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This Week
Burton Dale Ayers
Burton Dale Ayers, 74, died Friday, May 27, 2011, in Rio Rancho, NM.
An informal celebration of life gathering for family and friends was held Saturday at Holiday Inn Express South, 6701 Hollywood Road in Amarillo. Arrangements were by French Funerals and Cremation of Albuquerque.
Dale was born Nov. 28, 1936, in Donley County to Clarence and Grace Ayers. He graduated in 1955 from Lelia Lake High School in Lelia Lake, Texas, and in 1965 from West Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in education.
Dale taught school and served as principal at Lelia Lake schools. He also was in the
National Guard.
Dale retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where he traveled the United States, establishing schools on reservations. He then worked with Maloy Mobile Storage.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Grace Ayers; his wife, Sue Wesson Ayers; and a brother, Joe Ayers.
Survivors include two sons, Greg Ayers and wife Trina and Mike Ayers and wife Nikki; three grandchildren, Alex, Connor and Jack; a brother, Ralph Ayers and wife Bonnie; two sisters, Lola Marie Gardener and Marilyn Swindle and husband Ted; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be to Alzheimer’s Association of New Mexico, 9500 N.E. Montgomery Blvd., Suite 121, Albuquerque, NM 87111.
Sts. Roost Museum adds new exhibits
Clyde Wilson Award
Don’t look down
Greenbelt bowl
CHS cheerleaders
County bans fireworks sales, use
The sky, as well as firework stands, will be bare this Fourth of July, and citizens are warned not to take the county fireworks ban lightly.
“There will be no warnings on fireworks,” Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said. “We will file charges on people.”
Donley County Judge Jack Hall signed a disaster declaration last Wednesday, part of which banned the sale, possession, and use of fireworks. The judge’s order was good for only 60 hours, but Gov. Rick Perry approved the county’s request to extend the ban through July 5, 2011, at 7 a.m.
The ban not only impacts patriots wishing to celebrate the Fourth of July celebrators but also people who make money from annual fireworks sales. That inlcudes the Jesus Name Apostolic Church, whose members say they understand the need for the ban.
“The ban is disappointing,” church member Beverly Burrow said, “but we had already made up our minds before the ban in respect of others not to order anymore fireworks if we didn’t get any rain. I think the ban is wise and so does my husband as well as most everyone in our congregation.”
Fireworks sales have been a long-running fundraiser for the church.
“We’ve had our stand for 20 some years, and we usually help fund missionaries with most of the money we make,” Burrow said.
Perry’s decision to extend the judge’s ban came at the recommendation of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
County commissioners also extended Hall’s disaster declaration at their regular meeting on Monday, otherwise it would have expired after seven days.
The disaster declaration cites the lack of rainfall and continuing hot, dry conditions as posing the threat of large wildfires which could endanger “lives and property on a large scale.” It also states that current conditions make the threat of disaster “imminent.” Clarendon has had barely more than half an inch of rain this year.
As of this week, bans on fireworks have been either passed or are pending in 23 Panhandle counties.
In other county business Monday: Commissioners approved the July Fourth Celebration on the Courtyard; renewed the Texas VINE service for 2012; accepted a bid of $450 on tax delinquent property at Lot 4, Saints Roost II from Charles and Debbora Sharpton; and distributed budget worksheets to elected officials and department heads to be turned in by July 11, 2011.
Local farmer has big goal for tomatoes
The Donley County farmer has 2,300 tomato plants set out on his land northeast of Clarendon where, despite the drought and high winds, the plants are coming along quite nicely.
Howard’s tomatoes are irrigated beneath black plastic, and the plants themselves are in wire cages wrapped in clear plastic, which helps them produce more tomatoes.
“The wind causes vibration on the plastic, and that makes them pollinate and set tomatoes better,” Howard said. “It also protects them from the wind and the sand.”
Howard says his tomatoes are not totally organic but he does try to use as little chemical as possible on them. Instead of pesticide, a homemade spray made up of olive oil, garlic, and other herbs are used to deter worms, for example.
Howard has been planting tomatoes for several years but never in this quantity before. He will sell the produce at farmers’ markets in Amarillo and Borger as well as in Lowe’s Family Center here in Clarendon.
“Every year is different,” he said. “This year we’re growing Empire tomatoes instead of our usual Celebrities.”
The weather is also a challenge this year. While the lack of rain has kept down the weeds between his rows, it’s also causing him to have to water much more frequently; and the high winds have meant he has had to re-bag his tomato cages three times with plastic.
Deer have also been more of a problem this year as they search for food, but Howard has cut that problem by putting blood meal around the perimeter of his farm. Deer don’t like the smell of it and won’t cross it, he says.
If all goes well and barring any devastating hail storms, Howard says he expects to produce between 35,000 and 40,000 pounds of tomatoes this year.
And if that wasn’t enough to keep him, his family, and four hired hands busy, Howard Farms is also growing Persian melons, honey dew melons, Israel melons, peppers, cantaloupe, and watermelons.
Monday, the Howards were busy setting out 4,000 new watermelon plants under irrigation, which they expect to be ready to harvest by July 15, but like all farmers they know one thing for certain this year.
“We need rain.”
Cities see higher sales tax revenue in June
All three Donley County cities posted higher sales tax revenue when Texas Comptroller Susan Combs released June allocation figures last week.
The City of Clarendon June allocation is $22,085.89, which is up 1.09 percent from the same period one year ago. The city is now 10.9 percent ahead on its year-to-date sales tax revenue with a total of $165,287.99 since January of this year.
Howardwick was up 15.46 percent for the month with revenue of $1,330.43 and was ahead 6.73 percent for this calendar year with total revenue to-date of $6,272.24.
Hedley’s revenue for June was up 3.58 percent at $340.15, but that city was lagging behind 1.88 percent for the year with $3,443.05 since January.
June’s sales tax allocations represent sales that occurred in April.
Statewide, Combs said that sales tax revenue in May was $1.95 billion, up 9.9 percent compared to May 2010.
“Spending in sectors such as the oil and gas industry and manufacturing helped increase state sales tax revenue,” said Combs. “Retail spending also grew. Texas has now had 14 straight months of sales tax revenue increases.”
Combs delivered June sales tax allocations of $311.8 million to Texas cities, up 6.6 percent compared to June 2010. So far this calendar year, city sales tax allocations are up 6.3 percent compared to the same time period last year.
For details of June sales tax payments to individual cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts, locate the Monthly Sales Tax Allocation Comparison Summary Reports on the Comptroller’s Web site at
www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/allocsum/compsum.html.
The Comptroller’s July sales tax allocation will be made on Monday, July 11.
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