The Clarendon City Council learned tonight that an anonymous benefactor has approached the city about contributing to a possible water recreation facility, such as a pool.
City leaders say this is all very preliminary, that much research must still be done, and that no obligations or donations have been made at this time.
City council will be forming an exploratory committee to study the opportunity and move forward.
More details will be available in next week’s Enterprise.
Editorial: Let freedom ring for all Americans
Clarendon has been celebrating freedom for a long time. Since that first summer in 1878 when those Christian colonists first observed Independence Day, our community came to be known for its Fourth of July festivities.
A lot has changed in the last 137 years. Singing and the reading of the Declaration of Independence have given way to parades, turtle races, and rodeos. But the spirit remains the same as our community rallies together to trumpet the greatness of America and the promise of Liberty and Opportunity that our Founding Fathers risked their lives to secure.
America, too, has seen a lot of changes. We’ve seen freedom expanded in many ways as the definitions of personal liberties have been broadened, and we’ve seen freedom limited in other ways as federal taxation and regulation constrict the free marketplace and the economy.
As a country we have much to be proud of about tolerance and the rights of the individual. And yet we also have much to learn as we all still figure out how to live together in what has been called a great melting pot of different people with many different beliefs.
Last week, the United States Supreme Court again upheld the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare. Republicans acted with surprise and outrage and continued to issue calls to repeal that law. Many people, your editor included, think the ACA is an abomination and a gross intrusion into our private lives. But after it survived its main Supreme Court challenge, that law has no more chance of being repealed than does Social Security or Medicare. It is here to stay.
Then on Friday, the High Court expanded the rights of same-sex couples to marry in all 50 states, saying those individuals deserve equal protection under the law. This caused the expected backlash from many people, but most puzzling came from Republicans in Texas and elsewhere who basically feel like religious freedom is under assault or at least threatened by this ruling.
It is an age old problem that America must still wrestle with. Freedom must be for everyone… or there is freedom for no one.
People are entitled to their beliefs and their opinions on same-sex marriage, for example. But the highest court in the land has determined that these marriages are legal. Your church doesn’t have to condone it; and you don’t have to attend a gay wedding; but if you’re a public official, you do have to provide them the same service you would be legally obligated to provide anyone else. Politicians and demagogues who encourage public servants not to provide government services based on their religious beliefs, are dangerous at best. For if you can refuse to give a same-sex couple a marriage license, what is to keep other people of strong faith or beliefs from refusing to prepare alcohol permits, serve mixed-race couples, or serve people of other faiths?
Freedom also means that sometimes you have to stomach things you don’t like. The Confederate battle flag in recent days has become a lightning rod again in conversations about race. Some people, like your editor, see the flag as a symbol of Southern heritage and the standard of a lost cause and a people who fought for their homeland. Others see the flag through the single view of racism, noting the Confederacy’s support for slavery and the use of the flag by hate groups.
Freedom means you can put crosses on your property up and down the highway, but freedom also means the travelers who are creeped out by what appears to be an overly zealous town can take their business elsewhere.
Freedom means you can put a Ten Commandments monument on the Courthouse Square and call it a historical marker, but it also means someone else could erect a monument to Jews and Muslims who have also called the same county home.
Freedom is hard. Freedom means you can do what you want, believe what you want, and say what you want. But so can I, and so can the other guy, and so can the Democrat and the Republican and the Communist and the Baptist and the Atheist. And most of all, for it to work, you have to be able to stand up for the rights of those you disagree with.
The biggest problem America – and indeed Texas – faces right now is that our two-party system wants freedom in different ways. The left largely wants personal freedoms with a strongly regulated economy, and the right largely wants a more deregulated economy with low taxation and gives lip service to personal freedom… as long as you’re an evangelical Christian who isn’t gay or wants an abortion.
We need to get back on track. We need to recognize that freedom comes in many forms and it benefits many people… not just ourselves or those who believe, worship, or think the way we do.
Jefferson said it best: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” America works best when we let those words be our guide.
CC ranks second among Texas community colleges
A recent ranking by Schools.com lists Clarendon College as the #2 Community College in the state of Texas.
Sixty-six colleges were ranked and scored on a 10-point scale, using data including the percentage of students enrolled in distance education, student-to-faculty ratio, cost of attendance, graduation rate, the number of transfer to four-year public college in Texas, and flexibility.
“Obviously we are very excited and proud,” CC President Dr. Robert Riza said. “This just goes back to the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff.”
The article praises the College’s online course offerings and low student-to-faculty ratio, which is one of the lowest in the state.
In addition, the College’s ranking by CNNMoney for best student success in Texas was also recognized.
Galveston College is ranked #1 on the top 10 list, with Lone Star, Collin County, and Western Texas rounding out the top 5 schools.
To read the entire ranking, visit the Schools.com article at this link: http://www.schools.com/articles/top-community-colleges-in-texas
– See more at: http://www.clarendoncollege.edu/Blog/CC-named-2-Best-Community-College-in-Texas-by-Schools-com/34#sthash.JX5KbwdI.dpuf
Obituary: Leonard “Tex” Selvidge
Funeral services for Leonard “Tex” Selvidge will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 7, 2015, at the Clarendon College Harned Sisters Fine Arts Center with overflow seating available at the Bairfield Activity Center.
Rev. Chris Downer and Rev. Lance Wood will officiate with arrangements under the directiono of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 6, at the funeral home.
Tex passed away June 2, 2015. He was born January 7, 1934, in Bismark, Ark., to Elmer D. and Ella Mae Selvidge. He graduated from Stinnett High School in 1953. Tex attended Southwestern State Oklahoma University where he played football, graduated in 1959 with a Bachelor’s Degree, and completed his Master’s Degree in 1962. He started coaching in Spearman and later coached in Hollis, Okla., before moving to Clarendon in 1965 to start his career at Clarendon College.
Tex served in a number of positions in the last fifty years including Counselor, Registrar, Dean of Students, Recruiter, Financial Aid Director, and member of the Board of Regents.
In addition to his duties at the college, Tex has always been a very active and involved citizen of Clarendon and Donley County. He served as Mayor several times, and he has given more than thirty years of civic leadership in various roles.
Tex is preceded in death by his Pop, Jimmy Worsham, and his Mom, Geneva Worsham; his biological parents, Elmer D. Selvidge and Ella Mae Selvidge; a sister, Merle Damron; a brother, Cecil Selvidge; and an aunt, Evie Scott.
Tex is survived by his wife, Jo Ann Selvidge, of the home; his son, Chad Selvidge and wife, Carolina, of Dallas; his daughter, Shay Tidmore and husband, Alan, of Lubbock; his son, Scott Newland and wife, Jeanette of Plano; his son, Gary Jack of Clarendon; his daughter, Teresa Dronzek and husband, Dan, of Clarendon; his son, Mark Jack and wife, Beverly, of Springtown; his daughter, Pam Watson and husband, Noble, of Clarendon; his daughter, Shay Ann Selvidge of Austin; 19 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Tex is also survived by his step-dad, James Griffin of Lubbock, his sister, Sharon Walker and husband, Skip, of Stinnett; and numerous family and close friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that all gifts be directed to the Leonard “Tex” Selvidge Memorial Scholarship, c/o Clarendon College, Attn: Ashlee Estlack, PO Box 968, Clarendon, Texas 79226.
CHS to present one act play
Clarendon High School will present its one act play “Fourteen Lines” by Alan Haehnel this weekend for the public on Saturday, March 21, at 7 p.m.; Sunday, March 22, at 2 p.m.; and Monday, March 23, at 7 p.m. Admission is free for everyone. The CHS troupe will compete at Shamrock on Tuesday, March 24, at 4 p.m.
Editorial: Let’s focus on growing business
Many of you will be able to relate to this story. When your editor was a boy, Kearney Street (or “main street” as home folks like to call it) was a busy place. There were many stores on the three blocks of downtown; and if you needed something, you could probably find it there.
We had a grocery store, a variety store, a photography studio, a dry goods store, a couple of furniture and appliance stores, beauty and barber shops, a soda fountain, a movie theatre, the electric company, three or four clothing stores, a feed store, a hardware store, a farm implement dealer, an office supply and printing shop, a drug store, two banks, a pet store, an auto parts store, a variety store, a dry cleaners, a boot maker, and other things that time has erased or blurred from memory.
And of course, then as today, Kearney Street wasn’t the only place where business was conducted. Across town there were three or four other grocery stores, another drug store, a donut place, a Ford dealer, and a General Motors dealer, two lumber yards, and more.
Like many small towns, Clarendon has seen a lot of businesses disappear. This week, we learned that Stavenhagen Video will be the next store to take a bow and exit from the stage of local commerce, leaving just a handful of actual retail stores on Kearney. We could ruminate for a long time about the causes of this phenomenon… Internet sales, the short distance to the Big City, people who just don’t “get” the real value of shopping at home, and on and on and on.
Several businesses have come to town over the years. Some have survived; others have not. Self-employment is not an easy thing and not for the faint of heart or those with little business sense. It is a fact that most small businesses will fail within the first year or two. If you can make it past that point, you’re doing pretty well. If you can make it 27 years, like Bill Stavenhagen did, then you did really well.
Some may say the future doesn’t look too bright for downtown Clarendon or business here in general, but perhaps this is a good time to consider what we do have going for us. As usual, the two biggest assets our community has are Clarendon College and Highway 287. We used to add Greenbelt Lake to that list; and while the drought has taken a terrible toll and nearly dried up recreation on the lake, it is still a tremendous asset and a good employer for several families.
Those three things alone are assets that many towns would give almost anything to have. Add to those our unique heritage, some brilliant young minds, the ethic of Texas Panhandle people, the influence of agriculture, and the natural wildlife in Donley County, and we still have a lot going for us. Our economy, our attitudes, and our imaginations must change somewhat to capitalize on those assets however.
From your editor’s standpoint, we need to make several things to happen in order for Clarendon to thrive. For businesses in general, we need to clean up our town. We need to look at it from the view of the visitor and do all we can to make a good first impression. (Getting rid of apocalyptic signs might be a start.) If every property owner on US 287 made sure their place looked the best it can, it would improve the overall attractiveness of our city.
For downtown, we again need to clean up and fix up. We’ve made progress on this, but more can and should be done. The Mulkey Theatre is a huge draw every day and especially at night. It pulls people off the highway, and we just need something else to catch their attention while they’re pulled over admiring the neon.
The Enterprise asked our Facebook readers this week what they thought we needed downtown. Here’s some of what they recommended: an ice cream shop, a pool hall, wine and cheese bar, new sidewalks, an activity center, a ban on storage buildings, more block parties, and more 5K runs. But the most popular answer was different versions of this – a good restaurant or steakhouse with live music and adult beverages.
We are fortunate to have a variety of restaurants in this town, but we still need a good destination restaurant on main street to serve as an anchor for other businesses and to pull traffic off the highway. A destination restaurant – like those in McLean and Lakeview – is not something put together on a shoestring budget. It’s an investment. It’s a place that has to be a good experience for the customer from the time they pull up to the curb to the time they payout and leave. A restaurant has one shot with a new customer, if that first experience isn’t good, there likely won’t be a second one.
For any new business to make it in this town we need to check our attitudes as customers and as potential employees. As consumers, we must find a way to support our local businesses and recognize that they drive our local economy, support our local charities, and are – to paraphrase an Alan Jackson song – “the little men [and women] who build this town.”
And it’s high time for some tough love with our workforce. Your attitude as an employee impacts directly your employer. Learn to count change, be happy when waiting on the customer who is ultimately paying for your salary, and above all don’t act like it’s a bother or an inconvenience to wait on someone. We’re all in this thing together, and the people at the front counter and waiting tables are the first impression that many people will have of a business. If that impression isn’t good, customers won’t return.
Working together, Clarendon can thrive. But we have to make it happen and not just wish for it to come true.
Breaking News: CISD names Norrell as finalist
Mike Norrell of Adrian was named as the lone finalist to be the next superintendent of Clarendon ISD tonight.
The CISD Board of Trustees met behind closed doors for about an hour at their regular meeting this evening before selecting Norrell, who has held the top job in Adrian for four and a half years and was attracted by Clarendon’s reputation.
“People are drawn to good schools,” he told the Enterprise, “and Clarendon is a good school with a good history and potential.”
Norrell is a Sunray native who studied at Texas Tech University and received certifications from Sul Ross State University and Lubbock Christian University. He coached and taught social studies before being a counselor and administrator. Prior to signing on in Adrian, he was a principal at Patton Springs ISD.
Under Texas law, Clarendon ISD must now wait 21 days before formally hiring Norrell.
At this writing it is not certain when Norrell will start in Clarendon. Local officials had previously said they wanted a new superintendent on board by April 1, and Norrell says his goal is to have a smooth transition.
“I’m excited about the challenge of a new position and the potential for personal and professional growth and the potential that Clarendon has to offer,” Norrell said. “I am truly honored to have this opportunity.”
More information on Clarendon’s incoming superintendent will be available in the January 22 edition of the Enterprise.
CISD to interview superintendent candidates
The Clarendon ISD Board of Trustees have planned three called meetings next week to interview candidates for superintendent.
Trustees met Tuesday, Dec. 30, to review applications. Names of the candidates have not been released.
The first called meeting for interviews will be Sunday, January 4, at 1 p.m., and the second and third meetings will be Monday and Tuesday, January 5 and 6, at 6 p.m.
Forrest Newton
Funeral services for Forrest Newton will be held today Monday, December 29, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at Robertson Saints’ Roost Chapel – Clarendon. Interment will follow at 3:30 p.m. at Plainview Memorial Park in Plainview, Texas. Arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Forrest Lynn Newton, 73, passed away on Tuesday, December 23, 2014 in Amarillo, Texas. He was born on July 31, 1941 in Hamilton, Texas to Omri Newton and Clara Thaye (Hale) Newton.
Forrest had been a resident of Howardwick for the past 12 years. He loved to fish, play golf (and even had a hole in one), and playing volleyball. He was an avid Dallas Cowboys fan and loved to watch all sports.
Forrest was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Connie Sue Jones Newton and daughter, Julie Anne Papa.
He is survived by Judy Newton of Howardwick; son, Dusty Newton and wife, Chrystal of Dallas; daughter, Denise Newton and partner, Francine Bradley of Ringwood, New Jersey; step-son, Jim Heathington and wife, Brittanie of McKinney; and brother, Doyce Newton and wife, Wanda of Tow; 9 grandchildren; and 2 great grandchildren.
The family request memorials be sent to the Clarendon Country Club.
Patrick Wayne Robertson
Patrick Wayne Robertson, 59, of Clarendon died Tuesday, December 22, 2014.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 27, 2014 at 2 p.m. in First Baptist Church, Clarendon, Tx with Rev. Dave Stout officiating. Burial will follow in Citizens Cemetery, Clarendon. Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Patrick was born March 10, 1955 in Groom, Tx to Delbert Wayne and Patsy Darlene Robertson. He graduated from Clarendon High School in 1973. He attended the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science, graduating in 1975. Patrick married Edith Faye Black of Wellington, Tx on September 27, 1975. She preceded him in death in 1987. On May 4, 1991, he and Vicky Annette Hawkins were united in marriage in Clarendon, Tx. He was co-owner of Robertson Funeral Directors in Clarendon and co-owner of KEFH 99.3 FM radio station. Patrick was a lifetime member of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department serving from 1975 to 2009. He was a graduate of the first paramedic class in the Texas Panhandle and one of the first paramedics to serve Donley County. He served with the Clarendon EMS from 1973-1992. He later became a member of the Howardwick Volunteer Fire Department. He loved classic cars and was a member of the High Plains Cruisers of Pampa. He was a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for 25 years. He received his Eagle Scout from Troop 433 of Clarendon in 1972. He was awarded funeral director of the year by Panhandle Funeral Directors Association for the year 2011-2012. He was appointed to the Texas Funeral Service Commission by Governor Rick Perry in 2011 and served until 2014. He was a devoted member of the First Baptist Church of Howardwick.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Patsy Wallace Robertson in 2008.
Survivors include his wife, Vicky Hawkins Robertson of Clarendon; a son from his first marriage Charles Wayne (Chuck) Robertson of Clarendon, Tx; his father Delbert Robertson and step-mother Naomi of Clarendon, Tx; a grandson Jaxon Robertson of Clarendon, Tx; a sister Debbie Thompson and husband Michael of Clarendon, Tx; 2 step-sisters Linda Allison and husband Con of Shamrock, Tx and Glenda Harvey and husband Mike of Austin, Tx; 3 step-brothers Gary Lowe and Dennis Lowe, both of Shamrock, and Boe Lowe and wife Sue of Lumberton, Tx.; mother-in-law Wanda Beddingfield of Clarendon, Tx; sister-in-law Sonya Hawkins Shieldknight of Spearman, Tx; brothers-in-law Sam Hawkins III and wife Lisa of Scott, La, Doug Hayton and wife Kathy of Claude, Tx and Shane Beddingfield of Fayetteville, North Carolina; a brother-in-law from his first marriage Charles Black and wife Patsy of Dumas, Tx; an aunt Margaret Vines of Wellington, Tx; many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, cousins and a host of friends.
The family suggests memorials be to First Baptist Church of Howardwick, 235 Rick Husband Blvd., Howardwick, Tx 79226 or Citizens Cemetery, P. O. Box 983, Clarendon, Tx 79226.
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