Cool weather greets visitors to celebration

Cool weather and light rain greeted attendees to the 122nd annual Saints’ Roost Celebration last Saturday on the Courthouse Square.

All day a cool breeze kept visitors comfortable, and the occasional sprinkles did nothing to inhibit the festivities. It was the first time in recent memory that any moisture had fallen on the morning event. The official high for the day was 86° F.

The day started off with the Craft Fair and Old Settlers Reunion. Floyd Crawford was named the oldest person in attendance at 98 years of age, and Stina Cain was awarded the certificate for having traveled the greatest distance to be at the celebration. He came from New Jersey.

Approximately 1,000 people enjoyed barbecue served by the Shriners. That number was down slightly from last year’s total.

The Clarendon Lions Club held Cow Patty Bingo prior to the parade. Vic Jeter and Jimmy Johnson had their lucky squares pooped on.

The Western Parade was held shortly after 2 p.m. The parade boasted 69 entries this year, 12 more than last year, and was sponsored by Community Bank and the Herring National Bank.

The Clarendon High School Junior Historians had the first place float with their depiction of “Washington Crossing the Delaware.” Second place went to the Donley County Horse Club.

Boys Ranch was named the top riding unit in the parade, and the Donley County Horse Club was second in that division also.

The best antique car was owned by Wondell Luttrell with second place going to the Community Bank.

The best general entry was the Clarendon Vet Clinic, and Kim Fowler was second.

Sunday’s festivities started early with Cowboy Church being held at the rodeo arena at 7 a.m. Rodeo slack roping was held most of the day at the arena.

The Saints’ Roost Museum held their annual Open House and free Sloppy Joe Supper on Sunday afternoon. Approximately 150 people attended.

Prior to the supper, the museum board honored the late James Owens in a small ceremony for his family and friends. W.H. Skelton presented a short narrative of Owens’ contributions to the museum and the community. A plaque will be hung in the foyer of the museum in Owens’ memory.

The celebration continued Mon-day morning with Merchants Western Days downtown with games and concessions east of the Post Office. W.H. Skelton told stories at the Burton Library on Monday afternoon about growing up in Clarendon in the 1920s and 1930s.

Monday evening, the museum board hosted bingo at the Lions Hall, and a street dance was held in front of the Courthouse with Clarendon’s KEFH-FM radio station and disc jockey Pat Robertson providing the dance music.

The street dance was very successfull with an estimated crowd of 500 to 600 people at its peak. It was only scheduled to last until 1 a.m. Tuesday, but people were reportedly still dancing at 2 a.m. Several comments were heard that the community should hold dances like this every month during the summer.

Also Monday night was the time for the long-awaited truck give-away by the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce. Bob Hoggard of Suisun City, Calif., was announced as the winner of a new pickup from Chamberlain Motor Co. during that night’s rodeo.

Tuesday, July 4, was the final day of the celebration. Those events, including the winners of the turtle race and the bicycle parade, will be reported in next week’s issue.

The Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association held the annual rodeo June 30 and July 1 and 3. Results of the rodeo will also appear next week.