Taking flight
Archives for August 2012
CEDC launches phase one of Mulkey work
A gleaming new face on the Mulkey Theatre should be completed in a few months as the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation takes the first steps in a $123,000 refurbishment of the building’s façade.
The CEDC Board approved soliciting a general contractor for the project after architect Mason Rogers presented his proposal for Phase One of the Mulkey project Monday evening. Proposals from contractors will be reviewed by the board on August 20 with the hopes of completing this phase before the end of the year.
CEDC President Sherol Johnston said she glad to be moving forward with the Mulkey and said the money is on hand to complete this part of the renovations.
The scope of work will include replacing stucco on the façade with a new EFIS material that is flexible and infused with the paint color, which should last at least 50 years. Contractors will also be correcting the pitch of the marquee so that water on the overhang’s roof drains properly, and badly damage stucco work on the underside of the marquee will be replaced.
New aluminum doors will be fabricated to match existing doors that have either been damaged or are difficult to use, and a new electrical service capable of supporting the entire building will be installed. Damaged tiles will be repaired or replaced, and the corrugated accent on the center of the façade will be refinished.
The project also calls for neon or LED lighting to be restored on the underside of the marquee and for new neon or LED tubing to be added in the porthole windows and along the top of the building.
“We’ve got the money for this, but we’ll still need donations to get to the inside,” said CEDC Vice President Bill Stavenhagen. “It will be a million-dollar building when we get through.”
Stavenhagen said prices for construction projects of this type are astounding and that the project will cost more than he had hoped.
“I don’t think anyone on our board thought it would be this much,” he said. “But then we didn’t think we’d spend $50,000 on the new roof either. That cost us more than the building was worth at the time.”
The architect’s estimate for Phase Two of the Mulkey renovation is $899,600 and doesn’t include the price of new seating, but CEDC board members agreed that Phase Two may have to be broken into smaller phases to complete the theatre for its intended new use not only as movie house but also as conference and visitors center. The board is also investigating private foundation grants.
“We’ll just take it one step at a time,” Stavenhagen said. “That’s all we can do.”
The board also took action Monday to approve replacing glass on the Mulkey marquee faces – much of which was damaged by hail – with new translucent acrylic material, and Johnston reported that Ferrol Shelton had volunteered to repair damaged plaster in the former Mulkey barbershop as part of the renovation of that area as a visitor’s center and economic development office.
CC president says new employees will boost college
Clarendon College Regents approved the hiring of six new employees during their July meeting as CC gets ready for its fall session.
The new personnel are expected to bring great individual qualities to CC, President Phil Shirley said.
“I feel like we made great gains in these new hires,” he said. “We’ve strengthened our coaching staff and personnel. These are quality people who fit into our Clarendon College family.”
The new hires are cross country coach Zachary Leggett, baseball coach Devin McIntosh, enrollment services counselor/recruiter Becky Green, vocational nursing instructor Daniel Trejo, women’s basketball coach Brad Vanden-Boogaard, and assistant softball coach / Knorpp Hall director Aljandra Rodriquez. Additionally, the board approved reassigning Kory Dunn to be director of the vocational nursing program and making Kim Layton the cheerleading coach.
Regents Vice-Chair Jerry Woodard, who was presiding, raised the issue of personnel living outside of the college district, and a discussion followed, particularly regarding Athletic Director John Green and new enrollment services counselor Becky Green. The couple is continuing to reside in Borger because they have a daughter in high school there, but the athletic director does reside in and oversee a college dorm.
The board discussed encouraging department heads and senior staff to reside in Clarendon or Donley County as a requirement of their employment, but no action was taken.
“The board prefers employees live in the district,” Shirley said, “but they stopped short of requiring it.”
In other college news, the board set August 16 as the date of its budget workshop. Regents also approved purchasing a new Toyota sedan for the president at a cost of $36,600, and discussed studying the Stanley Automotive property on the east side of Clarendon for use by the college.
The board also approved renewing insurance coverage and workers’ compensation coverage through the Texas Association of School Boards, approved an RFP to purchase athletic insurance, and authorized a letter of engagement for the 2011-2012 audit.
Regents approved a 2012-2013 agreement with K-9 Detection Services.
By Roger Estlack & Fred Gray
Hedley ISD names new superintendent
The Hedley ISD school board named the lone finalist for the vacant superintendent position in a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday night, August 6. Bill Sanders was selected to be the next superintendent, and will take office after a 21-day mandatory waiting period.
Mr. Sanders is currently the principal of Poolville Junior High School, in Poolville, TX. He has been a coach, teacher, and principal in a career lasting 19 years, in districts ranging from A to 5-A. Mr. Sanders also has taught special education in high school.
He has earned a BS in Education from Mary Hardin Baylor University, an M.B.A. from the University of Texas Permian Basin, and a Masters in Education Administration from Tarleton State University.
In other business, the Hedley ISD will just about break even on the budget for the current school year ending at the end of this month.
Next year, the 2012-2013 budget projects a shortfall of $51,423. Hedley ISD does have a reserve account, totaling about $650,000, which can be used to cover the projected budget deficit.
Additionally, Hedley’s student count is dropping with declining enrollments expected to continue into the future. The board discussed strategies to increase student enrollment in the future. The board will announce plans to combat declining enrollment within the next few weeks.
By Fred Gray
Betty Lucille Maxfield
Betty Lucille Maxfield, 73, died Monday, August 6, 2012, in Clarendon, Texas.
Graveside services were held on Wednesday, August 8, 2012, in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon with Don Stone, officiating. Services were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Betty was born on November 20, 1938, in Pampa to Pete and Marie Clark Hopkins. She married Archie Maxfield on July 13, 1977, in Clovis, NM. She was a Certified Nurse’s Aide and also worked as an industrial caterer prior to her retirement. She was great housekeeper, loving wife, mother and grandmother.
She was preceded in death by her father, Pete Hopkins; her step father, John Jones; and a son, Terry Hopkins.
She is survived by her mother, Marie Jones of Clarendon; her husband, Archie Maxfield of Clarendon; a son, Tony Maxfield of Amarillo; 2 daughters, Michelle Grumbles and husband Richard of Bee Caves, and Donna Sleek and husband Kerry of Amarillo; 3 step daughters, Tammye Hunt and husband Darrell, Carrye Deaton and husband Ricky, and Connie Maxfield all of Amarillo; a sister, Joan McAfee of Clarendon; and 10 grandchildren.
The family request memorials be sent to Citizens Cemetery Association.
King defeats Landtroop in runoff
Canadian School Board President Ken King will represent Donley County in the Texas House of Representatives after he defeated incumbent Rep. Jim Landtroop of Plainview in yesterday’s Republican Primary Runoff Election.
King received 53.99 percent of the vote across District 88 compared to Landtroop’s 46 percent. Locally, the margin was much wider with 77.35 percent of Donley County Republicans supporting King.
Landtroop had been the top vote getter in the four-man race in May’s Republican Primary, but he fell short of the majority needed to secure his party’s nomination. Donley County voters also preferred King in May with Landtroop coming in fourth locally.
Following the primary, the other two challengers – Mac Smith of Pampa and former State Rep. Gary Walker of Plains – both endorsed King, and retiring State Rep. Warren Chisum also endorsed King in the final days of before the election.
With no Democrat running for the House seat, King is the presumptive winner of the November election and will represent District 88, which was formerly represented by Chisum but was redistricted to include Landtroop’s home base of Hale County.
In statewide GOP races, Republicans nominated Tea Party favorite Ted Cruz over Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst 56.79 percent to 43.20 percent to run for the US Senate seat currently held by Kay Bailey Hutchinson. Cruz will face Democrat Paul Sadler, who won his party’s runoff yesterday with 60 percent of the vote over Grady Yarbrough.
Locally, Donley Republicans favored Dewhurst, 55.96 percent to 44.03 percent; and county Democrats sided with Sadler 63.08 percent to 36.91 percent.
Warren Chisum fell short of his goal becoming the Republican nominee for Railroad Commissioner, losing his bid to Christi Craddick 40.19 percent to 59.80 percent. Local voters preferred Chisum, 69.81 percent to 30.18 percent.
Barry Smitherman was the choice of both state and local Republicans to fill an unexpired term on the Railroad Commission over challenger Greg Parker with the vote breaking roughly 62 percent to 38 percent at both the county and state levels.
State and local Republicans also picked John Devine over David Medina to run for Supreme Court Justice, Place 4 with Devine capturing 53.27 percent of the statewide vote and 37.46 percent of the local vote.
Letter: City should finish what it starts
I am writing this letter in reference to our supposed “crown jewel” of Clarendon – East Fourth Street. I was curious to know if by chance our city administrator could explain to us why it is not being properly maintained with gravel to seal it off. It is a joke to waste the manpower and money to not to maintain this after having gone to both the trouble and expense to do so. It is in worse shape now than it was before this little project even began.
If the street project coming up is going to be handled in the same way, it will also be a tremendous waste of time, money, and effort. A contractor should start and finish the job so somebody will be liable. We might not be able to do as many streets but to be done correctly is what should matter.
I recall also that the board stated that when the “Zipper” was purchased that they were ready to see it running. What a waste of money this has been. No more than this piece of equipment has been used, it would have been more efficient to rent it.
Speaking directly to the city administrator, I would like to inquire as to what job you have completed since you took the position with the City of Clarendon? The solution to our water problem, as far as you are concerned, is to flush the fire hydrants when we are in the middle of a drought. I specifically recall you coming to my house on a Saturday to see the waste water that was coming into my tub. I asked you to see the water sample that you took that day. I never got to see it because you never sent it. I think you were probably afraid of the results. That has been almost one year ago, and I have been complaining for four years. I am not alone on this issue.
We need to finish the projects we have started before even thinking of beginning a new one. I encourage more people to voice their opinion on the street issues. Everyone wants to see our town look good and to thrive, but it can’t happen on the path we are headed. We have some very talented city employees but, but they can only do what they are allowed to do. We need to see better results for the cost of the streets, and we certainly have the capabilities in house to fix the problems.
Billy Chadwick,
Clarendon
Ruby Dell Estlack
Services were held last week for former local newspaper publisher Ruby Dell Estlack, who passed away at home in Clarendon at the age of 94.
Mrs. Estlack died Friday, July 20, and services were held at the First United Methodist Church in Clarendon with Rev. Lloyd Stice, pastor, officiating and interment followed in Citizens Cemetery. Arrangements were by Robertson Funeral Directors.
Mrs. Estlack was born October 18, 1917, in Donley County to Oma Allen and Faye Tyree Scoggins. She married George Wayne Estlack on November 28, 1936, in Clarendon, where she spent most of her life. Ruby Dell loved playing the piano, at which she played by ear. She was a wonderful seamstress as well.
Ruby Dell spent most of her adult life working at The Donley County Leader. She began working at the Leader shortly after she married 1936, and she was assigned the job of collecting on accounts, which she did in person in order to improve goodwill between the paper and its customers. She later would take on the role of Society Editor as well before she and her husband became the paper’s sole owners in 1958. Together they were members holding various offices of both Texas and Panhandle Press Associations. The Estlacks sold the paper in 1974 but continued in the printing business with Clarendon Office Supply until the mid-1990s.
In 2011, she was inducted in the Panhandle Press Association’s Hall of Fame, an award she was very honored to receive.
“At the age of 19 when I married and became a member of the Estlack newspaper family, I never dreamed of seeing this day,” Ruby Dell recalled after entering the PPA Hall of Fame. “I found myself working in all departments of The Donley County Leader – except Linotype. The many years of newspaper publishing have been my way of life and most rewarding. I’ve been so blessed.”
Ruby Dell was a long time member of the First United Methodist Church in Clarendon.
She was preceded in death by her husband, George Wayne Estlack, on June 10, 1994, and her sister, Dorothy Faye Whitlock.
Survivors include her daughter, Jackie Patterson of Canyon; granddaughter, Marcella Cropper of Fort Worth; her great grandson, James David Wilson of Fort Worth; her nephew, Lawrence Whitlock, of Arizona.
The family suggests memorials be sent to Citizens Cemetery Association, PO Box 983, Clarendon, Texas, 79226.
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