News

Clarendon High School has announced Tim Leeper and Matthew Aaron as its top students for the Class of 2004.

The valedictorian with a grade average of 97.64 is Tim Leeper, son of Bryan and Debbie Leeper.

Leeper has been very involved in extracurricular activities at CHS.  He has played basketball for four years, baseball for one year, and golf for four years.  He is also a member of the Clarendon Bronco Band, which received sweepstakes awards all four years and advanced to the Regional Marching Contest two years. He has also been a member of the student government for two years and served as the Student Council President his senior year. 

Leeper has also been very involved academically.  He was inducted into the National Honor Society and was awarded the Outstanding Chemist Award from the National Chemistry Society.  He has been a member of the Clarendon High School Gifted and Talented program for four years and participated in the National Rocketry Competition. 

Leeper was a member of the Pantex Science Bowl Competition for two years, where he served as captain.  He also participated in UIL Math, Computer Applications, Science, and One Act Play, which advanced to regional competition his junior year and area competition this year. 

Tim plans on attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where he intends to major in Space Physics.

Clarendon’s salutatorian this year is Matthew Aaron, who is the son of Johnny and Anita Aaron, and has an average of 96.44.

 Aaron has been very active both inside and outside of school.  He has participated in the high school band all four years. In addition, he has been involved in basketball, track, and cross country.  He has participated in UIL academics in events such as Persuasive Speaking, Science, Computer Science, and Literary Criticism.  He advanced to regional competition in Literary Criticism. 

Aaron was a member of the UIL One Act Play, where he was named to the all-star cast.  He also was in the cast of “Annie Get Your Gun”, the Clarendon High School fall production. He has received the American Achievement Academy Award in English and Science and has been named to Who’s Who Among American High School Students.  He has also been inducted into the National Honor Society and is a member of the Spanish Club.

Aaron’s activities outside of school include membership in the First United Methodist Church Youth Praise and Worship band as a guitarist, and he has received numerous awards in the martial arts, including a 2nd degree black belt in Karate. 

Matt plans on attending Texas Tech University in the fall, where he will be a member of the Tech Honors College and the Texas Tech Air Force ROTC.

Leeper and Aaron will be recognized during CHS commencement exercises Friday, May 28, at 8 p.m. in the Harned Sisters Fine Arts Auditorium.

Clarendon College will be better prepared to serve future students thanks to a $50,000 grant awarded by the Don & Sybil Harrington Foundation last week.

The funds will be used to for technology purposes in the new CC Library & Learning Resource Center, which is now under construction. CC President Myles Shelton said the grant is a great gift for Clarendon’s students.

“Technology is one of the critical components of the new library,” Shelton said. “We are going to have an open computer lab with 45 computers, which will be tied into a wireless network. Students and faculty with their own laptop computers will be able to bring them in and access the network. This grant allows us to make that a reality.”

Shelton said the college is still waiting for the final paperwork on the grant but confirmed that there are no matching funds required. The grant money will go directly to the purchasing of computers.

“The ability to use printed and online resources is the future,” he said. “This makes the technology we’ve dreamed about come true.”

The Harrington Foundation and the Amarillo Area Foundation awarded a total of $506,979 in thirteen grants around the Panhandle in recent days, including a $43,679 grant to the Donley County Hospital District for a new ambulance. Foundation CEO Jim Allison said the grant awards are about more than money.

“The foundations are pleased to announce these recent grantmaking decisions, representing an investment in people, property, and ideas, which in turn will help our region flourish, not only in economic and monetary matters, but in matters concerning spirit and hope,” Allison said.

Shelton credited CC employees Will Thompson and Greg Henry for their work on the grant application.

Construction on the new library is reported to be about two weeks ahead of schedule. The $1.3 million facility is being funded by gifts to the college and the CC Foundation.

Local incumbents were returned to office in all races last Saturday when Donley County voters went to the polls.

Despite being the most talked about race, only 25 percent of registered voters cast ballots for candidates running for the Donley County Hospital Board, which was the only countywide election.

Three current members of the hospital board were re-elected. In Place 5, Carolyn Moffett defeated challenger Linda Kay Bell, 336-307.  Place 6 director Onita Thomas won more votes than any other hospital board candidate in her 436-208 re-election victory over Don Stone, and Jim Douglas posted the narrowest win when he beat June Davis, 329-307, for the Place 7 position.

In the race to fill the Place 4 seat formerly held by the late Jerry May, Pat McAnear defeated Kelly Tunnell by a margin of 416 to 222.

A total of 652 votes were cast in the hospital board election.

Clarendon voters also decided to keep their current city leaders on the job as three incumbent aldermen were returned to the board. Alderman Mark White received the most votes, 242, followed by Aldermen Tommy Hill and Janice Knorpp with 195 each.

Also on the city ballot were Ray Hamilton (147), Ron Lamberth (129), and William “Bill” Holden (78). A total of 343 citizens voted in the municipal election, a turnout of 27.5 percent.

Hedley residents also like their city leaders. Mayor Janie Hill, running unopposed, received 60 votes; and Aldermen Terry Stevens and Leon Ward were re-elected with 39 and 54 votes respectively. Challenger Pamela Casteel received only 27 votes.

Sixty-six Hedley voters cast ballots in that city’s election, a turnout of 30 percent.

Voters in the Clarendon Independent School District returned three members of the Board of Trustees to their offices. James Shelton received the most votes with 376, followed by Reneé Betts with 361 and Marvin Thompson with 315.  Challenger Judy Thomas received 164 votes out of the 428 ballots cast.

Hedley Independent School District voters re-elected two current members and added a new face to their Board of Trustees. Incumbent Marlee Sharp led the count with 80 votes, and incumbent Jason Sargent had 78. Abby O’Neal was elected with 68 votes, and Rex Morris will not be joining the board after receiving only 56 of the 102 votes cast.

Hedley High School officials announced this week that Treva Rowland and Lacey Wallendorff will be the valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2004.

Rowland is graduating with a high school grade average of 97.60. She is the daughter of Mike and Linda Rowland and the granddaughter of Don and Treva Fulton of Howardwick and Betty Rowland of Roswell, New Mexico.

Rowland has been involved in UIL academic contests and the UIL state competition, OAP, FFA, choir, basketball, track, and cross country. She is treasurer of the National Honor Society.

This summer Rowland will be receiving her Girl Scout Gold Award at the capitol in Austin and will be representing Greenbelt Electric Cooperative and Donley County in Washington, DC. She plans to attend West Texas A&M University in the fall, majoring in Chemistry.

Wallendorff has an average of 97.18 and is the daughter of Mike Wallendorff and Larry and Lori Adams.

During her high school career, Wallendorff has been involved in basketball, golf, track, BPA, UIL, OAP, FFA, choir, NHS, and yearbook. She is the treasurer of the Class of 2004 and the president of NHS.

Wallendorff plans to attend West Texas A&M University in the fall where she intends to study to become an Optometrist.

Commencement ceremonies for Hedley High School will be held Friday, May 28, at 8 p.m. in the HHS Auditorium.

A new ambulance will soon be added to the fleet of the Associated Ambulance Authority at no cost to Donley County taxpayers, thanks to a grant from the Amarillo Area Foundation.

The foundation board voted April 27 to approve a grant from the Lawrence R. Hagy Fund in the amount of $43,679 for the purpose of purchasing a new Type III ambulance.

“We’re thrilled,” said authority Director of Operations Anita Aaron. “Everyone worked really hard to make this happen. This will be good for all of Donley County.”

Aaron also expressed her appreciation for the foundation.

“Without the Amarillo Area Foundation’s support, services such as ours wouldn’t be able to afford the caliber of equipment we have,” she said. “They are so very generous.”

The grant will be combined with a $35,000 grant from the Texas Department of Health (TDH) that the authority received last November. That award was the highest possible level of funding under the TDH Local Project Grant program, and it was received after the authority had only 30 to 45 days to fill out an application that was more complex than previous applications.

The ambulance service operates a total of three ambulances under the authority of the Donley County Hospital District. The two grants, combined with a trade-in value, will allow the oldest of the three ambulances to be replaced.

District Administrator Alan Graham said obtaining the grant was the result of the efforts of the hospital board and many district employees and said it will help improve the service the district provides.

“This grant will enable us to have three ambulances that will be low-mileage and will be dependable in providing the highest quality of care to the people of Donley County,” he said. “Best of all, we were able to do this without incurring any debt.”

The district is already in the process of taking bids on the new ambulance. Those will be opened Monday for possible action by the hospital board on Tuesday.

Voters will be going to polls this Saturday, May 15, to choose which of their fellow citizens will be making decisions on five local boards.

Polls will open at 7 a.m., and voting will continue until 7 p.m.

Four open positions on the Donley County Hospital Board of Directors have been the most talked about races of this election season. Kelly Tunnell and Pat McAnear are running for Place 4 on the board, the position formerly held by the late Jerry May. In Place 5, incumbent Carolyn Moffett is being challenged by Linda Kay Bell. Place 6 incumbent Onita Thomas is facing challenger Don Stone, and June Davis is running against incumbent Jim Douglas in Place 7.

All positions on the Hospital Board are elected at-large, and votes can be cast at the Clarendon ISD Administration Building, Howardwick City Hall, and the Hedley Lions Club.

Four people are running for the Clarendon ISD Board of Trustees. Incumbents Reneé Betts, Jim Shelton, and Marvin Thompson are joined on the ballot by challenger Judy Thomas. The top three vote getters will be elected, and ballots may be cast at the CISD Administration Building.

In the City of Clarendon, three positions are also up this year on the Board of Aldermen. Incumbents Tommy Hill, Janice Knorpp, and Mark White are challenged by Ron Lamberth, Bill Holden, and Ray Hamilton. The city board is elected at-large, and the top three candidates will be the winners. Votes may be cast at City Hall.

The City of Hedley has three citizens – Pamela Casteel, Leon Ward, and Terry Stevens – running for two at-large positions on the Board of Aldermen. Ward and Stevens are up for re-election, and Casteel was recently appointed to the board to fill the unexpired term of Abby O’Neal, who resigned to run for school board. She is now seeking one of the two full terms. Balloting will take place at the Hedley Lions Club.

Four candidates have signed up to run for three places on the Hedley ISD Board of Trustees. They are incumbents Marlee Sharp and Jason Sargent and challengers Abby O’Neal and Rex Morris. The positions are elected at-large, and the top three candidates will be elected. Voting for this election will also be at the Hedley Lions Club.

CHILDRESS – The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has implemented a plan to assist the State of Texas in reducing operating cost.

Starting April 26, 2004, TxDOT’s Childress District Maintenance Section will begin working 4-10 hour days.

“The longer daylight periods through the spring and summer months will allow for earlier start times and a longer work day,” said Terry Keener, Childress District Engineer.

All maintenance and maintenance support offices will work 4-10 hour days with offices being closed one day a week.  Telephones will be forwarded to the District Office in Childress or the Maintenance Supervisor in your respective County.

This plan will allow the maintenance sections to spend more time on the job site and will save fuel cost by reducing trip time and traffic control set up time.  A further savings in energy will be realized by the offices being closed one day per week.

“TxDOT started this program a few years ago, and we saw a significant increase in work efficiency and a reduction in operating cost,” said Keener.

“Each office has been instructed to adjust their thermostats to coincide with the office being closed, and emergencies will be responded to promptly.  We expect the public will continue to experience a high level of customer satisfaction.”

The maintenance offices in Childress, Wheeler, Donley, Motley, and Knox Counties will be closed each Monday.  Collingsworth, Briscoe, Hall, Hardeman, Cottle, Foard, Dickens, and King will be closed each Friday.

Anyone with questions about this or any other TxDOT issue may contact Barbara Seal, Public Information Officer at 940-937-7145.

The American Bantam Association has honored two Clarendon boys with the recognition of Master Breeder this spring.

Allen and Russell Estlack, the father and son duo behind Estlack Boys Bantams, earned this prestigious distinction after twenty-four years of raising and showing black cochin bantams.

Allen (known as “Pigeon” to childhood friends) has a long history of showing chickens that goes back to the early 1950s.  However, the Estlacks didn’t begin raising black cochins until 1979. 

When Russell was just four, Allen began looking for a gentle variety of chicken that his son could show.  The purchase of a trio (two hens and a rooster) thus started a hobby that would bring the father and son closer together and earn them national recognition.

Russell called the hens his lady chickens. 

“I was allergic to cats and dogs, so Sally, my favorite hen, became my pet.  I took her everywhere,” he recalls with a grin, “even into restaurants.” 

It is hard to resist the charm of the small black birds, especially on a freshly mowed lawn.  The cochins glow with a beetle-like green sheen in the sun as they wade through the grass, clucking softly and preening themselves. 

In order to become Master Breeders, the Estlacks have traveled to chicken shows in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, and Colorado. Chickens are judged by how closely their type and condition meet the breed and variety descriptions in the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection. 

Exhibitors must earn twenty or more starred wins to attain Master Breeder status, and stars are only granted when a bird defeats one hundred or more birds in a class or when it becomes grand or reserve grand champion of a show.  Estlack Boys Bantams joins only 21 breeders nationwide in accomplishing this level of excellence. 

“This hobby has become a life-long pleasure that I will enjoy sharing with my children,” Russell said.  “I want to thank my parents for their sacrifices in reaching this achievement.  The birds require a lot of time and care.  But, I can’t imagine life without them.  I’m sure Dad feels the same way.”

A long-awaited assisted living center will take another step closer to reality this weekend with groundbreaking ceremonies being held Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Clarendon Country Cottage Assisted Living will be located at Seventh and Taylor, and manager Sue Leeper says the facility when completed will give local people the opportunity to stay in their hometown near family, and friends.

The Country Cottage will be a 17-apartment building available for ambulatory residents, who will be provided home cooked meals, a warm and loving environment, interaction with other residents, and assistance with medications as well as medical needs.

The facility is being designed by architect Ken Condray of Lubbock and will be built by contractor William Jones of Amarillo.

Leeper said she’s wanted to start an assisted living facility for many years but only moved forward with the plan after her husband, Jack, passed away last April.

“He told me to go on with life, and this is my way of doing that,” she said. “We’ve always wanted this for the community.”

Leeper expects construction to start on the facility this fall and to be open for business sometime in 2005.

“We’re still in the financial stage of it,” she said. “We’re forming a limited liability partnership for investors.”

Leeper worked for 18 years as a nurse and director of nurses with the Donley County Hospital District and then was employed for three years by the Texas Department of Health, where she investigated and surveyed nursing homes.

Leeper invites the public to join her in prayer and thanksgiving at the groundbreaking this weekend.

“We believe that Clarendon Country Cottage has been orchestrated by God for the community of Clarendon.”

A high-speed chase Saturday night landed a California man in the Donley County Jail facing charges of evading arrest and aggravated assault on a peace officer.

David Allen Myer, 35, of Glendora, California, was taken into custody after he led law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase exceeding 100 miles per hour through Armstrong and Donley Counties.

“At approximately 10:20 p.m., the Donley County Sheriff’s Department received a call that a dark Chevrolet Camaro was headed east on US Hwy. 287 traveling at excessive speeds,” Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said. “DPS Trooper Lynn Mays had clocked the vehicle speeding west of Claude and chased it through Claude.”

Mays and two units from the Armstrong County Sheriff’s Department then continued in pursuit of the vehicle east of Claude on Hwy. 287.

DPS Trooper Chris Ward spiked the vehicle one half mile west of the Armstrong/Donley County line, but the suspect was able to continue driving.

The pursuit then continued east, and DPS Sergeant Richard Gribble spiked the vehicle a second time one half mile west of Ashtola, but that also failed to stop the suspect.

“Spiking the vehicle only slowed him down to about 80 miles per hour,” Blackburn said.

“The vehicle made aggressive moves towards Donley County police units and was finally brought to a stop five miles west of town after I nudged him with my pickup,” Blackburn said.

Blackburn said that the officers and troopers from the two counties worked well together.

“It worked smooth, and it comes in handy to have vehicles like my pickup that are heavy enough to shove another vehicle without causing any damage.”

According to Blackburn, the officers involved in this chase were determined to stop the suspect before he reached Clarendon.

“We have a policy that we weren’t going to chase him through town,” he said. “It would have put too many lives on the line.”

Myer was arraigned by Donley County Judge Jack Hall on Monday, and bond was set at $75,000 for aggravated assault on a peace officer and $25,000 for evading arrest.

At press time, law enforcement officials say it is undetermined whether the use of alcohol or narcotics was involved in the case.