News

Authorities have identified the body of a Vernon man found on a Donley County ranch this weekend as one Theodore Jerome Byrd.

The 74-year-old man has been missing since June 11 and was found after a ranch hand discovered his burned up van on a ranch northeast of Hedley Sunday evening. The sheriff’s office investigated and found Byrd’s body lying under a tree about 100 yards away.

Texas Ranger Gary Henderson was called to help investigate, and the body was sent to Lubbock for an autopsy, which determined Byrd’s death to be accidental from exposure to the elements.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said the man suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It is believed he became lost, got his van stuck, and then burned the vehicle’s motor up trying to get it out. The subject was not burned.

“It looked just like he had laid down to take a nap,” the sheriff said.

Justice Ann Kennedy and the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department assisted in the case.

 
Authorities are seeking the man whose likeness appears above in connection with three burglaries.
 
Donley County Sheriff’s Department is seeking your help in identifying the man whose picture appears with this article. The subject, a heavy set, light-complected, black man in his 50s, is wanted in connection with the burglaries of three rural homes in Donley County last Tuesday.

The Chad Hommel home, the Billy Jack Land farm home, and the Dawn Watson home were all burgled, and cash was taken.

An eyewitness saw the man in one of the homes, and his description matches that of a man who approached the Paul Bell home and claimed he was looking to buy hay. In every case, the homes appeared to be unoccupied by the lack of any cars being visible.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said his office believes the subject is not from Clarendon but is from this area, possibly from Pampa. The sheriff also believes the subject was caught on videotape at a local convenience store, and still images are being taken from that film at press time.

Texas Ranger Gary Henderson assisted with the investigation and arranged for the artist to draw the depiction of the man based on the witness’ recollections.

If anyone has any information about this man’s identity or his whereabouts, please call the Donley County Sheriff’s Office at 806/874-3533.

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

The scaffolding is down, and workers are busy putting the final touches on the restoration of the 1890 Donley County Courthouse to be ready for this Friday’s Saints’ Roost Celebration.

“I think we’re going to make it,” said Daniel Ledbetter, job superintendent with Phoenix I Restoration. “They’re working really hard to get done.”

The job will be 92 to 95 percent complete for the re-dedication of the Panhandle’s oldest operating courthouse.

Some items just won’t be ready though. The judge’s bench will not be completed, but its façade will be in place to give visitors an idea of what it will look like. The ornamental finials won’t be ready for the roof, and some exterior stonework will not be completed.

Painting and carpeting is expected to be finished this week. The stain glass window, which is being restored in Waco at press time, is expected to be returned to Clarendon and installed before Friday, and the tiled hearths of the fireplaces are also slated to be finished.

It is widely anticipated that the courthouse re-dedication will be the highlight of this year’s celebration. The ceremony will start at 9:30 a.m., July 4, on the east side of the square.

“This dedication will be as much a tribute to the generosity of the various donors that made this project possible as it will be a celebration of our country’s history,” said County Judge Jack Hall.

Dignitaries scheduled to participate in the ceremony include US Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon), State Rep. Warren Chisum (R-Pampa), and Texas Historical Commission Executive Director Larry Oaks.

Donley County Historical Commission Chair Jean Stavenhagen will give a history of the courthouse, and remarks will also be given by project administrator John Kiehl of the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission, Phoenix I president Dale Sellers, and architect Chris Hutson.

The Donley County Historical Commission will also hold a drawing to give away an original oil painting of the courthouse by James Ivey Edwards.

The $4.2 million restoration of the Donley County Courthouse was funded by the State of Texas, Donley County taxpayers, and the generous donations of several foundations, businesses, families, and individuals. For more about the project, visit www.ClarendonOnline.com and click on the courthouse logo.

The City of Clarendon began the process last Wednesday of issuing a maximum of $2.5 million in Certificates of Obligation to make street improvements.

Mayor Tex Selvidge thinks the paving project is necessary but says he wants there to be no misunderstanding of what’s happening.

“I think the county was criticized [on the courthouse restoration] because some people thought they were trying to put one over on them, and I’m not,” Selvidge said. “I want the citizens to know exactly what’s going on. I want them to know their taxes will go up to pay off the indebtedness; and I want them to know if they don’t like it, they can petition to stop it.”

The decision to issue C/Os came during a June 25 called session of the Board of Aldermen after months of discussion and after engineer Che Shadle presented a scaled-down paving plan during the June 24 regular meeting. An earlier plan had carried a price tag of nearly $5 million.

Aldermen debated the issue of how much the city could afford before voting 4-1 to set the maximum at $2.5 million. Alderman Michael Tibbets said he wanted a lower figure and voted against the measure.

“I’d like to cap it at $2 million,” Tibbets said, “but I’m not against the streets.”

Tibbets had also long advocated holding a general bond election to fund the paving project but dropped his objection after learning such an election could cause several months of delay.

Paying the indebtedness will cost the city approximately $200,000 per year for 20 years, and aldermen have discussed using a combination of increased water and sewer fees along with ad valorem taxes to pay for the project. City officials said the municipal tax rate – currently at 0.45555 per $100 valuation – would go up but not drastically.

“It is absolutely not going to double,” said City Administrator Sean Pate. “The anticipated increase is between 14¢ and 18¢.”

Such an increase would raise the taxes on a $50,000 home by $90 per year or $7.50 per month. The increase on an average home in Clarendon would be less.

Pate also noted the increases in fees city officials are looking at would still keep the rates lower for Clarendon than those being paid by citizens of most other cities of comparable size.

The plan Shadle presented last week would pave and curb approximately 152 blocks and has the goal of controlling storm water runoff in the east, west, and central parts of town. Aldermen have not made a final decision on exactly which streets will be paved; but when that plan is ready, it will be published.

“Watch the Enterprise for the exact streets to be in the plan,” Selvidge said.

A schedule of proposed fee increases and tax rates will also be published as soon as it becomes available.

Official publication of the city’s notice to issue C/Os will be printed in the July 17 edition of the Enterprise, and that action will start the clock for anyone wishing to petition.

“I’ve requested an actual count of the city voters to determine the number necessary for a petition,” Selvidge said. “If there are enough signatures, then we’ll have an election. I want everyone to have the opportunity to have their say ahead of time.”

Assuming there is no petition or assuming an election failed to stop issuance of the C/Os, the city could have the money in-hand by this fall and be ready to begin construction next spring.

Editorials from The Clarendon Enterprise received first place recognition during the 2003 Texas Better Newspaper Contest.

Winners were announced last Saturday during the 124th annual summer convention of the Texas Press Association at the South Shore Harbour Resort in League City.

The Enterprise competed against 25 other weekly newspapers in Division 9. Entries were judged by the Kansas Press Association.

Judges said the local editorials were “very informative” and were “excellent and well-written.”

The Enterprise also received third place for Christi Ross’ Column Writing and fourth place recognitions in the categories of General Excellence and Page Design. This is the sixth consecutive year Clarendon’s paper has been recognized by the TPA’s Better Newspaper Contest.

Midloathian Today received the Division 9 Sweepstakes Award.

Representing the Enterprise were editor Roger Estlack along with Allen and Helen Estlack.

Many Clarendon residents were left without water or with very low water pressure Wednesday afternoon after city workers uncovered a broken water main on Jefferson Street.

The broken main was discovered when the sheriff’s department reported that the street in front of the jail was sunk in and there could possibly be a leak.

“When the workers dug up the street there was water rushing out of the water main,” City Administrator Sean Pate said. 

In order to repair the leak, water pressure leading to the main had to be suspended.

“The water was filling up the hole so much that we had to shut down the water supply leading to the town,” Pate said.  “We also had to open a fire hydrant to relieve the pressure around the main.”

When the water main was originally installed, it had two two-inch water meters instead of one four-inch meter, which Pate says probably caused the problem.

“We replaced the meter and repaired the pipes,” Pate said.  “The meters that were there originally just could not handle the water pressure.”

Pate also says that the street in front of the jail should be repaired within the next week, and residents should not see any further hindrances with their water supply.

“We are letting the pipes and ground settle for a few days,” Pate said.  “There shouldn’t be any more problems with the water mains for quite some time.”

Make plans now to attend Clarendon’s 125th anniversary Saints’ Roost Celebration with activities for the entire family July 3, 4, and 5.

The restored 1890 Donley County Courthouse will be formally rededicated with a ceremony scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Friday, July 4. An open house of the renovated courthouse will be held after the ceremony until noon.

Other festivities this year include the annual Arts and Crafts Fair from 10:00 a.m.  to 4 p.m. at the City Park. If you would like to be a part of the action by exhibiting at the fair, contact the Donley County Extension Office at 874-2141 to reserve a space.

The Old Settlers Reunion starts at 10:30 a.m. at the City Park Pavilion.

The Shriners will begin serving a delicious barbecue lunch at 11:00 a.m. Tickets are $6 per plate and are available at Henson’s, at the Enterprise office, or from any Shriner.

The annual Lions Club Cow Patty Bingo will be held at 1:00 p.m. also in the park.

The Bicycle/Tricycle Parade will be held right before the big parade at 2:00.  Kids will meet at the bridge at City Park at 1:45.  Kids 12 years old and younger will ride for only one block by the park so they can enjoy the rest of the parade.  Bicycle and tricycle entries will be judged for best in each age division.  Motorized entries will not be judged.  Prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place in each age division. Registration forms are available in this week’s Clarendon Enterprise and may be dropped off or mailed to the Chamber of Commerce office.  Entries are due July 1, 2003.

The annual Fourth of July Celebration Parade will follow the bicycle parade. The line up begins at noon two blocks west of the City Park. The parade route will be from the baseball fields on Seventh Street to Kearney, then up Kearney to Third Street, west to Sully, and then back to the ball fields. Registration forms are available in this week’s Enterprise and may be dropped off at the Burton Memorial Library or the Chamber of Commerce office.  Entries can also be mailed to the Chamber of Commerce.  Entries are due June 28, 2003. For more information on the parade, call Jerri Ann Shields at 874-3685.

The Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association will sponsor an Open Ranch Bronc Ride on Thursday, July 3, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Rodeo Arena.  An open junior calf ride for ages 0-8 and a steer ride for ages 9-12 will be held that evening.  There is a $20 entry for the contest.  The evening will also include a calf scramble for kids age 0-12.

Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association will present the annual Ranch Rodeo at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights at the rodeo grounds with 20 different teams from ranches around the area. The teams will compete in several events including Bronc Riding, Wild Cow Milking, Team Branding, and Team Doctoring/Team Sorting.  The junior calf ride, the steer ride, and the open calf scramble will also be held each evening.  The kids’ events are sponsored by Donley County State Bank, Walco, and West Texas Western Store.

An open Wild Mare Race with six horses will be held each night of the Ranch Rodeo.  Entry fee is $90 with $150 added money. A drawing for a $200 beef certificate will be held each night of the rodeo.

The rodeo dance will begin at 10:00 p.m. at the Panhandle’s largest open-air dance floor at the Rodeo Grounds with Country Classics on Thursday, Copper Head on Friday, and Santa Fe Band Saturday night. 

The Chamber of Commerce will give away the trip for two to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas Saturday night during the rodeo.  Tickets are available for $10 each or 3 for $25.  Tickets can be purchased from any board member or by calling Bobbie Thornberry at 874-3581, Greg Henry at 874-3571, or the Chamber office at 874-2421.

The fun continues with the RHAA Ranch Horse Competition at 8 a.m. Saturday COEA Arena.

The Donley County Horse Club Stick Horse Rodeo will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday across from the Post Office. The rodeo is for children seven and under. The entry fee is $5.  This is a fund-raiser for the Horse Club. To pre-register, go by Saye’s.

The Depression Lunch will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Main Street Ministry. The First Baptist Church will help serve the beans and cornbread for a low price. They will also be selling drinks and desserts.

Henson’s annual Turtle Race will be at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Sign up at the store.

Results from the new Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exam are back, and feelings at Donley County schools are mutual: Students exceeded the expectations of the Clarendon and Hedley administrators, but there is still room for improvement.

Students in grades three through eleven were tested this year, and the scores will not count against the district in statewide ratings.

“I think we had good scores for this being the first year of implementation,” Clarendon Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Monty Hysinger said. “We did not know how to fully prepare the students, but they surpassed our predictions.”

Hedley School Principal Terry Stevens feels Hedley students also performed favorably on the exam.

“Because this is the first year for this test and we did not know what to expect, I feel we did really well,” Stevens said.

State law requires that third-graders must pass the reading portion of the exam to be promoted to fourth grade, and 100 percent of the third-graders in both Clarendon and Hedley passed.

Since this year’s eleventh-graders were only required to pass TAAS to graduate, motivation to do well on the TAKS was not extremely high.

Results of HISD juniors were not readily available, but Clarendon juniors scored above state averages on writing and social studies with passing rates of 86 and 95 percent. They scored below state averages in math and science with scores of 68 and 53 percent.

The state average scores were math 69 percent, writing 86, social studies 90, and science 67, according to information from CISD.

Hysinger says he feels that because this year was just a grace year for the exam, next year students will be motivated to perform better on the exams.

“The students’ anxiety and performance levels will be greater next year when the test really counts,” Hysinger said.

Throughout the district, Clarendon students stayed above the state averages in several of the areas in which they were tested, including reading, math, writing, social studies, and science.

CISD’s eighth graders exceeded the state averages in all three of the areas they were tested in while the tenth graders exceeded the averages in all four of the areas they were tested in.

 Results in Hedley were mixed.

“It’s the same way every year,” Stevens said.  “Some students do really well, and others need improvement.”

Both administrators are in agreement that the students did well, but they now see the areas that need improvement.

“Now that we have the results back we can sit down and figure out which areas we need to work on,” Hysinger said. 

“We want to do even better next year in order make the students as well as the community proud of their achievements.”

In 1999, Texas Legislature mandated that the TAAS exam would be replaced with the TAKS during the 2002-2003 school year in order to further challenge and raise the standards for future students.

An estimated 300 people were in attendance last Tuesday as Clarendon College officials broke ground on its new Livestock & Equine Center.

The new facility and its adjacent stalls and storage building will be the home of CC’s new equine science and equine judging programs as well as the college’s planned intermural rodeo team.

Recruitment for those new programs is on track, according to CC President Myles Shelton, and will help fill up the rooms in the school’s new 80-bed residence hall.

Construction on the equine center is about ten days behind schedule due to heavy rains, but Shelton said builders hope to begin pouring concrete this week. The target date for completion is mid-August.

The $1 million project has been on the college’s wish list for about 10 years, was included in the visioning goals in 1999, and was made a capital campaign priority in 2000. It is being funded entirely by donations.

With higher than expected construction estimates, the project was scaled back but will still serve its primary purposes this fall.

“We had to do what we could with the funds available,” Shelton said. “We can do more in the future.”

The 73,600-square-foot building on the west edge of the campus will feature a covered arena that will be closed on the west and north sides and open to the south and east. It will have skylights for daytime activities and electric lights for nighttime use.

“We can enclose it, add air-conditioning, include classrooms, and erect stands as funds become available,” Shelton said.

In the meantime, the equine science classes will be held in the college’s main academic building and in the Courson Ranch Operations Center.

In a nation where more than one million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year, Donley County is invited to celebrate life.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a unique fund-raising event in which teams of participants take turns walking or running the track for 12 hours in an effort to fight cancer.  Teams camp out, eat, and play games.  This year’s Relay For Life will take place at Clarendon College Track on August 1 – 2.

The message of the event is cancer can be conquered.  This theme of hope is ignited as the ceremony begins with a cancer survivor lap.  This emotional lap honors the courage of all who have defeated cancer.  Each survivor is introduced, and then all will walk, run, or wheelchair the opening lap – unified in victory and in hope.

The atmosphere of Relay For Life is one of camaraderie and celebration, providing an opportunity for cancer survivors to pass the torch of hope on to those still battling cancer or those that might be touched by cancer in the future.

If you or anyone you know is a cancer survivor and would like to take part in Relay For Life, please call your American Cancer Society at 874-2141.  All survivors receive a free Relay For Life T-shirt.