Archives for September 2014

Clarendon Aldermen again took no action on alcohol zoning variance request Tuesday, Sept. 9, making clear that there was little support on the city board for Grumpy’s Pizza to sell alcohol near the Agapé Christian Church.

The restaurant, which hopes to open next month, had made its formal request at the board’s August 26 meeting, but Aldermen took no action until more information could be obtained.

Patricia Krichhoff, representing Grumpy’s Pizza, addressed the board before the motion was made and discussed the board’s role in considering requests and standards that have been considered by other cities around the state.

Alderman Lockhart urged his fellow board members to consider the request.

“If we set a standard of ‘no variance,’ we will land lock ourselves,” Lockhart said, referring to the limited availability of commercial property in the city. “It’s our job to bring jobs, opportunities, and revenue to the city. This isn’t a club. It’s a place to eat. We’re not going to have intoxicated people on the corner.”

Kirchoff said the variance request had been covered by the Enterprise and posted on ClarendonLive.com, and that a notice had been posted at the restaurant on the southeast corner of US 287 and Faker Street for months with no negative response.

“Twelve hundred people know we’re here tonight,” Kirchoff said, “and no one is here to protest.”

Alderman Larry Jeffers said that did not translate into public support of the request.

“Just because they aren’t here doesn’t mean they support you or oppose you,” Jeffers said.

Alderman Sandy Skelton said several church members had told him they were happy keeping the distance of 300 feet prescribed by the ordinance, and Alderman Beverly Burrow again said church members had also told her they were happy with the zone as it is.

Alderman Lockhart advanced a motion to approve the variance, but the motion died for lack of a second.

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce got a boost last Tuesday, September 9, when the City of Clarendon restored funding to the organization.

For many years the Chamber had received 25 percent of the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) revenues, but in 2011 the city raised bookkeeping concerns and ultimately pulled the funding until the organization could reorganize.

Since then, the Chamber has moved into the Clarendon Visitor Center at the Mulkey Theatre to share office space with the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation, rebuilt its reputation, adopted new bylaws, and last month hired its former president, Bonnie Campbell, as Chamber Manager.

“We told them in May 2011 when they got things ironed out, they could come back to us,” Mayor Larry Hicks said at last week’s Board of Aldermen meeting.

Board members discussed the Chamber’s needs and its role in promoting tourism with Campbell and acting Chamber president Derlene Graham, and also asked Clarendon EDC Board Secretary Roger Estlack his thoughts on the CEDC’s role in managing the HOT Fund since the city delegated administration of all HOT funds to the CEDC in 2012.

“We serve at the pleasure of the city council,” Estlack said. “The CEDC isn’t going to fight over money. It’s your decision to make.”

Graham expressed the gratitude of the Chamber of Commerce for the city’s action.

“On behalf of the Chamber, I want to thank the City of Clarendon for their support and generous allocation of funds through the Hotel Motel Tax revenue,” she told the Enterprise. “These funds will be used to promote Clarendon and tourism. We are looking forward to working for and with the City and also our membership.”

Mayor Hicks also told the Enterprise that he appreciates the work the Chamber is doing.

“I’m excited about the Chamber,” Hicks said. “I’m glad to see they’ve reorganized, and I’m thrilled with who they hired for the manager. She’s done a good job [as president]. I look forward to seeing great things from the Chamber.”

The Chamber’s share of the HOT fund, which is estimated to be about $23,750 in the coming fiscal year, is only to be used for tourism-related Chamber activities and expenses, and city funds will be kept in a separate account from the Chamber’s general fund.

The CEDC will continue to administer the remaining 75 percent of the funds and will still handle all outside requests for funding.

 

State Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) stopped in Clarendon last Friday to update voters on issues facing the state and receive feedback from local voters.

The senator took advantage of the venue at Clarendon College’s Bairfield Activity Center to brag on community colleges and the role they play in education.

“Seventy-five percent of all entering college students start at a community college,” Seliger said. “Community college tuition is also 12 percent below the national average.”

Seliger said it was important for the state to begin looking at education as a single continuum and not separately as K-12 and higher education.

“It’s my goal to put more money into higher education, and I think we’ll see more outcome based funding for higher education.”

The senator also discussed illegal immigration, teacher shortages, and water issues.

“A growing state will place more demands on our system and our budget,” Seliger said. “I’m optimistic about the budget. I think we’ll see a budget increase but not over the cost of inflation and population.”

The state’s school finance system was also a topic of discussion since a judge recently ruled the current funding method unconstitutional. Seliger says it comes down to what figure is “adequate” per student.

“I think we’ll put more money in the system, but will it be ‘adequate’?”

Seliger closed his remarks by saying it is an honor to represent Donley County in Austin.

Clarendon College enrollment for the fall semester was essentially flat after the 12th class day reporting period last week.

CC reported that headcount was down by four students compared to the fall of 2013, but there is good news in the college’s contact hours, which are a large part of what the state funds the college on.

“We’re up 15 and half percent in contact hours,” CC President Robert Riza said, noting the difference of 262,352 last year compared to 303,328 this fall.

Credit hours are also up 9.8 percent.

Dr. Riza said the new TSI exam being administered to high school students who haven’t yet had higher level algebra classes hurt the college’s dual credit enrollment, and he said the college continues to deal with declining population in its service area.

Total enrollment this semester is 1,211 compared to 1,215 last fall. The largest enrollment is on the home campus in Clarendon with 352 students. Pampa has an enrollment of 276 students, and the Childress center has 54 students. Sixty-five students are enrolled in the college’s Amarillo cosmetology program.

The remaining enrollment is made up of dual credit, distance education, and students at the Jordan prison unit.

The Amarillo Globe-News reported that Amarillo College’s enrollment has shrunk five percent this fall.

Three Donley County cases were among 19 pleas heard by the 100th District Court when it met in Childress on August 21.

District Attorney Luke Inman prosecuted the cases for the State of Texas, assisted by Greg Buckley, with the Honorable Judge Stuart Messer presiding.

Amanda Jo Johnson was convicted for the state jail felony offense of driving while intoxicated with a child passenger and was sentenced to two years in the State Jail Division of the TDCJ, but the sentence was probated for a period of three years.

Johnson, 30-year-old of Pampa, was arrested by DPS Trooper Kellan Roberts on April 19, 2014, and was indicted by a Donley County Grand Jury on June 25, 2014.

Pursuant to the plea Johnson is required to pay a $2,500 fine to Donley County, $558 in court costs, $180 restitution, complete 100 hours of community service, and complete the DWI requirements under Chapter 49.

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

Hodges, 29-year-old resident of Clarendon, was arrested in Donley County for the offense that took place July 1, 2014, by DPS Trooper Darrin Bridges. Hodges pleaded guilty to an information filed by the State on August 20, 2014.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Hodges is required to pay a $10,000 fine to Donley County, $458 in court costs, $180 restitution, and successfully complete 400 hours of community service. If Hodges violates probation, she could face up to 99 years or life in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.

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

Garcia, 38-year-old resident of Clarendon, was arrested in Donley County for the offense that took place July 1, 2014 by Bridges. Garcia pleaded guilty to an information filed by the State on August 20, 2014.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Garcia is required to pay a $10,000 fine to Donley County, $458 in court costs, $180 restitution, and successfully complete 400 hours of community service. If Garcia violates probation, she could face up to 99 years or life in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.

The court also met in Clarendon on Friday, September 5, 2014, and heard one plea.

Cayce Marie Vinson was placed on probation for a period of two years for the state jail felony offense of engaging in organized criminal activity. Vinson pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Vinson, 24-year-old resident of Vernon, pleaded to information filed by the State on September 3, 2014.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Vinson is required to pay a $500 fine to Childress County, $400.50 in court costs, and $620.92 restitution.

 

Clarendon Family Medical Center is proud to announce the addition of a new member to their staff, Brandon Phipps, who has been working as a Physician’s Assistant at the clinic for about two weeks.

Phipps grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, before graduating from the University of Utah and studying to be a P.A. at the Nova Southeast University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Medicine wasn’t the first career choice for Phipps, who started in real estate marketing.

“I decided a few years ago that there was more I should be doing with my life,” Phipps said.

So inspired by a family member, he shadowed and allergist P.A. and learned how much Physicians Assistants could impact people’s health and make a positive difference.

Dr. John Howard recruited Phipps in May, and the young man moved to Clarendon this month with his wife, Carrie, and their three children – Callie, 11; Nikki, 8; and Parker, 6.

“Dr. Howard was looking for a family man… someone who could work with his practice and become part of the community,” Phipps said.

The new PA takes the place of Devah Pittman who left the practice in June, and will take some of Howard’s patients when the doctor takes office as county judge in January.

“I’ll make house calls when necessary and be on call every third weekend,” Phipps said.

Coming to a quality clinic like Dr. Howard’s has been important for Phipps.

“I’m honored to work with [fellow PAs] Sarah Burcham and Misty Nobles,” he said. “Sarah is a mentor and now a neighbor. It’s nice to have someone with a similar background.”

Phipps says he enjoys Clarendon and the people of the community.

“It’s nice to know the people I’m treating are my neighbors,” he said. “Carrie likes being here and being able to walk the kids to school. I’m grateful to Lori and Dr. Howard for helping us get settled. It’s nice to have an employer who is so involved in the community.”

Phipps is now seeing patients in the mornings and will begin seeing patients full time next week.

Well, they’ve gone and done it again. The ISIS jihadists in Syria have beheaded yet another Westerner, this time a British aid worker who was helping out in Syria. That makes three, with three Western prisoners still in captivity. The question is who are these people, and why are they causing so much grief and pain?

They are Islamists, Islamic jihadists, terrorists, IS, ISIS, pick a name. They are part of the umbrella group known as al Qaeda. Their ideologies claim that Islam should guide social life, political life, as well as personal life. They seek to expand Islam to a point that Sharia (Islamic law) rules the entire world. They are not about taking over a single country, they aspire to follow the example set forth by their prophet Mohammed and his early believers, and take over the entire world. They plan on beginning with Iraq and Syria, creating a caliphate – then branching out to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Syria, and Jordon – then using this base to attack Israel, all the while targeting the rest of the world.

The jihadist militant network is getting stronger with each passing day, and their areas of operation are continuing to expand. We need to remember that Islamic terrorism is not associated with just one group of people. There is no single creed, ethnicity, political group or nationality with a monopoly of terrorism. Jihadists employ terrorism as they do insurgency – as just one of the many tools they can use to achieve their objectives.

The Islamic State is stronger than ever and is heavily committed to world domination. They are not simply a group of crazy people who employ violence for the sake of violence. Granted, there are a few psychotic and sociopathic people involved, but taken as a whole, jihadists’ use of violence and terror is the result of rational set of goals and objectives.

Some naïve folks think that if we only educate them, give them a nice job, help them to feed themselves and their families then they will give up their violent and terrorists ways. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This is about religious fundamentalism and strong internal belief. This is not about the lack of educational or temporal needs being met. This is about a bunch of twisted religious zealots killing everyone who disagrees with their sick and inhuman beliefs.

It is of vital importance to understand that jihadists are theologically motivated. Actually, in their ideology there is no real distinction between religion, politics, and culture. They believe that it is their religious duty to propagate their own twisted strain of Islam along with the government, legal system, and cultural norms that go with it. Additionally, they believe that in order to properly spread their perverted strain of Islam they must strictly follow the example of the evil Prophet Mohammed and his Stone Age followers. They conquered Mecca, then most of the rest of the Arabian Peninsula before the prophet’s death. Within a hundred years they forged a massive empire that stretched across North Africa and most of Spain, even reaching the borders of China and India in the east. Just as Mohammed and his followers had conquered much of the known world, the Islamists seek to reconquer this empire and then expand it to include all the earth, including the United States.

In a recent interview with a prison minister, a Muslim imam stated that according to the teachings of the Koran, Islamists are commanded to kill all infidels (unbelievers) as part of the holy jihad. This is a commandment, not a suggestion. If they do so, they are assured a place in heaven. Granted, not all Muslims are jihadists, but all jihadists are Muslims.

People say that it’s a good thing that they aren’t over here, that it’s much better to fight them across the sea. We should not get too secure in this apparent situation. There is growing evidence that Islamic jihadists are making their way into the US through our porous southern border, including the Gulf of Mexico. Even though the liberal media disparages those (including law enforcement officers) who claim to have found Korans and other religious artifacts belonging to Muslims, along our southern border we must ask ourselves if it is possible that Islamic jihadists could sneak across the porous border.

The great Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz advised in his book, On War, that we need to prepare for what our enemy can do, not necessarily what he may do. I’ve no doubt that Islamists can sneak across our southern border. It matters not that they may or may not do it; it only matters that they can do it. Right now, we are not prepared for that certainty.

Of course, when the Midland County Sheriff, along with Governor Rick, mentioned that is it probable that Islamic jihadists may have already crossed the border, which is entirely possible, the Mexicans whined, wailed, and gnashed their teeth, calling such suppositions “absurd.” Over the years I’ve not put a lot of stock in what the Mexicans had to say. Going back to 1824, it seems to me that they’ve often spoke with a forked tongue.

Recently declassified documents from the FBI show Brazoria County is home to an alleged Islamist training compound. Other sources indicate that another training camp is located near Sweeny, known as “Mahmoudberg” – one of 22 owned by the group Muslims of the Americans. I don’t know how much of this is true, but I agree with the sheriff and Governor Rick that it is entirely possible that Islamic jihadists could sneak across our border and kill us. It may have already happened, or it may happen sooner rather than later. In either case, we need to be prepared to meet this threat.

A long family tradition continued for Estlack Boys (and Girls) Bantams over the weekend at the 2014 Tri-State Fair Poultry Show in Amarillo.

Cousins Nathan, Ben, Daniel, and Ella Estlack exhibited their chickens in the Youth Show, and sisters-in-law Ashlee Estlack and Scarlet Estlack had birds in the Open Show.

Nathan had the Champion Bantam of the Youth Show with a Black Cochin Hen that was also the Champion Featherleg and 4-H Best of Show. He received the Tri-State Fair & Rodeo Champion Youth Bantam Belt Buckle.

Ella showed the Champion Modern Game with a Black Modern Hen and receive Reserve Champion AOCCL (All Other Comb Clean Legged) with a White Crested Chocolate Polish Cockerel.

Ben showed the Champion AOCCL, a White Crested Black Polish Cockerel, and also had the Reserve Champion Featherleg with a Black Cochin Hen.

Daniel got the trophy for the Champion SCCL (Single Comb Clean Legged) with a Rhode Island Red Cockerel and also had the Reserve Champion SCCL with a Light Brown Leghorn Hen.

In the Open Show, Ashlee had the Best of Variety with a Bearded Splash Silkie Pullet, the Best Bearded Black Silkie Cockerel, and the Best – Bearded Paint Silkie Pullet.

Scarlet showed the Reserve Champion AOCCL with a White Crested Blue Polish Pullet and had the Best of Variety and Best of Breed with a Blue Mottled Cochin Cock.

The Estlacks had a good time at the Fair and enjoyed reminiscing with many current and former chicken exhibitors.