Archives for November 2017

The fate of Clarendon’s Dairy Queen is not yet settled as franchise owner Vasari LLC goes through bankruptcy proceedings.

Several media sources have reported that the Clarendon location is one of 29 Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma DQ restaurants to be liquidated.

But a spokesman told the Enterprise Wednesday afternoon the list is just one of possible closures and not a definitive list.

“After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday, Oct. 30, Vasari LLC, a Dairy Queen franchisee based in Texas, has announced the closure of 22 underperforming restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico,” public relations account manager Whitney Albert said. “Contrary to some earlier reports, no decision has been made on remaining locations, although some may close within the next 90 days. Ultimately, Vasari will restructure to create a smaller but financially stronger company.”

Dairy Queen was still open in Clarendon as of noon Wednesday, and a local employees said they had been given no information about the possible closure of the restaurant.

Vasari closed five Dairy Queens – including the ones in Shamrock, Perryton, and Dumas – prior to its bankruptcy filing. Among the additional 17 locations that closed this week were those in Wellington and Claude.

Clarendon College received a Medallion Award from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations at the NCMPR District 4 annual conference in Dallas last Saturday.

CC’s Chief of Staff Ashlee Estlack was awarded the Silver Medallion of Excellence for the College’s 2017 billboard promoting its cosmetology program in Amarillo.

“We are very proud of Ashlee’s accomplishments in our marketing and PR department,” CC President Robert Riza said. “It’s amazing the campaigns and materials that she can produce and that she wins against colleges whose marketing budgets are larger than our College budget. She has been an integral part of our success here at Clarendon College.”

The Gold Medallion was awarded to the Dallas County Community College’s Mountain View College and the Bronze Medallion went to Austin Community College and South Texas College.

“It is an honor to be recognized by our peers, especially considering the competition is much larger institutions with staffs of more than one,” Estlack said. “I’m blessed to do what I love every day.”

The NCMPR Medallion Awards honor outstanding achievement in communications. The competition is the only regional contest of its kind that honors excellence exclusively among marketing and public relations professionals at two-year colleges.

NCMPR, an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges, represents marketing and public relations professionals at community and technical colleges throughout the United States.

NCMPR’s District 4 includes colleges in Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.

Help is available for residents trying to figure out how to secure health insurance for their families thanks to Panhandle Community Services (PCS) in Clarendon.

“We have a local enrollment office staffed by trained healthcare.gov navigators,” said PCS Assistant Director for Health Services Kaitlin Mosley. “Our enrollment specialists provide free, in person assistance to individuals who need help signing up for or re-enrolling in health insurance.”

November 1 through December 15 is open enrollment time through healthcare.gov.

Mosley said the local PCS office in the Christ’s Kids building at 416 S. Kearney is open every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“We also have a family development specialist who is in and out of the office during the week and is available for appointments by calling 874-2573,” Mosley said.

PCS says eight out of ten people who enrolled in health coverage through HealthCare.gov qualify for financial help to make their monthly premiums more affordable and that signing up for a quality insurance plan is often cheaper than people think.

Mosley said the health insurance assistance is for working people who have some sort of job to provide income for their families, but she also said that people who don’t qualify for a subsidy can still benefit from letting PCS help them navigate healthinsurance.gov.

“We have farmers – who are basically self-employed – that use our services to help find the best health insurance for themselves and their families,” Mosley said.

Mosley said people just need to bring their recent W2 form or earnings statement along with their Social Security number to get started.

At the appointment, the PCS specialist will talk through options and share other important advice, including how to qualify for financial help, how to start an application, or how to enroll.

The PCS also offers help throughout the year to assist low income residents in applying for benefits such as Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, and Chip.

To find out more, call Panhandle Community Services at 874-2573.

The Clarendon City Council took action on several bid notices last week that sets the stage for upcoming community improvement efforts.

Two bids were accepted from J&K Dirtwork. The first was for construction of a monofill, a dedicated landfill for disposing city-owned demolition debris, at a cost of $9518.11. The monofill will be dug and fenced at a 100-foot by 300-foot site south of the hangers at the Smiley Johnson Municipal Airport. Each disposed structure would be covered by one foot of dirt to prevent any debris from blowing away, and TCEQ will periodically monitor the site.

The second bid from J&K was for demolition work on an as-needed basis at a rate of $3.50 per square foot. The bid will be good for one year, and city officials and J&K will agree on a square footage for each job.

Aldermen also approved a bid of $12,428 from Mark’s Welding & Construction for accessibility renovations to City Hall, which is a condition of funding from the USDA for water system improvements for the city. The renovations will include changes to the steps, ramp, handrails, and other features at the entrance of the municipal offices of the building.

The council also authorized a supplemental agreement with KSA Engineers related to the USDA project. The company will perform a required right of way survey for the project for $17,250.

In other city business, aldermen approved amendments to the fiscal year 2018 budget to accommodate the monofill, demolition, and other related expenses to the aforementioned projects as well other city needs. The money comes from $58,250 in unencumbered funds, part of which were dedicated but no longer needed for storm sirens and to match a grant the city will no longer be applying for.

In his report, City Administrator David Dockery gave the annual insurance claim report and said the city had claims totaling $79 last year. Aldermen also heard a code compliance update, expressed appreciation for the continued improvements at the old Bromley residence, and commended Greg Price for receiving his Class D water certification.

Donley County voters are set to consider seven proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution and Howardwick citizens determine who will fill two city offices when the 2017 general election is held next Tuesday, November 7, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The proposed amendments are discussed in an article on page eight this week.

Mayor Pro-Tem Eric Riddle is on the Howardwick ballot to fill the remainder of the mayor’s term, and he is being challenged by Greta Byars. Howardwick voters also have one unexpired city council seat to fill. That position, formerly held by Sam Grider, is being sought by Doc Holladay and Jada Murry.

Early balloting for the Howardwick races will continue through November 3 at Howardwick City Hall.
County voters can cast early ballots in the Constitutional amendment election also through November 3 by personal appearance at the Donley County Courthouse Annex.

On Tuesday, county voters can cast ballots at the following locations. Check your voter registration card for your polling box. Box 101 – Clarendon College Bairfield Activity Center, Box 102 – Howardwick City Hall, Box 201 – County Courthouse, Box 301 – Assembly of God Fellowship Hall, Box 303 – Hedley First Baptist Church, and Box 401 – Clarendon Church of Christ Family Life Center.

For a look at the proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, visit the Texas Tribune’s analysis here.