Promenade
CHS students advance to UIL regionals
Clarendon High School took 25 students to Shamrock for UIL Academics District competition last week, and .they came back with a second-place finish overall, scoring 317.83 points with many advancing to the next level.
The Number Sense team got the day started off on the right foot earning a first, fifth, and two sixth place finishes acquiring first-place team. The team consisted of Britton Cottrell Easton Frausto, Jace Cottrell, and Cutter Seay. Josiah Howard added more points by placing first in Lincoln Douglas Debate while Catherine Word placed first in Ready Writing.
Accounting had a first, fourth, fifth, and sixth place finish earning first-place team. Members include Laney Gates, B. Cottrell, Cayden D’Costa, and J. Cottrell. Copy and Editing perfected their skills with a first (Avery Halsey), second (Word), and fourth place (Maloree Wann).
Science continued to add more points to the tabulation earning a first, third, fourth, and fifth place finish capturing first-place team. Members were Toby Leeper, Halsey, Ben Estlack, and Mason Allred. Leeper had the Biology top score.
Davin Mays garnered a first-place in Feature Writing while Jentrye Bellar obtained a second-place in Editorial. Journalism continued to add points to the total by earning second-place team.
Mathematics accumulated points on the board with a fifth (Estlack) and a tie for sixth place (Bryce Williams). This was enough points for the team to capture second-place. The day ended with Extemporaneous Speaking. Adriana Araujo placed sixth in Persuasive Speaking while Word and Seay secured a first and second place respectively. Speech took second-place team overall.
Clarendon will have fourteen students competing in eleven events at Regionals April 22 on the campus of West Texas A&M University, hoping to earn a trip to state competition.
Enterprise earns PPA recognition
The Clarendon Enterprise received nine awards at the 112th annual Panhandle Press Association Convention in Hereford last Saturday, March 26.
Competing in Division One for weekly newspapers, Sandy Anderberg won First Place for the Enterprise for Sports Writing, primarily for her coverage of the 2020 State Champion Bronco basketball team; and the crew of Tara Allred, Ashlee Estlack, and Roger Estlack won First Place for Advertising Initiative for ads created for the Country Bloomers, the Clarendon Lions Club, and the Clarendon Aquatics Center.
The Enterprise won second place honors in six categories, including Human Interest Photos by Kari Lindsey and Roger Estlack, Sports Photos by Elaina Estlack, Society & Lifestyles Page, Feature Writing by Roger Estlack, Special Section, and Best Website.
The newspaper also received third place for News Writing.
General Excellence in Division One went to the Canadian Record.
Attending this year’s annual Panhandle Press Association convention from Clarendon were Roger, Ashlee, Benjamin, and Elaina Estlack; Tara Allred; Doug and Nancy Kidd; and Anndria Newhouse.
Judge orders new commissioner election
A new election has been ordered in the race for Donley County Commissioner Precinct 4 following voting issues in the March 1 Republican Primary.
Incumbent Commissioner Dan Sawyer and challenger Brad Dalton will now face off again on the same ballot as the Republican Runoff Election on May 24.
Presiding for the 100th Judicial District Court, Judge John Board held the hearing and issued the order in the case, which was assigned to him by Judge Ana Estevez of Amarillo. District Judge Stuart Messer had to recuse himself as the local judge in the matter.
In the original election, Dalton beat Sawyer by one vote, 55-54, to win the Republican nomination. The election was under a cloud, however, due to multiple reports of people in Donley County voting in the wrong precincts because of issues with how new precinct lines were entered into the voting system and voter registration issues that stemmed from those errors.
Under his only legal recourse, Sawyer sued Dalton to have the election set aside. In his formal response to the suit, Dalton agreed with Sawyer that the election should be thrown out.
In a statement to the Enterprise last week, Dalton called having a new election “only fair” and said, “All elections should be fair and equal in the eyes of the people and the law.”
Judge Board effectively declared the March 1 election void and ordered the new election for May 24. All persons who are eligible to vote in the Republican runoff in Precinct 4 can vote in the new election.
The runoff ballot will also feature the top two candidates for Precinct 1&2 Justice of the Peace, Sarah Hatley and Connie Lane.
Donley County Tax Assessor/Collector Kristy Christopher said her office is working hard to remedy the voting registration errors that led to the confusion. Armed with the latest maps from the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission, Christopher said Monday that she is working very closely with the Texas Secretary of State’s office to go precinct line by precinct line to make sure all voters are registered in the proper precinct.
Christopher expects that process to be completed by early next week with new voter registration cards to be sent out soon after that, possibly as soon as the following week.
Championship celebration
Jones 5K registrations underway
The tenth annual Chance Mark Jones Roar & Run 5K will be held Saturday, April 9, at the Donley County Courthouse.
The Clarendon Lions Club is hosting the event again in memory of the late Chance Mark Jones to raise awareness of Child Abuse. Jones passed away in January 2011 as a result of abuse.
Those interested in running or walking the 5K (about 3.1 miles) can still sign-up for $30 each. Early bird registration closed Tuesday.
The year’s 5K will start and end at the Courthouse and will begin at 8:30 a.m.
Race registrations are available at the Clarendon Visitor Center at the Mulkey Theatre or at the Clarendon Enterprise. Register online by clicking here.
For more information, contact Lion Ashlee Estlack at ashlee.estlack@gmail.com or 806-662-4687 or Lion Roger Estlack at publisher@clarendonlive.com or 806-874-2259.
CC judging contest draws 2800 registrations
The Clarendon College Invitational Judging Contest will attract a huge crowd and likely double the population of the town this Saturday.
As of Tuesday, more than 2,800 contestants were registered for the event, which is more than the previous all-time high of about 2,300 in 2019.
The biggest single event for the city, the contest more than doubles Clarendon’s population for a day each year. The contest attracts around high school FFA students and 4-H students from around Texas and nearby states.
The number of registrations doesn’t include the hundreds of parents and coaches who accompany the students to the contest. According to the 2020 US Census, Clarendon has a population of less than 2,000 people.
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 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.”
Archers win awards
Bonnie Maxine Campbell
Bonnie Maxine Campbell went to her heavenly home on March 20, 2022.
Bonnie was born in Douglas, Texas, and is preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Margaret Smith.
Bonnie was a successful and influential Realtor, Broker, and Community Leader. She spend much of her professional life in Hendersonville, Tennessee, helping individuals and families find their dream homes. She also made it her goal to help her peers and community.
Her accomplishments are too many to list. Some of those most important to her were Realtor of the Year in 2000, serving as President of the 100 Plus Club in 1993-94, member of the Women’s Council of Realtors, and being listed in the “Outstanding Women of America.” Following her “retirement”, she and husband, Gary, returned to Clarendon, where she served as President of the Chamber of Commerce and was named Woman of the Year in 2013. Bonnie was also a dedicated and loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend.
She is survived by her husband of 48 years, Gary Campbell, her children, Terry (Martha) Ellerbrook of Lubbock, Bobby (Barbara) Ellerbrook of Clarendon, Kim (Aaron) Garland of Jonesborough, Tennessee, and Chris (Missy) Campbell of Hendersonville, Tennessee. She was Nan to 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
She was a remarkable and accomplished woman, and she will be greatly missed by many.
Bonnie’s family will be receiving friends the afternoon of Friday, March 25th from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Robertson Funeral Directors in Clarendon.
Funeral Services will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 26, 2022, in Robertson Funeral Directors Saints’ Roost Chapel in Clarendon with Rev. Bobby Ellerbrook, officiating. Burial will follow in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Broncos win state title for second year
The Clarendon Broncos took ownership of the San Antonio Alamodome while making history for the second year in a row, defeating Lipan 65-51 to win the state 2A basketball championship.
The 2021-2022 team knew early on they could come back and win it all again, and that is just what they did. The Broncos blew through LaRue LaPoynor in the Semi-Final round that forced a rematch of the 2020-2021 State Semi-Final game with #1 ranked Lipan.
Lipan came out hot in the first quarter and led 11-8 going into the second quarter. The undefeated Indians then turned up the heat and extended their lead.
After trailing by eight points at halftime, head coach Boston Hudson lit a fire under the Bronco players and to say they came out and took control is an understatement. With only 17 seconds into the third, the senior leadership kicked in.
Jordan Herndon made back-to-back threes to close the gap, and Lamarcus Penigar, who would claim the MVP title of the game, nailed the first of six from downtown at the five-minute mark. Penigar found his rhythm and added a field goal about every minute until the clock ticked down to only four seconds in the third period.
The Broncos held a 10-point cushion and the momentum going into the final eight minutes of the game but still had fuel in the tank.
“The first half we really weren’t making any shots and kind of playing their game,” Herndon said. “Coach told us we had to step up as seniors and show leadership, so we got the team rolling. I was just looking for him (Penigar); and if he was calling for the ball, I was going to give it to him.”
Penigar added 16 more points in the final period to close the game out at 41, which hasn’t happened in a 2A state tournament game since 1964.
“I was in foul trouble in the first half,” Penigar said. “They were down, so I had to come up with a nice little plan. I got hot, so when you get hot, you just keep shooting.”
The Broncos did get hot in the second half after, and according to Hudson, they were a little sluggish, and the ball wasn’t moving really well in the first half.
Fellow senior Cayden D’Costa played two solid games at the tournament and finished with 12 defensive rebounds and four on the offensive side. He also had four steals and three assists in the games.
“This is a lot sweeter than it was last year,” D’Costa said. “Especially because it’s the last time we get to play with these guys, and we have the best coach we could ask for.”
Junior Texas Tech football signee Jmaury Davis played strong and was consistent as always. Davis was able to get the crowd on their feet with a fast break windmill dunk that rocked the house.
“I was attempting to do it the whole time, but they kept getting back fast,” Davis said. “I finally got the opportunity to do it. I didn’t want it to be just a regular dunk and wanted to get the crowd into it.”
“Our fan-base traveled so well,” Hudson said. “We are so thankful for their support; they followed us all year.”
Joining Penigar with his 41 points was D’Costa with 10, Davis and Herndon with six each, and Lyric Smith with two.
Lipan Coach Brent Gaylor and his Indians were very complimentary of Clarendon’s ability.
“We talked at halftime about not letting them get a three-pointer or dunk because they are a momentum-oriented team,” Gaylor said. “Clarendon plays at such a higher level when they are feeling that good.”
Hudson knows that high level of play too well.
“They doubled Jmaury because he killed them last year in the state semi-final game, and they face-guarded Lamarcus in the first half (to keep the ball out of his hands).”
The State Semi-Final game began with the Broncos flying down the court to use a 7-0 run in the opening two minutes of the game to set the tempo of the game and earn a 69-60 win over LaRue LaPoynor on Friday.
The Broncos jumped out early in the game and looked to start a blowout against the Flyers with a 15-point lead with only three minutes left in the first quarter. A good shooting second period of play for the Broncos, put the Flyers on the ropes at halftime. But LaPoynor chipped away and narrowed the gap to single digits down the stretch. With only ticks left on the clock, the Flyers came within five points, but the Bronco offense got to work to extend the lead to nine. The Bronco defense worked hard to hold LaPoynor at bay to get the win. Sophomore Lyric Smith had a good day on the boards with 11 rebounds, and Herndon grabbed eight and had five assists. Anthony Ceniceros had seven rebounds and four assists, and D’Costa added six rebounds and three assists.
Davis had a great game and led the way with 24 points and 12 rebounds. D’Costa finished with 16, and Penigar had 15. Herndon had six, Tyler Harper and Ceniceros put in three each, and Smith added two points in the win.
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