Game face
This Week
Clarendon aldermen to consider restrictions
The City of Clarendon will hold a public hearing next Tuesday evening, July 26, at 6 o’clock to discuss drought contingency planning and regulating water usage.
The hearing will be held at City Hall immediately before a called meeting of the Board of Aldermen, during which city leaders are expected to take action on a drought plan for Clarendon.
“We’ll be considering a plan that provides for action,” City Administrator Lambert Little told the Enterprise.
City Hall last week published guidelines for citizens to follow as the city tries to reduce water consumption by 30 percent. Those rules are only voluntary now, but may become mandatory next week.
During last Tuesday’s regular city meeting, aldermen met with Greenbelt Water Authority General Manager Bobbie Kidd, who said the lake entered Stage Three of its drought contingency plan in May and will likely hit Stage Four – Severe Water Shortage – on about August 8.
Kidd told city leaders it was time for everyone to be think about how they use water in the face of the shortage.
“We’ve always done as we pleased and have had enough to do that,” Kidd said. “Now we’re just going to have to be smart. Don’t water during the heat of the day. Water at night, for example.”
If the lake enters Stage Four, member cities like Clarendon and Hedley will have allotments of water and may be financially penalized for using more than their allotment, but Kidd said he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
“Voluntary measures are a lot better than trying to force people to do something,” he said.
Looking to the future of the reservoir, Kidd said water authority has engineers studying the reliability of Greenbelt Lake, the availability of water in the Red River, and possible alternative sources of water.
“Three years ago, Greenbelt drilled some test wells and did more drilling last winter,” Kidd said.
Information from those test will be included in a report engineers are expected to make to the Greenbelt board in October.
Kidd said right now Greenbelt Lake is still holding about 4.5 billion gallons of water.
The city’s voluntary water usage rules are as follows:
1) Limit outside watering to twice-a-week and then only before 10 a.m. and after 7 p.m. Residential customers with odd-numbered street addresses should water on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Even-numbered addresses should water on Thursdays and Sundays, and commercial customers should water on Tuesdays and Fridays.
2) Limit washing motor vehicles, motorbikes, boats, and other vehicles at home to before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on your designated watering day, and then use a bucket and/or hand-held hose with a shut-off nozzle. Commercial car washes are exempted.
3) Avoid filling swimming pools except during the above hours.
4) Avoid operating ornamental fountains unless necessary to support aquatic life or if equipped with a recirculation system.
5) Do not water-wash driveways, sidewalks, or other hard-surfaced areas. Do not wash down buildings or structures except for immediate fire protection.
6) Repair all leaks as soon as possible, and report any leaks or unauthorized usage to City Hall. Night and weekend emergency leaks should be reported to the Donley County Sheriff’s Office at 806-874-3533.
In other city business last week, the board received a Chamber of Commerce update from Chamber President Charlie Smith, who reported on June activities and the July Fourth celebration. Mayor Larry Hicks said he thought the celebration went off very well with the exception of a not having a grand stand or public address system, but also said he did not see any sign that the Chamber was re-organizing.
“It doesn’t seem you’re doing anything to get back in our good graces, and we want to
support you,” Hicks said, referring to the city’s withdrawal earlier this year of Chamber funding totally $20,000 annually.
“We haven’t been able to get together to have a meeting,” Smith replied.
Aldermen also considered a request from the Saints’ Roost Museum for Motel Bed Tax funds for the Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff and approved $5,000 for that event.
In his administrator’s report, Little informed the board that he believed Alderman Kyle Davis had missed three meetings and may therefore be disqualified from service.
He also said that Charles Deyhle’s term was expiring as the city’s representative on the Greenbelt Water Authority Board. Aldermen will consider those positions at next Tuesday’s called meeting.
Mandatory restrictions in Hedley
Mandatory water restrictions are in place for citizens of the City of Hedley following a July 7 meeting of the Board of Aldermen there.
Mayor Dusty Wilkinson said his board put rules in place after receiving word from Greenbelt Water Authority about the low level of the lake and learning that the Red River Water Authority, which buys water from Greenbelt, had placed mandatory restrictions on its customers.
Greenbelt is currently in Stage Three of its drought contingency plan, which calls for its member cities – Clarendon, Hedley, Childress, Quanah, and Crowell – to voluntarily reduce water usage by 30 percent.
So far, Hedley is the only member city to enact mandatory restrictions, and Mayor Dusty Wilkinson says his city is doing the right thing.
“Water is the most precious resource we have,” Wilkinson told the Enterprise. “If
it’s gone, we’re gone.”
Minutes from the July 7 meeting were not available at press time, but City Hall said the rules went into effect July 11. Mayor Wilkinson said he’s only received one comment from the public about the measures and that person said it should have been done a long time ago.
Hedley’s mandatory rules are as follows:
1) Outside watering utilizing sprinklers or irrigation systems will only be allowed on Monday and Thursday, However, no watering will be allowed between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Hand watering only will be allowed on Sundays.
2) No washing of vehicles, boats, RV’s or driveways is allowed.
3) Customers with livestock tubs must maintain the float systems in good repair to alleviate any overflow.
4) Swimming pools must be maintained to reduce evaporation and water loss due to flushing.
5) All commercial and other known high water users are asked to reduce usage and prevent waste.
6) Watch for leaks and notify personnel at Hedley City Hall immediately if one is found.
Violators will be given one verbal warning. After the warning has been given a fine of $50 will be charged to your water bill every time you are caught violating the rules.
Summer job
Local firemen battle several July wildfires
Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department First Assistant Chief Jeremy Powell says eight city units responded to the big fire on the Finch Ranch and Quail Trail Ranch on July 13, and firemen were on the scene from 2:06 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Hedley responded with three units, and assistance also came from Wellington, Memphis, and Samnorwood.
Donley County Precincts #1, #3, and #4 sent motor graders, and TxDOT responded with
three motor graders and three dozers. The Texas and US forest services responded with Task Force 16 based out of Childress consisting of two dozers and two engines. Air Attack out of Amarillo responded and directed two SEATS (Single Engine Air Tankers) that were based out of the Childress Airport.
Clarendon EMS assisted with firefighter rehab, and the Donley County Sheriff’s Office and Constable Doug Wright assisted with traffic and incoming mutual aid units.
Powell said the grass fire was started by a lightning storm that occurred on July 11 and 12. The Finch Ranch headquarters was threatened by this fire. Clarendon firemen while on the scene also responded to a second fire caused by lightning on the Finch Ranch, which was still smoldering.
The Clarendon Firebelles handled food and drinks for all involved. Several local ranchers also assisted with this fire.
“The Clarendon Fire Department greatly appreciates and relies on the help and support of the public and is accepting donations of bottled drinking water and Gatorade which may be dropped off at Clarendon City Hall or given to any of our members,” Powell said.
“Financial support is always greatly appreciated as well as the cost of these recent fires has been estimated at $14,489 for Clarendon VFD alone which includes supplies and operating cost of our fire trucks,” he said.
Powell said his department also asks the public to remember the Hedley and Howardwick departments as well as our neighboring departments that support them whenever they need help.
Earlier in the month, the Clarendon VFD was dispatched to a fire on Tim Merrill’s property on FM 2162 on July 9. Firemen were dispatched at 4:10 p.m. and were on the scene until 9:30 p.m. The grass fire started by lightning and burned approximately 40 acres. Several home and outbuildings were threatened but not damaged. Clarendon VFD responded with eight units assisted by Donley County Precincts #1 and #4 motor graders. The Associated Ambulance Authority, Donley County Sheriff’s Office and Texas DPS also assisted.
Also on July 9, the department was dispatched at 9:30 p.m. to County Road UU in Briscoe County to assist the Silverton Fire Department with a grass fire started by lightning which burned approximately 150 acres. One home and several outbuildings were threatened. Clarendon responded to the mutual aid call with five units and were on the scene until midnight, and Memphis and Turkey also assisted.
Another grass fire on July 11 along CR E and SH 273 south of McLean was also started by lightning and burned approximately 125 acres. Clarendon responded with five units and was assisted by Hedley and McLean. Volunteer firemen were dispatched at 7:10 p.m. and were on scene until midnight.
In the early morning hours of July 12, Clarendon volunteer firemen were called to CR P and CR 12, just east of Sawyer Hay Farms and the Greenbelt Water Authority Filter Plant where a grass fire had been started by lightning. Approximately 55 acres burned, and firemen were dispatched at 2:38 a.m. and were on scene until 6 a.m.
Clarendon responded with seven units and was assisted by Howardwick and Donley County Precincts #1 and #4 motor graders and one TxDOT motor grader. This fire threatened the Greenbelt Water Authority facilities on State Hwy 70.
“The fire department received multiple more calls of lightning fires during this fire but thankfully they were put out by rain,” Powell reported.
Citizens are still urged to remain very vigilant when it comes to preventing wildfires. Donley County, and indeed most of the state, remains under a burn ban as hot, dry conditions persist.
Citizens face water woes
For Peter and Marilyn Odima, residents of Clarendon for 12 years, the water restriction hinders their lawn care routine.
“This is the first year they’ve cut us down like this,” Marilyn said. “We spend money buying plants to make our yard look good, and I spend a lot of time working on it. Everyone tells me it looks nice, and I don’t want it to die.”
The Odimas said their exceptionally high water bill this month is due to the heat.
“We water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and the water bill has never been this high.” Marilyn said. “When there are 107°-114° temperatures, it’s hard not to water your lawn if you want it to look good. I don’t want to have to replace my plants that will die.”
Joe’s Lawn and Tree Care is one business that is slightly affected by the water shortage.
“I’ve lost some business by it, but I’ve also gained business,” Joe Hall said. “More trees are dying and they need me to trim the branches. It’s definitely affected me, not necessarily in a negative way though.”
City Administrator Lambert Little said that citizens need to be aware of the severe conditions of the level three drought and the need for a 30 percent reduction in water usage.
“According to Greenbelt Water Authority General Manager Bobbie Kidd, we’re expected to be at stage four by August, which will be emergency conditions,” Little said. “If this happens, then the Greenbelt Water Authority will have the right to allocate water to all customers.”
In order to avoid a penalty if the City exceeds the allocation, Little asks citizens to comply with the water restriction requests. Last month Clarendon consumed 16,880,000 gallons of water while Hedley consumed 3,383,000 gallons.
“Be conservative while doing simple tasks like brushing your teeth,” he said. “Small savings will really add up. In stage four conditions, the City would have to prohibit car washing or even watering the lawn because we need drinking water.”
Little will present water overuse penalties at the public hearing on July 26 at 6:00
p.m.
“I don’t want to penalize people, but we’ve got to reduce consumption,” Little said. “We just don’t have the supply.”
Clarendon ISD Superintendent Monty Hysinger said the school has its own well.
“I’m certainly glad our school has this well because we need to keep our lawn up since we get heavy traffic, especially during ball games,” he said.
“We’ll have to get with the City to work out a watering schedule for the baseball and softball fields.”
Clarendon College also has its own well.
“Even though we’re not with the city [water], we’re still going to work with our maintenance crew to set up a water schedule,” Annette Ferguson, Dean of Administrative Services at Clarendon College, said.
For citizens who are concerned about their lawns, Hall said he has one suggestion.
“Leave your grass about two and a half to three inches long,” he said. “This helps the grass hold moisture and creates its own ecosystem.”
Hysinger agrees with the water restrictions and now only waters his yard on his designated days: Thursdays and Sundays.
“We need to do this because we have no other choice,” he said. “Even if it makes it hard to keep your yard up, it’s just one of those years and times. We’re all in this together.”
City asks citizens to save water
The City of Clarendon is asking citizens to help meet a 30 percent reduction in water usage as the Greenbelt Reservoir nears a Stage Four drought condition.
As the Enterprise went to press Tuesday night, the Board of Aldermen were preparing to meeting to discuss adoption of an ordinance to include provisions for mandatory water use restrictions as well as setting penalties for those who do not comply with the law. Any action on that item will be posted on ClarendonLive.com and reported in next week’s print edition.
City Administrator Lambert Little told the Enterprise that preserving the city’s drinking water had to be a priority for all citizens.
“This is a critical time for the City of Clarendon and all Greenbelt water users,” Little said.
“I am certain that the citizens appreciate the seriousness of our water shortage. I know that all citizens will do their parts to achieve a 30 percent reduction of water use without the imposition of harsh penalties.”
Renee Betts at Greenbelt Municipal & Industrial Water Authority said the reservoir was at a depth of 48.91 feet on Tuesday morning, less than one foot away from Stage Four and dropping.
“Everyone needs to conserve water anywhere they can,” Betts said. “Quit watering the street would be a good start.”
City Hall had several recommendations for reducing water usage that were going before the Aldermen Tuesday night:
1. Limit outside watering to twice-a-week and then only before 10 a.m. and after 7 p.m. Residential customers with odd-numbered street addresses should water on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Even-numbered addresses should water on Thursdays and Sundays, and commercial customers should water on Tuesdays and Fridays.
2. Limit washing motor vehicles, motorbikes, boats, and other vehicles at home to before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on your designated watering day, and then use a bucket and/or hand-held hose with a shut-off nozzle. Commercial car washes are excepted.
3. Avoid filling swimming pools except during the above hours.
4. Avoid operating ornamental fountains unless necessary to support aquatic life or if equipped with a recirculation system.
5. Do not water-wash driveways, sidewalks, or other hard-surfaced areas. Do not wash down buildings or structures except for immediate fire protection.
6. Repair all leaks as soon as possible, and report any leaks or unauthorized usage to City Hall. Night and weekend emergency leaks should be reported to the Donley County Sheriff’s Office at 806-874-3533.
CEDC awards eleventh improvement grant
The most recent award from the CEDC was for improvements to the building now occupied by Ronna’s Creations at 315 S. Kearney, and the total awarded was $685.65.
Property owner San Thompson had previously received a façade grant for a building
next door and was therefore aware of the program when he began the process of constructing a new awning and repainting last December.
“I think anyone who doesn’t take advantage of [the façade grant program] is crazy,” Thompson said. “You improve your building, the CEDC pays for half of it, and it makes a better place for the merchant.”
Ronna Newman, who rents Thompson’s building for the boutique she has operated since December, says she thinks the improvements have helped the building.
“It looks good and makes it stand out,” Newman said.
The CEDC has budgeted $10,000 for this fiscal year’s Façade Grant Program, which provides fifty-fifty matching grants up to a maximum of $2,000 per project for properties on a three-block stretch of Kearney Street. Projects eligible for consideration could be anything from a coat of paint to new signage to a complete rehabilitation of a storefront.
This fiscal year ends September 30, 2011, and the CEDC Board may consider changes to the program before renewing it for next year.
Those interested in the grants are asked to apply prior to beginning a project, and applications are available from CEDC Secretary Roger Estlack at The Clarendon Enterprise.
Since the Façade Grant Program began in 2008, the CEDC has awarded $11,099.80.
We’ve got spirit
Voice support for Hedley’s Post Office
Donley County residents need to pull together to help the community of Hedley save an important resource to the town – its post office.
The Hedley Post Office has been without a fulltime postmaster since last August, and now its customers have been notified that the US Postal Service would like to close up shop there in favor of a rural carrier system. Retail postal services would be available only in Clarendon or Memphis, and the folks in Hedley are not happy about the idea.
Postal customers will get their chance to voice their concerns in a public meeting with postal representatives next Wednesday, July 20, 2011, at 4:30 p.m. at the Hedley Baptist Fellowship Hall, located at 310 N Main, and every interested party needs to be there.
The Hedley school and local businesses depend on the post office for many day-to-day
functions, and other local government functions and senior citizens would also be harmed by the shuttering of the post office. With no local post office, life will become a little more inconvenient for the folks in Hedley. Imagine a half-hour round trip just to mail a package. There are also delivery considerations that need to be looked at. For example, when will folks in Hedley get their Clarendon Enterprise each week?
There are huge forces at play here. According to a USPS press release: “The Postal Service lost $8.5 billion in fiscal year 2010 (Oct. 1, 2010 to Sept. 30, 2010) — that equates to losing more than $23 million every single day of the year. Mail volume has declined by 43.1 billion pieces in the past five years — from an all-time high of 213 billion in 2006 to 170 billion in 2010.” USPS says it is doing “everything possible to reduce costs and save money — this will involve consolidating operations wherever possible.”
By its own admission, the United States Postal Service is in trouble, and rural America is going to take a hit in any attempt to retool the system for the 21st century. Other area post offices have less business than Hedley and may face closure. Right now it is Hedley’s post office on the chopping block. One has to wonder if trends continue how long it will be before Clarendon or Claude or Memphis is faced with something similar. We may not lose retail postal services completely here, but it is foreseeable that the day may come when the post office contracts with a private business for these services.
There is a real fear that the postal service in America is headed for obsolescence. More and more people prefer to use e-mail and web-based communications for everything from personal correspondence to paying their bills. Every postage increase drives more business away from the post office, and shuttering rural post offices, in addition to making rural life harder, will likewise force people to look at alternatives. In 10 years, the Post Office as we know it today may be extinct, killed by a combination of apathy, technology, and poor management.
But that certainly does not mean that rural America should just sit by and watch it happen. In fact, now more than ever, it is time to stand up and be counted and let USPS officials know exactly how integral post offices are to rural life.
Max Heath, Postal Chairman for the National Newspaper Association and a friend of your humble editor, has some advice for saving rural post offices that we all need to pay attention to:
1. Provide written comments within the proper time frame, keeping them factual rather than emotional. Remind decision makers that the proposed rules require USPS to “provide a maximum degree of effective and regular postal services to rural areas, communities, and small towns where post offi ces are not self-sustaining.”
2. Be sure local businesses are involved and make their voice heard. Attend the public hearing.
3. Contact your representative and senators and ask their help in applying their clout to the objections of others.
4. If you lose, you have the right of appeal to the PRC within 30 days of the posting of the final determination.
Everyone who has a stake in the Hedley Post Office needs to be at the public meeting next Wednesday, July 20, 2011, at 4:30 p.m. at the Hedley Baptist Fellowship Hall. And everyone also needs to send written comments to: Consumer Affairs Manager, USPS Fort Worth District, 4600 Mark IV Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76161-9631, before the July 25, 2011 deadline. And remember to keep your comments factual and polite.
Let’s make sure every decision maker knows that Hedley needs its post office.
Meanwhile…
Kudos to Chamber of Commerce President Charlie Smith for his work on Clarendon’s July Fourth activities. All in all, everyone seemed to have a great time; and while there may have been a couple of hiccups, everything went very smoothly. This is especially true when you consider Smith didn’t have much in the way of help and he had never been in charge of the parades and other activities before. Improvements can be made with experience, but for now, the community should thank him for his effort.
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