News

A three-year-old boy who was the subject of a nationwide Amber Alert showed up at the Donley County Sheriff’s Office Sunday evening.

According to a deputy’s report, the boy’s father, Rommel Rodriguez, and several family members were on their way to see family in Denton, Texas, when they learned the boy was being reported missing on an Amber Alert. Rodriguez contacted the Fullerton, Calif., Police Department and was instructed to check in at the nearest police station.

Donley County Deputy James O’Malley contacted the Fullerton authorities and was instructed to take the boy into custody until his mother could make arrangements to pick him up. Fullerton police also directed that no charges be filed on Mr. Rodriguez since he was cooperating with authorities.

Child Protective Services later took custody of the boy.

The Associated Press reported this week that Rodriguez’s mother told Fullerton police that the father had arrived at a church carnival Saturday and fled with the boy after the parents argued.

The Panhandle Regional Planning Commission and the City of Clarendon will be conducting a door-to-door survey in the early evening hours this week as part of the city’s application for a Community Development Block Grant.

Interim City Administrator Phyllis Jeffers says the grant, if it is approved, will replacing an aging main sewer line and also replace a sewer lift station. The project would not take place until 2011-2012.

The Community Development Block Grant program is intended to serve primarily low to moderate income families in rural communities.  This survey must be conducted in order to attain the information necessary to describe the population who would benefit from the City’s proposed water system improvement project.

Questions to be asked on the survey include: the number of persons living in unit, the number of families living in unit; and income levels. Citizens do not need to identify themselves by name on the form. Only the address is required.  Representatives of PRPC will compile the results of the survey.

If you have any questions about this upcoming survey, please call City Hall at (806) 874-3438.

The Clarendon Board of Aldermen met in regular session June 10 with a full agenda, including three requests for funds from the city’s Motel Bed Tax.

Aldermen first considered a request to renew a contract with Galaxy Outdoor Advertising for a billboard just outside Amarillo where US 287 and I-40 split. The three-year contract proposal was for $275 per month, and the board approved the renewal.

Theresa Shelton addressed the board on behalf of the Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association and requested funds to promote the 133rd annual Saints’ Roost Celebration. Aldermen approved $3,500 for this event.

Betty Ann Sansing also spoke to the board and requested support for the Les Beaux Arts Festival this October. A motion to give $5,000 to this event died for a lack of a second. Another motion to donate $3,500 to the festival was approved.

The board elected Alderman Larry Hicks as the city’s mayor pro-tem and voted to offer the municipal judge’s position to Trina Wright.

Aldermen also considered a request by Rick Woodrome for a livestock permit on his property. The board asked for verification of the space requirements being met prior to approval of the permit.

A discussion was held on the recruiting of a new city administrator. A future meeting will discuss the qualification and qualities the city wants in a new administrator.

Interim Administrator Phyllis Jeffers updated the board on the street project. Nathan Jaramillo is heading up repairs and is doing streets one at a time systematically. He is being assisted by Brad Hagood, Lee Tolbert, and Jesus Hernandez. Jeffers said the crew filled 218 potholes in two weeks and that Third Street alone took nearly 60 tons of asphalt. Jaramillo is also making downtown clean up a priority leading up to the Saints’ Roost Celebration.

The board also met in called session on Monday night to consider and approve a request for $750 from the Tourism Committee to promote a Summer Celebration on July 22.

In order to maintain Clarendon ISD’s facilities, several buildings within the district are receiving renovations over the summer break.

“Each summer we try to improve our facilities, and that’s what we decided to work on this year,” Clarendon School Superintendent Monty Hysinger said. “We need to keep our older buildings functional and extend the life of them for at least another 15 years.”

Hysinger said that their “biggest goal” is to replace the main water lines that feed all the areas in the Junior High and Elementary.

“The Elementary and Jr. High are two of our oldest buildings, and the old water lines that run overhead have really deteriorated over time,” he said. “They’ve even begun to leak in some places.”

The Ag building will receive several upgrades, including a ventilation system to the shop, new heaters, a drop ceiling and new flooring to the classroom, and energy efficient lighting. They will also block in unused windows and paint the building inside and out.

“These renovations are going to make the building very nice, and they’re long overdue,” ag teacher Don Hillis said. “It’s going to make the teaching and the working go a lot better, and the new lights in the shop are going to make it outstanding.”

 Another building undergoing renovations is the Field House, which will receive a new paint job inside and out, blocked up windows, wall mount HVAC units, energy efficient lighting, electrical upgrades and concrete poured for drainage to stop water leakage into the facility.

Public restroom areas will also be redone.

“I think this is long overdo,” head coach Gary Jack said. “Very little has been done to the field house since it was built in the late 50s or 60s besides the paint job. I think it was time for the bathroom facilities to be updated. It will be nice. It is a well used facility, and I think we definitely needed that.”

The weight room will gain new lighting, HVAC units, more insulation, and paint to the inside. 
“These improvements will make the weight room a much better working environment,” Jack said. “It can get to be over 100 degrees in August and September, and it will be a much nicer unit for us.”

Hysinger said that in order to alter the route in which high school students take to park their vehicles during school, they will put safety panels and gates between north of the Bronco Gym and the Bronco Stadium wall.

“This will provide more safety for kids dropped off by their parents at D-wing,” he said. “People will still be able to walk on the sidewalk though.”

Altogether, Hysinger estimates the different improvements to cost between $180,000 and $250,000, depending on the completion date, which is expected to be mid-July.

“These renovations are well worth what they cost in exchange for more years of useful service out of our buildings,” he said. “If we don’t take care of it now, it can get to a point where we can’t take care of it.”