Opinion: We need to vote in this election

Donley County is blessed with many hard working, creative, talented, and intelligent people. Unfortunately, with a few notable exceptions, that vast reservoir of talent and intelligence is not adequately represented on two of our most important boards, namely the Clarendon Board of Aldermen and the Hedley ISD Board of Trustees.

Currently, with one or two exceptions, both boards are blessed with a mixture of arrogance and naiveté. For the most part they seem to have a unique ability to crank almost every problem they address into a mind-bending crisis. Additionally, both boards could be characterized as rowdy, raucous, ill mannered and ill tempered. Changes in both boards need to be made and pronto!

Let’s start with our Board of Aldermen. They have, usually with a static 3-2 vote, made several decisions that are not in the best interest of Clarendon. First of all, they allowed their personal angst against Lambert Little to negatively affect their evaluations of how well he was performing his job. Secondly, they dismissed him without first checking with the city attorney. Thirdly, they fired him without cause, thereby costing the city more than $30,000. Finally, they fired him in a cold-blooded and merciless manner just before Christmas. We are better people than that. They did not reflect our values of fairness and compassion.

Moving on, let’s review the Hedley ISD Board of Trustees. That board has lost contact with reality. Again with a few exceptions, they have behaved in a disgusting and ill-mannered way. When the board didn’t renew Coach Darrell Wallace, it was not for cause, regardless of what they may claim. Sure Coach Wallace made mistakes while coaching the team, both in regards to tactics on the field as well as in his interactions with his players. All coaches make mistakes. If they aren’t making mistakes, then they aren’t trying. If they aren’t trying, then they are useless.

However, when they fired Coach Wallace, they also forced the resignation of his wife, Suzanne, who also happens to be a first rate teacher. Both of the Wallaces represent values and ideas that are far superior to the values and ideas that were represented by the majority of the board that voted to get rid of them. He was a good man who was treated with disdain and disrespect by people who don’t have a clue about grace and good manners. As importantly, they ran off two really good teachers. Good people are hard to find, and I find it abhorrent that a board could run off such talented people so callously.

As the Enterprise goes to press, that same board is currently in closed session, “evaluating” the contract and employment performance of their superintendent of schools, Bill Sanders. I’m certain that when they come out of closed session and hold the subsequent evaluation of Mr. Sander’s employment performance, a group hug will not follow the meeting. Again, the board appears to be prepared to run off a very talented and skilled administrator, an administrator who cares first and foremost about his students and his staff. Bill Sanders is a man of great skill, integrity, and emotional stability.

Lastly, the board, in a surprising and insensitive manner, removed Ted Wright as its president, again without cause. Ted Wright served Hedley with distinction, honor, and integrity. He deserved to be treated better – much better.

The Hedley ISD Board of Trustees has apparently not learned a vital element of success. Namely, that you nurture and do everything you can to retain good teachers and staff. Any organization is only as good as its people.

Luckily, we have elections coming up soon, with early voting starting next Monday, April 29, a great day to be a Texan. We, the people, can make the necessary changes in these boards by exercising our right to vote. In the big picture, local elections are vital to maintaining our way of life, remaining true to our values, and nurturing a strong democracy. So let’s all get out and vote. These elections may be the most critical elections we’ve held in a very long time.

Therefore, we need to go the extra mile, and learn about the candidates and the issues – then vote! The future of Donley County, Hedley, and Clarendon will largely be determined by the decisions we make in the upcoming elections.