Chamber hosts new events during 2023 celebration

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce expanded this year’s Saints’ Roost Celebration, adding new events while still organizing the traditional parades.

Diversified Waste sponsored a Lawnmower Barrel Race, and a Best of Donley County Blue Ribbon Exhibition showcased outstanding cooks and quilters.

The theme for both parades was “Adventure Awaits” with entries focused on modes of travel, destinations, and types of vacations.

The Liberty Electric Kids Parade started things off Saturday morning with a more traditional “parade” of kids instead of a mass of kids to give the judges a better view of the entrants in three age categories plus a motorized division.

Winners were as follows: Motorized – first place Ashlynn White and Paisley Jones, second place Daegan Hall, and third place Oakleigh Douglass; Ages 0-3 – first place and Best of Show Dawson Hall, second place Madi Herndon, and third place Astrid Jaramillo; Ages 4-8: first place Zaylee and Asher Jaramillo, second place Kendall Danner, and third place Shaylee Hall; and Ages 9 and Up: first place Chloe Newton, second place Journee Morris, and third place Jay Scott.

In the Herring Bank Parade, the Lady Bronco Basketball Team won the first place Float, Summer Towing had the best car/truck entry, best Animal entry was the Behind the Chutes Cowboy Church, and the Tri-State Spyder Riders had the best other entry.

In the Diversified Waste Lawnmower Barrel Race, contestants drove a riding mower through an obstacle course, which included using a grabber to place a tennis ball on a traffic cone in multiple locations.  Michael DeWeese was the champion with a time of 1:05, and second place was Nancy Kidd with a time of 1:14.

The Best of Donley County Blue Ribbon Exhibition had 56 entries among all the categories. Winners were:

Jellies: Class 10 Plum – first Place Butch Brown; Class 13 Other – first Place Dottie Newkirk, second Place Katie Dowdy, third Place Butch Brown; Class 2 BlackBerry – first Place Abby Lenz; and Class 9 Peach – first Place Charlene Brown. Best Overall Jelly was shown by Dottie Newkirk.

Jams: Class 1 Blackberry – first Place Katie Dowdy; Class 3 Cherry – first Place Amanda Askew; Class 5 Peach – first Place Abby Lenz; Class 7 Strawberry – first Place Charlene Brown; and Class 9 Other – first Place Frances Tillery, second Place Karen Shrader. The Best Overall Jam belonged to Abby Lenz.

Baked Goods: Class 1 Cakes – first Place Suzanna Hallmark, second Place Amanda Robertson, and third Place Amanda Robertson; Class 10 Sweet Bread – first Place Charlene Brown, second Place Suzanna Hallmark, third place Karen Shrader; Class 13 Candy – first place Martha Smith; Class 2 No Bake Pie – first place Amanda Robertson; Class 3 Baked Pie – first Place Amanda Robertson, second Place Amanda Robertson, third Place Shonda Martin; Class 4 Cookie – first Place Paula Goodpasture, second Place Martha Smith; Class 5 Brownie – first Place Karen Shrader; and Class 8 Pudding/Trifle – first Place Amanda Robertson. The Best Overall Bread was shown by Charlene Brown; and the Best Overall Baked Good was shown by Amanda Robertson.

Quilts: Class 10 Mixed Technique – first Dottie Newkirk, second Frances Tillery, and third Angela Blais; Class 13  Wall Hanging – first and second Frances Tillery, and third Dottie Newkirk; Class 14 Other – first Frances Tillery, second Kassie Askew, and third Sharlene Bordonaro; Class 1 Antique – first place and Best Overall Handmade Frances Tillery; Class 2 Baby Quilt – first Abby Lenz; Class 4 Embroidered Quilt – first Frances Tillery; Class 5 Quilt From Kit – first Amanda Askew; Class 8 Machine Quilted from Applique – first Frances Tillery; Class 9 Machine Pieced / Machine Quilted – first and Best Overall Machine Quilted Frances Tillery, second Jamie Simmons Mehlhaff, and third Dottie Newkirk.

Chamber officials appreciate everyone who participated in these events and are already discussing ways to improve those activities next year.