Roger Estlack

Clarendon volunteer firemen have been kept busy lately and are credited with saving at least four homes in the last two weeks.

The Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched Sunday morning, January 27, to a grass fire near the intersection of FM 1260 and CR W. Fire Chief Jeremy Powell reports the blaze was the result of multiple fires started by a vehicle travelling north on FM 1260. Southwest winds quickly caused these fires to threaten three homes, Powell reported.

The Hedley Volunteer Fire Department was requested for mutual aid, as was Donley County Precinct 1, 2, 3, and 4 motorgraders. Two of the fires traveled more than a mile before being contained. Powell said no homes or outbuildings were lost but between 180 and 200 acres were burned.

Firemen had just come off another grass fire last Monday evening, January 21, and were still at the station when they were dispatched to the Mable Dean Wilson house at Bugbee Avenue and Sixth Street.

Powell said the family had been working on the home and been gone about 30 or 40 minutes when they came back and discovered the house was full of smoke.

Nearly the entire department responded, Powell said, and had the fire knocked down within five minutes of arriving.

No structural damage was done to the house, but there was smoke and heat damage throughout. Fire damage was contained to the kitchen area. Powell said the department could not determine the cause of the fire.

The department closed out 2018 after responding to 182 calls that totaled 4159.50 man hours. Thirty-four calls were in the City of Clarendon, 128 calls were outside the city limits in Donley County, and 20 calls were outside the county assisting neighboring departments. The CVFD has 26 active members.

The recent shutdown of the federal government has negatively impacted the City of Clarendon’s water infrastructure project, costing the city money and delaying work on the project.

City Administrator David Dockery said work on Clarendon’s $3.1 million project stopped January 18 when the contractor pulled employees off the job amid concerns about payments. The project is funded by the US Department of Agriculture with a combination grant and loan to the city.

Both the city and the contractor incurred legal fees before the project was officially “paused” on January 28.

Both parties are scheduled to meet with USDA officials on February 5, and the contractor is expected to have workers back on site February 6.

Dockery said the project will have lost about three weeks of productivity by that time and said the major causes of the delay is that project contract has no provision for what happens if the government shuts down and payment requests for the contractor cannot be processed until they are approved by USDA.

Dockery said the city’s project is now behind schedule, and there is no guarantee that any future shutdown would not cause a similar disuption for the local project.

The federal government shut down for a historic 35-day period as President Donald J. Trump and Congress deadlocked over funding priorities, specifically the president’s border wall proposal. That impasse ended, at least temporarily, January 25 when national leaders came to an agreement to fund government operations until February 15.

The Howardwick City Council voted to renew its franchise agreement with Red River Water Authority for a seven-year period following a lengthy debate last Tuesday, January 15.

The city’s present agreement with Red River is expiring next month after a period of 40 years. Howardwick officials and the water authority had agreed to a draft agreement calling for a 10-year period, but some aldermen felt like that was still too long.

Alderman Brice Hawley was the chief critic of the ten-year term, noting Red River’s failure to read meters effectively and reminding the council that some citizens are cheating the system.

“We have people bypassing the meters or not even having meters, tying right into the system,” Hawley said and further stated that the situation has led to higher water rates.

City attorney Bryan Guymon said the city’s options are limited because it doesn’t own the water system.

“We have no leverage as a city,” Guymon said.

“How do we remedy that?” Hawley asked.

“Build your own [water system] or buy the system [from Red River],” Guymon said. “But we’re talking millions and millions.”

City Secretary Sandra Childress said the best thing for the city was to shorten the agreement length from 40 years to ten years thereby assuring Howardwick has water while giving the city time to explore alternatives.

Alderman Johnny Hubbard said the city should have started earlier on the franchise agreement.

“If we had been doing this instead of playing games the last six months, maybe we could have done something else,” he said.

Hawley pushed for a delay in renewing the franchise agreement or to try to get a shorter term such as five years. Aldermen Debbora Sharpton and Marietta Baird said they didn’t think any alternatives could be found in that short of time, and Childress discussed the costs, just in added payroll, of operating a city water system.

Mayor Greta Byars remained quiet through most of the meeting, saying the decision was up to the council.
Hawley put forth a motion, seconded by Alderman Johnny Floyd, to shorten the term to five years. The motion failed.

Sharpton moved to approve the agreement as presented with the ten-year term. Attorney Guymon mentioned that Red River had proposed another 40-year term and that coming down to ten was huge for the authority. Baird seconded Sharpton’s motion, and that motion also failed to get a majority.

Floyd then moved to agree to seven years, seconded by Hubbard. That motion was approved unanimously.

Red River’s board approved the seven-year proposal the next day, City Hall said later.

Also last Tuesday, the council convened in closed session with the city attorney. Returning to open session, the board voted to have Aldermen Floyd and Sharpton, along with Guymon and Childress, meet with Fire Chief Will Jordan and several members of the volunteer fire department. Hawley abstained from the motion.

Nationally recognized speaker Lyndy Phillips will be the headline entertainment when the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce holds its annual Awards Banquet on Thursday, February 7, at the Bairfield Activity Center.

Awards to be given will be the Saints’ Roost Award for a lifetime of service to the community, the Man and Woman of the Year, and the Business of the Year. The Chamber will also recognize outstanding youth from Clarendon and Hedley.

Lyndy Phillips was raised on a farm in the Texas Panhandle, served 15 years in full-time ministry, worked 12 years in sales and fundraising, and was the Executive Director for a highly popular television show about marriage.

Phillips engages audiences, makes them laugh, amazes their minds, and delivers clean, humorous content to reduce stress immediately and long term. He’s been performing magic since the age of nine and performed his first stage magic show at the age of fifteen. In college, he began combing speaking, comedy, and magic as a way to amaze and amuse people while delivering his message.

This year’s banquet theme is “ShowTime! Clarendon’s Night at the Movies” in honor of the upcoming re-opening of the Mulkey Theatre.

Table sponsors are encouraged to decorate with a Hollywood or motion picture theme or in the style of a favorite movie. Attendees are encouraged to dress in character or as their favorite actor or actress. Prizes will be given for the best table decoration and the best individual costume.

The event starts at 6 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction followed by the banquet, entertainment, and awards at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person and must be purchased in advance at the Visitor Center.
For more information, contact the Visitor Center at 874-2421.