Archives for May 2013
License to play
Hundreds celebrate at Block Party
A crowd of at least 600 people attended the first ever Mulkey Block Party last Saturday, May 25, to witness the formal lighting of Clarendon’s historic theatre.
The event was hosted by the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation and an advisory committee and marked the completion of a $140,000 Phase One Exterior Renovation to the movie house.
Due to the Memorial Day holiday, figures were not complete for how much the event raised to kick off Phase Two Interior Renovations, but the Block Party was widely hailed as a success by those in attendance who enjoyed the fun, music, food, dancing, and booths on Kearney Street.
Steve Hall and Jesse Lincycomb warmed up the crowd before one of the best bands in the Panhandle, Insufficient Funds, took the stage and wowed the crowd with a wide range of popular music and rock and roll.
Several kids activities were available as well as food booths, and tours of the Mulkey were popular as well.
Organizers said they intend to make the Mulkey Block Party an annual event to continue public support for the ongoing rehabilitation of the theatre.
CISD tax election is June 1
Voters in the Clarendon Consolidated Independent School District head to the polls this Saturday, June 1, to determine the fate of a 13-cent property tax increase.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 181 people had cast early ballots to accept or reject a new ad valorem tax rate of $1.17 per $100 valuation.
The school’s current tax rate is $1.04 and is the maximum the school district can levy without seeking voter approval. The proposed 13-cent increase would raise taxes on a $100,000 home by $130 per year. If it is approved by voters, the higher rate would generate $165,570 in local revenue and an additional $145,228 from the state for a total of $310,798 in new money.
CISD officials say they need that money to help bridge a projected $434,960 budget deficit for 2013-2014. The school has been hit with declining revenues due to state budget cuts and declining enrollment.
The school is publishing information on page ten of this week’s Enterprise detailing the district’s tax rate history, the cuts in state funding, and the continuing drop in enrollment.
Balloting this Saturday will be at the CISD Administration Building from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Court sentences Brown to 33 years in prison
A Clarendon man who escaped from the Donley County Jail in March was sentenced to 30 years in state prison last week as part of a plea agreement when the district court met here Monday, May 20.
Torrence Eugene Smith was convicted for the first degree felony offense of escape causing bodily injury, enhanced. Smith pleaded guilty for the offense that took place on March 5, 2013, and was sentenced to 30 years in the Institutional Division of Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Smith was arrested in Gray County after an escape from the Donley County jail by Donley County Deputy Vincent “Sonny” Marasco, according to Inman.
One jailer was injured during the escape which caused this felony of escape to be enhanced to a second degree felony, according to court documents.
“This was a very unfortunate incident for the jailer that was injured and we were just lucky that serious injuries were avoided by the swift action taken by the Donley County Sheriff’s Office,” said Inman.
Smith, 40-year-old resident of Clarendon, was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on April 2, 2013.
Inman filed an enhancement notice due to a previous felony conviction out of Potter County, making this second degree felony offense punishable as a first degree felony.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, Smith is required to pay $473 in court costs to Donley County.
In all, the court heard four pleas here last week which resulted in three convictions and one deferred adjudication. There were also two contested revocation hearings that resulted in the conviction of two defendants.
District Attorney Luke Inman prosecuted the cases for the State of Texas with the Honorable Judge Stuart Messer presiding. A total of $9,500 in fines was assessed as a result of the pleas that took place on May 20. In addition to the fines, the defendants were required to pay a total of $2,561 in court costs and $1,085 restitution.
Other defendants included, Francisco Salazar, Richard Polmon, Nicholas Ryan Clubb, Todd Randall Phillips, and Lucinda Jean Hearn.
Francisco Salazar, a 54-year-old resident of Memphis, pleaded true to allegations listed in the State’s Motion to Revoke and was convicted and sentenced to five years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.
On February 21, 2012, Salazar originally pleaded guilty to the third degree felony offense of DWI 3rd or more that occurred on January 1, 2012, in Hall County.
The State filed the motion to revoke on January 10, 2013, alleging six violations of community supervision.
Salazar pleaded true to all of the violations contained in the State’s motion in an agreed plea and was sentenced to five years. Salazar is also required to pay $376 in court costs to Hall County, a $3,000 fine, and $140 restitution.
Richard Polmon, a 58-year-old resident of Amarillo, pleaded not true to allegations listed in the State’s Motion to Adjudicate and was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.
On July 13, 2011, Polmon originally pleaded guilty to the third degree felony offense of injury to elderly that occurred on May 8, 2011, in Donley County.
The State filed the motion to adjudicate on December 14, 2012, alleging seven violations of community supervision.
Polmon pleaded not true to all of the violations contained in the State’s motion. The state called three witnesses. Polmon denied the consumption of alcohol on the date of his arrest for DWI, and testified that the 42 ounce Budweiser beer bottle in the front driver’s floorboard was left by a hitchhicker he had picked up in Memphis.
After all the testimony was present, Polmon was sentenced to 10 years. Polmon is also required to pay $383 in court costs to Donley County and a $1,000 fine.
Nicholas Ryan Clubb, a 28-year-old resident of Hedley, pleaded true to one allegation listed in the State’s Motion to Adjudicate and was convicted and sentenced to 18 years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.
On September 20, 2012, Clubb originally pleaded guilty to the second degree felony offense of burglary of a habitation that occurred on March 9, 2012, in Donley County.
The State filed the motion to adjudicate on April 8, 2013, alleging six violations of community supervision.
Clubb pleaded true to one of the violations contained in the State’s motion.
After the plea of true to methamphetamine and alcohol consumption while he was on felony probation, a contested punishment hearing was held.
Clubb admitted to drinking alcoholic beverages on the night of March 17 that led to a one-car accident where Clubb’s vehicle was completely totaled in Donley County. The vehicle was owned by his grandmother.
Clubb walked to a nearby travel trailer and entered without the consent of the owner. Clubb fell asleep after he helped himself to several Dr Peppers and a sweatshirt, according to his testimony.
After hearing all the evidence, Clubb was sentenced to 18 years. Clubb is also required to pay $473 in court costs to Donley County and a $4,000 fine.
Todd Randall Phillips was convicted for the second degree felony offense of aggravated assault. Phillips pleaded guilty for the offense that took place on November 5, 2012 and was sentenced to seven years in the Institutional Division of Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Phillips, 42-year-old resident of Clarendon, was arrested by Donley County and was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on April 2, 2013.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, Phillips is required to pay $383 in court costs to Donley County.
Lucinda Jean Hearn was placed on probation for a period of three years for the third degree felony offense of forgery against elderly individual. Hearn pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.
Hearn, 32-year-old resident of Amarillo, was arrested for the offense that took place December 18, 2012 and was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on April 2, 2013.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, Hearn is required to pay a $1,500 fine to Donley County, $473 in court costs, $945 restitution, and successfully complete 200 hours of community service. If Hearn violates probation, she could face up to ten years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.
Kids’ College begins at CC next Monday
Kids’ College classes at Clarendon College start Monday.
More than 30 courses will be offered in the months of June, July, and August for kids ages 4-15.
“We have a wide variety of classes for kids and teens this summer, and we’ve set the schedule up so that even kids who go on vacation can still hopefully attend a portion of the offerings,” CC Marketing Coordinator Ashlee Estlack said.
This year’s courses feature popular returners from last year including Let’s Have a Tea Party, Take Home a Pet Tornado, Erupt a Volcano, and Make an Ocean in a Bottle. New to this year’s schedule are Ballet & Tap, Nature Art, A Pirate’s Life, Cheerleading Camp, Cowboy Camp, and much more.
“One class we are particularly excited to offer is Basics in Babysitting,” Estlack said. “This course is taught by the American Red Cross and is graciously underwritten by the City of Clarendon in order to make it affordable for the students.”
The babysitting class is for anyone ages 11 to 15, features training in first aid and home safety, and is ideal for anyone interested in babysitting neighbors or relatives.
“This is the perfect class for pre-teens and teens looking for a way to make a little spending money this summer and upcoming school year babysitting,” Estlack said.
Students can be registered up until 3:00 p.m. the day before any class starts. The first classes start Monday, June 3, and the last course will end Wednesday, August 14.
For more information, visit the Student Services office in the Instructional Center or visit www.clarendoncollege.edu or call Estlack at 806-874-4808. CC is open Monday to Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Editorial: Phase One completed, the future looks bright
Wow! What a party we had last Saturday night on Kearney Street!
Our community took a well-deserved rest on the long road to Bring Back the Mulkey and celebrated the official lighting of the theatre with lots of fanfare and good, old-fashioned fun.
Getting an accurate headcount for the evening was nearly impossible with people milling about up and down Kearney Street in front of the Mulkey, wandering into the car show on the Herring Bank parking lot, slipping off to First Street for the kids’ bounce houses, and going in and out of the theatre itself. A sheriff’s deputy estimated that as many as 1,000 people may have attended over the course of the four-hour event. Your humble editor counted nearly 600 at one time by “eyeballing it.”
As this column has said many times in the past, there is not much that Clarendon and Donley County cannot do if its people work together, and the Mulkey Theatre project is an example of that. As with any endeavor, there are a few naysayers out there, but overall the Mulkey has enjoyed broad support from folks of all ages, all walks of life, and even folks who might otherwise have some opposing political views. But by and large, we can all see that a revived Mulkey Theatre can be nothing but good for Clarendon.
Since work began on front of the theatre, there has been renewed interest in downtown. New shops have opened up in previously vacant buildings, and next month another new business will open in the building adjoining the Mulkey to the north – a building that has been nothing but storage for about four decades.
Is the Mulkey project responsible for this uptick? Probably not on its own, but I think it is part of a mix of things that includes the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation’s Façade Grant Program, which has pumped about $17,000 into storefronts on Kearney Street in the form of matching grants ranging from just over $80 up to $2,000.
The future is bright and getting brighter. As we go to press, the CEDC and city officials are considering an application for a downtown revitalization grant that, if successful, would help pay for new street lights and address accessibility issues on Kearney Street.
The CEDC believes the Mulkey can be a catalyst for all kinds of improvements downtown, and that project is by no means close to being finished. The CEDC purchased the theatre in 2008, and it has taken time to get to this point. Funding and completing Phase Two – Interior Renovations will also take a lot of time, energy, and, of course, money; but when it’s done, the Mulkey will again be a first rate movie theatre and serve as an even more functional Visitor Center. Phase Three then will be to extend the small stage in the Mulkey and add more audio and lighting capabilities in order to host live performances like the Ritz does in Wellington.
In December, my wife, Ashlee, and I attended an Oak Ridge Boys concert at the Ritz, and I think our imaginations – as well as those of dozens of people in attendance from Clarendon – were on fire with the possibilities of the Mulkey one day hosting that kind of entertainment.
The Mulkey project has been fortunate to have good supporters thus far from people who have opened their wallets to assist the project to a host of volunteers who have done whatever was asked of them. It has had support from preservationists across the state and from local politicians at home. Clarendon and its theatre owes a debt of gratitude to everyone involved in this project, and I want to especially thank my colleagues on the CEDC Board – Bill Stavenhagen, Terri Floyd, Sherol Johnston, Steve Hall, Abby Patten, and Ann Huey as well as former board members Bob Watson, Terry Noble, and Will Thompson – all of whom have put in a lot of thought and love into this project. And we are also fortunate to have our Executive Director, Chandra Eggemeyer, who has focused so much time and talent on this project, as well her husband, Jared, who is always there to lend a hand.
Going forward, the Mulkey needs all of us to stand behind it, promote it, and bolster it. To succeed in Phases Two and Three, the project will need grants and donations of sizeable amounts. But it also needs the support of the community.
We have two generations who have never seen a movie at the Mulkey. Let’s change that. Let’s get behind this project and take the next steps. We owe it to ourselves to save our heritage and to our children and grandchildren to preserve this piece of the past and give them the gift of culture, entertainment, and a love of the visual and performing arts.
Keep the lights shining, and let’s get busy and make the inside just as glorious as the outside. Let’s work together to “Bring Back the Mulkey!”
CC offers $500 to area graduates
Clarendon College is pleased to announce a new scholarship opportunity for service area high school graduates – the Bulldog Bucks Tuition Assistance Program.
Clarendon College has committed to providing available resources through the Bulldog Bucks Program to assist every graduating high school senior in the service area in paying for college.
The Bulldog Bucks program will aid in covering a student’s fall and spring tuition, fees, books and housing costs for the first year of college following a student’s high school graduation.
“We are proud of our area high school graduates and as a sign of our dedication to the higher education of these students we are awarding each graduate a $500 scholarship,” CC President Dr. Phil Shirley.
“We hope this contribution will help each student unleash their potential as they work to achieve their future dreams and endeavors.”
The scholarship is to be redeemed during the first-year following high school graduation and will be divided equally between the fall and spring semesters for full-time enrollment.
To be eligible for Bulldog Bucks, students must graduate high school from a school district located in Armstrong, Briscoe, Childress, Collingsworth, Donley, Gray, Hall or Wheeler counties; enroll full-time (12 credit hours) in the first Fall or Spring semester after graduating from high school; and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
For more information on the Bulldog Bucks program, please contact the college at 1-800-687-9737.
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