News

Donley County landowners and operators will have an opportunity to gather information and set priorities for future U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs at a meeting next Thursday.

The Program Development Group will meet February 5, 2004, at 1:00 p.m. in the Clarendon College Courson RFO Center.

“Local landowners or anyone can be involved and are invited to attend the meeting,” Weldon Sears said. “We want to gear these practices towards local concerns. This opportunity is significant in terms of local control so it will fit to our land owners and our local resource needs.”

The primary function of this meeting will be to develop recommendations about resource concerns as they pertain to the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), which is a conservation cost-share program administered by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).

Program development will be established at the local level, and therefore local involvement and input are essential to making the program relevant.

“The more people who participate, the more this will help our local community,” Sears said. “This is a chance for people to have not only an input, but also to make sure this program will work for them.”

This group will determine conservation concerns and priorities for cost-share assistance for Donley County, select eligible conservation practices to address the selected concerns and prioritize them, and make recommendations for cost-share rates and incentive payments. The group will also establish strategies for public outreach efforts, set a screening and ranking process, and determine program performance.

The Courson Center is located on the campus of Clarendon College, south of the Bairfield Activity Center.

For additional information call (806) 874-3576 ext. 3.

The Clarendon Enterprise set a new record and bested all other entries in the Texas Press Association’s Mid-Winter Special Section Contest during the 57th TPA Mid-Winter Conference & Trade Show last Friday in Houston.

The 125th Anniversary Edition of the Enterprise, an issue that was three years in the making, took first place in its category and received Best of Show honors, which put it above all other entries, including those from several large daily newspapers.

“This was a big win for us because even though we were one of the smallest papers entered in the contest, we came out ahead of papers many times our size,” said Editor Roger Estlack.

“It was a lot of hard work to put that issue together. We felt good about our chances at the contest, but the results exceeded our expectations.”

A total of 96 papers entered the contest, and the Enterprise was among ten newspapers that competed in the small weekly division of the contest.

Judges from the University of Texas, Texas Christian University, and the Austin Advertising Federation selected three top finalists in each division; and then registered convention attendees cast votes for the winner of each division and the overall Best of Show.

According to TPA officials, 153 votes were cast at the convention, and the Enterprise received 111 votes or 73 percent, to win its category, thus setting a new record for the contest.

In the Best of Show tally, the Enterprise received 24 votes, and its closest competitor received 16.

Among the winners of other categories were The Freer Press, The (Aledo) Community News, The Cameron Herald, The Graham Leader, the Polk County Enterprise, the Denton Record-Chronicle, and the Stephenville Empire-Tribune. Contest entries also included those from Amarillo, Odessa, Conroe, Brownwood, and many others.

Representing The Clarendon Enterprise at the convention and accepting the award were Editor Roger Estlack and Web Master Ashlee Kidd.

The 125th Anniversary Edition was published June 5, 2003, and chronicled the history of the Texas Panhandle’s first newspaper from its establishment on June 1, 1878, as The Clarendon News by Rev. Lewis H. Carhart and its role in recording the history of the community and all of Donley County.

A limited number of the anniversary editions are still available for sale, and portions of the edition have been uploaded to the Enterprise’s Web site at www.ClarendonOnline.com/history.

As a result of the 2002 Farm Bill the Donley County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in Clarendon has been given the charge to lead the way in developing programs and initiatives to improve soil and water resources at the local level.

“The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) authorizes a locally driven process, coordinated by conservation districts, to guide and set local priority resource concerns and program direction. It provides tremendous opportunities for local people to become involved in assessing local resource needs,” said Dick Bode, chairman of the SWCD.

EQIP is the USDA cost-share program to assist farmers and ranchers address their resource-based concerns and problems.

According to Bode, the process deals with developing a list of concerns for the long and short range EQIP planning and development.

To enact the EQIP on the local level, the Donley SWCD, in partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), will conduct a program development group meeting with its conservation partners and interested persons or organizations on February 5, 2004, at 1:00 p.m. in the Clarendon College Courson RFO Center, RFO classroom.

The Courson RFO Center is located on the campus of Claredon College, south of the Bairfield Activity Center. For additional information call (806) 874-3576 ext. 3.

The purpose of the meeting is to conduct a local conservation needs assessment and make program recommendations on what problems the SWCD in conjunction with the Local Work Group should address in future years. Local recommendations will then flow to the Local Work Group where the district’s technical issues, resource priority area, and program policies will be reviewed and integrated into the state, regional, and national programs.

“We are really excited about the opportunities the new EQIP offers because Congress is seeking our leadership to assist our community in carrying out a conservation program that wisely invests public resources to protect local natural resources,” Bode said.

Hedley High School sent teams to the West Texas High Invitational Academic Meet in Stinnett and gave a great showing with four of the six teams winning second place.

Stephen Howard was second overall in Number Sense, and the team of Howard, Lacey Wallendorff, and Travis Hrbacek came in fifth out of twelve schools.

The Calculator Applications team of Treva Rowland, Brittney Bennett, and Ruth Anne Howard performed very well placing second.  Rowland was the overall second place individual, and Bennett was the overall third place individual.

The Current Events team was paced by Ben Shaw’s seventh place showing and Kyra Stevens’ eighth place showing. 

The Science and Math teams also came in second with Lacey Wallendorff and Stephen Howard placing third and fifth respectively in each contest.  Howard and Wallendorff were also the top two chemistry students in the science contest.

The showing was commendable considering Hedley was one of only three 1A schools in the contest which included much larger schools like Caprock, Pampa, Dumas, Dalhart, Perryton, Spearman, Canadian, and West Texas High. 

The math and science teams will be competing this weekend at the Coronado Invitational in Lubbock.

Only one person showed up to speak at a public hearing held by the Clarendon Board of Aldermen last Tuesday as the city took the first step in changing its zoning rules.

Sue Leeper, who is considering building an assisted living center here, spoke in favor of changing the zoning rules.

Leeper wants to build a facility on three lots near her home, but the land in question falls in the R1 residential zone, which does not allow an assisted living center.

“I’ve worked in the medical field for a long time,” she said, “and I know what steps have to be taken in order to do this. The first step is to get the zoning changed.”

Leeper’s plans include a 16-bed facility similar to an apartment complex and much like the assisted living center currently in Claude. Staff would help people living in the facility with their every need, including controlling their medication. All residents of the facility would have to be mobile to live there; and if that situation changes, the resident in question would have to move to a nursing home facility.

Alderman Janice Knorpp asked if the property at Seventh and Taylor is located in a flood zone. Leeper responded that it was on the edge of the zone and may need to be built up to prevent flooding.

Leeper encouraged the city to change its zoning rules, saying, “There is a definite need for this here.”

Last year, aldermen tried to grant Leeper a zoning variance for her facility but later had to rescind that motion after being told by legal counsel that that action was improper.

The aldermen will hold a second public hearing on the proposed zoning changes when they meet next week.

In other city business, the aldermen discussed the responsibilities and authority of City Administrator Sean Pate, specifically if his office should have the authority to hire and fire with appeal to the board.

Mayor Tex Selvidge said that there should never be a case where individual aldermen tell a city employee how to do his job and said that direction should come from the administrator.

Alderman Bobbie Kidd spoke in favor of expanding Pate’s authority.

“I think if a guy hires, he ought to be able to fire,” Kidd said. “We ought to have a clear line of command.”

But Alderman Michael Tibbets objected to granting more power to Pate.

“It is my position that we should keep authority in elected officials,” Tibbets said.

“You won’t lose that,” Kidd responded. “And I think this would be better for the city and better for the council. Maybe we could move forward and not concentrate on nitpicking.”

Tibbets moved to leave the responsibility to hire and fire with the Board of Aldermen. There was no second.

Kidd moved, seconded by Knorpp, to give the city administrator the power to hire and fire and to set salaries within the constraints of the budget.

“I would caution the council against voting for this motion as it constitutes the de facto establishment of a manager/council form of government,” Tibbets said.

Other aldermen strongly disagreed with Tibbets’ assertion, and the board approved the motion, 3-1.

Also at last week’s meeting, Debra Hill, Anita Aaron, and Brenda Hill demonstrated the Associated Ambulance Authority’s new Evac-U-Splint, which was purchased with money donated by the city and other contributors. The device fully conforms to the contours of the body to allow patients, such as those with osteoporosis, to be transported in a comfortable manner.

Administrator Pate reported on activities around the city. He reported attending a meeting for the new Panhandle Revenue Recovery Association, where he was elected to the board. He also discussed the possibility of purchasing a used truck from Greenbelt Water Authority to replace a dilapidated vehicle used by the animal control workers. Tibbets said it should be put in next year’s budget.

Clarendon College Regents accepted a $1.27 million bid for the construction of a new library when they met in regular session last Thursday.

Page & Associates of Amarillo will serve as the construction manager at-risk on the project, which is being funded by gifts to CC and the Clarendon College Foundation.

CC President Myles Shelton expressed the excitement of the college in getting the project underway.

“I’m looking forward to getting started and getting finished,” he said.

At 10,500 square feet, the new library will be about two and half times bigger than the present library.

The facility will be situated between the Administration Building and the Harned Sisters Fine Arts Center and will be constructed to match the architecture of the rest of the campus with one main difference – the new building will sit at a 45-degree angle to its neighbors. That unique position will allow the building to fit neatly into the existing landscape.

“No trees will be harmed with this construction, but one ugly bush will have to go,” Shelton said.

Local residents should see activity begin on the project in early February, and the college will hold a formal groundbreaking on a date to be decided.

The project should be completed by the end of this year, and it should be ready for use in the spring 2005 semester.

No decision has been made about what to do with the current library space on the west end of the Administration Building, but Shelton said CC has three pressing needs – classroom space, office space, and space to house all student service functions in one location.

Shelton said he is happy with the way things are going for CC.

“We’ve accomplished a lot of things in the last 4½ years,” he said, “and I’m very pleased with the direction of the college.”

He touted the college’s graduation and transfer rates, its placement of the vocational program graduates, and other recent accomplishments.

“We spend so much time on things that could have been or should have been,” Shelton said. “This is an opportunity to look at the good things that have happened and make plans for the future.”

The Board of Regents did just that in other business last Thursday by taking formal action to adopt the institutional plan, “Opening Doors, Changing Lives.” The document, which outlines goals for CC through 2007, is the result of a yearlong process that started with visioning exercises in early 2003.

Also at last week’s meeting, the board received an update on remaining work on Regents Hall, heard reports from administrators, and voted to hire Briana Sperry as the new residence hall director for Knorpp Hall and new assistant coach.

The acquisition of the local B&R Thriftway by Lowe’s Pay & Save, Inc., will be complete in the middle of March of this year.

All Thriftway employees will be a welcome addition to the Lowe’s Pay & Save team, the company said.

In addition to the Clarendon store, the Lowe’s chain will take over the B&R Thriftways in Tulia, Hereford, Fritch, Borger, and Iowa Park.

Lowe’s Pay & Save has a company mission to bring low prices and personalized service to customers. Expansions and remodeling of stores have become commonplace as of late in order to provide clientele with the best service possible.

“As always, we are looking for ways to better serve our customers,” said founder Roger Lowe, Sr. “We live in a world that demands convenience, but convenience at a fair price. This acquisition will work towards that goal.”

The Littlefield-based chain of grocery stores was started in 1964, and continues to be family owned and operated. The philosophy of community contribution coupled with providing the best products at the best prices have enabled the company to grow to a total of 66 stores in West Texas and New Mexico.

Joe Don Patterson and Trevor Cobb exhibited the top animals in the Beef Division during the annual Donley County Junior Livestock Show last Saturday at the Clarendon Community Center.

Patterson’s Grand Champion Steer and Cobb’s Grand Champion Heifer were purchased by the Donley County Buyers Club.

Other top winners were Austin Adams and his Grand Champion Hamp, purchased by Mike and Tanya Hobbs, Ken and Glenda Wiskhakemper, and Monroe and Fleeta Shannon, his Grand Champion Goat, and his Grand Champion Lamb; Kelsey Mullins and her Grand Champion Gilt purchased by the Donley County Buyers Club; and Holly Cornell and her Grand Champion Commercial Animal purchased by Donley County State Bank.

Local young people from the Donley County 4-H Club and local FFA chapters showed 113 animals. Last year exhibitors showed 109 animals at the show.

As of Monday morning, figures showed the sale brought in $33,500, down slightly from the $34,000 raised last year. That number may increase in the final tally as more donations are received.

In the Beef Division, Sade Rae Cobb received the Senior Showmanship award, and the Junior Showmanship award went to Trevor Cobb.

Dusty Martindale took home the Senior Showmanship honors in the Swine Division, Dalton Askew received the Senior Showmanship award in the Lamb Division, and Austin Adams took home the Junior Showmanship honors in both the Swine and Lamb Divisions.

The Senior Showmanship in Goats went to Kristen White, and the Junior Showmanship went to Maci White.

Complete results are as follows:

Steers: Joe Don Patterson, grand champion; Charlie Watts, reserve champion; John Patterson, second (class 301); and Sade Rae Cobb, second (class 302).

Heifers: Trevor Cobb, grand champion; Abby Patten, reserve champion; and Sade Rae Cobb, third.

Commercial Animal: Holly Cornell, grand champion; and Haley Shelton, reserve champion.

Lambs: Austin Adams, grand champion; Kenzie Perryman, reserve champion; Dalton Askew, first (class 103); and Katie Askew, second (class 103); and Kenzie Perryman, third (class 102).

Goats: Austin Adams, grand champion; and Kristen White, reserve champion. Maci White, first (class 201); Janae White, second (class 201); Maci White, second (class 202); Jenci White, second (class 203); Kristen White, third (class 201); Dalton Askew, third (class 202); Katie Askew, third (class 203); Janae White, fourth (class 202); Jenci White, fourth (class 203); and Cedar Stevenson, fifth (class 203).

Swine: Hamp – Class 606 – Austin Adams, grand champion; Dustin Willyard, second; Brady Montgomery, third; and Cole Farris, fourth. Class 607 – Ryan Petty, reserve breed champion. Class 605 – Marlee Sargent, first; Roper Copelin, second; Haley Hall, third; and Haley Chambless, fourth. Class 607 – Ryan Petty, first; Trevor Cobb, second; and Calvin Edwards, third.

Gilt – Class 503 – Kelsey Mullins, grand champion; Dustin Willyard, second; Calvin Edwards, third; Dusty Martindale, fourth; Dustin Willyard, fifth; and Kimberly Tolbert, sixth. Class 501 – Austin Adams, reserve champion; Justin Dillman, second; Joanea Horn, third; Lee Tolbert, fourth; and Sabra Patton, fifth. Class 502 – J.C. Blackburn, first; Clayton Shields, second; Shandy Koetting, third; R.J. Floyd, fourth; and R.J. Marshall, fifth.

York – Class 612 – Will Verstuyft, breed champion; and Jasie Sargent, second. Class 613 – Caden Farris, reserve breed champion; and Justin Dillman, second.

Cross – Class 616 – Calvin Edwards, reserve grand champion and breed champion; Brittney Hall, second; Reid Copelin, third; Cole Ward, fourth; and Sade Rae Cobb, fifth. Class 614 – Will Monroe, reserve breed champion; Rowdy Speed, second; Brittney Bennett, third; and Deston Chambless, fourth. Class 615 – Brandon Montgomery, first; Wesley Shields, second; Dustin Thomas, third; and Alex Mejia, fourth. Class 617 – Ashley Petty, first; Chris Blackburn, second; Kirsten Tolbert, third; and Trevor Cobb, fourth.

Spot – Class 611 – Dustin Willyard, breed champion; and Ryan Petty, second. Class 610 – Skyler Conatser, reserve breed champion; and Dustin Thomas, second.

Poland – Class 608 – Braden Montgomery, breed champion; Megan Hall, reserve breed champion; and Lee Tolbert, third. Class 609 – Brayden Phillips, first; Cole Ward, second; and Holly Cornell, third.

Duroc – Class 603 – Kelsey Mullins, breed champion; Brayden Bennett, second; J.C. Blackburn, third; and Kati Blackburn, fourth. Class 604 – Dusty Martindale, reserve breed champion; Zach Sargent, second; Bradley Watson, third; and Thad Hall, fourth.

Chester – Class 602 – Ashley Petty, breed champion; and Seth Koetting, reserve breed champion.

Berk – Class 601 – Skyler Conatser, breed champion; and Kimberly Tolbert, reserve breed champion.

Sales tax rebates up sharply for communities

Local businesses reported increased sales last month, which helped drive a continuing recovery of the Texas economy, according to State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn

The City of Clarendon last week received a rebate of $19,384.14 for sales taxes collected in November 2003, an impressive 20.29 percent gain over the same period a year ago.

Hedley received a rebate of $420.67, and Howardwick got $753.04. Both figures reflect increases over last year.

“The state collected $1.25 billion in sales tax revenue in December, a remarkably robust 8.7 percent increase compared to December 2002,” Strayhorn said Friday.

“This is the highest sales tax growth rate in the 35 months since January 2001, when I first warned Texans that the state’s economic furnace would soon cool,” Strayhorn said. “An economic turnaround is now underway, and Texas has seen four consecutive months of sales tax growth.”

Since state fiscal year 2004 began on September 1, state sales tax revenue is up 4.7 percent compared to the same period in FY 2003.

“State sales tax collections hit a low point last summer, when July collections shrank 4.6 percent compared to the same month of the previous year,” Strayhorn said. “But in August, the decline was only half a percent. In September, sales tax collections grew by 2.1 percent. They grew by 3.6 percent in October, by 4.3 percent in November, and by an amazing 8.7 percent in December.”

Local sales tax revenue also continues to rebound statewide. Strayhorn sent sales tax payments of $203.9 million to Texas cities, up 6.9 percent compared to January 2003.

State sales tax revenue for December, and January sales tax allocations to local governments represent sales made in November and reported in December.

Residents from northern Donley County asked for better road maintenance during the regular commissioners’ court session Monday.

Brad Dalton said roads leading to his property are in serious need of repairs and are dangerous to both vehicles and the people in them. He also said he has used his own tractor to work on the road himself but said he doesn’t think it should be his responsibility.

“This is part of your job,” Dalton told commissioners, “and I think you should do it.”

Dalton said he felt like there were not enough voters in his part of Precinct 4 to elect or to not elect anyone, but he hoped commissioners would try to do something anyway.

“I’m going to jot this date down as when I warned you about the roads, and I hope no one gets hurt and no one gets their car torn up,” he said.

Pct. 4 Commissioner Bob Trout said the county has been trying to improve the roads. To which Dalton responded, “When? Where? How?”

Commissioners said that current conditions are too dry for much work to be done on the roads.

The court took no formal action on the issue; but after Dalton and five other residents left the meeting, commissioners generally agreed that Dalton’s road is in bad shape. They also said there was no easy way to fix it.

In other county business, commissioners heard from Paula Lowrie of the Donley Appraisal District, who discussed recent legal changes regarding property taxes. She said House Bill 136 included a provision that would allow counties to freeze the ad valorem tax rate on people over age 65, but she also said there are many questions about the provision.

“Even the comptroller is not clear how it should be implemented,” Lowrie said. “The Attorney General and the Legislature need to clean it up.”

The court also considered a tax abatement for 786, Inc., for the company’s new Best Western hotel being built at US 287 and SH 70 North. Commissioners approved abating taxes 100 percent for five years and 50 percent for three years on a 3-1 vote (Commissioner Ernest Johnston voting “no”).

Commissioners approved purchasing OCA Case Management software for the justices of the peace offices to be paid for with each JP Technology Fund.

The court approved allowing Emergency Management Coordinator Jim Cockerham to share office space in the Clerk’s office in the Courthouse Annex.

Commissioners also voted to have exterior door locks on the Annex repaired or replaced as needed.

Last week, the court met in special session with Dale Sellers of Phoenix I Restoration and architect John Volz to discuss closure of the courthouse restoration project. No formal action was taken as final touch up work still needs to be completed.