Archives for October 2009

Art lovers are invited to attend the Clarendon Arts Festival this Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25, at the Clarendon College Bairfield Activity Center.
Hosted by Les Beaux Arts Club, the festival will be open to the public and free of charge and will feature about 200 pieces of art.

A Fine Arts Day is being offered on Friday for area public schools, private schools and home school students; and that day is also a sneak peek day for the general public. Friday will have musical performances at the Bairfield Activity Center, and performances are also scheduled throughout the day at the Harned Sisters Fine Arts Center, featuring the Amarillo College Concert Choir at 10 a.m, the Amarillo Symphony at 11 a.m., the Lone Star Ballet at noon and 2 p.m., and the Amarillo Opera at 1 p.m.

The actual festival will be open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
The club was formed in 1927 and is hosting the festival in order to provide an avenue through which persons of all ages and cultures can experience the study and cultivation of an appreciation of the arts.

This project is made possible in part by City of Clarendon, Clarendon Economic Development Corporation, Clarendon Family Medical, and Clarendon College.

For more information, contact Arts Committee Chairwoman Chriss Clifford at 806.874.1767 or by email: chrissclifford@yahoo.com.

A $2.1 million project will resurface and improve drainage on US 287 through Clarendon next year, according to city and state officials.

City Administrator John Webb announced the project during last week’s Board of Aldermen meeting, noting the project will help alleviate flooding on East US 287 near the Calvary Baptist Church.

“My understanding is that there will be drainage inlets placed at several intersections to take that water under the highway,” Webb told the Enterprise this week.
The only cost to the city will be about $5,000 to move a water line serving three customers, Webb said.

“I think that’s pretty good for the city – a $2 million project for $5,000,” Webb said.

Texas Department of Transportation engineer Marty Smith said the project initially began as just a resurfacing of the highway through the city but at a meeting TxDOT’s Donley County Maintenance Supervisor Fu Benavidez mentioned drainage problems near the church and also near Lowe’s supermarket.

“We really planned at that point a bigger drainage system, but we had to pare it down after we researched the location of water and sewer lines,” Smith said.
Near the supermarket the project will just add inlets to an existing underground drainage duct, Smith said. The project on the east side of town will be more extensive with a box culvert going under the highway and work needed to carry that water in the natural drainage that leads to Clarendon Lake.

“It won’t be the perfect system, and there will still be events that will cause water to stand on the highway,” Smith said. “But it should drain off a lot more quickly.”
The project has already been approved by TxDOT officials in Austin and will go to bids in February, Smith said. Work should start in May or June of 2010 and is expected to last four to five months.

Resurfacing the highway should only take about a month, Smith said. That part of the project involves milling up three inches of the surface, putting down a one-inch layer of flexible material, and topping that with two inches of hot mix.

In a separate project, TxDOT also plans to resurface 12 miles of the northbound lanes of US 287 from Clarendon’s west city limit to the Armstrong County line. That project will cost an estimated $2.8 million and will go to bids in January.

Two of three Donley County communities saw their sales tax revenues fall again this month when Texas Comptroller Susan Combs delivered allocations last Friday.

The City of Howardwick’s sales tax revenue plummeted for the second month in a row, dropping 46.47 percent from the same period one year ago. This month’s allocation of $754.72 was far better than the $38.07 the city received last month when its allocation dropped more than 98 percent from the same period in 2008.

Howardwick is now 14.42 percent behind on its year-to-date collections with a total of $10,404.20 compared to $12,158.32 at this point last year.
Hedley’s figures slipped 12.63 percent this month to $250.35, and the year-to-date figure is also down 12.66 percent to $4,930.22.

Clarendon, however, bucked the state and local trend by posting a gain of 8.16 percent for this month with an allocation of $20,094.40. The city is basically even with last year, up less than one percent in its year-to-date figure with a total of $247,242.59.

Statewide Combs said last week the state collected $1.47 billion in sales tax in September, down 12.5 percent compared to a year ago.
The tax figures represent sales that occurred in August.

A groundbreaking ceremony for a new Workforce Center at Clarendon College Pampa Center will be held Thursday, October 15, at 1:30 p.m.

This new center is phase one in a three-phase overall plan and will include two buildings totaling approximately 23,000 square feet. The center will be situated southwest of the M.K. Brown Academic Center on part of the 55 acres recently purchased by the college.

One building will house cosmetology, nail technician, and vocational nursing courses. The second will house facilities for welding, heating and air conditioning, and wind energy classes.

Phases two and three of the college’s plan will add more classrooms, a library, a student center, dorms, and a cafeteria.

“We are excited about the expansion of the Pampa Center,” College President Dr. William Auvenshine said. “Making education available at your home town is very critical and especially in today’s economy where it’s so expensive to go off to a university, we’re bringing education where the people are.”

“This new center will be a testament to the dedication of the staff, the Board of Regents, and the students of the Panhandle both current and future,” Raymond Jaramillo, Vice President of the Clarendon College Pampa Center, said. “These students deserve the best facility that we can provide, and it is our goal to be able to provide the facilities necessary for success.”

Construction on the new buildings will start immediately, and they are scheduled to be open for the spring 2011 semester.

The Clarendon College Pampa Center is located at 1601 Kentucky St. in Pampa.

Due to several confirmed flu cases at each campus of Clarendon ISD, school officials and teachers are encouraging students and parents to take precautions to help maintain health during this flu season.
No significant number of flu cases have been reported from the Hedley school.

Students who start to exhibit flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headaches, coughing, sore throats, body aches and possible vomiting are encouraged to wash their hands frequently, cough into their shoulders and elbows instead of their hands, stay home when they are sick to keep from spreading it, and go to the doctor or remain home in order to lessen spreading and the severity of the illness.

“Getting out around people when you have the flu symptoms is the best way to spread it,” CISD nurse Debbie Thompson said. “The flu is the most contagious right before you break out with a fever or most of the symptoms, but a lot of people don’t realize that they have the flu until they get out and are exposed to people.”
Student absences at school have increased over the past two weeks because of flu illnesses. According to Thompson, the majority of the cases have been from the elementary.

“We’ve run out of the antibacterial gel that was in classrooms last year, so we’re requiring now that when the kids go to the bathroom, they have to use the soap in the restrooms,” Clarendon Elementary principal Mike Word said. “We may even take a couple of breaks during the day to go have students wash their hands to make sure their hands are clean.”

Thompson says it is currently unknown whether the students are suffering from seasonal flu or H1N1 (otherwise known as the “Swine Flu”) without further testing.

State and local health authorities, however, say that a positive influenza test at this point is probable H1N1 because seasonal flu has not been seen and usually doesn’t arrive until late December.

“We don’t need a scare about the H1N1 flu because the H1N1 flu and the seasonal flu pretty much have the same symptoms, and both viruses are treated with the same medication,” Thompson said. “If you are healthy and take care of yourself just as you would with the seasonal flu, then you have no reason to be afraid of H1N1.”
All cases of the flu in CISD have been mild. Students have recovered from the virus and returned to school within 72 hours.

“I see more people this year that are being responsible enough to not get around people when they have the flu,” Thompson said. “That really helps reduce the risk of catching the flu, and it also causes the severity of the virus to be low.”

It’s still not too late to receive flu vaccinations. The Texas Department of State Health Services will be giving flu shots October 15, and although there is a shortage of children’s vaccine in shot form, the nasal mist vaccine will still be available.

“I strongly encourage parents to take their kids to get vaccinated if possible because that is the number one protection against the flu for kids and adults,” Thompson said.

Local health officials are encouraging people to get vaccinated after a dozen probable cases of the H1N1 flu virus were treated in Donley County last week.
“We in Clarendon need to be aware that H1N1 is here and will be spreading,” said Dr. John C. Howard of Clarendon Family Medical Center.

Last week, 12 local patients tested positive for influenza.
“We have not seen any seasonal flu at this point,” Howard said. “If you have a positive test now, it’s probably H1N1.”

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, most of the population has some resistance to the seasonal flu virus, but this is not the case for the new H1N1 virus, which is commonly called the swine flu. State health officials are encouraging people to get vaccinated for both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu.

“We need to realize that H1N1 is out there and making the rounds,” Howard said. “We don’t see seasonal flu until late December.”

H1N1 vaccination is recommended for pregnant women, people who live with or care for infants under six months old, young people between the ages of six months and 24 years, and people aged 25 to 64 with chronic medical problems.

“We’ll be prioritizing who gets the vaccine,” Howard said. “Pregnant women, kids with medical problems, kids without problems, and health care workers will be the first to get the vaccine.”

The H1N1 nasal mist vaccine will be available at Howard’s office within a week or two. This vaccine is a live attenuated (weakened) virus, which is for younger healthy people and is not recommended for anyone under the age of two, anyone who is pregnant, those with weakened immune systems, or people who will be around those with weakened immune systems.
Toward the end of the month, Howard’s office will be getting the injectable inactivated vaccine, which can be given to anyone age six months and older.

“The injectable vaccine is made the same way the seasonal vaccine is, and there is no reason to expect it would cause any more side effects than a regular vaccine,” Howard said.

It is better to get the flu vaccine sooner rather than later because it takes about two weeks for the vaccination to take effect.

For those who do get the flu, some common sense precautions need to be followed. Howard advises people to stay home if they have a fever and not to send kids to school if they have a fever. And if you think you have the flu, get to the doctor.

“If we catch it in the first 48 hours, we can treat it with anti-viral medications,” Howard said. “But a lot of people contract and spread the flu before they come to the doctor.”

To get on the list to receive the flu mist or injectable vaccine, call Clarendon Family Medical Center at 874-3531.

The Texas Department of State Health Services will also be holding flu vaccination clinics, and more information on those will be listed on our website – www.clarendononline.com – as it becomes available.

Without flu shots, dodging the flu between October and May is like trying to keep your hair neat and dry in a typhoon.

That’s because your average flu virus comes in sundry types, subtypes and strains. As your body learns to fight one strain, a new one blows in. To regain the edge against this highly adaptable disease, you and your family need to get all of your recommended flu vaccines.

Unlike the similar but milder common cold, flu is nothing to sneeze at. Up to 40,000 U.S. deaths are linked to seasonal flu each year, most among people over 65.
“Getting a shot is the one best way to prevent flu, which can cause serious, sometimes deadly complications,” said Dr. David Lakey, Commissioner of the Department of State Health Services.

The new H1N1 virus will require its own vaccine. Much of the concern over H1N1 is that its greatest danger is to school-age children, pregnant women and people with chronic conditions.

“Most people recover on their own,” Lakey said. Nevertheless, “[we] still have a population with no natural immunity built up. This flu season will be a challenge.”

Anyone 6 months or older should get the vaccines. You can take them in shot or nasal spray form. For the nasal spray, you have to be healthy, between 2 and 49 years old, and not pregnant. The vaccines usually take effect in about two weeks.

Dr. Lakey also advises some basic practices to guard against cold and flu:

Clean: Wash your hands often. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.

Cover: Cover your cough. Use a tissue to cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Don’t have a tissue? The crook of your elbow will do.

Contain: Contain germs by steering clear of others who are sick. If you do get sick, stay at home until you’re well again, so you don’t spread more germs.
The flu usually gives you a fever, body aches, extreme tiredness and dry cough — it’s more intense than a cold. If you just have a sore throat or runny or stuffy nose, chances are you’re safe to go to school or work.

Stomach symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are more common in children than adults.
The catch is, you might not know you have the flu until after you’ve already spread it to someone else. Adults can infect others a day before they develop symptoms and five days afterward. Children can pass it along for longer than a week.

To find out more, including the latest advice on H1N1 flu, go to www.dshs.state.tx.us.

A two-vehicle accident near Clarendon last week resulted in one citation but no injuries, according to Department of Public Safety Trooper Chad Simpson.

Stephanie Spillers, age 36, of Clarendon was eastbound on US 287 in a 2008 gray Chevy Malibu last Thursday evening, approaching the Clarendon College Livestock & Equine Center entrance. Simpson said Spillers was in the outside lane preparing to turn into the LEC.

Twenty-year-old Bradley Riggs of Memphis approached Spillers from behind in a white Chevy Impala and realized that Spillers was turning. He attempted to steer left to avoid collision but struck Spillers in the left rear corner.

Spillers’ car traveled into the south ditch and then back across the eastbound lanes of US 287 into the center median where it came to rest. Riggs’ vehicle began going sideways, rolled onto its top, and then slid on its top before coming to rest near the south shoulder.
Simpson said both Spillers and Riggs were wearing seatbelts, and neither one was injured. Riggs was issued a citation for failure to control speed.

Responding to this accident were the DPS, the Donley County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Transportation, the Associated Ambulance Authority, and the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department.

Two men were sent to prison last Monday when the District Court met in Clarendon after they violated conditions of probation.

District Attorney Luke Inman, assisted by Assistant District Attorney Greg Buckley, prosecuted the cases for the State of Texas with District Judge Stuart Messer presiding.

Raymond Ballard was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice after pleading true to the allegations listed in the state’s Motion to Adjudicate Guilt of Defendant.

Ballard originally pleaded guilty on July 7, 2008, to the second degree felony of manslaughter and received four years deferred adjudication. Subject to certain conditions of probation, Ballard was required to attend and successfully complete the SAFPF program, which focuses on drug rehabilitation. Ballard was expelled from the program, and the state’s motion was filed shortly thereafter.

Ballard had been arrested last August and charged with manslaughter after Thomas Childress Herman was found dead in his Clarendon apartment last July.

Before that Ballard had been arrested on and charged with possession of forged checks with Herman’s name on them. Ballard was also charged with possessing stolen credit cards not belonging to Herman.

Robert Harris was convicted and sentenced to 16 months in the State Jail Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice after pleading true to the allegations listed in the state’s Motion to Adjudicate Guilt of Defendant.

Harris originally pleaded guilty on April 20, 2009, to the state jail felony offense of burglary of a building and received two years deferred adjudication. Subject to certain conditions of probation, Harris was required to attend and successfully complete the Hidalgo

Community Supervision and Corrections Department Restitution Center. On July 24, 2009, Harris absconded from the facility and a motion was filed shortly thereafter.
After Harris’ plea of true to the allegations, ADA Greg Buckley presented evidence on behalf of the State, and Judge Messer sentenced Harris to 16 months.

Also last week, the court met in Childress on Tuesday and one plea took place.

Childress County Attorney Greg Buckley, prosecuted the case for the State of Texas with the Honorable Judge Jay Mayden presiding.

Kay Teague Madison was placed on probation for a period of two years for the Class A Misdemeanor offense of theft. Madison pleaded guilty to both offenses and was placed on deferred adjudication.

Madison was arrested in Childress County on March 27, 2008, for the theft charge. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Madison is required to pay $1,290.00 restitution to the Childress Index, a $2,000 fine to
Childress County and $290 in court costs, among other conditions of probation. If Madison violates probation, she could face up to one year in the Childress County Jail.