Dateline: April 30, 2009

Foundation deeds Pampa Center to Clarendon College

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Clarendon College Regents received a nice surprise during their regular meeting April 16 – the deed to the CC campus in Pampa.

The board was scheduled to receive five undeveloped acres south of the existing M.K. Brown Academic Building on W. Kentucky Street. From the Clarendon College-Pampa Center Foundation; but when foundation president Don Lane addressed the meeting, he announced the college would be getting the 14-acre campus as well.

President Bill Auvenshine was very pleased with the foundation’s gift.

“Clarendon College is extremely grateful for the work the Pampa Center Foundation has contributed through the years by taking the initiative years ago to provide higher education to the citizens of Gray County,” Auvenshine said.

CC began offering classes in Pampa in 1972 and operated for many years in a former elementary school building. Community leaders in Pampa secured funding and built the center’s current facility in 1999 and maintained ownership of the building while the college paid the operating expenses.

Also at the April meeting, regents learned that Shane C. Wilbanks had accepted the board’s offer of $832,500 to purchase 55 acres that joins the Pampa campus on the east side, opening up several possibilities for future growth, according to Auvenshine.

“This will enable Clarendon College to complete a three-phase master plan in Gray County,” the president said. “Phase One is construction of a two-building vocational complex south of the existing building. Phase Two is construction of a library, student center, and a larger vocational center, and Phase Three is construction of dorms and additional classrooms.”

Auvenshine said Phase One will begin immediately and that the entire master plan should be completed within 20 years. Regents approved an architect to begin plans for the vocational complex

To finance the new buildings in Phase One and the 55-acre purchase, CC will work with Gray County, which will issue $4 million in bonds for that purpose. CC will then lease the buildings and property from the county with funds from the Gray County maintenance tax until the bonds are paid.

The college’s plans in Pampa will not harm the home campus in Clarendon, according to the president.

“In no way does this compete with Clarendon,” Auvenshine said. “It is too far for towns north and east of Pampa to commute to Clarendon, and our dorms are maxed out. Those students will commute to Borger (and Frank Phillips College) before they drive to Clarendon,” Auvenshine said.

In other college business, regents approved a lease agreement written by CC’s attorneys with US Wind Energy to place wind turbines on the Clarendon campus. The agreement now goes back to US Wind for its approval.

The board also approved the purchase of another wind turbine simulator with 14 students now enrolled in the wind energy program. Auvenshine said Texas Tech is trying to get federal stimulus funds it would use to partner with Clarendon and other community colleges on wind energy programs.

Regents also reviewed and approved faculty contracts for the following people for the 2009-2010 academic year: Emily Baker, Equine/Ranch Horse Coach; Charla Crump, Div. Dir./ Speech; Angela DeMine, Office Tech/PC; Gene Denney, Psychology & Sociology; Pam Denney, Div. Dir./Business & Technology; Russell Estlack, Biology; Scarlet Estlack, Div. Dir./Biology; Cynthia Ewing, Desktop Publishing; Skip Frazier, Education/History; Jason Green, RFO; Bill Huey, Drama/Theater; Rusty Kennedy, Women’s Basketball Coach/Atheltic Director/Business; Mary Nell Kiser, Cosmetology; Jack McCarty, Computer Technology; Melissa McCoy, Developmental Studies; Candra McKee, Softball Coach; Andy McLatchy, Government; Kent Miller, HVAC; Jimidene Murphey, English; Kelcie Newton, Volleyball Coach; Phyllis Norton, Vocational Nursing; Linda Rowland, Math; Mike Silva, Baseball Coach/PE; Tony Starnes, Men’s Basketball/PE; Peggy Stewart, Vocational Nursing; Robert Taylor, Business Administration; Hannah Thompson, English; Johnny Treichel, Ag/Judging Coach; Laban Tubbs, RFO; Frank Vance, Math; and Larry Wiginton, Chemistry.