Hillis’ resignation comes one day after two other board members – Abby Patten and Jesus Hernandez – also resigned. The five-member board now only has two members left – Sandy Skelton and Will Thompson – who cannot take action on their own.

Mayor Larry Hicks is exploring the city’s options at this time. City Hall says advisors with the Texas Secretary of State’s office and the Texas Municipal League say the city must have an election to fill the vacancies. There is a process to have the county commissioners’ court call a November election, or the city can apply to Governor Rick Perry’s office to call an emergency election at a time of the governor’s choosing.

A November election is problematic because the city’s tax rate and budget have to be set before the end of September. Otherwise the current tax rate and current budget would carry over into the new fiscal year.

A third election option would be to wait until next May when the three positions would be up for a vote regularly.

For now, city operations continue as usual with all current city policies and the budget in place. The Enterprise will have more information as it becomes available.

For more on Tuesday’s resignations and an interview of city officials by the district attorney’s office, check out this week’s Enterprise on newsstands now or available by clicking here.

After following a map across the campus, local students dig for buried treasure in the Clarendon College volleyball pit during the “Pirate’s Life” class at Kids’ College last week. A wide variety of courses for kids ages 4-15 continue through the summer at Clarendon College. Courtesy Photo / CC Marketing Department

Members of the Donley 4-H club traveled to Mesa Vista Ranch on June 3 for an overnight camp and fishing tournament. They won the tournament and brought home the travelling trophy for the second year in a row. Those attending were Calder Havens, Tyler Harper, Clint Franks, Koyt Tucek, Clay Koetting, Aaron Harper, Payton Havens, Kade Hunsaker, Kaden Bennett, Blaine Ellis and Extension Agent Leonard Haynes.

Brownlee Custom Boots and Big Texas Hair & Highlights has been renovating the front portion of the building located north of the Mulkey Theatre at 106 S. Kearney. The proprietor, Elaine Brownlee, builds handmade boots and will also operate a hair salon in part of the building.

Brownlee last week received the CEDC’s 15th façade grant for $132.61, representing half of the cost of new signage on the building. Brownlee said she learned about the grant program, which pays for eligible storefront improvements in the city’s Central Business District, from CEDC Executive Director Chandra Eggemeyer and said it was very helpful.

Clarendon EDC Executive Director Chandra Eggemeyer present a check to new Kearney Street shopkeeper Elaine Brownlee and Kelby Brownlee. Enterprise Photo / Roger Estlack

“I am very thankful to have it,” Brownlee said. “For someone trying to start on a budget, it is a major help, and I would recommend it to other businesses.”

The building previously received a façade grant about four years ago, which improved its curb appeal, but it was still only used as storage as it had been for about four decades. Brownlee, however, wanted to be in that location.

“It’s in a prime location next to the Mulkey, which is being heavily promoted, and there are a lot of wonderful people on this block,” Brownlee said, referring specifically to neighbors down the street, longtime Clarendon bootmaker Jim Owens and leathergoods artisan Jamie Bebout at Straight Off The Ranch.

Brownlee has been making boots for about two years, learning the trade in Henrietta before her husband took a job on the High Card Ranch near Clarendon in April. She said they and their young son love it here, and she looks forward to taking boot orders and doing repair work as well as scheduling hair appointments.

In addition to new signage, Brownlee has spent a great deal of time refinishing the walls and ceiling in the building as well as sealing the hardwood floor. The property owner also invested in electrical and plumbing upgrades to accommodate the new tenant.

Since the Façade Grant Program began in 2008, the CEDC has awarded $ 17,769.54 to property owners on a three-block stretch of Kearney Street. The Façade Grant Program provides 50-50 matching grants, up to a maximum of $2,000 per project, for improvements done to commercial storefronts; and under the new guidelines, the program now considers properties located in the city’s entire Central Business District, an area defined by city planning maps created in 2002. Generally, that includes properties facing Kearney Street from First to Fifth streets as well as properties facing Sully Street from First to Fifth and properties on the west side of Gorst Street from Second Street (US 287) to Fourth Street.

Projects eligible for consideration could be anything from a coat of paint to new signage to sidewalk improvements to a complete rehabilitation of a storefront. Property owners interested in Façade Grant funds must get approval before beginning their projects.

For more information about the CEDC Façade Grant Program, contact Chandra Eggemeyer at the Clarendon Visitor Center inside the Mulkey Theatre at 874-2421.

Services were held on Thursday, June 6, 2013, in the First Baptist Church in Clarendon with Rev. Matthew Stidham and Rev. Bill Hodges, officiating.

Burial with Texas DPS Honors followed in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.

Arrangements were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Jerry Wade Morris

Jerry was born June 16, 1940, in Post to Dillard and Wanda Morris. He married Lois Hodges on December 13, 1961, in Post. He had been a State Trooper through Texas Department of Public Safety for 31 years prior to his retirement. He had been a resident of Clarendon since 1977. He was a member of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department and received Firefighter of the Year in 2006. He was a Board member for the Clarendon Housing Authority and a member of the First Assembly of God in Clarendon. Jerry also loved to ride his scooter around town on most days.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife, Lois Morris of Clarendon; a son, Jerry Wade Morris, Jr. of Clarendon; a daughter, Mindy Choate of Plainview; a brother, Jack Morris of Post; a sister, Shelia Melton of Post; 3 grandchildren, Camille Blackmon of Happy, Cade Choate of Plainview, and Tyler Morris of Amarillo; 3 great grandsons, Joey, Jarrod and Vinny; and a great granddaughter, Paisley Bruegel.

The family request memorials be sent to the Snack Pak 4 Kids / 701 Park Place Ave. / Amarillo, Texas 79101 or High Plains Food Bank / PO Box 31803 / Amarillo, Texas 79120.

Services were held June 10, 2013, in the Calvary Baptist Church in Clarendon with Rev. Rob Seale, officiating.

Burial followed at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.

Arrangements were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Tommy Ray Silvers

Tommy was born April 8, 1946, in Amarillo to Grady Burl and Annie Bell Silvers. He had farmed, ranched, and was a cowboy prior to his retirement. He loved the cowboy life. He had been a resident of Clarendon for the past 20 years and was a member of the Calvary Baptist Church

He was preceeded in death by his parents; his brother, Sammy Silvers; a brother in law, Dana Keith Haney.

He is survived by two sisters, Emily McCary and husband Clovis of Clarendon and JoAnn Haney of Amarillo; and several nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

The family request memorials be sent to the Community Care Center of Clarendon or the Calvary Baptist Church in Clarendon.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said the crime occurred sometime last Thursday night or early Friday morning, and a white male suspect was captured on a video security camera wearing a mask, gloves, and coat.

Authorities are working diligently to identify the subject. If you have any information, you are asked to call the sheriff’s office at 874-3533.

The “Resolve To Be Ready” system can be utilized for severe weather, wildfires, or other disasters to notify people of where the danger is and what steps to take.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said fewer than 200 people are currently signed up on the system, and he wants to see that number increase. Blackburn said the system would have been very beneficial during past wildfires so that residents in the path of a fire could be easily and quickly notified.

The system has been put together by area emergency managers and the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission (PRPC) in an effort to provide all jurisdictions in the region the ability to contact their residents quickly when disasters are imminent. The goal was to create a sustainable call-out system that would enable local emergency management officials to rapidly notify their residents in mass when conditions (weather or otherwise) jeopardized their jurisdictions.

Commonly referred to as a reverse calling system, “Resolve To Be Ready” came to fruition when the PRPC applied for and received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to cover 75 percent of the cost of building and implementing a regional notification system. The Amarillo Area Foundation generously provided $100,000 to support a large portion of the non-FEMA funded system costs, with the PRPC providing another $24,000 in support. Together, these grant funds and contributions have now made it affordable for every jurisdiction in the region to maintain notification capabilities.

Clarendon College has been using the same system to keep its students aware of severe weather threats as well as class cancelations.

Any information entered into the system belongs to the individual that provided that information. Nobody else can see it or use it for any other purpose other than for notifications. The system simply knows to send a call or text message to the cell phone, email address or home phone number entered by a registering resident. With the reliance on cell phones growing, it’s more important than ever that critical information be conveyed in a mobile environment.

As a first step toward personal preparedness, residents should “Resolve to Be Ready” by logging onto www.R2BeReady.com to register their contact information, along with the contact information of their family members, into this new system. That way, they can stay informed of conditions that may affect their safety.

Fred Gray.

However, a do nothing House can be a good thing. Two Deep South House representatives have stated that it is highly unlikely that the House will pass the Senate version of the bill, which includes provisions that allow illegal immigrants to achieve American citizenship under certain conditions. One of the representatives, GOP Rep. Mo Brooks, of Alabama, suggested that the merits of the Senate plan “was an attempt to put lipstick on a pig.” Hmmm? Can’t he do better than that? I’m tired of hearing about lipstick on pigs. But, hey, he’s from Alabama, which is not exactly the intellectual garden spot of the country.

Georgia GOP Rep. Tom Price, on the other hand, mentioned that it is highly unlikely that the House will vote for the Senate plan because the conservative members of the House don’t trust the Obama administration to enforce the laws currently on the books. They have good reasons for their doubt, since the Obama disciples seem to be more interested in acquiring new targets for their drones than in enforcing American law. Why not practice droning on the Mexican drug cartels as they conduct their business along the border? Just a thought.

The majority of the conservative House GOP members, who don’t want to include a pathway to citizenship have the right idea. They don’t want to support any bill if it adds to the deficit, and they want a tougher approach to border security.

Illegal immigrants should never have a pathway to citizenship, for any reason. Granting them some sort of permanent legal residency status could be appropriate, under certain conditions. Granting citizenship to known law breakers makes a mockery of the honor and privilege of American citizenship. What is the point of being an American citizen if it’s suddenly available to sneaky people who having knowingly broken the law to enter this great country? How long will this country stand proud and firm if citizenship is so easily and cheaply garnered?

If American citizenship is offered to illegal immigrants, a nightmare would likely result. Who will these illegal American citizens vote for, those who offered them citizenship or those who held the line against cheap citizenship? Senator John Cornyn is right to require strict conditions for green card status and absolutely no pathway to citizenship.

Unfortunately, House GOP Representative Paul Ryan is back in the news. He, and some of his less intelligent cohorts, are pushing for a similar bipartisan approach as that proposed by the Senate, which includes a pathway to citizenship. No, no, no! What are these people thinking? If we are to remain strong, we must never allow known law breakers to gain American citizenship, under any circumstances. We must protect the privilege of American citizenship.

Fortunately, for several reasons, the bipartisan House version failed. There is still a chance that we’ll get real immigration reform, with the conservative ideals that most Americans want.

Perhaps just as importantly, we must have a secure border. Make no mistake about it, those Mexican drug cartels will eventually have to be dealt with, and in a harsh manner. They are already blatantly coming across the border and will continue to do so in the future. We must be prepared to protect the citizens of Texas from their predation.

The bill must also include an employer verification process in which employers will not be allowed to knowingly hire illegal immigrants. As long as these people can find work in the U.S. there will be a strong motivation for illegal immigration to continue. We have the technology to put a serious dent in illegal immigrants’ ability to find work. We must find the political will to do all we can to identify and penalize the people and corporations who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

The Democrats have every motivation to use immigration reform to further damage the Republican brand with Hispanics. We must insure that Hispanics are made aware that this isn’t about race but about legally protecting all Americans’ rights as citizens of the greatest country in the history of the world (perhaps excepting the Republic of Texas under Sam Houston – surely the greatest president ever.)

If the Democrats choose to use immigration reform as a wedge issue between Republicans and Hispanics, then the people must punish the Democrats at the polls. The immigration issue is a vital issue affecting the security of the United States and must not be used against one party for the benefit of the other. If this happens, then it must then be made an election campaign issue during the upcoming off-year elections and the next presidential election.

However, the Democrats, most likely giggling ardently, know that they will be able to trick the Republicans into shooting themselves in the foot again. If the Republicans were a little less likely to blow their stacks and stalk off in a snit, they would present a more stable image to the electorate, which would be helpful.

Illegal immigrants must never be granted American citizenship under any condition.

Student’s on the President’s List – who all maintained a 4.0 grade point average through the spring semester – include: Myrna Janet Martinez, Amarillo, TX; Julie Rebecca Gibbs, Borger, TX; Clarissa Syvonne Elizondo, Brownfield, TX; Michelle Garcia and Tabatha LeAndra Noelle Pena, both of Childress, TX; John Preston Myers, Connor Lloyd McKowen, Jerami Adam Johnson, Jennifer Erin Price, Chanda Parker Reynolds, Sean James Connolly, and Jaimie Nicole Mendez, all of Clarendon, TX; Breanna Danielle Coons, Lubbock, TX; Jose Rolando Santos, Mexico City; Lindsey Anne Albus, Paducah, TX; Lisa Dawn Anderson, Karen Diane Norwood, Hunter Ace Shay, Dustin Ty Linder, Brandi Heather McCoy, Kelly Louise Turk, Kevin Lynn Turk, Brittany A. Balay, Terry Davis, Sonia Martinez, Brenda Kay Reed; Sunnie Nichole Sweeney, Crystal Gayle Taylor, Elena Leigh Valdez, Mary Ann Gonzales, Kendra Marie Meyers, and Chad L. Epperson, all of Pampa, TX; Jacob Gosselin-Deschesnes, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC; Festus Phil Farrington, Sedan, NM; Shawn Fitzgerald Harper, Shamrock, TX; Logan West Putnam, Waco, TX; Claudia Granados and Andrea Janae’ Duke, both of Wellington, TX; Kyla Brook Martin, White Deer, TX; and Mehgan Ryan Murray, Wylie, TX.

Students on the Dean’s list – who all maintained at least a 3.6 GPA – include: Elayne Chavez, Ryan Shane Backus, and Hanna Gaston, all of Amarillo, TX; Karen Mao, Anaheim, CA; Brandon Matthew Turner, Arlington, TX; Benjamin Robert Raulston, Blum, TX; Ashley Lauren Kanaman, Campbell, TX; Aaron B. Carroll, Carrollton, TX; Alisha Shurr, Central Point, OR; Sharlie Nichole Segura and Stormy Burrows, of Childress TX; Adam Kyle Judd, Kelsey Blake Mullins, Ora Michael Brown, and Jacob Ethan Shackleford, all of Clarendon, TX; Ryan Eugene Marvin, Coppell, TX; Justin T. Shealy, Corsicana, TX; Rebecca Lynn Couch, Florence, TX; Pamela Sue Mayfield, Fritch, TX; Samantha Ann Haralson, Garden Grove, CA; Darius Aaron Singleton, Garland, TX; Joel Anthony Britten, Groom, TX; Chelsea D. Sheehan, Howardwick, TX; Dylan Wayne Gruben, Lamesa, TX; April Dawn Ramsey, McLean, TX; Shaylie Nacole Thompson, Miami, TX; Stefanie Renee’ Boyd, Paducah, TX; Faith Bohl, Ivy Brooke Noble, Melanie Dawn Spencer, Megan Napier, Brittany Patterson, Desirae Rochelle, Kimberly Darnell, Jeb Asa Shelden, Emily Lauren Barrett, and Pamela R. Mathis, all of Pampa, TX; Jennifer Hope Boen, Panhandle, TX; Jennifer Ann Morgan and Kelleena Shanna Burrell, both of Shamrock, TX; Scotta Lee Faulkenberry, Stephenville, TX; Natalie Claire Bissell, Surrey, GU; Baily Gardner, West Valley City, UT; Courtney Fay McAnear, Whitesboro TX; and Reid James Drury, Yuma, CO.