Owls take down Longhorns
A big thank you
Run for it
Gold Stars
Hicks is new Clarendon Mayor
Alderman Larry Hicks was named the 37th mayor of the City of Clarendon during the Board of Aldermen’s regular meeting Tuesday night, September 14.
Hicks, who was already serving as mayor pro-tem, succeeds former mayor Chris Ford, who resigned last night citing personal reasons. His term will expire next May.
City Hall says the board of aldermen will meet in called session next Tuesday to administer the oath of office to Hicks and fill his vacant seat on the board.
Close call
An official accident report from the Department of Public Safety was not available at press time, but emergency workers on the scene said it appeared Kuhn turned in front of a loaded semi-truck.
Kuhn’s GMC Jimmy came to rest in the southbound ditch. The semi-truck came to rest on its side in the center median.
Kuhn was extracted from the wreckage of his vehicle by the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department and the Associated Ambulance Authority.
Kuhn told the Enterprise Tuesday morning that he spent three days in an Amarillo hospital but suffered no major injuries. “The good Lord was looking out for me,” he said.
Ford quits as mayor
The Clarendon Board of Aldermen was expected to accept the resignation of Mayor Chris Ford during a meeting Tuesday evening as the Enterprise went to press.
Ford told the paper Monday afternoon that he intended to preside during Tuesday’s regular city meeting and that his resignation would take effect at the close of the meeting. He cited personal reasons for his decision.
“I’m just overloaded and have too much on my plate,” Ford said. “So I’m resigning. It was a difficult decision, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about for some time.”
Tuesday’s agenda included closed session items for the board to deliberate the selection of a new city administrator as well as discussion of how to replace Ford.
Check back online at www.ClarendonLive.com for the latest news from Tuesday’s meeting.
College enrollment hits new high
Clarendon College reported a record enrollment after the 12th class day Friday.
CC officials say the college’s fall headcount stands at 1,586 – the highest in the school’s 112-year history and an increase of more than 11 percent over the previous fall enrollment record, which was set last year.
“A few years back, some laughed that we could have 1,000 students,” CC President Bill Auvenshine said. “Now here we are with nearly 1,600.”
Auvenshine credited the college’s success to its effort to provide opportunities for people close to home.
“We’re trying to meet the educational needs of the eastern Texas Panhandle,” Auvenshine said, pointing to new programs such as EMT training, welding, wind energy, cosmetology, and heating and air-conditioning. “We always come up with something new.”
Clarendon College enrollment has grown steadily the last four years, and fall enrollment this year is 44 percent above the same period in 2006. The growth has been a team effort.
“We have good instructors who take a personal interest in our students,” the president said. “We have two full time recruiters now and a full time marketing coordinator. The result is we can get a lot done.”
This fall’s enrollment breakdown is as follows: 486 in Clarendon, 416 in Pampa, 59 in Childress, and the balance in dual credit and online classes.
CEDC awards $4,000 in storefront grants
The most recent awards from the CEDC were for improvements to the First Baptist Church’s Downtown Ministry Center and to remodeling done by one of Clarendon’s newest business, Fantastic Nails. Both properties qualified for and received the maximum grant of $2,000.
Representatives of the Downtown Ministry Center have known about the CEDC’s program since its inception in 2008 and even attended the initial public hearing that helped shaped the program.
“This has been a three-year project,” church volunteer Terry Ashcraft said. “We certainly appreciate this grant, and the money will go right back into this building.”
The church installed a new sidewalk in front of the center, removed a dilapidated awning, and gave the building an updated paint job and a new sign. An attractive metal awning was then added to the structure, which in addition to improving appearances has helped keep the building cool.
Ashcraft said the church now plans to do some interior remodeling, repaint the north side of the building, which is visible from US 287, and possibly add an entrance for their community clothes closet on the north side.
Fantastic Nails & Spa, owned by sisters Trisha Tran and Valerie Tran, opened for business last month and is now attracting local clients as well as folks from Memphis, Hedley, Wheeler, and other nearby communities.
Trisha Tran said she did not know about the CEDC program when she first considered purchasing the former Studio E location at 103 S. Kearney earlier this year.
“I was excited to find out about it,” she said. “It helps out a lot. The money will help cover the new sign.”
In addition to new signage and a new EIFS stucco façade, Tran and her sister knocked down partitions inside the building and installed new heating and cooling, new ceramic tile floors, eight spa pedicure chairs, and five tables for manicures. A new room was also created for cosmetologist Judy Thornberry, who continues to do hair in the building.
Tran says she has plans for more improvements in the coming months, including a new awning in the next month or so and new windows and an improved sidewalk next spring.
The CEDC has budgeted $10,000 for this fiscal year’s Façade Grant Program, which provides fifty-fifty matching grants up to a maximum of $2,000 per project for properties on a three-block stretch of Kearney Street.
Projects eligible for consideration could be anything from a coat of paint to new signage to a complete rehabilitation of a storefront. Those interested in the grants are asked to apply prior to beginning a project, and applications are available from CEDC Secretary Roger Estlack at The Clarendon Enterprise.
Since the Façade Grant Program began in 2008, the CEDC has awarded $10,414.15.
County cotton tour next week
The Texas Agrilife Extension Donley County and Evans Fertilizer will be hosting a cotton tour in Donley County on September 23 at 8:30 a.m. to view cotton variety trials and discuss variety traits.
Irrigation Specialist Nick Kenny will perform a pumping plant test on an irrigation system to discuss things to consider when replacing or making changes to new and old systems and water requirement based on number of heat units.
The tour begins at Evans Fertilizer at 8:30 a.m. and then travels to Lelia Lake and Hedley, wrapping up around 11 a.m. There will be two continuing education units offered for private applicator license holders.
For more information, contact Leonard Haynes at 806-282-7680.
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