Archives for April 2014

The Clarendon Board of Aldermen awarded a contract for street paving to MH Civil Constructors, Inc., during their regular meeting last Tuesday, April 22.

The Amarillo-based contractor submitted the only bid for work that was authorized by city voters in 2012. The bid with alternates was for a total of $677,362.56.

The project will include Sixth Street from Koogle to Goodnight Street; Third Street from Allen to Bugbee Avenue; Allen Street, from Third to Fifth; Sims Street from Third to Fourth (west side of Broncho Stadium); and Carhart Street, from Sixth to Hwy. 287.

A two-block section of Sixth Street beside the baseball fields will be paved in concrete, while the rest of the streets will be two-pass seal coats with either rollover curb and gutter or standard curb and gutter. City employees will do the excavating for the curbing as well as the base work for the paving.

The project also calls for seal coating Clarendon Avenue from Bugbee to its west end (along the south side of the Clarendon College campus) and Regent Avenue from US 287 to Clarendon Ave. (which winds up the middle of the CC campus by the Bulldog Gym).

Mayor Larry Hicks told aldermen he hopes the project is completed by October 1.

In other business, Aldermen approved clean audits of the city and the economic development corporation; authorized the purchase of eight new computers for the Burton Memorial Library through the Harrington Library Consortium, and awarded $1,000 to the Christ’s Kids Ministry for its summer lunch program.

Aldermen resumed discussion of proposed regulations of gaming machines. Alderman Doug Kidd asked for more information and expressed reservations about the city making money on a business of questionable legality, but Alderman Larry Jeffers said he thought the city should regulate the business whether it made any revenue or not. No action was taken.

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce honored Steve and Janet Carter as its Man and Woman of the Year for 2013 during an awards dinner last Thursday, April 24, at the Bairfield Activity Center.

Ten people were honored by the Chamber, including the Carters and Donley County Judge Jack Hall, who received the Chamber’s highest honor, the Saints’ Roost Award.

Hall spent three decades as a coach and teacher at Clarendon Public Schools before retiring and then becoming county judge about 17 years ago. Hall’s influence and support was one of the principal factors in the successful restoration of the 1890 Donley County Courthouse, and he has carefully promoted and protected the landmark building since the project was completed in 2003.

The Carters were recognized for selfless devotion to children in Clarendon through the Christ’s Kids ministry. Steve and Janet run the summer food program, which runs five days a week and delivers to kids’ homes. They help organize the community Thanksgiving meal and have worked with the Angel Tree program, the Boy Scouts of America, and other activities.

Amanda Askew and Jeremy Powell were named the Volunteers of the Year. Askew has helped at the Saints’ Roost Museum and other community needs, including the Chamber’s Christmas Bazaar last December. Powell serves as Clarendon’s Fire Marshall and Fire Chief and gives freely of his time working for the safety of the entire county. He maintains all the required paperwork for the volunteer fire department and spends many hours on fire prevention and fire safety issues.

Jack Moreman was named the Pioneer of the Year. He grew up in Hedley and has spent a lifetime in service to others, helping with the VFW, the American Legion, the Saints’ Roost Museum, and Clarendon College. Moreman started the college’s Ranch & Feedlot Operations program and currently serves on the CC Board of Regents. He has also given a lifetime of service to the First United Methodist Church, where he helps with the United Christians Breakfast each month.

The Young Man and Woman of the Year from Hedley High School were Denver Chambless and Kristen Liner. Chambless has been involved with football, tennis, golf, and FFA and was recognized for his positive attitude as a role model for other students. Liner has been involved with NHS, athletics, UIL events, cheerleading, and One Act Play and was recognized for helping with food drives and Christmas drives for the elderly and less fortunate children as well as being a role model for others.

The Young Man and Woman of the Year from Clarendon High School were Tyler Smith and Deborah Howard. Smith is a member of the Bronco Band as well as being active in French Club and UIL events, placing second in UIL Editorial Writing at district this year. He is active in the United Methodist Youth and is very involved in Boy Scouts of America with the rank of Eagle. Howard has been involved in NHS, cross country, basketball, band, theatre, and yearbook. She has been a UIL regional qualifier and was the 2013 CHS Homecoming Queen.

About 130 people attended this year’s awards ceremony, up from 45 people last year.

Chamber President Bonnie Campbell conducted a business meeting for Chamber member prior to the start of last week’s awards dinner. New bylaws for the Chamber were previously made available to Chamber members and were unanimously adopted by the general membership.

Two Howardwick residents were in the Donley County Jail for burglarizing the Sandell Drive-In as the Enterprise went to press Tuesday.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said Brenda Blevins and Jeffrey Wyrick were arrested Monday, April 28, for Possession of Stolen Property after officers executed a search warrant at their home at 258 Palacia Drive in Howardwick.

Among the items found in the home was a large amount of candy and a trash believed to have been stolen from the drive-in theatre in Clarendon on either April 23 or April 24.

Blackburn said his office will be filing burglary charges on both individuals for the Sandell break-in. He also said his office is investigating evidence taken from the home that appears to be related to an April 26 break-in at the Howardwick Baptist Church.

Blevins, age 28, has a small criminal history, but Wyrick, age 32, has an “extensive” criminal history, the sheriff said.

According to Enterprise files, Wyrick was arrested on August 25 of last year in connection with three local burglaries, including one at the Clarendon Country Club from which a large safe was stolen.

All the first graders went to the saddle shop, and we met Mr. Anderberg and we got to see what saddles are made of. Then we went to the boot shop and met Jim Owens. We learned that he will trace someone’s foot and then he will make the boot.

We went to the Museum, and we first went to the Indian Room and second

we went to Mr. Bugbee’s room. He was an artist who drew sketches and smoked a pipe. The Museum has his pipe. We went to the Newspaper Room, and I told them all about the Enterprise. I told them that it has been in my family for many years, and now my Dad owns it, and soon I will, too.

The class went to the City Park to eat lunch and had recess there as well.

We went to Charles Goodnight’s house. Mrs. Goodnight wanted to save some buffalo from being hurt or even killed. Mr. Goodnight was one of the first Texas Rangers, and there was a longhorn who was the main one in Goodnight’s cattle drive and his name was Old Blue.