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Archives for February 2013

Jerry Bob Lemons

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Jerry Bob Lemons, 74, died Tuesday, February 19, 2013, in Amarillo, Texas.

Services were held Thursday, February 21, 2013, in the Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon with Rev. Larry Capranica and Rev. Justin Lemons, officiating. Burial followed at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.

Jerry Bob Lemons
Jerry Bob Lemons

Arrangements were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Jerry was born March 8, 1938, in Amarillo to William Merle and Sarah Katherine Lemons. He married Patty Joyce Shields on September 7, 1974, in Memphis. He spent most his life as a cotton farmer and upon retirement he began to work for Donley County Senior Citizens and volunteered for the Meals on Wheels. He was a member of the Community Fellowship Church where he served as custodian. He loved the Lord and was a man of the Word.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Maxine Lemons in 1973; his stepson, Bryan Myers; his daughter in law, Carol Lemons; 2 brothers, Don Lemons and Glen D. “Buck” Lemons; and a grandson, Justin John Lemons.

He is survived by his wife, Patty Lemons of Clarendon; 2 sons, Justin D. Lemons and wife Delilah of Saginaw and Grant Lemons of Amarillo; a daughter, Sherry Ann Wiemer and husband Lee of Amarillo; 3 step daughters, Vickie Rieken of Memphis, Cathy Myers and Janette Harrison of Clarendon; a brother, Jimmy Lemons of Amarillo; 2 grandchildren, Rachel Villalobos and Kay Wiemer; 8 step grandchildren; and 12 great grandchildren.-

The family request memorials be sent to the Community Fellowship Church or Donley County Sr. Citizens.

Marie Jones

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Marie Jones, 95, died Tuesday, February 19, 2013 in Clarendon.

Graveside services were held Friday, February 22, 2013, in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon with Don Stone, officiating. Arrangements were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Marie was born September 18, 1917, in Beckham County, Oklahoma to Ed and Opal Ida Clark. She enjoyed canning, gardening, baking, and playing cards games with her grandkids.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Pete Hopkins and John Jones; a daughter, Betty Maxfield; a brother, William Bill Clark and wife Ruth; 2 grandsons, Terry Hopkins and Jerry Ross Smith; and a great grandchild, Misty Joy Grumbles. She is survived by her daughter, Joan McAfee of Amarillo; a son in law, Archie Maxfield of Clarendon; 7 grandchildren, Mr. & Mrs. Steve Smith of Clarendon, Mr. & Mrs. Brad Salzman of Farmington, NM, Mr. & Mrs.

Brad Morrison of Vernon, Mr. & Mrs. Kerry Sleek of Amarillo, Mr. & Mrs. Richard Grumbles of Austin, Mr. Tony Maxfield and fiancé Stephanie Carey, and Mr. & Mrs. George Sustaita of Wichita Falls; 16 great grandchildren; 12 great great grandchildren; and 12 great great great grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials be to BSA Hospice or Donley County Sr. Citizens.

TxDOT updates road closures

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According to the Texas Department of Public Safety in Childress, all major roads out of Amarillo are closed.   Travel in the Texas Panhandle and South Plains region is strongly discouraged.

  • US 287 from Amarillo to Childress
  • US 87/287 from Amarillo to Oklahoma state line
  • US 83 from Childress north
  • Interstate 40 from New Mexico to Oklahoma
  • Interstate 27 from Amarillo to Lubbock
  • US 54 from New Mexico to Oklahoma

Due to blowing snow and drifting, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has suspended snow plow operations until conditions improve for the safety of the TxDOT employees and the public.

Road condition information is available at www.drivetexas.org or on the TxDOT 24-hour toll free line at 800-452-9292.

Blizzard causes cancelations

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monday snowThe Blizzard of 2013 that will grip Donley County and the entire Texas Panhandle today has caused Clarendon and Hedley ISDs to cancel all classes for February 25. Additionally, Clarendon College has closed all three of its locations in Clarendon, Pampa, and Childress for today.

Road conditions are expected to get very hazardous, and everyone is urged to stay home today.

The Clarendon Enterprise office is closed today. If you need something in this week’s edition, please contact us through Facebook or the “Your Turn” tab at the top of the ClarendonLive home page.

Stay warm and stay safe!

Sunday fire

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Clarendon volunteer firemen responded to a big fire south of the city on SH 70 Sunday afternoon about one mile past the cemetery. Officials aren’t certain what started the blaze at several points along the highway, but they think it was likely someone with a blown out tire. Seven units responded, and the blaze was extinguished in a couple of hours. ENTERPRISE PHOTO / ROGER & BEN ESTLACK
Clarendon volunteer firemen responded to a big fire south of the city on SH 70 Sunday afternoon about one mile past the cemetery. Officials aren’t certain what started the blaze at several points along the highway, but they think it was likely someone with a blown out tire. Seven units responded, and the blaze was extinguished in a couple of hours. ENTERPRISE PHOTO / ROGER & BEN ESTLACK

 

 

 

Mixed signals

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Bronco Coach Elam gives Caleb Cobb last minute instructions while on third base during Clarendon’s scrimmage with Memphis last Saturday. PHOTO BY ALICE COBB
Bronco Coach Elam gives Caleb Cobb last minute instructions while on third base during Clarendon’s scrimmage with Memphis last Saturday. PHOTO BY ALICE COBB

Clarendon girls, boys advance

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WEB IMG_8830The Clarendon Lady Broncos and Broncos advanced to the next level of playoffs after victories for both teams at Frank Phillips College in Borger.

The girls defeated Claude by one point, 44-43, in overtime when Jentry Shadle sank a critical free throw at the buzzer. They will face Plains this Friday night at 6:30 in Levelland at South Plains College’s Texan Dome. If they win that game, they will play again Saturday at 3:30 in Levelland.

The boys beat Booker, 61-48, and will place Memphis this Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Amarillo High School.

WEB IMG_8940Clarendon ISD will have an early release at 1:00 p.m. Friday, and buses will run at 1:15.

CISD freezes salaries, considers tax hike

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By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

An election to raise property taxes may be on the horizon following last Thursday’s regular meeting of the Clarendon ISD Board of Trustees.

Facing a projected budget deficit of $358,000, trustees acted on Superintendent Monty Hysinger’s recommendation and froze salaries for district employees and unofficially gave the administration the okay to pursue a timeframe for a June tax ratification election.

The election is just a proposal at this time; but if pursued and approved, Clarendon’s school taxes would increase 13 cents from the current state cap of $1.04 per $100 valuation to $1.17.

Hysinger told trustees the problem is twofold – state funding cuts and declining enrollment. School districts across Texas, including CISD, sued the state for unfair funding following the last legislative session, and a court has ruled in favor of the schools. But Hysinger said the appeals in that case will take a year and a half to finalize, and the Legislature is unlikely to restore education cuts made two years ago.

“There is no indication of that money coming back,” Hysinger said. “Democrats are pushing for more money, but they will probably lose. It may be two years before we see any change in funding.”

The state cut gave the school a $166,439 deficit to begin with for the coming fiscal year, and a drop in enrollment will put that cost at $358,000, he said. It’s a scenario that appears to be getting worse with low numbers in the elementary school.

“We’re going to lose additional kids as the elementary classes move forward,” Hysinger said. “A drop of 11 kids means $99,000 in lost revenue. We’ve had a ten percent enrollment decrease since 2009 and that is a $468,000 loss. Overall, we’re operating with $971,000 less than we had four years ago.”

The current Kindergarten class is an exception to the low elementary enrollment. The class has 47 students, but that presents its own problem because it exceeds the state’s student-teacher ratio limit of 22-1. CISD currently has a waiver for that class, but in the future it will be necessary to apply for another waiver or hire an additional teacher at a time when the district can least afford it.

Trustee Reneé Betts asked Hysinger what the school would do if the election didn’t pass, and the superintendent gave little indication other than stopping the canine detection service (drug dog) and cutting instructional coaching.

“There are no easy answers,” Hysinger said, noting that a reduction in force may be necessary.

The superintendent presented a timetable that would make it possible to hold the election with other local elections this May, but he said it would put pressure on appraisal districts in Donley, Armstrong, and Briscoe counties to get appraisal values and rollback calculations done much earlier than normal.

He also said information from the Texas Association of School Boards indicates that a tax ratifi cation election is more likely to succeed in June and is also more favorable if the election is held at the school instead of off campus as the case would be in May at the Donley County Courthouse Annex.

Hysinger said the homestead taxes of people over the age of 65 are frozen and said people under the age of 65 with a $100,000 home would see their taxes increase $130 per year. He also reminded the board that it eliminated the personal property tax in the district several years ago.

“That’s hurting us now,” he said.

Property taxes currently fund about 24 percent of the school district’s budget, and raising the ad valorem rate by 13 cents is expected to generate about $350,000 in new revenue.

Regardless of how the election might turn out, salaries will still be frozen, which will likely save the district between $60,000 and $70,000. Trustees did, however, make an exception for hourly cafeteria and custodial employees who Hysinger said would be hurt the most by a freeze. All other employees may actually see their net take home pay decrease because of rising cost of health insurance.

Trustee Richard Gribble made the motion to freeze salaries as a gesture to voters.

“If we’re going to ask the voters for help, we need to show good faith to the voters,” he said.

Trustees then unanimously approved freezing all salaries, including the superintendent’s but excluding hourly cafeteria and custodial employees.

Hill files to run for mayor of Clarendon

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The City of Clarendon and the Hedley Independent School District will both have contested races in the May elections now that more candidates have filed for office.

Clarendon Alderman Tommy Hill filed his paperwork Tuesday to challenge incumbent Larry Hicks for the mayor’s seat. They will be joined on the ballot by Sandy Skelton, who is seeking one of the two positions available on the Board of Aldermen this year.

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 on that board.

Clarendon ISD has three seats up for election 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.

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.

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.

Sign up continues through March 1, 2013; and the elections will be held Saturday, May 11.

Editorial: Everyone has role in making improvements

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The Way Forward, Part Five

“The City Beautiful.” That’s how this newspaper and its editor referred to Clarendon in the earliest years of the 20th century. Kearney Street was lined with trees, the Courthouse could be seen for miles, and an impressive Methodist Church and new college buildings were making this town one of the most attractive on “The Denver Road,” as the BNSF railway was then known.

Compared to many West Texas communities, Clarendon is still “The City Beautiful,” but there is certainly room for improvement as we continue our series promoting growth and progress.

Roger Estlack, Editor
Roger Estlack, Editor

Taking stock for moment, Clarendon appears to be an oasis coming in from the west. Travelers end their journey across the flat, “Staked Plains” just before entering Donley County and soon find themselves enjoying the Rolling Plains and what (during years of normal precipitation) was historically called the “Green Belt” of the Texas Panhandle. Their first site entering the city is Clarendon College sitting on its hill, a modern day acropolis befitting the moniker of “The Athens of the Panhandle.”

That beautiful campus, also visible coming from the north, is perhaps one of this city’s most well-known features and is recognized by many people from downstate who travel US 287 on their way to vacations in the Rocky Mountains. How marvelous would it be if our entire city was as clean, well kept, and memorable as Clarendon College is.

This is not to say we’re a dirty or trashy town, but surely we can all agree that there are areas that could use some attention. As the old Head & Shoulders commercial said, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” We therefore need to make sure that the first impression any visitor has of Clarendon is good – no, make that great!

Much of this has to be done on an individual basis with each home owner, business owner, and vacant lot owner taking pride in their community and making sure what they have is clean and neat. Weed control and a good coat of paint go a long ways, but it’s important also to keep up with maintaining any structures. Preventive maintenance is much cheaper than major repairs or rehabilitation, and your neighbors will appreciate your efforts.

Too many times we have heard about folks who simply don’t keep up the exterior of their homes or businesses because they fear their tax appraisal will go up and it will cost them money. Is that just a terrible attitude or an excuse? Be an example to others and fix up your property, and everyone will benefit from a nicer community, including you.

City Hall has already taken steps to spruce up the town. The city code compliance officer and municipal judge are working with property owners to correct code violations and clean up properties. In the west part of the city, in a section originally called “Clarendon Heights,” an old homestead that was overgrown by trees and vegetation is now visible from the street for the first time in decades. Behind the scenes – literally – city workers have been cleaning and blading alleyways and doing other things to help improve our town. The Board of Aldermen and the city employees deserve our thanks for making these things happen.

Downtown, the most obvious improvement has been the work of the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation to rehabilitate the Mulkey Theatre, but that’s not the only thing the CEDC has been doing. Since 2008, it has invested nearly $17,000 into 13 storefronts up and down Kearney Street with façade grants ranging from less than $100 up to $2,000. Next month the CEDC Board will consider revising and possibly expanding the façade grant program to do even more improvements.

But there are also other things we can do to help us reclaim our title of “The City Beautiful.” Organized clean up days, such as those held by the Chamber of Commerce in the late 1980s and early 1990s, would be an easy start. The city could bolster such an effort by reinstituting the free dumping that it used to hold one week each fall and spring. Yes, it may cost the city a little bit of revenue, but a cleaner city would certainly be worth it.

We also need to think about targeted infrastructure improvements that would be specifically designed to be attractive to visitors as well as locals. A perfect example is the streets leading to and surrounding Broncho Stadium. Leaving US 287, you have to travel over one block of dirt on either Sims or Allen streets on your way to football games or to the gym, and then the paving on three sides of the stadium is deplorable.

Fortunately, last spring’s bond election approved replacing the paving in question. We just need to make sure that we don’t “poor boy” the paving by making the streets narrower than they currently are or by doing anything less than the best job possible.

The bond election did not, however, cover those single blocks of Sims and Allen that get people from the highway to the school; and looking around, we can all easily find other areas that desperately need improvement. Consider First Street from downtown to Lowe’s Family Center. There are places where the brick paving needs repair and two blocks of what used to be paving that frankly needs total replacement, and then there is dirt from Kearney going east by the recycling bins.

And then there is a need for sidewalks, improved pedestrian lighting, park improvements – such as a splash pad or a skate park or both, and more. Indeed, one has to wonder if Clarendon didn’t set its sights high enough last year with a $750,000 ten-year bond election. Perhaps we should have gone bigger.

Every little bit helps though, and we all have to do our part and resolve to get involved in 2013.

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