Archives for September 2002

More than 240 citizens filled the Bairfield Activity Center last Wednesday, September 11, to honor the men and women who protect and serve Donley County.

The ceremony was opened by local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, who presented the colors and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Dan and Brittany Hall sang the National Anthem, and Charla Crump gave the invocation.

Chamber of Commerce President Jim Blackerby welcomed the crowd.

“We’re celebrating those who protect and serve us locally,” he said. “They show us on a daily basis that they are our heroes.”

Lacey Austin, a Clarendon College student from Lockney, recited a brief poem.

Clarendon Mayor Tex Selvidge and County Judge Jack Hall recognized the individuals and organizations which serve the citizens of the county. Those included the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, the Greenbelt Lake Patrol, the Texas Department of Transportation, the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Donley County Sheriff’s Office, the Hedley Volunteer Fire Department, the Howardwick Volunteer Fire Department, the Associated Ambulance Authority, and the Clarendon Firebelles.

David Galassi, general manger of Burlington Northern-Santa Fe’s Texas Division, offered his company’s appreciation to all the men and women who helped this spring when two BNSF trains collided outside of Clarendon.

“Thank all of you for the kindness and generosity during the collision,” Galassi said. “We witnessed many acts of heroism toward helping us and in saving our man’s life.”

Later in the evening, District Judge David McCoy delivered a patriotic address which touched on the September 11 attack of last year but focused on the extraordinary efforts of ordinary Americans and the American veteran.

“America is made what it is by American heroes,” McCoy said. “Not by the Lincolns or the Washingtons; they have their place. I’m talking about ordinary Americans like you and me.”

The judge gave several examples of ordinary people who made a difference in the lives of others and paid tribute to a high school friend who gave his life in Vietnam.

McCoy’s speech was followed by a Power Point presentation of patriotic images and a special arrangement of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” as prepared by Childress County Judge Gene Currie.

General hosts for the evening were BNSF Railroad, Clarendon College, and the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce. The event was organized by Genella Eads and Greg Henry.

Country Bloomers Flowers & Gifts and Always & Forever Harlan’s donated arrangements for the evening, and Alan Graham provided the refreshments.

Some criminals don’t take their sentences seriously, according to County Attorney Pro Tem Kaye Messer.

Such was the case of 52-year-old José Estrada who pled guilty September 10 to Driving While Intoxicated charges and was given a $1,000 fine and one year probation. Five days later, Estrada was arrested for DWI again with a 0.165 blood alcohol level – more than twice the legal limit.

Officials aren’t sure what the man’s blood alcohol level was at the time of his first arrest. Messer said the arresting officer reported he was too drunk to blow the Breathalyzer.

Estrada, who claims Clarendon as his place of residence, pled guilty to the second charge on September 16, had his probation revoked, and is now serving a nine-month jail sentence.

Donley County will borrow an additional $350,000 to finish the restoration of the 1890 courthouse and to make critical repairs not called for in the original scope of work.

County officials are looking to refinance and extend the tax notes already taken out for the project. They believe it will be possible to obtain the new funds without significantly increasing the county’s annual tax note payments by stretching out the indebtedness period and taking advantage of interest rates which are lower now than in 2000.

The additional funds became necessary after workers discovered severely deteriorated bricks behind the cornice of the building this spring. The bricks, which are supposed to hold the anchors for the roof joists, are so badly deteriorated they are falling out. In certain areas, workers have not removed the rain gutter because that is all that is holding the bricks in place.

Dale Sellers of Phoenix I Restoration says decades of water damage have eroded the bricks.

“I’d say this has been going on for 60 to 70 years at least,” Sellers said. “It also looks like the bricks in this part of the building were not of the same quality as the rest of the structure.”

Project officials have also speculated that supervision in the later stages of the original construction was not as close as it should have been. Bricks used behind the cornice were the same as the softer bricks used on the interior of the courthouse rather than the harder, more durable bricks used on the exterior.

The master plan for the restoration called for bricks behind the cornice to be tuck-pointed where necessary. With that area fully exposed, the project managers and architects realized the work would be much more extensive.

“We’ll have to go in and take out all three courses of brick 18 inches down and completely rebuild those areas,” Sellers said. “The work will have to be done in 10- to 20-foot stretches, and the roof will have to shorn up while the work is done.”

Project officials have said that currently a good updraft would lift the roof off the courthouse because the anchors are not connected solidly into the walls.

County officials, project managers, and the architects have been struggling with how to handle the problem for months. The county had to finally take action as the situation threatened to bring the project to a standstill. Interior work cannot be finished until the roof is completed, and the roof cannot be completed until the masonry work is done.

The added work will take approximately six weeks to complete, and the overall completion of the project has been pushed back to December.

“I think December 14 is a very reasonable date,” Sellers said. “It would be great to be finished for the holidays.”

The Commissioners’ Court voted unanimously Monday to authorize County Judge Jack Hall to begin the process of a new tax notes issuance to pay for the additional work. Commissioner Don Hall was absent due to health reasons.

“We hate this,” said Commissioner Buster Shields. “But there’s no choice. This has to be done.”

The Texas Historical Commission (THC) has reportedly kept $2 million of the money appropriated by the Legislature for courthouse restoration in a contingency fund. Representatives of Donley County are making a request for some of those funds to pay for the new indebtedness.

But grand administrator John Kiehl told the court this week that the THC is only going to allow $200,000 of its contingency fund to be awarded to counties in situations similar to Donley’s. The county is making a request for 75 percent of that money, but it is not known how much if any will be awarded locally.

The court also approved Change Order No. 5 for the project during Monday’s meeting, which authorizes Phoenix to begin the work on the deteriorated masonry as well as authorizing six other necessary changes to the project.

The City of Clarendon will allow free dumping for city residents this Friday and Saturday, September 13 and 14, as part of a Citywide Clean Up Campaign.

During the clean up, city residents can dump as much as they need to at the recycling center on Front Street. The center will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

“Hopefully this will become a regular thing,” said Mayor Pro-tem Mark White. “We are planning to have one clean up in the fall and one in the spring each year.”

White said residents who have no way of hauling their junk should contact City Hall ahead of time. On Friday only, city crews will be available to assist those who cannot haul of their stuff on their own.

In order to take advantage of the free dumping privilege, city residents need to bring a water bill with them to the recycling center.

City officials are eager for residents to take advantage of the clean up day.

“This weekend, I hope, is the beginning of beautifying the City of Clarendon,” Alderman Janice Knorpp said.

White said the city is also taking other steps to encourage the removal of junk vehicles around town and is looking at other projects to help improve the appearance of the town.

The Board of Aldermen approved the plan for the clean up last month in anticipation of the homecoming events and the museum’s Chuckwagon cookoff, both of which are scheduled for later this month.

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. 

On Saturday, classmates are invited to the Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff at the Saints’ Roost Museum.  Tickets are $10 per person and available at Henson’s.  Cowboy Church will be held on Sunday beginning at 8:00 a.m. at the museum.

For more information, call Janie Finch, René Betts, Paulette Kidd, Valorie Ashcraft, or Pat White.