Ashlyn Tubbs

The state’s accountability system has once again rated the Clarendon Independent School District as Academically Acceptable this year.

Clarendon Elementary was rated Exemplary, up from Recognized from the previous five years. Clarendon Junior High went up from Academically Acceptable to Recognized. Clarendon High School maintained its level as Academically Acceptable for the third year in a row.
The ratings are partly based on Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills (TAKS) scores.

“I thought we were going to be recognized for sure, but when they put our scores in the new state measures, it jumped us up to Exemplary,” Clarendon Elementary Principal Mike Word said. “We’re really proud of our scores, and we’re going to try our hardest to keep the levels going up.”

On the TAKS test across the district, Clarendon had 97 percent of students pass the reading/English language arts portion of the test, the same as last year; 98 percent in writing, up from 95 percent from the previous two years; 90 percent in social studies, down from 92 percent last year; 77 percent in math, down from 82 percent from the past two years; and 85 percent in science, up from 81 percent.

“We have some exceptional scores on all three campuses, but we recognize that we have to continue to improve our math scores,” CISD Counselor John Taylor said. “We look forward to implementing several new initiatives to improve those math scores.”

Clarendon Junior High Principal Marvin Elam also believes that it is imperative math scores be raised.
“We’re still going to have to concentrate on math. The math TAKS test is much more difficult than any other test, but it’s just something that we’ll have to continue working on.” Elam said.

Results of each test section is examined by the state based on the school’s performance as a whole and is based on results of different population categories, such as African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged.

For each subpopulation, test scores must be at or above 75 percent to achieve TEA’s Recognized status. As a district, CISD fell short of that score in two subpopulation groups in mathematics.

Standards for the TAKS continue to get to get higher and the tests themselves keep getting tougher each year.
“I think the TAKS test has progressively gotten harder,” CHS Principal Larry Jeffers said. “Our teachers and students have worked very hard to keep up with those challenges, and we will continue to try to improve our scores with teacher training.”

CISD TAKS results for each campus are as follows: Clarendon Elementary – reading 97 percent, writing 97 percent, mathematics 86 percent, science 94 percent; Clarendon Junior High – reading/English language arts 98 percent, writing 99 percent, social studies 88 percent, mathematics 80 percent, science 93 percent; Clarendon High School – reading/English language arts 95 percent, social studies 90 percent, mathematics 66 percent, and science 77 percent.

Hedley Independent School District was rated Recognized for the second year in a row.

Student’s TAKS scores across Hedley’s district are as follows: 95 percent in reading/ English language arts, up from 94 percent last year, 100 percent in writing, up from 99 percent the previous two years, 83 percent in social studies, down from 91 percent last year, 78 percent in mathematics, down from 83 percent, and 74 percent in science, down from 75 percent last year.

The Donley County Commissioners’ Court met in regular session on Monday, July 13, at 9 a.m. in the Commissioners Courtroom in the Courthouse.

Roger Estlack attended the meeting to request $500 for the Saints’ Roost Museum for the Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon CookOff, which was approved.
A Contract Agreement between South Plains Forensic Pathology and Donley County has been approved for one year.

Dr. John Howard was named as the Local Health Authority.

Democratic alternate election judges were appointed for the primary election in March 2010.
The alternate judges are as follows: Precinct 101; Henry Hermesmeyer, Precinct 102 (Howardwick); Dorthy Arnold, Precinct 201; Gay Cole, Precinct 303 (Hedley Lions Club); Brenda Swinney, Precinct 401; Bunny Owens. There is no alternate election judge appointed for Precinct 301 yet.

There were no added additional fees or changes to optional fees made to the Chapter 502- Transportation Code.

Judge Willis Smith was re-appointed to the Board of MHMR.

The Annual Criminal and Civil Law Update for September 23-25, 2009, with Landon Lambert as County Attorney was approved.

The collection of $5 for each civil suit filed in the County Court, Statutory County Court, Probate Court and District Court in the County was approved.

Brenda Mawlin from the Donley County Soil and Water Conservation District asked for assistance in a tree program for kids.

Summer fun has just begun at the Clarendon City Park. Thanks to the cooperation and combined efforts of citizens and organizations, a shared vision of building a park that Clarendon can be proud of has been fulfilled.

“A lot of citizens have commented on how nice it looks,” City Administrator John Webb said. “Young mothers are grateful that they now have a place they can take their toddlers to take out their high energy.”

One of those moms is Meghan Gribble, who likes to take her daughter to the park.

“I’m really glad the city put the new playground in,” Gribble said. “It’s where my daughter loves to play, and we go there often.”

Improving the park was definitely not a walk in the park. It took a total of three years for the park to appear as it does now; one full year of research, paperwork, approvals and disapprovals, and two years of labor. The city received a grant for almost $40,000 towards the project. This covered costs for necessities such as new playground equipment, picnic tables, grills, trees, plants, shrubs, tree and telephone pole removal, and new lights.

“We have made these improvements because we want citizens to have a nice, shaded place to meet,” Webb said. “It’s so nice when people get out and meet their neighbors.”

In addition to the grant, there were also many donations given towards the park. All of the following donated to the project: Bobbie Kidd from Greenbelt Water Authority, Alma from Home Depot, Johnny Floyd from Floyd’s Automotive, Earl Hartman from J&W Lumber, Mark White from Wallace Monument, Joe Fraust from BNSF, Nancy Breedlove from NVB Playground Equipment, Greg from Pampa Concrete, and Jimmy Cobb from AMA TechTel.

There were also many locals who donated their labor, such as: Mark Lutrell, Connie Sparks, Kelly Hill, Marcus Smith from PRPC, Roxana Eli from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Roy Williams, Boy Scout Troop 433, John Webb, and city employees. Locals who donated cash or tangible donations were: Vernie Ford, Duane and Wanda Nichols, John and Jeannie Molder, Jim Riley, and Sara SoRelle.

“We would like to say a big thank you to all the locals and organizations who have donated towards this project,” Webb said.

Among renovations and additions to the park, there is a new play area called Tot Town. According to City Clerk Jeannie Molder, Tot Town was the idea of former city superintendent, the late Jim Roberts, who wanted a place for his toddler grandchildren to play.

“Jim asked me to ask the board to pursue it, so I did, and it just went from there,” Molder said. “I don’t think anything does my heart better than to see that playground full of kids.”

As far as the grant is concerned, improvements to the park are complete. But that doesn’t mean that there are no ideas for the future in progress. Webb says that possible plans for the park include a waterfall at the entrance, solar lights, and decorating the park for holidays. Plans for the 1908 trussle bridge have not been finalized yet.

“Making the park beautiful makes it a focal point in Clarendon,” Webb remarked. “I really think that with the help of citizens we can bring back community pride into Clarendon, because that is important.”

All citizens are encouraged to take pride in the park, and
not to destroy something that has taken a lot of time and effort to look so nice.

“Help and support from Clarendon citizens in giving back that community pride is appreciated,” Webb said. “We want to show what a beautiful town Clarendon really is, and how is has so much opportunity to expand into the future.”

Wilson Cattle took top honors during the Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association’s annual Ranch Rodeo last Friday and Saturday.

Wilson Cattle’s scores beat out 19 other local and regional teams as working cowboys put their skills to the test as part of the 132nd annual Saints’ Roost Celebration. The team was made up of Rody Wilson, Tyler Rice, Jason Thomas, Jesse Valdez, and John Wilson.

Finishing second was Bit Ranch with the team of Danny Bennet, Teal Bennet, Tate Bennet, Klay Waters, and Rex Green.

Rafter L Cattle Co. was third with the team of Lonny Brown, Seth Brown, Brad Overstreet, Shannon Vincent, and Andy Adams.

The Top Hand and Top Horse award was won by J.D. Roberts of Britten/Prethro.

The Wild Mare Races were canceled after an injury occurred in the middle of the event on Friday.

The Calcutta winners were Kevin Huddleston, 1st; Bit Ranch, 2nd; Rafter L, 3rd.

Calf scramble winners from the four nights were Marshal Johnson, Caden Bennett, and Button Kennedy (Thursday); Cody Crump and Clayton Moore (Friday); and Cade Williams, Casey McCleskey, and Sage Coley (Saturday).

Junior Calf Riding was held all four nights. Winners were Jake Baca (Thursday), Jake Baca (Friday), and Dalton Benson (Saturday). Overall Calf Ride winner was Dalton Benson.

Winners of the Junior Steer Riding were Brock Baldwin (Thursday), Brock Baldwin (Friday), and Jake Baca (Saturday). Overall Steer Riding winner was Jake Baca.
Junior Donkey Riding winners were Zack O’Neal (Thursday), Dalton Benson (Friday), and Dalton Benson (Saturday). Overall Donkey Riding winner was Dalton Benson.

The Overall Junior Rodeo winners from Thursday night were Smith SJ, first; Voo Doos, second; and Out of Grass Cattle Co., third.

The Top Hand winner for the Junior Ranch Rodeo was Chance McAnear, and the Top Horse went to Hunter Kennedy.

Clarendon High School students will return from summer vacation to completely new looking buildings this upcoming school year. Renovations to the inside of both the High School and Band Hall have been in progress since June 1.

“Our school is going to be fresh, nice and clean; and I will be able to tell when kids mark on the walls. I’m excited.” Clarendon High School Principal Larry Jeffers said.

According to Jeffers, the repairs will include: replacing the tile in both of the science labs, all of the hallways, and some of the tile in the Band Hall, pulling the old carpet out in all of the classrooms and replacing it with new carpet, replacing tile with carpet in the Band Hall and teacher’s workroom, refinishing all the doors in the schools as well as putting kick-plates on them, redoing the wood on the front of the auditorium stage, and repainting the entire school.

Superintendent Monty Hysinger said that they also are going to do a roof repair on the high school and Band Hall since they have the oldest roofs in district. He believes the roofs could gain another five to six years if they receive a few minor repairs.

“Overall I think it’s going to be a very nice improvement,” Hysinger said. “It’s going to make our school look like a whole new building.”

The new paint and carpet will differ from the ones previous. Clarendon High Secretary Valorie Ashcraft describes the replacing colors as lighter and softer tones.

“We’re relaxing our environment,” Ashcraft remarked.

Hysinger says that the High School and Band Hall have not received any major restoration in approximately twenty years. In the last couple of years though, it has become noticeable that the school was in need of new flooring, since the carpet was getting thread bare, and it was time to refinish the wood work. The vinyl flooring was also getting harder to keep up in some areas.
“We’re just giving the school a new face lift,” Hysinger commented. “It’s one of our nicer buildings, so we want to maintain it.” 

Hysinger says that the overall cost of the carpet and flooring repairs is approximately $52,413. The total price of the woodwork, painting and refinishing reaches $47,800. The district fund balance will pay for the project.

“We try to save money back for these types of maintenance repairs,” Hysinger said. “We’re trying to maintain these buildings as good as we possibly can so people are proud of our facilities and know that we take care of them.”

As for the labor, Rick Lovelady Carpet in Amarillo will receive the benefit of the carpet, and Jim Shadle got the bid for the paint job and contracted it out.
“Jim Shadle’s crew and Rick Lovelady carpets are both working extra hard to do a nice job,” Hysinger said. “They are all working good together.”

The estimated time of completion for the renovations is July 17.

Anticipation and excitement rises as Clarendon starts preparing for this year’s 132nd Annual Saints’ Roost Celebration to be held July 2-4.

The festivities will begin July 2 starting with the Downtown Merchants’ Western Days Street Sale, which will run all day long. There will also be a Trade Show in the Clarendon Community Center at the rodeo ground starting at 5:00 p.m., which will take place all three days.

The fun continues that night starting at 7:30 p.m. with a 16 and under Junior Rodeo, which will be held at the COEA arena, followed by an outdoor dance on the COEA slab.

Each night of the rodeo there will be a calf scramble, open calf, Jr. donkey and steer riding available to all young cowboys and cowgirls. Boy Scout Troop 433 will provide concessions for all three nights of the rodeo.

The all day long Downtown Merchants’ Western Days Street Sale will continue to kick things off July 3rd, and a Depression Lunch will take place from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Henson’s famous annual Turtle race will begin at 3:00 p.m. at Third and Kearney.

Later on that night, another rodeo will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the COEA with an outdoor dance immediately following.

The busiest day of the celebration will be July 4, starting at 8:00 a.m. with Open Barrel Racing. Lineup and registration for the Kids’ Bike Parade will be at 9:30 a.m. across from Henson’s. The Kids’ Bicycle Parade will start rolling at 10:00 a.m.

Also starting at 10:00 a.m. will be the County Craft Fair and the Senor Citizens’ Bake Sale, both taking place on the Courthouse Square. For booth space at the County Craft Fair, contact the Donley County Extension Office.

The Old Settler’s reunion will start at 10:30 a.m. with live entertainment. The Al Morrah Shrine Club’s annual BBQ Lunch will start serving at 11:00 a.m. and will continue until the food runs out.

Registration and lineup for the annual Western Parade will be at 1:00 p.m. at the baseball field, and the parade will take off at 2:00 p.m. The Lion’s Club Cow Patty Bingo will begin playing at 3:00 p.m.

That night, the annual COEA Ranch rodeo will open at 7:30 p.m. followed by a live band dance featuring Ed Montana. The St. Mary’s Catholic Women Quilt Drawing will take place at 9:00 p.m.

Tragedy struck Mary Vorheis on Wednesday, June 10, when a fire devoured her home southeast of Clarendon.

According to Jeremy Powell, Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department First Assistant Chief, the fire was called in at 12:28 p.m. by a passerby who spotted the smoke. The fire is thought to have burned from 45 minutes to an hour before it was even noticed.

The fire took an hour to be fully extinguished. Responders included; 14 Clarendon Fire Department firemen, five fire trucks, Donley County Sheriff’s Office and Clarendon EMS.

“I would recommend Clarendon’s Volunteer Fire Department to anybody. They’re great,” Mary Vorheis said. “The Sheriff’s Department couldn’t have handled it better; Butch was out there in a hurry and a deputy stayed there with me until my relatives showed up. I think they’re all super.” 

Lightning was blamed as the source of the fire. The flames started in the living room since it received the most severe damage. The rest of the house suffers from smoke and heat damage.

According to Vorheis, the house was insured and some things were able to be recovered, like a chest of  drawers and some pictures, but most everything was gone.

“The house had a metal roof and was sealed really tight, so it was like an oven,” Powell said. “What didn’t burn was baked.”

Fortunately, the house was unoccupied when the house set ablaze.

“I’m the only one who lived in the house because my husband is in the Nursing Home,” Vorheis said. “I had just finished up working for Pat Knolls when Johnny Floyd heard about my house on the scanner. He asked Billy Chadwick to call me and tell me, since I have known him for a long time.”

As of now, Vorheis is living in Annie Shelton’s house in Clarendon. Since her son Ben is in the United States Air Force and is currently serving in Iraq, Vorheis also qualifies for help from the United Way for family crisis. 

This fire was only one of the incidents that occurred that day that required immediate attention. Powell said firemen received three calls in a row; one being a man involved in a rollover accident who reported that the wind blew his car off Hwy. 70 South. He experienced no injuries. The other call was concerning a small grass fire.

A fund for Vorheis has been set up at Donley County State Bank. The community’s support for her through this difficult time is deeply appreciated.

“The community has really been wonderful,” Vorheis said. “I would like to thank everyone for their love, concern and prayers.”

Clarendon Family Medical Center is proud to announce the addition of a new member to their staff, Sarah Burcham, who has been working as a Physician’s Assistant at the clinic for about three months.

Burcham was born in Logan, Utah. When she was six months old, she moved to the small town of Bayville, Colorado, where she was raised on a farm and eventually graduated from high school.
“Bayville is about the same size as Clarendon.  There is actually two more people there than in Clarendon when you look it up,” Burcham says. “Since I don’t have a lot of experience in the center of big city or anything like that, the small town field is what I am used to and what I consider as home.”

Burcham attended college at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where she received her Associate’s degree and Bachelor’s of Science in Biology. She then received her Physician Assistant’s degree in upstate New York by Syracuse. It was at that time that Burcham met her husband of almost five years, Daniel Burcham.
Burcham’s experience previous to working at Clarendon Family Medical Center includes working as a nurse’s aide in home health and drawing blood at a hospital for about two years.

“I have experienced working in both small towns and larger cities because when I was a home health aide, I traveled around, and some of the areas were a little smaller than others. We were located in Crowell, Utah, which was a bigger city, but then I went into the surrounding areas,” Burcham said.

One person who made a huge impact on Burcham’s decision to be a PA was her mother.
“I was thinking about either attending nursing school or going on to get my doctorate degree and MD license, so I was talking to her because she is an RN and knows a lot of the professions in the medical field,” Burcham said. “She met a PA and told me that the job would be perfect for me, and it turns out she was right.”

Burcham discovered Clarendon Family Medical Center while she was searching online.
“I was only applying in small towns because I was from a smaller town, and I knew I loved the field there,” Burcham said. “This one came up, so I got an interview, and it just fit perfectly. I couldn’t work for better people.”

Not only does Bucham bring her medical expertise and knowledge to Clarendon, but she also brings her family; husband Daniel and eleven-month-old son Cayson. Daniel currently is caring for their son, Cayson, and renovating the house they just bought in Clarendon. While attending college in New York with Burcham, he owned a home renovation business.

“The community has been very welcoming to our family. We really appreciate how nice everyone has been,” Burcham said. “This has really been a great experience.”

Burcham was an active member of her recent community in Syracuse, New York. She and her husband were both involved members at their church. Burcham participated in community service and she also went into some of the inner-city schools and participated in after-school programs designed to keep kids out of drugs and alcohol and give students the opportunity to look at the medical field and see it as a possibility for everyone. 

The Burcham family attends church at the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints in Childress. They can be seen doing anything active outside, such as playing basketball, volleyball, tennis, and golf.

“Out of everything we do, playing with Cayson is really the most fun for us,” Burcham remarks. “He really keeps us entertained.”

The Hedley Fire Department is striving to purchase a new Jaws of Life.

The department’s current Jaws of Life is more than 25 years old; and in order to ensure better safety of those in life-threatening situations, officials say a more efficient version of the tool is needed.

Hedley City Secretary and volunteer fireman Randy Shaw is one citizen who believes the purchase will be beneficial to the community.

“Having a new Jaws of Life will enable the fire department to be more effective if we have to respond to a wreck,” Shaw said. “Since the equipment we have right now is old, it is worn out and not very dependable.”

According to Kathy Spier, an Amarillo fire chief has been contacted concerning the Amarillo Fire Department’s Jaws of Life and has provided information toward getting a grant. The fire chief also provided the name and number of a sales representative, from whom Amarillo gets some of their equipment and who has agreed to come to Hedley to do a demonstration of the Jaws of Life on an old car.

“The Jaws of Life are mostly just used to get people out that are trapped in their vehicles due to a car wreck,” Shaw said.

“We haven’t had to use it very often, but if we ever get into a situation and we do need it, we’re going to need it bad.”

In order to raise enough money to obtain the life-saving mechanism, an area-wide potluck invitational for the Hedley Volunteer Fire Department and the Ladies Auxiliary is to be held May 1 at 6:00 in the Hedley Baptist Church Fellowship Hall.

Four pit hams have been donated – two from Lowe’s Family Center in Clarendon and two from the Thriftway in Memphis.

The only food needed from the community is desserts, salads and vegetables. Anyone interested in this event is invited to join and help the Hedley Fire Department accomplish their goal.

If anyone wants to send a donation to the Fire Department, it can be mailed to the Hedley Fire Department, c/o Randy Shaw, PO Box 185, Hedley, Texas 79237.

A local woman was killed in a car accident in Howardwick on last Thursday, April 23.

According to Texas Highway Patrol Trooper Bobby Chambless, the wreck took place at approximately 8:03 a.m. on Swanson Street. Betty Hammock, 73, of Howardwick ran her 2004 Jeep Cherokee off the roadway into the west ditch and into a sign. Instead of rolling sideways, the vehicle rolled end over end half a turn and came to rest on its roof.

Chambless said Hammock was not wearing her seatbelt when the wreck occurred. She was rushed to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo, and at 9:45 a.m. she was pronounced dead.
The initial cause of the accident is still under investigation. The official cause of death is still unknown, but it is a direct result of the accident, Chambless said. An autopsy has been requested.