Archives for February 2013
Blizzard of 2013 grips area
By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise
The dreaded Blizzard of 2013 kept folks inside but didn’t bury Donley County the way it did in other areas across the Panhandle Sunday night and throughout the day Monday.
While Amarillo received around a foot and a half of snow with drifts as high as six feet, Clarendon’s snowfall was considerably less – two or three inches by some measures – and blew so much that there was still some bare ground in a few areas Tuesday morning.
Tommie Saye, Clarendon’s Cooperative Observer for the National Weather Service, officially measured 0.53 inches of precipitation during the storm, and that came in the form of rain, sleet, small hail, and snow.
Clarendon ISD and Clarendon College canceled classes Monday as did Hedley ISD, and snow and wind forced state officials to shut down US 287 from Childress to Amarillo and Interstate 40 through the entire Panhandle.
TxDOT crews and other emergency personnel worked throughout the storm, and the American Red Cross opened a shelter at Clarendon’s First United Methodist Church. Six people stayed in the shelter here. By contrast, more than 100 took shelter in Claude where the storm had a greater impact.
Poor road conditions Monday night and Tuesday morning, caused Clarendon ISD and Clarendon College to start classes late while classes were canceled altogether in Hedley and at the CC Pampa Center.
By late Tuesday afternoon, most highways in the Panhandle were back open.
The storm prompted several schedule changes at the Clarendon Public School.
The Broncos’ playoff game against Stratford scheduled for Tuesday was moved to Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at Tascosa High School. National Honor Society inductions and Concert and Site Reading Contests slated for this week for Clarendon High School were canceled. The high school’s track meet in Childress has been moved from Friday to Thursday at the same time as the junior high meet.
Clarendon ISD officials say the school will hold classes on April 29 to make up for Monday’s snow day.
CC plans for growth at home, regionally
By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise
Clarendon College officials outlined ambitious plans for growth last week with a focus on new and expanded workforce programs in Clarendon and Pampa and a possible move into the Amarillo market.
During the Board of Regents meeting last Thursday, President Phil Shirley said CC was “endeavoring to turn every stone” to find new ways to grow enrollment.
A proposal to offer cosmetology courses in Amarillo drew the most discussion from regents as it marks the first time CC would venture into Amarillo College’s territory. Board Chairman John Howard said the move is a big step for the college, but he also said it is an opportunity.
College officials estimate as many as 70 students could enroll in an Amarillo cosmetology program, and they say CC’s cost for the program would be about half what two private schools are charging. Money generated by the program could be used to grow the Clarendon campus.
State guidelines prohibit community colleges from crossing into another college’s territory without permission, but Amarillo College has given Clarendon its blessing for cosmetology and also welcomed CC to offer welding classes in the state correctional facility there.
CC currently offers cosmetology in Pampa and Childress, and the demand for classes is on the upswing across the region. CC Vice President of Off Campus Affairs and Dean of Workforce Development Ray Jaramillo said South Plains College in Levelland is about to double its cosmetology program and said Frank Phillips College in Borger has started cosmetology classes in Hereford and will be moving into Dumas.
“If we don’t do this [in Amarillo], Frank Phillips will,” Jaramillo said.
The board approved a motion to allow a three-member committee – Shirley along with Regents Jerry Woodard and Bill Sansing – to find a suitable building for an Amarillo cosmetology program and enter into a contract for such property with the board having final approval.
The Amarillo expansion is not the only thing CC is considering.
“This is not exclusive,” Shirley told the board. “We don’t want to turn a blind eye to Clarendon. This is part of the mix of growing enrollment.”
Howard said the college needs to maintain a focus on the mission of teaching basic classes like math, science, and English, and Woodard said the college needs to expand its offerings in Clarendon and add facilities here.
The president later gave a PowerPoint presentation with a plethora of ideas for growing enrollment in Clarendon and at campuses in Pampa and Childress.
The presentation focused on recruitment, retention, and development of new programs. Shirley said vocational nursing, welding, and wind energy classes could return to Clarendon, and he said the college needs to explore other opportunities for the home campus such as barber school and a culinary arts program focused on Southwest Cuisine.
The college also needs more afternoon and night classes and must revitalize its fine arts classes, he said. New nine-month or one- or two-year programs could also help fill dormitories in Clarendon.
Woodard complimented the plan and asked that a copy of the presentation be sent to each board member. He also asked for a follow up to be done in 90 to 120 days.
In a separate report, Jaramillo said it was possible that HVAC and welding classes might be offered in Clarendon this fall, and he said the college is working with Halliburton to develop a CDL class in Pampa. Halliburton would provide two trucks for the program and guarantee 90 students per year from their company.
Jaramillo said the Clement Unit has already purchased equipment for CC to offer welding in the Amarillo correctional facility.
Dean of Instruction Patricia Westergaard also presented a faculty self-study focused on retention, and Dean of Students Tex Buckhaults said his department is also working on a retention study from the student services side.
In other business, regents accepted resignations from Bill Huey, Annis Stavenhagen, and Amanda Askew; approved a bid from Faith Fencing for a fence between the Livestock & Equine Center and a neighboring property; and learned about a proposal to put security cameras in college dorms and parking lots and as well as install swipe card entry systems in the dorms.
Filing deadline approaches for local offices
Two more candidates have stepped forward in this spring’s city election as the deadline to file for local offices approaches.
Debbie Roberts, who was appointed to the board in December, filed paperwork to seek a full term as alderman for the City of Clarendon, and Trevor Leeper has also filed to run for alderman. They join Sandy Skelton in running for the two positions available on the board this year.
Also on the city ballot, Mayor Larry Hicks is being challenged in his bid for re-election by Alderman Tommy Hill.
The deadline to file for office is this Friday, March 1, and as of Tuesday, only three local governments have attracted enough candidates to hold elections – the City of Clarendon, the City of Howardwick, and the Hedley ISD Board of Trusttees.
The City of Howardwick still leads the candidate count at eight with David P. Cafferata and former alderman Mike Rowland running for mayor; William R. Jordan, Gail Leathers, and Jim Cockerham running for two vacant full terms on the Board of Aldermen; and Alderman Gene Rogers, Cory Longan, former mayor H.L. “Buster” Baird, and Sandy Sanders vying for two unexpired terms.
Hedley School Trustees Bonnie Walsh and James E. Potts are running for re-election and will face challenger Michele McCann for the two positions available.
Clarendon ISD has three seats up on its Board of Trustees this year. Incumbents Robin Ellis and James Shelton are seeking re-election, and Linda Rowland has also thrown her hat into the ring.
As of Tuesday morning, the Donley County Hospital District still had three candidates, one for each of the expiring seats. Incumbents Wayne Tubbs (Place 1) and Melinda McAnear (Place 3) are seeking re-election on the hospital board, which oversees emergency medical services and indigent care in the county. Carey Wann is also seeking the Place 2.
The City of Hedley has three positions open on its Board of Aldermen this year but had no candidates as of Tuesday.
All local offices are elected at-large, but hospital board candidates must sign up for a specific place. Elections will be held Saturday, May 11.
Lady Broncos suffer heartbreaking loss
By Sandy Anderberg
After a great season, the Lady Broncos were denied the right to continue on in post-season play by the Plains Cowgirls in Levelland last Friday night and were defeated 53-67.
The Lady Broncos played hard despite the loss and were solid in the first half of play. Plains hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the second period that gave them a three-point advantage into the break.
The third quarter went cold for the Lady Broncos on the offensive end of the court, and the Lady Cowgirls were able to take control of the game on the scoreboard. The Lady Broncos struggled to recover down the stretch and had to foul late in the game giving Plains the edge on the free throw line.
Deborah Howard led the ladies with 12 points, and Jentry Shadle finished with 10.
“Our girls fought hard and competed hard,” coach Molly Weatherred. “But things just didn’t fall our way. It was a great season, and I am proud of the girls for their effort.”
Scoring: D. Howard 12, Shadle 10, Ryann Starnes 8, McKayla Cartwright 7, Audrey Shelton 4, Jency Burton 3, and Taylor Gaines 3.
The ladies earned the right to an appearance in the Regional Tournament by defeating Claude at Frank Phillips College earlier in the week in overtime at 44-43.
With the score tied at 43 all, Jentry Shadle drove the lane with only ticks left on the clock and was fouled sending her to the bonus line. She was able to convert the first of a two-shot bonus to give the ladies the one-point lead.Time was on the Lady Broncos’ side as after the miss on the second free throw, the Lady Mustangs did not have enough time to advance the ball down the court and the Lady Broncos took the win.
Clarendon was down by nine points at the break and it looked like Claude was going to get the win, but the Lady Broncos hustled back to tie the game after regulation at 37-37 and sending the game into overtime.
Coach Molly Weatherred commented as to the ladies’ character in their comeback win.
“Our girls showed a lot of character in the win,” Weatherred said. “They stayed solid and deserved the win.”
Shadle and Cartwright led the ladies with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Gaines added seven and Starnes put in six. D. Howard had five and sister Lydia helped with three points.
Jentry Shadle, Jency Burton, Anna Ceniceros, McKayla Cartwright, Lydia Howard, and Audrey Shelton are the graduating seniors and will be greatly missed next year.
Determination lifts Broncos to Area win
By Sandy Anderberg
The Clarendon Broncos are moving on and their latest win over Memphis last Friday was proof that they want to go the distance.
The Broncos stayed solid throughout and held off Memphis’ last-ditch effort to make good on a shot at the buzzer. The Broncos won the game 43-42.
In the intense Region 1 1-A thriller, the Broncos trailed by two points after the first eight minutes, but only one at the break. The game went back and forth until the end with neither team getting comfortable on the scoreboard.
Defense was the key in the low-scoring game, but the Broncos know they need to shoot better. Seniors Cole Ward and Adam Topper led the Broncos on the scoreboard finishing in double figures.
“We played hard and really got after it,” coach Brandt Lockhart said. “Both teams knew each other really well and it was a tough game. We were able to make stops when we needed them, but we missed some free throws down the stretch.”
Scoring: Ward 15, Topper 13, Trajen Johnson 7, Diego Santos 4, Cody Wood 3, and Charles Mason 1.
The Broncos will play Stratford in the next round, which, according to Lockhart, is a fairly good team.
“They have a big guy inside and two guards that are decent,” Lockhart said. “But we have a good shot to win.”
Earlier in the week, the Broncos knocked off Booker at Frank Phillips College to secure their Bi-District win at 61-48.
The Broncos had a huge third quarter surge, which allowed them to find a rhythm defensively.
“The big key was our defense in the third quarter,” Lockhart said. “We were able to get stops and turn them into fast break points. We outscored them 19-2 in the third. I was very proud of our effort and executing our halftime adjustments.”
Scoring: Santos 17, Wood 12, Ward 12, Johnson 8, Topper 7, Mason 3, and Jonah Sell 2.
Bronco baseball team clobbers Wellington 17-6
By Sandy Anderberg
Springtime in the panhandle brings about yet another sport and the Bronco baseball team has begun their 2013 season with a big win over Wellington at 17-6.
Despite a slow start, the Broncos regrouped and silenced the Skyrocket team. The last four innings were huge for the Broncos as they scored 16 of their 17 runs in those innings.
Dillon Nickell was on the mound for the Broncos and after the first inning, he settled in to throw a strong game according to coach Brad Elam.
“Dillion struck out eight hitters and only walked two.”
The Bronco defense struggled some, but put together some stops against the Rockets.
“Fielding, we struggled at times, but were able to make some plays,” Elam said. “And our hitting finally came around with the top six in the order having a great game, scoring 16 of the 17 runs. We still have a lot to work on, but I was pleased with the outcome.”
Dusty Rice was able to go four for five with three doubles and three runs scored and Nickell scored three runs and stole four bases. Caleb Cobb reached base four times, scored four runs, and drove in some big runs. Trevor Cobb reached base four times and scored three runs while Mitchell Parry reached base three times and scored two runs.
The Broncos will travel to Valley Friday, March 1, to take on the Patriots at 4:00 p.m. and play Wellington at home on Monday, March 4, also at 4:00 pm.
Clarendon College Softball goes 5-0 at Midland Classic
The Clarendon College softball team finished the Midland Classic undefeated this past weekend.
The Lady Bulldogs began the tournament with a 14-5 victory over the University of Chihuahua. Samantha Haralson picked up the win, with Natalie Bissell and Karina Juarez both having home runs in the contest. Nohemi Jimenez had a game high 4 RBI’s.
In the next game versus Trinidad State, Karen Mao pitched the victory and homered along with Deraj McClinton. Deraj went 4-4 with 2 RBI’s. The Lady Bulldogs defeated Trinidad State 8-4.
For the third game of the day, the Lady Bulldogs faced Dodge City.
Samantha Haralson picked up the win with Karina Juarez and Karen Mao going 3-4. Jizelle Morando had a home run in the game as well. Clarendon won the contest 9-5.
The Lady Bulldogs woke up bright and early on Saturday to face Trinidad State once again.
Karen Mao pitched with win with Samantha Haralson picking up the save. Natalie Bissell and Nohemi Jimenez hit back to back home runs in the 5th to lead the Lady Bulldogs to a 7-5 victory.
In their last game of the tournament the Lady Bulldogs run-ruled Coastal Bend 9-0 in 5 innings.
Samantha Haralson picked up the win, with Karina Juarez going 3-3. Jizelle Morando and Karina Juarez both homered in the game.
Overall the Lady Bulldogs hit 9 homeruns from 6 different players.
Bulldogs’ Baseball Team Splits with Lamar Community College
By Fred Gray
The Clarendon College baseball team splits double header with Lamar Community College this past Sunday, February 24. The Bulldogs won the first game, 7–6, before falling the in the second game, 1-12.
First year baseball coach Devin McIntosh, said that relief pitcher Craig Snook, a recent transfer from Abilene Christian University closed out the final two innings of the game one win and pitched every well. Snook, a sophomore from Houston, allowed only one run to score in the final two innings, to get the save.
Jacob Gosselin-Deschesnes, the sophomore pitcher from Quebec, started the game. Coach McIntosh said of Gosselin’s performance, “Jacob is a mature pitcher who manages the game well, and was effective even though he didn’t have his best stuff.”
McIntosh also singled out the play of short-stop Gallie Cribbs, Jr., a sophomore from Sugar Land, Texas. He said, “Gallie got a couple of extra-base hits and stole a couple of bases for us. He played hard and gave us the spark we needed.”
In describing this year’s team, Coach McIntosh said that this year’s roster has had a lot of turnover, with a lot of freshman and sophomore transfers. It will take them a while to mesh and learn to play together, but he is confident that they will prove to be a good team. The Bulldogs are young and inexperienced on the mound, and could be a little inconsistent. Overall, the kids play hard, and don’t give up when they are playing from behind.
The Bulldogs host Vernon College for a 9 inning game on Wednesday, February 27.
On Friday, March 1, and Saturday, New Mexico Junior College comes to town for two double headers. The games will start at 12:00 PM.
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