Morgan Wheatly

By Ashlee Estlack

Clarendon College has been recognized by CNN Money as one of the top 30 colleges in the nation in a ranking of success rates of U.S. community college.

Clarendon College sits at #28 of the list with a 64 percent success rate, a number that is based on the percentage of students that graduated within three years or transferred to four-year colleges.

“We are pleased to appear on the CNNMoney list of colleges that give students the best chance for transferring to a 4-year university,” Clarendon College President Dr. Phil Shirley said. “We feel it is an invaluable asset to students seeking higher education to attend a college that has an excellent transfer record and high standards for matriculation to another higher education institution.”

According to the ranking, College Measures created the success rate chart for CNNMoney “to help students find the best options.”

CC is the ranked #1 for Texas community colleges on the list, and ranks #14 in the nation among small, rural colleges.

“We are humbled and gratified by this report and will continue to pursue excellence at every avenue as we continue to serve students to the best of our resources,” Shirley said.

To view the complete report visit http://www.money.cnn.com/pf/college/community-colleges/.

A few more candidates have joined the races for local offices, but only one board has enough candidates to hold an election at this point.

The City of Howardwick was still leading the candidate count at eight with David P. Cafferata and former alderman Mike Rowland running for mayor; William R. Jordan, Gail Leathers, and Jim Cockerham running for two vacant full terms on the Board of Aldermen; and Alderman Gene Rogers, Cory Longan, former mayor H.L. “Buster” Baird, and Sandy Sanders vying for two unexpired terms.

In Clarendon, Sandy Skelton has thrown his hat in the ring this week for one of the two full terms up on the Board of Aldermen. Mayor Larry Hicks filed to run for re-election previously.

Two incumbents on the Clarendon ISD Board of Trustees have filed the paperwork to run for their offices again. Robin Ellis and James Shelton are seeking re-election. There are three seats up on that board this year.

Hedley ISD has two terms up this year on its Board of Trustees, and incumbent Bonnie Walsh was the only candidate as of Tuesday.

As of Tuesday morning, the Donley County Hospital District still reported having just three candidates, one for each of the expiring seats. Incumbents Wayne Tubbs (Place 1) and Melinda McAnear (Place 3) are seeking re-election on the hospital board, which oversees emergency medical services and indigent care in the county. Carey Wann is also seeking the Place 2 seat currently held by Bob Watson.

The City of Hedley has three positions open on its Board of Aldermen this year but had no candidates as of Tuesday.

All local offices are elected at-large, but hospital board candidates must sign up for a specific place.

Sign up continues through March 1, 2013; and the elections will be held Saturday, May 11.

The Clarendon Economic Development Corporation Board this week awarded its 14th cash award under its Façade Grant Program this week to Landon Lambert.

The award was presented to Lambert for more than $3,900 worth of improvements he made to the north side of his property at 300 S. Kearney in making renovations for the offices of Texas Panhandle CyberMedics.

“The façade grant program was a huge incentive to get this storefront done and done properly,” Lambert said.

Under the terms of the grant, the work qualified for $1,980.80 from the CEDC. Lambert’s grant application was approved in 2010.

The CyberMedic office storefront had been closed off many years ago when the building was the home to JAMZ pizza and sandwiches, Lambert said. Contractors took down the siding, made sure the wall was structurally secure and then installed a new storefront door and windows and also applied a new stucco finish.

Inside, Lambert managed to preserve the original tin ceiling and created a very nice retro-looking office for CyberMedics, the computer service company started by Will Jordan in Howardwick ten years ago. Lambert said he did the remodeling of the office over about two and a half years as he had funds available, but he has more plans.

“Everyone just needs to stay tuned because we’ve got more to come,” he said.

The new aluminum frame windows and stucco color scheme on the CyberMedic storefront will be the pattern for the entire building moving forward, Lambert said. In addition to replacing second- and third-story windows, Lambert says his next focus will be on renting the corner space – most recently the home of Bronco Burger – and remodeling the former City Barbershop on the south side of the building for use as retail or office space.

Since the Façade Grant Program began in 2008, the CEDC has awarded $16,930.60 to property owners on a three-block stretch of Kearney Street.

The CEDC board did not renew its façade grant program for the 2013 fiscal year, choosing to focus resources on the Mulkey Theatre rehabilitation. A flurry of activity downtown in recent months, however, has the board reconsidering that move. CEDC directors will consider revising and reviving the façade grant program when they meet again next month.

Two Wellington residents accepted plea agreements on drug-related charges when the 100th District Court met in Clarendon on Wednesday, January 30.

District Attorney Luke Inman prosecuted the cases for the State of Texas with the Honorable Judge Stuart Messer presiding.

A total of $10,000 in fines was assessed as a result of the pleas that took place on January 30. In addition to the fines, the defendants were required to pay a total of $752 in court costs and $280 restitution.

Ramon Herrera was placed on probation for a period of six years for the second degree felony offense of possession of a controlled substance. Herrera pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

“The Collingsworth County Sheriff’s Office did an excellent job in this investigation acting on information they received and moving forward to locate illegal controlled substances in this county,” said Inman.

Herrera, 53-year-old resident of Wellington, was arrested in Collingsworth County for the offense that took place on January 24, 2013, and pleaded guilty to a complaint filed by the State on January 29, 2013.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Herrera is required to pay a $6,000 fine to Collingsworth County, $376 in court costs, $140 restitution, and successfully complete 300 hours of community service. If Herrera violates probation, he could face up to 20 years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Malinda Herrera was placed on probation for a period of four years for the second degree felony offense of possession of a controlled substance. Herrera pleaded guilty and was placed on deferred adjudication for the offense.

Herrera, 35-year-old resident of Wellington, was arrested in Collingsworth County for the offense that took place on January 24, 2013, and pleaded guilty to a complaint filed by the State on January 29, 2013.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Herrera is required to pay a $4,000 fine to Collingsworth County, $376 in court costs, $140 restitution, and successfully complete 300 hours of community service. If Herrera violates probation, she could face up to 20 years in the Institutional Division of the TDCJ.

Both arrests occurred after Collingsworth County Deputy Larry Ashurst executed a search warrant on Herrera’s house located at 1001 El Paso Street, in Wellington, Texas, according to court documents.

Cocaine and methamphetamines were located in the house, according to Inman.

Well, live and learn. I’ve always believed that Valentine’s Day was the creation of folks like Hallmark Cards, so they could sell more cards and mushy stuff. I figured that Valentine’s Day was the synthetic creation of some wayward, unscrupulous marketing guru, created just so corporate America could sell more greeting cards. Was I ever wrong. I was even more astounded to learn that Valentine’s Day is a religious holiday going way back to the time of the Roman Emperors. The religious denominations that formally recognize Valentine’s Day in their liturgical calendars are; Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and until fairly recently the Catholics.

St. Valentine’s Day began as a liturgical celebration of one, and maybe more, early Christian Saints named Valentinus. The record is unclear because it is so old, but the most popular legend associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry, and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted mightily under the Roman Emperor; during his imprisonment he is credited with healing the daughter of his jailer. Legend states that just before he was executed, way back in 250 C.E., he wrote her a farewell note and closed with “from your Valentine,” and thus became the first Valentine ever written.

It is commonly accepted that Saint Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and personally interrogated by Roman Emperor Claudius II. Claudius was personally impressed by Valentine and carried on a series of discussions with him, hoping to convert him to follow the law of the land and convert to paganism, thus saving his life. Unfortunately, St. Valentine refused his offer and had the gall to try to convert Claudius to Christianity, which proved to be a less than prudent decision. Claudius became livid with St. Valentine and sentenced him to death, affording him the opportunity to send the first valentine to the daughter of his jailer.

The first time Valentine’s Day was associated with romantic love was in the High Middle Ages, when the early English writer, Geoffrey Chaucer, wrote of it in one of his poems – back when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 1400s, Valentine’s Day had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, giving cookies and other bakery treats, and sending greeting cards (known as valentines). Please note that the men did not give their lovers cleaning tools, household cooking items, and other “useful” gifts that could be easily misconstrued by the aforementioned female lovers.

That is a good example to follow. Men – do not give your lover anything that requires work-like activity to operate correctly, like blenders, mixers, vacuum cleaners, etc. For example, even if she is a lumberjack, do not give her a nice sharp axe or chain saw. With the vicissitudes of life and love, and if your future behavior is not up to her expectations, you may meet that axe or saw again sometime in the future when sentiments have eroded.

The problem is that men generally don’t have a clue about what gifts to give their sweethearts (who should be their wives they if are married.) Household appliances, tools, rifles and handguns (even if you’ve been yearning for one), skimpy underwear, and food items (other than candy and chocolate covered strawberries) can all be unexpectedly hazardous to relationships. Even if the little missus enjoys hunting and fishing, I would not recommend giving firearms, bayonets, filleting knives, etc., even if she professes the desire for one.

A good rule of thumb to follow is successful examples found in history: give jewelry with heart-shaped outlines, doves (not dead or dressed), candles, flowers, and those cute little Cupid-like figurines. Even though hand-written valentines went out of style in the 19th century they are making a bit of a comeback, and offer a more personal and more meaningful message that the mass-produced Valentine cards. However, if you can’t write or spell well, and are inept at expressing meaningful sentiments of love, it’s probably better to go with a preprinted card.

Of course, Valentine’s Day isn’t only for lovers. Expressing our love to our children, grandchildren, and other family members is also meaningful and important. It goes without saying that we need to express our heartfelt love and appreciation to our children, grandchildren, parents and other family members.

The U.S. Greeting Card Association, which keeps records on such things, estimates that over 190 million valentines are sent throughout the United States every year. Half of those valentines are given to family members other than husband and wife, usually to children and grandchildren. When valentine exchanges in schools are included, the number of valentines given each year goes up to a billion, and teachers are the people who receive the most.

These days, the rising popularity of the Internet is also creating new Valentine’s Day traditions, with the giving of e-cards, love coupons, and printable greeting cards. Last year, over 20 million of them were sent out.

So, this Valentine’s Day, be sure to exchange cards and gifts with your love. Guys, gifts can include flowers and roses and chocolates packed in those red satin, heart-shaped boxes. As I mentioned earlier, diamonds and jewelry also make wonderful gifts of love.

Most importantly, just say, “I love you.” Valentine’s Day is, above all, a day in which we can express and share our love. After all, love is something we could all use more of.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Sweetcakes. I love you.