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Morgan Wheatly

Nell Rose “Susie” Kidd

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Nell Rose “Susie” Kidd, 83, died Monday, November 26, 2012, in Clarendon, Texas.

Services were held at 3:00 pm Wednesday, November 28, 2012, at the Church of Christ in Clarendon with Don Stone, officiating. Interment followed at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.

Nell Rose “Susie” Kidd

Arrangements are under the direction Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Susie was born March 17, 1929, in Childress, Texas to Guy William and Evelyn Tobin Murphy. She married J.E. Kidd, Jr. on October 16, 1948, in Hedley where they lived until moving to Clarendon in 1956. She had been a babysitter at her home for many years and then went to work at the Medical Center Nursing Home, where she worked for 20 years as a nurse’s aide. Susie loved the color red and enjoyed collecting dolls. Susie loved to drink coffee with her friends, and could be found at the coffee shop about twice a day.

She was a member of the Clarendon Church of Christ.

She was preceded in death by her parents; 2 brothers, Guy and Robert Murphy; and a sister Frances Geopfert.

She is survived by her husband; a son, Larry Kidd and wife Paulette of Clarendon; 5 sisters, Geneva Hill and Velma Byrd of Clarendon, Norma Hall and Ellen Cooley of Amarillo, Nadine Cortner of Overland Park, Kansas; 5 grandchildren, Jan Farris, Jill Chabless, Jodi Cruse, Kari Lindsey, and Todd Petty; 11 Great Grandchildren, Deston Chambless, Cole Farris, Caden Farris, Haley Chambless, Denver Chambless, Kyle Lindsey, Kallie Lindsey, Branson Cruse, Baylor Cruse, Brayson Cruse, and Madelyn Petty.

The family request memorials be sent to Odyssey Hospice or the Donley County Senior Citizens.

Take steps to prevent child abuse during holidays

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The holidays are upon us, which is good news for excited kids and family members anxious to re-connect. But many Texas parents struggle to find childcare while school is out and worry how they can afford the added expenses of holiday gifts and travel. The frustration and stress that many families experience this time of year often lead to more cases of child abuse or neglect.

For one Clarendon boy, the holidays became a nightmare in 2010 when his biological father began beating him on Christmas Eve. Twelve days later Chance Mark Jones was dead at the age of four. His father, Robert Babcock, is currently serving a life sentence for killing the boy. And Chance’s grandmother, Gayle Edes, is serving a 90-day sentence in the Donley County Jail for admittedly knowing about the abuse and doing nothing.

The reason Babcock began abusing his son is not known, but the Children’s Hospital Association of Texas reports that more than 65,000 Texas children are abused or neglected each year. Many times, economic and personal stresses are contributors to child abuse. For many parents, the holidays increase these stress levels because of the extra demands on their time, money and energy.

“Many children and adults have unrealistic expectations for a perfect holiday season,” Bryan Sperry, president of the Children’s Hospital Association of Texas (CHAT), said. “Additionally, arguments with family members, exhaustion from over-planning and dependence on food and alcohol – among other factors – can become a catalyst for parents losing their temper.”

To minimize the risk of abuse, it’s best to reduce unnecessary stress by planning ahead. The Children’s Hospital Association of Texas recommends the following tips that parents can use to avoid having a holiday meltdown.

Establish a family budget for holiday spending and be realistic about what you can afford.

Hold a family meeting to discuss holiday plans, and include the children in planning activities.

Post a calendar of family activities in a place where all family members will see it. Ask each person to remind you of school events, church activities, holiday parties, etc.

Limit travel. On top of everything else, long trips may be more than your family can handle. Suggest visiting relatives later in the year when things are calmer and you can enjoy the trip more.

Have your children make a list of elderly or shut-in neighbors in your area. Plan to share a meal, some of your time, or run errands for these neighbors. Explain to children that helping and sharing are important elements of special holidays.

Set family priorities for the season. A big cause of holiday stress is having too much to do in a short period of time. This year, sit down as a family and make decisions that are important to all of you.

Learn to say “no.” Fewer activities mean more time to relax and enjoy being with family.

If you do find that it is difficult to avoid being verbally or physically harsh with your children, stop and try the following:

• Take a deep breath and count to 20.

• Phone a friend.

• Take a walk outside.

• Ask for help.

• Place your child in time out or a safe area, such as a crib, and leave the room.

• Take a time out and leave your child with a responsible adult.

• Catch up on sleep.

• And most importantly, if you know of a child in abusive situation, take steps to stop it. Don’t take a Chance on child abuse this season.

Thanksgiving dinner draws 233 people

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Organizers of the fifth annual Community Thanksgiving dinner at the Clarendon School Cafeteria say the event fed a total of 233 people with no charge this year.

Attendance was slightly down this year in terms of participants and helpers, volunteer Laura Paul told the Enterprise, but everyone still had a good time.

“We would like to first praise God for providing us with His resources,” Paul said. “We also would like to thank all who took part whether it was serving, fellowshipping, or participating.

Paul said the food was kept in the local area with much of the remainder going to the nursing home.

“We would like to commend those who made sacrifices time, resources, and talent this year. If it were not for the prayers and willing hearts to serve, the Community Thanksgiving would not be able to happen.”

The Community Thanksgiving is managed by Christ’s Kids Outreach Ministries. For more information, contact Paul at 806-874-2573.

CEDC Classic to be held at CC this weekend

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The Clarendon College Men’s Basketball Team will host the Clarendon EDC Classic this weekend, November 29 – December 1, in the Dawg House in Clarendon.

This tournament is sponsored by the Clarendon EDC and will feature the CC Bulldogs, Northlake, Onpoint Hoops Academy, and Wayland Baptist.

“We really want to thank the EDC for helping us with our tournament,” Bulldog Head Coach Tony Starnes said. “This is just another example of the people in Clarendon supporting our kids and their endeavors.”

The schedule of games is:

Thursday, November 29, 7:00 p.m., Dawgs vs. Northlake College.

Friday, November 30, 5:30 p.m., Northlake vs. Onpoint Hoops Academy; 7:30 p.m., Dawgs vs. Wayland Baptist

Saturday, December 1, 3:00 p.m., Northlake vs. Wayland Baptist; 5:00 p.m., Dawgs vs. Onpoint Hoops Academy.

Editorial: Conservatives talk secession and compromise

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Roger Estlack, Editor

The impact of the President Obama’s re-election has draw some interesting reactions from the right.

On the most extreme side we’ve seen people calling for secession with people in almost every state going to the White House website to petition the president to let their state leave the Union. The petition for Texas has more than 117,000 signatures according to our latest information, which seems like a lot of people but really isn’t.

Texas has a population of more than 25 million people, so the petitioners are less than one-half of one percent of Texans. It’s hard to pin down since polls weren’t around back then, but by contrast it is believed that about 40-45 percent of colonists supported the American Revolution.

The thing that always amuses me about talk of secession is that automatic reactions that range from a) Texas reserved the right to secede as a condition of admission to the Union in 1845, to b) the Civil War and/or the Supreme Court has determined that no state can secede. Neither position is correct.

Owing to its size, the Congressional joint resolution admitting Texas to the Union does allow it the option of dividing into as many as five states, but it nowhere says that Texas can leave. On the other side, the failed War for Southern Independence showed that the north had a greater industrial capacity and military might than did the south, and, as far as the courts go, the federal government is never going to say it is okay for states to break away. But states certainly can secede, and history proves it.

If you read the Declarations of Independence of both the United States and Texas, then it is pretty clear the founding fathers were secessionists. They believed to the death that sometimes people may need to dissolve their political ties with governments that are abusive to their liberties. Indeed, Jefferson wrote that people have not only the right but the duty to throw off their oppressors. However, governments – from London to Mexico City to Washington, DC – never agree that their own subjects can secede.

Of course, just because you can do a thing doesn’t mean you should. A free and independent Texas is fun to contemplate. The Lone Star is big enough to take care of itself, and it would be nice to see “a whole other country” that embraced liberty and limited government. Enshrine personal and economic liberty in law, join NAFTA to enjoy free trade with the US and Mexico, and watch a new national economy take off like a rocket. Unfortunately, with the ideologues we currently have running our state, it is very likely that a new Republic of Texas would be plagued by religious intolerance, a mediocre commitment to higher education, and political agendas in school curriculums. We would, however, have a balanced budget and sport very nice highways in Dallas, Austin, and Houston.

The question is moot though, because without a groundswell of popular support and the backing of prominent statesmen (who are in short supply these days), secession is an idea that is just never going to get traction.

On the opposite end of the spectrum in reaction to the president’s re-election, we see continued calls for “compromise” in Washington as the nation inches toward the so-called “fiscal cliff” – a series of automatic tax increases and spending cuts that will take effect in January and possibly throw the economy back into a recession. To that end, we are beginning to see some Republicans breaking away from the “no tax increase” stance, and the emboldened president continues to demonize the right, saying this week that the GOP will ruin Christmas if it doesn’t back down.

Will it never end? America doesn’t have an income problem; it has an expense problem. The government just flat spends too much money, and the best our “leaders” in Washington can come up with is a plan to save $1 trillion over ten years. How does that help us when we have a $1 trillion annual deficit and total debt of more than $16 trillion? We can’t tax our way out of that mess.

“Compromise,” it seems, is still a one-side proposition. There can be no solution to this disaster without reforming – and cutting – entitlements, namely Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. But Democrats have said those are off limits. The results will be that the Republicans will cave – as they usually do – and America will get a semi-solution that gets us past January. After that, “Dancing with the Stars” will be back for a new season, and politicians will be mostly quiet until 2014.

Meanwhile…

It now appears certain that Barack Obama will go down in history as one of America’s great progressive presidents. Like all presidents who fit in this category, he has expanded entitlements, grown the role of the government, become a savior to the down trodden, and has championed social justice.

Presidents like Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Baines Johnson have occupied similar statuses in the minds of the American public to the extent that they became known just by their initials – T.R., F.D.R., J.F.K., and L.B.J. As such it would seem fitting that, out of reverence, we henceforth refer to President Obama as simply B.O.

Broncos swat Hornets in season opener

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By Sandy Anderberg

Fresh off the football season, the Clarendon Broncos destroyed the Highland Park Hornets at home, 78-49. Good defense and spot-on offense allowed the Broncos to set the tempo of the game and shut down anything Highland Park offered.

The Broncos jumped out to the early lead in the first quarter of play and expanded that lead before the break. But, their third quarter offense was on target and they were able to keep the momentum to get the win. Defensively, the Broncos stopped the Hornets and frustrated them offensively. Cole Ward nailed two three-pointers and hit several other shots to lead the Broncos with 21 points. Cody Wood was also a workhorse for the Broncos putting in 13, and Adam Topper was solid inside and helped with 10.

“I thought we played well for our first game,” head coach Brandt Lockhart said. “I was pleased the way we passed the basketball and hustled.”

Also scoring: Trajen Johnson 8, Diego Santos 7, Tyler Burch 5, Cedric McCampbell 4, Charles Mason 4, Chance McAnear 4, and JoJo Cartwright 2.

The Broncos will play Groom at home December 4 and participate in the River Road Tournament December 6.

Lady Broncos roll Highland Park

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By Sandy Anderberg

The Lady Broncos shot 77 percent from the free throw line in their 84-30 romp over the Lady Hornets Tuesday night at home. Deborah Howard, Jency Burton, and Camra Smith all shot 100 percent from the charity stripe in securing the win.

Clarendon senior Jentry Shadle during the varsity girls’ basketball game last Tuesday. Enterprise Photo / Matthew Martinez

The Lady Bronco team was on target offensively as they built on their lead each quarter while denying their opponent any points the second quarter of play. They were solid on both ends of the court and by halftime took a commanding lead of 37 points. Senior Jentry Shadle hit four three-pointers, and Ryann Starnes hit one. Three Lady Broncos finished in double figures with Shadle leading the way with 20 and Deborah Howard and Taylor Gaines putting in 15 and 14 respectively.

“I thought we played with a lot of energy and were able to get some steals that lead to layups,” head coach Molly Weatherred said. “I was pleased with our effort, but we still have a lot to get better at.”

Also scoring: McKayla Cartwright 9, Smith 8, Starnes 7, Burton 6, and Audrey Shelton 3.

The Lady Broncos will play in the River Road Tournament November 29-December 1 and play Groom at home Tuesday, December 4.

Jack Lamberson

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Jack Lamberson, 92, died Sunday, November 25, 2012, in Bowie, Texas.

Services were held Wednesday, November 28, 2012, at Robertson’s Saint’s Roost Chapel in Clarendon with Dwayne Lamberson officiating. Interment followed at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.

Arrangements were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Jack Lamberson was born April 3, 1920, in Clarendon to Stock Watkins Lamberson and Cleta Youree Lamberson. Jack was a WW II veteran serving in the United States Army. He married Roberta Bernice McManus on April 1, 1944, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He moved to Bowie 16 years ago after retiring as a Ranch Hand in Clarendon, where he spent most of his life. Jack was a member of the Grace Baptist Mission of Bowie.

He was preceded in death by 2 brothers and 3 sisters.

He is survived by his wife, Bernice Lamberson, of Bowie; his son, Dwayne Lamberson & wife Glenda, of Jacksboro; his daughter, Sandra Morgan & husband Mickey, of Carrolton; 2 sisters, Willie Nell Waddell of Centerville and Edna Lou Bullman of Canyon; 4 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Grace Baptist Mission, PO Box 915, Jacksboro, TX 76458.

Cuttin’ up

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Clarendon Kindergarteners Savanna Wright, Henry Bivens, and Benjamin Estlack carve their own Mayflower ships out of Ivory soap prior to the the class’ friendship stew Tuesday afternoon. Kindergarten students dressed as Pilgrims and Indians for their Thanksgiving activities. Enterprise Photo / Roger Estlack

Local stores rolling out savings this week

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Shopping small can have a big impact this weekend as Clarendon merchants mark down prices and roll out the savings for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.

While the big city may lure some people to forego their sleep and start shopping way before the crack of dawn on Friday, local stores are encouraging people to shop at home and enjoy the benefits of wide selections, no traffic, no hassles, and no crowds.

“Black Friday” – the day after Thanksgiving – is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year in the US and gets its name because so many businesses see it as the chance to get their books “in the black.” But many Clarendon stores are viewing it as a great day to provide customers with their usual outstanding customer service as well as great savings.

Sales and promotions will continue on Saturday as part of the second annual “Small Business Saturday,” which is being promoted nationwide by American Express as a day to support the driving force of our local economies.

Small Business Saturday began in 2010 when American Express founded it to help small businesses get more exposure during one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year. Last year, more 100 million people came out nationwide to shop at independently-owned small businesses on the day. Now, in its third year, Small Business Saturday will be even bigger.

According to small business advocates, every $100 spent in locally-owned stores returns $68 to the local community through taxes, payrolls, and other expenditures. That same money spent in another town returns nothing to your local community.

This year, several Clarendon merchants have teamed together for a marketing campaign to attract people from around the area to skip the hectic atmosphere in the city and shop here in Clarendon. Television ads on KAMR Channel 4 in Amarillo began airing this week and are enticing buyers to “Don’t let Black Friday be a shopping nightmare, come to Clarendon and take it easy.”

Another effort to tout the benefits of shopping at home can be found in the special section appearing in last week’s and this week’s issue of The Enterprise. There you’ll find deals, tips, and tricks for shopping at home this holiday season. The deals in the section are all good for Friday and Saturday, November 25-26, and the section also includes the second annual Enterprise coloring contest for the kiddoes with the chance to win $50 cash.

Shop at your favorite local stores in Clarendon this Black Friday and Small Business Saturday and help fuel the economy. Support the merchants who support our community by shopping at home this holiday season.

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