Archives for April 2014

The Clarendon Lions Club received high honors Saturday when fellow Lions from all over the Texas Panhandle congregated here for the District 2-T1 Convention.

District Governor Ryan Hodge presented the Lions Legacy award to the Clarendon club for its dedication to Lionism, community service, and help given to put on this year’s convention.

DG Hodge noted that this is only the second time that the award had been given to an entire club.

The traveling trophy is a bust of a Lion on a tall wooden pedestal and is currently on display in the office of Boss Lion Ashlee Estlack at Clarendon College.

The Boss Lion herself was also recognized with district officers for their work on the district convention, and each received a handsome Boker knife.

DG Hodge also presented the Melvin Jones Fellowship award on behalf of District 2-T1 to Lion Roger Estlack for dedicated humanitarian services. Named for the founder of Lions Clubs, the Melvin Jones Fellowship represents a $1,000 donation by District 2-T1 to the Lions Clubs International Foundation. Recipients names are on display at Lions International in Illinois.

Approximately 150 people attended the district convention here over Friday and Saturday with the single biggest activity being the District Governor’s banquet Saturday night with 126 people on hand.

The convention began Friday with a golf tournament at the Clarendon Country Club followed by dinner at the Bar H Dude Ranch with music provided by Ed Montana.

Saturday’s activities were held at the Clarendon College Bairfield Activity Center and included the awards breakfast, the Vice District Governor’s Luncheon, a District Queen’s contest with 18 area participants including Clarendon’s Minnie Buckhaults, and the banquet.

Attending from the Clarendon club were Boss Lion Ashlee Estlack, Secretary Roger Estlack, 1st Vice President Larry Capranica, 2nd Vice-President Jared Eggemeyer, 3rd Vice-President Jacob Fangman, Fundraising Chair Chandra Eggemeyer, and members Tex Buckhaults, Robert Riza, and Debra Lamb.

Clarendon College will soon be offering a Registered Nurse program after receiving the green light from state officials last week.

CC officials made that announcement during the April 14 Board of Regents meeting and said approval is pending a site visit, which has been scheduled for May 2.

With final approval, Clarendon will offer an LVN to RN transition class this summer and then offer a full RN course in the fall.

CC Vice President Ray Jaramillo also announced that the college has secured a contract to again offer classes in the prison system. College President Robert Riza told the Enterprise this week that loss of the prison education system cost CC more than 180 students in the fall of 2011.

Clarendon College Regents also approved measures and heard reports on initiatives aimed at improving student satisfaction and student success.

Dr. Roger Schustereit praised mathematics faculty members Linda Rowland and Jeremy Sain for implementing an innovative program that seeks to move developmental math students into mainline college classes while supporting them with tutorial labs.

Regents approved a proposal presented by Ashlee Estlack and Annette Ferguson to contract with RunBiz to design and deploy a new college website that will meet the needs and expectations of today’s college students, who more and more are using tablets and handheld devices to access the web.

The board also voted in favor of a new agreement with DirecTV to provide television services in the residence halls and also provide three channels for the college’s own use.

Dr. Riza reported that the college will be moving away from having assistant coaches as dorm directors and return to having full time residence hall directors. This change will easily be paid for by improving retention rates from the fall to spring semesters by just one percent, the president said.

Dr. Riza also reported on the upcoming retirement of Dr. Paul Matney as president of Amarillo College and said that Clarendon will be signing updated memorandums of understanding with AC’s Board Chairmain to secure the future of CC’s cosmetology program in that city.

The board also discussed the student loan default crisis that is growing in the nation, and Dr. Riza announced that he is in talks with a default specialist company to work for the college and keep its default rate down. Clarendon College students receive about $3 million in student loans annually, he said.

Regents also voted to discontinue the college golf program, accepted the resignation of Workforce Development Coordinator Christy Brooks, and ratified the following faculty recommendations for the 2014-2015 academic year:

Jay Anders, Welding; Dale Askew, RFO; Melvin Balogh, Volleyball Coach/Instructor; Erinn Campbell, Cosmetology; Charla Crump, Speech; Kory Dunn, Nursing; Russell Estlack, Biology; Scarlet Estlack, Biology; Bret Franks, Ranch Horse Coach; Brian Fuller, History; Dana Hagood, Cosmetology; Raquel Hawkins, Softball Coach/Instructor; Cody Heck, Rodeo Coach; Alicia Hunter, Nursing; Kim Jeffrey, Criminal Justice/Government; Dr. Russell Killingsworth, Chemistry; Mary Nell Kiser, Cosmetology; Addie Lees, Women’s Basketball/Instructor; Zack Leggett, Cross Country Coach/Instructor; Melissa McCoy, English; Devin McIntosh, Baseball Coach/Instructor; Andy McLatchy, Government/History; Peggy Putman, Nursing; Judy Rickstrew, Cosmetology; Jana Rosalez, Cosmetology; Linda Rowland, Math; Dr. Jeremy Sain, Math; Leslie Schnaufer, Drama; Letha Storrs, Cosmetology; Jackie Sublett, Nursing; Johnny Treichel, Ag/Judging Coach; Daniel Trejo, Nursing; Laban Tubbs, RFO; Frank Vance, Math; and Brad Vanden Boogaard, Men’s Basketball.

 A wind energy company will pay Clarendon College more than $800,000 in direct payments and other contributions in lieu of property taxes.

CC Regents approved the deal with Cielo Land & Cattle, doing business as Salt Fork Wind, during their regular meeting Thursday, April 17. The proposed wind farm will be located along Interstate 40 in the northwestern corner of Donley County.

CC President Robert Riza said the company had agreed to pay $800,000 cash in equal payments over a ten-year period. In addition, Cielo will cover any legal fees associated with the agreement and provide scholarships to CC students.

“There will be some say that we left money on the table, but we thought it was a good deal.” Dr. Riza said. “I look at it as the first step in economic development and getting something going in Donley County. Anytime you have growth and development, it draws other things to you.”

The company has already made donations of equipment to the college’s wind energy technical program, Dr. Riza said, noting that he believes Cielo is a good company to work with because of their commitment to education.

Riza said the college will not put its wind energy gains in the operating budget but will instead put it aside in reserve for special projects or special needs in the future.

Cielo inked a $1.6 million deal with the county in November. While the county’s agreement is based on the energy produced after the wind farm is developed, Clarendon College’s agreement will begin as soon as construction begins.

Donley County Hospital District officials are also working on the final details of an agreement with Cielo. District Administrator Anna Howard said lawyers for both sides are going over the final papers, and she said the district is looking to receive payments in lieu of taxes once the project is completed.

The hospital board will meet again on May 20, but Howard said a called meeting could be held sooner once the papers are in order.

The District Court heard four pleas when it met in Clarendon on April 14.

District Attorney Luke Inman prosecuted the cases for the State of Texas with the Honorable Judge Stuart Messer presiding.

Jimmy Deforest Boyd was convicted and sentenced to 16 months in the State Jail Division of TDCJ for the state jail felony offense of unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Boyd, 57-year-old resident of Clarendon, was arrested in Donley County for the offense that took place February 22, 2014 by Donley County Deputy Vincent “Sonny” Marasco. Boyd plead guilty to a complaint filed by the State on April 11, 2014.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Boyd is required to pay $488 in court costs and $519 restitution.

Matthew Tyler Hanes was placed on probation for a period of three years for the second degree felony offense of burglary of a habitation. Hanes pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Hanes, 27-year-old resident of McLean, was arrested in Donley County for the offense that took place June 17, 2013 by Marasco. Hanes was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on November 12, 2013.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Hanes is required to pay a $1,000 fine to Donley County, $488 in court costs, and $103 restitution. If Hanes violates probation, he could face up to 20 years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Anthony Portillo was placed on probation for a period of ten years for the first degree felony offense of possession of a controlled substance. Portillo pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Portillo, 27-year-old resident of La Puente, Calif., was arrested in Carson County for the offense that took place April 10, 2014 by Danny Dawson. Portillo plead to a complaint filed by the State on April 11, 2014.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Portillo is required to pay a $10,000 fine to Carson County, $336 in court costs, $180 restitution, and successfully complete 400 hours of community service. If Portillo violates probation, he could face up to 99 years or life in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

The State also finally forfeited Portillo’s vehicle, which was a 1997 Honda Accord that was used in the offense.

Gustavo Rangel-Serna was placed on probation for a period of five years for the second degree felony offense of possession of marihuana. Rangel-Serna pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Rangel-Serna, 28-year-old resident of Phoenix, Ariz., was arrested in Carson County for the offense that took place February 28, 2014 by DPS Trooper Ben Dollar. Rangel-Serna plead to a complaint filed by the State on April 10, 2014.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Rangel-Serna is required to pay a $5,000 fine to Carson County, $336 in court costs, $180 restitution, and successfully complete 300 hours of community service.

If Rangel-Serna violates probation, he could face up to 20 years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

The State also finally forfeited Rangel-Serna’s vehicle, which was a 2009 Volkswagen Beatle that was used in the offense. This plea of guilty also subjects Rangel-Serna to deportation to his country of origin, which is Mexico.

Mulkey Block Party:

Did you know that if you go to the Block Party on Saturday the 24th of May, 2014, and if you take your kids there with you, you can take them in the Mulkey and you can bring a pillow or a blanket or a bean bag or a sleeping bag and, once everyone is comfortable, we will turn on a movie?

They will be playing movies all the time at the Block Party, we will never stop showing movies for that one day. This is just to make sure that it works. Is that nice?

 

Lions Convention:

The queen’s name is Josie Eck, and she is the Queen of the Lions Clubs in the Panhandle of Texas. She was wearing a white dress with a big white bow on the back of her dress. She got the crown for the Queen of the Lions Clubs, and she is from Canyon.

Clarendon College President Robert Riza has been recognized as an outstanding alumnus by Texas A&M University-Commerce recently.

Dr. Riza was one of 21 A&M-Commerce graduates welcomed back as Alumni Ambassadors on February 27 by the university.

Each academic department selected an alumnus/alumna to represent its division as an Ambassador at the Alumni Forum. The official designation given to these individuals, “Ambassador,” is the highest honor a department may bestow upon its alumni.

Dr. Riza was honored by the A&M-Commerce’s Department of Educational Leadership. He began his career in 1999 at Hill College in Hillsboro, serving as Director of Student Life & Athletics and later serving as PHED Department Chair and Director of Athletics. In the fall of 2004, he assumed the position of Director of Athletics at Pima Community College in Tucson, Ariz. In 2007, he was named the Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at PCC. In the summer of 2009, he returned to Texas to become the Vice President of Student Services at Hill College, where he served until December 2013 when he was named president of Clarendon College.

Dr. Riza has served on numerous committees including Clarendon Lions Club, Hillsboro United Way, President of the Western States Football League and the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference, President of Cleburne Christian Business Club, and Chair-Elect of Cleburne Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to his graduate degrees from A&M-Commerce, he has an associates’ degree from Weatherford College and vachelors’ degree from Texas Wesleyan University. He is married to Cobette Lewis Riza, and they have two children – Bobby, a student at Texas Tech; and Cassidy, a senior at Joshua High School.

“We continue to be amazed by our graduates,” said Derryle Peace, Director of Alumni Relations. “As these honorees come back to campus they give our students the opportunity to be inspired, impacting their lives, and encouraging them to strive for excellence in their professional and personal lives.”