News

Clarendon College President Dr. Robert Riza has been appointed to the Commission on Small and Rural Colleges at the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

“Obviously it is an honor to be chosen to serve on this commission,” Riza said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues from around the country.”

CC serves Donley, Gray, Childress, Armstrong, Briscoe, Hall, Collingsworth, and Wheeler counties in the eastern Texas Panhandle, and has dual credit partnerships with Miami ISD in Roberts County and Panhandle, White Deer, and Groom ISDs in Carson County. The college, which has four campuses (Clarendon, Pampa, Childress and Amarillo) has more than a $44.5 million impact on the region.

While CC is a small community college, its size is an advantage in terms of student success.

“Being one of the smallest schools in Texas isn’t an issue, we don’t use our size as an excuse but as motivation to achieve great things,” Riza said.

Walter G. Bumphus, Ph.D., president and CEO of the AACC, wrote in a letter to Dr. Riza, “We are sure that your insights and leadership will significantly contribute to the Board’s decision-making process and its ability to serve the interests of all AACC member institutions.”

This appointment is a three-year term, and Riza will serve through June 2021.

Make your plans to enjoy the 141st annual Saints’ Roost Celebration on July 4, 6, and 7 in Clarendon.

The Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association will open the festivities with a July Fourth Junior Rodeo, starting at 7:30 p.m. at the COEA Arena.

The celebration gets under full steam on Friday, July 6, with merchant sales and the annual Depression Luncheon at the Downtown Ministry Center from 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The cost for the beans and cornbread meal is 25 cents. That night, the COEA Ranch Rodeo opens at 7:30 at the COEA Arena followed by a dance at 9 p.m. featuring the music of Giovannie & the Hired Guns.

The big day will be Saturday, July 7, beginning with the Arts & Craft Fair on the square at 9 a.m. sponsored by the Donley County 4H. Booths are $25 each and should be reserved through the Donley County 4H by calling 806-874-2141.

The Chamber of Commerce’s Old Settlers Reunion and the Kids’ Bicycle & Tricycle Parade also begin at 9 a.m. The Kids’ Parade will line up and register at 8:30 at Keith Floyd’s shop at Third and Sully. Ed Montana will provide music and serve as master of ceremonies on the square.

Line up for the Herring Bank Parade will also start at 9 a.m. on Sixth Street north of Prospect Park. At 10:00, the parade will then take its usual route – north on Kearney to Third Street, west on Third to Sully, south in front of the Courthouse, and then wind back to the ball parks.

The Herring Bank Parade features $850 in cash prizes with $200 available for the best float, $100 for the best car or truck entry, $100 for the best animal or riding unit, $100 for the best tractor or farm equipment entry, and $100 for the best “other” entry.

From those first place winners, judges will select a Grand Prize winner who will receive an additional $250. Pre-registration is required for entrants to be judged for the prize money, and entry forms are due in the Visitor Center by 5 p.m. on July 5. Entry forms are available at the Visitor Center.

Also this year, the Chamber and Cornell’s Country Store will hold the second annual “Show Us Your Boots” contest as part of the parade. One grand prize winner will get a $100 Cornell’s gift card, and one second place winner will get $50 in Chamber Cash. More information is available on the entry form at the Visitor Center.

The Al Morrah Shrine Club barbecue will follow the parade at about 11 a.m. Tickets are $12 each and will be available at the Visitor Center and the Enterprise.

The Lions Club Cow Patty Bingo will follow the barbecue. Parade winners will be announced at 1 p.m. The Henson’s Turtle Race will then take place at 2 p.m. And the Ranch Rodeo will close out the day at the COEA Arena beginning at 7:30 p.m. with the dance to follow with Luke Koepke & The Indian Creek Band providing the music.

For more information about the celebration, contact the Visitor Center at 806-874-2421.

The Clarendon College Board of Regents received tailored Open Meetings Act training during a called meeting last Wednesday, June 20.

Attorney Chase M. Hales of the Sprouse Shrader Smith law firm in Amarillo conducted the training, which lasted more than 45 minutes and covered a wide range of topics on 32 PowerPoint slides with a special emphasis on issues pertinent to the college.

Hales started with the importance of agendas for public meetings being posted 72 hours before a meeting and the need for those agendas to be specific.

“The whole point is to let the public know what the meeting is about in case they have an interest in what’s being discussed,” Hales said.

The attorney also discussed such topics as public comment, the proper way to conduct a meeting, the requirements for minutes and recordkeeping, and what he termed “very narrow purpose” and “very limited scope” of meeting in executive session, noting that executive sessions are not authorized simply to prevent disclosure of unfavorable information.

“The entire purpose of the Open Meetings Act is to expose the activities of our government – warts and all,” Hales said.

The training session also covered the limited reasons for holding an emergency meeting, special issues facing committees and subcommittees, issues involving technology, conduct of board members outside of meetings, and the proper role of the board interacting with employees.

Hales warned board members that not following the Open Meetings Act can lead to civil and criminal penalties and not following the decorum in interacting with employees can lead to lawsuits alleging violations of employment laws.

In other college business, regents approved a bid on tax delinquent property at Howardwick; approved a letter of engagement with the college auditors for the year ending August 31, 2018; approved the policy manual, student handbook, personnel handbook, and catalog for the upcoming academic year; and ratified the resignation of Vice President of Academic Affairs and the employment of Donna Smith as a librarian.

In his president’s report, Dr. Robert Riza said headcount was up for the May mini session and the Summer I session. He also said the college had received its final letter from the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools/Commission on Colleges closing out its decennial review of CC with no follow up report required.

Riza also reported on his attendance, along with Regent Edwin Campbell, at the Texas Community College Trustees Association meeting earlier this month. Mr. Campbell encouraged all his fellow board members to attend the TCCTA meeting.

“I thought I knew a lot about being on this board, but I didn’t know anything,” Campbell said. “I’m taken aback at the responsibility we have as regents.”

The CC Board of Regents also met in Pampa last Thursday for their regular June meeting. There Dr. Riza recognized the contributions to CC of Gray County Judge Richard Peet upon his upcoming retirement. Judge Peet taught for the CC Pampa Center from 1979 until 1994 when he became judge. Riza called him a friend and advocate for the college.

“I enjoy education and teaching youth,” Peet said. “I think Clarendon College is a tremendous asset to Pampa, and I appreciate your efforts to continue that.”
Riza also thanked the Pampa Foundation, which has contributed almost $200,000 to support CC programs since 2016 for nursing technology and dual credit assistance for Gray County students.

The president thanked Pampa ISD Superintendent Tanya Larkin for her cooperation and the relationship the school district has with the college.

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.

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 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.

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.

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce will hold its next Business After Hours social at The Clarendon Enterprise next Thursday, June 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Chamber members and prospective members are invited to enjoy refreshments and learn more about what’s happening in the local business community as the Enterprise celebrates its 140th anniversary.

Business After Hours follows a come-and-go format so those interested and come at any point during the two-hour window and have to be there for the entire time.