News

COLUMBUS, OH – American Electric Power began steps last week to move seven Texas power plants to inactive, or mothballed, status as the company continues negotiations with the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) on the status of eight other power plants.

AEP announced on Sept. 11 that it would mothball the 16 gas-fired power plants if they were not needed by ERCOT for “reliability must run” or “RMR” purposes. An RMR plant is one required to run to ensure reliability of the electricity grid, even if electricity from that plant is not required to meet market needs.

“We are still in negotiations with ERCOT, but it was evident that seven of the plants would not be needed for reliability purposes,” said Eric van der Walde, executive vice president – wholesale for AEP.

Plants in the following cities will be moved to inactive status beginning immediately: Abilene, Point Comfort, Quanah, Corpus Christi, Bronte, and Stamford.  There are two plants in Corpus Christi that will become inactive.

The mothballing process will take up to two months to complete, depending upon the specific plant.

AEP and ERCOT continue negotiations on an interim agreement that will compensate the company for maintaining plants in operating condition and running the plants when needed by ERCOT for RMR purposes. The interim agreement will allow time for completion of a study of ERCOT’s longer-term reliability needs and the negotiation of longer-term RMR agreements, if necessary.

“An interim agreement will protect ERCOT’s reliability interests while addressing AEP’s desire to take immediate action to improve financial performance,” van der Walde said. “Our decision on these 16 plants has the potential to improve AEP’s 2003 financial performance by $30 million to $40 million.”

The decision to deactivate the plants is a result of the introduction of electricity deregulation and competition in Texas. Many new, highly efficient power plants have been built in Texas as a response to deregulation. These new plants have lowered wholesale power prices to a point below the costs of generating electricity from the 16 older AEP plants.

Approximately 150 employees work at the seven plants being mothballed. AEP has offered a severance package to these employees and has a voluntary severance offer to employees who work at other plants owned by Central Power & Light and West Texas Utilities. Eligible employees whose employment is terminated through either the voluntary or involuntary severance program, and who are unable to find employment elsewhere within AEP, will be provided with outplacement assistance, severance compensation, and benefits.

Plants in the following cities are still being discussed in negotiations with ERCOT: Corpus Christi, Abilene, Mission, San Benito, Laredo, Girvin, San Angelo, and Victoria.

Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District (PGCD) concluded the 2002 Rainfall Enhancement Program for the counties served by the District on September 30, as scheduled.

Thirty-five missions were flown during the 5-month program.  Dr. Arquimedes Ruiz of Active Scientific Management and Dr. William Woodley of Woodley Weather Consultants will assess the effectiveness of the District’s enhancement program.  Both consultants are under independent contracts with the Texas Department of Agriculture.  The assessment will include both benefits and risks of the program, and the results will be reported to the District’s Board of Directors later this year.

When the assessment is completed, a series of public meetings will be held throughout the District to report the results.  There will be at least one public meeting per county.  The time and place for these meetings will be published in the District’s newsletter, on the District website, and in each county’s local newspapers.  These meetings will provide citizens of the District the opportunity to give input to the Board concerning the rainfall enhancement program. 

The counties in the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District are Armstrong, Carson, Donley, Gray, Potter, Roberts, and Wheeler.

The directors and staff encourage those interested in learning more about rainfall enhancement to attend one or more of these meetings.

The Weems Cattle Co. Wagon of Amarillo took home top honors during the eighth annual Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff last Saturday.

Donley County’s JA Ranch also did very well this year, taking home first place wins for the Best Meat, the Best Potatoes, and Overall Cooking. The JA received a fourth place win in the Dessert category also.

The cookoff, which benefits the Saints’ Roost Museum, was called the best ever by museum board members. Tickets for the authentic Chuckwagon supper sold out by early Saturday morning. Extra tickets were printed and divided amongst the wagons along with additional food to meet the high demand. Officials estimate more than 1,000 people attended the daylong event.

“I thought it was wonderful,” said Tommye Duncan, one of the organizers of the event. “We appreciated everyone who came and everyone who worked so hard to make it a success.”

Breakfast and lunch concessions were provided by the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce. A trade show was held throughout the day, and live entertainment was provided by local and area talent. Relatives of legendary cattleman and Chuckwagon inventor Charles Goodnight also were on hand for their annual family reunion.

The Clarendon College Theatre Department presented a melodrama, “The Rat Catcher’s Daughter or Death Valley Daze,” following the evening meal and awards presentations.

Museum board member Willard Skelton was recognized with a plaque for his years of dedicated service to the museum.

A cowboy church service closed the cookoff on Sunday morning.

Thirteen wagons competed in this year’s cookoff and served a menu of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, beans, and cobbler. Prizes totaling more than $3,000 were paid out to the winners.

Complete results are as follows:

Overall Wagon & Cooking: 1) Weems Cattle Co. of Amarillo, 2) Darcy Wagon of McLean, 3) Adamah / J Bar D of Amarillo, and 4) Flint Creek of Graham.

Overall Cooking: 1) JA Ranch of Clarendon, 2) Weems Cattle, 3) Break-Away Wagon of Stamford, and 4) Darcy.

Best Wagon Camp: 1) Flint Creek, 2) Darcy, 3) Adamah / J Bar D, and 4) Weems.

Best Meat: 1) JA Ranch, 2) Darcy, 3) Adamah / J Bar D, and 4) Break-Away.

Best Beans: 1) McFall Wagon of Pampa, 2) Weems, 3) Flint Creek, and 4) Encino Beans & Biscuits Wagon of Ozona.

Best Dessert: 1) Ericksdahl Cattle Co. of Stamford, 2) Uh Oh Ranch of Canyon, 3) Weems, and 4) JA Ranch.

Best Bread: 1) Break-Away, 2) 7W Ranch of Bowie, 3) Adamah / J Bar D, and 4) Quarter Circle KC of Lockney.

Best Potatoes: 1) JA Ranch, 2) Weems, 3) Ericksdahl, and 4) Encino.

Food judges this year were Virginia Patton, Carolyn Blackerby, Hillary McAnear, Freddie Jo Moreman, Carla Devin, Tex Selvidge, Chad Selvidge, Edwin Campbell, Jack Hall, and Mark C. White, all of Clarendon. Wagon judges were Shirley Creacy of Fritch, Billy D. Bowman of Estelline, and Bailey Reece of Canyon.

Other winners during Saturday’s activities were Nova Mooring of Clarendon, who won a pair of James Owens handmade boots; Wes Smith of Clarendon, who won a barbed wire wreath from Cornell’s Country Store; and Josh Burkhart from Oklahoma, who won a gift certificate from Saye’s.

Recent visitors to Community Bank and the Col. Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff have gotten the first public views of an original painting of the Donley County Courthouse, which is being raffled off to support the restoration of the 1890 building.

The work, sponsored by the Community Bank and the Donley County Historical Commission, was painted with acrylics on canvas by local Methodist pastor James Ivey Edwards.

“We got such wonderful comments about the painting when we had it at the museum this past weekend,” said commission chairman Jean Stavenhagen. “Everyone loved it and commented on how talented James is.”

Edwards, who had been painting since 1966, said the project was challenging.

“I worked on the painting over 250 hours,” Edwards said. “It was hard to do because every cupola is different. It seemed like the builders were trying out different styles to see what they could do.”

The painting is set in 1911 and shows the Methodist Church in the background. Edwards looked at several black and white photographs as well as color postcards as guides for the piece. The church is historically correct in its location and appearance, but Edwards took artistic license with the placement of houses and a horse-drawn delivery wagon.

The courthouse is a departure from the artist’s usual subjects. Edwards’ paintings have usually been watercolor and acrylic of wildlife and landscapes taken from the Panhandle area. His pieces have hung everywhere from local homes to the home of former president Ronald Reagan.

While Edwards was doing graduate work at the University of Texas in Austin, he had a showing at a local gallery where his work caught the eye of a prominent member of the Republican Party. The party bought one of his paintings called “Hunter Home” and presented it to Ronald Reagan, who was then Governor of California.

That painting was of an Indian bringing home an antelope from Plum Flat in Palo Duro Canyon and was highly publicized, which gave Edwards a lot of recognition as a painter. Reagan’s love for Indian and Western Art and especially West Texas scenes brought about the sale of three more paintings to him in the years that followed.

In 1979, Edwards moved his family to Clarendon, where he took a job teaching art at Clarendon College. He held that position for more than 10 years before going into the ministry and hasn’t done much painting since then. But with the courthouse piece, his interest has been rekindled. He says he wants to paint another scene of the courthouse and then do religious paintings.

The courthouse painting will remain on display for two more weeks at Community Bank. It then will be displayed at Herring National Bank and later at the Donley County State Bank. Chances are being given for a $1 donation, which can be made at the bank or by calling any of the following historical commission members: Millie Dishong at 664-8832, Ruth Robinson at 874-2057, or Jack Moreman at 874-2071.

The painting will be given away at the re-dedication of the courthouse, which should be in December.

By Cheryl Johnson, Clarendon Enterprise

The community of Hedley will celebrate its 51st annual Cotton Festival on October 11 and 12.

The celebration, sponsored by the Hedley Lions Club, will begin next Friday with the Hedley Lioness Club’s chili supper at the Lioness Hall.

Saturday’s activities begins with the Hedley First Baptist Church Youth Breakfast.  They will serve breakfast in the Lions Den from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.  The Rowe Cemetery Bake Sale and the Tractor Show begin at 10:00 a.m.  The bake sale will be held at Lions Den and the Tractor Show will be held on Main Street. 

The Lions Club will serve barbecue beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the Lions Club.  The Lions will serve barbecue sandwiches after 3 p.m.

The Kiddie Parade will begin at 1:30 p.m., and the Community Parade will begin at 2:00 p.m. 

The Hedley School Reunion and Dedication will be held at 3:00 p.m. at the new Hedley School Auditorium.  Students, teachers, and anyone associated with the Hedley school is invited to attend the reunion.

An Old Time Hootenanny with a horseshoe contest, washer pitching, craft show, and many more games will be held on Main Street throughout the day.  KEFH 99.3 will provide entertainment throughout the day.

For more information, call Anthony Knowles at 856-5246.

The Clarendon Board of Aldermen voted to raise garbage rates during their regular meeting last Tuesday, September 24.

The increase comes after several budget workshops in which aldermen realized the city’s sanitation department was operating in the red, according to Mayor Pro Tem Mark White. That department is supposed to be a revenue producer for the city.

“It ought to at least break even,” White said, “but it was short several thousand dollars.”

The board approved a motion by Alderman Tommy Hill, seconded by White, to raise the garbage rate by $1.80, but the increase may not be official yet. Board consultant Colby Waters said this week the city is looking into whether the increase must be enacted by ordinance. If so, the board will have to adopt an amending ordinance to change the rate.

The city intends to have the increase take effect with the November bills.

Also last Tuesday, the aldermen conducted a public hearing on the 2002-2003 municipal budget. The same budget was later approved in the regular meeting.

The Municipal Court contract with Judge Jimmy Johnson was discussed. Johnson reported increased activity in the court coming from the Sheriff’s Department. Seventeen Class C misdemeanors were filed in municipal court last year. As of last Tuesday, 43 had been filed for the month of September this year.

The aldermen approved Johnson’s contract with no changes from last year. The city will pay Johnson $10 per case and an additional $25 for every case that goes to trial.

Depository bids were discussed and reviewed. The board voted 3-1 to accept the bid of Herring National Bank. (Alderman Michael Tibbets voted “no,” and Alderman Janice Knorpp was absent from the meeting.)

The board reviewed bids for health insurance and accepted the bid from First Care on a 3-0 vote. (Tibbets abstained)

The board voted 3-1 to amend the 2001-2002 budget for the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation (Tibbets abstained) and also voted 3-1 to approve the CEDC’s budget for 2002-2003 (Tibbets against).

The appointment of a new board member for the CEDC was discussed, and the aldermen voted to appoint Roger Estlack to that position.

A busy day is in store at the Saints’ Roost Museum as the eighth annual Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff gets underway this Saturday, September 28.

Museum officials say 12 wagons are signed up to compete for top prizes, and the day will provide great family entertainment for all ages. Two other wagons were scheduled to compete but had to pull out in recent days due to circumstances beyond the museum’s control.

“We’re encouraging everybody to come out to the museum and have a great time,” said museum board member Bobbie Thornberry. “The weather is supposed to be beautiful this weekend, so it will be a great time to be outdoors.”

The gate opens at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast and lunch concessions provided by the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce. The tradeshow starts at 10 a.m., and museum tours will be available throughout the day.

Patrick Robertson and KEFH-FM will provide music beginning at 11 a.m. Live entertainment begins at 2 p.m., and performances are scheduled all day. The Chuckwagon meal will be served at 5 p.m. with a menu of chicken fried steak, potatoes, beans, and cobbler.

At 6:30, the museum will raffle off a pair of James Owens Handmade Boots, and the cookoff awards will be presented at 6:45.

The Clarendon College Theatre Department will present, “The Rat Catcher’s Daughter or Death Valley Daze,” at 7 p.m.

Admission to the all-day event is free. Tickets for the authentic Chuckwagon supper are $10 each and can be purchased in advance at Henson’s in Clarendon by calling 806/874-3517. Boot tickets are also available at Henson’s or from any museum board member.

On Sunday morning, cowboy church will be held under the tent at the museum with preaching by Shannon Hall of Loco, Okla.

All proceeds will benefit the Saints’ Roost Museum’s continuing efforts to preserve the history of Donley County. The museum is housed in the former Adair Hospital just off State Hwy. 70 South.

Enrollment is up at Clarendon College this semester, and college officials are looking at more growth in the future.

“It’s good, and it’s going to get better,” said CC President Myles Shelton.

Preliminary data shows enrollment is up 9.32 percent over the 2001 fall semester. A total of 974 students were signed up for classes on the home campus, at the Pampa Center, and at various off campus sites.

The main campus grew 5.23 percent from 363 students to 382, and the Pampa Center was up 8.19 percent from 171 in 2001 to 185 this year.

Shelton said all the dormitories are full, and several students were given permission to live off campus due to a lack of available beds. But those permissions can be rescinded if space opens up in the residence halls.

“If we lose any students in the dorms, we will pull some of those back to live on campus,” he said.

Shelton said many activities are underway that are anticipated to boost the college’s enrollment by next fall. Those include building a new 80-bed residence hall and adding three new programs.

A Lady Bulldog softball program is expected to attract between 25 and 30 new students, an Equine Science program will draw about 40 students, and the addition of Intercollegiate Rodeo should bring in 50 to 60 students, Shelton said.

“Suddenly, all the dorm facilities will be filled again,” he said, noting that there is still a lot of work to be done before the college is ready for that growth.

“We have to be ready to handle those extra students in the classrooms, make sure there are enough tables and chairs, and make sure there are plenty of forks, spoons, and plates in the cafeteria.”

This semester’s total enrollment is the second highest for CC in the last ten years. The best year was in 2000 when 1,001 students were taking classes.

In other CC news, the Board of Regents met last Thursday, September 19, for a regular meeting. The 2002 tax rate was set at 0.18324 per $100 valuation, the same rate the College District has levied since 1999.

The board reviewed a proposal from AMA Online related to the community TIF grant. The proposed project total is $137,777, and Clarendon College is the fiscal agent for the grant.

A new Buick Park Avenue was purchased from Suna AutoMall for $29,481.

The new Fitness Center was discussed, and the board approved spending $28,486 to purchase equipment and $19,400 to install Tuflex rubberized flooring in the building. The college also purchased surplus exercise equipment from South Plains College at significant savings. The Fitness Center, located in the old Vo-Tech Building south of Bulldog Gym, is expected to be completed in November.

Preliminary plans and cost estimates for the proposed Livestock & Equine Center were reviewed. The board wanted some minor changes made to the plans and are looking to cut the $1.25 million estimated price tag of the building down to $1 million.

Dean of Students Joel Zehr discussed a proposed contract with the Donley County Sheriff’s Department to take over campus security. Details of the proposal are still being worked out.

The board authorized an auction to be held to sell off surplus property from the Clarendon and Pampa campuses. The auction will be either the last week of October or the first week of November in Pampa.

The regents voted to ratify the hiring of Leslie Stoker as the new teaching assistant for Agriculture & Equine Sciences and of Ronnie Lewis as the new groundskeeper.

Jean Stavenhagen accepts a check for $1,000 from RO Ranch partner Anne Shelton. Also shown are RO Ranch manager Burl Hollar, courthouse carpenter Ferol Shelton, and County Judge Jack Hall.

Enterprise Digital Photo
 
The RO Ranch and the descendants of W.J. Lewis, Sr., donated $1,000 to the restoration of the Donley County Courthouse this week.

Founded in 1879 by Alfred Rowe, the ranch was one of the earliest in Donley County. Mr. Lewis worked for Rowe and purchased the ranch from Rowe’s estate in 1914 after founder was killed when the Titanic sank.

Lewis’ granddaughter, Anne Shelton, presented the gift to Jean Stavenhagen of the Donley County Historical Commission on behalf of the ranch and the Lewis family and said she hopes other people will make similar contributions.

“This is a very worthwhile project,” Shelton said. “I know some people are squeaking about their taxes, but that’s a short-term thing. It’s important to keep our heritage.”

The local historical commission is currently undertaking a final appeal to raise funds for the restoration of the 1890 Courthouse. Individuals, families, organizations, and businesses are being offered the opportunity to have their names permanently affixed to the wall of the Courthouse lobby. For a donation of $1,000 or more, donors will receive a bronze plaque to commemorate their family or organization.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to honor your family or business and play an important role in the restoration of the courthouse,” Stavenhagen said.

Families are encouraged to pool their donations in a group effort to honor either their entire family or a pioneer ancestor.

Those wishing to make a donation to the project may send their gift to Courthouse Restoration Fund, PO Box 905, Clarendon, TX 79226. A form will be provided for $1,000 donors to specify what they would like to have on their plaque. For more information contact Jean Stavenhagen at 874-3905.

A CHS Homecoming Reunion is scheduled for Friday, September 27, for all CHS ex-students and teachers.

A pep rally on Friday will kick things off.  It will be held at the High School Gym.  The time has not yet been announced.  There will be a Mexican Pile On Supper at the school cafeteria beginning at 5:00 p.m., and tickets will be available at the door for $5.50.

All classes will meet in front of the old gym at 6:00 p.m. and walk to Bronco Stadium to watch the Broncos’ game against Nazareth.  Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Immediately following the game, everyone is invited to the Community Center located at the Rodeo Grounds for visiting.  There is a $5 registration fee.  Music and snacks will be provided.

On Saturday, classmates are invited to the Chuckwagon Cookoff.  Tickets are $10 and available at Henson’s.  Cowboy Church will be held Sunday at 8:00 a.m. at the museum.