Clarendon Live

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Ben Estlack

Courthouse work focuses on brick wall

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Architects and contractors visited the Donley County Courthouse Monday ahead of a new $3.1 million preservation project.

Architect Tracy Hirschman Hutson said most of the work will be focused on repairing locations on the south side of the building where the red facing brick is pulling away from the structure.

Architect Tracy Hirschman Hutson examines a section of facing brick that is bulging on the south side of the Donley County Courthouse during a visit here on Monday. Following up from her right hand, it is visible how the brick has moved out over time.
Enterprise Photo

Bulges indicating movement in some of those locations were first recognized during the restoration of the 1890 structure two decades ago. Without the budget to properly address the issue, steel helical anchors were sunk into the masonry behind the facing bricks in an attempt to stop the movement. The passage of time as shown that the movement is still ongoing.

Hutson said workers will open up small sections of the brick to determine the overall condition of the wall before moving ahead with removing and resetting the brick in the affected areas.

Monday’s visit was part of the ongoing value engineering taking place with architects and with Premier Commercial Group, the contractor selected to lead project. Premier led restoration work after a 2021 freeze caused major flooding in the building. Hutson said the mason who will lead the work on this project is a third-generation brick and stone mason.

After the brick issues are address, the remaining project funds will be directed to working on the sandstone wainscoting of the building, which has long had problems with spalling or flaking. Hutson said the ideal way to solve that issue is to chisel back about four inches of the affected stone and then install a new stone face in that place.

The Texas Historical Commission’s Courthouse Preservation Program has awarded $2,594,974 for this project with the county matching the grant with $457,937 in its own courthouse maintenance fund.

The Donley County Courthouse is the oldest functioning courthouse in the Texas Panhandle. The building was restored by the Texas Courthouse Preservation Program for $4.2 million in 2003.

The current brick and stone issues were not addressed in 2003 due to budget constraints.

Public input sought for disaster plan

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The public will have a chance to discuss a countywide a county disaster plan when the Clarendon CISD Trustees host a public meeting July 7, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.

The 2025 Donley County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update includes mitigation actions intended to minimize the impacts of certain natural hazards on the residents of the County.

The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, as amended, requires that local governments develop, adopt, and update natural hazard mitigation plans in order to receive certain federal assistance. The former hazard mitigation plan was adopted in 2019, and should be updated with FEMA at least every five (5) years.

A copy of the Donley County plan update is now available for review in the County Judge’s office, City Halls, School Administration Buildings, or it may be reviewed online at: http://bit.ly/3T4cbgj.

The meeting is open to the public and residents are encouraged to attend to offer feedback.

Fish Fry to be held this Friday, June 27

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St. Mary’s Catholic Church will hold a Fish Fry on Friday, June 27, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 510 E. Montgomery.

Dine-in and carry-out options are available, and tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for kids. Call-in orders are welcome at 806-874-3910.

Proceeds benefit the Church Building Fund.

Solemn occasion

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Members of the Adamson-Lane Post of the American Legion gathered in the Rowe Cemetery last Saturday, June 14, to observe Flag Day in a special way by holding a flag retirement service.
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No Kings

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The Donley County Democratic Party held a No Kings Day coffee and tea party on June 14, coinciding with larger events across the nation in opposition to policies of President Trump. About 30 people attended the local peaceful come and go event during the course of the afternoon.
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Preventive action

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Hedley Fire Chief Beagle, Capt. Kingston, and Firefighters Walker, Monroe, and Wood spent part of their day Saturday conducting a controlled burn on a Hedley resident’s property. The burn cleared a large area of brush, which helped reduce wildfire danger for the resident’s home. Controlled burns are an effective way to reduce fuel loads and mitigate wildfires. Hedley VFD is available to conduct burns for residents within their response area, providing weather conditions and firefighter availability. For more information or to schedule a burn, contact the HVD at hedleyvfd@gmail.com.
Courtesy Photo

Helping hands

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Clarendon High School and Junior High basketball boys helped serve the community on June 9 by unloading boxes from the truck for the food bank. Seen pictured from left to right: Teagan Chesser, TJ Smith, Aiden Burnam, Brance Bell, Braxton Gribble, Paxton English, Coach Isaac, Brentley Gaines, Kreed Robinson, & Rustin Wade.
Courtesy Photo

City considering trash service proposals

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The Clarendon City Council opened proposals for solid waste services during their regular meeting last Thursday, June 12, with two companies bidding to serve the city.

Proposals were received from Waste Connections (doing business as Waste Wranglers), which is the company that currently has the city’s trash contract, and from Republic Services.

Representatives of the two firms addressed the council with Republic going first and noting that Clarendon has a lot of trash containers for a city its size. The usual ratio is four residences for one Dumpster, and Clarendon has a two to one ratio currently.

Republic’s proposal maintains the current ratio. They are one of the largest waste management companies in the nation with 14 cities in the Amarillo area. Representatives said they like to have a presence in the communities they serve, helping with local events and giving access to grants from their corporation.

Waste Connections representatives acknowledged there had been problems during their time in the city but thanked the council for working with them to try to solve those issues. They reminded the council they have been losing money under the current contract but said they wanted to continue to provide service to the city. Waste Connections said the city could save money by going with the four to one ratio of residences to Dumpsters, and that’s what they based their proposal on. Waste Connections (dba Waste Wranglers) is the third largest company in the industry, and representatives said they have modified trucks to fit local alleys and now have a seasoned driver who knows the routes.

The council also received information from City Administrator Brian Barboza with estimates of some of the costs to reestablish the city’s own trash hauling service.

Aldermen took no action last week in order to go over the different proposals. They will hold a special meeting on June 24 to discuss the issue further and possibly take action.

Among other city business, newly elected Alderman Tom Thompson was chosen by the council at the city’s Mayor Pro-Tem; and the council approved a proposal for a self-service fuel tank at Smiley Johnson Municipal Airport, adopted a hazard mitigation plan, and approved a grant application for further sidewalk improvements downtown.

TxDOT: Barricades up for US 287 bridge project

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Traffic will be impacted this week as the Texas Department of Transportation begins the project to replace the US 287 bridge over Clarendon’s drainage canal between Kearney and Gorst Streets.

Lane closures are expected to began Wednesday with concrete barriers being placed on Thursday. See the traffic pattern map here.

Demolition on the sidewalk and roadway along the northside of the Donley County State Bank will begin June 23, weather permitting.

The bridge demolition is now scheduled to start on June 30.

Workers were still evaluating and the sewer line this week, which runs under the drainage canal, to determine how to work around that obstacle during the construction.

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