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July 22, 2017 | Printed on recycled paper
Hereford BRAND Proudly Serving The High Plains Since 1901
Volume 117 | Number 7 WHAT'S INSIDE
State ‘blip’ creates payment standoff By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
Local 4-H'ers take record book honors Page 5
Procedures for how the Texas Comptroller Office lists property valuations has Hereford Independent School District (HISD) and Hereford Wind butting heads over money with almost $1 million hanging in the balance. The problem lies in the amount HISD claims is owed through what is effectively a hold-harmless agreement with the wind-
energy entity and what Hereford That issue has come to a logWind believes it owes. gerhead during the past Unable to grant propseveral months as HISD reerty tax abatements – as ports a loss of almost $2.5 Deaf Smith County did million in money from the – HISD entered into an state, while Hereford Wind agreement with Hereford figures put that at $1.5 Wind that obligated the million. company to make up any The payment, which was loss in state school fundfigured into the 2016-17 ing its holdings caused HISD budget, was schedINGRAM due to an increase in the uled to be made in Janucounty’s overall property ary. value. According to HISD officials,
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Although Hereford City Manager Rick Hanna is expecting some “pushback” over plans for a new $6.7 million civic/ community center, experts reported the reality is time had come for those plans to move forward. A design and floorplan for a new center on West 15th Street were unveiled during Monday’s regular meeting of the Hereford City Commission. Senior Associate Greg Billman of Parkhill Smith & Cooper, an architectural firm in Lubbock, presented an artist’s rendering of the proposed 24,800-square foot facility, as well as other details, to commissioners. In addition to designs, Billman came armed with an assessment of the current city community center on East Park Avenue, which showed 60-yearold Hereford Community Center had effectively reached the end of the line. “There are space constraints, and circulation [for people] is a problem,” he said. “The lighting is not good. The restrooms are not good, and accessibility is a real problem. “Basically, the building is falling apart. Repairs would be throwing good money after bad.” Billman toured and inspected the building in May with community center director Erin Hubbard. His findings – along with observations on the facility by city maintenance personnel – were presented to commissioners Monday.
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FORECAST
Today
Mostly Sunny High: 96º Low: 66º
Sunday
Sunrise: 6:53 a.m. Sunset: 8:58 p.m. Wind: SSW 8 MPH Precipitation: 40% Humidity: 52% UV Index: 10 of 10
Shoring up, sprucing up
Monday
PM Thunderstorms High: 87º Low: 66º
The nagging feeling that something is missing as one travels down West First Street in Hereford is not an anomaly. There is a hole in the landscape around Marn Tyler Realty after the removal of the windmill, right, that had been next to the building for a number of years. Tyler has donated the windmill – reported to be one of the oldest in the county – to Deaf Smith County as a historical artifact, and it was recently removed for transfer to a new home on the lawn of Deaf Smith County Courthouse – where it will join the windmill at Deaf Smith County Museum, left, as a reminder of an important part of county history. In the meantime, above, county workers have been reinforcing the Tyler windmill's structure and giving it a new coat of paint in Deaf Smith County Bull Barn. BRAND/John Carson
Sunrise: 6:53 a.m. Sunset: 8:58 p.m. Wind: SW 12 MPH Precipitation: 50% Humidity: 57% UV Index: Extreme
HEREFORD HISTORY 6 years ago • July 22, 2011
Runners break from the starting line in the 27th annual Greg Black memorial run on 15th Street in front of the Hereford YMCA.
INDEX
Obits.........................2 News......................3,5 Community..........4,6-7 Classifieds...............9 Sports....................10
PLEASE SEE CENTER | 5
Local church putting into practice what it preaches By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
© 2017 Hereford BRAND A division of Roberts Publishing Group
PLEASE SEE 'BLIP' | 3
By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
Herd camp season winding down
PM Thunderstorms High: 90º Low: 65º
that payment has yet to be made with both parties – and their attorneys – in negotiations to rectify the situation. On the surface, a finger of blame could easily be pointed at Hereford Wind, however, HISD Business Manager Rusty Ingram was quick to point out the crux of the problem does not rest on the shoulders of the school district or wind entity.
Center ‘falling apart’
Villanueva nabs national award
Sunrise: 6:52 a.m. Sunset: 8:59 p.m. Wind: SSW 11 MPH Precipitation: 10% Humidity: 41% UV Index: 10 of 10
10 pages | $1.00
Nazarene Family Church of Hereford will literally put into practice what it preaches with its first #ServeHereford event next week. Set for Wednesday-Saturday, the four days feature outreach
throughout Hereford that is highlighted by a number of community service projects. “We believe service should be a lifestyle,” Nazarene Family Church pastor Ted Taylor said. “We don’t want it to be a one-time thing, but we did think it needed a special week.
“We have groups who go elsewhere to do service, so we also wanted to do something in our own community.” The “intense week of service projects” will include an array of endeavors for the community as a whole and individuals. Church groups will do painting
and clean-up at parks to assist city efforts, while also reaching out to inmates at Deaf Smith County Jail. Nursing homes will be a prime target as groups are scheduled to make several visits to residents, as well as hosting a nail-painting PLEASE SEE CHURCH | 6
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