according to a news release.

Judging from this video, the release didn't lie. It looks like Cirque to Soleil crashed the party:

There will be clothing and Tom Binns jewelry lines inspired by Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Red Queen, the White Queen and the White Rabbit. Limited edition pieces will go for $1,000 to $3,000.

The 3D version of Alice stars Tim Burton fave Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter.

The film will be in theaters in March. Here's the trailer.

'Care Bears meets Black Hawk Down'

2009-09-24T11:25:00.004-05:00

Found another reason to feel old today when I ran across this news release:

"Homicidal Teddy Bears Hold Top Slots on iTunes in First Month"

Battle Bears has been downloaded more than 800,000 times -- at 99 cents a pop -- since it launched Aug. 31.

"The object of the new game: kill cuddly pink teddy bears before they commit 'huggacide' with deadly embraces to OLIVER, an advanced robotic teddy bear with a lot of attitude. When OLIVER annihilates the hug-crazed bears, rainbow colored blood beams from their necks or splashes across the moving touch screen. But the homicidal teddies multiply, and each of 20 levels of play leads to more advanced battles, cut scenes and surprises featuring new weapons, including the 'Bearzooka.'"

But, no worries. This is all accomplised with "adorable animation," a phrase written in the same breath with a reference to "intense bear-on-bear action," whatever that means.

Again, maybe I'm old and need to lighten up. This app reviewer calls the Bearzooka "totally cute" in this YouTube clip.

Writer/director Benjamin Vu (whose company produced the animated "CORALINE")describes it as "Care Bears meets Black Hawk Down."

BATTLE BEARS went to Top Ten Apps on iTunes in its first week and remains the No. 1 Action/Adventure Game and No. 3 on the All Games list, according to those who want to sell it.

Judge for yourselves. There's a sample. And then you tell me.

'World of Mouth'

2009-09-23T11:18:00.004-05:00

That headline is a thought-provoker quote from a video shown at the National Retail Federation's recent Shop.org summit and on the NRF blog. (Reblogged by Retail Traffic Court blogger David Bodamer)

And it's only one of many of the data bits provided by socialnomics.com that highlight the exponential power of social media.

"If facebook were a country, it would be the world's fourth largest."

"80 percent of Twitter usage is on mobile devices. People update anywhere, anytime. Imagine what that means for bad customer experiences?"

"Generation X and Y believe e-mail is passe. In 2009 Boston College stopped distributing e-mail addresses to incoming freshman."

Watch the video. Makes you believe if you're not on the social media bullet train, you'll be left behind.

Future vision

2009-09-09T21:10:00.005-05:00

The city of Amarillo offered a listening post for all who wanted to speak.

In four nights of community meetings at four spots in the city, audiences of 30 to 50gave their input on every aspect of a city.

They talked about parks, traffic, housing, neighborhoods, filling in abandoned areas, access to services, better bus transportation -- every aspect of a city that touches their lives.

Their feedback will be used as a springboard for the city's Comprehensive Planning Steering Committee to work with consultants from Kendig Keast Collaborative to draft a comprehensive plan for the city's next 20 years.

And that feedback is vital, according to Bret Keast.

"From that, we will say, 'What is the community telling us?' This is your plan. Our job is to put your words and your visions on paper."

The plan will take about 14 months to complete. You can keep track of the process through our coverage here at www.amarillo.com and also through the committee's Facebook page.

Below are some of the comments that didn't make our print coverage of the final community meeting tonight at Puckett Elementary School.

A positive: "The elementaries (schools) are neighborhood-based, smaller in size, rather than large."

On the need to keep improving the Ports-to-Plains trade corridor that helps to link roadways running north-south across the United States from Mexico to Canada: "If our politicians don't get after our governor in Austin, they should be kicked out of office. You know what they say, 'Build the highway, and they (businesses) will come.'"

On the look of the Interstate 40-Interstate 27 interchange near downtown: "The state made some major improvements, but it doesn't seem like they've been maintained."

"I'm a big fan of infill and adaptive reuse," for older areas such as downtown Amarillo. "But you have to provide areas for lower-income (residents) to still exist."

"I think we need to support WT (West Texas A&M University and their move into Amarillo."

"The (arterial) roads are entirely too narrow in older parts of the city."

"I would like to see less cul-de-sacs and more ways to access the neighborhoods, so it's more efficient -- just more connectivity."

On the need for traffic control on Southwest 45th Avenue for pedestrian and vehicle access to the Southwest Branch Library: "I feel sorry for people going to that library, because there's no way to enter that library in a safe manner."

"I don't understand why they can't figure out how to make better streets so they won't get potholes every winter."

What comes to mind about Amarillo? "The smell. They say it's the smell of money. But some days, you can almost taste the smell of money from the feedyards."

"Coming from out of the area last year, what was known in Pennsylvania was the Big Texan (Steak Ranch) and Cadillac Ranch, of all things."

Amarillo "has everything you need,but it's not a huge city."

"Amarillo Boulevard, out on the north side, is tacky. There's not enough green space there. There's a lot of abandoned businesses."

"The Rails to Trails was designed to look pretty. It wasn't designed for transportation."

"The city could lead the way (in water conservation) by using native plants."

There's a need for "educating the public, in general, about water conservation, landscaping -- what we're doing at our own homes."

"We have (stormwater) drainage issues, especially on this side of town."

About traffic congestion on Coulter Street between Interstate 40 and the Medical Center: "I don't know how the emergency vehicles get through there, myself. ... I don't know what the solution is. But the more we let development go, the more expensive it's going to get."

Say something

2009-09-08T20:59:00.005-05:00

You've got one more chance to get in on the ground floor of a plan that will guide the future of the city of Amarillo.

The final community meeting to gather public input for a comprehensive plan for the city will take place at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, at Puckett Elementary School, 6700 Oakhurst Drive. Anyone can join in.

More than 30 residents turned out at Lawndale Elementary School tonight to talk about their vision for Amarillo for the next couple of decades.

Their number was more than matched by representatives of the city -- members of a city Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, the city Planning and Zoning Commission, city staff and elected leaders.

Consultants who are working with the steering committee to draft the plan for led discussion groups. Here are some ideas that rose to the top:

"Amarillo is becoming known elsewhere as a speed trap."

"We have world-class arts and music. But there's a disconnect. People don't always feel like they could be or should be a part of that."

"The southeast part of town is growing. It might be time to look at another junior high, another high school."

"Maybe (add) a police substation in the southeast, northeast."

"It seems like everything used to be centrally located. But now everything is in the southwest. We're the forgotten stepchildren on this side of town."

"The behavior of the citizens governs a lot of where people are going to put things. Restaurants, they'll go anywhere there's money. But if people don't think they're safe or the area is pleasant, they're not going to come."

"The parks staff does an excellent job during the summer. They have all kinds of events and activities (for kids). And the director of Parks and Recreation (Department) is probably the best around -- Larry Offerdahl."

About Alamo Park: "I think they did a great job with it. I've never seen so many kids and families picnicking there."

About the senior park amenities being added to Ellwood Park: "I think we're going to have to do more of that, more projects in the parks where they (seniors) feel safe."

"Our alleys are very bad. ... It's overflowing with trash continually, people just throwing out their couches and tires."

"There are cars on properties, not tagged, no tires."

"With all the new development, the dirt's gone away. Asphalt and concrete has taken its place, and there is a drainage problem."

More about drainage issues: "Especially on the access roads of I-40, it will be from curb to curb most every time we have a rain."

Many entrance and exit ramps to Interstate 40 were designed in the 1960s. And they're short and dangerous.

"Can a lane be added to I-40 to improve traffic flow?"

"Here in the east part town, we have to drive to get to anything. We're the ones who are pretty much on I-40, so we know. Yes, lanes need to be added to I-40."

Newer thoroughfares such as Coulter and Soncy already are congested. Other streets mentioned included Bell and Western.

"While we do have to wait (through lights due to traffic), our son, who lives in Dallas, laughs at us when we talk about it. It's nothing at all to him," one woman said. And then, speaking directly to the consultant, she added, "You're talking to a spoiled people."

To the question, 'Is Amarillo a good place to walk or bike?' came this reply: "There are too many buildings that are terrible. Who wants to be around buildings where we don't know if there are transients."

"There are people parking on the sidewalks."

About the bus system, came a comment about the need for "different routes so people don't have to walk eight, 10 blocks to get to a bus stop."

Another bus system comment: "You have to go all over the place before you get to where you need to go."

Nightmare Before Christmas?

2009-09-01T18:37:00.002-05:00

Seeking Alpha blogger Ross Snyder sent up a scary trial balloon Monday about the Christmas shopping season.

Snyder discusses the effect of the swine flu on an investor's retail portfolio.

But the issue distills down to more than just stocks.

"... the northern hemisphere is experiencing flu season way too early for investors to underplay swine flu. Cooler heads around the world will be staying home when possible and donning N95 masks when out. Those of us who like to ignore bad news (hello, America!) may lead everyday lives longer, until changes at schools and hospitals become too big to ignore."

Snyder talks about considering investments in home-shopping or home-delivery services like E-bay, Amazon and Netflix.

Retail has been slow. I'm talking myself out of things I don't need before I get to checkout lines, aren't you?

If we're already paring back before holiday shopping season arrives, and then we're afraid to risk a trip to the store to get the few things on our lists, where does that leave retailers?

The chains and local stores aren't just businesses, they're employers.

Car seats have expiration dates?

2009-08-31T17:21:00.003-05:00

It makes sense, but I hadn't thought about it before a Toys "R" Us news release landed in my inbox.

Materials deteriorate over time. And if that happens, a child seat can't do what it's supposed to do.

But the fact that I, and lots of other consumers, haven't thought too critically about this stuff underscores the importance of latest marketing move by the giant toy chain.

Through Sept. 20, Toys "R" Us locations nationwide will accept returns of any used cribs, car seats, bassinets, strollers, travel systems (not sure what those would be), play yards and high chairs.

The customer turning in the stuff gets a 20 percent savings on the purchase of any new baby item in any of those product categories from selected manufacturers.

Through its "Great Trade-In" campaign, Toys "R" Us hopes to make consumers realize "certain used baby products, such as car seats and cribs, are not the best candidates to be handed down or resold."

"Safety experts have recently reported that sales of used products are on the rise and are warning consumers to be cautious about purchasing second-hand baby products that may potentially be unsafe, but are still in circulation. According to consumer advocacy organization Kids in Danger, in general, less than 30 percent of affected items are returned when a baby product is recalled."

The 20 percent discount is available to consumers on the day they trade in a used item.

Day care centers and organizations wanting to exchange items in bulk can contact the local store before bringing items to ensure adequate availability of new merchandise.

The voices of your community

2009-08-26T20:58:00.004-05:00

At least 50 residents attended a community meeting tonight at San Jacinto Elementary School to talk about their vision for the future of the city of Amarillo.

Their number was matched, collectively, by members of a city Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, the city Planning and Zoning Commission, city staff and elected leaders.

If you weren't there, where were you?

You have a couple more chances to participate in the meetings, which will help those city representatives draft a comprehensive plan that will act as a guide for the kind of city we want Amarillo work toward becoming in the next couple of decades.

What are the challenges we face? The opportunities we shouldn't miss?

Try, try, try to attend either of the next two meetings, or both:
-- 6:30 p.m., Sept. 8, Lawndale Elementary School, 2215 S. Bivins St.
-- 6:30 p.m., Sept. 9, Puckett Elementary School, 6700 Oakhurst Drive

Add your voice to these comments:

On thinking like a city approaching 200,000 in population: "We spend a lot of time bragging about our low tax rate instead of building on big ideas -- and I'm not saying this is it -- but like a sports complex downtown. They say, 'We can't do that.'"

"If we do have increased growth, I’d like to encourage more people-scaled developments and less dependence on the automobile for just your everyday errands."

About a lack of follow-through on vision for some valuable or historical areas, such as Sixth Avenue, commonly known as the Sixth Street Historic District: "Yeah, we want to save the community, but we forgot why."

"In terms of development, we're in an area all around us where water is depleting. Amarillo has lots of water for the future, but we're taking it from other parts of the Panhandle. And, when agriculture goes, lots of communities are going to be hurt, including Amarillo."

"We need to think in terms of saving the playas (playa lakes), not plowing under the playas."

On placing water conservation requirements/regulations on property owners: "The sprinkler systems around here do a really good job of watering the sidewalks."

On the "embarrassing” lack of curbside recycling: “Austin does it. Are we just stupid up here? Over a 10-year period, they ought to be able to phase it in."

"One good thing is that downtown revitalization has gotten off high center."

Growth has been well-managed, “to a certain extent,” one man said. “But when you concentrate all your medical facilities in one part of town, it creates difficulties, as far as access."

"I have always wondered why Amarillo's hospitals and emergency systems are located in one area. If it ever got hit by a tornado, there would be a lot of problems."

"One thing the that comes with growth -- and the city's doing a real good job with it -- is health care. The city is building a new health department, and it will take care of a lot of the ... refugee population."

On the need for health department offices in all quadrants and for educational tools, such as "newsletters in water bills about how to manage the (H1N1) flu."

"We don’t have retirement facilities for people that are poor ... or average."

On good planning in newer neighborhoods: "But that's new. They haven't done anything for the old areas."

"We are in need of urban infill. We have all this new growth, and Paramount (Boulevard) is just a wasteland. We've got that empty (former) Michael's store. We have two empty Albertson's."

The city should design roadways "not just looking as bicycles as recreation, but as transportation."

"I'd like to see support for green building."

"The tremendous brain drain we have: It's been talked about, but it's just been talked about."

"Do we have enough transportation for parents who are disabled (and) trying to get their kids to school? ... A lot of kids are being raised by their grandparents."

"We're behind the times. There's no technological hub."

"Future stormwater containment areas ... should be usable public spaces. We should be using them as amenities, instead of building a big hole in the ground like we have at Western Plaza (now the Western Crossing shopping center). I don't think it would, but we need to make sure that can't happen again."

"Aside from the Big Texan and Cadillac Ranch, I'm not really sure what folks from 700 miles away would think of when you ask, 'What do you think of when you think about Amarillo?'"

Amarillo has an "I've been through it" image.

An image problem

2009-08-20T18:42:00.005-05:00

The message in this video from Dove is good.

It's not new, by any means. But it's had more than 2.2 million views on YouTube. And still, people are watching and commenting.

People like the message here.

But Dove is taking a bit of a beating from comment writers who say its parent company, Unilever, owns other brands that add to the distortion of body image that is rampant in advertising.

If we could just keep the message here in mind, we would all be better off.

Buying any cotton this weekend?

2009-08-20T10:51:00.005-05:00

Plow $150 into cotton merchandise at Westgate Mall during this weekend -- the sales tax holiday weekend on many back-to-school items -- and you can take home a $20 gift card good for another cotton purchase.

The rewards program is being offered by Westgate Mall and Cotton Inc., a research and marketing company that promotes upland cotton. Westgate is one of 20 malls nationwide to have launched the program, a statement said.

To claim a gift card, shoppers must present receipts showing cotton merchandise purchases totaling $150 or more to the Westgate Mall Customer Service Center beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday. The $20 reward gift cards will be given out as long as they last.

Westgate Mall will stay open longer during the tax-free weekend. Stores will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Information about items eligible for sales tax-free purchase during the weekend is available here on our Web site or at the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Web site.

Slip'n Slide deluxe

2009-08-13T17:51:00.004-05:00

Honestly, I don't have a clue what this has to do with Microsoft, since the link shown at the end leads you to a Web site in German.

But I do know why it hit Advertising Age's Viral Video Chart for the week of Aug. 3. It's crazy!

It had 859,395 views for the week.

Another combo deal

2009-08-05T10:55:00.004-05:00

Back-to-school marketers must be thinking only of shoes and supplies.

Monday, I told you about Foot Locker and its team-up with Office Depot. Buy something at one store, get a coupon for another.

Today, I see that OfficeMax and Payless ShoeSource also have a combo going.

Buy something at Payless and get a coupon for $10 off a purchase of $30 or more at Office Max.

Buy something at OfficeMax and get a coupon for $5 off a purchase of $25 or more at Payless.

The promo will run through Sept. 12.

From Foot Locker to school locker

2009-08-03T18:11:00.003-05:00

Planning to buy back-to-school shoes?
Foot Locker wants to increase foot traffic by teaming with Office Depot to make customer deals.
Through Sept. 5, customers who make a purchase of at Foot Locker will get a coupon good for $10 off a $30 purchase at Office Depot.
The flipside of the deal is that Office Depot will give customers buying school supplies a 20 percent-off coupon to use at participating Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker or Kids Foot Locker locations.
The coupon also can be used at the Foot Locker Web sites.

From the tickler file

2009-07-31T10:47:00.006-05:00

Kids loved Tickle Me Elmo, the giggly red Sesame Street muppet toy.

And they'll probably be just as, well, tickled with a new toy hitting store shelves on Tuesday -- just in time for every kid to want one for Christmas.

Elmo's Tickle Hands are big, furry red hands kids can wear.

They've got Elmo's face on them and are activated with a press of his nose. When they touch a surface to tickle, the hands vibrate and Elmo's recorded voice will speak and, of course, laugh.

A second press of the nose brings on the Tickle Hand Groove, a song that has a dance children can learn through an accompanying DVD. Elmo sings, with backup from Cookie Monster. (Check out the video below.)

The hands are billed for suitable youngsters 18 months and older. They'll sell for about $30.

Straight out of a nursery rhyme

2009-07-30T11:59:00.005-05:00

Add Red Wing, Minn., to America's quirky travel destinations.

Red Wing Shoe Co. will open a 17,800-square-foot company museum and flagship retail store on Monday, appropriately located on Main Street.

Almost 5,000 of those square feet will be dedicated to a museum housing "the world's largest boot" and other displays touting the history and heritage of the company.

Big enough to be a parade float, the boot created in 2005 to celebrate the company's centennial stands 16 feet high, 7 feet wide and 20 feet long. It weighs 2,300 pounds and took 13 months to complete.

A person fitting this boot would stand 120 feet -- 12 stories tall.

The company paraded the boot on a four-block move to the site on Tuesday. And, it traveled the country in 2006 and 2007 for more centennial showings.

T Anchor tidbits

2009-07-29T11:57:00.003-05:00

A few facts from City Manager Alan Taylor's T Anchor Lake presentation at the Amarillo City Commission meeting on Tuesday:

-- The cost estimate for construction of a park at T Anchor Lake, which lies north of Interstate 40 at Nelson Street, is $11.5 million.

-- The bulk of the cost -- almost $6 million -- would go for earthwork. A lot of dirt will have to be moved to make some areas habitable and dig other areas deeper so that the lake still has enough capacity to handle the drainage it receives from a surrounding 4-square-mile area.

-- Fingers of the area that drains into T Anchor extend south, beyond Interstate 40, to Southeast 34th Avenue; west to downtown Amarillo; and, north to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway tracks.

-- The city is awaiting new Federal Emergency Management Agency flood plain maps that are expected to raise the 100-year flood plain level of T Anchor by a couple of feet, Taylor said.

-- That means the earth moved to make the area habitable for a park will need to be piled a couple of feet higher than it would have under the old maps. The finished floor level of anything built in a 100-year flood plain area must be 1 foot higher than the elevation level set by FEMA.

-- Parts of the site lie more than 30 feet below flood plain level. And the deepest part of the lake is about 50 feet below flood plain level.

-- An estimated $1.63 million of the estimated $11.5 million cost of a park would pay for drainage system improvements and pipe to carry water and prevent flood issues.

-- The pump that takes stormwater out of T Anchor when it fills sends water westward through a pipeline to a stormwater drainage system in downtown Amarillo. That system moves the water north to Thompson Park.

T Anchor's bones

2009-07-27T11:35:00.006-05:00

Some who have commented on today's article about options for developing the T Anchor Lake area recalled an ancient discovery made in the early 1980s.

On June 15, 1982, a 16-year-old boy walking his dog in open fields in the lake area found a partially exposed skeleton that turned out to be more than 2,600 years old, according to Amarillo Globe-News files.

Police removed the bones, taking them out -- to a West Texas State University anthropology professor's delight -- intact in chunks of earth. Professor Jack T. Hughes said he was "pleasantly surprised" at the care with which the skeleton was exhumed.

Almost a year later, the university received the results of carbon-14 dating tests on the bones, revealing them to be about 2,670 years old. They are believed to be the remains of an early American Indian.

Carbon dating is a process in which a radioactive carbon isotope, which is contained in all carbon-containing matter, such as bones, is activated to determine the age of an object.

No artifacts were found with the remains, which left researchers with no clues as to the Indian's cultural associations.

The sex of the skeleton also could not be determined because the pelvic bone was missing at the time of the discovery.

Judging by the size of the bones alone, it was believed to be a woman of average size. However, one characteristic of the skull is generally associated with males, according to a May 27, 1983, Amarillo Daily News article.

"The one really unusual thing," Hughes said, "is that the skull has heavy eyebrow ridges. It tends to be an ancient trait."

Hughes said the heavy eyebrow ridge was an indication the Indian may have been around during the Neanderthal period.

The eyebrow ridge was not as heavy as that of a Neanderthal, but heavier than Hughes had seen on any other Indian skull.

A Texas Archaeological Research Lab at the University of Texas at Austin did the carbon-dating. The coverage said the remains were being kept by WT, but "belong to the Texas Antiquities Commission."

Baby, oh baby

2009-07-17T13:50:00.000-05:00

If you haven't seen the Evian baby rappers ad, you should. It will make you smile. I've posted it below.

And just below that is a behind-the-scenes video about the making of the commercial. It gives you a sense of the technical expertise poured into such a short piece of video.

They're both going viral. The Evian ad itself debuted in the No. 2 spot on Advertising Age's most recent Viral Video chart with more than 1.8 million views.

A Starbucks by any other name??

2009-07-16T19:06:00.004-05:00

A gem from the Associated Press says Starbucks is opening a store without plastering the chain name on it.

The java juggernaut is changing the name of one of its existing stores to 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea -- for its location -- to give it more of a neighborhood feel.

It will open next week with not only coffee and tea on the menu, but also wine and beer.

The program is a pilot test and could lead to more neighborhood-named stores.

According to the AP report:

"It's interesting," said Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy, "especially since the Starbucks brand has been such an integral part of their success."

Hottovy said he thinks the Starbucks brand still "resonates" with those who drink coffee regularly. But, he added, with the recession now in its second year, the brand may be struggling more because it is considered "premium," and therefore expensive, by consumers.

The question would be whether the name change will take the "premium" out of the price, not just out of the image.

Anyone else sicko of Jocko?

2009-07-14T11:55:00.008-05:00

The great breadth of Michael Jackson coverage has gotten to be too much for me.

I understand the pull of celebrity. And Jackson's story is complex, so there are many layers to probe. But I'm on overload, and I don't think I'm alone.

Browsing on iTunes a couple of nights ago, I saw two albums released on July 7, the day of his memorial. One was an album of performances from the service. The other, a different collection of Jackson songs.

A click to the page for the collection of Jackson songs showed people using the reviewer comments option to express a different kind of opinion, dismissing the release as a money-grab: "Wow, that didn't take long."

Now for fans truly grieving Jackson's death, the album is no such thing. And, advice that came from the arts and crafts retailer Michaels also could be helpful, I suppose.

"Michael Jackson fans are pulling out old albums, posters, concert tickets and other memorabilia and are collecting new keepsakes to remember and celebrate the King of Pop," declared a news release from the retailer that listed tips for preserving and displaying the items.

The connection seemed a little thin to me.

But I'll list the ideas here, in case I've just become too cynical.

-- Mount photos and paper memorabilia on acid-free paper.
-- Use acid-free glue and tape to mount items.
-- Use glare-free conservation glass to prevent fading caused by the sun's UV rays.
-- Group smaller items around your treasured piece to create a larger display.

"Unprotected memorabilia such as concert programs, album covers and especially autographed photos will deteriorate quickly without proper preservation," said Michaels President and COO Shelley Broader said. "Framing old souvenirs or new ones like magazine covers and newspapers will create personalized, treasured mementos for years to come."

Wow!

2009-07-01T11:03:00.003-05:00

Here's the 2009 Xbox Project Natal announcement that Microsoft posted to YouTube.

It's no surprise the video is on the Advertising Age Digital Viral Video Top 10. The system will read your body, sense your motion, recognize your voice and let you be the controller. ... Well, just take a look and you'll see what I mean.

Read on

2009-06-29T11:40:00.005-05:00

This blog entry should've been an easy one.

Barnes & Noble Booksellers has launched a blog to encourage young readers. In fact, the press coverage I saw billed B&N's Letter Blocks as a place where parents could get advice, family friendly recommendations, heart-warming stories about young readers and insights from writers.

Well, I visited. And the site I saw is long on heart-warming tales from writers and actors about the power of reading and becoming readers. The guest bloggers do mention books they loved. But the advice for parents about how to instill that love in their own children seems to be scant.

To be fair, those of us who are readers mostly find the love of reading by finding a story that transports us or knowledge we crave to satisfy curiosity. We might've been steered toward reading, but there aren't really any steps to the process. Someone nudged us, and we were drawn in.

I'm not really sure there's solid advice to give other than, "encourage, nudge, cajole, prompt, urge, etc."

If I can't recommend Letter Blocks on the basis of its sheer usefulness, I can recommend that parents read a few of the entries to be reminded why they fell in love with reading.

Here's part of the latest entry, from author Ridley Pearson:

"I recall with particular clarity one of my first visits to the Perrot Memorial Library in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, where I was raised. I relive the chill to the marble entranceway, so welcome in summer, the smell of the cloth and glue (I suppose) of the books themselves, tucked away on dark wood shelves with the Dewey decimal coding on their spines. The gateway to other worlds, especially, a few years later, the far away world of Rudyard Kipling. We had television in those days, but it was black and white, and the world of books was in living color, a world of adventure and intrigue and action and, for me, wonder."

Building a skyscraper

2009-06-26T17:31:00.003-05:00

Though Newcrest Hotels Ltd., an Irving developer, will turn the historic Fisk Building in downtown Amarillo into a high-rise Courtyard by Marriott, the feat isn't what a Newcrest representative referred to when he spoke of building a skyscraper in an interview Thursday.

Newcrest Real Estate Director Robert DeShay used the analogy of skyscraper building to talk about the work done before Newcrest arrived to the downtown revitlization scene in Amarillo: the formation of the Center City Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, the support from taxing entities involved in the TIRZ, and the support of businesses and individuals who contribute through Downtown Amarillo Inc. and Center City of Amarillo.

That preliminary work is vital, but it isn't as visible and thus can encourage skeptics, DeShay said.

Here's his comment:

"When you're building a skyscraper, the first thing you have to do is go down deep and make sure the foundations are solid. But no one sees anything except a fence (around the property). And this work might go on for months, months, months. And then all of a sudden, a structure begins to rise. And the higher the structure, the more solid the foundation has to be."

Newcrest found the prep work "very impressive," DeShay said. "We said to ourselves, 'You know what? These people are going to make something happen in this downtown.'"

Newcrest's role now is to complete a $12.7 million renovation of the Fisk, on Polk Street at Southwest Eighth Avenue, in about a year's time. Upon completion, the developer will be eligible to begin receiving about $1.6 million in property tax rebates from the TIRZ over a 20-year period.

A barbecue and jazz event today at the Fisk's parking garage celebrated the kickoff of demolition and construction of the Courtyard by Marriott.

Sim City for real

2009-06-24T18:33:00.004-05:00

What do you want Amarillo to look like, act like and feel like in the next 20 years?

Last week, the city of Amarillo launched a planning process designed to put ideas for the city's future into a blueprint that will guide city development.

Consultants from Kendig Keast Collaborative will lead the comprehensive planning effort with the help of a 21-member steering committee of Amarillo folks appointed by the Amarillo City Commission. The work will take more than a year.

Kendig Keast Vice President Gary Mitchell, the project manager for Amarillo's plan, gave committee members an overview of the job they've been assigned -- no easy task.

"This committee discusses things to, at the end of the day, get (the list) down to manageable priorities," Mitchell said. "You need to take a 30,000-foot view of the city and decide what do you work for in the near term to get to where you want to be in the long term."

The plan will touch on every aspect of life in Amarillo:

-- Land use: Development patterns, zoning, and even aesthetics.
-- Growth management: infrastructure, constraints, annexation, green building and conservation.
-- Mobility: streets, bike lanes, pedestrian travel and transit systems.
-- Parks and cultural offerings, including historic resources and preservation.
-- Housing and neighborhoods: available housing stock, variety and needs, undeveloped areas within the city that could be filled in, neighborhood design.
-- And, implementation: Determining priorities for the next one to three years, and action strategies for accomplishing short- and long-term goals.

"These things don't happen in a couple of years," Mitchell said of the long-term goals. "Some things you need to plant seeds for. You'll be laying groundwork for significant things."

Committee members are: Barry Bedwell, Anette Carlisle, Bill Chudej, LuLu Cowan, Beth Duke, Lilia Escajeda, the Rev. Darrel Fincher, Belinda Gonzales-Taylor, Ken Graham, Dr. David Hernandez, Bob Juba, Claudette Landess, Grover Martin, Rosie Powell, Four Price, Bobby Sanders, Don Sanders, Eddie Scott, Betty Trotter, Ben Whittenburg and Dana Williams.

At the June 17 meeting, Carlisle was elected to chair the committee. Escajada will serve as vice chair.

The input of residents in the city will be vital to the process. A series of public meetings will be scheduled so that the committee and consultants can hear what you want.

The meeting last week opened up a number of avenues for conversation. Because there's only some much room in the print edition, I hope to post some of the comments here and blog about the process as it goes along.

So check here, and please comment. And consider attending the public meetings when they're announced. Whether you want to plan the perfect city or just fix problems you perceive around here, this process is for you.

A deal is brewing

2009-06-15T12:08:00.005-05:00

For those who are as addicted to World Market's coffee is I am, here's a savings tip.

Cost Plus World Market has, for a while, had a Coffee Club. Members get a free 12-ounce bag for every six they buy.

It's done on a punch card system. Buy a bag, get a punch. When you get six, you get the freebie.

Now, the chain is sweetening the deal with Wake-Up Wednesdays. You get double punches on your card when you buy a 12-ounce bag -- meaning you get to the freebie twice as fast.

We're working our way through Costa Rican Tarrazu beans right now. The blend is a good one.

Left behind?

2009-06-15T11:45:00.003-05:00

No, I didn't abandon my blog. I just unplugged from it for a few days while working on a project.

The New York Times ran a story about orphan blogs on June 7, jumping off from Technorati data about how long some were left idle between entries.

According to a 2008 survey by Technorati, which runs a search engine for blogs, only 7.4 million out of the 133 million blogs the company tracks had been updated in the past 120 days. That translates to 95 percent of blogs being essentially abandoned, left to lie fallow on the Web, where they become public remnants of a dream — or at least an ambition — unfulfilled.

Some "retired" bloggers who were interviewed for the story cited a lack of comments as a disappointment.

I once looked up the blog of a blues singer I heard perform in Chicago. In one entry, she literally asked if anyone was out there, anyone at all, reading -- though my description here leaves out the more colorful words in her plea.

Sometimes, you do wonder if your blog blurbs are just strings of letters floating into space. But then I get a comment, or, more often, someone says something to me about an entry or e-mails me personally for information.

Feedback in any form is good. I'm looking for blog ideas, story tips, trends you've seen in the retail or business world, here in Amarillo or beyond.

So, let's talk.

2009-06-02T10:06:00.003-05:00

GM wants to communicate with you and me about its bankruptcy and its reinvention.

The automaker posted the ad below on YouTube on Monday, the day it also filed for bankruptcy protection. Pay attention to the opening: a narrator saying, "Let's be completely honest. No company wants to go through this."

The ad comes along with a new website, and a GM Fastlane Blogs entry from President and CEO Fritz Henderson.

Here's how Henderson closed his entry on Monday:

Today marks the beginning of what will be a New GM dedicated to building on only the very best of our recent progress in fuel efficiency, world-class quality, green technology development and outstanding design. Above all, the New GM will be rededicated to our customers. We don’t do that by working in a bubble. We do it by engaging with you, our customers and critics, our partners and champions, who are interested in our progress. I hope you’ll join us as we begin a new and better era for General Motors.

There's even a link to a Spanish translation, in the spirit of better communication.

Advertising Age reporters Rupal Parekh and Jean Halliday wrote about the advertising effort on Monday. Their article said GM plans to directly contact GM vehicle owners throughout June and that Henderson and other GM execs will host a series of live Web chats.

Transparency or a transparent attempt to manage image? Or both?

A generation apart?

2009-06-01T11:51:00.004-05:00

In Sunday's column, I briefly mentioned a new label coined by Information Resources Inc. -- the Downturn Generation.

IRI's recent consumer research shows today's shoppers are likely to adopt practices that Depression Era shoppers used.

A survey divides us into Optimists, people who think things will get better over the next 12 months; Maintainists, people who don't think it will get better or worse; and Pessimists, people who think next year will be worse. You can picture how their spending has changed from the labels.

About 40 percent of respondents are middle-of-the-road Maintainists, while the remaining 60 percent is split between the Optimists and Pessimists. No real surprise there.

In fact, not much of the research is surprising, given the dire economic news we're hit with daily.

About half are trying new, cheaper brands. New England Consulting Group and other retail watchers have reported that grocery house brands are going strong.

We've used a lot of the house-brand foods from United Supermarket, and I don't think we'll change that habit much after the economy improves.

Retailers don't think so either.

"With 5.7 million Americans out of work since the recession began in December 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and some 16 percent of U.S. employees living on reduced pay, according to a recent Hewitt Associates survey, it's no surprise that many people are cinching their belts," according to an Advertising Age article published today about the new frugality. "What's troubling marketers, however, is the prospect that the consumer psychology has changed during the deepest recession in half a century, and that the tightening will remain when the downturn ends."

So, shoppers have adapted. And if they continue in this new mode, retailers and manufacturers must adapt, too.

A shift of focus to value and more product choices at more price ranges looks like it will remain in play. IRI gives some examples:

"Kellogg's current television commercials focus on 'breakfast for 50 cents' Clorox advertises the multiple uses of their products around the home. Campbell's V-8 Fusion is positioned as affordable health and wellness. People are turning to the tsunami of information available to them on the Internet during their preparation to shop."

Some of the marketing strategies for manufacturers and retailers, suggested by IRI:

-- Shift merchandising out of the store and into the home where shoppers are making lists, downloading coupons and researching their future buys.
-- Increase emphasis on online and social media, again to reach shoppers where they are.
-- Recognize changing consumer rituals. If we're buying in bulk now, why have so many single-serve packages?
-- Focus on familiar products that provide value inexpensively.
-- Shift from creating a product that's a little bit better to entice shoppers to pay a little more to the opposite: products engineered to keep costs down.
-- Realize that shoppers will travel for a deal.

Stock Building Supply bankruptcy

2009-05-29T11:07:00.003-05:00

More information is coming out about the bankrupty plan for Stock Building Supply.

CoStar Realty Information is reporting the company -- one of the largest suppliers of building products to professionals and do-it-yourselfers in the United States -- wants to cancel leases of 142 locations in its bankruptcy process. The chain operates 209 stores in 27 states.

The manager of the Amarillo Stock Building Supply at 6226 Canyon Drive said last week that it would remain open, a statement later confirmed by a spokeswoman for the chain.

The Gores Group recently acquired the chain from Wolesley, with its deal hinging on completion of a voluntary pre-packaged Chapter 11 process.

It's no secret that home improvement and building materials chains have been hard hit by the housing market downturn. CoStar gives a list of store leases that Stock Building Supply wants to cancel includes 19 in California, 17 in Florida and 17 in North Carolina.

Texas could see lease cancellations of 10 stores in Austin, Conroe, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Houston, Mission, Round Rock and San Antonio, according to CoStar's list.

Nike scores

2009-05-28T18:03:00.003-05:00

Nike hit the top spot on Advertising Age's Viral Video Chart for the week of May 18, getting more than 1.3 million views.

The puppet NBA stars remind me of the human Muppets.

Here 'tis:

Missing links?

2009-05-26T18:31:00.003-05:00

Winter is worried about missing links in his quest to every store in the Starbucks Coffee Co. chain.

The freelance software programmer with the one-word name told Wall Street Journal reporter Julie Jargon he's in a race against time because the chain is closing stores. He's been to 9,000 of them in the U.S. and beyond, according to Jargon's article in Saturday's Wall Street Journal.

Short notice about one closure in British Columbia had him spending $1,400 to get there.

All for a cup of coffee and a photograph.

He chronicles his mission on his own website.

Maybe he's had too much caffeine. Or is it just that I haven't had enough?

A bite of viralness

2009-05-21T11:57:00.004-05:00

Hitting the No. 1 spot on Advertising Age's Viral Video Chart:

Vodafone's ad featuring Zoozoos. I don't know exactly what a Zoozoo is, but apparently the company has a whole ad campaign built around them. This one's pretty funny.

If you search YouTube for Zoozoos, you'll find more.

And if you're a really big fan, there's a Facebook page with downloadables.

Grocery grousing

2009-05-21T10:47:00.007-05:00

Albertson's is cutting prices.

That generated good buzz for the chain.

Except, Albertson's only is making those cuts in selected markets.

The buzz beyond those selected markets? Not so good.

I'm not sure why the chain didn't anticipate the news spreading beyond those selected markets. Newspapers, television, radio, Web sites, blogs -- tons of media picked it up, prompting people outside the selected markets to ask why they won't get the breaks.

All that has led to an interesting online discussion by RetailWire's Brain Trust, a panel of retail experts.

Yes, retailers factor in competition, cost of transportation, and other market-specific characteristics into their pricing strategies. Both Dan Rafferty, president of Rafferty Resource Network, and Charles Walsh, president of OmniQuest Resources Inc., make the point.

This problem has been around forever. Price zones are an important tool for retailers to be able to squeeze pennies of profit out of operations, wherever they can. What's new is the increasing attitude of entitlement in our society. The whiners noted above completely disregard the variations in cost to serve different markets, the balance of competition, etc. They are also probably ignorant about the price zones that exist within a given geography. Unfortunately, entitlement bloggers get a lot of attention. (Rafferty)
Zone pricing isn't new, it is in fact vital to the profitable operation of a regional to national retail chain for reasons that we all understand. The consumer has benefited from the competitive nature of the retail industry and it's long run of moving food prices ever downwards. To complain that the price of a gallon of milk in an LA Albertsons is lower than my store in Boise is as ridiculous as complaining that the price of a gallon of gas in those two towns is different and that this is somehow unfair. Really people, grow up. (Walsh)

But the "whiners" and "grow up" comments seem a little harsh. I would think Albertson's could've anticipated this problem. So, apparently, did Camille Schuster, president of Global Collaborations Inc., who weighed in with this comment:

Unless an ad specifies a local area, nothing is local anymore for a chain with today's technology.

George Anderson, editor in chief and associate publisher for RetailWire, sums his views up with a "customer's always right" sort of tone:

It seems to us that when a retailer has a larger number of consumers who have a sense of entitlement, stores have one of two choices: 1. Address the needs (including perceptions) of those consumers. 2. Not worry about what the customer thinks and watch them walk to the nearest store that wants them bad enough to cater to their childish desires.

Why 140?

2009-05-18T18:52:00.005-05:00

I caught an Austin American Statesman reprint of a Los Angeles Times story that finally explains why you can only Twitter messages of 140 characters or less.

The number defied any kind of readily identifiable reason behind it, to me. But this explanation by LA Times writer Mark Milian shows how researchers landed at 160 characters for cell phone texts.

Twitter creators took it one step further, Milian reports, by limiting messages to 140 characters and reserving the last 20 for the twitterer's address.

Read the story. It's interesting.

Boo hoo

2009-05-15T18:26:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry.

But I can't muster even a shred of sympathy for Kristy Hammonds.

Hammonds filmed co-worker Michael Seltzer sticking cheese up his nose and putting it on a pizza and sneezing into a sandwich in a Domino's Pizza kitchen in North Carolina. Then she posted the video on YouTube.

Don't bother looking for the video. Even if you could stomach it, you can't find it because it's been pulled from the site.

Anyway, the duo -- both in their early 30s -- got fired. They also got charged with felony food tampering. (No contaminated food ever left the store.)

Since then, Hammonds has done a couple of television interviews in which she's upset that she can't get another job. Other fast food companies have rejected her.

Imagine that.

What did she think would happen?

Cha-chinging for jobs

2009-05-14T11:26:00.004-05:00

More than 24 million people work in retail across the United States.
The National Retail Federation underscores the import role retail businesses play in the economy with its new state retail online database.
Click on a state in on the database map to see how many people are employed in retail businesses, the number of retail businesses and the total retail sales there.
You can drill down even further by clicking your congressional district.
Based upon U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics information, the database shows our district, the 13th Congressional District, contains 2,939 retail establishments that employ 53,222 people. Almost 20,800 of those work in restaurants and bars.
Retail businesses in our district generate a total of $9.9 billion in sales annually.
The statistics bring home the employment reasons why retail sales are a barometer of the economy.

Less creepy, more bully

2009-05-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

Is it me, or does the Burger King seem less creepy reinvented as one of the most famous enemies of the Star Trek Enterprise?

Check out the Kingons, an advanced alien race that is half Klingon, half King.

Burger King also has put out a series of "Star Trek" Kingon Defense Academy commercials that show people how to defend themselves from Kingons who, for some reason, want to take away Star Trek BK glasses from people.

So, let me get this straight: Burger King has made a commercial in which its mascot is portrayed as the enemy. And the enemy goes around hurting people and robbing them of BK giveaways? Am I the only one that sees a mixed message?

I'd rather have the BK Kids Meals "Star Trek" toys than the glasses. And I'd rather watch better ads than the Defense Academy campaign.

At any rate, the fast food chain has hit a trifecta movie merchandising deal with Paramount Pictures.

After it pushes the Whopper "Star Trek" movie, it can turn around and promote its fare in conjunction with the June release of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."

And then, it plans a campaign surrounding "G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra" at the end of July.

It's going to be an action-filled summer for the King.

A movie slice

2009-05-11T10:57:00.006-05:00

Anyone named Sarah or John Conner out there?

If you share the name of Terminator movie characters and have a government-issued I.D. to prove it, you can pick up a "Terminator Salvation" special -- a free medium one-topping pizza -- at participating Pizza Huts on May 21.

For those who don't know, May 21 is when "Terminator Salvation" will debut in theaters.

But Pizza Hut has five minutes of exclusive footage from the movie for fans who can't wait.

Visitors can view the footage from today through May 20. The special page also includes contests for prizes from a life-size Terminator T-600 model to video games and action figures.

You can also check out the movie trailers and download wallpapers.

The ad campaign is a promotional partnership between Pizza Hut and Warner Brothers.

Does this ad spell sales?

2009-05-07T12:32:00.002-05:00

"The Beautiful Word" is the most inventive television ad for a board game I've ever seen.
It made Creativity's Top 5 this week, a listing done by Advertising Age.
But will it make families want to buy?

2009-05-04T15:38:00.004-05:00

With United Supermarkets converting one of its Amarillo stores to an Amigos United -- its store brand that carries more Mexican and Latin American products -- an online discussion by the RetailWire Brain Trust seems relevant.

Reader comments posted to a Houston Chronicle story last week caught the attention of the Brain Trust, a group of people in the retail and marketing biz.

The article covered the opening of a Supermercado de Walmart at Spring Branch. There are, and will be, other Supermercados, and a Hispanic-themed Sam's Club, called a Mas Club, will open this summer.

The formats put emphasis on Hispanic products in the inventory and make other changes, like printing signs in Spanish and English.

One reader commented:

"What a bunch of hooey. they have to have thier own 'Sam's Club'? The
current ones arent good enough? This is really sad. I guess every other ethnic
group will want their own Sams Club. Since I am Irish-American, I want a
Paddy-O'toole's warehouse. Filled with beer and potatoes."

Some others roughly followed the same vein.

"I'm looking for a ... Caucasian Superstore to cater to whites."

The Brain Trust discussion nails down Walmart's reasoning with its own.

"Retail can be a bridge between cultures, and I think Walmart is doing a
much better job here than they had in the past. It's not like they converted the
whole store to Spanish-only. It's not like they converted a store in rural Iowa
to this format. Do people protest the Korean grocer? The Indian market?"

"If a business chooses to provide a shopping environment, products, signage
or anything else to cater to a customer -- seems like it is smart business to
me."

And, check out the comment of one Houston account executive:

"Not many Houstonians are going to bat an eye at Wal-Mart opening a store
that caters directly to the Latin element. Fiesta has been doing it since 1972
and operates 49 massive stores in Texas, 29 of which are in Houston. It's where
we go to get fresh corn tortillas and Tamarind flavored anything. ... So maybe
the question should be 'What makes Wal-Mart so sure it can compete with the
already saturated market of Latin-Centric purveyors in Houston?' I'm sure the
answer is the same way they dominate every market ... huge buying power,
efficiency of scale and low low prices."

Amarillo also already has grocers that provide a product mix aimed at Hispanic customers. United Supermarkets will try to tap into that market when the remodeling of its store at East Interstate 40 and Grand Street is completed and opened under the Amigos United banner.

I'm looking forward to seeing what's there that I can't get at the so-called "regular" stores.

Like an abandoned online shopping cart?

2009-04-29T18:46:00.003-05:00

Nielsen Online released a survey it says shows 60 percent of the people who sign up for Twitter leave it behind after a month.

Users are signing up in droves. But, as Mediaweek's Brad Shields writes, the retention rate is just 40 percent "indicating an 'I don't get it factor' among new users that is reminiscent of the similarly overhyped Second Life from a few years ago."

The research leads Nielsen primary research VP David Martin speculating the serivce won't last long "since there are a finite number of potential new users."

Could Twitter's tweet life be running out?

Which three would you miss?

2009-04-28T14:42:00.007-05:00

Which three locally owned stores would you miss the most if they disappeared?

That's the question posed by a shop-local campaign moving through the e-mail and blogospheres.

The 3/50 Project, begun by Minneapolis-based Cinda Baxter, challenges people to spend a total of $50 each month at their three favorite retailers. Fifty bucks split three ways, essentially, in an effort to shore them up and make sure they stay in business.

The campaign claims that $68 of every $100 spent in independently owned stores returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures.

Brick-and-mortar participants in the project from include Faithful Gifts and Red Door Antiques Inc. from Amarillo and Charlotte & Company and Perryton Office Supply/RadioShack from Perryton.

Another list of "supporters" includes the city of Perryton CDC and Perryton-Ochiltree Chamber of Commerce. The site defines supporters as community organizations, vendors, sales agencies and other types of entities.

Can a web campaign like this make an impact on a local economy?

Which three businesses would you pick?

Download or overload?

2009-04-23T14:37:00.004-05:00

This commercial advertising Sprint's 3G network is very creative.
But to be honest, it's almost overwhelming.
I feel like the woman under the umbrella in the banana rain.
... You'll understand when you watch.

Job hunting?

2009-04-22T12:12:00.004-05:00

Office Depot can help you with some of the paperwork.
Stores will provide free copies of resumes -- up to 25 single-sided pages.
And they'll fax those pages for free to as many as five different domestic telephone numbers, if you wish.
There's a nominal fee if you want to use color or premium paper, rather than the free kind. Of course, if you're faxing, what difference does that make?
The chain wants to solidify itself as a one-stop design, print and ship spot -- with a heart.
The offer is good through May 30.

Herd it here

2009-04-16T15:14:00.004-05:00

Gotta love this ad that's gone viral.

It tops Ad Age's viral video chart this week. At this point, its got 6.7 million views.

Thank Samsung. It's supposed to promote the company's LED technology.

I don't know if it does that, but it's fun to watch.

Fork the Recession

2009-04-15T18:18:00.006-05:00

That's the Colorado Restaurant Association's line for a campaign to urge people to help the economy recovery by eating out.

The ad campaign will run through May.

Once the one-liner gets people's attention, the messages explain about how many people in the state are employed by the restaurant industry, how much tax revenue restaurants raise and how many suppliers rely on the industry for their survival, according to this article in Media Post's Marketing Daily.

Every day, the news is full of stories about restaurants suffering because people are cutting back.

As I drive home in the evenings on I-40, I see parking lots that look full, especially on weekend nights. But maybe that's not the best indicator.

Maybe people are driving separately and meeting up, so not all tables are full.

What's your experience? Are you waiting for tables, or getting right in?

If, in fact, local restaurants could use a boost, maybe they should look to the Colorado Restaurant Association for ideas.

That slogan sure got my attention.

SpongeBob and sex

2009-04-13T11:45:00.005-05:00

Sex sells. SpongeBob sells.

But should the two of them be combined for a kids' meal sales pitch?

Burger King did.

An ad sparked a furor after it was aired during the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game.

The frozen-faced King of the burger chain is featured singing and dancing a remake of Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back" from the 1990s.

The King gets close to some oddly squared women's derrierers, singing, "I like square butts and I cannot lie..." -- in reference to SpongeBob.

But the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has launched a letter-writing campaign demanding that Nickleodeon, from which SpongeBob hails, and Burger King pull the ads for SpongeBog SquarePants Kids Meals.

What do you think?

Here's a link to a longer produced music video:

Too good to be true

2009-04-08T12:15:00.004-05:00

Victims of a scam are being duped into thinking they've won a $1 million second-place prize in a Publishers Clearing House drawing purportedly sponsored by Reader's Digest Magazine.

Second prize?

Who gives a million bucks as a second prize?

That should be your first clue to the latest scam to be tackled by the Better Business Bureau.

Victims receive a letter about the supposed prize accompanied by a check for as much as $5,900. The scammers have been clever enough, I guess, to vary the check amount.

Anyway, instructions with the check tell the victims to call a number. When they do, some person bereft of morals says that they should cash the check and wire $4,000 to the supposed clearing house if they want to claim the $1 million treasure.

Don't do it. Don't even think about it.

That's the warning from the Better Business Bureau of the Texas Panhandle.

The letters are showing up in mailboxes across the country, and some people are even getting phone calls instead.

Throw another hat on the Barbie

2009-04-07T13:12:00.011-05:00

Barbie's many incarnations continue.

A week or so ago, Toys R Us ran a sale price on a Totally Stylin' Tattoo Barbie.

The edgy mini-Supermodel comes with sleeveless tanks and a machine kids can use to apply tattoo stickers.

Now, in time for the 135th Run for the Roses, Churchill Downs and Mattel have teamed up to create Kentucky Derby Barbie.

But she's not quite as edgy. No mint juleps in the accessories pouch.

Instead, she's got "a playful floral sundress, faux pearl necklace and sassy spring sandals. True to Kentucky Derby fashion, Barbie doll's look is topped off with a stylish, oversized white hat with blossoming flower accents."

Barbie enthusiasts and collectors have a chance to win a life-size replica of the hat that will be auctioned off for charity. Another 134 other replica hats will be available on a made-to-order basis at http://www.thederbystore.com/. And Kentucky Barbie will be on store shelves at Walmart and other retailers.

News reports said tattoo Barbie had a more controversial debut.

What do you think?

Are tattoos worse than shapely curves that can't be achieved in human proportions?

Did the same reaction occur, years ago, to her spike heels and miniskirts?

Is there a class war in doll land?

The ultimate combo

2009-04-06T11:18:00.001-05:00

OK, I'll join the bandwagon of people reporting that the Pizza Hut at 6019 S. Coulter St. will deliver Budweiser and Miller Lite six-packs with orders.

Yes, it's legal, under certain rules: Delivery drivers have to be 18, and the person receiving the delivery must be 21 and will have his ID checked.

But that's not as interesting as the fact that this Pizza Hut, here in Amarillo, is quite possibly the first in the state to deliver, according to Chris Fuller, a PR rep for the chain. (He's a Fritch native, by the way.)

How test markets are decided isn't something Fuller could reveal, for competitive reasons. But he did say that the franchise holder, Progressive Pizza Partners of McKinney, made the decision.

Oh, one more thing: Don't expect to Pizza Hut to deliver an instant beer bash. Orders are restricted to limited quantities.

Swoosh to Santa Fe

2009-04-03T12:03:00.001-05:00

Nike is opening a factory outlet store this weekend at the Santa Fe, N.M., outlet mall.

Grand opening hours will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

The retailer plans giveaways, like free gifts and $10 gift cards to the first 100 shoppers each day.

Look for the Nike Factory Store at the mall, which is called Fashion Outlets of Santa Fe, 8380 Cerrillos Road, at Exit 278 off Interstate 25.

Free food

2009-04-01T17:27:00.000-05:00

Looks like Denny's is going to give away free food -- again.

Nation's Restaurant News is reporting that Denny's will give away free Grand Slamwich to customers when they buy a Grand Slam breaktfast.

The Slamwich contains scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, mayo and American cheese.

The giveaway is supposed to run from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 8, but there's no indication of it yet on the Denny's website.

Perhaps the company is waiting on its big March Madness advertising splash to break the news. The NRN report says the offer is going to be advertised Saturday during the NCAA semi-final men's basketball game and again during the tournament final on Monday.

Denny's still is raving about the success of another food giveaway on Feb. 3.

Mail en masse

2009-04-01T12:07:00.000-05:00

Texas state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh's aides flooded Amarillo Globe-News mailboxes Monday with 15 copies of "Texas Borderlands: Frontier of the Future" -- all 486 pages of it.

I got a copy. Eight of my colleagues got a copy. And, five people who no longer work here got copies.

"We try to make it available to as many people that could be interested in using it," said Daniel Collins, communications director for the El Paso senator. "Again, we do think it has broad implications -- the information would be useful for people who are writing in all subject areas."

True, "the opportunities and challenges faced along the Texas-Mexico border" are a statewide issue.

"Good information is the basis of good policy," Shapleigh said in a provided comment. "The Borderlands Report has been useful since Comptroller (John) Sharp first printed it in 1998. Hundreds of policy makers, grant writers and academics use it every year."

The senator's office mailed 401 copies of the hefty book at $2.93 a pop -- almost an $1,175 total cost. "Less than 300" of those went to 20 media outlets across the state, Collins said.

"We tried to distribute to reporters all across the state with an interest in making Texas a better place," Collins said.

Elected officials, media and key academics in the El Paso area received 57 copies, and where possible, those were hand-delivered, as were copies to members of the Texas Legislature in Austin, he said.

The postage money came from personal franking funds allowed to every Texas state senator, to use at their discretion, Collins said.

Netflix postscript

2009-03-31T16:28:00.001-05:00

I should've given the link to the Netflix company blog. The new pricing structure for Blu-ray discs is outlined.

http://blog.netflix.com/

Netflix jacks up Blu-ray costs

2009-03-31T12:00:00.000-05:00

Netflix subscribers will see increased prices for renting Blu-ray discs soon.

The cost increases will take effect on subscribers' next billing dates, on or after April 27, according to information Netflix Marketing VP Jessie Becker posted on the company blog.

More than 645 people have replied with comments ranging from mild disappointment to threatened subscription cancellations.

Netflix says the change is necessary because Blu-ray title are more expensive than DVDs. But the company says it's growing the selection of Blu-ray movies available to subscribers.

McDonald's taking on Starbucks

2009-03-30T14:04:00.000-05:00

A new McDonald's McCafe coffee ad further pierces the Achilles heel Starbucks has developed in today's economy.

Two weeks ago, Starbucks Corp. Chief Executive Howard Schultz told shareholders the gourmet coffee company had allowed itself to be defined as the $4 coffee chain and the "poster child for excess."

Watch this to see how McDonald's takes the war to a new level:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg87E1tjTOE

Now a question: Is anyone buying $4 coffees? $3 coffees? Where do you draw the limit on coffee prices?

The Wild West

2009-03-27T12:33:00.001-05:00

Greetings from Wildorado.
My husband, Kevin -- he's a reporter for the Globe-News, too -- and I are holed up in our home in Wildorado, 20 miles west of Amarillo. The closure of Interstate 40 prevented us from getting in to work today.
In a storm like this, we're reminded of a quote. And we're trying to figure out where it came from and who to cite, but here goes:

"There's nothing between Amarillo and the North
Pole except a barbed wire fence."

We found a reference online to a 1943 book called "I Give You Texas! 500 Jokes of the Lone Star State" by Boyce House.
The reference continues the punch line by saying that if it's especially cold down around Austin, people are sure to comment:

"Somebody musta tore down Amarillo's fence."

Working on commission

2009-03-25T16:54:00.000-05:00

Another Amarillo car dealership business has had to shrink its operations.
AutoInc. is folding the sales and service that used to happen at Amarillo Chrysler Jeep at 2614 S. Georgia St. into its two Dodge dealership locations -- Texas Dodge at 7800 W. Interstate 40 and All Star Dodge at 4600 Canyon Drive. The Chryslers and Jeeps will be relocated, and the Georgia Street lot will close.
Can't be easy selling cars right now.
Which has me wondering: What's it like to work on commission these days?
I'm looking to interview folks who work on commission to interview. Drop me an e-mail, karen.welch@amarillo.com if you'd like to participate.

Shopping, more socially speaking

2009-03-23T16:18:00.000-05:00

I was amused today to read a story in which a University of Kansas assistant professor of marketing muses about the next level for e-commerce.
Esther Swilley predicts you'll be able to walk through online stores, a la Second Life, making selections, even trying clothes on your avatar.
You get to take home, via shipping, your finds.
That's not what amused me, though.
It was this comment from Swilley: "It could bring a lot of the social aspect (of shopping) back."
How's that?
You would still be sitting at home, at a computer, rather than out with people. Real people.
Check out the article at http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/sciencemedicine/story/C00EBEA58AD13473862575820006D250?OpenDocument

Crafters, don't panic!

2009-03-20T16:30:00.001-05:00

The exterior sign has come down at Hobby Lobby, 3318 S. Bell St., only because the store is being spruced up.
Shoppers have come into the store fearing it might be closing, but that couldn't be further from the truth, Co-Manager Joni Isaak said.
"We are painting this weekend," she said, "and we're getting a new LED sign."
Workers should begin putting up the new sign on Monday.

Mad for March sales

2009-03-19T18:32:00.000-05:00

We’ll assume that the merchants of Wolflin Village define March Madness as something other than a sweaty basketball showdown.
The postcard advertising March Madness at the shopping center boasts butterflies and flowers.
Merchants in the center will offer a variety of discounts, drawings and free gifts during the event from 4 to 8 p.m. March 26.
Wolflin Village can be found at Wolflin Avenue and Georgia Street.

No kidding

2009-03-19T11:25:00.000-05:00

From the world of polling comes this gem:
"Although half of Americans think the economy will bounce back to pre-recession levels, financial troubles have obviously impacted the American consumer psyche," according to BIGresearch President and CEO Gary Drenik.
Again, no kidding.
I'd rather clutch a dollar than spend it right now. How about you?
The poll released Tuesday showed almost 91 percent of consumers said the current economic crisis will "impact their lifestyle in some fashion over the next five years."
Duh.
More than 43 percent said they would not incur a large credit card debt, but only 29 percent said they would pay off their credit cards each month -- probably because the amount is too great to zero those cards out every 30 days.
The poll outlines ways people will curb spending -- from plunking down less for entertainment to taking more practical vacations to sticking to a budget. But still, none of those goals got a nod from more than half the survey takers.
Here's the kicker from Drenik: "Marketers will need to understand that this 'new' consumer is one that focuses on needs over wants, purchase price and an increased level of personal savings."
Do you feel like a 'new" consumer yet?

A day at the zoo

2009-03-18T11:51:00.000-05:00

The Amarillo Zoo is crawling with -- people.

Could be an indication that families increasingly opted to stay home during spring break this year.

The zoo saw more than 3,700 visitors on Tuesday -- a Tuesday, no less. And that attendance equals a weekend day crowd this time of year, Zoo Curator Rhonda Votino.

Downtown group appears ready to hire

2009-03-17T17:13:00.000-05:00

Downtown Amarillo Inc. could soon hire a full-time chief executive officer.

Board officials for the nonprofit organization created to push downtown revitalization said three finalists have been interviewed and a hire could soon be announced.

“We’re not going to have to wait much longer,” board member Gary Pitner said.

Jorgenson Consulting helped DAI identify 120 to 130 candidates to court, and about 30 submitted applications as a result, Pitner said.

"We have had some excellent prospects," board member Bill Gilliland said.

All three are from Texas, with at least one being from Amarillo, he said.

The Amarillo City Commission created DAI in July so that the organization could continue the work of a city-appointed committee that guided development of a strategic action plan for reviving downtown.

The commission budgeted $230,500 for the group in the 2008-2009 fiscal year and gave it several goals. Those benchmarks included establishing the organization as a nonprofit, hiring a full-time CEO to market downtown to potential project developers, and making several presentations about what tools the city and the Center City Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone have available as incentives for downtown development.

Grab a sammich

2009-03-17T13:53:00.000-05:00

A big "Now open" sign drapes windows of Hoagies Deli's new location at Western Crossing, on Interstate 40 at Western Street.
Shane and Shelley Dyer, of the Dyers Bar-B-Que dynasty, revived the Amarillo Hoagies after a long hiatus. The couple had closed a location on South Georgia Street when the lease for that building expired. (Now, it's the home of Roasters Coffee & Tea Co.)
The Dyers co-own three Pampa eateries -- a Hoagies Deli there, plus Texas Rose Steakhouse and Dixie Cafe. Shane Dyer also is a partner in the Amarillo and Pampa barbecue restaurants founded by his grandparents in 1967.

Computing a 10th year

2009-03-17T13:20:00.000-05:00

Give the staff at Westgate Computers credit for getting the local store to its 10th anniversary, up against your Dells, Hewlett Packards and Compaqs.
Owners Tim and Sue Monaghan do.
"The grandfather that walks in here that doesn't know how to get on the Internet -- we have someone who can go out there and hold his hand and take him through that process," Tim Monaghan said. "And the (technology) geek, if I can use that term, who wants to come in and ask about the $500 video card and how it performs, our guys can answer those questions professionally."

A deal made to suit

2009-03-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

The downturn has spawned some interesting, possibly even compassionate, promotions from retailers trying to persuade fearful shoppers to open their wallets.
Lose your job after buying a suit from Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. during its current sale and the chain will refund up to $199 of the price of the suit -- and let you keep it.
The sale launched Monday runs through April 9. If you're laid off between April 16 and July 1, and can prove it to the chain, you would qualify for the refund.
"Some people have to have a suit, if they're getting into that interview process," said Charles Andrews, who manages the Amarillo Jos. A. Bank store at 3350 S. Soncy Road.
The good news: No one has needed the refund yet.

A tag post script

2009-03-16T16:57:00.001-05:00

Concerning why the rollout of a nutritional tag program to some United Supermarkets and not others (see this morning's post), the answer from spokesman Eddie Owens is simple.
"We had to start somewhere," he said.
The chain started with its "specialty" stores, which include the Market Street brand and some stores that are a hybrid of Market Street offerings and regular United stores.
That's why the Amarillo Market Street and the United at Southwest 45th Avenue and Bell Street got the nutrition tagging first.
"Now that the program is fully automated -- we originally had to do all the labeling by hand, and you can imagine what a nightmare that was -- we intend to roll it out, chainwide, as quickly as possible," Owens said.
"But that will take a considerable amount of time, still, due to the changeout of pricetags."

You are what you eat

2009-03-13T17:25:00.000-05:00

And to help you know more about that, United Supermarkets has peppered aisles at selected other stores with nutritional tags.

The tags highlight foods that
meet gluten-free diets;

are heart-healthy or for diabetes management;
are lean or lowfat;
are sugar-free or have reduced sugar content; or,
meet organic standards.

Gluten Free products are marked with a blue tag. Heart-healthy/diabetes management products get a pink and purple label. You'll find an orange label on the lean and lowfat items.

United goes with pink again when it tags the sugar-free and reduced sugar foods. And it goes green with the label on the organics.

If it sounds like you'll need a map legend to shop, don't worry. United gives you one.

Customers who want more info about the tag program can interact with United dietitians online by submitting questions that will be featured on the chain's Health and Wellness web page or answered individually by e-mail. Names won't be posted with the questions. They'll be anonymous.

The one question not answered is why the program is being rolled out to the Amarillo Market Street United and a United Supermarket on Southwest 45th at Bell Street but not -- from what I can tell on the news release -- to other United stores here yet.

I'll see what I can find out.

Clowning around the world

2009-03-13T16:50:00.000-05:00

McDonald's new Filet-O-Fish ad with a singing, wall-mounted fish has become a viral sensation.

I didn't find it as interesting as trolling through some of the other Mickey D's ad links that come up alongside it on YouTube.

These two ads -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVcRecCk8sw and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6n9JBlebFw&feature=related -- give the most unusual extrapolation of the image of Ronald McDonald that I've ever seen.

Survey says ...

2009-03-12T17:24:00.000-05:00

Forbes’ publishing, Tuesday, of a Manpower Inc. survey as it relates to the Amarillo economy should be viewed skeptically, given its timing on the heels of layoffs of 250 Owens Corning workers in Amarillo.

The Manpower survey elevates Amarillo to a fifth-place tie in a ranking of cities with the strongest employment outlook for the second quarter of this year.

But in taking a closer look at the Manpower survey in December, when the company said Amarillo had the fourth-strongest employment outlook for the first quarter of 2009, we learned to take Manpower’s findings with a grain of salt.

The December survey showed 24 percent of Amarillo-area companies planned to hire in the first quarter.

But we discovered that the temporary staffing firm polled about 35 of the companies it serves. And those companies said they planned a “slight increase — slight,” an Amarillo Manpower staffing specialist said then.

Do the math: 24 percent of 35 companies is nine businesses, and we’re rounding up.

If nine businesses hired one or two employees each, we’re talking nine to 18 jobs.

Amarillo started this downturn in a better position than most cities to weather it.

We’ve published tons of stories that show just that, with numbers I’m more comfortable counting on.