Ben Estlack

Chamber names Copelin, Bertrand as Man, Woman of 2024

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce recognized Pat McAnear with the 2024 Saints’ Roost Award for her lifetime of service and commitment to the community during the annual Chamber Awards Banquet last Thursday, February 27.

Man of the Year honors went to Ernie Copelin, and Denise Bertrand was named the Woman of the Year.

REFZ Sports Bar & Grill was named the Business of the Year, and the Crossties Ministry was named the Volunteer Organization of the Year.

The Saints’ Roost Award is the highest honor given annually by the Chamber to recognize a lifetime of community service.

McAnear was honored for her long history of working to help people in need. In addition to caring for her own family, she worked for many years at the Medical Center Nursing Home giving love and care to the many residents there. Later, she went into home health care for the elderly. Today, you can find her calling or going by to check on friends, buying groceries for someone, picking up medicine, taking a favorite food to someone, cleaning house for or providing health needs to someone and even taking others to Amarillo for shopping or doctors’ appointments. She’s a charter member of the Community Fellowship Church, where she serves on the kitchen committee

The Man of the Year for 2024 was Ernie Copelin, who is known for helping people whether they are friends or strangers. He shares his garden produce with the community of Hedley, and he has given a lot of time to that community. He shows up and goes to work whenever there is an issue in town, and he checks on elderly and shut-in residents. He’s a member of the Hedley Volunteer Fire Department and is recognized as a man of integrity with a great heart who never wants any credit for anything he does.

Denise Bertrand was named Woman of the Year for giving of herself 200 percent for many years with the Girl Scouts, the Donley County Senior Citizens, and the Meals on Wheels program. She has worked for several years as the head of the Courthouse Lighting Committee and also has spent many hours in the service of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and all its events. In 2024, she assembled a group of volunteers and created a new Small Town Christmas event to coincide and complement the Courthouse Lighting. It was a huge success and will become a tradition in Clarendon.

The Chamber of Commerce named the REFZ Sports Bar & Grill as its Business of the Year. REFZ has made an incredible impact to the community in the short time since it opened in October 2023. In addition to breathing new life into Clarendon’s downtown, REFZ employs more than 30 people, has become a generous supporter of local events and activities, and is attracting business to Clarendon from other communities. The vision and commitment of Ricardo Santillan and his partners is greatly appreciated by the community and its leaders.

The Volunteer Organization of the Year was the Crossties Ministry, which fills an important role in our community through the First Baptist Church. It serves as a location for people to donate gently worn clothing and other items, and then it actively tries to get those items into the hands of people who need them, helping people sometimes in their darkest days. The organization is staffed by a team of dedicated volunteers who keep the facility open for donations, sort and organize the items given, and work to match what they have to people who need it.

The Chamber also recognized outstanding youth from Clarendon and Hedley, which are selected by the faculties of Clarendon and Hedley high schools.

Taylee Ehlert was the Young Woman of the Year from Hedley and is the Valedictorian for the Hedley Class of 2025. She has participated in basketball, track, cross country, and tennis and is a member of NHS and FFA. She will attend West Texas A&M in the fall and will major in Plant, Soil, & Environmental Science. Her hobbies include gardening, crocheting, and taking care of her animals. In her spare time, she works at Monroe’s Peach Ranch.

The Youth Woman of the Year from Clarendon was Lauren Ceniceros, who is a member of the CHS Student Council, plays on the tennis team, and is active in One Act Play. She’s been a Cheerleader for three years and loves to participate in community service. She does all of this while maintaining a position on the A/B honor roll. This year she was named the Lions Club Sweetheart and has participated in many Lions service activities. When she’s not busy with school activities or her job, she enjoys cooking, reading books, and spending time outdoors. Her future plans are to attend Amarillo College or West Texas A&M to pursue a degree in early childhood education.

Javier Valles was named the Young Man of the Year from Hedley. He is the salutatorian for the Hedley Class of 2025, and He has participated in football, basketball, track, cross country, tennis, and cheerleading. He is a member of the NHS and the FFA and plans to attend Wayland Baptist University in the fall as a member of the cheer squad and majoring in business. He hopes to open his own Cheer Gym one day. His hobbies include practicing cheer, listening to music, and creating social media content.

Benjamin Estlack was named the Young Man of the Year from Clarendon. He is active in UIL Academics in Math, Number Sense, and Science and is a senior class officer and Student Council president. He is member of the Golf and Tennis teams and NHS and is president of the Babble-on History Society. He has been a supporter of the Mulkey Theatre and aquatic center projects since their beginning; and for his Eagle Scout project, he and his best friend put up 70 section markers at Citizens Cemetery. He has volunteered for the Donley County Senior Citizens Center and is a member of the Clarendon Lions Club. Since age six, he has written a column for The Clarendon Enterprise and won regional and state press awards for his work. He has also worked as a lifeguard for the Clarendon Aquatic Center, taken surveys for the City of Clarendon and Donley County, and is presently employed by Newhouse Farms. He has earned several Honor C’s and is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society for community colleges. He will receive his Associate’s Degree this May from Clarendon College and will attend Texas Tech University in the fall in the Honors College, majoring in Mechanical Engineering with plans of working in the aerospace industry.

This year’s Chamber banquet followed a Masquerade theme with many in attendance wearing ornate masks, and it was catered by Great Western Dining. More than 200 people attended the event, which was held in the Bairfield Activity Center. Entertainment for the evening was provided by the band “The Martinis” of Amarillo.

Other winners Thursday night included 50/50 winner Scarlet Estlack and Box Pull winners Matthew Newhouse, Kris Bilbrey (twice!), Taylee Ehlert, and Elli Kittley.

Tables were sponsored by the City of Clarendon; Clarendon College; The Clarendon Enterprise; Donley County Senior Citizens; Donley County State Bank; Greenbelt Water Authority; Herring Bank; Liberty Electric, Plumbing, HVAC & Construction; Pilgrim Bank; Saints’ Roost Museum; and Shelton & Shelton Law Offices. The City of Clarendon was recognized as having the Best Dressed Table during the banquet.

This year’s corporate sponsors were Best Western Red River Inn, Budweiser, The Clarendon Enterprise, Country Bloomers Flowers & Gifts, Greenbelt Electric Cooperative, REFZ Sports Bar & Grill, Robertson Funeral Directors, and Sully Suds Laundry Mat.

Chamber President Ashlee Estlack emceed the banquet. Also on the Chamber board this year are Vice President Sharlene Bordonaro, Tracy Farmer, Richard Green, Collin Monroe, Courtney Monroe, Chris Wilson, LaTonya Wilson, and Bob Weiss.