Clarendon Live

The Clarendon Enterprise - Spreading the word since 1878.

Archives for February 2011

Clarendon sales tax revenue growing for second month

by Leave a Comment

The City of Clarendon posted a strong gain on its sales tax revenue last week when Texas Comptroller Susan Combs announced the state’s February distribution.

Clarendon received $40,093.48, which is up 22.48 percent from $32,733.43 last February. That brings the city’s year-to-date tally to $64,489.20, an increase of 20.88 percent.

Howardwick also was up this month with a distribution of $1,024.69, up 60.93 percent from the same time last year and bringing that city to $2,308.57 for the year so far, which is up 52.81 percent.

Hedley fell 29.13 percent to $638.33. That city’s year-to-date tally stands at $1,220.57, which is down 2.18 percent from $1,247.87 at this time in 2010.

Comptroller Combs announced the state’s sales tax revenue in January was $1.83 billion, an increase of 10.4 percent compared to January 2010.

“Sales tax revenues have now improved for the last ten months, reflecting increased activity in almost all major economic sectors,” Combs said.

“The strongest growth was from sectors fueled by business spending, such as oil and gas activity. Tax collections from retail trade were also up.”

January state sales tax collections and February’s local sales tax allocations represent sales made in December, and also include earlier sales by businesses that report sales tax to the Comptroller on a quarterly or annual basis.

The Comptroller sent $440.3 million in sales tax to Texas cities, up 5.4 percent compared to February 2010 payments.

For details of February sales tax payments to individual cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts, locate the Monthly Sales Tax Allocation Comparison Summary

Reports on the Comptroller’s Web site at www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/allocsum/compsum.html.

Ruth Maurine Lindley

by Leave a Comment

Ruth Maurine Lindley, 94, died Thursday, February 10, 2011, in Amarillo.

Services were held Sunday, February 13, 2011, in the Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon with Rev. Larry Capranica, Pastor, and Chuck Robertson officiating.  Interment was held at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.  Services were under the arrangement of  Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Mrs. Lindley was born May 30, 1916, in Hall County, Texas to Gordy Dalton and Nina Willa Dale Cross.  She had been a lifetime resident of Donley and Hall Counties.  She married Dennis Ray Lindley on October 13, 1935, in Hollis, Oklahoma.  She thoroughly enjoyed sewing, crocheting, quilting, and cooking.  She was a member of the Chamberlain, Hudgins, and Golden Needles Quilting Clubs.  She also had taught Sunday school at the First Baptist Church in Clarendon prior to being a Charter Member of the Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Dennis Ray in 1986; a son in law, Marion Bollinger; a sister, Phyllis Richey; and a grandson, Dennis Bollinger.

Survivors include two sons, Harold Lindley and wife Wilma of Clarendon and Tommy Lindley and wife Cynthia of Claude; a daughter, Roberta Bollinger of Clarendon; four grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; and two great great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials be to Odyssey Hospice.

Virginia “Nell” McClish

by Leave a Comment

Virginia “Nell” McClish, 74, of Chandler, Arizona, formerly of Amarillo and Pampa, died Tuesday, February 8, 2011.

Services were held Saturday, February 12, at the Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel. Burial was held at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Pampa, Texas.  Arrangements were by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors.

She was born Virginia Waynell Weaver to Horace and Thelma Weaver on July 3, 1936, at Gilliland, Texas. She grew up on the High Plains of Texas in several small picturesque towns always with her parents, her sister, Louise and lots of friends and cousins. They provided her with a happy childhood and a strong faith with which she lived throughout her life. She married Oran Carter in 1953, and their loving and memory-filled twenty-one-year marriage produced five children. Oran preceded her in death in 1975 in Pampa.

She met Maurice McClish at the First Christian Church in Amarillo, and they married in 1984. Maurice and Nell were blessed in combining their faith, their families, and friends. They shared their love of life and love of adventure- he taught her how to water ski and go bird hunting, and she taught him her love of planting and growing flowers, and love of nature.

They celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary in July of 2010.

Nell is survived by her husband, Maurice McClish of Lake Greenbelt; her sister, Louise Halcom of Amarillo; her five children, Laquita Gruver and husband Kurt of Belton, Texas, Marita Ross and husband Brad of Chandler, AZ, Gay Nell Acord of Pecos, NM , Ora Switzer and husband Bryan of Dallas and John Carter-White also of Dallas; her step-children, Kevin McClish of Amarillo and Cheri, Beverly and Buffy; her ten grandchildren, Mandy Nation, Christy Templeton, Lara and Sara Ross, Art and Oran Acord, Ryan, Hannah and Holly Switzer and Marci McClish; her three great grandchildren, Hailey and Julie Templeton and Brighlee Reynoso.

Olivas Juan Jose Olivas

by Leave a Comment

Olivas Juan Jose Olivas, 43, died Saturday, February 12, 2011, in Clarendon.

Rosary was said Tuesday, February 15, in St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Clarendon. Mass was celebrated Wednesday, February 16, in St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Clarendon with Father Raj Samala and Deacon Pedro Juarez as the celebrants. Interment was held at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Clarendon.

Services were under the arrangements of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon. Juan was born May 30, 1967, in Cuauhtemoc Chihuahua, Mexico to Arnoldo Gonzalez and Guadalupe Olivas. He married Stella Jaramillo on November 21, 1996, in Clarendon. He attended Karate School.

He was a good father, wonderful husband and son in law. He was a member of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Clarendon. Survivors include his wife, Stella Olivas of Howardwick; his mother, Lupe Olivas of Mexico; two daughters, Rhonda Olivas and Rosa Olivas of Howardwick; a son, Juan Angel Olivas of Howardwick; two brothers, Martin Gonzalez and Arnoldo Gonzalez; two sisters, Nana Gonzalez and Olivia Gonzalez; and a favorite niece, Robin Jaramillo.

The family suggests memorials to St. Mary’s Catholic Church or St. Mary’s Cemetery Fund.

Dave Alan Butts

by Leave a Comment

Dave Alan Butts, 55, died Sunday, February 6, 2011, in Amarillo.

Graveside serves were held Friday, February 11, in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon with Rev. Dave Stout, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Howardwick, officiating.  Interment was held at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon. Services were under the arrangement of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Mr. Butts was born April 29, 1955, in Amarillo to Oscar Albert Butts, Jr., and Theda “Penny” Featherston Butts. He had been a resident of Howardwick since 1993. He had worked in construction and as a farmer and rancher as well as working for the Department of Defense. He was a member of the Clarendon Church of Christ.

He was preceded in death by his parents in 2009.

Survivors include a daughter, Alissa Atkinson and husband Grant of Amarillo; a sister, Patricia Beach and husband Ronnie of Olathe, Kansas; three grandchildren, Audrey Hatcher, Ethan and Emma Atkinson all of Amarillo; and two nieces, Sarah Kershner of Nagshead, North Carolina and Jessie Beach of Sherman Oak, CA.

The family suggests memorials to BSA Hospice in Amarillo.

Broncos blow Cyclones away

by Leave a Comment

The Clarendon Broncos are District Champions once again. They sealed the championship at home Friday night against Memphis with one game to play as of press time.

The 68-47 win was a just one more example of how strong the Broncos are this year and their unchallenged dominance on the court. According to head coach Brandt Lockhart; the game was topped off by great offensive play.

“We had a season high of 19 rebounds,” Lockhart said. “And we did a good job of forcing turnovers.”

The Broncos reigned supreme against Memphis from the tip off and led by 20 plus points at the break. Not only did their offensive play set the tempo of the game, the Broncos hustled defensively and frustrated their opponent.
Seniors Johnny Gaines and Brayden Phillips teamed up for seven of the Broncos’ three-pointers with Phillips turning five from the three-point line.
The Broncos also controlled the boards and used their strength to muscle their opponent.

Mike and Chris Crump showed a lot of power inside, and sophomores Cole Ward and Adam Topper came in and continued the dominance under the basket. Justin Shillings, Daniel West, Wes Williams, and newcomer Diego Santos helped around the perimeter.

The Broncos were able to coast the second half as they led by 30 after three.
Scoring: Gaines 22, Phillips 20, Ward 7, Shillings 8, M. Crump 5, C. Crump 2, Williams 2, and Topper 2.

The Broncos will continue their schedule in post-season play at a time to be announced.

Mulkey receives state recognition

by Leave a Comment

Ashlee and Roger Estlack stand with Preservation Texas President Jim Ray in the State Capitol Wednesday morning following the announcement that Clarendon’s Mulkey Theatre was named to the Most Endangered Places List for 2011. Enterprise Photo

The Mulkey Theatre was named to the list of Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places during an announcement at the State Capitol by Preservation Texas Wednesday morning.

The high profile designation had been sought by the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation and the Mulkey Advisory Committee as a way to raise awareness about the need to save the historic theatre.

Mulkey Advisory Committee Chair MaryRuth Bishop said the announcement draws attention to the importance of old theatres and to the work of saving the Mulkey.
“It shows the value put on the Mulkey not just by us in Clarendon but by others in Texas,” Bishop said. “It really is priceless in a way, and it will help others see the importance of giving to save the Mulkey and make it a vital part of our community.”

Committee member Ashlee Estlack agreed with Bishop and said she thinks the recognition will energize the project.

“We believe that this recognition on the state level will put the effort to ‘Bring Back the Mulkey’ into overdrive,” Estlack said.

Both Bishop and Estlack said Wednesday’s announcement was exciting both personally and for the community.

Estlack and her husband, Roger, who is on the Clarendon EDC Board, attended Wednesday’s announcement at the State Capitol and unveiled the Mulkey project to media representatives there.

Wes Reeves, a Preservation Texas board member from Amarillo, said designation on the Most Endangered list will bring a lot of attention to Clarendon in general and to the Mulkey in particular.

“This is statewide advertising for what Clarendon is doing with the theatre as well as for the community’s development effort,” Reeves said. “It says that Clarendon is not only surviving but wanting to thrive.”

Reeves has been involved with Preservation Texas for six years through the Most Endangered Places list and has been working to get attention for sites in the Panhandle.
“Preservation Texas is very appreciative of Clarendon folks for taking time to make this nomination,” Reeves said. “It shows the rest of the state that there are a lot of interesting places in the Panhandle. This puts Clarendon on the map as a place that is interested in preserving its past.”

The designation also opens up an entire network of experts to help with the ‘Bring Back the Mulkey’ effort, Reeves said, and it also tends to legitimize fundraising efforts and give those efforts a boost.

Reeves said many community theatres have been knocked down but said they add a lot to the community when they are saved, a comment that was echoed in Austin.

“The Mulkey Theatre represents one of preservationists’ continuing concerns, the neglect and deterioration of historic theaters in small towns,” said Jim Ray, president of Preservation Texas, Inc., a statewide partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Theaters were community meeting places. Most of them were landmarks in the community. When these theaters die they take with them not only the history of the town but significant opportunities for community revitalization.”

“Like the other structures on our 2011 endangered list, the Mulkey Theatre reflects the increasing awareness across our state of the importance of preserving structures that have played important roles in the history of our state,” Ray said. “By calling attention to them now, we want to encourage residents to act while there’s still time.”

The Texas’ Most Endangered Places program is at its heart a grassroots effort designed to elevate the cause of historic preservation and to increase the capacity of local groups and individuals to preserve the historic resources in their communities.

Located on 108 South Kearney Street, the Mulkey Theatre first opened its doors on February 13, 1946. For the next four decades it remained an important cultural center for the city and surrounding area of Clarendon. The Mulkey Theatre is a 1946 Streamline Modern Style building and is located between two of downtown’s oldest buildings.

The theatre closed in 1986 and since then has deteriorated due to harsh weather and time. Pieces of the marquee and a poster frame have fallen off the façade. Most of the neon lighting has been destroyed due to vandalism and hail damage. Poor drainage at the rear of the building has caused settling in the foundation and large cracks in the
walls.

In the late 1990s, an unsuccessful effort to re-open the theatre resulted in the loss of the original seats, equipment, and the movie screen.

In 2008, the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation purchased the building with the hope of rehabilitating and re-opening the theatre. Recently, the roof has been replaced to prevent further deterioration of the building. Unfortunately, further funds to revitalize the building are limited. It is believed that saving the Mulkey Theatre will protect the city’s heritage and will boost the economic vitality of the community.

Since December nearly $6,000 has been raised from private donations to help “Bring Back the Mulkey.” For details on how you can donate to the effort, visit www.clarendonedc.org or search for “Mulkey Theatre” on Facebook. Donations can be mailed payable to Donley County Historical Commission, PO Box 905, Clarendon, TX 79226.

Preservation Texas named its first list of endangered historic sites in 2004.
For several sites, inclusion on the list of Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places has resulted in energized conservation efforts, commitments for restoration, and additional funding.

The 2011 list of Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places also includes: the Blas Herrera Ranch, San Antonio, Bexar County; the Duval County Courthouse, San Diego, Duval County; the Lodge Building, 441 East Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Waxahachie, Ellis County; the Lubbock Post Office & Federal Building, 800 Broadway, Lubbock, Lubbock County; the Noah Cox House, 101 Main, Roma, Starr County; the Olivewood Cemetery, 1300 Court Street, Houston, Harris County; the Piano Bridge, One Piano Bridge Road near FM 1383, Schulenburg, Fayette County; the Roma-Cuidad Miguel Aleman International Suspension Bridge, Spur 29, off of U.S. 83, Roma, Starr County; and the Santa Fe Railway Depot, 954 College Avenue, Snyder, Scurry County
Preservation Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places program is funded by generous grants from the Burdine Johnson Foundation and the Summerlee Foundation. By providing statewide awareness through media coverage, the Most Endangered Places is a tool that recognizes the importance of specific sites while promoting the cause of historic preservation in Texas.

For more information on Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places, visit our Web site at www.preservationtexas.org, or phone Preservation Texas, Inc. at 512-472-0102.

Verified by MonsterInsights