Classroom Champions
City to interview four administrator candidates
The Clarendon City Council considered applicants for city administrator and identified four candidates for interviews during its regular meeting last week.
This is the second round of searching the city has undertaken as City Administrator David Dockery plans for retirement. A first round search and subsequent interviews were not successful earlier this year.
The four candidates this time are Steve Coles, manager of Lowe’s Family Center in Clarendon; Brian Barboza, City Administrator at Knox City; Melissa Fields-Allgeyer, Director of Human Resources at the City of Levelland; and Brent Spier, City Administrator of Clear Lake Shores, Texas.
Barboza was also a finalist in the first search.
All four candidates will be interviewed during a called meeting on May 10.
In other city business, the council considered the upcoming season for the Clarendon Aquatic Center and left the hours as 1 to 8 p.m. but changed the opening and closing dates. Instead of opening Memorial Day weekend and closing Labor Day weekend, the center will open May 26, which is the day after school closes, and it will close the day before school starts this fall.
Annette Osburn and Becky Lane were named the election judge and clerk for the upcoming city election on May 6.
The council approved hiring attorney Marvin Jones to review the city’s obligations to the Greenbelt Municipal & Industrial Water Authority and also contracted with Perdue Brandon to handle delinquent utility accounts.
Resolutions were adopted to move forward with applications for a second round of downtown revitalization and another Community Development Block Grant.
An ordinance was adopted to approve the franchise agreement of G&L Utilities, dba GreenLight Gas.
Christ Kids Ministry presented a request for assistance with its summer food program, and the council approved $1,000 for that program.
Clarendon water protocols in place
In accordance with its stage three water shortage protocols, the City of Clarendon is requesting all of its water customers practice water conservation and minimize or discontinue water use for non-essential purposes, with the goal of reducing water usage by 30 percent.
Under threat of penalty for violation, the following water use restrictions shall apply to all persons. Customers are asked to limit outside watering to twice-a-week, and then before 10:00 am and after 7:00 pm. Residential customers with odd-numbered street addresses water on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Residential customers with even-numbered street addresses water on Thursdays and Sundays. Commercial customers water on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Also limit washing of motor vehicles, motorbikes, boats, and other vehicles at home to before 10:00 am or after 7:00 pm on your designated watering day, and then use a bucket and/or a hand-held hose equipped with a shut-off nozzle. Commercial car washes are excepted.
Urgency of preventing child abuse
One of the most important responsibilities that all of us have – as individuals, families and communities – is to ensure the safety of the children in our lives and throughout our community. As we recognize National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, we must also recognize the urgency of strengthening families and equipping communities with the services needed to prevent abuse from ever occurring.
In 2022, there were 56,944 victims of abuse or neglect in Texas. This harrowing number highlights the need to not only provide care and treatment for those children who have suffered the trauma of maltreatment, but also to deploy services that can keep children safe in their families by preventing abuse from happening in the first place.
Nationally, there has been a recent bipartisan move toward prevention programs that aim to keep families together. Those of us who work in the child welfare space go about this mission with a variety of programs and services that have been proven to work, such as:
• Providing free counseling to families and children that need it, including in the school setting.
• Inviting parents to participate in classes and workshops that teach them strategies for managing children’s behaviors and help them parent in positive and constructive ways.
• Treating substance abuse and other conditions that can disrupt families.
• Supporting extended families as they navigate their way through various support systems.
The need for these types of services always outpaces the funding available to provide them. In fact, the demand for in-home services is increasing in Texas because recent legislation has dramatically decreased the number of children being removed from their homes. This is why it’s important for federal and state legislators to continue to make funding available for prevention services. Helping families manage and overcome their struggles causes far less trauma – and is far less expensive for taxpayers – than removing children from their homes and placing them into the foster care system.
That said, there are times when removal from the birth family is necessary for the safety of the child, which is why another key component of keeping children safe is maintaining a strong network of well-vetted, well-trained foster families who can provide temporary care and, when reunification with the birth family is not possible, can create forever families through adoption. However, stepping forward to provide foster care is one way that individuals and couples can help ensure that children can have safe and loving homes.
Becoming a foster family is a major commitment, but there are other ways that we can help contribute to children’s safety and the prevention of maltreatment. For starters, we can raise awareness of child abuse and neglect this month by displaying blue ribbons to honor victims. We can contribute to programs and causes that help struggling families meet their basic needs, from food to paying the rent.
Texans should also remember that it is not only the job of teachers, health care professionals or social workers to report abuse. If you know, for example, that a child is exposed to domestic violence or children sustain suspicious injuries or injuries that are not getting the medical attention they need, do not hesitate to call the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400.
Those of us in the fields of child safety and welfare continue seeking the most effective possible programs and services to prevent the maltreatment of children. We understand that positive parenting comes more naturally to some than it does to others, which is why we approach prevention from a place of support rather than judgment. In April and throughout the year, we are committed to preventing the abuse and neglect of children — and we are heartened to know that we are not alone.
Lions district meeting to be this Saturday
Local and area Lions Clubs members will be in Clarendon this Saturday for a day of service and fellowship during the annual District 2-T1 Convention.
The day will start with registration at the Bairfield Activity Center at Clarendon College. Lions will then join the Texas Ramp Project in building wheelchair ramps at two Clarendon residences during the morning. Several Lions Clubs in the district have active partnerships with Texas Ramp and the local club is considering such a partnership also.
Lunch will be served back at the Bairfield Center with the Lions Alert trailer providing the food. The new trailer is the district’s disaster response unit and is ready and available to feed first responders and victims in times of disaster.
A business meeting led by District Governor Roger Estlack of Clarendon will be held during lunch.
Lions training workshops are also planned during the day.
A tree planting will be held at the Lions Hall that afternoon, which will be followed by Bingo games and cornhole at the the Lions Hall. A hospitality hour will begin at 5 p.m. along with voting on district and state Lions ballots.
The awards banquet will be held at 6 p.m. at the Bairfield Center with Past International Director Justin Faber on hand for keynote remarks. Several district Lions will be recognized with awards during the evening, which will showcase service projects around the district during the past year.
Local businesses can apply for disaster loans
Small nonfarm businesses in 15 Texas counties are now eligible to apply for low interest federal disaster loans from the US Small Business Administration, announced Director Tanya N. Garfield of SBA’s Disaster Field Operations Center-West.
These loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by drought in the following primary counties that began Feb. 14, 2023.
The loans are available in primary counties of Armstrong and Sutton and in neighboring counties of Donley, Briscoe, Carson, Crockett, Edwards, Gray, Kimble, Menard, Potter, Randall, Schleicher, Swisher, and Val Verde.
“SBA eligibility covers both the economic impacts on businesses dependent on farmers and ranchers that have suffered agricultural production losses caused by the disaster and businesses directly impacted by the disaster,” Garfield said.
Small nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred.
By law, SBA makes Economic Injury Disaster Loans available when the US Secretary of Agriculture designates an agricultural disaster. The Secretary declared this disaster on April 7, 2023.
Businesses primarily engaged in farming or ranching are not eligible for SBA disaster assistance. Agricultural enterprises should contact the Farm Services Agency about the US Department of Agriculture assistance made available by the Secretary’s declaration. However, nurseries are eligible for SBA disaster assistance in drought disasters.
Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance.
The deadline to apply for economic injury is Dec. 7, 2023.
State okays $18 million for Greenbelt project
The Texas Water Development Board last week approved more than $18 million for a new water supply project for the Greenbelt Municipal and Industrial Water Authority.
The board approved the financial assistance by resolution at its meeting April 6 in Austin. The package consists of $8.11 million in financing and $10 million in principal forgiveness, from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).
The $8.11 million in financing will be issued in bonds. If approved by the city council, Clarendon would bear the cost of about six percent of that.
Greenbelt General Manager Bobbie Kidd said the funds will be used to develop 2,800 acres of groundwater rights the water authority acquired in northern Donley County in 2017.
The water authority has been working for two years to obtain funding for the project and came close to acquiring the funds last August from a different program.
“We actually scored 14th out of about 165 projects in August,” Kidd said, “but they ran out of funds with number 13. That’s when we changed and applied through DWSRF.”
Greenbelt Water Authority provides water to Clarendon, Hedley, Childress, Quanah, and Crowell using both the lake and groundwater sources. As of Tuesday, the level of Lake Greenbelt is 37.92 feet and is currently at about 11 percent of its capacity.
Funding for the project received favorable attention from state authorities in part because all five communities are considered to be economically disadvantaged, Kidd said.
“These people (on the water development board) are really good,” Kidd said. “It’s not political. It’s all based on need.”
In addition to the loan forgiveness, Greenbelt could save approximately $2,400,000 over the life of the loan by using the DWSRF.
With the financial assistance approved last week, Greenbelt will construct three water wells, well field piping, electrical distribution equipment, and a 12-mile transmission line to transport water to its existing water treatment plant.
The TWDB is the state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional water and flood planning, and preparing the state water and flood plans.
The TWDB administers cost-effective financial assistance programs for the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control, and agricultural water conservation projects.
Broncos annihilate Memphis
The Broncos used a great start and two big innings in the middle of the game to easily sweep Memphis last week. The Broncos won 22-4 and racked up 16 hits in the game.
Wilson was on the mound and took the win. He for three innings before Lyric Smith came in as relief.
While on the mound, Ward allowed only two hits, zero runs, and struck out two batters. Smith racked up good numbers in the fourth and fifth innings and struck out four.
Harrison Howard was on fire for the Broncos and four hits in his four at-bats. Howard, who took control of Clarendon’s offense early doubled in the first, singled in the third and fifth, and doubled in the fourth scoring three runs with four RBIs. Jared Musick and Easton Frausto each made a statement at the plate as well. Musick hit the lone Bronco homerun of the game in the opening inning and Frausto was good for three hits, three runs, and one RBI. Ward and Mason Sims hit the ball well and finished with three runs each and three RBIs respectively.
The Broncos would score two more runs in the fifth to put the game away and had four stolen bases in the five innings.
The Broncos played a tough Nazareth team on Thursday that ended in a disappointing loss to the Swifts at 5-6. The Broncos were up by three in the fifth but allowed Naz to score big in the sixth on an error to take the lead for good. Howard took the loss for the Broncos in his six innings on the mound. He allowed six hits, six runs, and struck out six. Harper came in to finish the game and struck out two batters on 18 total pitches.
The Broncos outfit the Swifts at the plate seven to six but left eight men on base in the game. Howard and Tyler Harper had two hits apiece with Harper posting two RBIs. The Broncos ran the bases well, but only marked four stolen bases, which is on the low side of the Broncos’ average.
The Broncos will face off against Valley at home on April 14 at 4:00 p.m. and travel to Wellington April 18 with the first pitch at 4:30 p.m.
Weatherread places second
Golf teammate advancing to regional
Over the past week I have been busy, and so I just would like to talk about some of the things I have been up to.
For starts, the Saturday before last was the Lions Club Chance Mark Jones 5K. Remember, April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and that’s what the race is about.
I helped set up, and I handed out water to the racers. Afterwards, I also was able to help the Pony Parents hide easter eggs for their easter egg hunt.
Then I started last week by competing in our second round of District golf, where I got third on our team, but sadly, I didn’t advance. However, one of my teammates, Cutter Seay, did advance to regionals so I wish him the best of luck. Then I spent the rest of the week taking tests and doing projects for school.
Last Saturday, I had Easter this weekend with my family and got to spend time hanging out with my cousins and had a lot of fun.
I am super excited for summer to be closing in and I hope that in the meantime I can keep having fun.
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