Archives for May 2008

Delbert Robertson was given the honor of this year’s Firefighter of the Year at the 117th Annual Panhandle Firemen’s and Fire Marshals’ Association Convention recently.

Delbert is the owner of Robertson Funeral Directors in Clarendon. He is a certified firefighter through the State Firemen’s and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas and has served as Clarendon’s Fire Chief since 1980.

He has been a member of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department since August 1953.

Pictured with Delbert is Randy Finsterwald, Past President of the Panhandle Firemen’s & Fire Marshals’ Association, who presented the prestige award.

Residents of Donley County paid their respects to more than 700 veterans buried in Rowe and Citizens Cemeteries during Memorial Day ceremonies Monday morning.

Hedley’s Adamson-Lane Post of the American Legion held the first service in the Rowe Cemetery, where 212 fighting men are buried.

Dick Bode of Alanreed gave the keynote address and recounted his experience as a young boy in German-occupied Holland during World War II.

“We lost our freedom as the Germans took over all phases of our lives,” Bode recalled.

His father was the president of an insurance company and had been well to do before the occupation, but the Bode family was reduced to barely surviving and even reached the point where they ate tulip bulbs for sustenance.

And yet as hard as life was for the Bodes, it was harder for other people – particularly Jews and those who crossed the Nazis.

Bode’s family took in a Jewish couple and hid them for the duration of the war.

Bode even witnessed the execution of a group of people by German soldiers, who lined them up against a church wall and shot them.

But Bode then praised the Allied forces who liberated his homeland and brought renewed optimism and warmth to his country.

After the war, Bode’s family visited California for six months, returned to Holland, and then went through a two-year waiting period before moving to America. He later joined the United States Air Force to serve his adopted country.

“I am an American by choice!” Bode exclaimed. “This is my country, and I love this land!”

The Legion’s service was closed with the roll call of the veterans buried in Rowe Cemetery.

The Donley County Memorial Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars held a separate service at the War Memorial on the Courthouse Square.

Speaker and County Commissioner Donnie Hall recalled the history of Memorial Day and called on Americans to uphold their obligations to the nation’s veterans. He said he hoped those in attendance would leave with a renewed sense of patriotism.

Post Commander George Hall said more than 500 graves in Citizens Cemetery were marked with flags. Some of those flags need to be replaced, and anyone wishing to contribute is asked to call him.

The third annual “Trash To Treasures” garage sale event is slated for Saturday, June 14; and the deadline to sign up is next week.

The Clarendon Enterprise and A Fine Feathered Nest, Inc., originated the event to coincide with Father’s Day weekend.

“This event exceeded our expectations the first two years, and we’re hoping it will be equally successful this year,” said publisher Roger Estlack. “People realize that it makes sense to have these garage sales on the same day to draw a bigger crowd.”

Residents who wish to participate in this year’s “Trash To Treasures” are asked to come by the Enterprise before 5 p.m. on Friday, June 6, to sign up for the promotion.

For just $20, each household will get 50-word advertisement in the Big-E Classifieds and the exclusive “Trash To Treasures” garage sale kit, which includes tips for holding a successful sale, price stickers, and two yard signs.

In addition, the Enterprise will print a city map the week of the event indicating the location of each sale and will promote the citywide garage sale in area newspapers and with local radio ads.

“Trash To Treasures” is intended to not only help residents earn more money at their garage and yard sales but also bring people from out of town to Clarendon to spend the day visiting our neighborhoods and patronizing our local merchants and restaurants.

For more information or to sign up for Trash To Treasures, call 874-2259 or come by the office at 105 S. Kearney.

COLLEGE STATION – Texas agricultural production for 2007 was a record $21.8 billion due to higher crop and livestock prices, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service report.

Add another $20.8 billion worth of purchased items, such as tires, fuel and other agribusiness supplies used to produce a crop, and the total economic impact to rural Texas tops $42.6 billion, said Dr. Carl Anderson, professor emeritus and AgriLife Extension economist.

“The economic impact to these rural communities is quite substantial, and even more so when you look at how much of an economic driver agriculture overall is to the state of Texas”

The 2007 production mark topped the $16.9 billion recorded during the drought of 2006 and $18.4 billion recorded in 2005, Anderson said.

“Higher crop prices and strong livestock prices have contributed to a substantial increase in economic activities across the rural areas of Texas,” Anderson said.

Increased demand for grain used in ethanol production pushed grain prices “up to the highest level in memory,” Anderson said.

Crop values in 2007 totaled $10 billion – an increase of more than 50 percent from 2006, according to the annual AgriLife Extension survey of estimated agricultural production values for Texas counties.

“Crop yields, forage production, and grazing conditions were excellent in 2007,” Anderson said. “Corn, grain sorghum, wheat, and hay prices were up sharply, with cotton moderately higher.”

The following are major crop values and those recording gains in excess of 100 percent for 2007:  Wheat, $779 million – more than double in 2006; Corn, $1.1 billion; Sorghum, $818 billion; and Hay production, $1.2 billion.

Values by commodity groups for 2007: Food grains totaled $889 million (an 87 percent increase);  Feed crops totaled $3.3 billion (135 percent increase); All cotton (dryland, irrigated), $2.8 billion (a 51 percent increase); Oil crops totaled $206 million (59 percent gain); Vegetable crops totaled $397 million (a 6 percent increase); Fruits and nuts totaled $183 million (14 percent increase); Miscellaneous crops, $2.2 billion (11 percent increase); and Nursery crops, $1.9 billion.

Meanwhile, livestock values increased 14 percent to $10 billion, matching 2007 crop values, Anderson said.

“The largest increase was 54 percent for $1.2 billion in milk sales,” he said.

Poultry values rose 12 percent to $1.2 billion, while beef cattle totaled $7.1 billion (11 percent increase), according to the report.

Other meat animals (hogs, goats, sheep and other animals) rose to $375 million (2 percent increase), and livestock products of honey, mohair and wool declined 7 percent to $12.2 million.

Ag related activities (aquaculture, fishing, furs and pelts, horses, hunting leases, outdoor land-based recreation, timber, Christmas trees, and miscellaneous activities) advanced only 4 percent to $1.9 billion. Timber accounted for about 42 percent, hunting about 26 percent, horses around 18 percent, and other ag related about 14 percent.

Rural land as an investment continues to be a growing trend, Anderson said.

“Uses include weekend retreats, rural residences and outdoor recreation, and part-time agricultural operations continue to be things we are seeing across the state,” he said.

According to the first quarter 2008 survey of agricultural conditions by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, dryland crop values increased 20 percent from 2007 and irrigated land rose 15 percent, and ranchland rose 11 percent, Anderson said.

“With increasing demand for food and fiber worldwide, agriculture is destined to play an even greater role in the future,” Anderson said.

“A large area of productive soils and excellent export and transportation facilities favor farming and ranching operations.”

Wildlife management used to improve hunting income continued to expand over most rural areas of Texas.

“Land with quail, dove, turkey, pheasant, waterfowl, deer, wild hogs, and nature trails for bird watching is in strong demand from non-farm owners,” Anderson said.

Many ranchers have reduced or removed cows in favor of increasing the amount and quality of wildlife, he said.

Clarendon High School has named this year’s honor students – Paul Goetze and Billy Aaron.

The 2008 Valedictorian is Paul Goetze, son of Larry and Lyndal Goetze.  He has a GPA of 99.24.  He has been in Junior Historians for four years and qualified for national competition in the National History Day competition three times.  He has served as the group’s reporter, treasurer, and vice president.

As a member of the Donley County 4-H, Goetze placed 1st at State Roundup in Agronomy and 2nd in Farm and Ranch Economics.  He also won Best of Show in the photography show at the Tri State Fair. Goetze exhibited a Grand Champion Heifer at the Donley County Junior Livestock Show.  He has also won the I Dare You Award and the Gold Star Award while serving as vice president and parliamentarian of the Donley County 4-H.

Goetze has participated in FFA for four years and served as the sentinel, vice president, and president.  He served as the Greenbelt FFA District Secretary this year.  He advanced to Area in Radio and Prepared Speaking.

Goetze was a member of the Bronco Band for four years. He has qualified for State Solo and Ensemble contest.  He also participated in the Science Bowl and served as a team captain.  He has qualified for state in Current Issues and Events.

He is also an active member of the youth group at the Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Amarillo and has taken part in community service projects through his church.

Goetze plans on attending Texas A&M University to study animal science.

This year’s Salutatorian is Billy Aaron, the son of Johnny and Anita Aaron.  His GPA is 94.21.

Aaron was a member of the Bronco Band for four years and participated in the solo and ensemble contest for three years.  He was a member of the Student Council for four years and served as vice-president for one year.

Aaron helped produce the Bronco Annual for three years and served as editor for two years.  Aaron also participated in UIL Academics in science, extemporaneous speaking, poetry, number sense, and computer science where he was a regional qualifier.  He participated in OAP and received the Bill Pritchard Thespian of the Year Award.  In addition, he was a member of the Spanish Club and participated as a member of the CHS Science Bowl Team.

Aaron has received the NASA Aerospace Scholar Award, participated in 4-Hm and studied martial arts.  He is an active member of the First United Methodist Youth Group and plays in the Methodist band.

Aaron plans on attending Texas Tech University, where he will begin his studies in pre-med.

Clarendon High School’s commencement will be held next Friday evening in the Harned Sisters Fine Arts Center at Clarendon College.

The Donley County Hospital Board is giving the potential buyer of the Medical Center Nursing Home until June 3 to sign a new contract with new terms.

The board approved the new deadline during a called session last Thursday and reaffirmed it Tuesday night at their regular meeting.

The sale should have closed April 1 with Community Care Management Services of Denton under the name of Clarendon Realty, LTD, buying MCNH for $1.25 million. But legal questions arose over the proposed refund of $190,000 to the buyer for use as operating money.

This week the board agreed to a sale price $1,108,500 and agreed to pay the buyer $108,500 for management services from December 1, 2007, to July 1, 2008.

Board Chairman Alan Fletcher said Thursday he believed the district needed to resume full control of MCNH until the contract was approved. He appointed new board member and former district administrator Vicky Robertson to be the board’s liaison with MCNH’s new administrator, Billy Ray Johnston.

Robertson will work with Johnston as this district begins planning for its new budget. The hospital district’s fiscal year ends June 30, and the board wants the sale of the nursing home finalized by July 1.

Also on Tuesday night, the board approved a proposal from Blue Cross Blue Shield to provide health insurance for the employees of the Associated Ambulance Authority.

Clarendon Aldermen are considering a teen curfew following a discussion with Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn at last Tuesday’s regular city meeting.

The sheriff presented the board with a copy of an ordinance from Childress for their consideration, which sets curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weeknights and 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. on weekends.

“Last year I would have said that we didn’t need this,” Blackburn said; “but after spring break, I can tell you that we have parents who don’t care where their eight- and ten-year-old kids are at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning.”

Under the Childress ordinance, a teenager 14 or older would be subject to a ticket for being out past curfew. Parents would get the ticket for teens under the age of 14.

Blackburn said his office would give one warning, and he said exceptions could be made for kids going home from school or church events. He also said he wanted to work with the Sandell Drive-In and not hurt their business during the summer.

Alderman Chris Ford suggested that if parents want their kids to see a double feature in the summer, they should take them themselves.

The maximum fine under the proposed ordinance would be $500.

The board tabled the issue and will consider it at its next meeting.

In other city business, aldermen agreed to spend $2,000 from the Motel Bed Tax Fund to promote the Saints’ Roost Blowout Rodeo this September 6.

The board voted to sell the old merry-go-round from the City Park to Shirley Osburn for one dollar.

A motion was approved to amend Ordinance 338, setting the minimum charge at the city’s convenience center at $5 and allowing the gatekeeper to adjust the charge for oversized loads.

Aldermen voted to enact the city’s Dangerous Structure Ordinance regarding a house at 719 W. Sixth and called for a public hearing to be held on May 27.

The board also canvassed the returns of the May 10 election, and Mayor Mark White issued the oath of office to returning Alderman Ford and new Alderman Kyle Davis.

White presented former alderman Janice Knorpp with a plaque with a key to the city and thanked her for her six years of service to Clarendon.

Local and state officials gathered at Clarendon College Monday morning to launch the seventh annual Click It or Ticket campaign, which promotes the use of safety belts and child car restraints.

CC instructor Melissa McCoy delivered the most poignant remarks from the dais, saying of buckling your seatbelt, “It’s not just a habit; it’s survival.”

McCoy’s Honda Pilot SUV went off US 287 about 15 miles east of Claude on December 5 of last year. The vehicle jumped a creek, flipped forward on its nose, rolled several times, and came to rest on its top. She had to be extracted with the Jaws of Life and then spent many days in the hospital in a long and uncertain recovery.

“It’s an honor to be here… literally,” she began Monday. “I would not be here if it weren’t for my seatbelt. Without that seatbelt I wouldn’t just be dead. I’d be what my family calls ‘messy dead’ – the kind of dead they can’t use photos to identify you.”

As it was, she suffered numerous injuries – including injuries to both sides of her brain – and had to have her spleen removed “without my permission because I wasn’t awake to say it was okay,” she said.

McCoy says she’s grateful for the chance at life her seatbelt gave her.

“I have two kids. I’m not done yet. I’m not ready to leave.”

The Click It or Ticket campaign features enhanced publicity coupled with stepped-up law enforcement from May 19 to June 1 with special attention to the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

State law requires drivers, front seat passengers and children under 17, whether in the front or back seat, to be buckled up. Safety seats must also be used for children under the age of five and less than 36 inches tall.

Failure to comply with the law can result in fines from $25 up to $200, and the tickets can even be written to passengers over the age of 15.

Department of Public Safety Trooper Dan Hawthorne said the typical ticket for a seatbelt violation is between $150 and $200, and he said this campaign is particularly important in the Panhandle where rollovers account for 60 percent of traffic accidents.

Each speaker Monday added a personal touch to the Click It campaign – from CC President Bill Auvenshine, whose granddaughter recently admonished him to buckle up, to Texas Transportation Commissioner Fred Underwood, whose daughter unbuckled her seatbelt one half mile from her destination in Lubbock and now has a titanium plate in her face and no sensation on one side of her body after her vehicle was hit from the side and rolled 135 yards, smashing her head into the pavement repeatedly and breaking her hips open.

Her passenger, who remained buckled up, had a sore shoulder.

Dr. John Howard of the Clarendon Family Medical Center also added personal experience to the campaign. As a naval flight surgeon he learned the importance of buckling up.

“You don’t fly an F-15 without strapping in,” Howard said. “There is value to being strapped to your seat when you’re inverted.”

Last year, Howard’s son was driving to Pampa when wind blew his pickup off the road and rolled it several times. All four occupants were buckled up, and all four walked away even though the pickup was totaled.

The Texas Department of Transportation says safety belt usage has risen from 76 percent in 2002 to more than 92 percent today.

However passengers are less likely to buckle up, particularly in pickup trucks, even though survival rates are significantly higher for people who use seat belts.

State Rep. Warren Chisum encouraged people to buckle up and said a one percent increase in the seat belt usage rate would mean 25 people wouldn’t lose their lives on Texas highways.