New cheerleaders
Bobby Wayne Smith
Bobby Wayne Smith, 79, of Amarillo, Texas died Monday, June 18, 2018, in Amarillo.
Services were held on Saturday, June 23 2018, in First Baptist Church, Clarendon, Texas with Elder Jeff Riles, Jr. and Elder Roy Williams, officiating.
Arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Bobby Wayne was born on March 12, 1939, in Gilmar, Texas to B.W. and Beatrice Jones Smith. He lived most of his life in Amarillo where he owned his own roofing company. He was a member of the True Church of God in Christ in Clarendon. Bobby enjoyed fishing and hunting rabbits.
Bobby was preceded in death by his parents; wife of 50+ years Cora Bell; a brother Billy Joe Smith; two sisters; Patricia Ann Smith and Joann Brown; and a grandson David Wayne Fields.
He is survived by two daughters; Myrna Cook and husband George of Corsicana and Louise Fields of Amarillo; three brothers, Curtis Smith and wife Annie of Forney, B.W. Smith Jr. of Amarillo, and Archie Smith and wife Vanessa of Dallas; sisters Doris Gardner of Clarendon and Essie Jean McCampbell of Clarendon; two grandchildren, Tia Cook of Corsicana and Vonda Granthan and husband Dwayne of Amarillo; five great grandchildren, Landen, Landan Jr., Germinah, Kawii, Charlye and Kazeen, a special friend Debra Harper of Lawton, Oklahoma and a host of nephews, nieces, family and friends.
Sign our online guest book at www.RobertsonFuneral.com
Editorial: Others should follow CC’s lead on training
Clarendon College and its attorney Chase Hales deserve recognition for the Open Meetings Act training presented at last week’s meeting of the Board of Regents. It was very well done and should be emulated by other local governments, specifically Howardwick.
Too often, elected officials are just pointed in the direction of the online training available, which is good but frequently forgotten. It satisfies the legal requirement that board members have to be trained, but it doesn’t leave the lasting impression that is necessary to keep officials out of trouble.
By contrast, CC’s newest regent – Tommy Waldrop – along with fellow his fellow board members, most of whom have been regents for many years, got the benefit of training specifically suited to their positions complete with scenarios that their unique roles face.
Hales obviously spent a lot of time planning his presentation, which included 32 detailed slides with specifics of all kinds. And yet, as detailed as it was, Hales also kept it simple. Don’t talk about it if it’s not on the agenda. Executive sessions have narrow, specific purposes and limited scope. Stick to the agenda. Subcommittees are subject to the Open Meetings Act and Public Information Act. Stick to the agenda. Board members shouldn’t engage staff other than the president. And last but not least, stick to the agenda.
Astute readers probably picked up on a theme in that paragraph. Basically, Hales warned board members that a meeting is not the time to discuss whatever is bothering them or whatever comes up as a flight of fancy during a meeting. The public, the attorney emphasized, has a right to know what’s going to be discussed prior to the meeting in case they want to be there for that discussion.
Some boards have no trouble with that concept. Other entities, like the City of Howardwick for example, have to yet to completely grasp the idea. Howardwick would benefit greatly from having some personal training, and it would be good not just for the city council but for the citizens themselves.
While things have improved somewhat at Howardwick’s meetings (the sheriff hasn’t had to be there in a while), there is still room for improvement. Agenda items are sometimes vague, which leads to discussion that can’t be anticipated by the public or the council. Action has been taken on some items that wasn’t authorized by the agenda. And worst of all, the audience has become almost fully participating members of the discussion.
Hales’ training for the college board reinforced what is generally understood at local government meetings. “‘Public comment’ is sufficient to hear the public but not to discuss business with the public,” Hales wrote on one of his slides.
That’s an important first point. A second point would be that the public needs to generally keep quiet and let the board deliberate on its own. At Howardwick, there is usually enough difference of opinion on a subject by those elected officials to sufficiently debate any issue without ten or 15 citizens interjecting their thoughts or outrage on the matter.
If Howardwick citizens really want to give their elected representatives a chance to improve their community, then letting them do their job might be a good place to start.
Hales hit all the right notes in his presentation, and other local governments would be well served to engage a qualified person to refresh them on the rules. Laws and the rulings of the attorney general change from year to year, which makes it important to stay abreast of where the boundaries are for what is and isn’t okay.
Clarendon College is to be commended for taking a positive step to make sure things are done the right way. CC Board Chairman Lon Adams also deserves special recognition for attending an open meetings / open records workshop hosted by the Panhandle Press Association earlier this year.
The actions taken by local governments are the public’s business – your business. The Open Meetings Act and Public Information Act are designed to make sure the public – you – have every opportunity to know what your governments are doing, and it is encouraging when local boards take that obligation seriously.
And furthermore…
Chase Hales also zeroed in on something that is the pet peeve of every journalist and champion of open government – the Executive Session.
The topics that can be discussed behind closed doors are limited, he said. He listed the very specific reasons a board can meet in closed session – Real Property Deliberations (if deliberation in open session would have a detrimental effect on the entity’s position); Personnel Matters (related to specific employees or specific positions of current employees); Consultations with an Attorney; specific Economic Development issues; and specific Security issues.
The attorney said boards need to be very specific on their agenda about going into closed session, especially in terms of personnel.
The public’s business, as much as possible, should be conducted in public. If a board is going into executive session frequently, they might do well to step back and make sure they are conducting themselves as openly they should.
Robertson to lead state funeral group
GALVESTON – Third-generation funeral director Chuck Robertson of Clarendon was elected to head the Texas Funeral Directors Association during their 132nd Annual Convention in Galveston last week.
Robertson is the president and CEO of Robertson Funeral Directors with offices in Clarendon, Claude, McLean, Memphis, Shamrock, and Wheeler.
Founded in 1886, TFDA is the largest professional organization of funeral service professionals in Texas and the largest National Funeral Directors Association affiliate association of funeral directors in the country.
Robertson is not only the youngest director to be elected TFDA president but also is only the sixth resident of the Texas Panhandle to head the association in its 132-year history.
A 2003 graduate of Clarendon High School, Robertson is the son of the late Patrick Robertson and his wife Vicky and the grandson of the late Delbert and Patsy Robertson, all of Clarendon. When his birth mother, Edie, passed away, Chuck was only two, thus he grew up, living with his grandparents at the family’s funeral home.
“I’ve grown up with funeral service always in my life,” Robertson said.
His first job at the funeral home was helping his grandfather dig graves (a job that continued until six years ago). “I learned at an early age to play quietly during funeral services, and if I needed something when my grandparents or dad was on the phone, to whisper,” he recalled.
In his presidential acceptance speech, he remembered his grandparents and his father, thanking them for instilling the values and the compassion needed to counsel families after the loss of a loved one. He also thanked his mother Vicky and his wife Amanda for their support of his personal and professional goals as well as his journey to the TFDA presidency.
“Shortly after we married, my wife and I were talking about our individual goals as well as our goals as a couple and a family,” Robertson remembered. “Among my goals was the opportunity to, someday, lead TFDA. In achieving this goal, my wife has been my cheerleader, my rock, and my best friend and advisor.”
Originally a mass communications major in college, the new TFDA president and his cousin Cameron decided to change their majors to funeral service and enrolled in the mortuary science associate degree program at Amarillo College.
“My grandfather wanted me to be a funeral director all along,” he said, “but my dad told me to follow my dreams. Since making my decision that day in 2003, I’ve never looked back, never regretted my decision and, to this day, feel privileged to serve the families of the Panhandle during this very difficult – probably the worst – time in their lives.
Robertson and his cousin earned their professional licenses in August 2005.
Like his father and grandfather, Chuck Robertson has been a member of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department since 2003, where he currently serves the rank of Captain/EMT and Secretary/Treasurer. He also is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and is a member and certified firefighter through the State Firemen’s and Fire Marshals’ Association and as an EMT, is with the Associated Ambulance Authority/Clarendon EMS (since October 2004) and with the Shamrock Emergency Medical Service since 2015. His wife Amanda also has been an EMT with North Wheeler County since 2005.
Robertson enters the office of TFDA President with humility but also with a sense of pride.
“My grandfather, with my grandmother by his side, served our community as a funeral director for more than 60 years. My father, also a funeral director, was a commissioner on the Texas Funeral Service Commission, appointed by Gov. Rick Perry.”
Robertson is the current president of the Citizens Cemetery Association in Clarendon, served as the President of the Panhandle Funeral Directors Association from 2010-2012 and served on the board of directors for Panhandle Funeral Directors Association from 2008-2013 and came back on the board in 2015-2016. He also served on the Texas Funeral Directors Association Board of Directors from 2009-2012. Chuck is currently President for Texas Funeral Directors Association for 2018-2019 year. In 2016-2017 he served as Secretary/Treasurer, 2017-2018 he served as President-Elect of TFDA. He is also a lifetime member of the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice where he achieved his Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) certification in September 2008.
Robertson also is a member of the Clarendon and Memphis Lions clubs and has served as Past President for Clarendon. He is also a member of the Shamrock Rotary Club where he served as Past President and is a Paul Harris Fellow. Chuck is currently serving his second term on the Clarendon CISD Board of Trustees. Prior to being elected to the school board, he served on the CISD District Improvement Committee for four years. Chuck was awarded by the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce for the 2009 Man of the Year.
“As the third generation of funeral directors in my family, I am responsible for carrying on this legacy of sacred trust as I serve the families of the Texas Panhandle.
“I look forward to additionally contributing to our state association of professionals, building its reputation in Texas as an outstanding and highly-valued group of servant leaders who not only serve their communities in times of personal loss but also are first responders in times of man-made disasters, such as the explosion that destroyed half of the city of West, Texas, as well as natural disasters, like the recent storms and flooding brought ashore by Hurricane Harvey.”
Robertson and his wife Amanda live in Clarendon with his son Jaxon and their dog Duke.
Enterprise editorials win at TPA
The Clarendon Enterprise received a first place plaque last Saturday during the Texas Press Association’s Summer Convention in Montgomery.
The Enterprise competed in Division 10 this year and also received two second place and one third place award.
The paper placed first in Editorial Writing for column its stance on open meeting violations by the Clarendon College Board of Regents last spring and a rebuke of President Donald Trump’s attacks on free speech.
The Enterprise also received second place honors for its fall/winter Clarendon Welcome Guide and for Feature Articles written by Roger Estlack about Moffitt Hardware and the new Hedley Senior Citizens Center.
The third place award were for Advertisements designed by Roger Estlack and Ashlee Estlack.
The Sweepstakes Award in Division 10 went to the Double Mountain Chronicle in Rotan.
This year 142 newspapers submitted 1,410 entries in the Texas Better Newspaper Contest. The contest is broken down into 10 divisions in which newspapers compete against papers of similar circulation size. Eighty-nine weekly newspapers competed in Divisions 6 through 10.
Attending the convention and representing the Enterprise were Roger, Ashlee, and Ella Estlack.
Dancing the night away
Enterprise Photo / Scarlet Estlack
Shocking!
City soliciting firms for pool design
Clarendon is moving forward with a $1.9 million pool project following last week’s city council meeting with a goal of opening the facility for the summer of 2019.
City aldermen voted June 14 to formally solicit qualified firms to design the project by publishing a Request for Qualifications, which is required under the terms of a grant received through the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD).
The action follows the recommendation of the city’s Water Recreation Steering Committee, which met June 5 and voted to move forward with the $1.9 million that is already on hand or committed for the project rather than trying to continue to raise additional funds to meet the original design, which held an estimated price of $2.085 million.
The city will also follow the committee’s recommendation that elements needing to be cut from the project should be bid as alternates so they might be added back in if additional money is donated in the next few months.
Aldermen also voted Thursday to move the funds for the water recreation project into the city’s investment pool, which city officials said could generate an additional $30,000 for the project over the next year.
The council approved an agreement with the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission to administer the TPWD grant for the city.
Donations are still welcome for the project and can be made by contacting City Administrator David Dockery at 806-874-3438.
In other city business, Dockery reported the USDA grant/loan closing agreement was completed last week, clearing the way for a $3.9 million water infrastructure improvement project to begin. He said Clarendon is taking on improvements like never before.
“These are absolute milestones for the City of Clarendon,” Dockery said, regarding the pool project and the USDA grant/loan project. “This is a very significant time for the city, and I’m proud to be here and serving this community.”
Dockery noted that the two projects amount to almost $6 million and that half of that money is coming from grants or donations.
The city council also voted last week to award $1,000 to the Bread of Life from the community development fund, to rescind a previous action closing portions of Bugbee Avenue and Allen Street, and to elect Alderman Larry Jeffers as the city’s mayor pro-tem.
Red River outlines plans for H’wick improvements
Red River Water Authority is moving forward with plans to improve the water supply and resolve pressure issues in the City of Howardwick.
Speaking to city officials and residents at a June 12 city council meeting, Red River’s Utility Supervisor Ron Mullins said the authority will be laying about 4,000 feet of four-inch water line to the Carroll Creek Acres section to improve water pressure.
Mullins said the material for that project has been ordered and installation will begin as soon as it arrives in the city, hopefully this week. The project should take a month or less, he said.
In the meantime, Mullins announced that the entire city remains under a state mandated boil water notice, which will remain in place until the pressure issue is finally resolved. Howardwick residents should boil their tap water before consuming it. Bottled water continues to remain available for residents at City Hall.
Mullins also said there is currently no discussion at Red River about adding new storage capacity but there is some discussion about bringing an old storage tank back in service. The authority is also looking at a plan to install a pressure tank to boost water pressure, and all of the water wells serving the city are being evaluated for capacity.
Water restrictions will remain in place even after the pressure issues are resolved, Mullins said, while Red River reevaluates its drought contingency plans.
Some residents expressed dissatisfaction with the authority’s past performance and what some said was a slow response to the city’s problems. But Mayor Greta Byars, Alderman Johnny Floyd, and City Secretary Sandra Childress asked residents to give Red River a chance to make the promised improvements; and Red River Regional Manager Jason Caldwell said the current management of the authority is entirely new.
“Howardwick is taking precedence over all other Red River Water Authority service areas right now,” Caldwell said. “I give you my word that we are going to do our due diligence to address these issues.”
The authority’s local employee, Walt Rice, also asked for patience.
“I think if you give this new crew a chance, they will do good for you,” Rice said.
Holladay resigns from Howardwick council
A Howardwick alderman resigned last week after he was booed by citizens at a city meeting following his motion to have a fellow alderman removed from office.
Donald “Doc” Holladay turned in his letter of resignation the day after the June 12 city meeting.
“After 20 years of dedicated service to improve this city, last night’s booing me was a slap in the face I will not soon forget,” Holladay wrote.
During the meeting, Mayor Greta Byars said she had received an opinion from someone at the Texas Municipal League (TML) that it is a conflict of interest for an alderman to be a volunteer fireman.
Alderman Brice Hawley is a member of the Howardwick Volunteer Fire Department; and following Byars’ reading of the opinion, Holladay quickly moved to dismiss Hawley from the city council.
The motion caused an uproar from several residents attending the meeting, objecting to the notion that Hawley has conflict.
“You don’t see a conflict?” Holladay asked the audience.
“No!” came the loud response, and one resident could be heard to say that it was a bigger conflict for Holladay’s son to be employed by the city.
Alderman Debbora Sharpton moved to table the issue until she and the city could get more information from TML. The motion to table was seconded and approved.
Last week’s meeting consumed almost three hours with the audience interjecting at several points on different topics and Alderman Johnny Floyd asking people to be calm about five times.
The council took no action on a letter about zoning from Kristina Rucker or on a separate agenda item about the Planning & Zoning Commission. There was, however, discussion about creating a P&Z commission comprised of four residents and one aldermen instead of the entire council.
No action was taken on agenda items about speed limits in the city or the city’s storm shelter. The council did approve a motion to put signatories on an old fire department account for the purpose of transferring those remaining funds to the volunteer fire department.
Coy Cooper presented a plan of action to accessibility issues at City Hall. That item was tabled.
The council approved up to $200 to purchase new flags for City Hall and the park.
Alderman Sharpton addressed a portion of recycling money that is being paid to a city employee and said those funds should be going directly into the city’s general fund. The council voted 4-1 to make that change with Holladay opposed.
Citizens comments at the meeting covered such topics as requesting city meeting times be moved back to 7:00 p.m. so more people can attend, recognition for the city secretary’s efforts on the water issue, and an admonition that the mayor should take ownership for what’s happening in the city instead of blaming previous administrations.
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