Opinions

October 19, 2006, was a day that changed our family’s lives forever. It was a Thursday, specifically chosen to not interfere with the production or delivery of the Enterprise while also allowing us to have the most time possible for what was coming.

Benjamin Allen Homer Estlack had stolen our hearts before he arrived. It was as if we already knew him whether it was from us talking to him frequently or him developing a little kicking rhythm anytime we planned Santana’s “Supernatural” CD. His personality was evident early, and it only became more prominent as time progressed.

He had a big name to live up to, and live up to it he did. Those gleaming blue eyes that could only have come from my father and my wife’s grandmother shone with mirth and mischief. Soon he was talking and walking, and keeping up became a challenge. His personality matured early. In many ways, he’s been a 40-something-year-old man ever since he was about four years old.

Friends and family told us how fast it would all go by and to enjoy the years we had because soon enough he would be grown and gone.

We got a little taste of that this week. Sunday afternoon, he and his buddy took off for Lubbock and spent all day Monday on the Texas Tech campus. We’re not even halfway through the senior year, and we got just the slightest hint of what it will look like for him to be off to college. We don’t want to rush it, but we took pride in knowing that he’s ready and able to stand on his own.

This Saturday is another milestone – his 18th birthday. Even though he’s been a man in many ways for a long time now, society says this date will make it official. He’s got his voter’s registration card and ready to wield it in November. He’s got a job, he has good friends, and he’s enjoying the semi-independence that comes with being “grown” while still going to high school.

As I sat down to write this column, I came across an old camera card filled with memories from when Ben was just a couple of years old. He’s changed so much in many ways, but in all the ways that count, he’s still our little boy. His sense of humor has matured – somewhat – and is still curious and creative. You never know what he’s going to do or say. It seems like just yesterday he was building things with Tinker Toys. Now, you might find him working in the backyard on a homemade project that splits hydrogen from water molecules. Ask him why he wants to study aerospace engineering, and he’s likely to credit watching The Backyardigans as a child. He’s a man but still that kid at heart.

He has a clear sense of right and wrong, a commitment to fairness, and a willingness to speak up for what he believes. He’s all we ever wanted in a son, and he’s a great brother, friend, worker, and big cousin. We couldn’t be prouder of him – the kid and the man – for all he does, all he stands for, and all he hopes to be.

Mom and I love you, son. Dream no little dreams, then go make them come true.

Communities along US 287 have just a few days left to fill out a state survey about possibly upgrading the highway to interstate standards. The deadline for the survey has been extended to September 27, and the link is at the bottom of this column. If you care about the long-term future of Clarendon and other small towns, you should definitely take five minutes and let the state know your thoughts.

Under consideration is a 671-mile stretch of US 287 running from Amarillo to Port Arthur. According to TxDOT, the comprehensive study will evaluate transportation needs and identify potential multimodal solutions to help improve safety and connectivity. The agency wants “to hear from communities, businesses, and the broader public what this corridor should look like and how it can connect communities and foster economic opportunities for Texans for years to come.”

Transportation access is critical to a community’s survival. Clarendon understood that in 1887. When the town learned that the Ft. Worth & Denver Railroad would not being coming through the community’s original location near present-day Greenbelt Lake, the entire town picked up and moved to be on the railroad. Many towns that were missed by the railroad simply disappeared or stagnated.

In the 20th century, what became known as US 287 also was important to the growth and success of Clarendon, providing a steady stream of revenue through the city for decades. Today, about 16,000 vehicles a day travel through town; and while many do not stop, those that do are vital for restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, and other businesses. From an economic development perspective, traffic count is one of the factors that certain businesses look at when considering locating in a community. The higher your traffic count, the more businesses you can attract.

The state is looking at the big picture of US 287. It must consider what is best overall for the state economy and the travelling public. US 287 is one of the busiest thoroughfares in Texas. Upgrading the highway to interstate standards with controlled access would increase the speed and efficiency of goods and people traveling on that road. However, it is safe to say that there is no good way to upgrade US 287 to an interstate through Clarendon – or Memphis or Hedley or Claude or Childress or a host of other small towns. That almost certainly means some form of bypass would be required.

We know what bypasses do to small towns. You can look at Groom and McLean and see what I-40 did for them when it supplanted old Route 66 and went around those little towns. Shamrock seems to have fared better, but there are still a lot of empty buildings that line the old highway.

South of here, US 287 already skips around places like Electra and Iowa Park. In Vernon, US 287 is practically already an interstate; you don’t even have to hit your brakes – just go 75 to 80 mph all the way through town.
For many years, Clarendon has been blessed by three things that keep our town economically stable – Clarendon College, Lake Greenbelt, and US 287. While the college is holding its own, the lake is struggling with the effects of prolonged drought. That makes it more important to hold on to and try to attract more revenue from US 287.

The state’s survey is just eight short questions. Most of it deals with when, how, and why you use US 287 and what concerns you have about the current highway as it is. The eighth and final question is open-ended and allows you to say whatever you want about the highway. The survey also allows you to “place a comment on the study map.” There you can drop a pin on a specific location and make your comment. If you think a place is a safety concern, drop a pin there and make your comment. You can also drop a pin in Clarendon and give your thoughts about the future.

Looking at the comments on the map this week is a little alarming. It appears that someone – or perhaps a bot – is making repeated comments in multiple locations, saying things like, “Please bypass Clarendon,” “Please bypass Memphis,” etc. Other comments are more thoughtful and unique, but many still are either open to or actively encourage bypassing our community. Traffic safety is usually the reason given for that stance.
Everyone’s opinion is valid, and everyone should go make their thoughts known. One thing that should be kept in mind, however, is the significant investment that has been made by existing businesses to locate in Clarendon and similar communities because of the highway. Those investments mean jobs and tax revenue for our towns. Moving the highway would put those businesses at risk and also make it harder to attract new businesses.

Keep in mind that this survey is just the first step in the long-term development of US 287. If the state decided tomorrow that it was going to bypass Clarendon, it would be many years – possibly decades – before it happens. Highway design, environmental impact studies, and right-of-way acquisition takes a lot of time, and then there’s got to be money appropriated. Think about how long we have been hearing about extending I-27 north of Amarillo and south of Lubbock. It’s been 30 years or more, and it still hasn’t happened yet. But it will someday.

Right now, you have a chance to speak, so don’t let the moment pass you by. Take five minutes and go fill out the survey. Here’s the link: https://www.txdot.gov/projects/projects-studies/statewide/us287-corridor-interstate-feasibility-study.html.

The Clarendon City Council exhibited great courage last Thursday, May 9, when it unanimously rejected a proposed ordinance from an out-of-town political activist.

Abortion is illegal in Clarendon, Texas. That didn’t change just because the council said “no” to the “Sanctuary City for the Unborn” ordinance. The State of Texas has one of the most restrictive laws against abortion in the nation, and no action of any city council is going to change that. And yet activist Mark Lee Dickson would have you think that “pro-aborts” won the day last week and that our beloved Saints’ Roost has lost its way. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Clarendon has been, is, and will be one of the most conservative communities you’ll ever find. Conservative candidates overwhelmingly win state and national elections here, and Christianity has been the dominate religion since the town’s founding. People are not all in lock step on their opinions though. We have about 23 churches at last count, which should tell you something. And as difficult as it may be for some to believe, not everyone in this community is a Christian, which is their right as Americans.

Clarendon is about neighbors loving each other and rallying around those in need. We may disagree on local issues from time to time, but that’s our own business. Never in my 29 years covering our community do I recall seeing someone from out of town bring trouble to our community for their own political gain. And then Mark Lee Dickson came to town.

Dickson has bounced around Texas getting dozens of cities to pass his “Sanctuary City” ordinance. He finds fertile ground because people are pro-life and presumably think that being a “Sanctuary City” is a keen idea. But in Clarendon he found people who actually read his 17-page ordinance and didn’t like it. Some don’t like it because they are pro-choice, others are pro-life but think the ordinance goes way too far (encouraging civil suits and providing for no exceptions for rape or incest in its abortion ban), and many find the idea just irrelevant because state law trumps city law. But a lot of people, including the great majority of social media comments, do not like the Sanctuary ordinance because of the division and emotions it’s bringing to our community.

About 80 people attended last week’s city council meeting. Thirty-one spoke in open comments with slightly more speaking in favor of the bill than against it, 18-13 by our count. City officials announced that of those who registered their opinion when they arrived at the meeting, 39 supported the measure and 31 opposed it.

To read Dickson’s comments, you would think that the city council should find itself obligated to appease the majority of speakers. They are not; they are duty-bound to make decisions in the best interest of the entire community. Dickson would also have you believe that the city council “was prevented” from hearing a lengthy explanation of his ordinance. The fact that they don’t want to hear this guy drone on about something they are fully capable of reading for themselves does not mean they were “denied” anything. Dickson also claims the council “ignored” letters signed by some state legislators and officials from other cities encouraging them to support the ordinance. The Clarendon City Council, however, does not represent those people, and what the Mayor of Odessa or another outside official thinks, is irrelevant. In fact, many of the speakers last Thursday were not residents of the City of Clarendon or even from Donley County. And then most laughable, the false prophet would have you believe that his proposal failed because of a coordinated effort by one alderman – Eulaine McIntosh.

Dickson has made McIntosh a target on social media for her political views and the sources she contacted in researching this proposed ordinance. Dickson talks about needing a change in leadership, and that’s his modus operandi when a community won’t give him what he wants. He starts agitating for “new leadership” that aligns with his “values.” In other words, he knows better than we do who should be on our city council. Screw that.

Mrs. McIntosh is a valued member of this community and has lived here for several years. She volunteers her time with several organizations to make our town better, and she has faithfully carried out her duties as a city alderman. Her personal political beliefs are hers, and she is entitled to them. They do not in any way prevent her from doing what is best for Clarendon. Mrs. McIntosh was the first of the council to speak against the Dickson ordinance last week, but she was not the spokesman for the city council. Two other aldermen – Tommy Hill and Terri Floyd – labeled themselves as pro-life and spoke just as forcefully against the sanctuary bill.

After the council unanimously voted “no” – not just to table or take no action, but actually said “no” – the Dickson circus moved outside. Only 15 citizens remained in the Mulkey Theatre to watch as the city council dealt with issues we actually elected them to handle – a park curfew to curtail vandalism, the city’s representation on the Greenbelt Water board, staffing of the library, setting charges at the recycling center, and reports on the aquatic center, the fire department, street improvements, and more.

Common sense, decency, and Christian love won the day with last Thursday’s vote. But Dickson isn’t giving up on trying to add Clarendon to his sanctuary totem pole. His supporters need to step back and take a long hard look at what he’s doing. It’s fine to be pro-life or even anti-abortion. Those are valid positions. But again, state law already makes abortion illegal. Not one baby would be saved by this city ordinance. Not one pregnant mother would be helped. The “sanctuary” label might give some people the warm fuzzies for “taking a stand,” but in reality, all it would be is just another rung on the political ladder for a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Meanwhile…

One of Mark Lee Dickson’s followers – Jacob Meyer of the Amarillo Area Young Republicans – took his time at the microphone last Thursday to do what many political hacks do – attack the media. He criticized last week’s editorial for saying that our local elections are nonpartisan. This guy claims that all elections are partisan and ridiculed the Enterprise for thinking otherwise.

While some activists are trying to inject partisan politics into local city councils and school boards, the fact is that these are nonpartisan elections. In other words, you don’t sign up to run as a Republican or a Democrat, and candidates therefore are not beholden to a party platform when making decisions about local issues. We elected our city council to do what’s right for our community, not what’s right for some political party. That’s a fact, Jack, and don’t come to our town trying to make trouble where there isn’t any.

The hardest thing for anyone to do is often standing up for what is right when it is unpopular to do so. That’s the position the Clarendon City Council will find itself in Thursday night, May 9, when the subject of abortion will again be on the city agenda.

Abortion is illegal in Texas, and that isn’t going to change in the foreseeable future. Nationally, the Supreme Court now holds that abortion is a matter left up to the states, which is what President Trump wants, and that also is unlikely to change. But that’s not keeping activist Mark Lee Dickson from his crusade to “ban abortion” by getting cities to pass ordinances to become “Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn.”

The proposed ordinance Dickson sent to Clarendon city officials last month is 17 pages long, declares abortion to be unlawful except to save the life of the mother (rape and incest are not exceptions), bans abortion in the city, prohibits abortions being performed for Clarendon residents anywhere in the world, prohibits the sale and possession of certain drugs in the city, and seeks to prevent people from coming through Clarendon to get an abortion. Enforcement of the ordinance is basically left up to citizens policing each other and filing lawsuits against each other and/or abortion providers. That’s the short version. The entire proposal is posted on our website here: https://www.clarendonlive.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SCFTU.pdf. I encourage you to read it.

It is a far-reaching ordinance which seems to vastly overstep the city’s authority, but at the end of the day, it probably doesn’t even matter. The legality of abortion has been and will be decided by state and federal authorities. So, what’s the purpose behind all this?

Dickson is a longtime anti-abortion activist. According to his movement’s website, 69 cities have passed ordinances to “outlaw abortion” and become Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn. Two of those cities have since reversed that action. He even has a bigtime attorney who has represented President Trump and who promises to represent the city if it gets sued. If Clarendon passes the Dickson ordinance, it will be just another notch in his belt. The real consequence though is the division the proposal creates in the community, the introduction of partisan politics into local government, and the waste of taxpayers’ money and resources as city employees deal with the drama Dickson brings to town.

Last month, city council members had only a few days before their regular meeting to be introduced to the Sanctuary ordinance. They heard from a couple of people who properly filled out the public comment forms, and then the council prudently took no action on the ordinance to learn more about it. Before this month’s agenda was even set, the city was bombarded with emails and phone calls – some of them hateful in their tone – seeking to get the item back on the agenda. City employees have been put under immense stress as they try to deal with this issue, they have had to take time away from their other duties, and legal opinions have been sought. How much has this cost the city already in terms of money and lost productivity?

Abortion has nothing to do with running the City of Clarendon. We elect our mayor and city council and then they hire employees to do important things that affect our daily lives. Their priorities are to make sure the streets are fixed, see to it the trash is collected, maintain a water system, and provide a host of other city services. At this time, they should be making sure the aquatic center is ready to open in a few weeks, working on implementation of the next downtown revitalization grant, figuring out how to deal with the TxDOT’s upcoming replacement of the US 287 bridge at Kearney Street (and relocation or replacement of the sewer line there), stopping vandals from destroying the rock walls of our city park, and the list goes on and on. These are the things that the city council should be focused on instead of wasting their time on an issue that the city literally has no control over.

But instead of dealing with our real city issues, Dickson and his followers are hijacking the city agenda, forcing people to take sides, creating stress where it is not warranted, and, in some cases, behaving in a markedly un-Christian manner. Sowing the seeds of division and hatred are not how Jesus would act. If you want to minister from a point of love and compassion and promote alternatives to abortion, that’s one thing. But if you want to whip up controversy, start acting hysterical, and ignite arguments between our residents, then you just need to take that show down the road. What would Jesus do? Not this.

Thursday’s city council meeting is scheduled to be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Mulkey Theatre. The city is expecting a large crowd to attend. Abortion is probably the single most controversial issue in America, with vocal groups on both ends of the spectrum and many people landing in some shade of gray in the middle. Regardless of what comments are made at the city meeting, it is unlikely that anyone will change their personal position on the issue.

The challenge for the city council is to remember that they represent all the citizens of Clarendon, regardless of their personal position on this issue, and to also be mindful that this is not a pressing matter requiring the city’s attention. There will be pressure to pass this ordinance, but the appropriate thing is for no action to be taken. Keep partisan politics out of our city business and let our council and city employees get on with the business of serving our community.

A lot of information has been circulated promoting the issuance of $11.7 million in bonds for Clarendon CISD. But as voters head to the polls this Saturday, May 4, it’s important that everyone understands some very important issues that have not been addressed.

General questions about the tax burden and the overall impact of the bond proposals were covered in the editorial printed in this week’s Enterprise and labeled “Part One” online. A closer look at each proposition is warranted, however.

Remember, as a voter, you can mark your ballot “for” or “against” any one or all three of these propositions. That’s up to the individual. As you consider each one, here are some facts that have not been presented by the out-of-town marketers of the bonds.

PROPOSITION A

Proposition A asks for $1.8 million for safety and security upgrades at the school as well as two new buses. We all want our schools to be safe. Everyone can agree on that. But we must be reasonable and prudent, and we don’t really want to see our kids in a “maximum security” education compound.

Information was distributed a couple of weeks ago that basically says anyone can get into the high school and go anywhere anytime. That is totally not true. The high school is secure. The district says it wants to have a secure vestibule to receive visitors before they enter the building, and they want to add something onto the front of the 1908 landmark high school. What’s that going to look like? More on that later, but why destroy the most architecturally interesting part of the entire Clarendon CISD campus when there are other ways to address this issue.

The high school has vestibules on the north and south sides. If you really want a super secure way to check-in high school visitors, simply make them enter through the Administration Building just a few feet away. The handful of visitors needing to access the high school elevator (and there’s only one despite promises from the out-of-town marketers to fix the “elevators”), can be given a pass to get in the front door. That fixes the security issue for zero dollars.

Regarding transportation, the school proposes buying two luxury travel buses at a cost of about $400,000 each. That seems extravagant. Those in favor of it want our kids to roll up in style ready to compete, but our athletic teams seem to perform very well rolling up in a yellow school bus. The district does need new buses, but we don’t need the top-of-the-line buses. And furthermore, the school has money in the bank they could use for buses.

PROPOSITION B

This is the big one. Proposition B asks for $6.9 million in improvements at Bronco Stadium including accessibility improvements, new home and visitor bleachers, a new press box, and $3.3 to 3.5 million for the field house and to renovate restrooms and the concession stand. Consider each of these carefully.

Most local folks haven’t spent much time in the visitor stands and don’t really care about those. Based on places we’ve had to sit in other towns, it is apparent other schools don’t care much about visitor comfort either. If we need to make some accommodations for ADA, that’s one thing, but entirely new visitor stands will cost us about $500,000 according to numbers mentioned at board meetings.

On the home side, the school wants to spend about $900,000 to get rid of the new press box (about 15 years old) and existing seating and install the big metal bleacher/press box combo structures that all the cool schools have now. That is wasteful and unnecessary and will destroy part of the character of Bronco Stadium. Those home stands are built into the contour of the hillside and are literally part of the stadium. Groups of folks congregating behind the last row of seats to visit and watch the game will be a thing of the past. And what happens to the concrete step that we all grew up with in front of the stands? It’s a safe place where little kids can act “grown up” by sitting by themselves with their friends to watch the game or cheer with the cheerleaders. It’s almost a rite of passage when you’re finally old enough to go sit there. Are we ready to give that up? We’ve already lost our “H.” Let’s not sacrifice anymore traditions.

We need better accessibility for the stadium, no doubt. But ramping, walkways, and handrails can be installed and accessible seating can be added to the home stands on the front and back rows without spending anywhere near $900,000.

We also need new restrooms, and our concession stand can use some attention. Renovating or expanding the field house is also needed. The school, however, is very vague on what it wants to do with $3.3 to $3.5 million. It might renovate, it might expand, or it might build a whole new facility just beyond the west endzone. We just don’t know for sure, and they can’t tell us. More on that later. One thing we do know, however, is that Memphis is building a nice new 5,000 square-foot, $2.4 million field house right now without a bond and didn’t have to mess with their existing stands to do it. How’d that happen? They had a family who left the school about $200,000 and they took out a loan for the rest. Oh, and they did some ramping and sidewalks a few years ago to deal with ADA issues. Easy peasy.

Also, go look at the south rock wall of Bronco Stadium, especially from the entrance to the concession stand. It’s clear that some stone conservation work is needed pretty quickly, but that’s not part of this $6.9 million request. The school says they might be able to address it… if there’s money left over.

PROPOSITION C

The final question before voters asks for $3 million for a new vocational ag building. This is the only proposition that actually goes to improving education, but some folks are not entirely convinced that a new facility is warranted. What exactly will we get for $3 million? More on that later. The school’s case wasn’t helped last week, when the out-of-town marketers gave year-old photos to the bond’s social media team, which showed the ag shop as a disorganized mess with trash on the floor. After an uproar, new photos were quickly taken to show what the new teachers have done with the place. The school also says the cinderblock walls of the ag building are deteriorating, but no pictures of that have been posted. If the walls are in such bad shape, then why does the school plan to keep the ag building for storage? Tear the thing down if it’s that bad. Also, the out-of-town marketers like to point out that the ag building – and the field house for that matter – were built in 1961, like that’s the worst thing ever. Buddy, I’ve got news for you, 90 percent of our entire school campus was built in 1961 or earlier, but school administrations have done a pretty darn good job keeping things up.

MORE ON THAT LATER…

Many voters are curious about what exactly the school will or won’t build if the propositions are approved. What will things look like, where will they be, what features will they have? Overall, the school doesn’t have renderings, drawings, or even sketches. They say they don’t want to spend the money on the architect if voters aren’t going to approve the project. If the voters approve the bonds, the architect will get to work and have something to look at in a few months. But how are voters supposed to know what they are considering without a clear picture? What if the voters say yes, and then the architect comes back with something that looks like Fido’s ass ? It’s too late to turn back then.

For decades after the 1960s campus was built, Clarendon CISD followed a similar architectural style when adding on or building new buildings. The addition to the home economics room and cafeteria expansion, the E-Wing addition, and the Band Hall all very much looked like they belonged on the CCISD campus. Likewise, the renovation of the high school in 1990 was very careful to maintain the historic look of the 1908 building. But then starting in the late 1990s with the new Bronco Gym, we started getting pretty free. The gym looks like nothing else on campus, the weight room building was next and was an entirely different color of metal from the trim on the gym, and then what became Laura’s Legacy Center was completely different again. (Sidenote: The LLC sitting unused with a sun-damaged sign is a disgrace to the memory of Laura Hommel and is a good example that we should do a better job of taking care of what we already have.) The architect who expanded and renovated the administration building blended three or four styles to try to make it all make sense and then scabbed it on to the north end of the high school. Most recently, the south entrance of the high school was closed in with a vestibule of a yet another design.

So given all that, “What’s it going to look like?” is a very valid question. Taxpayers and alumni all ought to get to see what’s being proposed before it’s decided.

Overall, the bond propositions feel rushed. Voters only found out what was being proposed within a few weeks of the measure being put on a ballot, and very little notice was given when community meetings were held before the board pulled the trigger. There needs to be some community input on these issues. Talk to parents and find out what’s important to them about their kids’ education. What would they like to see? What can we do to make our kids more successful in the classroom, more successful in college, and more successful in life? Two out of three of these bonds don’t even come close to addressing those questions. Supporters of the bond want you to vote “yes” because “our kids are worth it.” Our kids are priceless, but there is nothing wrong with saying “no” to requests for things that aren’t needed or are too expensive. Parents all know that; we do it all the time.

Vote “no” this Saturday. And then let’s start over with a conversation about what we need and what we want to do to give our kids the best opportunities for a quality education.

Editorial Part 1 available here.

 

Voters are going to the polls this Saturday to decide several important elections including whether Clarendon CISD should be allowed to issue $11.7 million in bonds. Every voter should be interested in these elections, and Clarendon school taxpayers in particular should pay attention and understand what’s being put before them. Voters should also understand one important fact. It’s okay to vote “No” on the bonds. Being against the bonds doesn’t mean you’re against the school and certainly not against our kids. You can be against the bond and still be for our kids… all our kids.

For three years, I’ve attended a variety of school functions in the Clarendon High School Auditorium. Maybe it’s the old electrician in me, but something that always catches my eye is the fact the covers are missing on the electrical outlets on the front of the stage. Less than $2 and a screwdriver would fix that, but it remained undone the last time I was there a few weeks ago.

Some of the stage lights don’t work in the CHS Auditorium, the sound system doesn’t work, several chairs are either broken or have been removed entirely, and overall, the place looks like it hasn’t had any care or touch-ups since it was built in 1990. But the auditorium isn’t on the list of improvements the school wants to make.

In fact, the only specific facilities mentioned by the school are the entrance of the high school, the ag building, and the football stadium. So elementary and junior high students won’t see anything specific from the bonds (other than perhaps some undefined repairs and ADA improvements); and more broadly speaking, the only students who will really get a tangible benefit from the bonds are football players and ag students. Other students might occasionally get to ride on a fancy new activity bus.

Of the $11.7 million the school is asking for, only the $3 million ag proposition will actually go to improving education. The ag program has made great strides under the current teachers; but if you attended any board meetings earlier this year, it was clear that some parents are not sold on the need for a new ag building.

Let’s consider some facts that haven’t been put before you by the out-of-town marketing machine which is pushing for approval of the bonds and which is funded by those who stand to benefit from passage of the bonds.

The school and those in favor of the bond are working hard to tell voters this $11.7 million loan will likely cost many people very little or nothing at all. They point to senior citizens having their taxes frozen and homesteads with a $100,000 school tax exemption as reasons to vote for the bond. The fact is that taxes will go up for somebody. The school tax rate will increase from about 83 cents per $100 valuation to $1.15, wiping out a good chuck of the tax savings the Legislature has created in the last few years.

In a breakdown of who pays school taxes in CCISD, the finance company supporting the bond likes to say that homeowners and landowners will pay less than half the cost of the bond. The rest will be paid for by utility companies and by “commercial and industrial” taxpayers they say are “from out of town.” But all of our local businesses are considered “commercial and industrial” and even a business that is owned elsewhere employs local people and contributes to our community.

Another fact, even if you’re not paying tax now because your homestead isn’t worth $100,000, you soon could be. Citizens have started getting updated valuations from the Donley Appraisal District, and it sure would have been nice to have had those before early voting started. One particular three-bedroom rent house has gone up in value this year by $16,467 and has increased in value 66 percent since 2019 to a total of $98,802. If you’re using the school’s tax calculator to figure out how much this bond will cost you, remember that’s just the current value. Appraised values will continue to go up.

The 32-cent tax rate to pay the bond is built on current evaluations with farmers paying a good chunk of it. The problem is that our ag values are bolstered by irrigated farmland and the groundwater levels are dropping. The highest valued irrigated crop land is $879 per acre. Dry crop land of the category used as an example by the bond company is worth $150 per acre. If a significant portion of irrigated farmland converts to dryland in the next ten or 15 years, that will have a real impact on the tax base and the result will be a higher tax rate to make the bond payment.

The bond backers say a “Yes” vote will help recruit new employees to the school and new families to the community. No one really moves to a community because the school has a nice bus or new bleachers. People and businesses do make decisions about relocating though by looking at the quality of education available and what tax rates are.

Clarendon CISD needs some improvements to be sure. The problem with this bond request is very much like the health care reform bill in 2010 when Nancy Pelosi said, “We have to pass the bill before you can see what’s in it.” CCISD is long on wants, shorter on needs, and vague on details. The taxpayers don’t know for sure what will be built or what it will look like exactly. Are there any renderings of what a “secure vestibule” will look like on the front of the high school? Are we building a new field house or renovating or expanding the old one? Are we going to tear down the old ag building if it’s in such bad shape, and are there any drawings of what a new ag building will feature? What exactly will the school do with $11.7 million? They will get back to us on the details after the bond is passed. No, voters should know up front.

Voters should turn down the bond propositions and give the school time to get community feedback and determine what exactly is needed and how we can do the most to improve education. The kids and the taxpayers deserve that much respect.

Editorial Part 2: The Rest of the Story

It’s National Sunshine Week again – a time when civic leaders and journalists try to remind the public of the importance of open government and the public’s right to know what their elected officials are up to. While Sunshine Week isn’t specifically about newspapers, there can be no doubt that it’s our job to shine the light and make sure our readers are not left in the dark about important matters in our communities.

In just the last few months, the Enterprise has done our part to help keep you informed about a number of very important matters that frankly you probably wouldn’t know much about if we hadn’t reported on them.

Donley County and the City of Clarendon have spent several months wrestling with a new law enforcement agreement. Out of that came a proposal that will see voters in Hedley, Howardwick, and rural residents go to the polls this May to decide about sales tax rates. Who told you about that? We did.

The Clarendon CISD Board of Trustees has been quietly talking for several months about improvements to be funded by bonds. At one point the projects were totaling about $13 million, until a group of citizens showed up at a series of board meetings to voice their concerns – after the Enterprise reported on it. “I wouldn’t know this was even happening if it hadn’t been in the paper,” one resident told me. Propositions totaling $11.7 million will be on the May 4 ballot.

We’ve let you know who’s running for office, when and where to vote, and how the elections came out. We’ve reported on the City of Hedley, on Howardwick, on crime, on downtown revitalization, and the list goes on and on.

This is not to say that the county or the school or the city are purposefully keeping you in the dark. All of their meetings are held in public except for the rare closed sessions. But even when they meet in closed session, they can’t take action until they’re in the open again. The point though is that people just generally don’t go to public meetings or care to find out firsthand what happens at those meetings. That’s where your local paper comes in. We go to the meeting, or we go after the meeting and find out what happened, and we report back to you. It’s up to you then to decide whether you like what’s going on or not.

Newspapers and local journalists shine light in other ways, also. Sometimes it’s a fun way – bringing you live updates on social media from basketball playoffs, for example. Other times, it’s not fun at all.

Two weeks ago, the Panhandle was ravaged by the worst wildfires in Texas history. Hundreds of homes were lost, thousands of livestock were destroyed, and lives were left in shambles. Two people were killed, and more have lost their personal belongings.

The wildfires didn’t get to Donley County, so our coverage was limited. Evacuees came to Clarendon from neighboring communities, and we covered that event online as our citizens opened doors to comfort those who were displaced. Other newspapers had a bigger job to do in covering the fires and trying to help protect their readers while keeping them informed.

One such newspaper was The Eagle Press in Fritch. My friend Tara Huff is the publisher, editor, and head custodian of the Eagle Press. Your editor can relate to that very well. Tara has always been on top of the news in Fritch and not long ago was named the official paper of record for all of Hutchinson County. The reason why is easy to see. It’s her commitment to telling the stories that matter. She holds local officials accountable, but she’s fair and honest as the day is long.

Tara was live on Facebook last week throughout the fires that tore through and around her hometown. She was constantly giving updates on the fire, where people could go, how they could get help, and just overall being a trusted source for information coming out of the heart of the disaster.

Somewhere in the mix of all the hell and turmoil, she got a paper out and again told the story of what had happened, what comes next, and letting her readers know the information they so desperately needed.

When she probably thought that it couldn’t get worse, it did. With the wildfires abating somewhat a structure fire broke out. A house, possibly with people inside. Fire Chief Zeb Smith went in to check and never came out. Tara was on the scene as always. And then had to report on the loss of her friend.

Heroes come in all forms. Firefighters certainly are the big heroes in the stories from the last two weeks, and they ought to be. But in my book, Tara Huff is a hero also. A hero shining the light to give people the power of information – even in the darkest times.

It’s Sunshine Week. Always cherish your right to be informed and support the people who help protect that freedom.