News

Clarendon began its search for a city administrator this week with local and statewide advertising for the position.

City officials had discussed hiring an administrator for more than two years before finally giving the go ahead last month for the search to begin. They hope having a man or woman overseeing day-to-day municipal operations will improve the city’s performance.

“I think it will prove to be more efficient and will save us money in the long run,” Alderman Janice Knorpp said. “The consensus among the board is that an administrator will pay for himself.

Only Alderman Michael Tibbets voted against starting the search when the board met on February 11. He told the Enterprise Tuesday that he did not believe an administrator would pay for himself, and he  said he believed power should not be concentrated in an unelected local official.

“There’s plenty of power in the mayor’s office,” Tibbets said. “If there is a demonstrated need to have this type of position, let’s pay the mayor to do it.”

Tibbets also said that at a time when 50 state governments are broke and the whole country is cutting administrative positions, it is inconceivable that Clarendon should add a bureaucrat to the payroll.

City Hall says a salary for an administrator is not figured in the current municipal budget, but it was included in budgets for the last three years. Those funds were deposited in a CD, which would likely be tapped to cover the salary.

Knorpp said she didn’t think the administrator’s salary would impact city taxpayers in a negative way since the money is already available and has been budgeted for in the past.

The administrator will be expected to work with the mayor and Board of Aldermen in setting policies and goals for the city and seeing that they are carried out. Knorpp said the administrator would also spend some time looking for grants for the city, although that won’t be his primary job, and help with enforcing city ordinances.

“We hope that the city administrator will work with our law enforcement personnel, our municipal court, and our city employees for the good of the City of Clarendon,” she said. “We want everyone to work together.”

To that end, Knorpp said the city would not rush to fill the position.

“We’re going to take our time and find the best person for the job,” she said.

The position of city administrator was created by ordinance in 1964 but has not been filled in more than 30 years. Since 2001, the city has contracted with the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission (PRPC) for Colby Waters to provide some of the services of an administrator on a part-time basis.

“Colby has been an immense help to us,” Knorpp said. “He’s helped with our budget and our policies, and he’s been good when we needed explanations on municipal procedures.”

Knorpp said she expects Waters will be kept on to help ease the transition to an administrator and then she thinks the city will continue to work with PRPC in a different capacity.

The Hedley Lady Owls’ hopes for a State Championship were pirated away last Thursday morning when a crucial shot was blocked in the final seconds of the game.

The Priddy Lady Pirates won the game, 57-54, in Austin’s Frank Erwin Center and took home the Class A Division II title.

“We played hard and played good enough to win,” said Hedley Coach Kenneth Housden, “but when it boiled down, we didn’t get the win.”

Several observers think poor officiating was Hedley’s undoing in Austin.

Just one point behind with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Hedley got the ball to senior Lauren Hill, who worked her way inside, took a jump shot at the five-second mark, and was apparently fouled by Priddy’s Alesha Stegemoller. No call was made.

“I could see her grab [Lauren’s] arm,” Housden said. “It’s unbelievable that you’ve got three referees out there, and they can’t see it.”

The critical moment was caught on film by the Amarillo Globe-News, which published a photo Friday showing Stegemoller clearly making contact with Hill and exerting force on her arm.

“You can see her fingers on [Lauren’s] wrist; and after that, the bodies collided,” the coach said.

But did that one mistake cost Hedley the game? Housden believes it did.

“If they had called it, we would have gotten two free throws, and Lauren’s a 90-percent free throw hitter,” he said. “It was extremely lopsided.”

Hedley, which had been ranked number one all season, started the game cold and got into foul trouble early. They also ran into stiff opposition in the form of the six-foot Stegemoller, who scored 10 of Priddy’s first quarter points. She went on to be the top scorer in the game with 25 points, although Hedley did limit her to only two field goals in the second half.

The Lady Owls came from behind in the second quarter, buoyed by two three-point shots put in by junior Haley Bennett, and took a 31-30 lead into the locker room.

Hedley had its best run in the third quarter as the Lady Owls burst out to an eight-point lead before junior Rebekah Howard picked up her fourth foul and was sent to the bench. Priddy rallied and closed the third quarter with a 44-42 lead.

The fourth quarter was a tough match as Hedley struggled to regain the lead. A fifth foul was called on Howard, which also hampered the Lady Owls’ efforts.

“She’s our leading rebounder and our second leading scorer,” Housden said of Howard.

With Hill having her last shot blocked, the Lady Pirates darted to their end of the court, drew a foul, and sealed their 57-54 victory from the charity stripe.

Priddy led the Lady Owls in rebounds and sank 91 percent of the their free throws compared to 64 percent for Hedley.

Although disappointed by the outcome in Austin, Housden is very pleased with the past season and his girls’ performance. He’s also looking forward to next year as the team is only losing two seniors.

“We had a super year,” he said. “We finished 35-2. And the people have been very supportive of us. You couldn’t ask for a better group of fans.”

Haley Bennett led the Lady Owls with 23 points and was named to the All-Tournament team. Hill and Howard each had 12 points, junior Kasi Woodard had 5, and sophomore Sarah Bolin had 2.

Five Hedley Lady Owls have been named to the District 4-1A, Division II, All-District team.

Seniors Sealey Stevens and Lauren Hill and juniors Rebekah Howard, Haley Bennett, and Kasi Woodard were all named to the team. Junior Treva Rowland and sophomore Sarah Bolin received honorable mentions.

The Donley County VFW Memorial Post 7782 announced today that a “Support Our Troops” rally will be held at the Donley County War Memorial on Saturday, May 3, at 11 a.m.

This is one of hundreds of rallies that will be held this weekend by members of the VFW and its Ladies Auxiliary nationwide as part of VFW Loyalty Day.

Voters will go to the polls this Saturday to elect members for four local boards.

Clarendon Mayor Tex Selvidge is running unopposed for re-election, but seven people are vying for two positions on the Board of Aldermen. Incumbents Michael Tibbets and Bob Watson face challenges from Carl Draper, Allen Estlack, Bobbie Kidd, Ricky Rattan, and Jimmy Swinney. Voting will take place at Clarendon City Hall.

In Howardwick former alderman Nancy Davis will face Alderman Bobby Murdock for the mayoral position. Aldermen Dewey Linley and Mike Rowland also signed up to run for re-election. Polling will be held at the Howardwick City Hall.

The Hedley Independent School District will elect two members to the Board of Trustees. Incumbents Troy Monroe and Cary Don Neely will face LeAnn Marcum and Dan Bolin. Voters should go to the Hedley Lions Club to cast ballots.

Donley County voters will elect two members for the Hospital Board. Incumbent Nelson Christie and challenger Alan Fletcher are seeking the Place Two seat. Challenger Bill Holden will take on incumbent Andy Wheatley for the Place Three seat. Incumbent Don Thornberry is running unopposed for his Place One seat. Voters can cast ballots in these races at the Clarendon ISD Administration Building, Howardwick City Hall, or the Hedley Lions Club.

All polling places for Saturday’s elections open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

A new peanut processing plant being planned for Clarendon is expected to reduce operating costs and cut overall harvest times for local farmers while boosting the local economy.

The Clint Williams Company, a division of Texoma Peanut Company, this week announced its decision to build a new, full-scale buying point here. The $500,000 facility will employ 10 to 15 people during the harvest season and will be managed from the company’s facility in Quail.

“Everybody I’ve talked to is excited,” said Tony Maxwell, who manages the Quail plant. “It will give local producers a close place to do business.”

The savings should be significant for farmers in Donley County, who currently have no option but to haul their peanuts to either Quail or Memphis.

“It’s going to cut the travel time to processing,” said peanut producer Mike Newhouse. “Last season it cost $200 per truck load to go to Quail. In one day last year, we hauled 17 semi-truck loads from one field.”

The Clint Williams Company is in the final stages of purchasing 45 acres on the north end of Ayers Street just outside the city limits. The facility will only require 20 acres but will have room to expand. Construction is expected to start very soon and should be completed in time for this fall’s harvest.

The modern facility will be used to dry, handle, and grade peanuts on large semi-trailers using high capacity loading and unloading systems for maximum efficiency. Maxwell said the plant will produce some dust, mostly from traffic, but the company plans to gravel the yard to reduce the dust as much as possible.

Newhouse estimates there are about 20 farmers growing peanuts in Donley County and said there is a lot of excitement among his fellow producers.

“When we get into production season, it will speed up harvest because there will be more places to go with the peanuts,” he said.

The Quail facility processed over 6,000 tons of Donley County peanuts last year, Maxwell said, and the Clint Williams Company hopes to get a larger market share while encouraging more producers to switch to peanuts.

“This move is an effort to continue our strategic expansion plans to the newer, more efficient peanut growing areas in the southwest,” company president Alan Ortloff said. “The Texas Panhandle region has been a key growing area for our company for a number of years, and we continue to believe in its potential for growth.”

Maxwell says profits from producing peanuts have been better than producing cotton on a per acre basis recently.

“This probably won’t impact the number of producers locally very much because it’s just so expensive to switch crops,” Newhouse said, “but it might encourage some farmers north of here to switch. Of course, anything that comes into town like this helps the economy.”

The Clint Williams Company is based in Madill, Okla., and has been in operation since 1968. In addition to the Quail plant, which opened in 1989, the company currently operates eight other buying points.

“We’re proud to be coming to Clarendon, and the local people seem to be excited also,” Maxwell said. “It’s nice to be coming to a place where the people want you to be there.”

A tornado struck Clarendon without warning last Wednesday, startling several residents of the southeast side of town but causing no injuries and relatively minor damage.

“We got lucky, very lucky,” Sheriff Butch Blackburn said of the tornado, which was later classified as an F1.

Most local residents, including many living near the tornado’s path, had no idea anything had happened. The majority of the city received a good spring shower about noon, but the storm briefly became dangerous moments later.

The damage began near the intersection of Gorst and Barcus where the roof of an abandoned rest home was nearly peeled off and the roof of a nearby horse barn was partially removed, Blackburn said.

A vacant house owned by Carl Draper in the 300 block of E. Montgomery seemed to have sustained the most damage. There two second story rooms and the front porch were ripped off. The roof of the garage was also torn apart, and the garage door was left resting on Mrs. Draper’s car.

Draper said the house, which he had been remodeling, was twisted slightly. He plans to demolish it.

Draper, whose doublewide trailer house next door also suffered damage to the roof and windows, said he had just made lunch when he looked out the front door and saw a small funnel drop down near Carhart Street.

“It sounded just like a freight train,” Draper said.

He told his wife to hit the floor just as the storm passed through his block. He said the storm then picked up and dropped down again before picking up and heading north.

Some residents also said they saw a funnel; others said they saw only swirling trash and debris.

Blackburn said the path of the tornado extended some eight blocks to the 600 block of E. Second Street. Most of the damage was limited to tree limbs, fences, and loose items tossed about people’s yards. The electric meter boxes on two houses were pulled loose.

Other damage reports included accounts of a small out building on Montgomery Street that was blown away or destroyed, roofs damaged, and fences knocked over. Noble Watson reported a mangled swing set at his home on Fifth Street. He also was left with a warped trampoline, which he had seen hovering briefly at roof-height before it was slammed onto a neighbor’s property.

The sheriff and Chief Deputy Randy Bond were watching the storm at the time although officials at the weather bureau had assured Blackburn just moments before that there was nothing to worry about.

Following reports of a tornado on the ground, emergency personnel from the sheriff’s department, the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department, and the Associated Ambulance Authority responded quickly to check for injuries, block off traffic, and survey the damage.

Workmen from the City of Clarendon along with Donley County road hands worked diligently to help clean up the mess.

“The city workers and county workers really deserve a lot of credit,” Blackburn said. “They went right to work and had things pretty well cleaned up by that evening.”

This was the first time a tornado has struck inside the City of Clarendon since June 9, 1941, when an early morning twister ripped through the west side of town, killing one woman – Mrs. R.E. Drennan, wrecking several homes, severely damaging buildings on the high school campus, and flattening the east rock wall of Broncho Stadium.

Area residents are once again promised a full slate of free health screenings as well as financial advice at the Good Health, Much Wealth, Your Choice Health Fair scheduled for Thursday, March 6, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Bairfield Activity Center at Clarendon College.

The health and wealth task force continues its commitment to providing easy access to information and services in a day at one location.  Last year’s even saved the public in excess of $25,000 on free health screens and financial services. 

Each year the services are expanded, and this year is no exception.

Administering screening such as glucose, cholesterol, prostate, hemoglobin, and blood pressure will be a collaborative effort by the Donley County Hospital District, Associated Ambulance Authority, Clarendon Family Medical Clinic, the Medical Center Nursing Home, Novartis Pharmaceutical, and the Northwest Texas Healthcare System.  Individuals are encouraged to fast for 12 hours prior to the screens to ensure more accurate results.

PSA’s will be offered to men 40 years old and older.  The American Cancer Society recommends PSA’s once every ten years after the age of 40 unless advised otherwise by a physician.

Novartis Pharmaceutical will be sponsoring the bone density screening which proved extremely popular for attendees last year.  The Lions Eye Bank will provide glaucoma screening.

The only services which require fees will be breast mammograms by the Harrington Cancer Center.  Appointments are required for the mammograms and can be made by calling 356-1905 or 800-377-4673 in Amarillo.

Coffee Memorial Blood Bank will conduct a blood drive during the fair hours for individuals wishing to make needed blood donations.

Providing financial information and services this year will be Edward Jones Investments and Herring National Bank.

Education exhibits will be provided by the Amarillo Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, American Red Cross, Crown of Texas Hospice, Donley County Extension Service, Novartis Pharmaceutical, Panhandle Regional Planning Commission, 9-1-1 Network, Med-Link Services, RSVP, Meredith House, National Weather Service, Texas Panhandle Poison Center, Panhandle Rehabilitation Specialists, Advanced Hearing Technologies, Harrington Cancer Center, Northwest Texas Health Care System, and Texas Gold.

Patrick Robertson of KEFH 99.3 will provide a live remote broadcast at the Health and Wealth Fair.  As the day progresses, door prizes donated by exhibitors will be awarded and announced on the air.

For more information about the fair, contact the Donley County Extension Service at 874-2141.  This is an event you won’t want to miss!

Donley County Commissioners this month approved contract changes to allow more work to be done on the restoration of the 1890 Courthouse.

In a called meeting on February 12, the commissioners’ court authorized Change Order #6, which provides for exterior electrical outlets and additional outlets in the district courtroom, finish work on the third floor stairwell, replacing sidewalks near the courthouse, and additional chimney braces among other things.

The court approved contract changes with the project architects reflecting the added work and voted in favor of a contract with NTS Communications to run phone and computer cabling.

The court met again in a called session on February 21 and approved Change Order #7, which covers constructing a judge’s bench in the district courtroom to match original woodwork, replicating tile for restored fireplace hearths, repairing and preserving the large stained glass window on the first floor, and replacing sidewalks near the Courthouse Annex.

Funding for the changes is coming from grants and other sources which were obtained last fall. The cost of replacing sidewalks near the Annex will be offset with in-kind labor from the county.

In other business, the court met in regular session February 10 to take care of several items on their agenda.

The 2001-2002 county audit was presented by Gordon Maddox and approved by the court.

Following a presentation by Dee Dee Autry, the county agreed to join the City of Clarendon and the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation in supporting the Texas Prairie Rivers Association’s marketing plan.

The court approved renting a new radar for the sheriff’s department and authorized the purchase of a new computer in the county clerk’s office. Commissioners also authorized Tax Assessor/Collector Wilma Lindley to attend training next month.

Four names were drawn from the Grand Jury list to serve on the grievance committee. The people previously selected did not agree to serve.

Donley County Commissioners this month approved contract changes to allow more work to be done on the restoration of the 1890 Courthouse.

In a called meeting on February 12, the commissioners’ court authorized Change Order #6, which provides for exterior electrical outlets and additional outlets in the district courtroom, finish work on the third floor stairwell, replacing sidewalks near the courthouse, and additional chimney braces among other things.

The court approved contract changes with the project architects reflecting the added work and voted in favor of a contract with NTS Communications to run phone and computer cabling.

The court met again in a called session on February 21 and approved Change Order #7, which covers constructing a judge’s bench in the district courtroom to match original woodwork, replicating tile for restored fireplace hearths, repairing and preserving the large stained glass window on the first floor, and replacing sidewalks near the Courthouse Annex.

Funding for the changes is coming from grants and other sources which were obtained last fall. The cost of replacing sidewalks near the Annex will be offset with in-kind labor from the county.

In other business, the court met in regular session February 10 to take care of several items on their agenda.

The 2001-2002 county audit was presented by Gordon Maddox and approved by the court.

Following a presentation by Dee Dee Autry, the county agreed to join the City of Clarendon and the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation in supporting the Texas Prairie Rivers Association’s marketing plan.

The court approved renting a new radar for the sheriff’s department and authorized the purchase of a new computer in the county clerk’s office. Commissioners also authorized Tax Assessor/Collector Wilma Lindley to attend training next month.

Four names were drawn from the Grand Jury list to serve on the grievance committee. The people previously selected did not agree to serve.

The Hedley Lady Owls will make their first trip to the state basketball tournament Thursday following a string of wins which has left several tough opponents behind.

Hedley will face Priddy at 8:30 a.m. on February 27 in the Erwin Center in Austin to battle it out for the Class A, Division II State Championship, and Coach Kenneth Housden says his players are excited about going to Austin, a goal they narrowly missed last year.

“It’s something you dream of doing – both players and coaches alike,” Housden said, who is in his seventh year at Hedley. “It takes a lot of luck, and you make your own luck. You have to stay focused and stay injury free.”

The Lady Owls will be working on their inside game to prepare for their Division II rivals.

“Priddy has a super ball club,” Housden said. “They’ve got a girl who is six feet tall and a state class jumper. They’ve got another player who averages 26 points a game.”

Hedley’s journey to Austin was propelled by three big wins last week, one of which was defeating the Gordon Lady Longhorns last Saturday in Levelland to become the Division II finalists.

The game in the Texan Dome got off to a fast start with Hedley scoring the first points of the game before Gordon made a comeback toward the end of the first quarter. But senior Lauren Hill sank a field goal in the last seconds of the quarter to tie the game, 14-14.

The Lady Owls continued their signature pressure defense to take a 34-30 halftime lead.

“That’s been a key thing for us all season,” Housden said. “A lot of teams are not used to having to work that hard to get to the other end of the court.”

Hedley also relies on a strong bench that can step up to a variety of playing conditions.

“We’ve got (sophomore) Sarah Bolin, (junior) Treva Rowland, and (junior) Brittney Bennett who can come in and help. Some are more used to playing outside, some more used to playing inside. It just depends on the situation and what we need.”

The Lady Owls’ accuracy from the free-throw line is another weapon in their arsenal, a factor which added 24 points for Hedley on Saturday. Hill nailed 12 of 12 free throws, junior Rebekah Howard hit eight of nine, Bolin sank two of two, and junior Haley Bennett got two of three.

“We hit 89 percent on free throws,” Housden said. “That’s the best we’ve hit all year. We’re usually in the 70s.”

A flurry of buckets in the opening of the fourth quarter helped seal the fate of the Lady Longhorns as Hedley cruised to the win, 66-51.

Hill led all scorers with 21 points, and Howard was right behind her with 20. Also scoring were Kasi Woodard 8, Bolin 6, Haley Bennett 6, and Sealey Stevens 5.

In a win or go home situation on Friday of last week, the Lady Owls overcame one of their toughest opponents to date when they beat the Happy Cowgirls, 51-40.

“They had the best athletes of anyone we’ve played all year,” said Housden. “We’ve beaten them the last two years.”

The two teams fought a close match in a game in Levelland that left many Lady Owl fans holding their breath. Happy was ranked number two in the state, but they succumbed to the number one ranked girls from Hedley.

Scoring were Hill 18, Howard 11, H. Bennett 10, Stevens 9, Woodard 4, and B. Bennett 1.

Hedley also posted a big 87-60 win over the girls from Spur last Tuesday in Floydada.

Stevens led all scorers with 24 points. Also scoring were Howard 18, Hill 15, H. Bennett 12, Woodard 8, Rowland 6, B. Bennett 6, and Lacey Wallendorff 2.

The Lady Owls’ appearance in Austin will be the first trip to state for a girls team from Hedley. The boys have been three times but have never brought home the championship.

If Hedley wins Thursday, they will play the state champion of the Division I category on Saturday for the Texas Cup. Game results will be posted on www.ClarendonOnline.com.