Owl royalty
CC receives $2.25 million grant for nursing program
Clarendon College received word Wednesday that it is a recipient of a Title III Part A grant. This grant provides approximately $2.25 million to assist in the establishment of a Registered Nursing Program at the College.
Funding will begin right away with plans for a January 2014 RN program start.
CC President Phil Shirley said the grant is a positive development for the entire area.
“I am very pleased Clarendon College received the Title III Part A grant,” Shirley said. “Not only will it assist in starting a registered nursing program, but it will also establish livable-wage careers for many of our Panhandle residents. The level of healthcare will be impacted in a very positive manner within the entire tri-state area.
CC Dean of Students Tex Buckhaults said the grant will help the college serve students better.
“I am excited about the opportunities the grant monies will provide to help improve our health science offerings to our service area residents,” Buckhaults said. “We hope to strengthen the College and increase capacity to serve our students by realizing the full potential of high priority health science programs.”
Shirley said the grant also set a new precedent for CC in terms of receiving federal funding.
“It is my understanding that this is the first time that the College has requested and received a grant of this magnitude,” Shirley said. “I am pleased that our college will receive approximately $2.25 million over 5 years to assist us in our allied health programs. This is a wonderful day for Clarendon College.”
The grant funds will support the College’s initiative, Creating and Re-Energizing High-Demand Nursing Programs at Clarendon College, which includes three parts:
• Develop a new Associate Degree in Nursing leading to a Registered Nurse licensure, with portions made available in an online format to increase access for our time and place-bound students.
• Revise and improve health science pre-requisite courses and the existing 3-semester Vocational Nursing (VN) program.
• Establish new Health Science Support Centers to support students through health science programs.
These new and revised programs, as well as the Health Science Support Centers, will be supported by program-specific equipment, resources, and instructional technology to increase student retention and academic success.
Chemical spill closes US 287 in Hall County
Highway 287 and the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe railway remained closed between Memphis and Childress Monday morning, September 9, following a chemical spill Sunday night.
The Texas Department of Transportation is using SH 256 (east) and US 83 (north) as the detour, and TxDOT personnel are stationed accordingly. A hazmat cleanup crew has been deployed from the Dallas/Ft. Worth and are on the scene.
Department of Public Safety Trooper Daniel Hawthorne said the accident occurred about 9:30 last night near milepost 209 in Hall County when a semi-truck owned by Baker Hughes of Pasadena, Tex., overturned and spilled about 1,650 gallons an oil field chemical into the dirt median of US 287.
The cause of the accident has not been released. Environmental teams from Dallas were dispatched to clean the area, which was secured by Hall County firemen, the Hall County Sheriff’s Department, Memphis Police, and TxDOT.
The rail line and US 287 will remain closed until Environmental Specialists neutralize hazardous material spill into environment.
Howard receives ‘Teacher of the Year’ award
Clarendon High School science teacher Bruce Howard has been named the 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year among secondary teachers in Region 16.
Karla Flowers of Spearman ISD’s Gus Bridwell Elementary School received the award for elementary teachers, and she and Howard received this honor at a ceremony honoring 16 finalists held during the Region 16 i3 Conference & Expo at the Amarillo Civic Center recently.
Howard has been teaching science for 33 years, the last four of which have been at CHS. Prior to that, he taught at Hedley High school and Lake Country Christian School in Fort Worth.
Howard received his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and a Master’s of Religious Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Educational role models have been plentiful in his life. His interest in education began through the example several teachers. He appreciated the wonderful foundation he received in their classrooms and thought he might be able to do the same for others.
Howard’s mother was a career educator and his father turned from veterinary medicine to become a college professor. Setting and maintaining high academic standards in the classroom, preparing students for the rigorous college classroom environment are just some of the reasons he teaches. Former students have been accepted into prestigious universities and exceled.
One thing that seems to play a role in his student’s academic success is their participation in UIL academic competitions. Teams he has coached have won 32 invitational meets during the last 20 years.
Many times, college professors will state that students from small schools come to university at a disadvantage. Over and over, Howard’s students prove them wrong. His motivation and joy is preparing his students for the rigors of college.
Howard and Flowers will now represent Region 16 at the Texas Education Agency Teachers of the Year Awards in October, when all state and regional winners will be honored. One state winner will be chosen to represent Texas in the National Teacher of the Year program in Washington, DC, in the spring.
Region 16 is comprised of 62 school districts and two charter schools in the Texas Panhandle.
Region 16 facilitates and hosts the Teacher of the Year program and ceremony annually in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency.
This year’s program was sponsored by Happy State Bank.
CC ranks among Top 50 community colleges
Clarendon College is starting the fall semester on a high note after the school was named one of the 50 Best Community Colleges in the United States recently.
Classes began Wednesday, and fall registration was continuing Tuesday as the Enterprise went to press and late registrations will be accepted through September 6.
Clarendon officials announced the college ranking at the August 15 meeting of the Board of Regents after TheBestSchools.org ranked the college 36th out of the best schools in the US, and it was ranked second among three Texas junior colleges on the list.
CC President Phil Shirley said the organization determines the 50 best college by looking at several benchmarks for student success.
“We are thrilled with the listing,” Shirley said. “It simply demonstrates that we are headed in the right direction. The criterion they utilized to determine the best 50 colleges exactly reflects what we have been trying to accomplish over the last three years.”
TheBestSchools.org says it selected the top community colleges based on a comparison of several studies and ratings of community colleges, each with their own unique selection criteria, as well as the schools’ reputation and a review of notable community colleges. While completion/graduation rates are important to any college’s success, they identified several factors as especially significant to select the top community colleges: Sustained Achievement Outcomes, Learning Outcomes, Deployment Outcomes, Equitable Outcomes, and Cost-to-Value Outcomes.
Clarendon was specifically praised for its “impressive diversity of students, including international students, despite its small size,” for its wide array of degree and certificate programs, for its wide selection of athletic teams and student organizations, and for its Kids College program. The organization also recognized Clarendon for its #28 ranking by CNN/Money ranking in 2012 of the nation’s top community colleges.
“Our policy has always been student centered,” Shirley said. “There is only one reason that we exist as a college and commit our lives to our profession: to achieve success for each and every student.”
Shirley said CC had some important help in its path to excellence, including joining “Student Success By the Numbers” and working with mentor, Rick Voorhees, as well as receiving assistance in developmental education through an S3 Grant, which was $320,000. He also praised the college employees for their part in the listing.
“I am proud of the dedication of our administrative team, faculty and staff. Without their dedication this listing would not have been possible.”
No other Panhandle or South Plains community college was listed by TheBestSchools.org. The only other Texas community colleges on the list were Brazosport College in Lake Jackson (#29) and Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde (#42).
West Nile cases confirmed in local area
The Clarendon Code Compliance/Animal Control Department received notification by the Texas Department of State Health Services of confirmed cases of West Nile Virus infections in our area.
Donley County had one reported equine case, Armstrong County also had one reported equine case, and Carson County had one confirmed human case.
It is highly recommended to keep grass and weeds cut as short as possible, as these areas are prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Make certain you have no puddles or other standing water sources. Cover swimming pools when not in use. Equine owners should have their animals vaccinated as soon as possible.
Make good use of insect repellents when outdoors – especially in the early morning or late evening hours. Wear protective clothing, such as long-sleeve shirts and pants, when outdoors – Especially in the early morning or late evening hours.
If you have any further questions, contact the Code Compliance Department at City Hall at (806) 874-3438.
City candidates’ deadline is Sept. 4
It looked like it was all over Monday when the publicized filing deadline for the city’s special election came and went with only three candidates filing for three vacant seats on the Clarendon Board of Aldermen. But then the Texas Secretary of State’s office said the deadline is next week.
Larry Jeffers, Wayne Cole, and Doug Kidd were the only candidates who had filed as of 5 p.m. Monday; and if that had been the deadline, the three would have been declared elected.
City Hall checked with state officials Tuesday to ensure all the deadlines and benchmarks had been properly met, and that’s when the discrepancy was discovered. Since it is a special election, the deadline to file as a candidate is actually next Wednesday, September 4, at 5 p.m.
Potential candidates can still file for the three positions. Jeffers and Cole signed up to run for two terms that expire in May 2014, and Kidd signed up for the term to expire in May 2015.
Editorial: School simpler 35 years ago
Summer is over, school’s back in session, and lots of parents are thrilled to death. But sadly, I’m not one of them.
Some may relish the hustle and bustle of the school year with all its rules, regulations, dates, and deadlines. But as the father of a six-year-old boy, I prefer watching my child enjoy summertime fun and the carefree days of playing outside, climbing trees, riding bikes, and building sand castles.
Don’t get me wrong. School is important, and my family has always placed a premium on getting a good education. Unfortunately, I remain a product of the 1970s, when a Big Chief tablet, two fat pencils, eight fat Crayolas, a bottle of Elmer’s paste, some rounded-off scissors, and a card board pencil box were all you needed for Mrs. Little’s first grade class.
Monday my son trudged off to the first day of school lugging a backpack that weighed as much as a healthy newborn baby and filled with stuff that I still don’t understand the purpose of sending. Why does he need a whole box of Ziplock bags? And why should he take dry erase markers at all? Didn’t we raise taxes to pay for things like that? And then of course I’m still puzzled over the buck fifty he needed for an Accelerated Reader folder that costs 50 cents or less.
My first grade year – all the way up through third grade, in fact – was days that started at 8 a.m. and were over by 2:30 p.m. and in between we got the foundation of a good education… all without snack time or PE class. By comparison, my son loses an extra hour of his young life every day of the academic calendar to stretch it out to 3:30.
I don’t blame the teachers for any of this. We have always been blessed with outstanding teachers, and my son’s teachers have been no different. But I do think the system itself is broken… too involved with guidelines, testing, quantitative data, the lure of federal money, and new age “discipline” methods that don’t produce the same results a good old whippin’ did.
I miss simpler times when schools weren’t gated, cafeteria food didn’t have to meet the approval of the First Lady, and you could drink out of the water fountain instead of packing a water bottle every day.
Sure some things are better now, and I have no doubt that Ben will turn out just find. But the old ways were fine too, and they sure seemed a lot less stressful. Although maybe I was just shorter and younger then.
By Roger Estlack, Editor
Opinion: CC makes changes to help students
Now that school has started this week, things can “get back to normal” – and mothers can regain some sense of control over their time and sanity, now that the older kids are off to school. High School football once again reigns supreme; all the teams are undefeated, and dreams of championships are being dreamt by our high school football players, and – truth be known – more than a few coaches and parents.
Up on the hill, Clarendon College is abuzz with activity, as the scholars return to continue striving to make their dreams and aspirations become reality. Students come to Clarendon from diverse states and counties. So far, I’m aware of students from Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, New York, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Canada, and far down under in Australia. I’m sure I’ve missed a few states and a country or two.
These young college scholars (300 plus students live in dorms) will spend lots of money in Clarendon and the greater Panhandle region this year. They will also afford us excellent sports opportunities. In case you haven’t noticed, Clarendon College fields very competitive cross country, volleyball, basketball (men and women), softball, and baseball teams. Anyone who enjoys watching sports will do well to get out and enjoy watching our international athletes in action. CC also has nationally respected judging and rodeo teams.
Clarendon College also reopened its cafeteria to local folks. It continues to offer excellent fare at a modest price. Local folks also still have access to the college library. If folks have a Burton Memorial Library card in good standing they may also use the CC library.
This year, CC is also adding a new Resource Learning Center – open until 10 p.m. most evenings – to support their students. The goal of the Learning Resource Center is to offer the students help after their instructors leave for the day. CC is serious about student success and has gone an extra mile in order to provide the students with a double safety net.
The reorganization of the library in not simply a response to vamped-up student support, but it is also a response to Texas legislative changes that attach 10 percent of college funding to student success and tracking. These changes will commence in 2014, and CC is commended to be ahead of these mandatory changes.
Local folks who revisit the CC library will be pleasantly surprised at the changes. New, softer lighting has been installed that offers a more relaxed and soothing study environment. Additionally, soft instrumental music plays in the background, which will hopefully provide an even more pleasurable experience.
The Resource Learning Center will also offer workshops that address a variety of topics. The library has also planned student events that are geared to drawing in students that have not yet discovered the high quality of scholastic support available at the new RLC. It makes no difference if it is a showing of a weekly television series (Happy, happy, happy!), or karaoke and coffee under the stars (which are mighty bright here) – the library and Resource Learning Center are here to serve students, faculty and staff, and the local community. According to James Gordon, the Learning Resource Center coordinator, “This is going to be a revamped space on campus that is hard to ignore.”
CC’ fine young baseball coach Devin McIntosh seems to agree when he says, “When I recruit a student, I point out the level of support that we offer. Faculty comes in early and stays late. This new tutoring center and Brain Fuse are further examples of the way we support students academically. I have 53 baseball players. Some are sitting on 3.6 grade point averages. If they can move up to 3.8, they will quality for academic scholarships.”
Clarendon College continues to develop new programs to help their students become the best scholars possible. These programs also offer wonderful opportunities for the local folks to enhance their knowledge.
Clarendon College continues to be a vibrant magnet for Clarendon and Donley County, with much to offer its students and the community-at-large. Let’s do all we can to support the college, the faculty and staff, and the students who make our area so much richer. We are well served by the institution and folks up on the College Hill.
By Fred Gray, Clarendon Enterprise
Letter: Pipeline pulls out despite agreement
Yesterday (August 22, 2013), I was told by two different people in Clarendon that our group of landowners was the reason Valero is not building their pipeline. I would like to correct this misunderstanding.
First, Valero had the right of eminent domain which means that no land owner could obstruct the construction. Second, on May 17, Jem Simmons and I met with Valero representing several land owners along their route. Most of the issues we were addressing related to care for the land and we reached agreement on the vast majority of them. At the end of the meeting, their lawyer committed to rewriting the easement document and getting back to us. We never heard back from them until we received notice yesterday that they are ceasing work on the project. We tried to contact them several times, but they did not respond.
We do not know the reason Valero abandoned the project. They did agree when they did their survey that they would donate money to a charity of our choice if they were to abandon the project. It was not enough to compensate everyone for the work done with Valero; however, some deals do not work out.
Jay O’Brien, Amarillo
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