Morgan Wheatly

The Clarendon City Council plan to take its show on the road next week after aldermen clashed with a local property owner over code compliance issues last week.

The old Neece house at Sixth and Bugbee was again the topic of conversation, and property owner Linda Lewis updated the council on work she has done at the house, moving a colony of bees and demolishing a dangerous balcony on the house.

But Alderman Sandy Skelton was not satisfied with progress on the property that avoided a condemnation order late last year.

“It really doesn’t look better,” Skelton said, particularly noting vegetation grown up along fences at the property, which Lewis said is Virginia creeper groundcover rather than weeds.

“I would suggest you look at the neighborhood and see how neighbors take care of their yards,” Skelton said. “You take off to Pampa, and we’re left hearing the complaints.”

Alderman Larry Jeffers also complained about the appearance of the property, and Aldermen John Lockhart and Beverly Burrows offered suggestions on removing debris from the property in a quick manner.

Lewis defended herself saying that she felt like she had done a lot to the property.

The council plans to visit the property as an agenda item on next Thursday’s regular meeting.

Approximately 400 students were on the Clarendon College campus early last week for the annual Area I FFA Leadership Camp.

FFA officials said the camp has been held at CC since about 1969, when the late Jerry Hawkins and others started the program with just about 15 area kids, who went skiing at the newly opened Lake Greenbelt to close out their camp.

James Baxter, a former FFA sponsor who was at that first camp, said girls were not allowed in FFA when the camp started and that Hawkins enlisted the aid of a home economics teacher who invited girls to the camp dance.

FFA’s Area I is bordered by Lubbock County on the south and extends north the width of the Texas Panhandle. The area is comprised of 96 schools represented by 108 sponsors.

The camp at Clarendon College is modeled after the state FFA leadership camp, and Area I officers actually run the programs at the camp with the support of adult sponsors and employees of the college.

Clarendon College is the second best community college in the State of Texas, beating out 64 other institutions in a new ranking by Schools.com this month.

The survey ranked and scored community colleges on a 10-point scale, using data including the percentage of students enrolled in distance education, student-to-faculty ratio, cost of attendance, graduation rate, the number of transfer to four-year public college in Texas, and flexibility.

The recognition follows a 2010 survey by CNN/Money, which found Clarendon College was number one in the state in terms of student success.

“This validates what we’re doing,” said CC President Robert Riza. “We’re doing the things that make education accessible and available so students can continue down their paths.”

Dr. Riza credited the college employees who have the closest contact with the students as being the reason for CC’s success.

“It goes back to the faculty and staff who make these things happen,” Riza said. “We can make the plan, but they have to implement it, and they do.”

CC Board Chairman Jerry Woodard said the ranking by Schools.com reflects the effort of the college to serve students.

“This shows we’re making a difference in people’s lives,” he said.

The Schools.com article praises the College’s online course offerings and low student-to-faculty ratio, which is one of the lowest in the state.

Riza said 28 percent of Clarendon’s students take at least one online class and seven to ten percent of students take online classes only.

Riza also said Clarendon has a student-teacher ratio of 16 to one, its cost of attendance is very competitive, and CC’s graduation rate at 33.5 percent is one of the highest in the state for community colleges.

Galveston College, led by former CC president Myles Shelton, is ranked number one on the top 10 list, with Lone Star, Collin County, and Western Texas rounding out the top five schools.

To read the entire ranking, visit the Schools.com article at: http://bit.ly/1FyTm4R

Hedley ISD ag instructor Lon Adams was appointed to the Clarendon College Board of Regents during a called meeting Monday morning, June 22.

Regents met in closed session briefly before electing Adams to fill the unexpired term of the late Tex Selvidge.

“Lon comes with a tremendous background in education,” Board Chairman Jerry Woodard said. “His background, his community involvement, and his experience as an ex-student will enhance our board.”

Adams will be sworn-in at the board’s July. His term will expire next May.

In other college business, the Regents held their regular meeting last Thursday, June 18, in the Pampa ISD board room.

Among the items considered on the board’s short agenda, a contract with Interquest Canine Detection services was renewed, and a bid on tax delinquent property in Howardwick was accepted.

Regents approved a $5 per hour increase in tuition and adopted course fees as presented. President Robert Riza said the increases keep CC in line with other colleges and yet still below that of Vernon College and Frank Phillips in Borger.

The board ratified the employment of Michele Lockharts as an administrative assistant in Childress, Susan Russell as the associate dean of financial aid, and Gatlin Duncan as assistant rodeo coach and ranch horse coach. The resignation of Elena Valdez as the nursing administrative assistant was also acknowledged.