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The Clarendon Board of Aldermen last week set the goal of paving as many as 50 city blocks in a $1.1 million project that could be accomplished this year.

“This is a workable plan that we can all live with,” Alderman Michael Tibbets said during the February 8 meeting.

The plan would take money the city has on hand in its improvement fund, borrow an additional $800,000 through tax anticipation notes, and pay the project off in seven years utilizing only fee increases that have already been enacted by the board.

Between 40 and 50 blocks would be paved and curbed, and several already-paved streets would be receive seal coats to prevent them from deteriorating.

Aldermen reacted with joy as they settled on a plan after months of discussions.

“How about that?” Mayor Tex Selvidge said. “We made a decision!”

“Let’s all get on the table and go ‘Yea! Yea! Yea!’” Alderman Janice Knorpp said.

Issuance of the tax notes would be handled by the Lubbock based First Southwest Company whose vice president, Vince Viaille, attended Tuesday’s meeting and presented the aldermen with a proposed debt schedule.

“Tax notes have no publication procedures to follow, and there’s no petition procedures,” Viaille said. “I propose that we go to local banks to issue the notes at 3.5 percent interest or less, and there would be a cost of issuance in the amount of $15,000 to $20,000.”

Viaille said tax notes in the amount of $800,000 could be repaid in seven years with an annual debt service of approximately $132,000.

City officials reacted positively to Viaille’s presentation.

“I think this is the best possible plan we’re going to come up with,” Mayor Tex Selvidge said.

Aldermen directed Viaille to return to the board’s February 22 meeting and bring with him all the necessary forms the city would need to start the process of issuing tax notes. 

The board reviewed maps with city engineer Che Shadle and prioritized streets to be paved. Shadle will work up a plan that fits within the allocated budget.

In other city business, Mayor Selvidge ordered an election to be held May 7 for the purpose of electing a mayor and two aldermen. City Secretary Linda Smith will serve as election clerk, and City Clerk LeAnn Marcum will be deputy clerk.

The second and final reading was held for Ordinance 354, which amends the Livestock Ordinance to cover poultry. Master bantam exhibitor Allen Estlack addressed the board and lodged a complaint about the $20 annual fee the ordinance imposes.

“We will, of course, comply with the ordinance, but I wonder what I’m getting for my $20,” Estlack said, noting that the state inspects his chickens for diseases annually for free.

Alderman Tibbets said the city had to have equal protection for all types of livestock owners, and Estlack said he thinks the ordinance is overkill.

“It was overkill on the horses, too,” Tibbets said, “but I don’t want to reopen that can of worms.”

“The alternative is that no one can have any animals in the city limits,” Alderman Knorpp said.

The board approved Ordinance 354.

Aldermen also approved a motion designating that money raised from the three-cent per $100 valuation tax increase passed last year will be used for street improvements. This had been the intention of the board at the time, but they had never formally voted on the matter.

Donley County is looking for a new treasurer after commissioners accepted the resignation of Rebecca Jackson during their regular session Monday.

County Judge Jack Hall said Jackson was taking a position as a top accountant for Cactus Feeders in Canyon.

“She’s leaving for three main reasons,” Hall said. “She doubles her salary, gets full health insurance for her and her husband, and in six years will be vested in their retirement plan.”

The county began advertising this week for applicants to be considered for the remainder of Jackson’s term, which expires in 2006. Hall said the treasurer’s job is a big one and one that Jackson did well.

“Becky Jackson is a very competent person, and she has done an excellent job as treasurer of Donley County.”

Jackson was appointed in 1997 after the resignation of Wanda Smith. She was elected to a full term in 1998 and reelected in 2002. Her resignation becomes effective February 25.

Hall said the commissioners’ court hopes to make an appointment during a called session on March 1.

Jackson could not be reached for comment Tuesday morning.

In other county business, commissioners heard from Martin Smith of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) regarding plans to replace the bridge over Buck Creek on County Road 28 in two years. Donley County will provide a ten percent in-kind match for the project.

Commissioners also heard from Sandra Hatcher of TxDOT, who discussed the state’s plans to replace the Hwy. 70 bridge over the Salt Fork of Red River below the Greenbelt Dam some time in the next three years. The bridge will be widened and the curves approaching the bridge will be straightened, Hall said. The county will offer assistance in acquiring easements.

The court approved the audit for the fiscal year 2003-2004 as presented by Gordon Maddox.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn reported on a movement in Austin to require county jails to have to persons on duty at all times.

The Donley County Jail just keeps one person on staff, and the sheriff will go to Austin to try to keep it that way.

Commissioners approved Justice Ann Kennedy’s request to install an AMA•TechTel wireless Internet connection in her office and also approved Justice Jimmy Johnson’s request to purchase a new photocopier.

The court considered and approved plans to install a sidewalk from the Courthouse to the Jail and to install up lighting for the north and east faces of the Courthouse.

Sign up began Monday for citizens wishing to serve on any one of six local boards.

The City of Clarendon will hold an election to choose two aldermen and the mayor for two-year terms. Those positions are currently held by Aldermen Bobbie Kidd and Michael Tibbets and Mayor Tex Selvidge.

The City of Howardwick will also elect a mayor and two aldermen. Mayor Nancy Davis has announced that she will not seek reelection due to her daughter’s ongoing battle with cancer. The terms of Aldermen Marvin Elam and Bill Barton are expiring. They are serving out the terms of Mike Rowland and Dewey Linley respectively. The mayor and aldermen each serve two-year terms.

Hedley’s election will select four members of the board of aldermen, three for two-year terms and one for one year. Seats held by Aldermen Bruce Howard, Pam Casteel, Tangela Copelin, and Ricki Baker are all up this year. Baker is serving the unexpired term of Terry Stevens.

Two positions on the Clarendon ISD Board of Trustees are up this year. Those seats are currently held by Weldon Sears and Lance Thornberry and are three-year terms.

Hedley ISD also has two trustee positions open this year. The three-year terms of Anthony Knowles and Rhonda Shaw are expiring.

The Donley County Hospital District will select three positions on its board. The two-year terms of Don Thornberry (Place 1), Alan Fletcher (Place 2), and Melinda McAnear (Place 3) are expiring. McAnear is finishing the term of Andy Wheatly.

Sign up continues through March 7, 2005; and the election will be held May 7.

The transfer from the old facility is complete, and all the books are on the shelves of Clarendon College’s new Vera Dial Dickey Library.

CC held a formal opening and dedication of the building February 3, and Library Director Jewel Houston called it a dream come true.

“We want this to be your library,” Houston told the crowd. “We want to help you any way we can.”

Students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and community members all gathered at the event which culminated with a human chain being formed from the old library at the west end of the Administration Building to the new facility situated west of the Harned Sisters Fine Arts Center. The last 25 books were passed from one pair of hands to another to find their final destination on the shelves of the Dickey Library.

“We’ve had lots of compliments and nice comments,” CC President Myles Shelton said. “Everyone thought it was a fitting tribute to Mrs. Dickey.”

The $1.3 million library is named for the late Vera Dial Dickey, a resident of Memphis, who had a passion for education and who left a generous gift to CC after her death. Executors of her estate and several citizens of Memphis attended the dedication.

Also joining the celebration was CC President Emeritus Kenneth Vaughn and former CC President Jerry Stockton. Representatives from Frank Phillips College and Vernon College attended as well.

At 10,500 square feet, the new library is more than twice the size of its predecessor. It features amenities such as a computer lab with 45 computers, three study/reading areas, improved office and workspaces, and special display cases for items such as the Texas Collection.

Thursday’s activities were not without surprise. During a thank you to those who have donated to the college, CC Foundation Chairman Walt Knorpp unveiled a new “Meet the Challenge” campaign, in which he and his wife, Alderman Janice Knorpp, have agreed to put up a maximum of $10,000 to match other contributions.

“Clarendon College is Donley County’s best asset,” Knorpp said. “So many goals have been accomplished in the last three years, but we can’t stop now.”

Knorpp said every donation received by the Foundation in 2005 that is earmarked as “Meet the Challenge” will be matched up to the $10,000 goal. The money is not being designated for any special purpose. More than $1,000 has already been pledged to the challenge.

To find out more about the “Meet the Challenge” campaign, contact the college at 874-3571.

Community leaders wanted it. Kids wanted it. Parents wanted it. But no one group could do it alone.

Now through a spirit of cooperation, the dream of making Clarendon’s ball fields suitable for use by high school teams and turning them into something people can be proud of is being accomplished with the city, the school, the Little League, and the kids themselves joining forces to turn an idea into a reality.

“We finally got enough people to sit down and talk about it,” Clarendon Junior High Principal Marvin Elam said. “We got people… actually making plans and implementing them.

“No one group has the money to do it alone,” he said. “This is an instance where the school, Little League, and city have come together, come up with a vision, and are working to achieve it.”

That vision was to build an entirely new softball field and substantially renovate McClelland Field by erecting new fences, adding new lighting, and constructing new dugouts.

“The school has had a need to improve the parks for our teams,” Clarendon School Superintendent Monty Hysinger said. “We knew since the city and school both own the fields, and the Little League uses them, we needed to work together.

“We have a lot of booster parents that were very interested in it and were ready to get something done.”

Hysinger said the support of the community has been tremendous.

“It’s been neat to see everyone coming together to get things done. The three organizations realized that things are tight, and we’re all trying to pitch in.

“We talked about it and realized if everyone pitches in we can accomplish anything for our community.  When you work together you can make your dollar stretch farther.”

City Administrator Sean Pate said he would like to think the organizations have set a precedent for others to follow.

“These three organizations have joined and worked together. It goes to show what can happen when you get people together and really want to accomplish something.”

Elam thinks the cooperation on this project is the only way it could be achieved.

“If you get people working together with a vested interest, anything can be done. I think this project is proof we can do more than just sit back and expect things to happen.

“It’s proof that when you work together and share talents, anything in the community can get done,” he said. “I hope this will show people we can overcome any problem in town, like the streets.”

Elam believes the project will give the kids and community an object of pride and the kids agree.

“I think the new fields are going to give us pride in our teams and town,” said high school junior Quentin West, who plays baseball for the Broncos.

Junior softball player Kaitlyn Howard agrees with West and likes the cooperation on the project.

“I like seeing people come together and work. It gets me excited about softball. It’s not only beneficial to just us, but to the whole community. It’s nice that the community is taking an interest in the youth.”

While the school has put up some money towards the project, much of the improvements have been made with donated materials and volunteer labor.

As work is nearing completion on McClelland Field and a new softball field is arising out of a formerly weed-covered lot south of Hart-Moore Field, Hysinger is pleased with the progress that is being made.

“I think that when we’re through, both fields will look tremendously better,” he said. “We’re getting some really nice fields that cost less than they could have without help.”

Hysinger said he encourages people to drive by and see the work that is being done.

“Get out and help if you would like,” he said. “We want to do this right where everyone will be proud of it, and we want these improvements to be nice in order to enhance the park area and add to future improvements.”

Elam says this project is a good investment into the community.

“We’re trying to make it something the kids and the community can be proud of. Whether people like it or don’t, this has proven there’s enough talent in Clarendon; and when you work together, you can get a lot done.”

Pate says for anything in a community to be truly successful the community should get involved.

“It all comes down to people taking pride in their community and unifying to make a change for the better.

“If we work together, we can accomplish things like better streets, nicer community areas, and a lot more.  A lot of people will say things need be done, but we need to come together and get it done.”

Pate also said the community needs to be willing to donate time and support one another.

“Now is a time to be unified. The most detrimental thing in a community is to not unify. It’s up to us to better ourselves and make a change for the better.”

WASHINGTON D.C. – US Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) has acquired additional responsibilities in his role as a member of the US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Committee Chairman Pete Hoekstra has chosen Thornberry to chair the newly created Subcommittee on Oversight.

“I am grateful for this opportunity to tackle some of the most serious issues facing our country,” said Thornberry. “I am also grateful for the support and understanding of my constituents as I devote time and energy to a job about which I will not be able to say much publicly.”

“I appreciate Mac’s willingness to serve as chairman of our new oversight subcommittee,” Hoekstra said. “This subcommittee has an enormous task ahead of it, and the energy and professionalism he will bring to this effort will greatly benefit the nation’s intelligence capabilities.”

Among the responsibilities of the new subcommittee is to oversee implementation of the reforms contained in the “Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004,” also known as the “9/11 Bill.”

“The ‘9/11 Bill’ that Congress approved last month offers us a great opportunity to strengthen the various elements of our intelligence community. But that bill will be beneficial only if it is implemented in as quick and effective a manner as possible.

“I am deeply honored by Chairman Hoekstra’s decision to select me for this position, and I look forward to working with the talented group of colleagues who serve with me on this subcommittee.”

Thornberry joined the Intelligence Committee last September when House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert appointed him to replace former Congressman Porter Goss, who left Congress to become the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Thornberry also serves on the House Armed Services Committee.

More than 3,200 electric customers were left without power Thursday afternoon after a low hanging power line tripped out causing outages around the area.

Linda Caton, a Communications Consultant for AEP, said the failure was due to a 69-kilovolt line being down between Jericho and Clarendon.

“We’re not certain what caused the line to become low,” she said, “but a cross arm or insulator break can cause a line to go down.”

Caton said when the low hanging line shut itself off, two breakers in Clarendon and two in Hedley failed, leaving 1,830 customers in those communities without power.

The outage also affected customers of Greenbelt Electric Cooperative.

Member service advisor Randy White said Greenbelt Electric interfaces with AEP and an estimated 1,400 customers lost power.

“AEP feeds our substation outside of Clarendon,” White said. “We had customers affected in McKnight, Jericho, Hedley and Goodnight.”

The failure began at 2:14 p.m. Thursday, Caton said, and power was not fully restored until 4:30 p.m.

Clarendon city leaders tried to find common ground as they again took up the topic of street improvements during their regular meeting last Tuesday.

Mayor Tex Selvidge urged the Board of Aldermen to unify on a paving plan so that another year does not pass with nothing accomplished.

“We need to focus and give them [the citizens] something,” Selvidge said. “We have to decide what we’re going to do and do it. If we don’t, then suddenly it’s the end of the summer, and nothing’s done.”

Alderman Michael Tibbets said he thought the city should set the goal of paving every other street and borrow just the money that it can pay back in a short time.

“Why don’t we go a million and a quarter, borrow against our CDs, and start our grid?” Tibbets said. “If we pay it off in five or six years, you won’t have any opposition.”

City engineer Che Shadle said he thought the board should go even further than that.

“As a citizen, I’m saying borrow more than that,” he said. “I’m speaking not as an engineer but as someone who wants to see his street paved.”

Tibbets reiterated his point that a smaller project would meet with more approval from the citizens.

“Something that’s paid off in the same time as a trash truck won’t generate any opposition. You won’t have any petitions,” Tibbets said.

Aldermen Bobbie Kidd and Mark White said the city should continue its idea from last year of focusing on controlling water flow in the city and connecting paved streets.

Without taking formal action, aldermen directed Shadle to come back to the next meeting with a plan to pave as many streets as possible for $1.25 million, concentrating on areas of water flow and chronic maintenance problems. The project would be paid for through revenues from fee increases that were imposed in 2003 after voters rejected a proposed $2.5 million paving project.

Tibbets also asked representatives of The Clarendon Enterprise if the paper would be supportive of the plan or just try to create controversy.

“The newspaper doesn’t create controversy; we just report it,” publisher Roger Estlack responded. “We have always been in favor of paving from day one.”

In other city business, aldermen discussed the idea of constructing a metal building for a new City Hall, but the board decided the city could not afford to tackle that project and pave streets at the same time.

“Let’s just get estimates to fix this [City Hall] and do the streets,” Alderman Janice Knorpp said.

The board also gave final approval to Ordinance 354, which amends the Livestock Ordinance, and Ordinance 356, which amends the fee schedule at the recycling center.

Aldermen approved the mayor’s request to give the Saints’ Roost Museum $4,500 out of the Motel Bed Tax for costs associated with the museum’s depot project.

City Administrator Sean Pate reported progress being made to clean up an old dumping area north of the recycling center. He also said that work on the ball fields is progressing and that plans are being made to tear down a house on Allen Street.

Several local youth from Donley County will participate in the 2005 Houston Livestock Show set to begin March 2.

Youth participating from the Hedley FFA include Austin Adams, Brady Montgomery, Brandon Montgomery, Brayden Montgomery, Caden Farris, Cole Farris, Denver Chambless, Deston Chambless, Dustin Thomas, Haley Chambless, Jasie Sargent, John Mark Patterson, Julie Woodard, Kristen Dwight, Kyle Lindsey, Marlee Sargent, Paul Monroe, Reid Copelin, Seth Koetting, Shandy Koetting, Skyler Conatser, Wes Shields, Will Verstuyft, William Monroe, and Zachery Sargent.

Youth participating from the Donley County 4-H include Abby Patten, Calvin Edwards, Charle Watts, Kenneth Tolbert, Kristen Tolbert, Paul Goetze, Rowdy Speed, Sade Cobb, and Trevor Cobb.

Youth participating from Clarendon FFA include Ashley Petty, Brayden Phillips, Dustin Willyard, Haley Shelton, Holly Cornell, Kelsey Thomas, Kimberly Tolbert, and Ryan Petty.

Almost 17,000 entries, representing about 1,100 Texas 4-H Clubs and FFA Chapters will compete in this year’s junior show.

A proposal in the Texas Legislature could result in Clarendon’s Medical Center Nursing Home receiving more than $168,000 in funding per year.

MCNH Administrator Alan Graham says the Texas Nursing Facility Continuation Act would allow the state to tap into currently unused federal dollars that are available for Medicaid beds in nursing homes.

Graham, who serves on the board of the Texas Health Care Association (THCA), was in Austin last week to discuss the proposal with Sen. Robert Duncan and Rep. Warren Chisum.

 “They [the Legislature] have been cutting our money,” Graham said. “Our philosophy is to put more money in the pool to increase our long-term care funds that are available from the federal government.”

If adopted, the proposed act would impose a fee on nursing facilities across the state of $7 per day per Medicaid-paid bed. The money raised from that fee would go into a pool to be matched with federal dollars to gain an estimated $16.58 per Medicaid patient per day.

“The important thing to remember is that this fee will not be passed on to patients,” Graham said. “It will be in the act that this fee cannot be passed on.”

THCH officials estimate the $7 assessment would generate $200 million and attract more than $300 million in federal revenue, creating a pool of more than $500 million for Texas nursing homes.

“That would mean an additional $168,735 for us locally,” Graham said.

Most nursing homes across the state would benefit from the program, but Graham admits there would be a few losers. Some private-pay facilities with unoccupied Medicaid beds would suffer a net loss because they would have to pay the assessment but not be eligible for the funds as long as those beds are unused.

Graham said in House District 88 there are 26 facilities that would benefit and none that would lose. In Senate District 28, one facility would lose and 90 would benefit.

The proposal could help lift Texas out of its ranking as one of the lowest states in terms of funding nursing home care. Texas ranks 45th out of 50 and spends $28.80 per patient per day less than the national average.

That low funding may be partly responsible for the high number of bankruptcies among nursing homes in Texas, where one in four homes were in bankruptcy in 2000-2001. 

MCNH is not in that particular position, but passage of the act would be a big help to the local home’s bottom line.

“That money could be the difference in us having health insurance or not for our employees,” Graham said. “It could help raise employees’ wages; it could help pay off bonds; it could do a lot of things.”

At press time, the proposal did not yet have a sponsor in either house of the Legislature, but THCA president Tim Graves said he expects to have one by the end of the week and thinks the proposal may pass.

“I feel good about our chances,” Graves said. “We’ll know more in the next few months.”

Graham said school finance will be the Legislature’s top priority this session, but he and Graves agree that it would be helpful for citizens to contact their representatives and urge them to support the proposal.