Archives for October 2016

The eighth annual Clarendon Arts Festival will be held this week, October 20, 22, and 23, at the Donley County Activity Center one mile north of the city on State Hwy. 70.

The event, sponsored by Clarendon’s Les Beaux Arts Club, begins with the Preferred Buyers Reception held Thursday evening, October 20, from 6:00 to 9:00, where buyers will be delighted with the variety being offered at the Clarendon Arts Festival this year.

Organizers say about 150 works of art are being checked in this week at the Clarendon Arts Festival. Anyone is welcome at Thursday’s reception; and if you haven’t already pre-paid as a preferred buyer, you can pay that night at the door.

As well as the large selection of art being offered, buyers enjoy the heavy hors d’oeuvres prepared by the ladies of Les Beaux Arts Club.

The Clarendon Arts Festival opens to the public Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the art club’s Mac & Cheese Cookoff running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Members of the public will be given voting tokens to vote for their favorite Mac & Cheese. The People’s Choice Award will be given to the cook that receives the most votes. Sample Cups will be sold at the door (five for $5) for the public tasting, starting at 11:00 a.m. and concluding at 3:00 p.m.

The Arts Festival resumes at 11 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. Those attending the Sunday can enjoy St. Mary’s famous Annual Enchilada Dinner.

In addition to the art show, there are many artists setting up booths with hand-constructed items for sale.

The 2015 Clarendon Arts Festival is sponsored by the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation and Hotel Occupancy Tax, and Donley County Activity Center. With all the fine art and crafts showing here this weekend, everyone should be able to find a treasure.

A frustrated Clarendon couple took their case to City Hall last week after an August 29 downpour caused a sewer line to back up inside their Third Street home.

B.J. and Jennie Owens told the City Council at its regular meeting October 13 that their homeowners’ insurance had denied their claim for damages, and City Administrator David Dockery reported that the city’s insurance had also denied a claim for the same damages.

The city’s insurer also notes that cities are generally immune to liability in cases like this unless there was some negligent damage to the sewer line by city.

Mr. Owens said the sewer backed up in a shower, rain down a hallway, filled up a floor furnace, and then found entry into the basement.

The Owens afterward put in a backflow valve to prevent the damage from happening again, but they said they feel they have done nothing wrong and that the city bears some responsibility in the matter, noting that they and their neighbors on either side have had backups in the past.

Dockery said that backups like these can happen in instances of extreme rainfall when rainwater infiltrates the sewer system through vents, uncapped clean-outs, and other openings.

City officials were sympathetic to the Owens’ case, but were also hesitant to give assistance to the couple, worrying about what precedent that might set for the future.

The city council instead directed Dockery to call the city’s insurer again and strongly urge them to reconsider the claim for damages to the couple’s home.

In other city business, Nathan Floyd was sworn in as the city’s newest alderman. He takes the seat formerly held by Sandy Skelton, who was appointed to the mayor’s position following the resignation of Mayor Larry Hicks.

Aldermen also considered and denied a request from Kyle Hill for additional expenses on a low water crossing on Front Street.

The council set a public hearing for October 27 at 7 p.m. regarding possible condemnation of property at 512 S. Sully.

A study of water rates was discussed considering the debt that will be owed by the city for an upcoming water infrastructure improvement project funded by a USDA grant/loan. Aldermen directed the administration to draft an ordinance raising the base water rate by $10 per month to be presented at the October 27 meeting.

Aldermen approved the annual city fund investment policy and named the city administrator and city secretary as fund investment officers. The council also approved a management plan for the city as a requirement of the USDA funded project.

The council voted to approve reappointing Roger Estlack, Leslie Norrell, and Dr. Robert Riza to the Clarendon Economic Development Corp. board of directors for two-year terms.

A fourth EDC seat will be considered later after Jacob Fangman notified the city that he did not wish to be reappointed to the board.

A Louisiana man is out on bond following a robbery that was interrupted by a Clarendon resident on October 6.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said Walter Wheeler, age 64, is charged with Aggravated Robbery, two counts of second degree felony Possession of a Controlled Substance, and one count of misdemeanor Possession of Marijuana.

Local resident Billy Chadwick was awoken at his Second Street home before 7 a.m. on the date of the incident by someone attempting to steal his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, the sheriff said. Chadwick discovered Wheeler attempting to put the bike in a U-Haul trailer hitched to a four-door Dodge pickup, and he tried to stop the thief.

Wheeler then hit Chadwick in the head with a 2×4, and altercation ensued with Chadwick ultimately subduing the man and notifying authorities.

Deputy Miranda Betts responded to the call, and Wheeler was transported by EMS to the Collingsworth County hospital for treatment before being booked into jail.

Wheeler was arraigned the next day with bond set at $101,500 by Justice of the Peace Pam Mason. He made bond the same day.

Sheriff Blackburn said Wheeler has a length criminal history.

The Clarendon College Meat Judging team brought home the championship when they competed at the American Royal this weekend in Kansas.

The team won by a margin of 110 points.

Individually, Clarendon College had the top 4 high individual placings.  Dyllan Galligan was 1st high individual, Taylor Studenbordt 2nd high individual, Courteney Walker 3rd high individual, and Thackary Mayer 4th high individual.

On the Alternates Team, Austin Trent was 1st High Individual.

The Sophomore Livestock Judging Team competed in Stillwater this weekend at the OSU Mock Contest where they ended up 5th high team overall and were the High Team in Swine.

By Sandy Anderberg

The Clarendon Broncos are not only winning football games, they are growing as football team as well, according to head coach Gary Jack.

With the senior leadership that the Broncos are providing and the depth of the underclassmen, the Broncos are a solid, confident team going into the last three games of their regular season. The 67-0 shutout of the Chieftains at home Friday night not only allowed them to remain perfect, but also gave a boost to the entire team and fans.

“It has been since 1981 that a team has had this kind of start,” Jack said. “We (the coaches) are so excited to see this. I have been a part of a lot of good teams, but this team is getting better and better as we go. Not many teams show as much improvement as this team has. We were expecting a pretty tight game, but we dominated them.”

Jack and the other Bronco coaches have reason to be excited. Not only did the team score 10 touchdowns against Crosbyton; they used seven different players to do it. After going scoreless in the first quarter, Damarjae Cortez ran it in from 40 yards out for the first Bronco score in the second eight minutes and Clay Koetting added the kick. Bear Smith earned the second TD on a 53-yard pass from Cortez with Koetting adding the kick.

The Broncos went on a scoring frenzy in the third quarter putting 40 more points on the board.

“We scored four times in the first half, but two were called back,” Jack said. “But, Clint Franks took the third quarter kickoff and ran it back to the seven-yard line and then Keandre Cortez scored. Our offensive line did a great job and our backs and receivers did, too. We were able to rack up 574 yards of offense and hold them to 141 yards.”

Daquawne Oliver turned a 14-yard run into six points for another score and Koetting caught a 41-yard pass for the next touchdown. D. Cortez passed to Bryce Grahn for the two-point bonus. Preston Elam scored twice on a 58 and 53 yard run and K. Cortez took it in from 29 yards out. Grahn then took it in from 62 yards out and Noab Elam made good on a two-yard run with Franks adding the bonus kick for the final Bronco score.

“So many guys did a great job,” Jack said. “And our younger players jumped right in there and did a great job, too. Everyone fell into place on both sides of the ball. Our younger guys that are going in are playing lights out as well. It’s fun for all of us.”

The Broncos will travel to Ralls Friday night and will take care of business to come home at 8-0.

“We don’t want any let downs,” Jack said. “We want to keep the streak going.”

The game will be at Ralls beginning at 7:00 p.m.