Archives for September 2001

Ground was broken last Thursday on a new health clinic that is expected to meet the needs of Donley County citizens for the foreseeable future.

Dr. John Howard is building the facility on land adjoining what is coming to be known as the Medical Center campus  – the area on Hwy 70 North which includes the Medical Center Nursing Home and office of the Donley County Hospital District along with future offices for the state departments of health and human services and the future home of the local ambulance service.

Construction of the health clinic is expected to take 180 days, and Howard says he believes local people are excited about the project.

“People are looking forward to this,” he said. “I’ve received only words of encouragement.”

The 5,500 square foot clinic will be a frame building with a brick and stucco veneer and a hipped roof. The design will be similar to the two nearby buildings already under construction by the hospital district.

Howard says his Clarendon Family Medical Center needs the new home because it has outgrown its current facility at the corner of US 287 and Orpe Street. The old building is not easily accessible to the handicapped, has only three exam rooms, and is facing other constraints of space.

The new building will have six exam rooms for use by Howard and his staff along with three additional exam rooms that could be used immediately by a visiting doctor – such as a cardiologist – or could eventually be used if the clinic grows to need a second physician’s assistant.

Each exam room is designed with the patient’s privacy in mind. The entrances to the rooms are located away from main corridors, and each room will have a curtained area so patient’s can undress in private. Walls throughout the building will be insulated for soundproofing purposes.

The building will include an X-ray room, lab, and a minor treatment room located just a few yards away from the new Associated Ambulance Authority facility, which is now being constructed nearby. If personnel in the health clinic determine a patient needs to be transported to Amarillo immediately, the close proximity of the ambulance service will be invaluable.

The health clinic will have an ample waiting area with an adjoining play area for children. An injection room will be available for allergy shots, eliminating the need for those patients to wait for an exam room to open up.

Telemedicine capabilities will also be available in the new clinic, which will enable Howard and his staff to consult in real time with hospitals and doctors in Amarillo or elsewhere. The building will be wired with a T1 line – a form of high-speed Internet telecommunication.

Howard says the new facility will be a much more workable space and should meet the needs of the community for the foreseeable future.

The building has been designed by architect Leslie Rohan of Panhandle, and Cruz Construction of Amarillo is the general manager for the project.

Cruz oversaw the recent renovation of the Medical Center Nursing Home and is working on the new Community Services Building and ambulance facility for the hospital district.

Howard says by using the same construction firm as the hospital district he hopes to keep the cost of the project down. The district sold Howard the property on which his clinic will sit, and his patients will use drives and parking areas maintained by the district.

“It’s an example of us working together,” Howard said. “If I tried to do this by myself, I wouldn’t be able to do as much.”

The doctor also likes the idea of having the community’s other health providers near his new clinic.

“I think the trend has been to consolidate. Just look at Amarillo with the hospitals, the cancer center, etc. To provide health services in a central location makes sense.”

Howard says he already has a lot of contact with residents in the nursing home, and having his clinic close by will be a benefit to them. The doctor also said the proximity of his clinic will be beneficial if the hospital district pursues future plans to build a nearby assisted living center.

In January of 1999, Howard broke one national trend – that of doctors not coming to live in small towns – when he moved here with his family. Baptist St. Anthony’s Hospital closed the Donley County Rural Health Clinic later that same year, and Howard went into business for himself and took over the clinic.

Today, with financing from the Community Bank and the Donley County State Bank, Howard is paying for the new clinic himself.

The doctor won’t put a price tag on the new building except to say, “It’s the largest investment I’ve ever made.”

Howard is proceeding with the new clinic even though the current world situation could affect him directly. He has served as a doctor in the Marines and is still a commander in the Navy Reserve.

He is keenly aware that he could be called to active duty but says that  he is not altering his plans and that the last thing Americans should do is give in to fear.

“In spite of the intense world situation, I’m as committed as ever to continuing my practice here,” he said. “The current war and possibility of recession don’t change Donley County’s need for expanded health care capabilities.”

The Darcy Wagon of McLean took home top honors during the seventh annual Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff last Saturday.

The cookoff, which benefits the Saints’ Roost Museum, was termed an unqualified success by museum board members. Tickets for the authentic Chuckwagon supper sold out, and officials estimate approximately 1,000 people attended the daylong event.

Breakfast and lunch concessions were provided by the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce. A trade show was held throughout the day, and live entertainment was provided by local and area talent.

Relatives of legendary cattleman and Chuckwagon inventor Charles Goodnight also were on hand for their annual family reunion.

A melodrama production, “He Ain’t Done Right By Nell,” presented by the Clarendon College Theatre Department was very well performed. The one-act play captured the attention of those in attendance with an old-fashioned story of good versus evil with the hero winning in the end.

A dance with music from the Palo Duro Band capped off Saturday’s activities.

A cowboy church service closed the cookoff on Sunday morning.

Fourteen wagons competed in this year’s cookoff and served a menu of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, beans, and cobbler. Prizes totaling more than $3,000 were paid out to the winners.

Complete results are as follows:

Overall Wagon & Cooking: 1) Darcy Wagon of McLean, 2) Adamah / J Bar D Wagon of Amarillo, 3) Double Diamond Wagon of Silverton, and 4) Quarter Circle KC Wagon of Lockney.

Best Meat: 1) Darcy, 2) Quarter Circle KC, 3) Noble Wagon of Wayland, and 4) Adamah / J Bar D.

Best Beans: 1) Break-Away Wagon of Stamford, 2) Childress-Encino Wagon of Ozona, 3) Ericksdahl Cattle Co. of Stamford, and 4) Quarter Circle KC.

Best Dessert: 1) Adamah / J Bar D, 2) Double Diamond, 3) McFall Wagon of Pampa, and 4) Noble.

Best Bread: 1) Darcy, 2) Double Diamond, 3) Childress-Encino, and 4) Break-Away.

Best Potatoes: 1) C.W. Walker Chuckwagon Gang of Lubbock, 2) Weems Cattle Co. Wagon of Amarillo, 3) Quarter Circle KC, and 4) Ericksdahl.

Overall Cooking: 1) Quarter Circle KC, 2) Darcy, 3) Adamah, and 4) Double Diamond.

Best Wagon Camp: 1) Darcy, 2) Adamah / J Bar D, 3) Double Diamond, and 4) McFall.

The Darcy team also won the cookoff in 1998 and 1999.

Other winners during Saturday’s activities were Wayne Heppard of Canyon, who won a pair of handmade boots by Jim Owens, and Cullin Hallmark, who won a cowboy hat from Luskey’s Western Wear.

The Donley County Commissioners’ Court approved the 2001-2002 county budget last Wednesday, September 19, during a called meeting.

The budget had been the subject of much debate and was a point of contention among some county officials because it trimmed three secretarial positions to part time status.

Justice of the Peace Jimmy Johnson, whose court clerk was one of the affected employees, proposed at the meeting that the county consider reducing six secretary/clerk positions to a 30-hour work week schedule in order for all offices to share in the cuts.

Commissioners listened to Johnson’s proposal but did not accept it. They voted unanimously to adopt the county budget.

Commissioners also voted unanimously to set the county ad valorem tax rate at $0.288297 per $100 valuation and the county special or road and bridge rate at $0.084637.

In other business, the court voted to move the ballot box for voting precinct 402 from the Hess residence to the Zelda McClellan residence. The court also discussed automatic depositing for the county payroll.

Previously, the court met in regular session on Monday, September 10.

The court then approved a contract with Gordon Maddox to perform the audit for fiscal year 2000-2001 and authorized the county treasurer to look into an automatic deposit method for paying employees.

A new motorgrader for Precinct #3 was discussed, and the bidding process was approved.

The court granted requests to attend continuing education courses for the county tax assessor and for deputy clerks in the county clerk’s office.

Steve Sell was tapped to be a voting delegate to a regional emergency medical services board.

Reserve deputy bonds were approved for Ed Bailey, Mark White, and Jim Mincey; and the court approved the appointment of Joe M. Stewart as a deputy sheriff.

The court also entered into contract with Texas Tech University Health Science Center for autopsy services.

Members of the Fellowship Community Church broke ground on the site of a new building Sunday afternoon on the southwest edge of Clarendon.

Church members hope to have the facility completed by Christmas.

Building committee chairman Rogers Hester says the new church will be a 50-foot by 110-foot metal frame structure with a brick veneer and a metal roof. The building will sit at an angle on the lot, facing motorists on the JA Ranch Road as they come around the corner from Clarendon.

The sanctuary will be 60 feet long and can be expanded at a future date. Seating will accommodate 190 people. The church will house five Sunday School classrooms, a large kitchen, and a pastor’s study.

Construction should start within two weeks under the direction of Steen Construction of Amarillo.

Hester designed the building himself after he and other members traveled to several churches in the area to get ideas.

The Community Fellowship Church with Bryan Knowles as it pastor was chartered in November of last year with 51 members, Hester said. The membership has grown to 109 as of Sunday, and the church is hoping to reach 150 before they open the new building.

Currently, the church meets in the Panhandle Community Services building.

Hester says Community Fellowship is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention of Texas, but he says everyone is welcome.

“We’re building it for anybody of any race to come and worship God,” Hester said.

Members of the Fellowship Community Church broke ground on the site of a new building Sunday afternoon on the southwest edge of Clarendon.

Church members hope to have the facility completed by Christmas.

Building committee chairman Rogers Hester says the new church will be a 50-foot by 110-foot metal frame structure with a brick veneer and a metal roof. The building will sit at an angle on the lot, facing motorists on the JA Ranch Road as they come around the corner from Clarendon.

The sanctuary will be 60 feet long and can be expanded at a future date. Seating will accommodate 190 people. The church will house five Sunday School classrooms, a large kitchen, and a pastor’s study.

Construction should start within two weeks under the direction of Steen Construction of Amarillo.

Hester designed the building himself after he and other members traveled to several churches in the area to get ideas.

The Community Fellowship Church with Bryan Knowles as it pastor was chartered in November of last year with 51 members, Hester said. The membership has grown to 109 as of Sunday, and the church is hoping to reach 150 before they open the new building.

Currently, the church meets in the Panhandle Community Services building.

Hester says Community Fellowship is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention of Texas, but he says everyone is welcome.

“We’re building it for anybody of any race to come and worship God,” Hester said.

If your family is looking for a pet, Terrilynn Jordan has just the thing for you – ferrets.

The cuddly creatures are “joy in a physical” form, Jordan says.

“They’re rambunctious and playful. They learn their names and even simple commands.”

Jordan has raised ferrets for about two years now and is working with a friend – Deborah Kelly – in Amarillo to establish a non-profit ferret shelter there.

Recently, a woman in Salt Lake City was found to have 260 ferrets living in a two-bedroom condominium. City officials shut her down, and word was spread across the nation that the local shelter was faced with destroying the animals. Ferret lovers responded, and 15 of homeless ferrets found their way to Amarillo.

Jordan still has two that need homes.

Another ferret, named Precious, was found in an Amarillo high school recently. It had apparently survived the entire summer alone in the building, Jordan said, and was malnourished and nearly bald. Today, Precious has put on some weight but is still lacking in the hair category.

Jordan says ferrets make good pets and are social but not really destructive. Although most of the ferrets from the Utah condo have found homes, she says two shelters – one in Michigan and one in Santa Fe – will be closing soon, and those animals will need new places to live.

For more information, contact Jordan at 874-0330 or Deborah Kelly at 359-9159.

Linda Hill and Holli White wave an American flag during the services last Friday at the Bronco Pep Rally.

Enterprise Digital Photo
 
Donley County residents, like the rest of America, reacted with shock and horror when terrorists hijacked, then crashed two airplanes into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City last Tuesday shortly before and after 8 a.m. local time.

Both towers later collapsed due to the structural damage and intense heat caused by the burning jet fuel. At press time this week, nearly 5,000 people were reported missing in New York.

A third plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, DC, Tuesday after it missed what is believed to have been its primary target – the White House. A fourth plane was also hijacked and re-routed for the nation’s capital. That plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania, and it is believed – based on a cell phone call – that at least three passengers acted to thwart their hijackers’ plans.

The American government has fingered known terrorist leader Usama Bin Laden as being a prime suspect in the attacks. Bin Laden is based in Afghanistan but has support of radical factions in several other countries in the Middle East.

As news of the attacks spread across Clarendon, people flocked to their televisions to view the devastation.

CHS students view attacks

At Clarendon High School, Principal Larry Jeffers went to each classroom and informed students of what had happened. He encouraged classes to discuss the attacks, turned on the large view-screen in the CHS Auditorium, and connected it to a network news feed.

“Sometimes there are more important things than what is happening in the classroom,” Jeffers said. “[The students] were seeing history being made.”

Jeffers said students were very quiet while watching the events unfold and some saw the twin towers in New York come crashing down. The entire student body was gathered in the auditorium for one period from 9 a.m. to 10:30.

 
Jim Owens puts out the US flag in front of his boot shop last Friday as he does every day. It’s a tradition his father started during the Persian Gulf War.
The principal said some schools in the area did not let their students watch the events, but he felt the kids needed to see what was happening.

“The kids handled it real well. They didn’t seem in fear. It seemed to have a bigger impact on the juniors and seniors.”

CHS Student Council President Carrie Helms agrees with Jeffers that some underclassmen were less affected.

“A lot don’t understand how serious it is,” Helms said. “It makes me angry that some go on with their lives like it’s not a serious thing.”

Helms said the reality of the situation has begun to sink in on her fellow students in the days that have followed the attacks.

“I think some of them have started coming around when people talk about going to war,” she said.

Helms said the attacks have been discussed in her classes, particularly government class where they discussed the responsibilities of the government and its war powers.

Officials at Clarendon Junior High reacted similarly to those at CHS.  Principal Marvin Elam went from room to room, spreading the news.

“The students were very somber as we explained what was going on and told them they were safe here,” Elam said.

Kids were allowed to go to the school library to see the news broadcasts, and eventually news feeds were linked up with televisions in every classroom.

“If kids know the truth, they can deal with it and talk to their parents about it,” he said. “We talked with them about terrorism and hatred.”

Clarendon Elementary Principal Mike Word did not tell his students of the attacks, but did inform his staff.

“My kids are little, and I don’t know that they would understand,” Word said. “We left it up to the parents to explain it.”

In the days after the attacks, Word said the older elementary kids understand that something terrible has happened.

‘I thought it was like War of the Worlds’

Clarendon College Athletic Director Joel Zehr spread the news on College Hill after hearing it on the radio. Zehr stopped by the Enterprise office to check the television before going up to CC.

“I thought this was like ‘War of the Worlds’ or something,” Zehr said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

CC President Myles Shelton said he hadn’t heard of the attacks until Zehr told him.

“It was unreal,” Shelton said. “Then it was clear that it was very real.”

 
A tearful crowd gathers on Kearney Street to observe the national day of prayer and remembrance. Approximately 200 people attended, including veteran Stanley McKee pictured here.
Shelton said the attitudes of CC students are mirroring the attitudes of the nation – going from shock to grief to anger.

“The concept of what’s really important has dawned on them.”

Sophomore Brady Atwood of Grand, Texas, is the president of the CC Student Senate.

“It really shocked everyone,” Atwood said. “Once you get through with classes, [students] just go back to their room and watch the news.”

Atwood said a lot of students are talking about the possibility of the draft coming back and about what the government is going to do.

By Tuesday afternoon, word was spreading that the attacks were causing a rise in oil prices and reports said gas stations were raising prices. Lines formed at local gas stations, but only two – Taylor Food Mart and Taylor Exxon – were reported to have raised their prices. The stores later lowered the price of regular unleaded back to $1.59, but they have been widely criticized by local citizens.

Tuesday night the Clarendon Board of Aldermen approved a resolution regarding the terrorist attacks earlier that day, expressing the city’s thoughts and prayers for the victims as well as support for those who are suffering, pledging to bring about understanding, and giving thanks for the lives that have secured our freedoms.

Locals directly affected by attacks

Perhaps the local person closest to the attack was Clarendon’s Rep. Mac Thornberry. The congressman had eaten breakfast at the Pentagon and reportedly left minutes before the plane crashed into the building. Thornberry has since canceled personal appearances at town hall meetings in the 13th District so he can remain in Washington.

One local couple was stranded in Canada as result of the attack when the federal government shut down the nation’s airspace. Dr. Brad Williams and his wife Lani were in Vancover for a cattle veterinary seminar at the time. The couple was staying in a hotel near the United State Embassy, and Dr. Williams’ seminar was to be held in the World Trade Center’s Canadian offices.

“It was pretty nerve-racking,” Williams said.

He said the Vancover airport was shut down like American airports were. The couple finally crossed the border Sunday and caught a flight home from Seattle.

Clarendon shows patriotism

 
About 200 people gathered at noon last Friday to remember the victims of the heinous terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, DC, last week. Those holding Old Glory were Dr. Myles Shelton, David Lowrie, J.D. Hopper, Jimmy Swinney, Mike Spier, and Bill Holden.

Enterprise Digital Photo
 
Citizens of Clarendon joined the national day of prayer and remembrance called for by President George W. Bush on Friday.

Homes and businesses displayed American flags, and a hastily organized service was held at noon on Kearney Street near Henson’s. About 200 people came to the event where local men held a giant America flag while Bryan Knowles gave a prayer, and Dan Hall sang “God Bless the USA.”

Tears filled the eyes of those in attendance as they sang “God Bless America” together and tried to comfort one another in the face of the national tragedy.

Another service was held during the CHS pep rally Friday afternoon to recognize America and the people who died. Elementary students held a large flag, and Dan Hall again sang “God Bless the USA” as students and Bronco fans waved small American flags. The service ended as a member of the Bronco Band played “Taps.”

Friday night, Clarendon’s varsity team traveled to Shamrock, where the Bronco and Irish cheerleaders held a candlelight vigil prior to the game.

The patriotic spirit was still high Monday as citizens turned out to donate blood at Clarendon College. At press time, the number of people giving blood for the victims of the attack was unavailable, but a representative from Coffee Memorial Blood Center said the response from Clarendon had been greater than expected.

All over town, organizations continue to take donations to benefit the terrorist’s victims. Panhandle Community Services, Medical Center Nursing Home, and the Associated Ambulance Authority are just some of those accepting donations.

President Bush has said that America is in for a long, difficult fight in the war against terrorism. Through their recent actions, Clarendon and Donley County citizens have shown that they stand ready to do their part to protect and defend the United States of America.
 Donley County Speaks Out

“It’s been a bad week for everybody. But what they do to one American, they do to all of us. It’s a time of sadness, but it can also be a time of greatness and a time of pride.”

Tex Selvidge,

Mayor of Clarendon

 “I feel like we’ve lost some of the freedoms that we had. I think everybody has waked up now. We can’t take care of this with anger; it’s got to be methodically step by step ”

Dan Hall

 “It’s sad.”

Nancy Taylor

 “It’s too bad that something like this had to happen. Maybe it will wake people up. It’s what happens when we are lax, and it’s why we need a strong military.”

J.D. Hopper,

Local VFW Commander

 “Whether you’re from a small town like Clarendon or New York City, I think everybody has a deep feeling and an empty spot. I think, with our leaders, this will all be resolved. God bless America.”

Wes Henson

 “I’m feeling very sad and very proud of our country. I think we have rallied, and it’s going to backfire on them.”

Ruth Robinson

“It’s very similar to then (after Pearl Harbor). We feel now like we did then. Then none of us knew what to do for about a week. It changed the way we lived, and Clarendon was no exception.”

Willard Skelton
“I think they need to let President Bush take care of business in a way where this destruction won’t happen again… ever.”

Randy Bond,

Donley County Deputy

 “I really believe this nation is going to come out of the ashes stronger and more able to understand each other.”

Kathy Hommel 

“The time has come to unleash all unmerciful hell, period.”

Larinda Brown

We want to know what you think. Send your comments to the Enterprise, PO Box 1110, Clarendon, TX 79226 or send us an email at Clar1701@aol.com

The seventh annual Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff will be held this Saturday at the Saints’ Roost Museum.

Museum board members are encouraging folks from Donley County and the surrounding area to come out and support the museum. Fifteen wagons are signed up to compete for top prizes, and the day will provide great family entertainment.

The gate opens at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast and lunch concessions provided by the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce. The tradeshow starts at 10 a.m., and museum tours will be available throughout the day.

Patrick Robertson and KEFH- FM will provide music beginning at noon. Live entertainment begins at 2 p.m., and performances are scheduled all day and include Dan Hall of Clarendon, Thut Creek and Cozy Parsons of the Red River Steakhouse in McLean, Katrina Burrow and David Strange of Clarendon, the Saints’ Roost Band, Christine Walls of Quitaque, and Gary Alan Bruce of Pampa.

The Chuckwagon meal will be served at 5 p.m. with a menu of chicken fried steak, potatoes, beans, and cobbler.

At 6:30, the museum will raffle off a pair of Jim Owens Handmade Boots, and the cookoff awards will be presented at 6:45.

The Clarendon College Theatre Department will present a melodrama, “He Ain’t Done Right By Nell,” at 7 p.m., and an open-air dance will follow with music provided by the Palo Duro Band of Amarillo.

Admission to the all-day event is free. Tickets for the authentic Chuckwagon supper are $10 each and can be purchased in advance at Henson’s in Clarendon by calling 806/874-3517. Boot tickets are also available at Henson’s or from any museum board member.

On Sunday, cowboy church will be held under the tent at the museum with preaching by Jimmy and Johnny Burson of Silverton.

All proceeds will benefit the Saints’ Roost Museum’s continued operation and its ongoing effort to restore the historic Ft. Worth & Denver City Depot.

The museum is located off State Hwy. 70 South in Clarendon.