This Week

Local schools’ fears of losing state funding were put to rest recently when the state comptroller’s office authorized the use of local property valuations.

The state had originally claimed that local property values were too low, which would have impacted the amount of money the Texas Education Agency provides to local districts. Clarendon ISD was faced with losing as much as $200,000 in state funding while Hedley ISD could have lost $80,000.

Now, with the local valuations confirmed, both schools expect to receive their usual level of funding.

David Lynn Ward, son of Leon and Carole Ward of Hedley, will be performing in concert on the pipe organ at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 20, in the sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church.

Some of the selections Ward will be performing include “Toccata” and “Fugue in D Minor,” “Cantabilie,” “Scenes of Childhood,” and “Toccata.”

Ward has studied music at Wayland Baptist University and served as interim music director of the First Christian Church. He has taught piano/voice lessons through WBU and was a chorus member in the “TEXAS” musical drama in 1998.

Ward is an 1996 graduate of Hedley High School and received his associate of science degree from Clarendon College in 1998.

After graduation this year from Wayland, Ward plans to be an overseas journeyman missionary for two years and then return to the US to obtain a degree on the doctorate level to teach at a university.

The community is invited to attend and hear the music of this gifted organist.

WACO – A recent public opinion survey of registered Texas voters shows overwhelming support for government payments to farmers in periods of low prices and for protecting America’s ability to grow its own food.

The Texas Interested Citizens Survey, conducted between March 29 and April 4 of this year, concludes that 66 percent of Texans favor government assistance to farmers when crop prices are low.

Even more Texans, 85 percent, agreed that the U.S. should remain independent in the ability to grow its own food supply. Sixty-nine percent said the U.S. should protect the domestic food production system even if cheaper food could be purchased from foreign suppliers.

“The results of this survey are very important because it shows clearly that the public understands just how important it is to preserve national food security,” said Donald Patman, president of the Texas Farm Bureau. “American agriculture today is in deep trouble, and government assistance is vital to the survival of a great many farmers.”

The Farm Bureau is Texas’ largest farm organization. Patman is a grain, cotton, and cattle producer from Waxahachie.

“Texans understand that preserving the viability of our farm and ranch families is an investment in a future that includes food independence. We don’t need to be at the mercy of foreign suppliers like we are for energy,” Patman said.

Susan Combs, Texas Commissioner of Agriculture, says there is increasing public awareness of the importance of agriculture.

“It comes as no surprise to me that Texans are supportive of our farmers and ranchers,” Combs said.

“In agriculture, we’ve had an amazing track record of putting wholesome, safe, affordable and abundant food on our tables, all while doing our best to preserve natural resources and boost rural development.”

Combs said government investment in agriculture pays off in jobs and economic stability because of the $80 billion economic impact on the Texas economy.

The ranking minority member of the House Agriculture Committee, Charlie Stenholm of Stamford, Texas, also welcomed the survey results. “Congress has provided $18.1 billion in emergency income assistance over the last three years recognizing that net cash income, adjusted for inflation, is at the lowest point since the Great Depression,” Stenholm said.  “With no improvement in commodity prices expected, and now with sharply higher natural gas prices, this assistance is clearly needed.”

The Texas Interested Citizens Survey was conducted by the Ft. Worth based Eppstein Group. More than 1,200 registered voters were interviewed, resulting in a margin of error of plus or minus 2.89 percent.

This car, driven by Josh English, was trapped under the footbridge south of the Lions Hall last Thursday by a flash flood. English escaped unharmed according to Sheriff Butch Blackburn. A total of 9.25 inches fell on the city in a very short time.

Enterprise Photo
 
Heavy rain inundated the city of Clarendon last Thursday night, trapping one couple in a pickup and closing US 287 for several hours.

The official measurement in town was 9.25 inches.

According to information from the Donley County Sheriff’s Department, the National Weather Service warned local authorities of severe weather at 8:27 p.m. Heavy rain was reported four minutes later, and the flooding was recorded at 9:07.

The closest call was had by Vic Jeter and a female companion who were swept away by a torrent of water on Gorst Street. They were rescued by Sheriff Butch Blackburn and three other individuals.

Jeter’s wasn’t the only vehicle to be flooded, according to Blackburn. A white sports car driven by Josh English was swept away on Sixth Street near the City Park.

The sheriff said English managed to get out of his vehicle and escape before it floated downstream and crashed into a footbridge south of the Lions Hall.

Another vehicle, a Ford Explorer carrying two college students, was also stranded on Sixth Street near the City Park. The students managed to crawl on top of the vehicle to safety. An Army surplus six-by-six truck from the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department was called into action to rescue the students, Blackburn said.

Law enforcement personnel also suffered their own automotive casualties. Deputy Jon Burrell’s patrol car was flooded and stalled near Third and Ellerbe streets, and DPS Trooper Tony Polito’s car also stalled nearby, Blackburn said.

The DPS car was reportedly still in working order this week, but the county car will likely be totaled out.

During the flooding, US 287 was closed early in the evening only to be reopened a short time later. But a second wave of water came through the city near midnight, prompting officials to close the highway again and divert traffic around Clarendon. The highway was not re-opened until 3:19 a.m. on Friday.

Several businesses and public buildings experienced leaking and minor water damage. The heaviest toll may have been taken on the city streets, where pavement was ripped up in some areas, and dirt streets were washed out. City Secretary Janice Barbee says City Hall has started the paperwork to apply for emergency funds.

Blackburn said the worst damage to a residence came at FM 1260 and County Road P. Water got up between three and four feet on the exterior walls of a home there, and as much as six inches got in the house, he said.

Greenbelt Water Authority reports the lake rose by 1.39 feet following the rain. The majority of that runoff came from Kelly Creek, which was still running two feet over the low water crossing on Friday.

Blackburn says he’s glad no one was hurt during Thursday’s flood, and he has a message for local citizens.

“When we have a heavy rain like that or when we blow the siren, please stay home and do not get out.”

He said people coming to look for a tornado or look at the floods creates more problems for his department to worry about.

“I probably offended some people last week by telling them to go home, and I’m sorry,” he said. “But that’s really the safest place.”

Thursday’s rain was the biggest since April 2, 1997, when 8.71 inches fell in one night. Following that flood, the city repaired diversion dams south and southwest of town and cleaned debris and vegetation from the main floodway.

Those flood structures were built in the 1920s and 1930s and today spare the downtown area from the devastating floods, which sometimes occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Clarendon’s Vic Jeter and a female passenger narrowly survived a watery disaster when the pickup they were in was was washed into the city’s major floodway downtown.

Jeter said he turned south onto Gorst off Third Street and proceeded toward Fourth Street about 9:30 p.m. last Thursday after seeing two vehicles go ahead of him.

That area is part of Clarendon’s main storm drainage system.

Jeter said he never saw the water hit his Ford pickup, but in a matter of seconds the cab was covered as water flowed over it. Jeter said his pickup was pushed backwards into a retaining wall by the water, then forced downstream before hanging up behind the First Christian Church.

“We couldn’t see anything because the water was rolling up over the windows,” Jeter said.

Jeter called 911 twice but could never hear the dispatcher’s response because of the roar of the water. He then tried calling Renee’s Diner where he knew some local officers were but again could hear nothing.

Both 911 calls were received by the Donley County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Bruce Burrell went down Fourth Street near the Senior Citizens Center but could not get to Jeter’s location from there. Sheriff Butch Blackburn arrived via Third Street.

Blackburn said he grabbed a lariat from his patrol truck and tossed it to the woman with Jeter. The sheriff, along with bystander Max Rippetoe, volunteer firefighter James Hinton, and one other person, pulled Jeter’s companion to safety. Then the sheriff threw the rope to Jeter.

“He hit me with it the first rattle out of the box,” Jeter said.

Blackburn always carries a lariat with him but says his skills with it are limited.

“I’ve never been a very good roper,” the sheriff said. “There was somebody helping me that night.”

Jeter said he never knew when the men started pulling on the rope. One instance he was in the truck, and the next he was in the water with his feet pointing straight downstream as the torrent tried to carry him off. Blackburn and the others dug in and pulled the man to safety.

“There were three people in that truck,” Jeter says of his rescue. “Me, her, and God.”

Apathy was the word of the day last Saturday as the City of Clarendon and the Hedley Independent School District held local elections.

A grand total of 119 people voted in the city election. Only 63 cast ballots in the Hedley CISD.

In Clarendon, five candidates were vying for two seats on the Board of Alderman. Former Collingsworth County Judge Bob Watson and incumbent Alderman Michael Tibbets were the voters’ top picks with 91 and 79 votes respectively.

Other candidates for alderman were Bill Holden, 22; Jim Wright, 17; and Carl Draper, 15.

Mayor Tex Selvidge was running unopposed and received 95 votes.

City winners will be sworn in at the next regular board meeting on May 22.

In Hedley, four candidates sought three positions on the school board.

Top candidates were Jan Farris with 45 votes, Jason Sargent with 38, and Mark Montgomery with 37.

Longtime board member Carole Ward lost her re-election bid by one vote. Thirty-six voters checked her name on their ballots.

The Hedley trustees were also sworn in Tuesday night.

Turnout percentages were not available at press time as officials with neither the city nor the Hedley schools could say how many people were registered to vote within their boundaries.

Cheryl Johnson, Clarendon Enterprise

The faculty and administration of Hedley CISD are proud to announce the top two students of the 2001 Senior Class.

This year’s high school valedictorian is Lana Wallendorf with an average of 97.667.

Lana is the daughter of Mike and Lori Wallendorff of Hedley. She was active in basketball, golf, Pep Club, Spanish Club, NHS, BPA, Yearbook, and One-Act-Play.

Lana successfully competed in UIL Science and Math on the district, regional, and state levels as she was a member of the 2000 Texas State 1A Championship Science Team. In addition, Lana has competed successfully on the regional, state, and national levels in BPA Accounting and Banking and Finance.

She is the current NHS President and was awarded by the Donley County Chamber of Commerce the Hedley Young Woman of the Year.

Over the years, she has received Honor H’s in biology, chemistry, social studies, physics and math. She is a recurring member of the A Honor Roll. This year, Lana was voted Most Dependable, Most Spirited, and Most Likely to Succeed.

Lana plans to study medicine and become a family physician.

Rachel Bennett, daughter of Travis and Tonja Ruthardt of Lelia Lake, is the salutatorian with an average of 94.364.

Rachel has participated in basketball, Pep Club, Cheerleading, golf, Track, Spanish Club, One-Act Play, HHS Choir, Yearbook Staff and Business Professionals of America.

Rachel was an officer for the HHS National Honor Society, competed on the regional level in UIL Accounting, and on the state level in BPA accounting.

She has been on the AB and A Honor Roll numerous times in addition to attaining Perfect Attendance awards.

She has plans to attend West Texas State University where she will study pre-med.

The HHS Class of 2001 will have their commencement on Friday, May 25, at 8:00 p.m. in the Owl Gym.