This Week

Clarendon voters went to the polls Saturday and dashed the re-election hopes of two long-serving City Aldermen, those being Mac Stavenhagen and Billy Jack Land.

Voters instead chose Tommy Hill and Janice Knorpp as new members of the Board of Aldermen and overwhelmingly confirmed Alderman Mark White to a full term in office.  White had previously been appointed to serve out the term of Alderman Smiley Johnson.

A total of 257 voters cast ballots in the city election. That’s more than double the 119 who voted last year but is still a low turnout.

The number of voters registered in the city was not readily available at press time.

The final tallies were White, 219; Hill, 163; Knorpp, 137; and Stavenhagen, 130. Land’s write-in candidacy drew 62 votes. The election will be canvassed this Friday, and the new aldermen will be sworn in May 14.

Howardwick will also have new faces on its Board of Aldermen. Donald Holladay, Sam Grider, and Bobby Murdock were top choices of the voters in that city.

Holladay received 43 votes, Grider got 42, and Murdock had 39. Vernon Byars, the only incumbent in the race, garnered 30 votes.

Sixty-two people cast ballots in Howardwick. As in Clarendon, officials did not know how many citizens were registered to vote. Howardwick canvassed its election Tuesday night. Officials will take office May 14.

Also on Saturday, two incumbents were returned to the Clarendon College Board of Regents. Bill Sansing, who was appointed to serve out R.L. Gilkey’s term, was the top vote getter with 238 followed by fellow incumbent Jack Moreman who received 191. They will be joined on the board by Jim Blackerby, whose total of 149 votes edged out Sherol Johnston’s 139 and Mary Douglas’ 129.

A total of 261 people cast ballots the college election. That’s only 10.2 percent of the registered voters in the Clarendon College District, but the turnout was up slightly from the last election in 2000 when only 7.7 percent bothered to vote.

CC officials said their election will be canvassed, and new regents will be sworn in this Friday afternoon.

A cross-country car race added nearly $2,700 to Donley County coffers Sunday afternoon as sheriff’s deputies and state troopers issued 17 tickets to drivers in the Gumball 3000 Rally.

“All of them were very nice. They all paid cash,” said Justice of the Peace Ann Kennedy. “I understand they were betting each other who would be stopped next.”

Kennedy’s court in Precincts 3&4 collected seven fines ranging from $95 to $250 and totaling $1,090.

Justice of the Peace Jimmy Johnson said his court brought in $1,600 from ten violations. Tickets ranged from $140 to $255.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said the drivers were from Europe – mostly England – and the United States and were clocked at speeds up to 121 mph. Cars included high dollar models such as Jaguars, Lamborghinis, Mercedes, and Porches as well as domestic cars.

“They made a nice contribution to the county, and I think they had as much fun as we did,” the sheriff said.

Being stopped once wasn’t good enough for at least one Englishman.

“They brought him in here for going 118 mph,” said Kennedy, who fined him $110 of the $113 he had in US currency. “Then they brought him back in for going 94 mph.”

The second time, the chap had to borrow funds from his buddies to pay the ticket.

One journalist traveling with the rally was given a seatbelt citation for hanging out of the car window by his waist to videotape the race.

According to web reports, the Gumball Rally started from Rockefeller Center in New York City on April 25 and ended on April 30 at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. The race got its start in the 20th century when Robert “Cannonball” Baker drove from New York to San Diego in seven days, 11 hours, and 52 minutes. His fastest time cross-country was 53.5 hours.

The race gained popularity in the early 1970s and was further inspired by films such as “Gumball Rally” and “Cannonball Run.” The first Gumball 3000 Rally – named for the length of the race – was held in 1999.

The New York to Los Angeles record is 33 hours, 12 minutes.

“They were all good-natured about it, but it is very dangerous to drive that fast,” Kennedy said.

Law enforcement officers in Childress County, Armstrong County, and the City of Amarillo also stopped rally drivers, according to the Amarillo Globe-News. The top ticket writer was a state trooper in Oldham County who made 23 stops.

By Carrie Helms and Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

The cable crisis facing local churches is over, according to an announcement made by First Baptist Church TV Ministry Chair Jean Ledbetter at last week’s Clarendon Aldermen meeting.

The church has made a deal with Classic Cable for the churches to be back on the air Sunday morning.

“Services will be just as before, beginning with Calvary Baptist at 8 o’clock,” Ledbetter said.

Co-chair Shirley Osburn said that the people of Clarendon have been instrumental in getting Classic Cable’s cooperation.

“They just can’t treat small towns like big cities because people don’t have that choice,” Osburn said.  “People in the community called, and gave their opinions and now we’re back on the air.”

According to Ledbetter, the church is waiting for a contract to seal the deal.

“We have agreed on a reasonable monthly payment of $50,” she said, “but we want to be sure we have a solid agreement in writing so that this does not happen again.”

Channel 11 has not been so successful, but KEFH-FM owner Patrick Robertson previously told City Council that his company is looking into the possibility of representing a satellite television provider.

“We should be able to finalize some details by the end of the week,”  Robertson said, “but as of now there is no change in the situation.”

In other city news, aldermen voted to lease a new copier from Tascosa Office Machines for $104.36 per month.

The animal ordinance was discussed. Mike Johnson said his property is his livelihood, and he didn’t think an ordinance should tell him what he could do it. Kyle Hill told the board he didn’t think the ordinance was fair and that he didn’t intend to abide by it at all. Mayor Selvidge told Johnson he could bring a petition before the board.

The board approved a request from Darrell Burton to use McClelland Field as a gathering place for some 200 youth for a conference on May 25 and 25.

Austin Howard, Stormie Garrison, and Michael Brooks discussed the skate park and presented the board with drawings and measurements. Board consultant Colby Waters reported he had contacted Texas Municipal League (TML) concerning liability insurance for the proposed park. It will cost an additional $2,759 per year for the insurance, plus there are strict but reasonable guidelines to follow. A representative from TML will be invited to the next board meeting.

Engineering proposals for a street improvement project were presented and considered. The board selected Barber, PSC, and TSC as the top three firms for consideration.

Local voters will go to the polls this Saturday, May 4, to elect members to three local boards.

Citizens of the City of Clarendon will select three aldermen in voting being held at City Hall. Those running are Tommy Hill, Janice Knorpp, Mac Stavenhagen (i), and Mark White (i). Billy Jack Land (i) is running as a write-in candidate.

Howardwick citizens will also select three aldermen and can choose from Vernon Byars (i), Sam Grider, Donald Hollady, or Bobby Murdock. Balloting will be at the Howardwick City Hall.

Citizens of Donley County can vote for three positions on the Clarendon College Board of Regents. Those running are Jimmy Blackerby, Mary Douglas, Sherol Johnston, Jack A. Moreman (i), and Bill Sansing (i). Voting for these regent positions will be held at the Administration Building on the campus of the Clarendon Independent School District.

If early voting is any indication, the college district and the City of Clarendon may have big turnouts this weekend. As of Tuesday morning, college officials were reporting approximately 60 early voters having cast ballots, and Clarendon City Hall had had 43 citizens vote early.

Howardwick City Hall reported nine early voters.

Polling places for all three boards will be open Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The history of the Jericho Cemetery was preserved for posterity last Saturday as a new historical marker was dedicated there.

Established in 1894, the cemetery in northern Donley County holds the earthly remains of pioneers and their descendents who settled the area which, in about 1902, became the town of Jericho located along the Chicago, Rock Island, & Gulf railroad. Entombed there are the remains of everyone from infants to war veterans.

Jericho was a stopping place for people moving from Oklahoma to New Mexico as the local residents opened their homes to the strangers in times of blizzards and dust storms. Throughout the years, small pox and influenza epidemics added graves to the cemetery.

The sacred plot of ground has been tended to by the Jericho Cemetery Association since it was reorganized in 1970, but community volunteers, friends, and family have always watched over the cemetery.

Approximately 35 people were present Saturday as the cemetery’s historical marker was dedicated. Groom Boy Scout Troop 429 posted the colors and led the Pledge of Allegiance to the American and Texas flags. David Kelly sang the National Anthem and “Texas, Our Texas.”

Cemetery Association President Bud Schaffer gave the welcome and introduced distinguished guests. Family histories were given by Cleo Nix, Melba Leathers, Barbara Lantham, and Jean Heisler. Historian Peggy Beckham read the text of the historical marker.

Donley County Historical Commission Chair Jean Stavenhagen presented certificates of appreciation.

The ceremony was closed with Kelly singing “God Bless America,” and all attendees reciting the Lord’s Prayer.

All deferred items have been added back into the Donley County Courthouse Restoration project thanks to numerous donations. Now officials say the county has an opportunity to begin putting items back in the job that were originally deleted from the contract.

The opportunity has been made possible by a challenge grant that will match new contributions dollar for dollar up to a total of $50,000.

“We’re extremely grateful for all the donations we’ve received thus far,” Donley County Historical Commission Chair Jean Stavenhagen said. “With this challenge grant, any new donations will be doubled. A $100 donation will become $200, and a $1,000 donation will become $2,000. Your money will go twice as far to finish the project and restore the Donley County Courthouse as the Jewel of the Plains.”

If this new grant challenge is met, decorative metal roof ornaments and the replacement of deteriorating exterior stonework will be put back into the project

Some of the formerly deferred items which have been reinstated thanks to successful fundraising include sanding and refinishing wood floors, carpet for offices, refinishing stairs, restoring and refinishing doors and transoms, repairing the tile floor in the main corridor, painting, and metal doors in the basement.

Major funding for the restoration project was obtained in 2000 through the Texas Historical Commission (THC), but for the past six months, Donley County Commissioners have been struggling to find a way to fully fund the restoration the 1890 Donley County Courthouse after the lowest bid exceeded the estimate prepared by the architect by nearly $1 million.

In order to bring the cost down, Commissioners reduced the scope of the project and then deferred other work until April 15, 2002. Thanks to the generous contributions of individuals, businesses, and organizations, county commissioners met in a called session last Monday and added the deferred work back into the construction.

Those interested in supporting this historic restoration are asked to contact Jean Stavenhagen at (806) 874-3905. Donations of any size may be sent to the Donley County Courthouse Preservation Fund, PO Box 825, Clarendon, TX 79226.

In other courthouse project news, interior work on the Donley County Courthouse is coming along rapidly, Phoenix I project manager Stephen Dodge said at a construction conference last Friday.

Fifty percent of the trim work and 75 to 80 percent of the rough-in has been done on the first floor. Most of the trim has been finished on the second floor and is ready for plaster. Mechanical work continues in the basement and on the third floor.

Plastering is nearly complete on second floor rooms east of the courtroom, and the courtroom itself should get a third coat of plaster this week.

Paint and stain colors will be chosen soon. Architects with Volz & Associates were here Friday to gather paint chip samples. They will do a microscopic analysis to attempt to deduce the original colors used in the building.

Woodwork used in the courthouse has finally been positively identified. It is a Colorado white pine trim with California redwood panels. Project officials agreed the California redwood is rarely found in Texas courthouses, and head carpentry subcontractor Richard Oberhaus believes the original builders were heavily influenced by their work in Colorado.

Architect John Volz says the Donley courthouse will be one of the most beautiful his firm as worked on because of the woodwork in the building.

Trenches for utilities are expected to be dug in the next two weeks, and AEP set new transformers for the building on Monday.

Subcontractors are currently working to resolve sizing problems with HVAC floor grilles and recessed electric fixtures on the first floor.

The Texas Historical Commission has disallowed the use of ceiling fans in the district courtroom since they were not original. The architects believe the air-conditioning system should provide sufficient airflow.

One area where the project in danger of falling behind schedule is the masonry work as contractors continue to look for a replacement brick. Acme brick in Tulsa, Okla., was reported to be the only manufacturer interested in the job. That company purchased new forms to make the right size brick.

The color of the new bricks is close, but the bricks have a sheen to them. Volz is looking into a new European micro-abrasion technique that might age the brick slightly to remove the sheen.

Repairs on masonry behind the metal cornices is on hold awaiting a report from a structural engineer. Water damage of the last century has loosened some of the facing brick and contributed to the deterioration of the backing brick.

By Jean Stavenhagen, Donley County Historical Commission

The Texas Historical Commission (THC) has recently recognized the Jericho Cemetery in the northern part of Donley County as a significant part of Texas history by awarding it a Historic Texas Cemetery Medallion and an Official Texas Historical Marker.

The Jericho Cemetery has received these designations through an application process that documents the history and significance of the burial ground.

A dedication ceremony to commemorate the placing of the marker and the unveiling of the medallion will be held at 2:00 p.m. on April 27, at the Jericho Cemetery which is located 16 miles north of Clarendon on State Highway 70, and one mile west on Country Road B.

The ceremony will consist of the presentation of the flags, a reading of the Cemetery history, speakers from four pioneer families, and the official unveiling of the medallion.

“The designations are tools that will increase public awareness of these important cultural resources,” said Larry Oaks, executive director of the THC. “Awareness and education are among the best ways to guarantee the preservation of a cemetery.”

The distinctive medallion is a recognized symbol of preservation efforts and is placed at the entrance to the Jericho Cemetery.  The historical marker helps provide an awareness of the fascinating history of Donley County. It is located by the side of Highway 70 near the road to the old Jericho community.

“It is important that as we look toward the future, we do not forget our past,” said Jean Stavenhagen of the Donley County Historical Commission. “Preserving cemeteries will provide valuable historical information for those who follow.”

The public is cordially invited to attend the dedication. Some seating will be provided, but everyone is encouraged to bring a chair.

Mutt Graham was crowned as the new Turkey King last Saturday as the culmination of the second annual Donley County Turkey Strut Festival.

Graham was the quietest candidate of the Turkey election’s short two-year history. Controversy never touched him, and, while others engaged in campaign shenanigans, Graham silently rose head and wings above the rest.

No one was more surprised by the result than the king himself.

“I didn’t even know I was a candidate until a couple of days ago,” His Highness said. “I thought I’d have to lie, cheat, or steal to really win.”

Deposed king Roger Estlack crowned Graham and said Graham was the first honest candidate in turkey election history.

Graham’s total vote tally was $83.10, and he beat his nearest opponent, Nancy Davis, by a margin of $11.55.

Other also-rans were James Ivey Edwards with $17.11, Larry Hicks with $16.77, and Bright Newhouse with $10.61. Other minor candidates never broke the ten-dollar mark. In all, $244.39 was collected in the jars of the 12 candidates. The proceeds benefit the Donley County Tourism Council.

In other turkey news, the majority of the Strut Festival was simply a soggy mess as cold, drizzling rain canceled most of the outdoor activities.

The Turkey Cook-off was one event that did go on. The Chamber of Commerce team took the top price. They were followed by Doc Bryant’s Muleskinners of Amarillo in second place and Ace No. 8 Bed & Breakfast in third.

Cherie Floyd won the $300 shopping spree during the raffle, and Kathleen Yankie’s name was drawn for both the second and third place drawings – an antique turkey platter and a frozen turkey from B&R Thriftway.

Katie Millborn was the Grand Champion winner of the Kids Strut & Gobble Contest.

More than 100 kids entered the Coloring Contest. Winners were: Kindergarten – Zachary Cornell, first; Jacy Hill, second; and Audra Thomas, third. First Grade – Lydia Howard, first; Cole Ward, second; and Hailey Echols, third. Second Grade – Katie Millborn, first; Justine Moore, second; and Jordan Luna, third. Third Grade – Savannah Jo Thackeray, first; Kelsey Floyd, second; and Katterina Johnson, third.

In order to offset some of the losses of the festival, the wooden turkeys will keep moving around until early May. To place your order, contact Dee Dee Autry at 874-3889.

A joint effort between 11 Texas Panhandle-South Plains newspapers is opening new avenues for advertisers to reach both buyers and sellers throughout the region.

With this inaugural issue, the West Texas Country Trader is being distributed to thousands of readers in a region stretching from the Top of Texas to south of Lubbock.

Committed to the slogan: “Soaring high above the rest in value, convenience, and wide area coverage,” the weekly West Texas Country Trader will be inserted into member newspapers as well as be available for pickup free-of-charge in racks at selected locations throughout the region.

This publication will include local news and features from each of the communities it serves while providing a powerful new advertising vehicle for both classified and retail customers at very competitive rates.

To advertise in the West Texas Country Trader, contact any of the participating community newspapers: Abernathy Weekly Review, Borger News Herald, Canyon News, Castro County News (Dimmitt), Clarendon Enterprise, Crosby County Reporter-Examiner (Crosbyton), Eagle Press (Fritch), Idalou Beacon, Morton Tribune, Plainview Daily Herald, and Sudan Beacon-News.

Publisher Rollie Hyde of The Plainview Daily Herald – one of the cooperating newspapers in this new publication – explained the attractiveness of this new product.

“The coverage of the West Texas Country Trader will stretch about 140 miles north and south and almost that far east and west,” Hyde said. “That is a tremendous amount of readership area – from north of Amarillo to south of Lubbock – for an advertiser to reach through a very cost-effective publication.”

Interested businesses can get the reach of regional publication but still deal with their local newspaper representatives.

“Any interested business in Donley County or adjacent counties can contact our staff,” Enterprise publisher Roger Estlack said. “All the local sales, design work, and billing is done through our office and by people local advertisers have come to trust.”

Initially, more than 25,000 copies of the West Texas Country Trader will be printed each Tuesday for distribution throughout the region as a part of the Enterprise and its associated newspapers. For information, call our office at 806/874-2259 and ask about the West Texas Country Trader.