Archives for October 2017

The future of American agriculture policy was at the forefront when the Southwest Council of Agribusiness hosted Washington dignitaries at its annual meeting in Lamesa last month.

Clarendon’s Michael Newhouse, representing the Panhandle Peanut Growers Association, said the meeting was an important opportunity for West Texas producers to inform those who will help shape the next farm bill.
Newhouse and other Southwest Council board members met with US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, US House Ag Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-Midland), and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and expressed the need for more support for cotton growers from the federal government.

“Every commodity has a baseline price that basically is what it takes for the farmer to produce,” Newhouse said. “If the market price falls below that, the government tries to help. They subsidize what we do, otherwise you couldn’t afford what you currently buy at the grocery store. But there is no protection [for producers] in cotton.”
Newhouse stressed the importance of ag producers being involved in the political process.

“People like Ted Cruz don’t know anything about farming, but groups like [the Southwest Council of Agribusiness] inform them as they write these bills,” Newhouse said.

The current farm bill was written in 2014 and expires in 2018. The current bill’s policies and price supports will end in 2019.

“From now until 2020, there is no relief for cotton,” Newhouse said.

Despite the focus on the cotton at the meeting, Newhouse said the Southwest Council represents all segments of the ag industry, including producers, implement dealers, bankers, and more.

“This is not a cotton deal or a peanut deal. It’s not about just sorghum or corn or cattle,” he said. “All producers have to be on the same page and work together.”

Fresh off visits to parts of Texas devastated by Hurricane Harvey, Newhouse said Perdue and other leaders spoke about the importance of faith in the business of farming.

“Everyone talked about prayer and the need to get God back into things,” he said.

In his remarks, Perdue particularly called attention the “tenacity of the farmers of Texas, West Texas, and the High Plains” and emphasized the power of faith and prayer, noting that “only God can make it rain.”

“I don’t believe an atheist can be a farmer,” Perdue said. “You’ve got to have faith.”

Serving the Southwest Council as president of the Panhandle Peanut Growers, Newhouse said the September 22 meeting gave him a boost of optimism.

“It gave me hope because we have people who believe in God and who understand our needs helping us,” Newhouse said. “Farmers getting out and talking to their congressmen about their needs is so important, but many don’t understand that. It’s like people who complain but don’t vote. You have to be involved.”

The Southwest Council is an alliance of agricultural organizations, financial institutions, and businesses, established to actively advocate for strong agricultural policy, which is vital to the businesses and economy of the greater Southwest area including Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, and Colorado.

Rehabilitation of the Mulkey Theatre took another step forward last Tuesday, September 26, when the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation Board opened bids for heating and air-conditioning work on the building.

The board accepted the low bid of Pioneer General Contractors of $234,000 to install equipment and ducting to heat and cool the building’s main auditorium, stage, lobby, restrooms, and projection room.

CEDC officials will now negotiate cost savings on the project with Pioneer to bring the final cost of Phase 3B HVAC renovations down as much as possible.

Phase 3B is expected to be completed by the end of this year with Phase 4 – Interior Completion to get underway soon thereafter. Phase 4 will include installing seats, stage lights, and projection and sound equipment.

Funding for the heating and air improvements is provided in part by grants of $50,000 from the Don & Sybil Harrington Foundation and $10,000 from the David S. & Nona Payne Foundation. Additional funding will come from the Clarendon Community Fund, where donations to the Mulkey project are collected, and from funds financed by the economic development sales tax and hotel occupancy tax.

When completed, the Mulkey will serve as a multifunctional building that, in addition to showing movies, will serve as a performance hall and conference center.

Since 2008, the CEDC has spent more than $500,000 in public and private money to save the 1946 theatre. The building was declared one of Preservation Texas’ Most Endangered Places in Texas in 2012, but the organization moved the Mulkey to its “saved” list last year due to the renovations that have been undertaken.

To keep up with developments on the Mulkey, check out facebook.com/MulkeyTheatre, or visit ClarendonTX.com/Mulkey. To make a tax deductible donation to the project, send a check or money order to Clarendon Community Fund, PO Box 906, Clarendon, TX 79226.

The Clarendon Economic Development Corporation presented its 25th façade grant award to Signs Plus this week.

The business, located at US 287 and Gorst Street, received a check for $2,000 to help with the cost of its new awning, painting, and materials for new signage.

Owner Jody Berry has been in business for 19 years, the last 16 of which have been in the present location and said he learned about the façade grant program from JD SteakOut owner Jesus Hernandez.

“The program helped out with the visual aspect [of the improvements] and made it look nicer and we were able to do more than we would have,” Berry said.

The sign-maker says he encourages other people to look into the façade grant program.

“People should definitely use what avenues they can use to make our town look nicer,” Berry said. “It can help you and help your business, too.”

Berry’s grant application was approved last year, and this week’s award closes out façade grant applications under the current program.

The CEDC suspended the façade grant program with the start of the new fiscal year on October 1 until the board can review program rules at its November meeting.

Since the Façade Grant Program began in 2008, the CEDC has awarded $32,382.04 to property owners in Clarendon, resulting in more than $64,764 in business improvements. The Façade Grant Program has provided 50-50 matching grants, up to a maximum of $2,000 per project, which could be any of a wide variety of projects, such as a coat of paint, new signage, sidewalk improvements, or a complete rehabilitation of a storefront.

Under current program guidelines, the façade grant program has granted awards to eligible properties located in the city’s entire Central Business District and on the US 287 corridor.

Next month, the CEDC will consider renewing the existing program while adding an option to provide larger cash awards to businesses on Kearney Street for renovations that are more in keeping with the historic appearance of downtown using streetscape plans by Texas Tech University’s College of Architecture as a guide.