Tea time
Sales tax revenue falls 7%
Clarendon merchants got off to a rocky start in 2015 based on figures released last Wednesday by Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar.
The comptroller released sales tax figures representing January sales, and Clarendon’s tax revenue dropped 7.37 percent compared to the same period one year ago. The city received $25,132.06 for the month.
Clarendon’s sales tax collections for the calendar year-to-date are still head of this point in 2014, up 2.01 percent at $96,522.27.
Hedley’s sales tax figure also dropped for the month, down 12.56 percent to $364.55 and bringing the year-to-date figure down 2.35 percent to $1,598.59.
After months of declining revenue, however, the City of Howardwick saw a 26.59 percent uptick in its sales tax revenue to $1,409.60, but that city still trails for the year, down 3.33 percent at $3,296.38.
Statewide, sales tax revenue in February was $2.46 billion, up 11.7 percent compared to February 2014.
“This marks the 59th consecutive month of year-over-year growth – an encouraging sign that Texas’ diverse economic engine continues to drive spending growth,” Hegar said.
Services held for former Clarendon city alderman
Former Clarendon Alderman Terry Lee Noble was laid to rest Monday during services that dealt openly and honestly with a subject too often pushed into the shadows.
Noble took his own life in Pampa last Wednesday, March 11, marking the end of a lifelong struggle with depression.
Family and friends crowded into the Saints’ Roost Chapel of Robertson Funeral Home, and Rev. Charles Lowry, pastor of CrossPointe Church in Pampa, officiated the service and addressed the topics of suicide and depression while eulogizing his friend.
“I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable, but we better start talking about this,” Lowry said.
The pastor sought to assuage any feelings of guilt that Noble’s friends or family might have by assuring them that everyone had done everything that they could do in the days leading up to his death and throughout his life. He also said that Noble never wavered in his love for his friends and family.
“I’m here to tell you that a clear thinking Terry never would have done this,” Lowry said. “A clear thinking Terry never would have put you through this. But even in his darkest times he never lost his love for you.”
Lowry also spoke of Noble’s relationship with Christ, his desire to help other people through mission work in Pampa, and his efforts to help himself and others with depression through a recovery group in that community.
Lowry said that while he believes Noble’s final action was a sin in that it was outside of God’s will, he said he firmly believes through the power of the scriptures that it in no way separates him from eternal salvation. “This was a sickness,” he said.
“I believe if Terry could talk to us today he would tell us that he should have waited on God,” Lowry said, and he fervently prayed that anyone going through depression as Noble had would seek out all the resources available to them.”
Noble was born November 17, 1964, in Memphis to Lacy Lee and Janiece Weatherly Noble. He married Lesa Maye Lewis on December 8, 2012, in Pampa. He was a mechanic for Chamberlain Motor Company and Stanley Auto Group in Clarendon, Clarendon College, and Culberson Stowers in Pampa prior to his death.
Noble was twice elected to the Clarendon Board of Aldermen in 2007 and 2011 and served on the board of the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation. He resigned from the city council and the CEDC in 2012 when he moved to Pampa.
He loved to working outside, building things, and enjoyed farming.
Noble was a member of CrossPointe Church in Pampa where he had volunteered and did various jobs in the church.
Noble was preceded in death by his father and his granddaughter, Trinity Grace Brogdon.
He is survived by his mother, Jan Noble of Clarendon; his wife, Lesa Noble of Pampa; four sons, Devin Noble of Clarendon, Josh Noble of Amarillo, Chris Howard and Hunter Hall both of Pampa; four daughters, Tiffany Brogdon of Lelia Lake, Destiny Lewis and Jessica Hall both of Pampa, and Cheyenne; and a sister, Paula Garrison of San Angelo.
The family request memorials be sent to CrossPointe Church, 711 E. Harvester, Pampa, Texas 79065.
AMA Techtel boosts Hedley Internet speed
AMA Techtel announced Monday that it has completed its new tower and an upgrade of the company’s high speed Internet broadband and voice platform in Hedley, which will boost its download speeds to 3MB and 6MB.
Existing customers have already been upgraded to the new equipment, and new customers are beginning to be added, the company said.
“This upgrade marks an important milestone in AMA Techtel’s commitment to provide our rural customers with best-in-class services,” a company press release said. “Our customers enjoy unlimited Internet usage, no speed throttling, no hidden fees or taxes, and personal customer service.”
The service upgrades are being provided by AMA Techtel at no additional cost, and will increase Internet speeds up to six times faster than before. These faster speeds are not limited to current customers – they’re available to new sign-ups as well.
AMA Techtel is one of the largest providers of high-speed Internet and voices services in rural Texas, connecting thousands of customers to entertainment, information, and most importantly, each other. For more information, contact AMA Techtel at 322-2222.
Editorial: Bean still inspiring Americans
The City of Shamrock welcomed an American hero last week as former astronaut Alan Bean gave the keynote address at the Friday banquet that preceded the big St. Patrick’s Day Celebration in that city.
A product of the Texas Panhandle, Bean was born in Wheeler, and surely no one on the second floor of that drug store in 1932 ever imagined at the time that this boy would one day walk on the surface of the Moon. But as fate would have it, Bean would eventually join the Navy, become a fighter pilot, and then… get turned down to be an astronaut. The rejection stiffened his resolve, however, and he worked harder to gain a spot in NASA’s fledgling space program. His hard work paid off, and he eventually found himself on a 250,000-mile journey to Earth’s nearest neighbor on the Apollo 12 mission in November 1969.
Bean was the fourth man to walk on the moon during a program that many consider as the greatest technical achievement of the American civilization. This boy born not so far from here was part of something that typified American greatness or, as some like to call it, American exceptionalism.
In all of human history, only 12 men have ever walked on the Moon – all of them Americans and no one since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Your editor was two years old then. Those younger than 42 have never seen someone do what Bean did.
Capt. Bean isn’t concerned by this. He notes that the Pilgrims didn’t land at Plymouth Rock until 128 years after Columbus sailed to the New World. But there was a lot of exploration done in those ensuing years… new lands and peoples discovered… new records set… and boundaries pushed further and further.
Politics is largely to blame for the languishing of the American space program. We haven’t gotten a man out of earth orbit for four decades, and right now we can’t even put an astronaut in space without hitching a ride from the Russians. In 2004, President George W. Bush outlined a new program designed to return humans to the Moon by 2020 and launch missions further into space. In 2010, President Barack Obama pulled the plug on the program.
Americans still have it in them to accomplish great things like Alan Bean did. But we have to stop worrying about how many calories are in a school lunch, how to make life easy for the non-productive, or how to have a government program to take care of people from the cradle to the grave. We need leaders who lead, a government that sets goals which actually push us to achieve greatness, politicians who respect and understand the importance of science, and a president who will inspire to again be the greatest nation on God’s earth.
But until that happens, I will be thankful that my kids got the opportunity to meet an American hero and hope that they understand the greatness of the man and the enormous importance of what his generation did for all mankind. My son says he wants to go to Mars. (Shoot a mile, his old man would like to go to Mars!) And who knows? Maybe someday, when things are right, maybe he – or his sister – can follow in the footsteps other kids from the Panhandle, like Alan Bean and Rick Husband, and blaze a trail in the sky.
Meanwhile…
No one is safe while the Texas Legislature is currently in session. The most uncompromising elements of the Republican Party are running the state, and this week they’re making headlines with the passage of an open carry bill out of the Texas Senate. The measure now goes to the House, and the governor has already indicated he’ll sign the bill into law.
Other than returning Texas to the wild, wild West, it’s not clear what the advantage of this law would be. Concealed carry is one thing, but having a good number of the population walking around with a gun on their hip just seems to increase the likelihood that some nut job will get his hands on a firearm.
Open Carry is getting all the press, but here’s some other things the boys and girls in Austin are up to. The budget proposed in the House zeroed out funding for the Courthouse Restoration Program that Donley County and others have benefitted from. It also zeroed out funding for the Texas Trails program that has helped boost heritage tourism to rural communities.
And more good news… no fewer than six bills have been filed to curtail your right to know what’s happening in your local governments by eliminating or truncating public notices in newspapers. Instead of making government more open and more transparent, there are forces in power who would like to see things kept out of the public’s view.
All of this and we still have the real issues to deal with… education financing, out of control standardized testing in public schools, and a little deal of not having enough water for our growing state. But, hey! They’re on top of the gun thing.
Mason named Defensive Player of the Year
By Sandy Anderberg
Senior Bronco Charles Mason has been named the Defensive Player of the Year by participating coaches in District 2.
Mason has played a huge role in the success of the Broncos the last four years. His quickness and fundamental strengths on the court allowed the Broncos to be at the top of their district each season.
Bryce Grahn and Chance Lockhart were named to the All-District team as well. Grahn and Lockhart are young, but gained valuable experience on the court this year and were also instrumental in the success of the team. Cedrick McCampbell and Junior Ceniceros were given honorable mentions for their work on the court.
According to coach Brandt Lockhart, several Broncos were named to the Academic All-District Team. Cedrick McCampbell, Chesson Sims, Riley Shadle, Chance Lockhart, Bryce Grahn, and Colt Wood were recognized for not only their play on the court, but their attention to maintaining high standards in the classroom as well.
Lady Broncos take on Alumni in softball game
By Sandy Anderberg
The Annual Alumni game was played last Saturday at the CHS Softball field with about 14 players representing the Alumni. The Lady Broncos defeated the Alumni, 20-4.
“It was a lot of fun seeing the exes return and play,” coach Gary Jack said. “Our girls played pretty good with Briley (Chadwick) and Sterling (King) doing the pitching and Taylor (DeGrate) catching. “Skyler (White), Karlee (Adams), King, Taylor (Gaines), Brooke (Martin), Chadwick, Shelby (Baxter), Jensen (Hatley), Brittney (McAnear), and Hannah (Hommel) all had good hits in the game. We played solid defense for the most part.”
Jack was excited with the turnout for the Alumni and all of the exes were glad to be back on the field.
“Thanks again to the ex-players for coming back to play in the Alumni game. It was fun as usual.”
The Lady Broncos will play at Booker on Friday at 4:00 p.m.
Broncos fall to River Road
By Sandy Anderberg
The Broncos outhit the Wildcats four to one but were not able to post the runs on the board and suffered a 2-4 loss last week.
According to coach Brad Elam, Bryce Hatley had a hot bat for the Broncos going one for four from the plate, driving in one run and scoring one run. Hatley also homered in the third inning. Zack LaRoe was on the mound and did a great job against River Road holding them hitless for over four innings. He allowed no earned runs, walked four, and struck out six.
The Broncos were able to post a run in the third and one in the sixth when Hatley homered.
On Friday, the Broncos smashed Wellington 17-2 in five innings. The Broncos exploded in the fourth inning when they scored 10 of their 17 runs. Andy Davis got things rolling on an RBI single, and then Nathan Shadle slammed a two-run single. Hatley connected on an RBI single, and LaRoe made good on an RBI double. Nick Shadle scored once, and brother Nathan doubled again for the Broncos before the inning was done.
Chance Lockhart was on the mound and Wellington struggled against his pitching. Lockhart allowed no earned runs, walked no hitters, and struck out four in his two innings on the plate. Kade Hunsaker hit an RBI double and Shadle struck again with a two-run single to top off the scoring.
Over the weekend the Broncos played in a tournament in Fritch. They defeated Dalhart 14-2, and then beat Fritch 7-5, before losing to San Jacinto 4-15. They took on Dimmit in the last game and earned an 8-3 win.
Elam was pleased with the performance by the Broncos in the tournament.
“We had a very good spring break,” he said. “We got to play outside in the nice weather and get four good games in. I was very pleased with the way we played in every game. Minus one inning, we had a very strong tournament.”
Elam also said several players got to play in a lot of different spots.
“We are still looking for the right mix once district comes around,” Elam said. “Seven different pitchers saw action, and I was very pleased with the way they performed. I thought we made a few too many errors in the field, but we have not had a chance to work much outside due to weather. Offensively, I though we hit the ball well. I thought our base running was good as well, and we are looking good heading into district in two weeks.”
The Broncos will play at home against Shamrock on Friday, March 20, at 4:00 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, the Bronco JV will play in the Nazareth tournament.
Terry Lee Noble
Terry Lee Noble, 50, died Wednesday, March 11, 2015, in Amarillo.
Services were held on Monday, March 16, 2015, in Robertson Funeral Directors Saints’ Roost Chapel in Clarendon with Rev. Charles Lowry, officiating.
Burial followed at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
Arrangements were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Terry was born November 17, 1964, in Memphis to Lacy Lee and Janiece Weatherly Noble. He married Lesa Maye Lewis on December 8, 2012, in Pampa. He was a mechanic for Chamberlain Motor Company & Stanley Auto Group in Clarendon, Clarendon College, and Culberson Stowers in Pampa prior to his death. He had served as alderman for City of Clarendon and was a longtime resident of Clarendon before moving to Pampa 2 years ago. He loved to working outside, building things, and enjoyed farming. He was a member of CrossPointe Church in Pampa where he had volunteered and did various jobs in the Church.
He was preceded in death by his father and his granddaughter, Trinity Grace Brogdon.
He is survived by his mother, Jan Noble of Clarendon; his wife, Lesa Noble of Pampa; 4 sons, Devin Noble of Clarendon, Josh Noble of Amarillo, Chris Howard and Hunter Hall both of Pampa; 4 daughters, Tiffany Brogdon of Lelia Lake, Destiny Lewis and Jessica Hall both of Pampa, and Cheyenne; and a sister, Paula Garrison of San Angelo.
The family request memorials be sent to CrossPointe Church / 711 E. Harvester/ Pampa, Texas 79065.
Sign our online guest book at www.RobertsonFuneral.com
Teague
J.C. “Jay” Teague, 85, died Tuesday, March 10, 2015, in Amarillo.
Services were held on Thursday, March 12, 2015, in the Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon with Rev. Larry Capranica, officiating.
Burial followed at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
Arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Jay was born December 25, 1929, in Pampa to J.C. and Mamie Teague. He married the love of his life Verna Grace Smith on August 14, 1950. He served in the US Air Force from 1947 to 1950 as a Meteorologist. He retired from the National Weather Service in 1985 with 32 years of service. He was a pretty neat man who trusted the Lord and was saved in 1950. He was a man of God who loved his family, friends, church family, RV friends, and enjoyed fishing, playing board games, and tending to his garden. He was a member of the Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon. He will be greatly missed.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother; 4 sisters; and a son Kenneth Wayne in 1983.
He is survived by his wife, Verna Teague of Amarillo; a son, Jay Stanley Teague of Amarillo; a sister, Gertie Ingram of Springdale, Arkansas; his grandchildren, Daphne Sanders, Carrie Gimpel, Trace Teague of Amarillo, Monty Ulibari of Canyon Lake, Jason Teague of Metuchen, NJ, and Eric Teague of Perth Amboy, NJ; and 9 great grandchildren.
The family request memorials be sent to a charity or church of choice.
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