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Archives for June 2023

Deadlines coming up for July parades

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Clarendon’s annual 146th annual Saints’ Roost Celebration is coming up next week and deadlines are quickly approaching to sign up for the parades and to enter the Chamber of Commerce’s new “Best of Donley County” competitions.

Registrations for the Liberty Electric Kids’ Bicycle & Tricycle Parade and the Herring Bank Parade are due next Wednesday, June 28, at 5 p.m. and can be submitted online at ClarendonTx.com/parade or in person at the Clarendon Visitor Center.

Pre-registration is required to win the prizes in both parades. Entries that do not pre-register will be allowed to participate but will not be eligible to win.

The Liberty Electric Kids’ Bicycle & Tricycle Parade will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 1, with line-up at 8:30 at Third and Sully. Line up for the Herring Bank Parade will start at 9 a.m. with the parade taking off at 10:00. The theme for this year’s parades is “Adventure Awaits.”

The Herring Bank Parade features $850 in cash prizes with $250 available for the best float, $150 for the best car or truck entry, $150 for the best animal or riding unit, $150 for the best tractor or farm equipment entry, and $150 for the best “other” entry.

The Chamber is also introducing a Best of Donley County competition for the judging of jellies, jams, baked goods, and quilts. Drop-off is at the Visitor Center on Thursday, June 29, from noon to 5:30 p.m. with judging occurring on Friday, June 30. Winners will be announced Saturday, July 1, from the bandstand on the courthouse square immediately following the turtle races (around 2:30 p.m.). See ClarendonTx.com/blueribbon for more information.

This year’s celebration will be June 29 and 30 and July 1, starting with the COEA Junior Rodeo on Thursday, June 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s events will include the Depression Luncheon at the Crossties Ministry Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the COEA Ranch Rodeo opening that night at 7:30. Live music and dancing will follow the rodeo.

Saturday’s events on the square will have Ed Montana returning to provide music and serve as master of ceremonies. The Arts & Craft Fair begins at 9 a.m. with the parades also being held that morning. Craft fair booths must be reserved by calling 806-874-2141.
Diversified Waste is sponsoring the Chamber’s new Lawnmower Barrel Race starting at 11:30 a.m. with sign-ups before that at the Chamber booth on the square.

The Shriners barbecue will start at about 11 a.m. Meal tickets are $20 each and are available on the square or in advance at the Clarendon Visitor Center.

The Lions Club’s Cow Patty Bingo will follow the barbecue, and parade winners will be announced about 1 p.m.

The Henson’s Turtle Race will take place at 1:30 p.m. And the Ranch Rodeo will close out the day at the COEA Arena beginning at 7:30 p.m. and ending with more live music and dancing.

Call 806-874-2421 for more information.

District Court hears five Donley County cases

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The district court heard five Donley County cases among 25 pleas when it met in Childress June 8.

Ronald Deven Thomas Brittain, 27, from Claude, was placed on two years’ probation for the state jail felony offense of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine.

Brittain was arrested by 100th Judicial District Traffic Enforcement Division Investigator Todd Gambol on June 10, 2022. Brittain was indicted by the Donley County Grand Jury on March 20.

Brittain was also ordered to pay a $500 fine, $290 in court costs, $180 restitution, and complete 100 hours of community service. If his probation is revoked, Brittain faces up to two years in the State Jail Division of TDCJ.

Joseph Ray Casselberry was placed on two years’ probation for the Class A misdemeanor offense of assault causing bodily injury.
Casselberry was arrested by Donley County Sheriff’s Deputy Wesley Christopher on May 24, 2022. Casselberry was indicted by the Donley County Grand Jury on October 3, 2022.

Casselberry was also ordered to pay a $2,000 fine, $340 in court costs, and complete 100 hours of community service. If his probation is revoked, Casselberry faces up to one year in the Donley County Jail.

Jennifer Marie Boyd, 38, from Fountain, Colo., was placed on three years’ probation for the third-degree felony offense of possession of credit card or debit card abuse of the elderly.

Boyd was arrested by Donley County Sheriff’s Deputy Jay Longan for the offense that took place September 12, 2020. Boyd was indicted by the Donley County Grand Jury on March 20.

Boyd was also ordered to pay $290 in court costs, $3,321.79 restitution, and complete 200 hours of community service. If her probation is revoked, Boyd faces up to ten years in the Institutional Division of TDCJ.

Taylor Danielle Schwertner, was placed on eight years’ probation for the third-degree felony offense of injury to a child.
Schwertner was arrested by Donley Sheriff Butch Blackburn on October 17, 2022. Schwertner was indicted by the Donley County Grand Jury on March 20.

Schwertner was also ordered to pay $340 in court costs, a $500 fine, and complete 200 hours of community service. If her probation is revoked, she faces up to ten years in the Institutional Division of TDCJ.

Shelly Marie Brown, 56, from Kenmore, Wash., was placed on six years’ probation for the second-degree felony offense of possession of marijuana.

Brown was arrested in Donley County by DPS Trooper Stephen Bond on October 19, 2022. Brown was later indicted by the Donley County Grand Jury on March 20.

Brown was also ordered to pay a $4,000 fine, $290 in court costs, $180 lab fee, and complete 300 hours of community service. If her probation is revoked, Brown faces up to 20 years in the Institutional Division of TDCJ.

City council discusses new trash service

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The Clarendon City Council had a busy agenda June 8, covering topics from waste management to city administration to law enforcement and more.

In addition to the Greenbelt Water Authority contract reported on in last week’s Enterprise, the council discussed its contract with Diversified Waste Management. The city privatized its trash service in 2020 and allowed Diversified to take over that city service. The company has recently sold its solid waste services to Waste Connections.

According to the company’s website, Waste Connections is one of the largest full-service providers of solid waste collection and is the third largest solid waste management company in North America with a network of operations in 41 states and 6 provinces.
The council discussed assigning to the owner Diversified’s lease of the building, land, and equipment at the Clarendon Convenience Center. No action was taken on the request, and Waste Connections is to bring a new franchise agreement to the July council meeting.
The council also discussed the position of city administrator and agreed to extend an offer of employment to Brent Spier with a deadline of July7 for him to respond.
Aldermen met in closed session to conduct the annual evaluation of City Secretary Machiel Covey and then reconvened in open session and extended her contract to 2025.
Alderman Larry Jeffers was elected by the council to serve as Mayor Pro-Tem for the next year.

No action was taken on the Donley County Sheriff’s Department’s contract to provide law enforcement coverage for the city.

The council approved a motion to provide city employees with a family pass for the Clarendon Aquatic Center.

Lions serve flood victims

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The District 2-T1 Lions Alert mobile kitchen was activitated for the first time last week to help feed flood evacuees in Amarillo. Lions from Amarillo, Canyon, and Clarendon were on hand to help the first day. Enterprise Photo

Best burgers in town

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Briana Childers and Morgan Johnston make hamburgers at the Hart-Moore Field concession stand during summer baseball games. The burger operation is very popular and has recently been expanded thanks to a new grill. The burgers won’t last forever though. Get yours before baseball season ends Enterprise Photo / Kari Lindsey

City council questions Greenbelt project

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Greenbelt Water Authority’s planned $18 million project to develop groundwater resources for its member cities hit a snag last Thursday when it came before the Clarendon City Council.

City aldermen were asked to approve a supplemental contract with Greenbelt but instead took no action after meeting behind closed doors with attorneys for more than 40 minutes before discussing issues with water authority representatives and saying the contract was unacceptable to the city.

Attorneys for Greenbelt this week were working on language revisions to address city concerns, according to Greenbelt General Manager Bobbie Kidd, and were confident an agreement could still be reached before a July deadline to issue bonds.

“I think it’s going to work out,” Kidd said Tuesday.

At the meeting last week, Alderman Eulaine McIntosh spoke of her concerns about diminishing water availability over a widespread area, and she, along with Aldermen Tommy Hill and John Lockhart, also voiced thoughts about the fairness of the proposed 30-year contract.

The Texas Water Development Board in April approved more than $18 million for a new water supply project for the Greenbelt Municipal and Industrial Water Authority. The project would develop 2,800 acres of groundwater rights the water authority acquired in northern Donley County in 2017. Greenbelt would construct three water wells, well field piping, electrical distribution equipment, and a 12-mile transmission line to transport water to its existing water treatment plant. (Click here to read more about the project.)

Ten million dollars of the project is fully funded by the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and $8.11 million would be financed with Clarendon paying about six percent of that cost.

Alderman Larry Jeffers raised questions about the cost of the project over the 30-year term. Kidd said the city will end up paying less for water because the current Greenbelt bonds will be paid off in 2027.

Some aldermen expressed interest in making changes to the original Greenbelt contract, which was signed in the 1960s and reworked in 1975. Under the contract, the member cities of Clarendon, Hedley, Childress, Quanah, and Crowell and other customers of the water authority pay Greenbelt based on how much water they use. Clarendon’s portion of Greenbelt’s budget is about eight percent.

Kidd told the city council that right now Greenbelt has about three years of water in it. That’s not the life-expectancy of the lake, but rather how long the water would last if no more water was accumulated.

“This project is to make sure we don’t run out of water,” Kidd said. “We’ll never get another $10 million gift to do this. Without this project, I don’t know where you get water.”

It was mentioned during the discussion that the city has contracted with OJD Engineering to study groundwater resources in the city limits and the possibility of developing those resources.

In April, the council approved hiring attorney Marvin Jones to review the city’s obligations to Greenbelt.

At last week’s meeting, Kidd said Greenbelt had been working for 12 years on this project. He also said Clarendon could not develop its own water system without being in the state water plan and said the next state water plan won’t be approved until about 2028.

Alderman Jeffers objected to that comment, calling it a threat and saying he was done with the conversation.

“I didn’t threaten you,” Kidd said. “I’m just telling you reality.”

Clarendon is represented on the Greenbelt board of directors by Walt Knorpp.

Kidd said Tuesday that Knorpp doesn’t always make every meeting but that he had been at every meeting where an important vote had been held on this project and had supported it.

Greenbelt’s board must meet July 20 to give final approval to the project after bond ratings are set. Clarendon’s next regular city council meeting will be July 13.

Greenbelt representatives were planning meetings with other member city’s councils this week, and Kidd was optimistic the plan would ultimately move forward.

Read More: https://www.clarendonlive.com/2023/04/state-okays-18-million-for-greenbelt-project/

Donley County lifts outdoor burn ban

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Donley County Commissioners lifted the ban on outdoor burning during their regular meeting Monday, June 12.

County Judge John Howard said he had received over nine inches of rain at his house west of Clarendon in recent weeks and recommended lifting the ban.

Commissioners can easily reinstate the ban at a future meeting if dry conditions return, he said.

In other county business, officials discussed rising health care costs for employees as the county works to prepare its 2023-2024 budget. Health insurance will be going up about $1,000 per person on the county payroll, an increase of about 6.5 percent. The county is also expecting an increase in the cost of providing AirMed coverage for county employees in the amount of $10 per month per employee.

Commissioners agreed to adopt a back-up call system for emergency situations. If the county judge is unavailable, a commissioner will be on call to handle emergency situations.

The court approved ordering a new motor grader for Precinct 1 at a cost of about $390,000. Howard said it will take about a year for the new machine to be delivered to the county.

An interlocal agreement with the Department of State Health Services was approved for the county to continue to provide access to vital records such as birth certificates.

A proposal from CTSI was also approved in the amount of $9,863.14 to purchase three new computers for the clerk’s office and one for the treasurers office along with other computer equipment.

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