![Leslie and Mike Norrell visit with Beth and Jeff Walker during a reception at Clarendon ISD Monday afternoon welcoming Mr. Norrell as the new school superintendent. He starts his duties here next month. Enterprise Photo / Roger Estlack](http://www.clarendonlive.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/WEB-pic-CHS-Super.jpg)
Breaking the bank
![A Memphis man made an unplanned stop in Clarendon March 18 when his vehicle collided with a brick wall behind Herring Bank. The Donley County Sheriff’s office says 71-year-old Stephen Joseph Gerkey was eastbound on US 287 when he went off the road at the Gorst Street intersection, struck the curb, became airborne for a short time above the sidewalk, and then crashed into brick wall on the south side of the bank parking lot. Gerkey was cited for failure to control speed. Enterprise Photo / Roger Estlack](http://www.clarendonlive.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/WEB-pic-Front-0644.jpg)
Dockery to review city’s water system plan
The Clarendon Board of Aldermen put the brakes on an extensive water system improvement plan last Tuesday, March 17, in order to give new City Administrator David Dockery time to review the project.
City officials had been working for several on an improvement plan worth up to $3.9 million with an eye toward applying for funding through the US Department of Agriculture. The plan included replacing the standpipe water storage on the east side of town, improving waterlines throughout the city, and installing water meters that can be read electronically, reducing errors and lost work time.
City engineer Clayton Scales went over the plans during last week’s city meeting and detailed the funding opportunities through USDA, which could provide a portion of funding as a grant and finance the balance with a low interest loan. The USDA might also require the city to tap a portion of its reserves for the project.
Dockery commended the board for the work the city has done to identify issues of concern that need addressing and finding a way to pay for those improvements, but he asked the aldermen to give him one month to review the project before proceeding.
Dockery suggested the city might want to pursue the electronic water meters as a way to enhance accuracy and recoup the man hours lost to reading meters (as much as one week a month for some employees) and then tackle the remainder of the project in smaller increments.
“My main concern is depleting the city’s reserves and the indebtedness we would incur,” Dockery said. “We need a capital improvement plan and then do things more incrementally.”
The board agreed with the administrator and took no action on moving the project forward to allow him a month to make a recommendation.
In other business, the city’s longstanding Tuesday meetings became a thing of the past when the aldermen approved Ordinance 441. Regular city meetings will now be held on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 p.m. in City Hall.
City officials also discussed the idea of implementing a citywide clean-up once or twice a year. More information will be presented at a future meeting regarding the expenses and logistics of such an idea.
CC to host 4H, FFA contest Saturday
Clarendon will be bustling with people this weekend when the annual Clarendon College Invitational Judging Contest is held Saturday.
The contest doubles the town’s population and regularly attracts around 2,000 high school FFA students and 4-H students from around Texas and nearby states and as of Tuesday afternoon more than 1,900 students had pre-registered, which is higher than last year at this point. This number doesn’t include the hundreds of parents and coaches who accompany the students to the contest.
According to the 2010 US Census, Clarendon has a population of 2,026.
“We are very happy to host these young men and women,” Clarendon Chamber of Commerce President Roger Estlack said. “The annual judging contest is a boost to our local restaurants and other businesses, and it gives many students who otherwise may not ever consider coming to Clarendon Clarendon an opportunity to see what we have here.
“We certainly appreciate all the schools and kids for coming to Clarendon, and we applaud the hard work that the staff of CC puts into making this event happen.”
Past contests have had huge impacts on the local economy. Restaurants are typically packed for the event, and this year will hopefully be equally successful.
In fact, the annual judging contest is the single biggest event to attract visitors from out of county for one day. By comparison, the July 4th Saints’ Roost Celebration barbecue annually attracts about 1,000 people and the Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff records between 1,000 and 1,500 visitors each September. Each of those events, however, has hundreds of local residents in attendance. The greatest number of people at the judging contest will come from outside of Donley County.
In addition to helping local merchants, the event also presents a great opportunity for CC to showcase its campus, faculty, and programs for prospective students. Johnny Treichel, Clarendon College livestock and meats judging coach, said the event is a big recruiting tool for the college.
“This is the only time each year the college has this many potential students on campus,” he said. “And we are pleased to have such positive support from the community year after year.”
Registration deadline nearing for Lions 5K
The third annual Chance Mark Jones Roar ‘N Run 5K is two weeks away, but there is still time for runners and sponsors to sign up for the event.
The Clarendon Lions Club is hosting the event on Saturday, April 11, to coincide with Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Those interested in running or walking the 5K (about 3.1 miles) are encouraged to sign up before April 1 to take advantage of the early bird discount. Registration costs $25, but those who sign up early save $5. Signing up by April 1 also guarantees participants the official 5K t-shirt.
The year’s race will start and end on the Clarendon College campus and will run through the city, around Prospect Park, and past several historic structures, including the Donley County Courthouse, the First United Methodist Church, and the S.W. Lowe House.
The race will begin at 9 a.m. Race registrations are available at the Clarendon Visitor Center at the Mulkey Theatre, at the Enterprise, or online at http://bit.ly/1C4J1m2.
Sponsorships are also available, and potential sponsors are asked to sign up by April 1 to ensure their names are on this year’s T-shirt.
Proceeds will go towards the many charitable activities of the Clarendon Lions Club, which includes eyeglasses for local school kids, Christmas baskets for local families, hosting the local office of The Bridge – Children’s Advocacy Center, and continued park improvements.
For more information, contact Lion Ashlee Estlack at ashlee.estlack@clarendoncollege.edu or 806-874-4808 or 806-662-4687 or Lion Roger Estlack at tourism@cityofclarendontx.com or 806-874-2259.
Sheriff seeks information on car theft
The Donley County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a car theft that occurred Monday morning, March 23, in the 700 block of Gorst Street.
Sheriff Butch Blackburn said a college student living in that area had started her car about 8:40 that morning before leaving for classes. She returned into her home and came back out within just a few minutes and her 2014 blue Nissan sedan was gone.
About a block and half away on Carhart Street, earlier that same morning, the sheriff’s office recovered a stolen Chevy pickup out of Lubbock County.
The blue Nissan was recovered late Tuesday in Claude, and Blackburn’s office is interested in any information that might help close the case.
Pampa family transported to Northwest
Three members of a Pampa family were transported to an Amarillo hospital with non-serious injuries following a one-vehicle accident east of Clarendon Sunday afternoon.
![Emergency personnel look over the wreck of a single-vehicle accident east of Clarendon Sunday afternoon. Enterprise Photo](http://www.clarendonlive.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/WEB-pic-Front-7079-300x155.jpg)
Department of Public Safety Trooper Chad Simpson said 26-year-old Rainey Anderson was northwest bound on US 287 in a white Chevy Tahoe when she noticed a large piece of debris laying in the outside lane. She overcorrected to the left to avoid the debris and then overcorrected to the right, sliding sideways into the north ditch.
Anderson’s vehicle rolled one time and came to rest on its wheels. Anderson and her two children, ages 4 and 7, were not seriously injured but were transported to Northwest Texas Hospital for treatment by the Associated Ambulance Authority.
Also responding were the Donley County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Transportation, and Clarendon Fire Department.
CHS posts wins at Quanah track meet
By Sandy Anderberg
Several Clarendon athletes came home with several first-place finishes from the PUHA Relays at Quanah High School last week.
The varsity boys finished third with 89 points, the varsity girls were second with 126 points and the JV boys were third with 47 points.
The Lady Broncos’ 400-meter relay took the top spot with a time of 4:49.06. Members of that relay are Abby Johnson, Carlee Johnson, MaRae Hall, and Shaelyn Owitti. A. Johnson also posted first place wins in the 200-meter dash with a time of 13.14 and first in the 400-meter dash at 1:03.20. Amelia Weatherton won first in the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.14 and first in the long jump with a leap 15’9″, and Allyson Grahn won the 1600-meter run with a time of 6:38.70. Taylor DeGrate won first in the 100-meter hurdles at 17.34.
Individual results: 100-meter dash: Weatherton 1st; 200-meter dash: Johnson 1st, Weatherton 31.53; 400-meter dash: Johnson 1st, MaRae Hall 4th 1:11.96, Owitti 5th 1:15.21; 800-meter run: Carlee Johnson 2nd 2:45; 3200-meter run: Grahn 2nd 15:50; shot put: Berkeley Alexander 2nd 33’; discus: Alexander 2nd 98’5″, Karlee Adams 5th 72’9″; long jump: Weatherton 1st, Gaines 4th 13’7″; triple jump: Grahn 5th 30’6 ¼”.
Caleb Cobb picked up a couple of first-place finishes for the Broncos with a win in the 400-meter dash at 55.79 and first in the 800-meter dash with a time of 2:13.79. Bryce Grahn topped the field in the 1600-meter run with a time of 5:05.18.
Individual results: 100-meter dash: Charles Mason 4th 11.32, Keandre Cortez 6th 11.41; 200-meter dash: Cedrick McCampbell 6th 23.89; 400-meter dash: Cobb 1st, Colt Wood 2nd 56.43; 3200-meter run: Grahn 3rd 10:40.11; 400-meter relay: 3rd 47.2 (McCampbell, Mason, K. Cortez, and Steven Johnson); mile relay: 3rd 4:04.6 (Grahn, Cobb, Wood, and Lee Buckhaults); long jump: Mason 3rd 19’9 ½”; shot put: Taylon Knorpp 2nd 40’10 ¼”; discus: Knorpp 6th 99’10″.
Phillip Monds placed 1st in the 1600-meter run with a time of 6:36.84 and first in the 300-meter hurdles at 53.16 and Cooper Bilbrey won first in the shot put with a distance of 35’1″ and Justin Christopher won 5th at 32’ ¾”. Christopher took third in the discus with a throw of 85’ and Bilbrey finished 6th in the discus with a throw of 77’2″.
The next track meet will be in Wellington on March 26.
LaRoe pitches win over Shamrock
![Senior, Zack LaRoe pitched 15 strikeouts during last Friday’s game against Shamrock. Enterprise photo / Alice Cobb](http://www.clarendonlive.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/WEB-pic-baseball-300x276.jpg)
By Sandy Anderberg
Hurler Zack LaRoe threw 15 strikeouts that catapulted the Broncos 9-3 over the Irish Friday night, March 20. Along with the 15 strikeouts, LaRoe allowed two earned runs, two hits, and four walks over five innings.
Clarendon scored four runs in the fifth inning. They added a run on Charles Mason’s sacrifice fly, and on RBI singles by Ray Jaramillo and Josh Cobb, who went 3-4, drove in one and scored two runs.
The Broncos posted a good scoring third inning, scoring three runs. Bryce Hatley doubled, scoring Cobb to start the inning and then LaRoe hit a two-run home run to add to their total.
“Zack pitched really well,” coach Brad Elam said. “Every out we recorded while he pitched was a strikeout. He also hit a long homerun. Offensively, I was a little disappointed we didn’t hit the ball harder.”
Earlier in the week, the Broncos played Randall JV and fell 3-14.
Kade Hunsaker was on the mound for the Broncos, and he held Randall scoreless for over two innings, allowing no earned runs, walking one and striking out one. Deeper in the game, LaRoe took over the duties on the mound, but struggled to get anything done. He allowed eight runs in the two innings and walked six hitters. The Broncos scored a run when Hatley slammed a single scoring Jaramillo. After that score by the Broncos, Randall took over the scoreboard and racked up several runs. Before the final inning, Hunsaker was able to mark a run with an RBI single.
“Minus two innings, I thought we played really well,” Elam said. “Playing good teams allows you to see things you need to work on. Our defense played well. We had a couple of breakdowns at crucial time, and we walked too many in the second game.”
Lady Bronco win over Booker
By Sandy Anderberg
![Freshman Allyson Hogan pitches for the Lady Broncos during their game last week against Childress. Enterprise Photo / Tara Allred](http://www.clarendonlive.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/WEB-pic-Softball-223x300.jpg)
After dealing with two losses to Childress, the Lady Broncos stormed back to take a 22-12 win over Booker in the District contest. The ladies are currently 5-2 overall and 2-0 in district.
“This was a very long game over three hours long, but it ended up good,” head coach Gary Jack said. “We started off fast with a 10-0 lead after two innings, but didn’t score again until the fifth. By then it was a close game.”
The Lady Broncos were able to secure their win late in the game and finish it off. According to Jack, several players played well.
Briley Chadwick, Sterling King, and Taylor DeGrate pitched, and Allyson Hogan was behind the plate.
“We were a little inconsistent pitching, but held on,” Jack said. “Brooke (Martin), Skyler (White), Taylor (Gaines), Briley, Sterling, Allyson, Karlee (Adams), and Lilly Carr all hit pretty well for us.”
The ladies will play Gruver here on Tuesday, March 24 at 4:00 pm and play at Claude on Friday, March 27 also at 4:00 p.m.
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