This Week

IRVING – Valor Telecommunications of Texas, LP, announced last week that the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) unanimously approved the company’s application to provide local phone service to those Texas communities currently served by GTE. 

The action clears the way for Valor to assume operational control of over 300,000 local access lines – including the Clarendon and Hedley exchanges – on September 1, 2000.

“Valor is committed to ensuring that rural Texas is not left behind when it comes to having access to advanced telecommunications technologies,” said Anne K. Bingaman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Valor. 

“To accomplish that goal, Valor plans to make a substantial investment in the Texas communities that Valor will soon serve.  We believe the plan approved by the Commission yesterday is a win-win for both Valor and our customers.”

In the application approved by the PUC, Valor detailed the service and infrastructure improvements the company will make beginning immediately after the September 1, 2000 closing. Included in those commitments is the promise that Valor will fully deploy high speed Internet access through Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service to ten exchanges – Andrews, Brownfield, Crockett, Dumas, Glen Rose, Lamesa, Levalland, Pecos, Perryton and Texarkana.

Other exchanges would be guaranteed deployment of DSL within 15 months of a formal request for a minimum of 75 DSL lines.

The possibility of DSL service coming to Donley County is welcome news for local Internet users, several of whom complain of slow connection speeds.

Valor spokesperson Robin Buckley told the Enterprise that customers would probably have to make individual requests for DSL, but she did not know where those requests would need to be directed.

“We’re not down to that level of detail yet,” she said Monday, “but customers will be getting that information soon after September 1.”

Valor also promises to provide local dial-up Internet access in all exchanges within 18 months.

As for changes in everyday service, Buckley said the first difference will just be that phone bills will come from Valor and customer service numbers will change.

She said there will be no rate increases when Valor takes over from GTE, and Expanded Local Calling fees and services will remain unchanged.

Local GTE employees will become Valor employees, she said.

In addition to the PUC, Valor worked closely with members of the Texas House Select Committee on Rural Development, particularly Chairman Barry B. Telford of DeKalb and State Rep. David Counts of Knox City to develop its plan and to ensure that rural communities in Texas have access to broadband telecommunications services.

Valor, originally called dba Communications, will provide service to over 520,000 business and residential local access lines in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.  Oklahoma and Texas regulatory authorities have approved Valor’s applications to provide local phone service in those states.  Approval is pending in New Mexico.  Valor will begin providing local phone service in Oklahoma on July 1, 2000, and in New Mexico and Texas on September 1, 2000.

In 1999, Valor Telecommunications Southwest, LLC, and three operating subsidiaries were formed to purchase GTE’s telephone properties in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.  Upon closing of these transactions with GTE, Valor will be providing local phone service to over 500,000 business and residential local access lines in these three states, which will put it among the top 20 local phone companies in the country.

Valor is a privately-held company whose major investors include:  Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, Vestar Capital, Citicorp Venture Capital and a group of twelve prominent Hispanic investors with long-standing ties to the Southwest United States.  Valor’s corporate headquarters are based in Irving, Texas, and it will have offices in all three states. 

For more information, visit Valor’s web site at http://www. Valortelecom.com

Friends of the Library Literacy Council members are Sue Church, Martha Smith, Ayesha Abdullah, and librarian Carolyn Blackerby.

Enterprise Digital Photo.
 
A new literacy program will soon be underway in Donley County.
The Burton Memorial Library received two grants last week, one in the amount of $518.03 from the Golden Spread Literacy Fund, and another from the Viburnum Foundation for $3,000.

The funds will be used to buy books and start-up materials for the Friends of the Library Literacy Council. The council was formed after a survey identified a need to improve adult literacy in Donley County. Panhandle Community Services, the Department of Human Services, and the Donley County Sheriff’s Office participated in the study.

The local council has trained tutors who will provide reading instruction for adults on a one to one basis.

If you know someone who wants to learn to read, improve existing reading skills, needs help filling out forms, or needs help studying for the GED test, please call Ayesha Abdullah at 874-2794 or the Burton Library at 874-3685.

There is no cost to the student, and all calls are strictly confidential.

By Jackie Boyd

Clarendon College in conjunction with Tech Prep kicked off their Career Camp 2000 on Sunday afternoon.

Twenty-one campers from the Texas panhandle area explored career opportunities though seminars, field trips, Internet searches, and hands-on activities. 

Julie Ashby, a representative from Tech Prep, presented an activity Monday morning called “The Real Game.”  Campers explored career possibilities and matched real life necessities and expenses with their ideas. Most of the campers realized that having what’s cool and being able to afford it are two totally different aspects, as most of the campers were deeply in debt after balancing their budgets.

Dusty Martindale of Clarendon said, “This is one of the most fun camps that I have been to.  Not only do we get to do a lot of neat things, but the counselors are really cool.  They treat us like adults, not kids.”

Campers from Clarendon included: Chrissye Martin, Chasity Ritchie, Jake Bennet, Blake Frye, Adam Leeper, Tim Leeper, Dusty Martindale, and Ottis Scrivner; and Treva Rowland attended from Hedley.

Other campers were Jamie Cordova, Jennifer Greer, Klotia Jones, Natialie McVay, Katlin Paccini, Crystal Sanchez, Kendra Strickland all from Pampa; Tiffanie Gibson and Jenna Minkley, Claude; Tanya Davis, Childress; Mitch Adams, Fritch; and Ryan Frye, Arlington.

This was the second career camp Clarendon College has offered.  Linda Frye, Clarendon College Counselor, said, “We hope this can become a yearly event that soon-to-be freshman can look forward to attending each year.” 

For more information about the Career Camp, please call Linda Frye, (806) 874-3571.

AUSTIN – Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander last week sent Texas cities and counties $199.3 million in monthly sales tax rebates.

Local rebates were mostly down this period. The City of Clarendon saw a 13.2 percent drop to a total of $13,739.40, and Hedley was down more than 85 percent to $58.35.

Howardwick was the only exception. That city’s $880.34 was up from $218.49 last year.

Statewide, June payments are up 8.3 percent for June. Year-to-date rebates are up 7.9 percent.

Clarendon is up 4.71 percent for the year, but Hedley and Howardwick are down 24 and 35 percent respectively.

June sales tax payments represent sales taxes collected in April and reported to the comptroller in May.

For more information and statewide rebate totals click here.

The 18th annual Area I, National FFA Organization Leadership Conference will be held on the campus of Clarendon College, June 19-21.

Attending the conference will be outstanding young men and women who serve as State FFA Officers, Area FFA Officers and District Presidents.

Some of the activities for FFA members during the conference will include leadership activities, as well as planning activities for the Texas State Convention.  Agricultural education teachers will also be conducting their 2000-2001 planning session.

The Texas Area I region covers from the top of the Panhandle and south to Lubbock.

For more information, contact Jerry Hawkins at (806) 874-3571.

The Donley County Commissioners’ Court formally accepted a state grant to restore the courthouse Tuesday morning.

The court approved a resolution in a called meeting authorizing Judge Jack Hall to execute the advance funding agreement to facilitate the county’s participation in the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program.

The court also unanimously approved granting a preservation easement on the courthouse to the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The easement would prevent the county from making substantial changes to the appearance of the building for 50 years unless approved by the THC.

Jerry Woodard, president of the local Herring National Bank, addressed the court to discuss options for financing the courthouse project. Woodard was complimentary of the court’s efforts.

“I would like to commend the Commissioners’ Court and Judge Hall for the work they’ve done in getting this grant,” he said. “It is going to be a benefit to our community.”

The court took no action on financing, but Judge Hall said the county would like to do as much of the financing as possible locally.

John Kiehl, regional services director of the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission, reviewed the proposed architectural services agreement submitted by Volz & Associates, Inc., with the court.

No action was taken on the agreement, and the matter will be discussed further in another called meeting of the court this Friday. Financing options will also be discussed.

Last month the state awarded the county a $2.9 million grant to completely restore the 1890 Courthouse. The county must match 15 percent of those funds.

The THC is administering the grant program and reportedly is pushing for the courthouse projects around the state to get underway as soon as possible.

“THC wants to have something tangible to show the Legislature when it asks for more money to fund other projects next year,” Kiehl said at Tuesday’s meeting.

Guidelines put in place by the THC call for the county to have its plan in place for financing the matching funds as well as having approved an agreement with an architect by June 12, 2000.

The next regular meeting of the Commissioners’ Court will be Monday morning.

Despite rainy weather, the Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association (COEA) reported a good turnout for the Ranch Rodeo held over the weekend.

Overall winner of the event was the Crockett Ranch team composed of Brock Crockett, Kenny Chambers, Jeffrey Burkes, Will Shaw, and Greg Stephens.

The Darrell Wines Ranch came in second. Team members were Darrell Wines, Hoho Pettit, Kyle Everson, and Bobby Pauspky. The JA Ranch team of Billy Hollowell, Rhett Cauble, Randall Gates, Andrew Bivins, and Niña Bivins came in third. Fourth place went to the High Card Ranch team made up of Morris Crump, Randy Crump, Larry Crump, Ray Crump, Jerry Hodge, and Chris Halsell.

Lonnie Brown was named the Top Hand at the rodeo, and Danny Bennett had the Top Horse. Chris Halsell won the Bronc Riding contest for the High Card Ranch.

The JA Ranch won the Wild Cow Milking, and the Darrell Wines Ranch came out on top in Team Doctoring. The Crockett Ranch won both the Team Penning and Calf Branding categories.
Lon Davis won the drawing for the spurs.

COEA spokesperson Theresa Shelton said the rain caused Friday night’s performance to be moved to Sunday, but she said there were no complaints about that.

By Jackie Boyd

The City of Hedley has received a grant for water system improvement. The grant of $247,695 was made available through the Texas Community Development Program.

The goal of the project is to remove the old lines and replace them with new and even larger lines in some areas.

According to Randy Shaw, Hed-ley City Secretary, some of the lines currently being used have been there since 1927 and are in major need of replacement.

“Our biggest concern right now is to get rid of the lead seals and lead lines that are currently being used,” said Shaw.

Some of the main lines are a cast-iron pipe with a lead seal connecting them, and most of the service lines to houses are lead lines as well. There are also some problems with leakage in the lines.

Approximately 1,350 feet of four inch PVC pipe, 7,900 feet of six inch PVC pipe, 1,080 feet of eight inch pipe, and 3,100 feet of three-quarter inch service tubing will be replaced.
In addition to the replacement of the lines, three new fire hydrants will be added. Shaw said a major advantage to adding the fire hydrants will be the improvement of Hedley’s fire fighting abilities.

The project is slated to start in the spring of 2001 and will last approximately three months. The work will include most sections of town with 115 residents benefiting.

Shaw hopes the improvements made to the lines will improve water quality and service to the customers.

In a press release, Senator Phil Gramm expressed his enthusiasm about towns in Texas receiving Community Development Block Grants.

“I am pleased that some of the tax dollars sent by Texans to Washington are being returned to benefit area citizens by financing improvements to the areas where we work and live every day,” Gramm said.

“My strong commitment is to assure a fair return to Texas taxpayers on the money we pay in federal taxes,” the senator said.

The Community Development Block Grant program, one of HUD’s largest, is designed to assist communities in carrying out a wide range of development activities aimed at neighborhood revitalization, economic development and improved community facilities and services.

Gramm is chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, which has authority over the CDBG program.