Dateline: February 12, 2004

Area leaders to work together for progress

By Anna Burchell, Childress Index

The advantages of a ten-county regional organization in promoting state representation and economic opportunities were discussed during a January 28 meet at Childress’ Fair Park Auditorium.

Childress County Judge Jay Mayden and Childress Mayor Pat Steed emphasized the importance of a group to “pull in population numbers for representation in Austin and implement regional projects beneficial to the entire area.”

Officials from Clarendon, Wellington, Memphis, Paducah, Quanah, Hollis, Matador, Turkey, Quitaque, Silverton, Crowell, and Childress were in attendance.

“It is our belief that if we want our region to prosper and grow, it is going to take all of us working together to make it happen,” Childress City Manager Jerry Cummins said. “Combining our efforts gives us a much stronger voice in expressing to others what we are trying to accomplish.”

The ten counties – Briscoe, Childress, Collingsworth, Cottle, Donley, Foard, Hall, Hardeman, and Motley in Texas and Harmon in Oklahoma – have combined population of 33,252, which is down 1.5 percent from 33,747 in 1990.

Individually, county population numbers range from 1,426 to 7,688, which shows that no one county has the numbers to impress state and national candidates but together the numbers are significant.

Only two of the ten counties – Childress and Donley – show a population increase. Childress County is at 7,688, up 29.1 percent over the 1990 census; and Donley is 3,828, up 3.6 percent.

Cummins prepared a list of state committees on which appointments are scheduled and suggested that each county or city look at its people and submit names to be forwarded to State. Sen. Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock) and State Rep. Warren Chisum (R-Pampa) as potential nominations.

“This isn’t just a Childress project,” Mayden said. “We want representation from our area.”

Daily traffic counts on major highways US 287 and US 83 are “the bread and butter for our economy,” officials said. The 2002 daily count on US 287 was 12,700, which is projected to increase to 18,500 in 2023. The count on US 83 is expected to increase from 4,200 per day in 2002 to 6,100 per day in 2023.

“If something good happens in Wellington, Quanah, Clarendon, etc., it’s good for all of us,” Steed said, who called attention to the state’s new “Texas, Yes!” program. “We could, under this program, regionalize our efforts to promote the area.”

Discussions also centered on the region’s common interests: state committee appointments, recreation, hunting, fishing, bird watching, fire protection, emergency management, and business development.

Childress officials discussed use of their radio system to help the area during natural disasters, the availability of their landfill to regional communities, and opportunities provided by business incubators.

“We want to work together,” said Childress Economic Development Director Larry Norton.

Local representatives attending the meeting were Donley County Judge Jack Hall and Clarendon City Administrator Sean Pate.

The regional group will meet again February 18 in Childress.