Clarendon Live

The Clarendon Enterprise - Spreading the word since 1878.

Archives for June 2023

Cub Reporter: Happy Fathers Day, Dad!

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Seeing as next Sunday is Father’s Day, I decided I would like to write my article this week about him.

Ben Estlack

My dad is one of my biggest fans and is one of my best friends. He’s always there for me and, like my mom, he spends most of his time working for his family. As well as working for his family my dad spends lots of time volunteering in the community.

My dad is one of my biggest role models and I am so glad to get to hang out with him, whether we are working in the yard or watching our shows, I love getting to spend time together.

My main reason for writing this article is just to say, thank you dad, for everything you do for me and our family. I’m sorry I am leaving and will be gone on Father’s Day, but happy Father’s Day, I love you.

State changing funding for Clarendon College

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Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 8 (HB 8) into law last week, codifying an innovative new model to fund Clarendon College and other community colleges in Texas. The new model moves to an outcomes-based approach and rewards colleges for awarding degrees, certificates, and other “credentials of value.”

“The State of Texas continues working to ensure our public community colleges remain competitive and able to fully support the needs of our growing, diverse workforce,” said Gov. Abbott. “House Bill 8 will be an important tool to help enhance the role of public junior colleges in workforce training and preparation for high-demand careers. I thank the Texas Legislature for sending this bill to my desk to reward community colleges based on positive student outcomes and allow students to enroll in dual credit courses at no additional cost. The future of Texas remains bright thanks to the educational opportunities provided by community colleges and the hardworking students who will help build the Texas of tomorrow.”

CC President Tex Buckhaults said it’s too soon to know exactly how the new funding model will impact Clarendon College.

“While the current projections would indicate a significant increase in funding for Clarendon College, the details of negotiated rule-making could quickly lower the final figure,” Buckhaults said. “I anticipate three rounds of negotiations until the final adopted rules governing community college funding are complete.”

Buckhaults said he is one of five college presidents sitting on a committee of about a dozen people who will draw up the new rules, and he will be speaking on behalf of small community colleges. The first round of rule making will be held in July followed by a second round this fall.

The legislation, sponsored and championed by Rep. Gary VanDeaver and Sen. Brandon Creighton, was the culmination of months of work by legislators, community college leaders, and the business community, and expands upon the year-long efforts of the Texas Commission on Community College Finance (TxCCCF).

“I’m incredibly grateful to our legislators and to Governor Abbott for their commitment to advancing higher education in our great state,” said Chairman of the Coordinating Board Dr. Fred Farias. “Texas’s economic competitiveness depends on an educated workforce and our community colleges serve a critical role in giving more Texans the opportunity to earn credentials of value.”
With the passage of HB 8, Texas will reform its community college finance system to align policy and funding incentives with the rapidly changing needs of the workforce. It also puts dual credit students in high schools on pathways toward meaningful credentials and expands opportunities for adult learners.

The passage of HB 8, and the allocation of $683 million in the state budget, positions Texas as a national leader in tying funding for community colleges to measurable student-focused outcomes. These include:

  • The number of credentials of value awarded, including badges, certificates, and degrees, that position graduates for well-paying jobs.
  • Credentials of value awarded in high-demand fields where employers are looking for skilled employees.
  • Successful student transfers from community colleges to four-year universities.
  • Completion of a sequence of dual credit courses, which are offered to high school students and can set them on early pathways to success.

“Texas community colleges are uniquely positioned to play a key role in helping more Texans earn the credentials required for high-demand, well-paying jobs,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Harrison Keller. “By signing HB 8 into law, policymakers have marked a commitment to fund community colleges in ways that align our state’s emerging workforce needs with strategic funding, resources, and postsecondary opportunities that lead to a credential of value.”

The legislation also transfers the Texas Adult Career Education (ACE) program from Austin Community College to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and creates the Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) scholarship program for low-income dual credit students.

“The passage of this historic bill is a direct result of the consistent and dedicated effort from our 50 community college districts, our education partners, business and industry, and, of course, our lawmakers who made this a top priority this legislative session,” said Texas Association of Community Colleges President and CEO Ray Martinez III. “Our Texas community colleges look forward to leading the nation in higher education innovation.”

HB 8 was based on recommendations laid out in the TxCCCF report, submitted to state leaders in advance of the 88thlegislative session. The report offered three sets of recommendations for a new model in support of the goals in Building a Talent Strong Texas, the state’s strategic plan for higher education:

  • Reward community colleges for positive student outcomes.
  • Increase affordability and financial aid, including for low-income students.
  • Increase capacity at colleges to meet changing workforce needs.

“Texas’s community colleges enroll and serve almost half of all students pursuing postsecondary education in our state, so they are an important engine that is propelling our future workforce and economy,” said TxCCCF Chair Woody L. Hunt. “This innovative funding will help community colleges make strategic decisions about how they best prepare their students to successfully enter the workforce or successfully transfer to a four-year university after graduation and ensure that all students are set up for success. This will strengthen our state and workforce for generations to come.”
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) was created by the Texas Legislature in 1965 and serves as a resource, partner, and advocate for Texas higher education, resulting in a globally competitive workforce that positions Texas as an international leader.

Editorial: Enterprise preparing for the future

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Once again, your community newspaper has been certified as “The Best Little Newspaper In Texas” by winning the Sweepstakes Award for small weeklies from the Texas Press Association.

The Clarendon Enterprise is proud to claim that title as the laurels resulting from the hard work that goes into our publication week after week. It’s a tradition that dates back 145 years – delivering the news the people of Donley County want and need while recording the history of our local communities.

Roger Estlack, Publisher
& Editor

Past longevity, however, is no guarantee of future success. For our news organization to survive to its 150th anniversary and beyond, we have to embrace technology and new ideas while still delivering the news.

When we reported winning the TPA Sweepstakes Award last year, we had also learned that The Iowa Park Leader had closed its doors that same week. A few months ago, we delivered the sad news that The Canadian Record was suspending publication, and this week we learned The Ozona Stockman in Crocket County is closing this month.

These weekly newspapers were among the best in the state. Although they each closed for different reasons, their communities now share the distinction of being part of the growing news deserts appearing in rural America – places where there is no press to report the news, to keep watch on local governments, and to record their peoples’ history.

We don’t have a crystal ball to see our future, but we are determined to fight like hell to keep publishing your newspaper. Our community needs it. You need it. And we’re going to utilize every possible tool to keep spreading the word just as we have done since 1878.

Last summer, we were given an opportunity to apply for a program to help small news organizations adapt and embrace new technology. We had participated in small workshops from the Google News Initiative – an effort from the tech giant to help small- and medium-size news publishers. The GNI Foundations Lab was going to be different though. It would give us access to resources we could never afford and put industry experts in our corner as we figure out how to navigate the future of news publishing.

The application was a longshot, but we filled it out and sent up a prayer. When word finally came last fall that the Enterprise had been selected for the lab, we realized what a unique opportunity this was. There were only 34 lab participants in the Western hemisphere, 14 in the US, and two in Texas.

It would be impossible to list everything we learned from the lab over a nine-month period. It was like drinking from a firehose, and we’re still trying to process some of the information. Much of it was technical information, but, in a nutshell, it was about how to effectively deliver the news in a digital format in ways that – hopefully – you, our readers, will appreciate and support and thus create sustainable news business for an ever-changing world.

As we go forward, we know that ultimately the keys to our success are still dependent on two things – business and organizations willing to back us with their advertising dollars and readers willing to buy subscriptions. We’ve been blessed in those terms for a century and a half, and we will continue to work to be worthy of that even as we implement the ideas that sprang from the GNI lab.

The TPA contest proves the Enterprise is a leader among weekly newspapers in the state when it comes to providing digital news coverage and printed news coverage. We’re not going to change that. Instead, we’re going to keep bringing you the news you need and want whether it’s on paper or on your phone. With Google’s help, we’re going to be reaching even more people with the news and bringing more attention to what’s happening here in terms of education, business, life, and culture.

You can help your local newspaper in the same way you always have. Buy a subscription for yourself, for a friend, and for a family member. Patronize our advertisers and tell them you saw their ad in the Enterprise. Send us news tips and photos. Encourage your friends to read the Enterprise either in print, on the web, or on social media. When it’s time for your fundraiser, don’t ask us to just run a blurb for free but instead include us in your advertising budget. At the end of the day, the future of your hometown newspaper is in your hands as much or more than it is in ours.

Meanwhile…
Your editor would be remiss if he missed this opportunity to thank those who are responsible for the success of the Enterprise. Our senior staff – Tara Allred assisted by Ashlee Estlack (in her free time) – is second to none, and our junior staff – Ben and Ella Estlack – fill in wherever necessary and play important roles with columns and photos. And then there are our freelancers and contributors – Sandy Anderberg, Kari Lindsey, Lisa Grahn, and Adelita Elam – each of whom makes my job easier and provides us with photos and information to make this paper truly the best in the state. Thank you all and thank you also to our advertisers and readers. We couldn’t do it without you.

Kinetic bringing fiber internet to Clarendon, Howardwick this fall

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High-speed fiber broadband internet will be available for most residents of Clarendon and Howardwick this fall, according to Kinetic by Windstream.

Responding to information requests from the Enterprise, Gerry Harrington with Kinetic’s Public Relations confirmed Monday the company will be rolling out the new service starting in Clarendon in August.

“Kinetic is indeed laying optical fiber to provide residential high-speed fiber broadband in Clarendon,” Harrington said.

Kinetic told the Enterprise it is laying more than 200,000 feet of optical fiber in Clarendon and Howardwick to make approximately 1,700 households eligible for high-speed fiber broadband.

Kinetic trucks and employees have been seen around Clarendon for a few weeks stringing the optical cable on existing Windstream telephone poles. Howardwick officials also say they have been seeing activity there by the communications company.

The first area that will be eligible to receive the fiber service will be most of the southwest portion of Clarendon, south of the railroad and west of Sully Street. Kinetic expects to equip more than 600 households in that area by the end of August.

Another 600 households should have fiber available by the end of September in the southeast portion of the city, south of the railroad and east of Sully Street.

By the end of October, Kinetic expects to be able to provide fiber broadband to 500 households in Howardwick on the east side of Carroll Creek.

Internal Kinetic maps provided to the Enterprise do not show fiber availability planned at this time for north of the railroad in Clarendon or west of Carroll Creek in Howardwick. The company said this week there are no plans to expand the fiber service into beyond the initial 1,700 households at this time.

Customers will be eligible to get Kinetic fiber broadband as soon as their homes are equipped for it. They can sign up at windstream.com/fiber-form.

When completed, nearly three-quarters of Clarendon and Howardwick households will be eligible for Kinetic’s fiber broadband.

Kinetic rolled out its fiber internet service in Hedley in November of 2022. According to the company website, Hedley residential customers can get 500 megabit service for $39.99 a month, 1.0 gigabit service for $69.99 a month, and 2.0 gigabit service for $169.99.

Out with the old

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Workers with Carter Sand & Gravel began last week to remove the first 100 feet of sidewalk on in the 100 block of South Kearney Street as part of a downtown revitalization project. The plan calls for the new sidewalks to be formed and poured before work moves to the next 100-foot section, which will run in front of the Mulkey Theatre. Enterprise photo / Roger Estlack

Column: Awards and smile mark start of summer

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This past week, the Enterprise got some great news. We won multiple state awards from the Texas Press Association.

Ben Estlack

My Dad and I together won 3rd place in column writing, and my sister won first in sports photography. My Mom’s work on online reporting, and Tara’s work on page layouts were also recognized.

We also won an award for the best website; and not to toot my own horn, but that is one of my babies. I’m so proud to be working for the Enterprise, and I hope that we continue to have more years of winning.

Outside of work, I also had something awesome happen! I got my braces off after 28 months of having them! I love my smile, and it was so worth the years of wearing them to have such an awesome smile!

This past week has been quite exciting, and I’m so optimistic for the rest of my summer and all of the fun I am going to have!

Once more with feeling

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Members of the Hedley Class of 2023 sing the school song one last time during graduation ceremonies in the Owl Gym on Saturday, May 27. Shown here are Josh Booth, Cody Bond, Iziak Weatherread, Savannah Trent, Lane Hinton, and Fayde Turner. Enterprise Photo / Kari Lindsey

Heavy rains boost Greenbelt Lake level

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Carroll Creek was running heavily into Greenbelt Lake after a heavy downpour in the Howardwick area. Photo by Nikki Green

Heavy rains over the last few weeks have saturated the ground and are now having an impact on Lake Greenbelt, especially after about five inches of rain fell on the Howardwick area Sunday.

The deluge had Carroll Creek running fast and strong into the reservoir. It was still running Tuesday, and water was also coming down the Salt Fork Red River into the lake.

Greenbelt had reached a low of 7,064 acre-feet of water stored in the reservoir on April 25. After the general rains over the last month and Sunday’s downpour, the lake was holding 8,121 acre-feet as of Tuesday morning.

The lake level itself has risen about 2.25 feet in the last 45 days, according to Greenbelt Municipal & Industrial Water Authority. The lake depth Tuesday was 40.02 feet.

Greenbelt’s greatest depth was in June 1975 when it was 75.71 feet.

An acre-foot is the amount of water it takes to cover one acre of land one foot deep or 325,851 gallons.

The lake is still down significantly. A year ago, Greenbelt was holding more than 9,500 acre-feet, and even that was well below the level six years ago when it held 17,260 acre-feet.

Change can come quickly at Greenbelt, however. In April 2015, the lake was also at about 8000 acre-feet when a very wet May added about 5,750 acre-feet to the reservoir.

The area still has a chance of more rain this week, and it could well benefit Greenbelt if it falls in the right place.

Local man uninjured in tractor v. truck wreck

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Riley Wade had a close encounter with semi-truck last week when it ran into the John Deere tractor he was driving.

Emergency personnel look over the aftermath of a tractor versus semi accident east of Clarendon about 1.5 miles last Wednesday, May 31.

DPS Trooper Lynn Mays said 17-year-old Riley Wade of Clarendon was driving a John Deere tractor eastbound on US 287 partially on the shoulder when he was struck by a semi-tractor trailer rig driven by Roberto Lowrie, 45, of Harlingen. Mays said driver inattention on the part of the trucker for is to blame for the accident.

Mays said the truck tried to turn to the left as it struck the tractor in the left rear tire, sending the tractor into the south ditch. The truck turned on its side as plowed down two trees in the center median before coming to rest.

Wade was uninjured, and Lowrie was transported to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo where he was treated and released.

Lowrie will receive a citation for failure to control speed, Mays said.

Emergency personnel respond to an overturned semi-truck that wrecked after colliding with a John Deere tractor last week near Clarendon.

Enterprise wins sweepstakes award from Texas Press

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Ben and Ella Estlack display the state awards won by the Enterprise last week. The plaques arrived following the state press convention with the local paper taking the Sweepstakes award for small weekly newspapers. Enterprise Photo / Roger Estlack

For the second year in a row, The Clarendon Enterprise was recognized as the best small paper in the state by the Texas Press Association Saturday, June 3, during the TPA Summer Convention in Round Rock.

The Enterprise earned the Sweepstakes Award in Division 10 of the 2022 Better Newspaper Contest, winning four first place plaques and placing in ten other categories to gather enough points to win the overall division.

“We are honored to be recognized again by our peers for the work we put into our newspaper and are proud to bring this recognition to our community,” publisher Roger Estlack said. “This is truly a group effort, and we are very blessed to have a super talented team and equally fortunate to have great support from our readers and advertisers.”

The Enterprise won first place in the Weekly Division for Best Website in a competition that differed from the other contest categories.

“In most other categories, we compete against newspapers of similar size and circulation,” Estlack said, “but the Best Website award is among all weeklies in the contest. That includes newspaper websites that are covering bigger communities and with more resources than what we have.”

ClarendonLive.com is managed and updated by Roger and Ben Estlack.

The Enterprise also placed second among all weeklies in the category of Best Online Live Coverage for its coverage of the Broncos second trip to the state basketball tournament last year with Ashlee Estlack heading up the livestream of those events.

The Enterprise received fourth place among all weeklies for its coverage highlighting information in Public Notices last fall.

In Division 10, the sports photos by Elaina Estlack won first place, Editorials by Roger Estlack on city progress and the state of the newspaper business won first place, and the Enterprise was also first in General Excellence.

The Enterprise received second place honors for Feature Photos by Elaina and Roger Estlack, News Photos by Roger Estlack and Page Design by Tara Allred and Roger Estlack.

Columns by Ben and Roger Estlack placed third in the division as did the Enterprise’s New Writing and Feature Writing entries.
Sports Coverage by Sandy Anderberg was fourth, and Enterprise Headlines also finished fourth.

The Enterprise was first in the Sweepstakes count among weeklies of similar circulation with 725 points followed by the Caprock Courier and the Archer County News with 400 points each, and the Flatonia Argus with 350 points. The Enterprise placed in 14 out of 18 categories.

Ninety-nine newspapers submitted 920 entries in the contest. Fifty-three weekly newspapers competed in Divisions Six through Ten. Entries were judged by the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association.

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