News

A single lightbulb on a pull-down string was the only lighting that illuminated the old yellowed-paged, musty library books in the city library in 1977. These books in the old City Hall basement stood ready on creaky shelves for the dedicated library patron who enjoyed reading.

That year, 1977, was also the year when a group of community members decided to address the needs of the library. Four years later in August 1981, their goal of improving the library became a reality when the books were finally moved into the current Burton Memorial Library on Kearney Street.

Now 40 years later, Friends of the Library will gather Wednesday, August 11, to celebrate this milestone in the Library’s history.

The group invites the community to stop in from noon to 2 p.m. to share refreshments and view a photo display of that four-year effort as well as the past 40 years.

“First Saturday Clarendon, Texas” continues in August with the Donley County Farmers Market, Whistle-Stop Trade Days, and movies at the Sandell Drive-In and Mulkey Theatre.

The new marketing campaign to pool resources and centralize support behind a once-a-month weekend of activities, trade days, shopping and fun in Clarendon and Donley County.

Saturday, August 7, marks the third month of the promotion, and businesses, organizations, and anyone else planning an event are encouraged to consider having it on the weekend of the First Saturday of each month.

The Chamber board in April agreed to consider holding future events and promotions on the first Saturday weekends, and the CEDC board also agreed in April to include “First Saturday Clarendon, Texas” in its current regional marketing and to highlight First Saturday events on the ClarendonTX.com website.

This Saturday, for example, people can enjoy the food trucks, live music, and fun of the Whistle-Stop, shop all the fresh produce, baked goods, and other items at the new Donley County Farm 2 Table market at Cornell’s Country Store, spend time at the Clarendon Aquatic Center, and also take in a movie in Cinema City at either the Mulkey Theatre or the Sandell Drive-In. The Mulkey is showing “Space Jam,” and the Sandell is hosting “Jungle Cruise.”

First Saturday events are being sought for September to go along with trade days. First Saturday in October will see the return of the Lions Clubs members from across the Panhandle as they bring their fall cabinet meeting back to the Mulkey Theatre.

If you know of something happening on the first weekend of each month, it can easily be promoted by calling or texting 806-662-4687, emailing ashlee.estlack@gmail.com, visiting the “First Saturday, Clarendon Texas” Facebook page, or by filling out the contact form at ClarendonTX.com/FirstSaturday.

Donley County Commissioners selected the architecture firm most familiar with the 1890 Courthouse to lead repairs to the building during a special called meeting Monday.

Commissioners considered the qualifications of three firms from across the state but scored Hutson Gallagher of Austin as the top choice because of their team’s knowledge and previous work on the building.

Firm members Chris Hutson and Tracy Hirschman Hutson performed the architectural work leading up to the 2003 restoration of the courthouse and have maintained a reputation in historic preservation work.

Panhandle Regional Planning Commission Local Government Services Director Dustin Meyer will lead negotiations with Hutson Gallagher to produce a contract for the county to sign on August 9. The architects will then prepare specifications to repair damage to the historic building from a winter storm in February.

The Texas Historical Commission will have final approval over the architects’ specifications before the county can take bids on the work.

County officials are hopeful that, in addition to repairing storm-related damage with insurance funds, the county might also be able to obtain grant funds from the THC to address stone spalling around the base of the courthouse. The stone has been an issue for decades, but the funds were not sufficient to address that issue during the original restoration work.

In other county news, commissioners considered three proposals Monday for IT services and network security and listened to two of those proposals in person from representatives of two firms. Commissioners will select an IT proposal at their next regular meeting on August 9.

The commissioners’ court approved paying back vacation pay to former deputy Sonny Marasco, totaling $2,783.32.

The court also delved into personnel policy issues with Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn and adopted revisions in the areas of holiday pay, vacation pay, work schedule and work week, and overtime for law enforcement personnel, including deputies and dispatchers.

Moving forward with repairs to the 1890 Courthouse will be among the agenda items Donley County Commissioners will consider when they meet Monday in a called session.

Donley County Judge John Howard said commissioners will consider qualification proposals from architects during the meeting. After an architect firm is scored and selected, the county will negotiate with that firm for services to oversee repairs to the water damage caused by February’s winter storm and ensure that the work is done to the standards expected by the Texas Historical Commission.

The judge said the damage is covered by the county’s insurance, but it is likely to be expensive because the cost of materials and labor has gone up.

Howard also said that in discussions with the THC, it is possible that county could be awarded more money for courthouse restoration work and that part of that work might be focused on the sandstone around the base of the building, which has had a problem with spalling.

Preservationists had hoped to address that problem almost 20 years ago when the courthouse was restored, but the work at the time was cost prohibitive.

Howard says it’s possible that technological advancements may now help the county permanently solve that problem.

The county will also be looking to replace the HVAC units in the attic, one of which was the source of the water leak that destroyed the county attorney’s office and caused damage throughout much of the building earlier this year.

In other county business, commissioners met in regular session July 12 and continued discussions on overtime pay and compensation for sheriff’s deputies and county jailers/dispatchers. Howard said county officials are still working out the details of those issues.

The county is developing a paid leave quarantine policy for those exposed to a communicable disease while on duty, which, Howard said, the county was doing in practice anyway. County officials are also considering revisions to its holiday pay policy.

Commissioners approved allowing the clerk’s office to charge a $10 records archive fee and approved allowing employees in the clerk’s office to attend election law training.

Special annual budgets for the district attorney’s office were approved, and the county voted to reappoint Judge Willis Smith to the Texas Panhandle Center Board of Trustees.

Clarendon city officials are optimistic about the chances of acquiring two big grants after preliminary scoring was released by the state.

City Administrator David Dockery said Clarendon is in the top 12 applicants for a Downtown Revitalization Grant and in the top five for a Community Development Block Grant, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture.

The preliminary scoring does not guarantee the grants will be awarded, but it does mean the city is still in the running for the fund as the application process continues to move forward.

“I feel very good about it at this point,” Dockery said.

If awarded, the downtown grant would improve sidewalks, accessibility, and lighting on Kearney Street, and the CDBG grant would replace some aging wastewater lines in the city.

The city is also pursuing securing funds available through the American Recovery Act, which could be used for water or wastewater infrastructure or broadband infrastructure.

In other city business, the city council met July 8 in regular session to consider several agenda items at its regular meeting.

Aldermen approved closing a portion of Gorst and Fourth streets for “That Senior Thang” on August 21.

The council also approved a job description for the assistant public works director and approved Jason Bingham to fill that position.

A request from the JRCA was approved for a one-day aquatics center pass for its rodeo participants.

At a called meeting on Monday night, the council also approved a request to vacate several platted but undeveloped streets on property owned by Jack Moreman.