Archives for November 2004

Shopping at home for the holidays is easy and affordable as local banks have again teamed up to provide 0% interest “Christmas Cash” loans this year.

Interested parties must make application for a loan up to $3,000 with any of the participating local banks.

The annual program has proven popular with many consumers and is seen as way to encourage folks to shop at home with hometown merchants and to keep our local economy strong.

Once a Christmas Cash loan has been approved, the borrower will be issued specially printed Christmas Cash Dollars, which may be spent like US currency toward new purchases of products and services (excluding Lottery tickets, gasoline, and tobacco products) at all of the participating businesses. Businesses will display posters indicating they are participants of the promotion.

There will be no exchange of US currency to make change. For example, if someone purchases items valued at $72.95 and gives the merchant $80.00 in Christmas Cash, the merchant can give them $7.05 in-store credit. The customer may also pay $70.00 in Christmas Cash and the remaining $2.95 in US currency.

Christmas Cash Dollars are available in three denominations: $10, $20, and $50. There are two signature lines, the same as there are on traveler’s checks.

The borrower’s signature is placed on the signature line before they leave the bank, and then they must sign on the endorsement line when they spend the “Cash.”

Christmas Cash must be spent at the participating merchants by December 31, 2004. Unspent Christmas Cash may be applied toward your 0% loan at the bank through January 7, 2005.

This cash may not be used as a regular monthly loan payment. It can only be applied toward the principal amount due at the end of the Christmas Cash note. Christmas Cash notes are paid back in ten equal monthly installments.

After January 7, 2005, Christmas Cash becomes worthless.

It’s amazing the variety of products Christmas Cash can purchase. Some of the items purchased in years past included: replacement windows, vehicle repairs, groceries, furniture, entertainment equipment, cook-tops, dry cleaning for summer bedrolls, catered goodies, Christmas dinner, car stereos, special gift items, centerpieces, clothing, and much more.

The Donley County State Bank, The Herring National Bank, and Community Bank will buy Christmas Cash from participating merchants at a rate of 95¢ for every $1.00. Participating businesses are “interested in keeping your business here in Clarendon.”

This year’s participating merchants are: Amigo’s Mexican Restaurant, Clarendon Auto Sales, The Clarendon Enterprise, Clarendon Outpost, Clarendon Steakhouse, Clarendon Veterinary Hospital and Supply, Cornell’s Country Store, Country Bloomers Flowers and Gifts, Eads Furniture and Appliance, Every Nook & Cranny, Floyd’s Automotive, Floyd’s Motor Company and Body Shop, Henson’s, Hitchin’ Post, J&W Lumber, Lowe’s, Mary’s This and That, McKinney Motor Company, Mike’s Pharmacy, Saye’s, The Shop Antique and Good Stuff, 287 Tire and Tube, and White’s Feed and Seed.

This is the tenth year banks have participated in the Christmas Cash program. The idea of 0% loans up to $3,000 began in 1995 through the cooperation of the Clarendon Merchants Association and local banks.

If your business would like to participate in the Christmas Cash program, please call Genella Eads at 874-3412 or Bobbie Thornberry at 874-3581.

City Hall stinks.  Literally.

That was the message delivered by City Secretary Linda Smith and City Clerk LeAnn Marcum when the Clarendon Board of Aldermen met in regular session last Tuesday.

“This place is falling apart,” Smith said, noting that the 1918 municipal building is leaking badly every time it rains.

“It smells like dead bodies,” Marcum added.

City Administrator Sean Pate said this week that an insurance adjuster for the Texas Municipal League (TML) had examined City Hall following last week’s meeting and is expected to issue a report soon about the building.

“There are several maintenance issues that need to be addressed,” Pate said. “The roof needs a lot of work, and water is leaking in through windows on the top floor.”

Pate said stagnant water about one foot deep is standing in what was once a swimming pool in the basement, and he said simply, “It’s stinking.”

“We’re going to have to address the water damage and probably replace the window seals. That gets to be a lot of money. It will come down to what the insurance will cover.”

Pate said a foundation expert has said that part of the building is in good shape for its age, but the administrator noted that water causes a lot of damage if left unchecked.

“It is kind of ironic that this place was built in 1918, and now the Red Sox have won the World Series,” Pate said. “Maybe the curse of the Bambino has gone from Fenway to Clarendon.”

In other city business, the Board of Aldermen held a final public hearing on Ordinance 353, which would increase building permit fees in the city. The ordinance was approved unanimously on its second reading and took effect October 26.

Tarell Dyer of Centramedia Online services addressed the board concerning leasing space on the city radio tower to deliver high-speed Internet to Clarendon. Alderman Michael Tibbets said he would like to see Centramedia provide free service to the City Hall, the city library, the chamber of commerce, the Saints’ Roost Museum, and the Donley County Sheriff’s Department plus pay an access fee equivalent to $375 per month. Dyer will speak with his supervisor and return to the November 9 meeting.

Colby Waters of the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission presented a resolution to allow the city to apply for a Texas Community Development Grant. Aldermen approved the resolution.

Ronnie and Melinda McAnear addressed the board concerning property located at 820 S. Allen Street, which has become an eyesore and a nuisance. Pate recommended proceeding under the Dangerous Structures ordinance and utilizing the procedure to have the house demolished. A public hearing will be held on this topic November 9.

The Clarendon Economic Development Corporation presented a contract to the board. Under the terms of the contract, the CEDC would pay the city $200 per month for light clerical duties, such as collecting the CEDC mail, paying bills, posting agendas, and reconciling financial statements. The CEDC Board believes the contract will allow CEDC to pursue its goals without incurring the expense of hiring a director. The aldermen approved the contract.

In his administrative report, Pate said a letter had been received from the NRCS directing the city to pay the money owed on the disaster grant, which paved 12 blocks in southeast Clarendon and made flood improvements. The board directed Pate to take money from a General Fund certificate of deposit to pay the $38,562.09 bill.

A methamphetamine delivery went all wrong in Clarendon last week when an alleged drug dealer unwittingly called the law and told them where he was.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said his department was examining a cellular phone seized during a recent burglary investigation October 28 when it started ringing. The caller told the person answering the phone that he was in town at a residence at 420 W. Third and said that he had “the stuff” with him.

Officers immediately suspected a drug deal was in the works, and they went straight to the scene and arrested Mark Davis, age 33, of Amarillo. Blackburn said Davis was carrying a .357 revolver and had 33 grams of methamphetamine and $2,485 in cash.

Davis was booked into Donley County Jail and arraigned on felony charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. He was released Saturday on $70,000 bond.

Other items seized during Davis’ arrest included two pistols, brass knuckles, lead-filled gloves, slappers, and records of other drug deals.

In other crime news, Blackburn reports his office solved the burglary of a barn with living quarters inside it, which had been under investigation since October 19. Several thousands of dollars worth of electrical equipment and tools had been missing from the barn.

An investigation of tire and shoe tracks at the scene led to the October 28 arrest of Sean Kyser, age 35, of Howardwick. Items taken in the theft were recovered from a residence in Howardwick and in Pampa.

Kyser was still in jail at press time with bond set at $10,000. He is also being held on two misdemeanor charges out of Amarillo.

 “I appreciate my deputies’ hard work on this burglary which in turn led to getting a drug dealer off the streets,” Blackburn said, referring to Davis. “When we get a dealer like this, it helps us and Amarillo and the other surrounding communities, too.”

Tax Assessor/Collector Wilma Lindley successfully fended off a challenge by Republican Vicky Tunnell by a margin of 1,085 to 657 when Donley County voters cast their ballots Tuesday.

Lindley’s was the only countywide race to be contested this year, but races in two precincts did produce some drama for the evening.

Former Republican county commissioner Andy Wheatly managed to reverse his fortunes from the 2000 election, successfully ousting the Precinct 3 Democratic incumbent, Henry C. “Buster” Shields, 280 to 135.

In Precincts 3&4, Constable Mike Wallendorff, a Democrat, won the right to keep his job, tallying 449 votes. He easily defeated the write-in candidacy of Tony Sellers, who garnered 153 votes.

In uncontested county races, Sheriff Charles “Butch” Blackburn received 72.3 percent of the county vote, and Commissioner Ernest Johnston got 69 percent of the votes in his Precinct 1.

Donley County voters overwhelmingly preferred US Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) over his Libertarian opponent, M.J. “Smitty” Smith, by a margin of 1,513 to 55.  At press time, Thornberry was leading 120,869 to 8,854 with 281 of 474 precincts reporting.
Local voters also favored reelecting President George W. Bush, giving him 1,420 votes compared to 340 for Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). The Libertarian ticket received five votes, and one person voted for Ralph Nader.

State Sen. Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock) and State Rep. Warren Chisum (R-Pampa) were both unopposed this year and received 1,302 and 1,371 votes in Donley County. Also unopposed were District Judge David McCoy (D) with 1,159 local votes and District Attorney Stuart Messer (R) with 1,337.

Sixty-eight percent of registered voters in Donley County went to the polls this year. That’s a total of 1,792 ballots cast and is up just slightly compared to the last presidential election in 2000 when 1,759 people voted.