This Week

Linda Hill and Holli White wave an American flag during the services last Friday at the Bronco Pep Rally.

Enterprise Digital Photo
 
Donley County residents, like the rest of America, reacted with shock and horror when terrorists hijacked, then crashed two airplanes into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City last Tuesday shortly before and after 8 a.m. local time.

Both towers later collapsed due to the structural damage and intense heat caused by the burning jet fuel. At press time this week, nearly 5,000 people were reported missing in New York.

A third plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, DC, Tuesday after it missed what is believed to have been its primary target – the White House. A fourth plane was also hijacked and re-routed for the nation’s capital. That plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania, and it is believed – based on a cell phone call – that at least three passengers acted to thwart their hijackers’ plans.

The American government has fingered known terrorist leader Usama Bin Laden as being a prime suspect in the attacks. Bin Laden is based in Afghanistan but has support of radical factions in several other countries in the Middle East.

As news of the attacks spread across Clarendon, people flocked to their televisions to view the devastation.

CHS students view attacks

At Clarendon High School, Principal Larry Jeffers went to each classroom and informed students of what had happened. He encouraged classes to discuss the attacks, turned on the large view-screen in the CHS Auditorium, and connected it to a network news feed.

“Sometimes there are more important things than what is happening in the classroom,” Jeffers said. “[The students] were seeing history being made.”

Jeffers said students were very quiet while watching the events unfold and some saw the twin towers in New York come crashing down. The entire student body was gathered in the auditorium for one period from 9 a.m. to 10:30.

 
Jim Owens puts out the US flag in front of his boot shop last Friday as he does every day. It’s a tradition his father started during the Persian Gulf War.
The principal said some schools in the area did not let their students watch the events, but he felt the kids needed to see what was happening.

“The kids handled it real well. They didn’t seem in fear. It seemed to have a bigger impact on the juniors and seniors.”

CHS Student Council President Carrie Helms agrees with Jeffers that some underclassmen were less affected.

“A lot don’t understand how serious it is,” Helms said. “It makes me angry that some go on with their lives like it’s not a serious thing.”

Helms said the reality of the situation has begun to sink in on her fellow students in the days that have followed the attacks.

“I think some of them have started coming around when people talk about going to war,” she said.

Helms said the attacks have been discussed in her classes, particularly government class where they discussed the responsibilities of the government and its war powers.

Officials at Clarendon Junior High reacted similarly to those at CHS.  Principal Marvin Elam went from room to room, spreading the news.

“The students were very somber as we explained what was going on and told them they were safe here,” Elam said.

Kids were allowed to go to the school library to see the news broadcasts, and eventually news feeds were linked up with televisions in every classroom.

“If kids know the truth, they can deal with it and talk to their parents about it,” he said. “We talked with them about terrorism and hatred.”

Clarendon Elementary Principal Mike Word did not tell his students of the attacks, but did inform his staff.

“My kids are little, and I don’t know that they would understand,” Word said. “We left it up to the parents to explain it.”

In the days after the attacks, Word said the older elementary kids understand that something terrible has happened.

‘I thought it was like War of the Worlds’

Clarendon College Athletic Director Joel Zehr spread the news on College Hill after hearing it on the radio. Zehr stopped by the Enterprise office to check the television before going up to CC.

“I thought this was like ‘War of the Worlds’ or something,” Zehr said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

CC President Myles Shelton said he hadn’t heard of the attacks until Zehr told him.

“It was unreal,” Shelton said. “Then it was clear that it was very real.”

 
A tearful crowd gathers on Kearney Street to observe the national day of prayer and remembrance. Approximately 200 people attended, including veteran Stanley McKee pictured here.
Shelton said the attitudes of CC students are mirroring the attitudes of the nation – going from shock to grief to anger.

“The concept of what’s really important has dawned on them.”

Sophomore Brady Atwood of Grand, Texas, is the president of the CC Student Senate.

“It really shocked everyone,” Atwood said. “Once you get through with classes, [students] just go back to their room and watch the news.”

Atwood said a lot of students are talking about the possibility of the draft coming back and about what the government is going to do.

By Tuesday afternoon, word was spreading that the attacks were causing a rise in oil prices and reports said gas stations were raising prices. Lines formed at local gas stations, but only two – Taylor Food Mart and Taylor Exxon – were reported to have raised their prices. The stores later lowered the price of regular unleaded back to $1.59, but they have been widely criticized by local citizens.

Tuesday night the Clarendon Board of Aldermen approved a resolution regarding the terrorist attacks earlier that day, expressing the city’s thoughts and prayers for the victims as well as support for those who are suffering, pledging to bring about understanding, and giving thanks for the lives that have secured our freedoms.

Locals directly affected by attacks

Perhaps the local person closest to the attack was Clarendon’s Rep. Mac Thornberry. The congressman had eaten breakfast at the Pentagon and reportedly left minutes before the plane crashed into the building. Thornberry has since canceled personal appearances at town hall meetings in the 13th District so he can remain in Washington.

One local couple was stranded in Canada as result of the attack when the federal government shut down the nation’s airspace. Dr. Brad Williams and his wife Lani were in Vancover for a cattle veterinary seminar at the time. The couple was staying in a hotel near the United State Embassy, and Dr. Williams’ seminar was to be held in the World Trade Center’s Canadian offices.

“It was pretty nerve-racking,” Williams said.

He said the Vancover airport was shut down like American airports were. The couple finally crossed the border Sunday and caught a flight home from Seattle.

Clarendon shows patriotism

 
About 200 people gathered at noon last Friday to remember the victims of the heinous terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, DC, last week. Those holding Old Glory were Dr. Myles Shelton, David Lowrie, J.D. Hopper, Jimmy Swinney, Mike Spier, and Bill Holden.

Enterprise Digital Photo
 
Citizens of Clarendon joined the national day of prayer and remembrance called for by President George W. Bush on Friday.

Homes and businesses displayed American flags, and a hastily organized service was held at noon on Kearney Street near Henson’s. About 200 people came to the event where local men held a giant America flag while Bryan Knowles gave a prayer, and Dan Hall sang “God Bless the USA.”

Tears filled the eyes of those in attendance as they sang “God Bless America” together and tried to comfort one another in the face of the national tragedy.

Another service was held during the CHS pep rally Friday afternoon to recognize America and the people who died. Elementary students held a large flag, and Dan Hall again sang “God Bless the USA” as students and Bronco fans waved small American flags. The service ended as a member of the Bronco Band played “Taps.”

Friday night, Clarendon’s varsity team traveled to Shamrock, where the Bronco and Irish cheerleaders held a candlelight vigil prior to the game.

The patriotic spirit was still high Monday as citizens turned out to donate blood at Clarendon College. At press time, the number of people giving blood for the victims of the attack was unavailable, but a representative from Coffee Memorial Blood Center said the response from Clarendon had been greater than expected.

All over town, organizations continue to take donations to benefit the terrorist’s victims. Panhandle Community Services, Medical Center Nursing Home, and the Associated Ambulance Authority are just some of those accepting donations.

President Bush has said that America is in for a long, difficult fight in the war against terrorism. Through their recent actions, Clarendon and Donley County citizens have shown that they stand ready to do their part to protect and defend the United States of America.
 Donley County Speaks Out

“It’s been a bad week for everybody. But what they do to one American, they do to all of us. It’s a time of sadness, but it can also be a time of greatness and a time of pride.”

Tex Selvidge,

Mayor of Clarendon

 “I feel like we’ve lost some of the freedoms that we had. I think everybody has waked up now. We can’t take care of this with anger; it’s got to be methodically step by step ”

Dan Hall

 “It’s sad.”

Nancy Taylor

 “It’s too bad that something like this had to happen. Maybe it will wake people up. It’s what happens when we are lax, and it’s why we need a strong military.”

J.D. Hopper,

Local VFW Commander

 “Whether you’re from a small town like Clarendon or New York City, I think everybody has a deep feeling and an empty spot. I think, with our leaders, this will all be resolved. God bless America.”

Wes Henson

 “I’m feeling very sad and very proud of our country. I think we have rallied, and it’s going to backfire on them.”

Ruth Robinson

“It’s very similar to then (after Pearl Harbor). We feel now like we did then. Then none of us knew what to do for about a week. It changed the way we lived, and Clarendon was no exception.”

Willard Skelton
“I think they need to let President Bush take care of business in a way where this destruction won’t happen again… ever.”

Randy Bond,

Donley County Deputy

 “I really believe this nation is going to come out of the ashes stronger and more able to understand each other.”

Kathy Hommel 

“The time has come to unleash all unmerciful hell, period.”

Larinda Brown

We want to know what you think. Send your comments to the Enterprise, PO Box 1110, Clarendon, TX 79226 or send us an email at Clar1701@aol.com

The seventh annual Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff will be held this Saturday at the Saints’ Roost Museum.

Museum board members are encouraging folks from Donley County and the surrounding area to come out and support the museum. Fifteen wagons are signed up to compete for top prizes, and the day will provide great family entertainment.

The gate opens at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast and lunch concessions provided by the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce. The tradeshow starts at 10 a.m., and museum tours will be available throughout the day.

Patrick Robertson and KEFH- FM will provide music beginning at noon. Live entertainment begins at 2 p.m., and performances are scheduled all day and include Dan Hall of Clarendon, Thut Creek and Cozy Parsons of the Red River Steakhouse in McLean, Katrina Burrow and David Strange of Clarendon, the Saints’ Roost Band, Christine Walls of Quitaque, and Gary Alan Bruce of Pampa.

The Chuckwagon meal will be served at 5 p.m. with a menu of chicken fried steak, potatoes, beans, and cobbler.

At 6:30, the museum will raffle off a pair of Jim Owens Handmade Boots, and the cookoff awards will be presented at 6:45.

The Clarendon College Theatre Department will present a melodrama, “He Ain’t Done Right By Nell,” at 7 p.m., and an open-air dance will follow with music provided by the Palo Duro Band of Amarillo.

Admission to the all-day event is free. Tickets for the authentic Chuckwagon supper are $10 each and can be purchased in advance at Henson’s in Clarendon by calling 806/874-3517. Boot tickets are also available at Henson’s or from any museum board member.

On Sunday, cowboy church will be held under the tent at the museum with preaching by Jimmy and Johnny Burson of Silverton.

All proceeds will benefit the Saints’ Roost Museum’s continued operation and its ongoing effort to restore the historic Ft. Worth & Denver City Depot.

The museum is located off State Hwy. 70 South in Clarendon.

The City of Clarendon will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its incorporation next Tuesday, September 25, 2001.

Mayor Tex Selvidge and the Board of Aldermen have invited the public to attend an Open House at City Hall from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in honor of the milestone.

Clarendon was first established in 1878 when Rev. L.H. Carhart led a group of Methodist colonists to settle this part of the Texas Panhandle. The town, named in honor of Carhart’s wife Clara, was originally situated at the junction of Carroll Creek and the Salt Fork of the Red River.

The colonists strictly forbade drinking and other sinful habits, and the town quickly garnered the derisive nickname “Saints’ Roost” from the area cowboys and folks in the only two other towns in the region – Tascosa and Mobeetie.

Nine years later, it became necessary to move the town when the tracks of the Ft. Worth & Denver City Railway missed Clarendon by five miles. A town site was located along the railway in 1887, and “new” Clarendon soon replaced the old town. But it was another 14 years before Clarendon had a city government.

An application for incorporation of the Town of Clarendon was filed with Donley County Judge B.H. White on September 9, 1901. The petition was signed by George W. Washington, H.B. White, Geo. L. Jowell, J.A. Hill, C.C. White, J.M. Hill, Morris Rosenfield, F.A. White, I.W. Carhart, W.M. Stevens, M.W. Easum, John Codger, Gus Jacques, T.H. Westbrook, W.H. Caldwell, H.D. Ramsey, T.P. Davis, T.W. Oliver, J.J. Harrison, T. Ewing, F.A. Dewey, W.E. Jones, Jas. Trent, A.M. Beville, H.A. Campbell, L.D. Rhode, Clifton Carter, R.A. Chamberlain, Willis Holtson, T.W. Carrol, S.J. White, J.J. Alexander, J.N. Eddins, Wm. H. Cooke, J.E. Griffin, H.A. Morgan, R.F. Wood, W.H. Oliver, W.G. Jones, John M. Clower, I.W. Carhart, Jr., Del W. Harrington, J.D. Jefferies, H.E. Taylor, June W. Taylor, J.B. Pope, Jno. E. Cooke, A.C. Barrett, W.P. Blake, Geo. F. Morgan, W.M. Hildebrand, B.H. White, and W.C. Freeman.

Judge White declared on September 10, 1901, that there were more that 2,000 people living in the area seeking incorporation, and he ordered an election to be held on September 24. The vote was 114 “for corporation” and 90 against the measure.

After canvassing the vote on September 25, 1901, Judge B.H. White decreed: “the inhabitants of said town of Clarendon be and they are hereby incorporated….”

The first city election was held on Tuesday, October 29, 1901. Citizens elected I.W. Carhart as Clarendon’s first mayor. Original members of the Board of Aldermen were W.H. Cooke, R.A. Chamberlain, L.C. Beverly, T.J. Noland, and F.D. Martin. Geo. L. Jowell was elected as City Marshall.

Those early city fathers laid the groundwork for the city improvements and services citizens of Clarendon enjoy today.

In preparation for the city government’s 100th anniversary, City Secretary Janice Barbee and City Clerk Linda Smith have been working hard to compile a list of all former mayors along with former members of the Board of Aldermen and former city marshals.

During its centennial Open House Tuesday, City Hall will be displaying a copy of the petition for incorporation, the city charter, and interesting ordinances from the early 20th century.

Citizens of Clarendon and surrounding communities are encouraged to stop by City Hall and help commemorate the city’s centennial by enjoying cake and refreshments during the come and go Open House.

Leon Church, County Agent

The Donley County Extension is hosting the annual Donley County Crops Tour on Thursday, September 27. Registration begins at 12:45 p.m. at the Donley County Extension Office located at 201 E. Third St. with the tour beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Five CEU’s for pesticide applicators will be offered; those wishing to receive these credits should be registered at the beginning of the day.

A very informative tour is scheduled; the following is the tour route and plan:

1:00 p.m. – Cedar, Mesquite Control Using Power Pellets, Yucca Control, Brush Buster-J.F. Cadenhead, Extension Range Specialist.

2:30 p.m. – Cotton Fertility – Dr. Randy Boman, Cotton Specialist; Cotton Variety Trials and Insect Concerns – Dr. Todd Baughman, Extension Agronomist, Emory Boring, Extension Entomologist.

3:30 p.m. – Moisture/Irrigation Monitoring – Leon New, Extension Irrigation Specialist.

4:00 p.m. – Peanut Disease Control, Insect concerns, Variety Differences, etc., Plus Nutsedge Control in Peanuts. – Dr. Chip Lee, Peanuts Specialists and Dr. Todd Baughman.

5:00 p.m. – Lake Weed Control in Peanuts – Dr. Todd Baughman, Extension Agronomist

5:45 p.m. – Barbecue Dinner Bairfield Building, Clarendon College Campus; meal sponsored by Herring National Bank, Donley County State Bank, Community Bank, Paymaster Gin, Evans Fertilizer, Quail Peanuts, and Birdsong Peanuts.

6:15 p.m. – Laws and Regulations – Monty McLean, Texas Department of Agriculture.

A sponsored meal will be offered to participants at the end of the tour. For further information call the Extension Office at 806/874-2141.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) Wednesday condemned the terrorist attack on America and called for the establishment of a National Homeland Security Agency to help the federal government better prevent and respond to threats against our home.

“Yesterday was a day without adjectives,” Thornberry stated. “There is no fitting way to properly describe the shock, horror, grief, and anger we all felt watching the tragic events unfold. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families, to those who are trying to rescue those who may still be trapped, and to those who are working to bring the cowards who committed this crime to justice.

“America’s resolve has not been broken. In fact, I believe our resolve is stronger now than it ever has been before. We are resolved to fight terrorism. We are resolved to defend freedom. And we are resolved to put this tragedy behind us and continue down the great path of democracy that our Founding Fathers charted for us more than 200 years ago. With this same resolve, however, we must look at areas where we need to change.

“The threats of the 21st century will not be fully deterred by our military superiority, which is why we need to reorganize our federal agencies and our Armed Forces so we are better prepared to deal with the complicated security environment in which we now live.”

According to Thornberry, these changes include:

• Improving our Intelligence – With better organizational focus, clearer requirements, improved coordination and dissemination and more resources. “Intelligence – both technical and human – remains our first and best line of defense,” Thornberry remarked.

• Transforming our Military – Everything from its personnel policies, to its acquisition processes, to its professional education. “It will take more than tanks and aircraft carriers to provide our security in the future,” Thornberry said. “Our military must be able to deal with a broader array of threats. Business as usual will not be good enough to do the job.

• Strengthening our Homeland Security – Today, more than 40 agencies have some responsibility for homeland security. “We must reorganize federal agencies to better prevent and respond to homeland threats,” Thornberry stated. “It will take more than incremental changes. It will take bold steps — even if it means stepping on bureaucratic toes — such as the establishment of a National Homeland Security Agency.”

Thornberry noted that he has introduced legislation that would do just that. The bill is called The National Homeland Security Agency Act (HR 1158). Based on a recommendation by the bipartisan Commission on National Security/21st Century, the measure would bring together four federal agencies currently on the front lines of homeland defense – the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the Customs Service, and the Border Patrol.

Under this legislation, FEMA would be renamed the National Homeland Security Agency. The new NHSA would continue to be the federal government’s principal response agency in times of natural disaster. But under this plan, it would also become the federal government’s principal agency for coordination, response and prevention with regard to terrorist attacks and other manmade disasters, and the principal point of contact for state and local governments. In carrying out this mission, the NHSA would be assisted by the Coast Guard, Customs Service and Border Patrol, which would be transferred to the new homeland security agency as independent entities.

Also transferred to the NHSA under this realignment would be the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office and the Institute of Information Infrastructure Protection, which are currently in the Department of Commerce, and the National Infrastructure Protection Center and the National Domestic Preparedness Office, which are currently part of the Department of Justice/Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“The intent of establishing a new Homeland Security Agency is not to add another layer of fat to our already bloated federal bureaucracy,” Thornberry noted. “Rather, the goal is to realign and consolidate a number of key federal agencies in a way that will help the federal government better prevent and respond to homeland threats.

HR 1158 was introduced by Thornberry in March and is currently under consideration by the Government Reform Committee.

The Donley County Commissioners’ Court decided last week to move ahead with a proposed budget which raises taxes by seven percent and cuts some personnel to part-time status.

In a called meeting last Wednesday, the court discussed the possibility of raising taxes to just under the rollback rate in order to keep all employees at their current status and possible give raises in the sheriff’s department.

But commissioners expressed concerns that county residents would not be happy with a higher tax rate, and the court could not seem to find a way to give deputies a raise.

Commissioner Buster Shields said people in his precinct said they would not support a tax rate near the roll back rate and that some did not want their taxes to go up at all. Commissioner Ernest Johnston said some people he had talked to said they understood that the cost of things had gone up, but he did not push for the higher rate.

“I don’t question the job our sheriff and deputies do,” said Commissioner Donnie Hall, “and I know they lay their lives on the line every time they pull somebody over and step out of the car. But I can’t see cutting one [department] to give a raise to someone else.”

Commissioners looked at the possibility of hiring another deputy for traffic control purposes as one possible way to increase revenue, but the idea did not have the support of the court.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn countered that his department had already written enough tickets to justify a raise for his deputies.

After approximately three hours, the court verbally agreed to proceed with their original seven percent tax increase and to maintain cutting secretaries in the extension office, the Precinct 1 J.P.’s office, and the tax assessor/collector’s office to part time.

The decision came one week after the court had come under fire from those departments for those cuts.

A final hearing on the 2001-2002 county budget will be held next Wednesday, September 19, at 1:30 p.m. A vote to approve the budget is expected at that time.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) Wednesday condemned the terrorist attack on America and called for the establishment of a National Homeland Security Agency to help the federal government better prevent and respond to threats against our home.

“Yesterday was a day without adjectives,” Thornberry stated. “There is no fitting way to properly describe the shock, horror, grief, and anger we all felt watching the tragic events unfold. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families, to those who are trying to rescue those who may still be trapped, and to those who are working to bring the cowards who committed this crime to justice.

“America’s resolve has not been broken. In fact, I believe our resolve is stronger now than it ever has been before. We are resolved to fight terrorism. We are resolved to defend freedom. And we are resolved to put this tragedy behind us and continue down the great path of democracy that our Founding Fathers charted for us more than 200 years ago. With this same resolve, however, we must look at areas where we need to change.

“The threats of the 21st century will not be fully deterred by our military superiority, which is why we need to reorganize our federal agencies and our Armed Forces so we are better prepared to deal with the complicated security environment in which we now live.”

According to Thornberry, these changes include:

• Improving our Intelligence – With better organizational focus, clearer requirements, improved coordination and dissemination and more resources. “Intelligence – both technical and human – remains our first and best line of defense,” Thornberry remarked.

• Transforming our Military – Everything from its personnel policies, to its acquisition processes, to its professional education. “It will take more than tanks and aircraft carriers to provide our security in the future,” Thornberry said. “Our military must be able to deal with a broader array of threats. Business as usual will not be good enough to do the job.

• Strengthening our Homeland Security – Today, more than 40 agencies have some responsibility for homeland security. “We must reorganize federal agencies to better prevent and respond to homeland threats,” Thornberry stated. “It will take more than incremental changes. It will take bold steps — even if it means stepping on bureaucratic toes — such as the establishment of a National Homeland Security Agency.”

Thornberry noted that he has introduced legislation that would do just that. The bill is called The National Homeland Security Agency Act (HR 1158). Based on a recommendation by the bipartisan Commission on National Security/21st Century, the measure would bring together four federal agencies currently on the front lines of homeland defense – the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the Customs Service, and the Border Patrol.

Under this legislation, FEMA would be renamed the National Homeland Security Agency. The new NHSA would continue to be the federal government’s principal response agency in times of natural disaster. But under this plan, it would also become the federal government’s principal agency for coordination, response and prevention with regard to terrorist attacks and other manmade disasters, and the principal point of contact for state and local governments. In carrying out this mission, the NHSA would be assisted by the Coast Guard, Customs Service and Border Patrol, which would be transferred to the new homeland security agency as independent entities.

Also transferred to the NHSA under this realignment would be the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office and the Institute of Information Infrastructure Protection, which are currently in the Department of Commerce, and the National Infrastructure Protection Center and the National Domestic Preparedness Office, which are currently part of the Department of Justice/Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“The intent of establishing a new Homeland Security Agency is not to add another layer of fat to our already bloated federal bureaucracy,” Thornberry noted. “Rather, the goal is to realign and consolidate a number of key federal agencies in a way that will help the federal government better prevent and respond to homeland threats.

HR 1158 was introduced by Thornberry in March and is currently under consideration by the Government Reform Committee.