Archives for September 2002

A busy day is in store at the Saints’ Roost Museum as the eighth annual Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff gets underway this Saturday, September 28.

Museum officials say 12 wagons are signed up to compete for top prizes, and the day will provide great family entertainment for all ages. Two other wagons were scheduled to compete but had to pull out in recent days due to circumstances beyond the museum’s control.

“We’re encouraging everybody to come out to the museum and have a great time,” said museum board member Bobbie Thornberry. “The weather is supposed to be beautiful this weekend, so it will be a great time to be outdoors.”

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 11 a.m. Live entertainment begins at 2 p.m., and performances are scheduled all day. 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 James Owens Handmade Boots, and the cookoff awards will be presented at 6:45.

The Clarendon College Theatre Department will present, “The Rat Catcher’s Daughter or Death Valley Daze,” at 7 p.m.

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 morning, cowboy church will be held under the tent at the museum with preaching by Shannon Hall of Loco, Okla.

All proceeds will benefit the Saints’ Roost Museum’s continuing efforts to preserve the history of Donley County. The museum is housed in the former Adair Hospital just off State Hwy. 70 South.

Enrollment is up at Clarendon College this semester, and college officials are looking at more growth in the future.

“It’s good, and it’s going to get better,” said CC President Myles Shelton.

Preliminary data shows enrollment is up 9.32 percent over the 2001 fall semester. A total of 974 students were signed up for classes on the home campus, at the Pampa Center, and at various off campus sites.

The main campus grew 5.23 percent from 363 students to 382, and the Pampa Center was up 8.19 percent from 171 in 2001 to 185 this year.

Shelton said all the dormitories are full, and several students were given permission to live off campus due to a lack of available beds. But those permissions can be rescinded if space opens up in the residence halls.

“If we lose any students in the dorms, we will pull some of those back to live on campus,” he said.

Shelton said many activities are underway that are anticipated to boost the college’s enrollment by next fall. Those include building a new 80-bed residence hall and adding three new programs.

A Lady Bulldog softball program is expected to attract between 25 and 30 new students, an Equine Science program will draw about 40 students, and the addition of Intercollegiate Rodeo should bring in 50 to 60 students, Shelton said.

“Suddenly, all the dorm facilities will be filled again,” he said, noting that there is still a lot of work to be done before the college is ready for that growth.

“We have to be ready to handle those extra students in the classrooms, make sure there are enough tables and chairs, and make sure there are plenty of forks, spoons, and plates in the cafeteria.”

This semester’s total enrollment is the second highest for CC in the last ten years. The best year was in 2000 when 1,001 students were taking classes.

In other CC news, the Board of Regents met last Thursday, September 19, for a regular meeting. The 2002 tax rate was set at 0.18324 per $100 valuation, the same rate the College District has levied since 1999.

The board reviewed a proposal from AMA Online related to the community TIF grant. The proposed project total is $137,777, and Clarendon College is the fiscal agent for the grant.

A new Buick Park Avenue was purchased from Suna AutoMall for $29,481.

The new Fitness Center was discussed, and the board approved spending $28,486 to purchase equipment and $19,400 to install Tuflex rubberized flooring in the building. The college also purchased surplus exercise equipment from South Plains College at significant savings. The Fitness Center, located in the old Vo-Tech Building south of Bulldog Gym, is expected to be completed in November.

Preliminary plans and cost estimates for the proposed Livestock & Equine Center were reviewed. The board wanted some minor changes made to the plans and are looking to cut the $1.25 million estimated price tag of the building down to $1 million.

Dean of Students Joel Zehr discussed a proposed contract with the Donley County Sheriff’s Department to take over campus security. Details of the proposal are still being worked out.

The board authorized an auction to be held to sell off surplus property from the Clarendon and Pampa campuses. The auction will be either the last week of October or the first week of November in Pampa.

The regents voted to ratify the hiring of Leslie Stoker as the new teaching assistant for Agriculture & Equine Sciences and of Ronnie Lewis as the new groundskeeper.

Jean Stavenhagen accepts a check for $1,000 from RO Ranch partner Anne Shelton. Also shown are RO Ranch manager Burl Hollar, courthouse carpenter Ferol Shelton, and County Judge Jack Hall.

Enterprise Digital Photo
 
The RO Ranch and the descendants of W.J. Lewis, Sr., donated $1,000 to the restoration of the Donley County Courthouse this week.

Founded in 1879 by Alfred Rowe, the ranch was one of the earliest in Donley County. Mr. Lewis worked for Rowe and purchased the ranch from Rowe’s estate in 1914 after founder was killed when the Titanic sank.

Lewis’ granddaughter, Anne Shelton, presented the gift to Jean Stavenhagen of the Donley County Historical Commission on behalf of the ranch and the Lewis family and said she hopes other people will make similar contributions.

“This is a very worthwhile project,” Shelton said. “I know some people are squeaking about their taxes, but that’s a short-term thing. It’s important to keep our heritage.”

The local historical commission is currently undertaking a final appeal to raise funds for the restoration of the 1890 Courthouse. Individuals, families, organizations, and businesses are being offered the opportunity to have their names permanently affixed to the wall of the Courthouse lobby. For a donation of $1,000 or more, donors will receive a bronze plaque to commemorate their family or organization.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to honor your family or business and play an important role in the restoration of the courthouse,” Stavenhagen said.

Families are encouraged to pool their donations in a group effort to honor either their entire family or a pioneer ancestor.

Those wishing to make a donation to the project may send their gift to Courthouse Restoration Fund, PO Box 905, Clarendon, TX 79226. A form will be provided for $1,000 donors to specify what they would like to have on their plaque. For more information contact Jean Stavenhagen at 874-3905.

A CHS Homecoming Reunion is scheduled for Friday, September 27, for all CHS ex-students and teachers.

A pep rally on Friday will kick things off.  It will be held at the High School Gym.  The time has not yet been announced.  There will be a Mexican Pile On Supper at the school cafeteria beginning at 5:00 p.m., and tickets will be available at the door for $5.50.

All classes will meet in front of the old gym at 6:00 p.m. and walk to Bronco Stadium to watch the Broncos’ game against Nazareth.  Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Immediately following the game, everyone is invited to the Community Center located at the Rodeo Grounds for visiting.  There is a $5 registration fee.  Music and snacks will be provided.

On Saturday, classmates are invited to the Chuckwagon Cookoff.  Tickets are $10 and available at Henson’s.  Cowboy Church will be held Sunday at 8:00 a.m. at the museum.

Hopes for raises in the Donley County Sheriff’s Department were realized last Wednesday when the Commissioners’ Court passed its budget for 2002-2003.

The $1.8 million budget was approved by a unanimous vote in a special session of the court and includes significant raises for all personnel within the sheriff’s department.

Deputies’ salaries will be increasing from $18,680 to $24,000, and dispatcher/jailers hourly wage will increase from less than $7 per hour to $8 per hour. The budget also includes more money to pay for overtime hours. The sheriff’s salary will increase from $20,834.88 to $28,500.

“I’m really happy,” said Sheriff Butch Blackburn. “I want to thank the commissioners, the city aldermen, and all the citizens who supported us.”

Previously, Donley County law officers were among the lowest paid in the state, and Blackburn had been ranked as the fourth lowest paid sheriff among Texas’ 254 counties.

“We will still be on the low end, but at least this will get us off the bottom,” Blackburn said.

“We can now compete with counties around us that are the same size, and we’ll be able keep good help.”

The sheriff said he has only had one person voice opposition to the raises, although he knows there are more people than that who are not happy with the increases.

Still, the department has received a great deal of support from other citizens, including two who spoke before the commissioners’ court last month and asked for their taxes to be raised in order to pay the deputies more.

The news of the pay raises has already had a positive impact as Blackburn says morale in his department has improved 100 percent.

Chief Deputy Randy Bond said he’s pleased with the raise and knows other deputies are also.

“It’s nice to know that people care,” said Bond, who will also be getting an extra $1,000 per year for the extra duties he performs as Blackburn’s top lieutenant. “It’s nice to have the support that we had.”

Bond said the higher salary makes it more likely that he will stay in Donley County. He’s particularly grateful that he no longer has to work two jobs to make ends meet. Previously, Bond had done part time work as investigator for the district attorney’s office.

Blackburn said his employees deserved the raise for the good job they do for the county.

“People tell me what a good job I’m doing,” he said. “Well, 90 percent of that is because of my employees. I’m very fortunate to have them.”

County Judge Jack Hall said the key to being able to raise the officers’ salaries was cooperation with the City of Clarendon.

“I think it’s really good that the city worked with the county, and we all worked together to make those raises possible,” Hall said.

Commissioners also approved slight increases in the county ad valorem rate from 0.288297 to 0.293224 and in the county special (or road and bridge) rate from 0.084637 to 0.085873. A special debt component tax rate of 0.09745 was also passed to generate revenue to pay the courthouse restoration notes and the lease of patrol cars.

The total county tax rate increased from 0.372934 to 0.476549. The levy on the average Donley County homestead will increase by $26.35.

Oral arguments before the Court of Appeals in Amarillo have been slated for September 30, 2002, in the ongoing legal battle between former constable Jimmy Swinney and Donley County.

Swinney is appealing a January summary judgment by District Judge David McCoy, who ruled in the county’s favor and said county commissioners had not abused their discretion when they set Swinney’s salary at $3,170 in December 2000.

“Mr. Swinney’s argument is that the commissioners did abuse their discretion and that Judge McCoy erred in agreeing with them,” said County Attorney Pro Tem Kaye Messer.

Messer said she continues to believe the county will prevail in the case.

“I’m still comfortable with the county’s position,” she said. “The law is clearly on our side.”

In related news, the filing deadline for citizens seeking a position as a write-in candidate on the November ballot passed on September 6, and there are no candidates for the office of Constable of Precinct 1&2. That leaves the door open for the county to abolish the office if a proposed constitutional amendment is approved, Messer said.

The proposal, HJR 2 would amend the Texas Constitution to allow the commissioners’ court of a county to declare the office of constable dormant if that office has been vacant for at least seven consecutive years, according to the Secretary of State’s office. The office could later be reactivated in the future upon a majority vote of the commissioners or by a vote of the people.

Messer said Donley County could take advantage of this because Swinney was never qualified to hold the constable’s office and Gerald Mullanax, who was appointed after Swinney’s resignation, resigned without qualifying. As such, the office has technically been vacant since 1971.

Swinney won a write-in campaign in November 2000 to fill the position of constable in Donley County’s Precincts 1&2, which had been vacant for more than three decades. He took office in January 2000 and sued six months later. In September of last year, Swinney resigned after he failed the test to become a certified Texas peace officer.

Tickets are on sale now for the seventh annual Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff to be held next Saturday, September 28, at the Saints’ Roost Museum.

Museum officials say 14 wagons are signed up to compete for top prizes, and the day will provide great family entertainment for all ages.

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 11 a.m. 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, Oscar Auker of Clarendon, the Saints’ Roost Band, Christine Walls of Quitaque, Gary Alan Bruce of Pampa, and Buddy Payne of McLean.

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 James Owens Handmade Boots, and the cookoff awards will be presented at 6:45.

The Clarendon College Theatre Department will present, “The Rat Catcher’s Daughter or Death Valley Daze,” at 7 p.m.

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 morning, cowboy church will be held under the tent at the museum with preaching by Shannon Hall of Loco, Okla.

All proceeds will benefit the Saints’ Roost Museum’s continuing efforts to preserve the history of Donley County for future generations. The museum is housed in the former Adair Hospital just off State Hwy. 70 South.