News

The Donley County Memorial Post 7782 and its Ladies Auxiliary in conjunction with the National Veterans of Foreign Wars of the US Get Out and Vote 2000 program will sponsor a Meet the Candidates Night October 16, 2000, at 7:00 p.m. at the Bairfield Activity Center at Clarendon College.

All candidates seeking public office have been invited to attend.  This year’s moderator will be Mr. Joe Davis, General Manager of KLSR Radio in Memphis. 

This event is free to the public, and refreshments will be served.

Come and hear what your candidates have to say about the future of Donley County.

A skunk caught in Clarendon has been confirmed to have rabies. 

Billy Holman, City Animal Control Officer, and Dr. Guy Ellis, Clarendon Veterinary Hospital, want to warn citizens of a possible outbreak of rabies in our area.

Residents are asked to make sure their pet’s vaccinations are current to prevent the spread of the disease.  Rabies shots are available at the Clarendon Veterinary Hospital.

If you see a rabid animal, you should call City Hall during normal business hours or the Donley County Sheriff’s Office after hours.

Jimmy Swinney of Clarendon filed last week as a write-in candidate for constable of Donley County Precincts 1&2. The position has been vacant for about three decades.

According to the county clerk’s office, Swinney filed for the office Thursday, September 7, and paid a $300 filing fee. No other candidate filed for the position. The last person to run for the office was R.C. Hill in 1968.

“The position has been vacant all this time,” said County Judge Jack Hall. “No one has ever run for it.”

The county cannot abolish the office on its own, Hall said. It would take an amendment to the state constitution to do that.

Swinney says he’s known about the position for about ten years and is running to fill a need in local law enforcement.

“Howardwick and that area has very little law enforcement, and that would be a good place to start,” Swinney said.

“The job would also bring a lot of lost revenue in to the county.”

According to Swinney, approximately 360 warrants and subpoenas have not been served by the Donley County Sheriff’s Department.

“The law says the constable will serve warrants, subpoenas, and tax notices,” he said.

County officials, however, say they don’t know where the candidate got his numbers.

Jimmy Johnson, Justice of the Peace for Precincts 1&2, said there are some warrants that haven’t been served but that he has never tallied them to see how many. Some of the warrants are traffic warrants for people who live in places like Houston and are not easily deliverable, Johnson said.

Sheriff Jimmy Thompson said his office only has about 105 warrants that have not been served, many of which are out of county or out of state.

“We can’t extradite out of state on a misdemeanor charge,” Thompson said. “And I’m not going to take a two-day trip to Houston for a $100 fine.”

Thompson said some of the warrants have incorrect addresses and some are for people who have jumped bond, which is the responsibility of the bond company. He also said the sheriff’s department does not serve warrants for the Department of Public Safety.

The sheriff reacted strongly to Swinney’s assertion that Howardwick does not receive adequate law enforcement, saying officers patrol that community at least three times a day.

Thompson invited anyone who has questions about outstanding warrants or the record of his office to come by the sheriff’s office anytime to discuss it.

Another issue is where the money will come from to fund another constable in the county.

The commissioners’ court this week approved $28,083.98 for the constable of Precincts 3&4 in the fiscal 2001 budget, but Judge Hall said there is no provision for a constable in Precincts 1&2.

Swinney said the county should have planned to fund the office.

“They’ve known for three months that I was going to do this, but they chose not to believe it,” he said. “Now they’ve got a problem.”

Judge Johnson says a constable could be an asset to his office.

“I feel like if there was a constable, it would be beneficial and could relieve the sheriff’s office,” Johnson said. “But I am not campaigning for or against the position. That’s up to the citizens to decide.”

Swinney is US Navy veteran and is the head of the local VFW post. He says he is a certified peace officer and was with the Amarillo Police Department from 1966 to 1970.

Since Swinney is the only candidate for the constable’s office, he will be elected if he receives just one vote in the general election this November.

Clarendon High School was awarded a $75,000 grant by the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF) Board for technology advancement last week.

The TIF money, which comes from a fee assessed on telephone bills, will be used to update the small computer lab at the high school, and all classrooms will each be wired to accommodate four computers.

Principal Larry Jeffers said the grant will help keep CHS current with changing technology.

“It helps particularly when technology is advancing so fast,” Jeffers said.

CHS students are being introduced to modern technology and high-speed Internet access so that technology will be a medium through which work, play, research, and tasks are made easier and done more efficiently.

The Non-Competitive Grant for Texas Public Schools was designed to allow public schools to apply for technology advancement or distance learning grants.  These grants will fund up-to-date hardware and connectivity equipment, high-speed workstations, Internet access, or videoconferencing systems so that students may take classes from another campus or a college.

“The reason I got into education was to see students learn and succeed,” Jeffers said.  “Most of our students today are more proficient with a computer than many of the adults.  They are the future of Texas; and because technology is becoming a part of their everyday lives, they are progressively becoming more marketable and knowledgeable as they move into the future.”

Since its creation by the 74th Legislature in 1995, TIF has awarded $487 million in telecommunications infrastructure grants to schools, libraries, institutions of higher education, and not-for-profit healthcare facilities. The agency receives approximately $150 million per year in revenues from the telecommunications assessments to disburse over a ten years.

The First United Methodist Church of Clarendon is inviting everyone in the community and surrounding area to attend a special dedication concert for the church’s refurbished pipe organ this Sunday evening, September 17, at 7:30.

The Hillgreen-Lane pipe organ was originally installed 82 years ago in September 1918.

Over the last several months, the organ has under gone a complete reconditioning to bring back the instrument’s original capabilities. In addition, a Rodgers digital organ has been incorporated with the original, taking its abilities to new heights.

Demonstrating the refurbished organ in concert will be Eleanor Whitsett of Bethany, Okla.

Whitsett is a graduate from Asbury College with a major in piano and was a featured performer at Asbury’s centennial celebration. She holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City with a major in organ performance. She has also done graduate work at the University of Southern California at Oklahoma City University.

Whitsett studied improvisation at the Summer Academy for Organ at Haarlem, the Netherlands, and also studied organ and improvisation in Herford, Germany. She is a member of the American Guild of Organists, has conducted workshops and given recitals sponsored by the organization, and is a past dean of the Oklahoma City chapter. She is also a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.

In May, Whitsett retired as Adjunct Professor of Organ and Church Music at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, where she had served since 1974.

“We are excited to have Ms. Whitsett here for this performance,” said Methodist pastor Rev. James Ivey Edwards. “We wish to share her talent as well as the wonderful sounds that will come from our new organ with the entire community. Please plan to join us.”

State Sen. Tom Haywood (R-Wichita Falls) will be the keynote speaker this Friday, September 15, when the newly constructed Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Donley County Maintenance Facility is formally dedicated.

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce, the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation, and TxDOT are inviting all area residents to attend the dedication and open house from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the facility one mile west of Clarendon on US 287.

US Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) is also expected to attend.

Donley County Maintenance Supervisor Steve Smith will serve as master of ceremonies for the day. The invocation will be given by Truman Ledbetter, minister of the First Baptist Church.

The Texas Department of Public Safety will raise the flag, and the CHS Bronco Band will play the national anthem and “Texas, Our Texas.”

Smith will then give the welcome and introduce special guests. Sen. Haywood will follow up with comments.

Following the ceremonies, tours of the new facility will be given and refreshments served.

The National Center for Small Communities (NCSC) has announced that Clarendon Mayor Leonard “Tex” Selvidge has won an American Hometown Leadership Award for outstanding leadership in America’s smaller communities.

Wal-Mart, which co-sponsors the award to promote strong leadership in small towns, presented a grant of $1,000 to the community in Mayor Selvidge’s honor.

“The vision and dedication displayed by the winners of the American Hometown Leadership Award are qualities that are key to building and sustaining vital communities,” said Betsy Reithemeyer, director of corporate affairs for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. “We are committed to improving these small communities by lifting up the best leaders who are making a difference.”

Selvidge, who spent 27 years with Clarendon College, began his political career as a Donley County Commissioner and a commissioner at Hedley, a press release said. He was elected to the Clarendon Board of Aldermen in 1976 and served as Clarendon’s mayor from 1977 to 1981. He then served as an alderman again from 1981 to 1982 before again being elected mayor in 1997.

Selvidge works tirelessly in serving the people of Clarendon and reportedly hopes to use the grant to improve street paving in the city.

City Librarian Carolyn Blackerby praised Selvidge, saying simply, “Tex Selvidge is the most fair man I know,” she said.

Wal-Mart awards more than $4 million annually in Economic Development Grants to support local efforts to attract new business. This year the company will award more than $720,000 to more than 300 communities across the country through the American Hometown Leadership Award. The award recognizes outstanding civic accomplishments by elected local officials in a community with a population of 25,000 or less.

“The winners of the American Hometown Leadership Award demonstrate not only outstanding leadership qualities but also the creativity and initiative needed to bring a measure of excellence to their work,” said Tom Halicki, executive director of NCSC. “Their ability to envision great things for their communities and their ability to translate that vision into action makes them deserving of our highest honor.”

NCSC is the only national non-profit organization devoted to serving the leaders of America’s smaller communities. The mission of NCSC is to provide small town decision-makers with the tools to govern effectively and the skills to expand local economies, protect natural resources, and preserver community character.

Wal-Mart Supercenter Manager Marvin Bender of Amarillo presented the award to Selvidge Tuesday night during the regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen.

A two-man team from El Paso started the first phase of abating toxins and bats from the Donley County Courthouse as part of plans to restore the 1890 building.

Luis Acuña of Sun City Analytical, Inc., spent most of Monday pulling samples in the courthouse to be tested for lead paint and asbestos. Acuña and his son Chris also investigated the problem of the bat infestation.

The bats, Acuña said, will present a greater problem than the paint or asbestos, which has been mostly removed already.

“We’ll have to discover [the bats’] entry points, their hibernation period, and what species they are,” he said. “Many of them will soon be migrating for the winter.”

Once the bats have either left or been removed, Acuña said a “super duper” vacuum cleaner will be used to suck the guano out of the building. And to keep the bats out during work on the building, Acuña is suggesting a netting be used that will interfere with the bats’ sonar.

Acuña started working at Ft. Bliss in 1982 before he and his family founded Sun City Analytical in 1987. His company oversaw the abatement work during Potter County’s restoration of the Santa Fe Building in Amarillo. Sun City also has experience dealing with bats, having removed the flying rodents and their droppings from the barracks at Ft. Hood.

The presence of a large local bat colony can be considered a good thing, according to Acuña.

“It means that there isn’t an overuse of pesticides in the area and that the local environment is very clean,” he said. “Unfortunately, what the bats leave behind [the guano] is not good for us.”

In other courthouse news, the county is finalizing plans to relocate county offices during the restoration.

Justice of the Peace Jimmy Johnson became the first county official to abandon the building last week. His office was relocated to 414 S. Kearney St., south of the US Post Office.

This week, commissioners approved a contract with the Local Housing Authority to rent an apartment at 201 E. Third St. for use by the County Extension Office.  Judge Hall plans to deliver the county’s deposit check and signed agreement to the housing authority this week.

Also, the county intends to relocate the probation office to the Courthouse Annex as soon as possible.

Hall also says a team from the county’s architect firm, Volz & Associates, will be returning this week to spend several days in the courthouse.

The team will reportedly be looking behind the jury box and pulling up carpet in the district courtroom. They will be trying to solve a mystery as to what was the original layout of the courtroom.

Local law enforcement personnel were kept busy over the Labor Day weekend with 13 arrests made.

As of Monday afternoon, there had been two public intoxication arrests, six DWI arrests, and five arrests for possession of marijuana, according to the Donley County Sheriff’s Department. Some of the arrests were made by the Department of Public Safety.

Chief Deputy Butch Blackburn said the number of arrests was not significantly different from past years, but he said there were more arrests made for marijuana this year, one of which was for a half a pound of marijuana.

All of the arrests were people from out of town, he said.

Blackburn said the DPS worked the only accident reported for the weekend. A car hit a tree on the west side of the lake. There were no injuries.

About midnight Saturday, officers with the sheriff’s department, the DPS, and the Greenbelt Lake Patrol made a show of force on Sandy Beach at Lake Greenbelt.

“We just lit that area up, and people started clearing out,” Blackburn said.

Officers then picked up the containers and kegs of alcohol that were abandoned on the beach.

“I believe the combined effort made an impact on the beach,” he said. “It’s the start of a zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol.”

By Leon Church, County Agent

The 2000 Donley County Crops Tour will be held on September 12.  This tour is sponsored by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service in Donley County. 

Five Private Pesticide Applicator CEU’s will be offered in conjunction with this tour.

The tour will begin at 12:45 p.m. with registration at the Donley County Courthouse.  The tour will follow the following route; 1) Ted Shaller ranch, Mesquite and Juniper control; we will also discuss rotational grazing systems; Leon Church and Ted Shaller will lead this discussion; 2) Ronnie McAnear farm, Cotton Variety trial and Cotton Insect Situation, presented by Dr. Todd Baughman and Emory Boring; 3) Curtis Schaefer farm, Bind Weed Control on Peanuts and Peanut Varieties, Dr. Robert Lemon and Dr. Todd Baughman presenters; 4) Eddy Helms farm, Cotton Fertilization Trial, Lake Weed Control Trial, Peanut Diseases, Irrigation Monitoring.  Presenters will be Leon New, Dr. Todd Baughman, Dr. Chip Lee, and Leon Church.

Following the tour, a barbecue dinner will be served for the tour participants at the Clarendon College Bairfield Activity Center.  The dinner is sponsored by Paymaster Gin, Donley County State Bank, Community Bank in Clarendon, Quail Peanuts, Evan’s Fertilizer, Herring National Bank, and Birdsong Peanuts.

Levon Harmon, Texas Department of Agriculture, will give a presentation during dinner on Laws and Regulations and Drift.

This event is a great opportunity for producers to obtain five CEU’s toward their required 15 during the five-year license period.  Many private applicator licenses will be up for renewal this year, so don’t wait until the last minute to get those CEU’s.

For more information, call Leon J. Church, County Extension Agent in Donley County at (806)874-2141.