News

Sheri Friemel turned the worst day of her life into an opportunity to help others going through the worst day of their lives. And she is not the only one. Friemel is the Amarillo Area LOSS Team (AALT) Program Manager for the Amarillo Public Health Department. Friemel has experienced one of the worst tragedies – the loss of her son to suicide in 2018.  Friemel spent five years volunteering as an AALT advocate, providing love, care and help to individuals who lost a loved one, friend or family member to the tragedy of suicide. It has become her calling, as Friemel has been the AALT Program Manager for almost two years. AALT provides an array of resources, from being on the scene of a suicide to helpfriends and family members to counseling and peer and grief support to also providing resources for scene restoration. All AALT services are provided free of charge. The AALT has four city staff members and 18 volunteers. And like Friemel, almost all are suicide loss survivors. “Being with people that can understand … that get it, and knowing that there are other survivors out there and having those conversations, is very important,” Friemel said. “It does not mean it is better or that it hurts less. It is just good to be with someone who gets it. Nobody is looking to judge or diagnose – just to witness. You can almost feel the energy when you walk into a peer support group.” The AALT, which is fully funded by state grants and serves the Amarillo area and Potter and Randall counties, is often referred to the scene of a suicide by law enforcement or a justice of the peace. The AALT has responded to 40 such scenes in the past 11 months. “Scene restoration is huge, and we have a great relationship with law enforcement that is very important,” said

Amarillo City Council has scheduled a public work session for Thursday in council chambers, Room 3400 at City Hall. The work session will begin at 9 a.m. and will be a facilitated workshop for council and senior staff to discuss and develop the city’s strategic goals, priorities, and desired direction. No votes will be taken during the work session. The agenda is available at: https://ow.ly/RU2Z50ZlPhf The work session will be broadcast on the City of Amarillo’s YouTube channel at: YouTube.com/CityofAmarillo For more information, contact the City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager, Dave Henry, at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov.

The Amarillo Area LOSS Team, a local outreach and postvention program for family members, friends and loved ones of individuals who have died by suicide, is hosting a special event – Breathe-Heal-Live: A Day for Suicide Loss Survivors. The event is scheduled for September 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive. The Amarillo Area LOSS Team consists of mental health professionals and trained community volunteers who have experience with suicide loss. The team offers emotional support, resources, and guidance to help individuals navigate the grieving process, in alignment with the postvention model. Age for attendees is 17 and older. Cost is $10 per person. Tickets are available online at: www.eventbrite.com/e/breathe-heal-live-tickets-1988839319944?aff=oddtdtcreator For more information on the Amarillo Area LOSS Team, go to: www.amarillo.gov/public-health/suicide-survivors-outreach/

With the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, the City of Amarillo (COA) is addressing mowing issues in city parks with an immediate response to maintain city property and in the best interests of residents who enjoy the parks. “The city recognizes that the condition of some parks, including the mowing of grass areas in the parks, has not met the expectations of our residents during this growing season,” said COA Director of Parks and Recreation (PARD) Michael Kashuba. “We have heard the concerns shared by park users and neighbors, and we agree that our parks should reflect the level of care our community expects.” In order to maintain this commitment to the community, the city has terminated a mowing contract with a private contractor due to the failure of required performance standards and maintenance schedules. In addition, the city is using temporary contracted mowing services and PARD staff to assist with mowing services (including after hours) across the city park system. The temporary mowing agreement helps protect city property and maintain essential public services. City council will consider a new short-term contract that will last through the end of the current mowing season at its July 14 meeting. “It will take time to work through the current mowing backlog, and we appreciate the patience of the public as we deploy both private mowing services and PARD staff to perform mowing across the park system as quickly and feasibly as possible,” Kashuba said. Residents should expect to see increased mowing activity over the coming days and into the holiday weekend.

The City of Amarillo (COA) has announced the resignation of Assistant City Manager and Chief Technology Officer Rich Gagnon, effective July 22. Gagnon has held several management positions with the city since 2016, including director of information technology, managing director and chief information officer. “Over the past decade, Rich Gagnon has played a vital role in advancing the technological and communication capabilities of the city for the betterment of citizens and the community,” said City Manager Grayson Path. “The progress the city has made under Rich’s leadership and guidance has been immeasurable, and he has vastly improved the city’s ability to serve residents.” In his recent position, Gagnon was responsible for departments such as Information Technology, the Amarillo Public Library, the Office of Engagement and Innovation, the Amarillo Civic Center, Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, Amarillo Public Health, Women Infants and Children (WIC), Amarillo City Transit, Community Development and Environmental Health. During his time with the city, Gagnon led COA initiatives in securing infrastructure and cybersecurity, modernizing broadband not only in Amarillo but the Texas Panhandle with a historic multimillion-dollar public-private partnership with AT&T. The project provides high-speed, reliable digital connectivity across the city, including in the northern and northeastern parts. He also led the creation of the city’s first digital human/employee, Emma, who is the face of the city website, answering citizen questions and providing information 24 hours a day. “The best part of this job was never the technology – it was the people,” Gagnon said. “I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the most dedicated, resourceful and service-minded teams I have ever had the opportunity to work with, and whatever we accomplished together, they made possible. I’m grateful for every one of them and Amarillo is blessed to have them.”