News

The Clarendon Aquatic Center will alter its days of operation next week with the opening of the public schools.

City Administrator David Dockery said since most the city’s lifeguards are high school and college students, it is necessary to reduce the hours of the aquatic center for the remainder of the season.

The pool will continue regular operation through August 18 and then be closed on weekdays. The pool will be open Saturday and Sunday, August 21 and 22, open again Saturday and Sunday, August 28 and 29, and then be open for the Labor Day weekend, Saturday-Monday, September 4, 5, and 6.

The city is still accepting private parties after hours at the pool, but residents are encouraged to get those requests in to City Hall soon by calling 874-3438.

Following Labor Day, the aquatic center will be closed until next season, and within a week of that closure, the city will begin the demolition of Kearney Street from Fourth Street the bridge at Fifth Street in preparation of new paving.

COVID-19 is still present and circulating in Donley County with four active cases listed this week.

Clarendon Family Medical Clinic conducted 42 COVID tests during the month of July with nine of those coming back as positive. Two of those positives were residents of another county, Donley County Judge John Howard, MD, said.

Donley County went from April 23 through early June with no active cases of the virus before the disease emerged again.

“It seemed to have gone, but now it’s back,” Howard said. “It’s still out there, and people are reintroducing it.”

Howard said there will be no mandates this time if the virus continues to surge.

“The governor has issued some serious restrictions on local governments’ ability to issue limitations,” Howard said.

Executive Order GA-38 provides that no governmental entity can compel any individual to receive a COVID-19 vaccine or implement a policy to require documentation of a vaccine to receive any service or enter any place. The Order also prohibits any operating limits or mask requirements by local governmental entities and imposes a $1,000 fine on any local official who violates these provisions.

Howard urges everyone to protect themselves from the virus.

“My recommendation is that everyone get the vaccine,” Howard said. “It is readily available and free.”

The Moderna vaccine is available at no charge at the local clinic for everyone ages 18 and over. The Pfizer vaccine is available in Amarillo for children ages 12 and over.

Clinic spokesperson Marsha Bruce has reminded people that “exposure” is being within six feet of someone with the virus for longer than 15 minutes without a mask.

“If they have had confirmed COVID in the last three months or are fully vaccinated, they don’t have to quarantine if they are exposed,” Bruce said. “If they are high risk, It’s a good idea to continue wearing a mask because most of the positives we have seen this summer are the younger adults working in the public.”

The Texas Tribune reports overall only 28.1 percent of Donley County residents – a total of 938 people – are fully vaccinated as of August 3. That’s an increase of 45 people from June 15 when 26.7 percent local residents were vaccinated.

A single lightbulb on a pull-down string was the only lighting that illuminated the old yellowed-paged, musty library books in the city library in 1977. These books in the old City Hall basement stood ready on creaky shelves for the dedicated library patron who enjoyed reading.

That year, 1977, was also the year when a group of community members decided to address the needs of the library. Four years later in August 1981, their goal of improving the library became a reality when the books were finally moved into the current Burton Memorial Library on Kearney Street.

Now 40 years later, Friends of the Library will gather Wednesday, August 11, to celebrate this milestone in the Library’s history.

The group invites the community to stop in from noon to 2 p.m. to share refreshments and view a photo display of that four-year effort as well as the past 40 years.

“First Saturday Clarendon, Texas” continues in August with the Donley County Farmers Market, Whistle-Stop Trade Days, and movies at the Sandell Drive-In and Mulkey Theatre.

The new marketing campaign to pool resources and centralize support behind a once-a-month weekend of activities, trade days, shopping and fun in Clarendon and Donley County.

Saturday, August 7, marks the third month of the promotion, and businesses, organizations, and anyone else planning an event are encouraged to consider having it on the weekend of the First Saturday of each month.

The Chamber board in April agreed to consider holding future events and promotions on the first Saturday weekends, and the CEDC board also agreed in April to include “First Saturday Clarendon, Texas” in its current regional marketing and to highlight First Saturday events on the ClarendonTX.com website.

This Saturday, for example, people can enjoy the food trucks, live music, and fun of the Whistle-Stop, shop all the fresh produce, baked goods, and other items at the new Donley County Farm 2 Table market at Cornell’s Country Store, spend time at the Clarendon Aquatic Center, and also take in a movie in Cinema City at either the Mulkey Theatre or the Sandell Drive-In. The Mulkey is showing “Space Jam,” and the Sandell is hosting “Jungle Cruise.”

First Saturday events are being sought for September to go along with trade days. First Saturday in October will see the return of the Lions Clubs members from across the Panhandle as they bring their fall cabinet meeting back to the Mulkey Theatre.

If you know of something happening on the first weekend of each month, it can easily be promoted by calling or texting 806-662-4687, emailing ashlee.estlack@gmail.com, visiting the “First Saturday, Clarendon Texas” Facebook page, or by filling out the contact form at ClarendonTX.com/FirstSaturday.

Donley County Commissioners selected the architecture firm most familiar with the 1890 Courthouse to lead repairs to the building during a special called meeting Monday.

Commissioners considered the qualifications of three firms from across the state but scored Hutson Gallagher of Austin as the top choice because of their team’s knowledge and previous work on the building.

Firm members Chris Hutson and Tracy Hirschman Hutson performed the architectural work leading up to the 2003 restoration of the courthouse and have maintained a reputation in historic preservation work.

Panhandle Regional Planning Commission Local Government Services Director Dustin Meyer will lead negotiations with Hutson Gallagher to produce a contract for the county to sign on August 9. The architects will then prepare specifications to repair damage to the historic building from a winter storm in February.

The Texas Historical Commission will have final approval over the architects’ specifications before the county can take bids on the work.

County officials are hopeful that, in addition to repairing storm-related damage with insurance funds, the county might also be able to obtain grant funds from the THC to address stone spalling around the base of the courthouse. The stone has been an issue for decades, but the funds were not sufficient to address that issue during the original restoration work.

In other county news, commissioners considered three proposals Monday for IT services and network security and listened to two of those proposals in person from representatives of two firms. Commissioners will select an IT proposal at their next regular meeting on August 9.

The commissioners’ court approved paying back vacation pay to former deputy Sonny Marasco, totaling $2,783.32.

The court also delved into personnel policy issues with Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn and adopted revisions in the areas of holiday pay, vacation pay, work schedule and work week, and overtime for law enforcement personnel, including deputies and dispatchers.