Archives for July 2005

By MaryRuth Bishop, County FCS Agent

The Donley County Child Welfare Board and 42 tournament players had a great time at the second annual Chippin’ for the Children Golf Tournament July 16.

Ten teams at the tournament enjoyed the afternoon at the Clarendon Country Club. Eight teams made up of four players and two teams with five players each were off and Chippin’. Although the $15,000 Hole-In-One prize was not won, players had fun competing for the prize.

Cam King from Dublin, Texas, was the “Closest-to-the Pin” trip winner. She will enjoy a trip to Carlsbad, which was donated by KLSR. Door prizes as varied as 80 lbs. of dog food to a basket full of candy were also awarded as the day progressed. Cash prizes were awarded to the top three teams. Because there was a tie at the third place level four more players enjoyed the loot.

The first place winners’ score of 59 earned Dennis Atkin from Amarillo, Brandon Lewis from Shamrock, Bobby Jackson from Amarillo, and Rick Keeton from Amarillo some good natured ribbing and the largest cash prize.

The second place team score was 61 and was “manned” by women plus one good-natured man. Members, all from Clarendon, were Sandy Anderburg, Wanda Nazworth, Dorothy Breedlove, Bonny Crawford, and Tom Stauder.

The tie for third place with a score of 63 were teams from Pampa and Canyon. The Pampa team was made up of Brandon Wheeler, Ricky Martin, Jed Martin and Dwight Brown. Canyon team members were Charles Decker, Danny Gamble, Jim Burkett, and Ken Fincher.

The golf tournament is a fund-raising event to help children in Donley County. Funds are used for school clothes or school supplies, Christmas gifts, special items such as helping with sporting equipment, or registration for children in foster care.

Other uses are for children who need emergency care or food and clothing needed for emergency placement into foster care. Last year Halloween Trick or Treat bags with fluorescent markings were given to all elementary students, and funds were donated for thank you gifts for CPS support staff.

The Donley County Hospital Board voted in favor last week of raising the district’s ad valorem tax rate, which has remained unchanged since 1998.

The higher tax rate is expected to generate approximately $13,000 in extra revenue to help it meet its financial obligations and keep the Medical Center Nursing Home open.

“I don’t like the idea of a tax increase any more than anyone else,” said board member Don Thornberry. “When we voted [in 1998] to keep or sell the nursing home, it was pretty overwhelming to keep it. Now we have to have some help to do that.”

The new rate of $0.1946 is the maximum allowable without triggering a potential rollback petition. The hospital district has been operating with a tax rate of $0.18022 for the last seven years.

Board president Alan Fletcher said the options were limited.

“I don’t think we have any other choice,” he said. “We have to raise taxes or close. If the community wants a nursing home, we have to do this.”

Board member Onita Thomas agreed and said she hoped people would realize that the cost of operating the home has increased.

“Our expenses are just like yours,” she said, “and we have not raised taxes for seven years.”

The higher rate would raise the tax on a $75,000 home by $10.79.

In other business, the board also approved proposed budgets for the district, the nursing home, and the Associated Ambulance Authority as presented. Budget amendments were also approved.

The board discussed lease agreements relating to the Community Services Building and voted to accept a lease renewal proposal from the Department of State Health Services. The board also voted to no longer employ janitorial services for the Community Service Building and to let the tenants negotiate independently for housekeeping services.

Steve Hall and Bob Watson addressed the board concerning transferring the tax abatement for the Best Western American Inn from 786, Inc., to the Clarendon Hotel Corporation. The transfer was approved 6-1 with Fletcher being opposed.

Holly Eads presented an order from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission governing records management. The board approved a motion bringing the district into compliance with the order.

Administrator In-Training Vicky Robertson gave the nursing home’s census as 52 residents with one in the hospital. She also presented revised policies governing vacation, continuing education, and sick leave, which were approved.

The board also considered and approved a revised organizational chart for the nursing home to put the maintenance supervisor under the direction of the administrator.

Ambulance director Anita Aaron said the Associated Ambulance Authority responded to 53 calls in June and had responded to 49 calls in July as of the 19th.

A weekend at Lake Greenbelt ended with time in the Donley County Jail for three Amarillo men Sunday morning.

Chief Deputy Randy Bond said the Donley County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of gunfire at the lake about 7:30 a.m. One man was shooting a sawed-off shotgun in the air, and another was firing a pistol in the air.

Jason Jones, age 32, and Michael Darter, age 30, were both charged with deadly conduct. Darter and a third man, 30-year-old Zacharia Warren, were also charged with possession of marijuana.

Bond said the men had started shooting because they said they had “become irritated with each other.”

“It was a real dangerous situation,” Bond said. “There were kids around, and it was getting out of hand in a hurry.”

In addition to Bond, Deputy Mike Spier and the Greenbelt Lake Patrol’s Ray Burch and Faylon Watson responded to the call.

Mariwyn McPherson Webb has been selected by the Panhandle Tourism Marketing Council to author a book on the twenty-six counties of the Texas Panhandle, to be titled Romancing the Panhandle: An Affair to Remember. 

Partial funding for the project is being supplied by the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation as a way to help stimulate interest in the rural areas of the Panhandle, such as Donley County.

Initial sales of the book will go to reimburse CEDC and other co-sponsors.

Since selling an advertising agency she founded in 1995, Webb has pursued her career as a published author and advertising consultant.  Over the past two decades, Webb has lent her talent and expertise to numerous community organizations, including several United Way organizations.  Webb currently serves on the Amarillo Economic Development Council.

Romancing the Panhandle: An Affair to Remember, to be published by The Donning Company Publishers, will be an 8.5”x 11” coffee table book highlighting the history and attractions of Panhandle communities. To be complemented with more than 300 full color photographs of the region, Romancing the Panhandle: An Affair to Remember is sure to be a wonderfully vivid addition to any library. 

“This book is something we’ve wanted for a long time, and we’re thrilled that a local author will be involved, “ said PTMC Chair Kristine Olsen.  “We think the book will be a great way to entice businesses and tourists to the Panhandle.” 

“We’re looking to area photographers to provide the photography and are asking area residents and local historians for input,” said Webb. 

If you would like further information about Romancing the Panhandle, or if you wish to submit content for possible inclusion in the book, please contact Mrs. Webb at (806) 351-0366.

In addition to CEDC funding, Romancing the Panhandle is made possible by the following sponsors: First National Bank in Spearman, First State Bank of Mobeetie, Wheeler Economic Development Corporation, and the Texas Rural Electric Cooperatives in the Panhandle area.  A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the book will benefit the PTMC.

The City of Clarendon will combine the positions of the city administrator and city superintendent following a called meeting of the Board of Aldermen Monday night.

Mayor Pro-Tem Mark White told the Enterprise Tuesday that finances drove the board’s decision.

“The main reason for doing this is budgetary,” White said. “We just don’t have the money in the budget to keep two salaries of that capacity.”

Under the current budget, the administrator and superintendent have salaries of $35,000 and $33,000 respectively, and each position has benefits.

The aldermen also directed City Administrator Sean Pate to begin advertising through the Texas Municipal League this week. The combined position will take effect October 1, 2005, which is the beginning of the city’s fiscal year.

Monday’s unanimous decision came after aldermen met in closed session for 40 minutes that night and for nearly an hour and half during their regular meeting last Tuesday.

White said the new administrator, whoever that turns out to be, will have to take on more of the responsibilities of the city superintendent, who is the director of public works.

“[The new person] has definitely got to be out in the field,” White said. “We can’t pin him down and say this much time in the office and this much time in the field, but he will have to have all the criteria and certifications for public works.”

Last Tuesday, the board formally voted, with regrets, to accept Pate’s resignation as city administrator. He will be taking a similar position with the City of Poteet, south of San Antonio, with the promise of better benefits and an increase in salary of about $20,000 per year.

The city will hold a budget workshop next Monday at 10 a.m.

In other city business last week, aldermen approved a proposal by Municipal Judge Jimmy Johnson to employ a private attorney to collect past due fines and fees.

Under the proposal, the city would pay 30 percent of the collected fines and fees to the attorney, but the 30 percent would be added to the amount owed by a defendant that is more than 60 days past due.

The contract would become effective August 1 and would apply only to criminal cases in municipal court.

“This is just another tool we can use to get our money,” Judge Johnson told the board.

The board approved the measure 3-0 with Alderman Michael Tibbets abstaining because he said he had objected to a similar measure employed by the appraisal district.

The board also considered a resolution which would adopt the National Incident Management System. The NIMS would provide a consistent nationwide approach for federal, state, local, and tribal governments to work together more effectively and efficiently to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of the their size, cause, or complexity.

City Administrator Sean Pate said NIMS is being mandated by the federal government, and adopting the system could open the door to grant opportunities.

The board approved the resolution 3-0 with Alderman Tibbets abstaining because he said he didn’t understand it.

The Hedley Board of Aldermen voted to increase charges for garbage service during its regular meeting July 7.

Ordinance No. 114 was approved unanimously, setting residential sanitation charges at $13 per month and setting commercial sanitation charges at $13 per month per Dumpster, reflecting a $1 increase in both rates.

Aldermen also voted to increase rates on rural Dumpsters by $10 per Dumpster per month. The new rates become effective August 1, 2005.

In other city business, the board adopted a resolution to support the Hedley Senior Citizens’ efforts to obtain funds and a location for a new building.

The local economy continues to generate higher sales tax returns for the City of Clarendon according to figures released Friday by Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn.

The city’s July sales tax allocation totaled $19,993.52, which is an increase of an even 20 percent over the same period one year ago.

After starting the calendar year with decreases, last week’s allocation marks Clarendon’s fourth straight month of significant increases. The April allocation was up 14.88 percent, May rose 15.71 percent, and June saw in increase of 10.7 percent.

The good news brings the city’s year-to-date figure up to $151,334.82, which is up 6.81 percent from the same time in 2004.

Hedley and Howardwick have not seen the same growth, however. Hedley’s allocation this month fell 37.35 percent to $352.67; and Howardwick was down 3.31 percent to $1,013.55. Both cities are also down slightly for the year-to-date.

Statewide, Strayhorn delivered $344.5 million in July sales tax allocations to cities, counties and other local taxing entities, up 9.2 percent compared to last July. So far this calendar year, sales tax allocations to local governments across the state are running 7.1 percent higher than last year.

Comptroller Strayhorn sent July sales tax allocations of $232.8 million to Texas cities, up 8.7 percent compared to July 2004. Calendar year-to-date, city sales tax allocations are up 7.3 percent compared to the same period last year.

June state sales tax collections and July sales tax allocations to local governments mostly represent sales that occurred in May.

The Comptroller’s next sales tax allocation will be made on Friday, August 12.