This Week

The third annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday Celebration was held last Tuesday, January 16, in the Bairfield Activity Center.

The event was an entirely local affair since freezing sleet made it necessary for guest speakers from Amarillo to cancel their appearance. Nevertheless, approximately 60 local souls braved the elements to remember the dream of Dr. King.

An opening scripture was read by Pastor Smiley Johnson of the First Presbyterian Church, and Pastor Bryan Knowles of the Clarendon Community Fellowship Church opened with a word of prayer. Clarendon College Multicultural Club president Sheldon Smart delivered the welcome.

The True Church of God in Christ Youth Choir performed an enthusiastic rendition of “Take the Shackles Off My Feet” under the direction of CC Multicultural Club vice president Euraline Williams.

The keynote address was given by CC President Myles Shelton, and Dean of Students Jay Caldwell presented several famous quotations, as well as his own words, as words for thought.

CC Librarian Jewell Austin, Clarendon eighth grader April Ballard, and Euraline Williams presented a tribute to Dr. King’s life. Local pastors Johnson, Knowles, and James Ivey Edwards each gave their own remarks.

The annual Drum Major Award was given to CC instructor Ken Wilson, and Service Awards were given to Pastor Melvin Brooks of St. Stephen’s Baptist Church and Myles Shelton.

The evening was closed with a video of Dr. King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech.

Smart then delivered a moving closing in which he spoke of the opportunities available to young Americans. Smart, who is from Trinidad and Tobago, used his completely impromptu remarks to urge the young people to find their own dream and work to achieve it.

The Clarendon Enterprise received a first place award Saturday during the Texas Press Association’s 54th Midwinter Conference in Houston.

The paper won the second annual Midwinter Special Sections Contest with its May 25, 2000, Graduation Edition.

The Enterprise credits strong community and advertiser support as well as cooperation from the Clarendon and Hedley school systems for making the issue possible.

Three newspapers in each of eight circulation divisions were on display during the conference trade show, and newspaper publishers and their staff members judged the finalists. Eighty-four newspapers entered the contest.

Runners-up in Division Nine were the Freer Press and the Martin County Messenger, both of which entered football preview editions.

Cecil Claud “Jack” Nivens was killed Tuesday morning in Hedley as he crossed US 287 on his way to the coffee shop. He was 84 years old.

Nivens was on foot when he was struck by an Affiliated Foods semi-truck in the southbound lane of the highway at approximately 5:50 a.m., according to DPS Trooper Chris Ward.

Justice of the Peace Ann Kennedy pronounced Nivens dead at 6:38 a.m.

Truck driver Matthew Brian Snead of Amarillo did not see Nivens until it was too late, Ward said. The driver told the trooper he just wasn’t looking for someone to be crossing the highway that early in the morning.

Ward said it did not appear Snead was speeding at the time of the accident, and no citation had been issued as of press time. An investigation will take about one week to complete.

Nivens was a longtime resident of Hedley and reportedly grew up in the area.

More than 5,000 natural gas consumers in the lower Panhandle will be dealing with a new utility in just a few months.

TXU Gas announced last week that it will sell approximately 250 miles of pipeline as well as distribution facilities serving Clarendon, Hedley, Lelia Lake, Memphis, Estelline, Dodson, Newlin, Samnorwood, Wellington, and Paducah to G&L Utilities.

According to TXU spokesman Doug Hill, the gas company has been looking at this sale since last summer.

“Management is continuously looking at our assets.” Hill said. “We’re glad someone locally is looking at this service. They should be able to provide better service for local people.”

G&L Utility Services, Inc., is owned by Greenbelt Electric Cooperative, Inc., in Wellington and Lighthouse Electric Cooperative, Inc., in Floydada.

Greenbelt manager of member services Brent Wheeler said G&L may or may not be the final name of the new company, and the location of the new company’s headquarters hasn’t been determined.

“We’re mainly concerned about keeping local jobs and local ownership of the gas services,” he said.

Wheeler notes last year’s sale of GTE’s phone exchanges to Valor Telecom and the current TXU sell off as a sign large corporations are losing interest in small towns.

“It’s sad that the bigger companies don’t seem to want these rural areas,” Wheeler said.

Neither Greenbelt nor Lighthouse has experience in natural gas distribution, but Wheeler thinks the rural electric cooperatives will do a better job of providing service to small towns.

“We hope to respond quicker to the needs of the people,” he said. “And the good news is you’ll have someone local you can yell at.”

In addition to having local employees and an office in nearby Wellington, Greenbelt Electric is run by a board of directors. Stan Shelton from Clarendon sits on that board, Wheeler said.

“We’ve provided the rural areas around most of these towns with electric distribution service for over 50 years,” Greenbelt Electric general manager Stan McLendon said in a TXU press release. “We are grateful for the opportunity to be of service to our neighbors. We plan to have qualified, dedicated employees in or near all the communities to provide dependable, personal service.”

TXU employees affected by the sale will have the opportunity to continue employment with TXU or may be offered positions with the purchasing company.

The gas company says it will work with G&L Utilities over the winter and longer if necessary to provide a smooth transition and continued reliable service to customers.

“The sale will be in the best interests of consumers,” Hill said.

TXU is also selling distribution facilities and 100 miles of pipeline serving communities in the San Angelo area to West Texas Gas.

Hill said the sale is tentatively scheduled to be completed by March 31, 2001, but Wheeler said the new company may not have possession until April or May.

Skyrocketing costs at the wellhead are to blame for dramatic increases in local natural gas bills, TXU Gas spokesman Doug Hill said Tuesday.

“In December 1999 the cost was $2.65 per mcf (thousand cubic feet),” he said. “In December 2000 the cost was $9.10 to $9.15 per mcf.”

Since the onset of cold weather this season, people across the country have seen their gas bills rise sharply, straining residential budgets and putting an added burden on agriculture producers who use natural gas to fuel irrigation wells.

According to Hill, it goes back to simple supply and demand, and there won’t be any relief until more new wells are drilled.

November and December were some of the coldest back to back months since records have been kept in Texas, he said.

Also, new electric generating facilities are using natural gas, and the population of the United States has increased in the last ten years. The population pressures mean more natural gas users and more electricity consumers, which requires more gas for generators.

Additionally, high temperatures this past summer drew down on natural gas reserves as electricity providers had to generate more power to keep air-conditioners running.

“Natural gas is the cleanest source of energy, but it is costly to produce.”

Hill said there wasn’t much drilling in recent years because of low prices but more is occurring now than at any time in the last ten years. Even so, drillers are faced with another problem.

“A lot of rigs were cut up and sold for scrap iron, and the people who operate those rigs have found employment elsewhere.”

In a column this week, Texas Railroad Commissioner Charles Matthews also addresses rising natural gas costs.

“During the first downturn in 1986, the oil and gas industry lost over 500,000 jobs nationwide,” Matthews wrote.

“In addition to that number, another 50,000 jobs were lost during the most recent downturn of 1998-1999, which lasted over 18 months.”

Matthews says a decline in applications for natural gas drilling and completion permits shows “that we have lost talented, qualified people in the industry who have the ability to identify and explore new fields, drill new wells, and increase production.”

“The new wells that will be coming on line may not begin to yield significant increases in actual production until later in the year,” the commisioner wrote.

Matthews hopes the state legislature will take a long-term look at how to revitalize the natural gas industry to fuel growing demands.

Trisha Church, Jared Patterson, Greg Wootten, and Justin Dillman were the top exhibitors during the annual Donley County Junior Livestock Show last Saturday.

Organizers say the show is just getting better each year.

“We had excellent support, and each kid got better prize money at this year’s sale,” said County Agent Leon Church. “I’d say each kid got at least $50 more in most cases.”

As of Tuesday morning, figures showed the sale brought in $29,900. That number is expected to increase in the final tally as final donation trickle in. Last year, the sale raised an estimated $27,000.

“We really appreciate everyone’s support of the show and sale,” Church said.

Trisha Church had the Grand Champion Steer, which was purchased by McLean Feedyard. Herring National Bank bought Greg Wootten’s Grand Champion Lamb, and Justin Dillman sold his Grand Champion Swine to 3-H Cattle Feeders. Jared Patterson’s Grand Champion Heifer was not in the sale.

In the Beef Division, Haley Shelton was named the Junior Showmanship winner while Trisha Church took Senior Showmanship.

Travis Hrbacek won the Junior Showmanship for the Swine Division, and Senior Showmanship went to Josh Ward.

Junior Showmanship in the Lamb Division went to Katie Askew. Greg Wootten won Senior Showmanship.

Pee Wee Showmanship was awarded to Trevor Cobb.

Complete results of the show are as follows:

Steers

Class 401 – Jared Patterson, Reserve Grand; Joe Don Patterson, second; and Matthew Glover, third.

Class 402 – Trisha Church, Grand Champion; and Trisha Church, second.

Class 403 – John Mark Patterson, first; and Haley Shelton, second.

Heifers

Class 300 – Jared Patterson, Grand Champion; Dale Askew, Reserve Grand; and Paul Goetze, third.

Lamb

Class 101 – Kaysea Green, first; Ty Tubbs, second; and Ty Tubbs, third.

Class 102 – Greg Wootten, Grand Champion; Dale Askew, second; and Katie Askew, third.

Class 103 – Ronna Edwards, Reserve Grand; and Keifer Burton, second.

Swine

Class 201 (Gilt) – Jenci White, Reserve Breed; Jordan King, second; Kalli Sawyer, third; Elizabeth Hrbacek, fourth; Skyler Conatser, fifth; Kelby Shields, sixth; and Brayden Bennett, seventh.

Class 202 (Gilt) – Justin Dillman, Grand Champion; Lee Tolbert, second; Lee Tolbert, third; Elizabeth Hrbacek, fourth; Travis Hrbacek, fifth; Janae White, sixth; Sade Rae Cobb, seventh; and Lauryn Kellas, eighth.

Class 203 (Gilt) – Travis Hrbacek, first; Autumn Dillman, second; Haley Hall, third; Kaysea Green, fourth; Jaci Copelin, fifth; Patrick Burrell, sixth; and Christine Jordan, seventh.

Class 204 (Berk) – Michael Newhouse, Breed Champion; and Andrew Winkle, Reserve Breed.

Class 205 (Chester) – Kristin White, Breed Champion; Jeff Powell, second; Dustin Knowles, third; and Shandy Koetting, fourth.

Class 206 (Chester) – Ashley Petty, first; Candice Hall, second; Jared Naylor, third; and Roper Copelin, fourth.

Class 207 (Chester) – Ryan Petty, Reserve Breed; Ruth Ann Howard, second; and Ryan Petty, third.

Class 208 (Duroc) – Will Verstuyft, first; Lauryn Kellas, second; Larry Wilson, third; and Jared Naylor, fourth.

Class 209 (Duroc) – Megan Hall, Breed Champion; Christine Jordan, Reserve Breed; Marlee Sargent, third; and Justin Kellas, fourth.

Class 210 (Duroc) – Shanon Martin, first; Christine Jordan, second; and Heather Waldon, third.

Class 211 (Hamp) – Steven Wilson, first; Josh Ward, second; Ronna Edwards, third; and Justin Kellas, fourth.

Class 212 (Hamp) – Lauren Hill, first; Lindsey Brinson, second; Bradley Conatser, third; and Lisle Rowland, fourth.

Class 213 (Hamp) – Lee Tolbert, Breed Champion; LaRae Shaw, Reserve Breed; Travis Hrbacek, third; and Michael Hall, fourth.

Class 214 (Poland) – Kalli Sawyer, first; Ashley Petty, second; and Dale Askew, third.

Class 215 (Poland) – Elizabeth Hrbacek, Breed Champion; Blake Frye, Reserve Breed; and Josh Ward, third.

Class 216 (Spot) – Kelly Linquist, first; Faith Mullins, second; Calvin Edwards, third; and Brittney Hall, fourth.

Class 217 (Spot) – Jennifer Williams, Breed Champion; Jared Patterson, Reserve Breed; Andrew Winkle, third.

Class 218 (York) – Treva Rowland, Breed Champion; Jordan King, Reserve Breed; and Dale York, third.

Class 219 (York) – Wesley Shields, first; and Patrick Burrell, second.

Class 220 (Cross) – Ben Shaw, Reserve Breed; Calvin Edwards, second; Landon Shields, third; Lauryn Kellas, fourth; and Seth Koetting, fifth.

Class 221 (Cross) – Lee Tolbert, Reserve Grand; Will Monroe, second; Sade Rae Cobb, third; and Dalton Askew, fourth.

AUSTIN – Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander today delivered $206.6 million in monthly sales tax payments to 1,107 Texas cities and 119 counties, a 4.7 percent increase compared to the $197.2 million paid in January 2000.

Hedley and Howardwick posted gains of 19.79 percent and 14.59 percent respectively. Hedley received $153.07, and Howardwick got $770.55.

The rebate for the City of Clarendon was down 16.60 percent for a total of $14,122.33.

January’s sales tax rebates include local sales taxes collected by monthly tax filers in November and reported to the Comptroller in December.