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Archives for August 2011
Broncos begin season at New Deal
Last year, the Lions defeated the Broncos in a very close matchup. This year they are looking for revenge. Hard at it since the first of August, the Broncos are ready to go and eager to get the season going.
On Thursday, the Broncos scrimmaged against a strong West Texas High team and walked away encouraged by their play.
“We did well against them,” head football coach Gary Jack said. “We are pretty big this year, but they were even bigger than us. But our guys did a good job. It was a tremendously different scrimmage from Nazareth, and it was a good battle up front. It was definitely a war in the trenches.”
According to Jack, the Broncos scored six times, while WT only took it across the line three times.
“It just went really well,” Jack said. “We made some mistakes and that will happen. But we also were able to see some more things we need to work on. We are just trying to get better every week.”
The Broncos will travel to New Deal Friday, August 26, to take on the Lions at 7:30 p.m.
“They are a pretty big team as well,” Jack said. “They are extremely tough, and we will have our hands full, but we are ready.”
Citizens want alcohol sales in Hedley
A group of Hedley citizens want to legalize the sale of alcoholic beverages in that city as a way to bring more business to town.
Tonja Ruthardt, owner of Uncle Bob’s convenience store, published notice of her application for a local option petition in this week’s Enterprise and plans to circulate a petition this week calling for the legalized sale of alcoholic beverages and mixed drinks in Hedley.
The application has been signed by Ruthardt and nine other Hedley citizens.
“I know some people are against it, and I don’t mean any disrespect or want to cause any hurt feelings,” Ruthardt said, “but our town needs the money and I need the business.”
If the petition and later election are successful, Ruthardt said she wants to sell beer and possibly wine in her store to keep more business in Hedley.
“People are going to drink,” she said. “Now they are going to Estelline or Howardwick. Why not have it here?”
Hedley Mayor Dusty Wilkinson says he has mixed feelings on the issue but he looks at it from a revenue standpoint.
“We’re losing a lot of money now,” Wilkinson said. “We’re down 20 percent in our water revenue with the current drought restrictions, and it’s only going to get worse.”
The latest figures from State Comptroller Susan Combs also show Hedley is losing sales tax revenue, seeing its August allocation drop more than 15 percent and being down more than 13 percent for the calendar year-to-date.
“The city could use the money from alcohol sales,” the mayor said. “We’re trying not to raise utilities or taxes. We’ve got a big portion of people here on fixed incomes and Social Security. A small increase in utilities could mean a meal for them.”
Ruthardt says 35 percent of the people in Hedley who voted in the last governor’s election must sign the petition in order to call an election, and she believes she will have no trouble gathering the signatures.
New exhibit
Owls to scrimmage Silverton Friday
City considers private wells
The Clarendon Board of Aldermen took no action on the topic of restricting private water wells inside the city limits when they met last Tuesday, August 9.
About a dozen citizens were in attendance after word spread about the agenda item, which City Administrator Lambert Little said was not intended to be taken as a ban on water wells.
“I didn’t mean to cause this much consternation,” Little told the board, noting that he really had three concerns about water wells.
Safety was the administrator’s first concern. He said the city needed to be sure that there was no cross connections between private wells and the public water system. His second concern was the city’s ability to pay its responsibilities to Greenbelt Water Authority if everyone in town went to private wells. And he said infrastructure was his third concern, expressing his thoughts that everyone should pay at least a minimum water charge to the city for infrastructure and fire protection.
The board generally agreed with the first point that private wells did not need to be cross connected with the city water system, but Alderman Tommy Hill seemed to speak for the majority of the board in thinking that the second point would never be an issue.
“There are probably only five to ten people that can realistically afford to drill a well; and if the loss of five or ten accounts is a big deal to the city, then we have bigger financial problems,” Hill said.
Little asked the board if the city could at least explore permits or some method to keep up with wells, but board members including Hill said they believed the groundwater district already has rules for that.
In other water related news, the board approved a resolution stating the city’s intent to supply the volunteer fire department with adequate water for fire protection regardless of water restrictions or allotments in the drought contingency plan.
Aldermen also discussed bulk water sales prices. Little said he felt it was unfair to ask citizens to reduce their water usage but continue to sell bulk water for $4 per 1,000 gallons. Aldermen approved a motion to increase the price of bulk water to $10 per 1,000 gallons.
And in other business, the board approved contributing $3,500 to the Les Beaux Arts Festival from the city’s Motel Bed Tax Fund.
Broncos blast off against the Swifts
They put their skills to the test at Nazareth and walked away with good results from their effort.
According to head coach Gary Jack, the Broncos did a good job in the scrimmage and they gained a lot of insight as to what they still need to work on.
“We did a good job against Nazareth,” Jack said. “Our first team guys dominated on the field, and we scored six or seven times to none for them. We saw a lot of what we needed to see that gives us things to work on.”
Jack said their numbers are down from last year and will not be able to support a junior varsity squad.
“We have a small freshman class coming in, and the sophomore class is fairly small, too,” Jack said. “We have a couple of players injured, and that hurts us. We don’t have the depth we had last year.”
But Jack is quick to say that the guys are working hard and is optimistic about the season.
“We’re doing well,” Jack said. “We just need to stay away from the injury bug.”
The Broncos will have one more scrimmage before the regular season begins.
They will take on West Texas High at Bronco Stadium on Thursday, August 18, at 5:00 p.m. The Broncos’ first game of the season will be August 26 at New Deal at 7:30 p.m.
County proposes $2 million budget
Donley County Commissioners will seek a slight increase in property taxes to support their proposed $2 million budget for fiscal year 2012, according to documents on file in the County Clerk’s office.
The budget, which grows about 3.7 percent this year, requires a total tax rate of $0.573253 per $100 valuation, which is up from $0.557117 last year. The proposed rate would impose taxes of $286.63 on a $50,000 home compared to $277.56 under the current tax rate.
Information from the Donley Appraisal District reveals that the average taxable value of a residence homestead in Donley County last year was $31,055 compared to $32,105 this year.
The budget includes raises for county employees of about three percent and forecasts spending more than five percent higher health insurance premiums for employees.
Notable savings in the proposed budget include $10,546.82 less for the local Department of Public Safety office. The county previously paid the salary for a part time clerical position there, but the state is now paying that salary as a fulltime position. The county will still provide $1,320 for telephone and Internet services in that office.
One unusual expense in the proposed budget is a line item of $30,000 that is being set aside for the trial of accused child killer Robert Babcock.
The county expects to collect about $808,551.89 from ad valorem taxes, which is up from $744,159.33 in last year’s budget.
Donley County Commissioners will hold hearings on the tax rate at 9 a.m. on September 6 and September 9.
A budget hearing will be held at 9 a.m. on September 12, and both the tax rate and the budget will be voted on by commissioners that day. The proposed county budget is available for public inspection at www.co.donley.tx.us.
‘Blessed are the Poor’
Her giddiness, despite the hardships in her life, makes her an inspiration.
“She was so happy, and that’s something you cannot teach a child her age,” Laura said. “That’s how all the children were. They were so happy and had nothing but precious smiles.”
Moments such as this one occurred frequently on the Community Fellowship Church’s mission trip to Ethiopia on July 7-21. Team members included Ronny, Laura and Lauren Wilson, Brandon and Jill Frausto, Michael and Emily Keough, Jaclyn and Linda Benson. All eight agree that the trip changed their lives.
“God called us to serve these people for a special reason,” Ronny said. “This was a group of people that we have to take under our wing and help. They have so little, and our little helps them so much. You can’t imagine the blessings that were showered upon us.”
Before attending the trip, the team fasted in order to prepare themselves mentally and physically for their upcoming adventure.
“We chose to do a Daniel fast, which only allowed us to eat fruits and vegetables with no sugar, meat, dairy, or anything processed for 40 days,” Jill said.
During their stay, they served mostly at orphanages and schools, reaching out to people of all ages.
“We brought suitcases and supplies with clothes, school supplies, money, and toys,” Jill said. “We went and fed the street people, visited the Sisters of Charity with over 800 mentally ill, orphans, young girls who had babies or sick people. They slept everywhere, with two or three to a bed. It was absolutely crazy. We talked to the kids, did crafts with them, taught them songs, did plays, and mainly just loved on them.”
The team will go down in history for their selfless service. Literally.
“The Gafat people were so blessed by us coming that they believe that we are the answer to 700 years of praying and actually wrote us down in their history,” Emily said. “It’s really humbling.”
The team members were also served by those they were serving. Each of them have a positive testimony of their time with the Ethiopians.
“The one village that had nothing asked us for nothing,” Jill said. “They wanted to bless us and give us everything. The Ethiopians have absolutely nothing, and they’re happy. They know that their duty is to serve God, and that’s all they have to live for. They don’t live for things. Here in America we take everything for granted. We can have everything and still not be happy. They would give you anything just for speaking to them.”
Brandon and Jill will continue to financially support one woman who touched their lives.
“At one point we were swarmed by little kids trying to sell us little chips,” Jill said. “A little angel dressed in red came up and saved us. Her name is Ester, and she is an amazing woman of God. She spoke English but not that well. She ended up staying with us throughout our orientation meeting and as the night went on, she told through an interpreter that it was late and she needed to go but she just couldn’t leave.
She just felt that God was there with us, and she wanted to stay the night with us, so she did. She wants to become a missionary and Brandon, and I want to help her out with that.”
Michael and Emily said they are blown away by the poverty in Ethiopia, and are currently sponsoring a child there.
“She is a beautiful little girl,” Michael said. “We gave her a doll that opens and shuts its eyes, and you would’ve thought we gave her gold the way she was with it. It broke our hearts to see this poverty, and we know that we can help.”
Brandon and Jill said that they will continue to serve in third world countries and touch others’ lives, as well as their own. To help support the missionary work, contact the Community Fellowship Church at 874-0963.
“We have a hope for the Ethiopians, that they can be able to live and not stress about all the things they have to worry about, like where their next meal is coming from,” Jill said. “There is still a lot of work to be done. This has changed our lives, and we will continue to take a stand and help out so we can make a difference in their lives.”
Museum to hold Open House this Sunday
By Fredie Jo Moreman
What’s happening at the Saints’ Roost Museum? There are several things – like moving some displays and adding new ones.
An Open House will showcase new displays this Sunday, August 14, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., and the Museum Board extends an invitation for everyone to come.
The Saints’ Roost Museum Board of Directors is delighted to have received an impressive operational miniature train display. The trains are displayed in the 1887 Ft. Worth & Denver Railroad Depot at the Museum. This generous gift was given by Mr. and Mrs. Sherman Harriman of Amarillo. Mr. Harriman has had his miniature trains as an on-going project for more than half a century. The Museum Board feels very honored to be the recipient of such a generous gift. You can view how the trains operate during the Open House, and you may also meet Mr. and Mrs. Harriman at that time.
The Museum has also received this past week a beautiful photograph taken by Sandy Skelton of Clarendon. He is also a Museum Board member, and the photograph was taken near Goodnight and shows the beauty of our sunrises in the Texas Panhandle. This photograph is a must see.
Earlier this year, the Museum received a gift of arrowheads and flint from the estate of Clayton Ferris. These items were collected in Donley County, and they are on display in the Indian Room.
In the near future the Museum will have another interesting display for you to come and see.
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