News

AUSTIN – Mutual Energy SPP (ME SPP), has filed a request with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) to reconcile fuel costs and increase fuel factors for electricity customers in the west Texas counties of Childress, Collingsworth, Donley, Hall, and Wheeler.

The request was filed because the existing fuel factors have not been met and currently do not meet the market price of natural gas used to generate electricity.  Consequently, ME SPP has requested permission to increase the fuel factors used in calculating the total electricity bill and to recover through a surcharge the approximately $1.6 million (including interest) in fuel costs not collected from January to December 2004.  

If the request to increase fuel factors is approved as requested, the new fuel factors would go into effect in June.  Residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month would see their average monthly bill increase approximately $11.07, according to a public notice in this week’s Enterprise.

The beginning of the surcharge is timed to follow expiration in October of an existing $3.52 monthly surcharge from the last fuel reconciliation.  A second existing surcharge for $3.84 per month will expire in January 2006. That surcharge was for the final fuel reconciliation when the area was served by West Texas Utilities.

The expiration of the two existing surcharges will offset the proposed fuel factor change and proposed surcharge by approximately $7.36 for residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month.  

If the surcharge request is approved as requested, residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month would see their monthly bill increase approximately $11.50 beginning in November 2005 and continuing through December 2006.  

If the fuel factor increase and the surcharge are approved as requested, the price of electricity will increase from an average 10.9 cents per kilowatt-hour to an average price of 13.1 cents per kilowatt-hour.  Even at the increased price, customers will be paying prices comparable to those paid by customers of WTU Retail Energy. 

This is the second fuel factor adjustment that ME SPP has requested since January 2002. By comparison, WTU Retail Energy has increased its fuel factor four times during the same period of time.  

ME SPP serves the approximately 7,200 customers in the five west Texas counties because they are located in the Southwest Power Pool, which has not yet begun retail electric competition.  

ME SPP is a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP). AEP owns more than 36,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States and is the nation’s largest electricity generator. 

AEP is also one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with more than 5 million customers linked to AEP’s 11-state electricity transmission and distribution grid. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio.

Twenty of the state’s top dietitians and nutrition thought leaders experienced ranching from a personal level with a Clarendon flare in a first-of-its-kind program hosted by the Texas Beef Council March 23-25 in the Texas Panhandle. 

The three-day event included scientific sessions, chef demonstrations, and beef industry presentations that emphasized beef’s culinary and nutritional strengths. The beef checkoff hopes the dietitians will return home with new information to use in advising consumers about beef’s nutritional benefits as well as a renewed appreciation for individuals and families who produce beef on America’s ranches.  

“The beef industry is committed to providing a wholesome, nutritious food and to communicating accurate information about beef’s nutritional qualities and role in a healthful diet,” said Dr. Shalene McNeill, TBC’s senior nutrition communications manager.  “The Texas beef checkoff hosted this meeting to communicate this commitment to 20 of Texas’ top registered dietitian thought leaders.”

The meeting, titled “The Ranch:  An Insider’s View of the Beef Industry,” included visits to the historic JA Ranch at Clarendon. Jay O’Brien of Amarillo, managing partner in the JA’s cattle and ranch operations and vice chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, provided a backgrounder on the beef industry. 

The participants also visited Randall County Feedyard, a division of Friona Industries, located near Amarillo, and the Texas Cattle Feeders Association headquarters in Amarillo.  In addition, the participants interacted in seminars that discussed beef’s nutritional profile and examined emerging nutrition research.

Chef Richard Chamberlain of Dallas, co-author of a lean beef cookbook expected to be published this fall with the American Dietetic Association, demonstrated new ways of preparing healthful, nutrient-rich beef. 

The participants also enjoyed beef dinners prepared by chuck-wagon cook Tom Perini of Buffalo Gap and local culinary celebrity Becky McKinley in the homes of Texas Panhandle ranching families. McKinley is the daughter of Dr. Charles and Francis Deyhle of Clarendon.

TBC’s program is part of the Texas beef checkoff’s ongoing efforts to keep the state’s dietitians informed of changing nutritional information concerning beef.  This latest seminar will help the beef industry get its message across in multiple ways.

“The information the dietitians received will enhance their confidence in beef,” she said.  “This confidence will help them reinforce beef’s positive nutrition contributions to their peers, motivate them to recommend beef to their clients, and remind them to bring up beef’s benefits when they talk to media.”

Results from the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills reading exams are in, and local administrators are pleased with the scores.

Hedley School Superintendent Bryan Hill said all ten of his school’s third-grade students tested passed the reading portion of the TAKS test.

“Our third grade did excellent,” Hill said.

According to Clarendon ISD Counselor John Taylor, 94 percent of the third graders tested met the standard.

“They’re strong scores,” Clarendon Elementary Principal Mike Word said. “We really think we’ll have 100 percent mastery by the second and third opportunities.”

Word said that those who did not pass the reading test the first time are receiving extra instruction.

“We’re offering them more opportunities in school to work on it,” he said.

The reading test was also conducted in the fifth grade.

Of those tested, 63 percent of Hedley’s fifth graders met the standard, and in Clarendon 86 percent met the standard.

“We’re proud of our kids’ efforts,” Clarendon ISD Superintendent Monty Hysinger. “We continue to stay above state averages, and we’re expecting great things in the other tests.”

Hill said the kids in Hedley are tired from all their hard work.

“We appreciate the hard work of the teachers and students,” he said.

Statewide passing rates on the third grade reading exam reached 89 percent this spring, and in fifth grade they reached 75 percent.

The final portions of the TAKS testing will take place April 27, 28, and 29.

Last year, the met standard for TAKS was 2 SEM (standard errors of measurement), but this year the standard was just 1 SEM.

If the 2005 state passing standards had been in place in 2004, 88 percent of the third-grade students and 73 percent of the fifth-grade students would have passed the reading test last year.

According to a press release from the Texas education agency, third-grade students must pass the reading exam to be promoted to fourth grade; and fifth-grade students, for the first time this year, must pass the reading and math exams to be promoted to sixth grade.

The Help America Vote Act of 2002 will soon help itself to Donley County tax dollars as local officials grapple with a federal edict that requires new voting machines in every polling place.

“This is just another unfunded mandate from the federal government that has very little to do with life in rural America,” County Judge Jack Hall said.

Passed after the election snafus that plagued Florida in 2000, HAVA requires all counties to have one accessible voting machine, also known as a Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) machine, in each polling place by January 1, 2006.

Donley County has ten voting boxes, and County Clerk Fay Vargas said DREs are expected to cost $5,500 each in addition to the cost for software, setup, and special apparatuses for the blind.

“The only state-certified price I have is $96,000 plus a $6,000 per year maintenance contract,” Vargas said.

Currently, Donley County spends about $5,500 to conduct an election with paper ballots.

The county expects to get up to $30,000 in federal assistance to pay for the machines, but the balance of the cost and the ongoing expense must be borne by local taxpayers.

“I keep hearing that we’re going to get more money, but I don’t see it coming,” Vargas said.

Vargas and Hall agree that the idea behind the law – to make it easier for the disabled to vote – is good, but they both think that one machine at the Courthouse Annex should suffice for the entire county. Vargas said the government should allow a variance for small counties, and Hall said having a DRE in each polling place is too much of a burden on local taxpayers.

But with no variance available and no more federal funds in sight, county officials are doing what they can to keep the cost down and are taking steps to consolidate voting locations from ten down to six.

A public hearing will be held April 21 at 6 p.m. in the District Courtroom to get input on the proposal, which consolidates Box 103 at Martin Baptist Church with Box 101 at the Bairfield Activity Center, Box 301 at the Clarendon Community Center and Box 302 at Lelia Lake with Box 303 at the Hedley Lions Hall, and Box 402 at the McClellan residence with Box 401 at Community Bank.

Boxes 201 at the Courthouse and 102 at Howardwick City Hall would be left unchanged.

County officials will also hold a demonstration of a DRE in the District Courtroom next Tuesday at 2 p.m.

A toddler crashed his mother’s van into the side of the Clarendon Elementary School building Monday morning.

One witness reported seeing the youngster behind the wheel as he veered across Fifth Street from Linda Judd’s daycare, jumped the curb, missed a house, and ran into the wall of a second grade classroom.

The witness said she thought she was seeing an elderly citizen who was drifting off the road but was surprised to realize it was just a little kid. She stopped her own vehicle and rushed to the scene to find the boy very pale and gripping the steering wheel.

Donley County Chief Deputy Randy Bond said the mother, Andrea Shelly, was taking her kids into the daycare when apparently the youngster knocked the car into gear and it rolled off. Bond said the woman had left the scene by the time he got there. She was later cited for leaving the scene of an accident.

Shelly couldn’t be reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, but co-workers of hers said the boy was unharmed, and they think the boy is about two or three. Bond said the boy was at most four years old.

School Superintendent Monty Hysinger said the incident startled the teacher, aide, and students who were in the room but caused no damage to the building other than some scuffed bricks.

“Fortunately no one was hurt,” Hysinger said. “This is just a good reason for kids to be strapped into safety seats.”

Hedley sent seven teams to the UIL Academic District Meet in Happy, and four came away with team championships on March 22.

Stephen Howard won seven gold medals, leading the Number Sense and Science Teams to wins and setting a new school record in district Number Sense.  He also won golds in Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. Ashleah Martin and Will Verstuyft completed the Number Sense team.

Will Wallendorff placed second in Science, second in Chemistry, and second in Physics, with Sam Lovely placing third in Science and first in Biology as they completed the Science team.

Kirsten Dwight and Brayden Bennett also placed in Science, coming in fourth and sixth respectively.

The Literary Criticism team of Ben Shaw, Jonathan Edmonson, and Andy Alston won first place also with Shaw gaining the gold medal.  Edmonson won the silver while Alston placed sixth. 

Shaw also won first place in Social Studies with Alston winning third place.  That team was named the District Champion.  Daniel Allen was the other Social Studies team member.

Hedley placed in Current Issues and Events.  Ben Shaw placed fourth.  Mariah Couch placed second while Erica Brown placed sixth in the Poetry.  Ruth Ann Howard placed sixth in the Calculator Applications.

In all, twelve Hedley students advanced to the UIL Regional Academic Meet at South Plains College in Levelland on April 22.

The 24th annual Clarendon College Judging Contest is slated for Saturday, April 2; and with the more than 2200 high school FFA and 4-H students from across the Texas Panhandle an economic boom is expected.

In fact, the Best Western Hotel is booked solid for April 1.

“Anytime we’re full it’s good,” said Manager Steve Hall.  “We will do our best to treat our guests special and make them feel welcome. We want them to enjoy their stay so they will say good things about Clarendon.”

Hall said more people staying in Clarendon means more people will eat here and spend money in the town.

“It is important we keep every dollar possible circulating in the local economy,” he said.

“This event is good for both the college and our town,” said Frank Hommel, owner of “Sam Hill” Pit BBQ. “Like many other community establishments, we usually do three times the business than we do during a normal day.”

Karen Spruell, manager of Dairy Queen, agreed.

“The economic impact is nice. Within five to six hours we achieve one of our bigger sale days.”

Spruell said increased sales during the contest usually begin at 12:30 p.m., and Dairy Queen will be ready.

“We will have enough staff, enough food and expect no problems,” she said. “We will be extremely busy, and very happy.”

The event will also have an impact on Clarendon College. Johnny Treichel, Clarendon College livestock and meats judging coach, said the event is the biggest recruiting tool for the college.

“This is the only time each year the college has this many potential students on campus,” he said. “And we are pleased to have such positive support from the community.”

The Clarendon Board of Aldermen approved the engineering contract for the 2005 street paving program when they met in regular session March 22.

The action marks another step toward paving approximately 50 blocks of city streets this year.

City Administrator Sean Pate told the board that the city should have the money from the recently authorized tax notes by the end of this week.

In the meantime, surveyors from OJD Engineering have been marking selected streets as part of the program. Stakes are being placed 40 feet apart for cutting purposes, and the backs of the curbs will be placed 4½ feet inside those markers to allow for streets approximately 30 feet wide.

Residents are asked not to move the stakes and to be advised that the stakes do not mark the edge of future paving. Space between the stakes and the new curbs will be backfilled.

Also, city crews have begun ripping the old pavement on Collinson Street as a precursor to paving in the coming months, and other streets will be ripped and prepped as the project gets nearer.

In other city business, the board approved Ordinance #355, canceling the May 7, 2005, election and declaring all unopposed candidates duly elected. Alderman Michael Tibbets abstained since he was one of those candidates.

Dee Dee Autry addressed the board on behalf of the Bar H Dude Ranch and asked for $480 from the Motel Bed Tax Fund to attend the Texas Travel Councilors Show, where the Bar H would promote all of Donley County and the annual events in Clarendon in particular. The board approved the request.

Pate advised that the City of Childress had declined to help with local propane inspections. The board decided to check with a local plumber to see if he could perform the inspections.

The board approved a bid on tax delinquent property in the North Ward community.

Aldermen approved the setting up of funds in a pooled account as recommended by city auditors.

Alderman Tibbets suggested the city contribute $150 to a charity in memory of former sheriff Jimmy Thompson and also suggested that Thompson’s widow receive a letter expressing the city’s gratitude for her husband’s 20 years of service to the community. The mayor directed Pate to carry out Tibbets’ request.

Clarendon College Regents voted to increase tuition and fees for the coming academic year when they met in regular session March 24.

The board raised tuition by $3 per semester hour, the building-use fee by $4 per hour, and the out of district rate by $2 per hour.

CC President Myles Shelton said the action was necessary based on the level of funding the college is receiving from the state.

“It is apparently the intent of the Legislature to not put any new or additional money into community colleges, and they expect us to raise money locally,” Shelton said.

Legislation now before the House of Representatives maintains CC’s current appropriation of $2.086 million per year. That’s better than an earlier proposal which would have dropped CC’s funding to $1.643 million per year, but it does nothing to correct the cuts the state made two years ago.

“It is absolutely true that we’ve gone from being state supported to being state assisted,” Shelton said.

The president also said CC’s new rates put it at exactly the same level as Frank Phillips College in Borger and at a rate comparable to South Plains College in Levelland.

“We’re still affordable, and we’re still going to offer quality programs,” he said. “We’ll still be competitive.”

In other college business, regents approved a resolution authorizing revenue refunding bonds to refinance Regents Hall. The move will save $12,000 to $18,000 annually or $254,000 over the life of the bonds, which will be paid off in 2022.

The board considered the repair of faulty showers in the west wing of Regents Hall and accepted bids from Quality Ceramic Tile of Amarillo and Shadle Construction of Clarendon.

The Livestock & Equine Advisory Committee presented a list of short- and long-term goals associated with the CC Livestock & Equine Center. On the short-term list were items pertaining to pens, feed storage, a watering system, road and parking issues, and security lighting. Long-term goals included class, office, and meeting rooms.

The scholarship allocation planning for next year was adjusted to reflect increases in tuition and fees.

The board received an update on its ongoing litigation with Reynosa Construction. A remediation has been scheduled in the case for this Friday.

Regents approved hiring Jeff Rhodes as the new Dean of Students. He was previously the registrar at Odessa College. The employment of Betty Baldwin as a custodian was ratified, and the board accepted the resignation of Wanda Smith, who has been appointed as the new Donley County Treasurer.

The board also granted a one year extension to Shelton’s contract and voted to renew the contracts of Pampa Academic Advisor / Recruiter Lindsey Been, Financial Aid Director Tami Brown, Dean of Instruction Tex Buckhaults, Comptroller Annette Ferguson, Registrar Sharon Hannon, Library Director Jewell Houston, Assistant to the President Darlene Spier, Library Assistant Annis Stavenhagen, Information Systems and Computer Operations Director Will Thompson, and Academic Advisor / Recruiter Jaylene Watkins.

Following in the footsteps of Hedley track athlete Jaci Copelin, two Clarendon students have come forward with another effort to raise funds for a local expectant mother who has been diagnosed with cancer.

Audrey and Hadley Jones, who are respectively eighth and sixth graders at Clarendon Junior High, had never known of Amy Polito, until a story in the March 10 edition of The Clarendon Enterprise reported that Copelin had started taking pledges based on her track performance – $5 for each first place, $3 for second, and $1 for third – and planned to give the money to Polito and her husband Tony, who is a local state trooper.

While many families will experience the anguish that comes with fighing cancer, the Politos’ situation is doubly trying because Amy is currently pregnant with the couple’s first child, and she will have to wait until it is safe for doctors to take her baby early before they can begin to treat her Hodgkins Lymphoma at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston.

The Jones kids’ idea is called “A’s for Amy,” and they are challenging local junior high and high school students to give $2 for every A and $1 for every B on the last nine weeks report card and to put the money in a fund for the Politos.

“I am amazed at their character and thoughtfulness,” mother Larinda Brown said of her children’s idea. “My kids know the effects a long term illness can have on a family. They know exactly what it’s like and how devastating it can be.”

Brown’s kids will not handle any money. Instead a fund has been set up at the Herring National Bank for the donations. She encourages everyone to make the donations based on their kids’ or grandkids’ report cards or else sponsor another kid’s grades.

Money should be sent directly to the bank, which can be contacted at 874-3556.