Archives for August 2011

Greenbelt Water Authority officially remains in Stage Three of its drought contingency plan as of Wednesday, August 3, and Clarendon and Hedley both have mandatory Stage Three restrictions in place.

The depth of Greenbelt Lake was recorded as 47.97 feet Tuesday morning, August 2, which is 0.03feet below the trigger for the next drought level. Stage Four will not begin until the water authority gives public notice in newspapers of its member cities, and Greenbelt General Manger Bobbie Kidd said that might happen in a week or two.

Restrictions implemented by Greenbelt member cities are having an effect, Kidd said.

“Childress is using about 1.5 million gallons a day,
and they were using about 2 million gallons,” Kidd said. “Clarendon is doing really good. They used 376,000 gallons on Monday, and in June they had some days that were 500,000 to 600,000 gallons. Hedley has cut back good, too.”

Kidd said the authority will assess the situation very carefully before declaring Stage Four and asking cities to do more to reduce water consumption.

The lake continues to suffer from a lack of rain and temperatures that persist in the triple digits.

Clarendon’s Cooperative Observer for the National Weather Service, Tommie Saye, says the city had 28 days in July that were 100°F or higher. The city has received 1.72 inches of rain since January 1.

Clarendon’s Rules
The Clarendon Board of Aldermen voted 2-1 last Tuesday, July 26, to adopt a new Drought Contingency Plan and establishes a maximum penalty of $500 for violating water restrictions in Stages Three or Four of the plan. The new rules also call for water service to discontinued if a person is found to have violated the restrictions three or more times, and the reconnection fee will be $1,000. Aldermen Ann Huey and Tommy Hill voted for the guidelines, and Alderman Terry Noble voted against the measure.
Clarendon’s restrictions for Stage Three, which became mandatory as of this Wednesday, August 3, are as follows:
1. Limit outside watering to twice-a-week, and then before 10:00 am and after 7:00 pm. Residential customers with odd-numbered street addresses water on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Residential customers with even-numbered street addresses water on Thursdays and Sundays. Commercial customers water on Tuesdays and Fridays.
2. Limit washing of motor vehicles, motorbikes, boats, and other vehicles at home to before 10:00 am or after 7:00 pm on your designated watering day, and then use a bucket and/or a hand-held hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle. Commercial car washes are excepted.
3. Avoid filling swimming pools except during the above watering hours.
4. Avoid operating ornamental fountains unless necessary to support aquatic life or if equipped with a recirculation system.
5. Do not water-wash driveways, sidewalks, and other hard-surfaced areas. Do not wash down buildings or structures except for immediate fire protection.
6. Repair all leaks as soon as possible, and report any leaks or unauthorized usage to City Hall. Night and weekend emergency leaks should be reported to the Donley County Sheriff’s Office at 806.874.3533.
The entire text of Clarendon’s new Drought Contingency Plan will be made available this week on ClarendonLive.com

Hedley’s Rules
The Hedley Board of Aldermen will meet Thursday night, August 4, to discuss possible changes to that city’s regulations. Current Stage Three mandatory restrictions in Hedley are:
1. Outside watering utilizing sprinklers or irrigation systems will only be allowed on Monday and Thursday, However, no watering will be allowed between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Hand watering only will be allowed on Sundays.
2. No washing of vehicles, boats, RV’s or driveways is allowed.
3. Customers with livestock tubs must maintain the float systems in good repair to alleviate any overflow.
4. Swimming pools must be maintained to reduce evaporation and water loss due to flushing.
5. All commercial and other known high water users are asked to reduce usage and prevent waste.
6. Watch for leaks and notify personnel at Hedley City Hall immediately if one is found.
7. Violators will be given one verbal warning. After the warning has been given a fine of $50 will be charged to your water bill every

All citizens are urged to comply with their municipality’s guidelines and even rural residents and those with private wells should exercise all possible conservation measures while the current conditions persist. And above all, pray for rain.

The Clarendon Enterprise received three first place honors in the West Texas Press Association’s 2010 Better Newspaper Contest last Saturday, July 30.

Results of the contest were announced during the WTPA’s 81st annual convention in Granbury.

The Enterprise won first place in Photography with a photo by Kari Lindsey of a local boy riding a donkey at last year’s July Fourth rodeo and with a photo of a lightning bolt by Anndria Newhouse. Judges at Tarleton State University called the donkey ride picture an “excellent action shot” which captured the rider’s expression. The lightning strike was called “unique” and described as “not usually seen by most people.”
Newhouse’s lightning photo also captured first place awards at the Panhandle Press and Texas Press contests earlier this year.

Roger Estlack received first place for Editorial Writing with articles on the topics of citizen participation in local government and the community teamwork needed to bring back the Mulkey Theatre.
The Enterprise’s 2010 pioneer edition of The Donley County Leader, featuring events surrounding the 1910 hanging of G.R. Miller also received a first place award.

Enterprise ads by Julie Shields for Cornell’s Country Store were recognized with a second place finish.
The Enterprise competed in Division D for small weeklies. The Albany News was recognized as the top paper in that division for the second year in a row, beating the Enterprise by 25 points.

Attending the convention and accepting the awards on the Enterprise’s behalf were Roger and Ashlee Estlack.

Neglecting your pets or livestock can cost you big and possibly land you in jail, and county and city officials are trying to combat what seems to be a rising problem of cruelty to animals.

Donley County Attorney Landon Lambert blames the ongoing drought and bad economic conditions for people not taking care of their animals properly.

“In the last two to three weeks, I’ve had two cases come in – one with a horse and another with a dog,” Lambert said. “We’re going to prosecute these cases, but we also want to set up alternatives so this doesn’t happen.”

Clarendon City Hall and the county attorney’s office are trying to raise awareness to prevent animals from being neglected and also want to offer solutions to citizens who may be simply unable to afford to care for their pets.

City Administrator Lambert Little said his office is working on a possible incentive to have people spay or neuter their pets but the measure will have to go before the Board of Aldermen.

“Right now the only thing we can do is euthanize,” Little said.

The county attorney and city administrator encourage people who aren’t able to take care of their animals to find new homes for them through services in Amarillo.

“If it’s livestock they should sell the animals or contact family members to take them,” Lambert said. “The Humane Society out of Amarillo will take horses, but I prefer placement with family as a first choice.”

Both city and county officials encourage people to contact the Amarillo SPCA at 806-622-0555 or to contact the Animal Rescue Shelter, Inc., in Amarillo, which is specifically a “no kill” shelter, at 806-622-1082.

Lambert says animal cruelty is a Class A Misdemeanor that carries a maximum fine of $4,000, up to a year in jail, and restitution for expenses incurred in rescuing the animal.

The county attorney said a Clarendon man was recently fined $1,000 and put on probation for two years for charges of Animal Cruelty. Brandon Goodwin was arrested in May after city and county personnel were dispatched to his home on Carhart Street where they found a small female dog hanging dead from a fence. Officials said two other dogs had no food or water and were covered with ticks, and one was so tangled around a post that it only had about two feet of moving area.

“When my guys come into City Hall with tears in their eyes, you know it’s bad,” Little said.

City Hall says dogs are not permitted to be chained up unless someone is there to watch them, and they must have 150 square feet of playing space per animal. City rules also state that pets cannot run at large in the city, must have a rabies shot tag issued by the city, and must be provided food, water, and shelter. Pets picked up by the city have ten days of adoption time before getting euthanized