Archives for July 2006

The Clarendon Board of Aldermen backed out of a deal to buy 160 acres southeast of the city during a called meeting Monday afternoon, putting to rest fears of neighboring landowners that a new landfill might be opened there.

“The city is out no money,” Mayor Mark White said Tuesday morning. “(Realtor) Jim Garland was able to find another buyer, so we just voided our contract and were able to get our escrow back.”

The board first discussed and voted to purchase the 160-acre site for $112,000 at its June 13 meeting, but two weeks later more than 20 citizens attended the aldermen’s next meeting to protest the idea that a new landfill might be located there.

City leaders said they were only trying to keep money – more than $40,000 per year plus time and fuel to dump in the Memphis landfill – in the community, but those in attendance questioned why more public input was not sought and said they feared what having a landfill nearby would do to their property values and their groundwater.

The board quickly backed away from the idea of locating a landfill on the property but was still left to deal with the contract already in place to purchase the land.

During last Tuesday’s regular meeting, Aldermen debated whether to continue with the purchase and use the land for materials or try to sell it later to break even or make a profit. The meeting ended with the board agreeing to seek the advice of City Attorney James Shelton on how best to get out of the deal altogether.

In other city business, the board last week approved several resolutions as part of the process to proceed with a Step grant for waterworks improvements on the west side of the city. Among those actions were motions to declare August as Fair Housing Month in the City of Clarendon and to appoint Alderman Tommy Hill as the city’s fair housing officer and Chris Sharp of the PRPC as the city’s labor standards officer.

The board considered and approved a bid totaling $7,986 from Roy Williams to repair driveways at four residences that were damaged as a result of the recent paving project. Aldermen also authorized the hiring of Myers Asphalt to repair the parking area in front of Alan Fletcher’s property on Collinson Street with the work not to exceed $3,200.

The Clarendon Enterprise received one first place plaque and came in third for a Sweepstakes Award June 24 during the Texas Press Association’s 127th annual summer convention in The Woodlands.

The local paper was awarded first place in Division 10 (Small Weeklies) in Editorials and showed strength in most other categories by garnering two second-, two third-, and one fourth-place honors.

Judges from the South Carolina Press Association praised Enterprise Editorials by Roger Estlack on the topics of the city street paving and supporting local merchants and said, “The need to have progress is put forth with emphasis. The writer does a service to the town and its readers.”

Second place certificates were awarded to the Enterprise for Headline Writing and Page Design.

The Enterprise received third place in Community Service for its coverage of Clarendon’s 2005 Street Project. Judges said the paper provided “strong coverage from beginning to end of an essential local story.” The paper also placed third in General Excellence.

The paper was recognized with fourth place honors for feature photos.

The Alvarado Star was the top paper in Division 10 of the contest, and the East Bernard Express was second with the same total points as the Enterprise but more in General Excellence.

Randy Mankin, publisher of The Eldorado Success, attended the convention and accepted the awards on behalf of the Enterprise, which has been recognized at the state level for nine consecutive years now.

Hedley residents are being asked to cut back on their water consumption after the Board of Aldermen implemented the first stage of that city’s drought contingency plan when they met in regular session, July 6.

City Secretary Randy Shaw said Tuesday that stage one of the plan does not have any penalties with it.

“It’s just voluntary; it’s not mandatory,” Shaw said. “Now, if Greenbelt goes to stage two their plan, there will be some tougher restrictions in our plan.”

Shaw said water usage in Hedley has fallen and noted that Monday’s consumption was about half of what it normally is.

The city’s goal with stage one is to reduce water usage by ten percent.

Hedley residents with street addresses ending with even numbers are being asked to limit the irrigation of landscaped areas to Sundays and Thursdays, and odd numbered addresses are limited to watering on Saturdays and Wednesdays.

The plan further restricts watering to the hours of midnight to 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. to midnight on the designated days. Residents are also asked to discontinue water use for non-essential purposes.

Greenbelt Water Authority, of which Hedley is a member, implemented stage one of its own drought contingency plan late last month. Greenbelt seeks to achieve a ten percent reduction in water consumption through a publicity campaign.

Greenbelt General Manager Bobbie Kidd said the reservoir level this week was down to 55.87 feet compared to 56.5 feet on June 26. But he also said increased public awareness is having an effect.

“We can see some difference already,” Kidd said. “Part of that is that everybody’s yard is pretty well burned up down south. They’ve stopped watering.”

The City of Clarendon has not yet triggered its drought contingency plan, and the subject was not a topic to be considered on Tuesday night’s city agenda.

The Medical Center Nursing Home is financially sound and ended the last fiscal year with a projected budget surplus. But officials with the Donley County Hospital District say the good news may not last if plans aren’t made now for the future.

And to get input from the taxpayers for that future, the district has called for a town hall meeting on Tuesday, July 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the Clarendon Lions Hall.

“We’ve been cutting expenses for the last year and a half, but the revenue always stays the same,” said hospital board president Alan Fletcher, summing up the situation.

Much of the problem comes from the fact that Texas ranks near the bottom in its Medicaid reimbursement rate for nursing homes compared to other states.

“We’d be broke now except that the Legislature increased the (reimbursement) rate by $10 per person per day in January,” Fletcher said.

That increase produced an estimated $190,000 in revenue for this year, but it’s set to expire in August 2007, and district officials say the word is that the Legislature does not plan to renew it.

The projected profit for MCNH in fiscal year 2005-2006 is $94,000. Without the higher reimbursement from the state, the nursing home would have had a deficit of nearly $100,000.

Compounding the problem is that Medicaid payments to nursing homes are based on the level of care a resident needs, and MCNH has a high percentage of residents – 26 out of 53 – that are eligible for the lowest reimbursement rate, which is about $80 per day.

“We’re getting people who need an assisted living center (can bathe, feed, and clothe themselves), but we have to keep a staff level for a nursing home,” Fletcher said, noting that factor makes it difficult to compete with other nursing homes.

The average Medicaid reimbursement in Texas is $106 per resident, according to the Texas Health Care Association. The average reimbursement for MCNH is $96.

Figures for 2006 are not available, but in 2004, Texas ranked 48th out of 50 states with an average reimbursement of $92.20. The same year Oklahoma’s rate was $102.96, and New Mexico paid an average of $133.87. In 2005, Texas remained in 48th position with a rate of $95.17 while Oklahoma was paying $102.96, and New Mexico was paying $155.45.

On top of the problems with state funding, MCNH, like many small nursing homes, is faced with increased competition in the job market as wages continue to increase for a small pool of qualified nurses and aides. A beginning LVN in Clarendon earns $13.50 per hour compared to $15.75 per hour in Claude, which is forced to compete with high wage payers in Amarillo.

Employees also want benefits, such as health insurance, that the hospital district does not provide.

The Medical Center also is dealing with rising workers’ compensation costs, which have gone up more than $20,000, and ongoing maintenance issues with a facility that is more than 30 years old, including a lack of electrical outlets for 21st century residents’ belongings (i.e. laptop computers, cordless phones, lift chairs, etc.,), roof problems, and sewer problems.

There are solutions to MCNH’s woes, but each is likely to have its detractors. First, the state could preserve the current reimbursement rate and increase it. Second, the hospital district could add ten beds to the facility at a cost of $600,000 to bring in more income. Third, the taxpayers of Donley County could be asked to pay more to maintain the nursing home. Or fourth, the nursing home could be sold to someone in the private sector.

“The goal has to be to keep Medical Center Nursing Home open,” administrator Vickie Robertson said. “Fifty-three people call it home, and 50 to 55 people are employed here. Losing those jobs would be a huge impact on the local economy.”

Fletcher agrees and says he hopes people will come to the July 25 meeting with creative ideas.

“Regardless of what happens, we don’t want to get stupid and let this thing close up,” he said.

Attendance was up slightly when the 129th annual Saints’ Roost Celebration was held on the Courthouse Square Tuesday.

Comments generally favored the celebration’s return to the square this year after it was held in City Park for the last five years due to the restoration of the Courthouse. People said this year’s celebration “felt” more like the Fourth of July because it was held in its traditional location.

Appropriately, the 1890 Donley County Courthouse was in the spotlight this year, and members of the Clarendon High School Junior Historians gave tours of the building Tuesday morning.

The Craft Fair and the Old Settlers Reunion were also held Tuesday. Wes O’Neal of Holiday, Texas, traveled the greatest distance to be there.  J.T. Lamberson and Rose Lee Watson were the oldest man and woman present.  Wilma Spier was recognized as the person who has lived in Donley County the longest.

The Al Morrah Shrine Club served 882 plates of barbecue this year. In 2005, the Shriners served a little over 794 plates. Funds from the annual barbecue are used in conjunction with the Khiva Temple of the Shrine in Amarillo to help pay for transportation of kids to the Shriners’ burns and crippled children’s hospitals.

The annual Western Parade had 43 entries in four divisions, up from 35 entries last year. The Chamber of Commerce reports that Donley County 4-H Club float won first place in the float division.  Phebe Ann’s Phriendly Phamily Phloat placed second.  In the Riding division, Crown of Texas Arabian Horse Club won first place while Gene Hommel and family and their 3-H Cattle Company placed second.

In the Antique Vehicles division of the parade, Wondell Luttrell won first with a 1925 Model T, and Ken and Carol Carden placed second with a 1949 Hudson Commadore. The Clarendon Country Club golf carts won first place in the Miscellaneous division, and Wondell Luttrell placed second.

Several organizations held fundraisers, and the following are the results available at press time. There were three winners of the Lions Club Cow Patty Bingo – Terri Floyd, Genella Eads, and Rick Osburn. Kade Johnson of Shamrock won the custom commemorative spurs from the Clarendon Masonic Lodge. There were three winners of the Clarendon Firebelle’s Penny Raffle – Kyle Hill, Chancy Cruse, and Jason Carr. Jimmy and Joyce Philley won the custom outdoor grill given by the Chamber of Commerce.

Earlier in the week, the Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association held a two-day ranch rodeo and other events, which are reported separately this week.

The Kids’ Parade got things started on Saturday. Division winners were Cody Crump and Dylan Boothe in the 0-4 Division, Chardy Craft in the 5-8 Division, and Kristen Watson in the 9-12 Division.

At the annual Henson’s Turtle Race on Saturday afternoon, 124 turtles competed, which was down from last year’s 181 turtles.  Braylee Shields won the 0-4 age division.  Shiann Cook won first place in the 5-8 division.  Kevin Mitchell won the 9-14 age division.

A three-vehicle accident claimed two lives in Hedley last Friday afternoon and left emergency crews wondering for a time if a baby might also have been injured.

Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Chad Simpson said Anginette Barajas of Longmont, Colo., was driving southbound on US 287 headed out of Hedley about 2:20 p.m. when she attempted to pass a 2003 Freightliner 18-wheeler driven by 52-year-old Luther Carnahan of Mart, Texas.

At the same time, Carnahan changed lanes in an unsafe manner in front of Barajas’ 1999 Honda Accord, causing her to veer to the left to avoid colliding with the truck. The truck moved back to the right, and Barajas overcorrected to the left, started sliding, overcorrected to the right, and slid sideways into oncoming traffic in the northbound lanes of US 287 into the path of a 2006 Volvo truck tractor semi-trailer driven by Lester Valentine of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Valentine could not avoid the collision as he struck the Honda broadside, ripping the car into three pieces, crossing the southbound lanes, and coming to rest in a field.

Donley County Justice of the Peace Jimmy Johnson pronounced Barajas, age 26, and her passenger, Kathleen Harman, 49, dead at the scene.

An empty child’s safety seat had the attention of everyone at the scene.

“We were very concerned about the possibility of a baby,” Simpson said. “But there was an extensive search of the wreckage and the area, and no baby was found. There was also no diaper bag or any other items to make us think there was a baby.”

Valentine’s passenger, 49-year-old Debra Bowling of Jackson, Miss., suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

Those responding to the accident included the DPS, the Hedley Volunteer Fire Department, the Donley County Sheriff’s Office, Associated Ambulance Authority, the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department, and the Texas Department of Transportation.

Trooper Simpson said no charges have been filed in the case; but, as in all fatalities, it will likely be presented to the Grand Jury for consideration.

Tears and laughter were the hallmarks of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department’s centennial celebration Sunday afternoon as firefighters recalled humorous moments in years gone by and paid tribute to the sacrifices made during the 2006 wildfires.

“I’ll say one thing about this bunch,” Fire Chief Delbert Robertson said, “They have put in the time this year and have done a super job.”

Captain Patrick Robertson choked back tears as he described what the department, the Firebelles, and their comrades from Howardwick went through this spring.

“I don’t think anyone who wasn’t there during the wildfires can really understand what it was like,” he said. “It went on and on, and we were there doing our part. That’s what firefighters do. But these ladies could have been home.”

The I-40 Fire on March 12, 2006, was the worst, Capt. Robertson said. For that evening, tragedy struck when one of Howardwick’s trucks overturned and plunged into a valley of fire and smoke. With fire on three sides and no road out, fellow firemen pulled Howardwick’s Joey Garcia to safety as two Firebelles, who also happened to be LVNs, braved the heat and the danger to assist James McMorries and Jeff Cook.

“Within seconds these two ladies were there, and they stayed with the injured Howardwick firemen,” Capt. Robertson said. “Chandra Holman stayed by Jeff’s side and saw that he wasn’t moved improperly, and Rhonda Howell performed CPR on James McMorries and kept him alive while help came from 25 miles away.”

Garcia and Cook continue to recuperate from their injuries. McMorries succumbed to his injuries on April 9.

For their service and bravery, the Clarendon VFD bestowed the National Medal of Honor for Courage on Holman and Howell. It is the highest honor that can be given to someone who is not a member of the fire department.

Cook pinned the medal on Holman, and McMorries’ widow, Tanis, pinned Howell and said she owed the lady a debt of gratitude for letting her have a little more time with her husband.

The remainder of the celebration was marked by reminiscing and tributes to the Clarendon department.

Chief Robertson said eight men had led the fire department since its organization by the city in 1906. W.C. Stewart was first and was followed by James Trent, who served until 1946. Carl Bennett served until 1957 and was followed by B.L. “Mutt” Graham until 1963. Basil Smith served two years, and then Billy Jack Land led the department from 1965 to 1977. Jerry Gage served three years and was succeeded by Robertson in 1980.

Former chief Billy Jack Land lauded the department and its men and urged the community to keep the support going, and former chief Jerry Gage recalled a time he and fellow fireman Bob Kidd were called on to take a truck to a fire in Brice. But the old Ford leaked so bad that by the time they got, there all the water was gone.

“There have been a lot of sad, funny, and trying things that have happened,” Gage said, “but there has always been a lot of citizen support.”

County Judge Jack Hall congratulated the department on its centennial and praised the men for putting their lives on the line to protect Donley County, and Mayor Mark White pledged ongoing municipal support for the department.

“We can never appreciate them enough,” White said. “We will continue to support them and hope you will all do the same.”

Chief Robertson presented centennial caps to visiting dignitaries and centennial patches to his department. The Firebelles were individually recognized, and certificates of appreciation were presented to the Howardwick and Hedley fire departments.

The recognition of the department continued Tuesday as it joined the parade of the Saints’ Roost Celebration, and then later that afternoon it was back to business as Clarendon’s firemen suited up to protect our lives and property as they battled several lightning-sparked grassfires.