Coffee Memorial Blood Center will have a community blood drive next Tuesday, March 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hedley High School.
The Bloodmobile will be there, and appointments can be scheduled by calling 877-340-8777 or by visiting obi.org.
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Coffee Memorial Blood Center will have a community blood drive next Tuesday, March 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hedley High School.
The Bloodmobile will be there, and appointments can be scheduled by calling 877-340-8777 or by visiting obi.org.
Three members of the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation board attended two days of workshops in San Antonio last week to learn more about recruiting new retail businesses to the community.
The Texas Rural Retail Academy was held at the downtown campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) on March 1 and 2. Hosted by the UTSA Institute for Economic Development and Retail Strategies, leaders from six Texas communities were selected to attend the program.
Participating communities include Breckenridge, Clarendon, Eastland, Haskell, Poteet, and Vernon. Representing the CEDC were Roger Estlack, Chuck Robertson, and Taylor Shelton.
“Texas communities need additional support and resources now more than ever coming out of the pandemic,” said Matthew Jackson, Director of the Texas Rural Retail Academy program at the UTSA Institute for Economic Development. “Retail Academy will be instrumental in providing the critical tools to our communities to help boost retail and bolster small businesses.”
Last week’s program was UTSA’s second Texas Rural Retail Academy and participating communities received invaluable data on consumers in their community and education on retail and real estate. Each community came away with a strategic retail economic development plan and the skills needed to execute that plan, Jackson said.
Developed by Retail Strategies, Retail Academy educates communities nationwide on best practices to attract new retail and restaurants while providing resources to support and grow existing local businesses. The UTSA Texas Rural Retail Academy program is funded in part through a Rural Business Development grant awarded to UTSA from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“We are proud to bring the Retail Academy program to Texas communities again, with help from the UTSA Institute for Economic Development and the USDA,” said Madeline Farr, Director of Retail Academy.
“The business-friendly climate in Texas is extremely helpful for the communities that attend our program. The growth in the state is reaching these rural markets and with retailers evolving expansion plans, a lot of those brands look at secondary and tertiary markets. We are giving community leaders the tools they need to capitalize on that growth, Farr said.
The City of Clarendon is looking for a few good people to fill several positions.
The Clarendon Aquatic Center is just a few weeks away from opening for the 2023 season, but City Administrator David Dockery says more employees are needed before the Memorial Day weekend opening.
Applications are being accepted at City Hall for the position of pool manager and for several lifeguard jobs.
“We need at least four or five more lifeguards,” Dockery said Tuesday.
Anyone ages 16 and older can apply for a lifeguard position, and they must take training to become certified.
City Hall also was informed Monday that its final candidate for the city administrator’s position had withdrawn his name from consideration.
Fred Ventresco, Town Administrator at Pine Tops, North Carolina, had told the city council he was applying in other locations during a virtual interview held on February 2. After the council released the other two final candidates from the search two weeks ago, Ventresco was scheduled to travel to Clarendon this week to tour the town and meet with officials in person.
Dockery said the city assumes Ventresco accepted a position elsewhere.
The council will meet this Thursday evening for its regular meeting and discuss the next steps in finding a successor for Dockery, who announced a year ago his intention to retire this April. Dockery will now stay on the job for a while longer.
The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce recognized Janet Carter with the 2022 Saints’ Roost Award for her lifetime of service and commitment to the community during the annual Chamber Awards Banquet last Thursday, February 23.
Man of the Year honors went to Keith Floyd, and Anndria Newhouse was named the Woman of the Year.
Mike’s Pharmacy was named the Business of the Year, and, in a new category, the Donley County Courthouse Lighting Committee 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 volunteering and community service.
Carter was recognized for a lifetime of passionate service to the kids of our community. She and her late husband, Steve Carter, started working with Ted Shaller’s children’s ministry at the Methodist Church more than 20 years ago before eventually founding Christ Kids Ministry and dedicated themselves to helping kids in need. Together than ran the summer food program, delivering 100 or more meals to children in Clarendon five days a week. Over time, she helped the ministry as it established the first community free Thanksgiving lunch in 2008 and started the Christmas Angel Tree project. She was also active with her husband in supporting Troop 433 of the Boy Scouts of America. After her husband passed away in 2019, she has continued to lead the ministry, which served 90 lunches five days a week last summer and helped 85 kids on the Angel Tree
The Man of the Year for 2022 was Keith Floyd, who has volunteered for many causes, including Little Dribblers, Cub Scouts, the Chamber Kids Parade, the Bread of Life food ministry, and the senior citizens center. He’s also a loyal volunteer for the Christ Kids, which led to his involvement with the annual community Thanksgiving lunch. This past year, when it looked like that service might not happen, he stepped up and helped ensure it continued. He also led the start of a new tradition – a Christmas Eve lunch for the community.
Anndria Newhouse was named Woman of the Year for working tirelessly to help with many activities throughout the community. In addition to being a faithful helper in her church, she delivers Meals on Wheels, helps at the senior center, helped organize the Senior Thang fundraiser, and leads service projects with the Lions Club. This past year, in her role as president of the Pony Parents organization, she saw a need and led fundraising efforts that have culminated in the upcoming construction of a new playground that will serve our elementary children with hours of outdoor fun.
The Chamber of Commerce named Mike’s Pharmacy as the Business of the Year. Mike’s has been serving Donley County for 44 years after being founded by Mike Butts inside Gibson’s Discount Store before eventually moving across the highway to its present location in the mid-1980s. Following Mike’s retirement in 2013, Clarendon native Mark Land purchased the business, kept the name, and hired Brandon Frausto as the chief pharmacist. In 2022, the community faced a challenge when the Outpost Pharmacy closed after 40 plus years in business. Brandon and his team worked hard and made the transition very smooth and simple for Outpost customers to transfer their accounts and prescriptions to Mike’s Pharmacy, going above and beyond to serve their new customers with ease, caring, and friendliness.
The new Volunteer Organization of the Year was presented to the Donley County Courthouse Lighting Committee. For nine years this group has taken time out of their weekends to labor on the Courthouse lawn and decorate it for Christmas. Each year requires many hours of work, but the work pays off on Thanksgiving weekend when the 1890 Courthouse grounds is lit with thousands of lights and the community gathers to sing carols and officially start the Christmas season. The program is led by Denise Bertrand, but she will be the first to tell you that it is a group effort that involves people from all over town as well as college students.
The Chamber also recognized outstanding youth from Clarendon and Hedley.
Makenna Shadle is the Young Woman of the Year from Clarendon. She has been a class officer, a member of NHS and a Student Council officer. She plays basketball for the Lady Broncos and is a team captain. She has received All-District recognition and the CHS Fighting Heart Award. She is a member of the First Baptist Church youth group and has been a lifeguard at the Clarendon Aquatic Center. She is actively involved with Christ’s Kids Outreach Ministry. She has prepared and delivered meals for the Summer Lunch Program and participated in the school supply hand out and the Angel Tree project.
The Young Man of the Year from Clarendon is Tyler Harper. He is a member of the National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is involved in stock shows and livestock judging through 4-H and FFA. He advanced to the Regional Cross-Country meet in 2019 and 2020. He and his varsity basketball team won the UIL 2A State Championship in 2022. He and the varsity baseball team made it to the Regional Quarterfinals in 2022. Tyler enjoys helping others, especially if it pertains to ranching, welding, and mechanics. He has helped with cemetery clean-up, courthouse lighting, serving veterans, canned food drives, toy drives, and the Senior Citizens Center. He is currently taking dual-credit classes with Clarendon College and will obtain an Associates in Science degree shortly after graduating high school. He will be attending Texas State Technical College in the fall to pursue a degree in Wind Energy Technology.
Josh Booth is the Young Man of the Year from Hedley. He has participated in track, tennis, football, basketball, cross country and One act play all four years of high school. He has made regionals in cross country all four years and made the state meet once. He has been selected to the academic all-state teams in football and cross country this year. He was district champ back-to-back years in the 1600 meter. While playing basketball he was named MVP of his district in 2022 and has been named all district in the 4 years he has played. He has been a member of the Hedley National Honor Society and president for 2 years. He volunteers his time to help the younger classes of his school.
He also made regionals 3 out of his 4 years in UIL events. He is taking dual credit classes from Clarendon College and will graduate with 28 hours of classes and will be 2 hours shy of completing his freshman year of college. In his spare time, he works at Monroe’s Peach Ranch and stays in the gym as much as possible.
Savannah Trent was the Young Woman of the Year from Hedley. She is a senior and member of the NHS. She is a captain for the basketball team and runs track and cross country. She played tennis her junior year, getting fourth place in girls doubles at district. She has been a cheerleader and was the captain this year as well.
She was a part of the one act play and advancing to regionals each year in UIL. She is a member of the FFA and was crowned homecoming queen this year. She has been taking dual credit classes for the last three years through Clarendon College. As member of the NHS, she has helped with many events including food and toy drives.
This year’s Chamber banquet followed a 1950s “Sock Hop” theme with many in attendance dressing the part and was catered by Great Western Dining. Approximately 175 people attended the event, which was held in the Bairfield Activity Center.
Entertainment for the evening was provided by the band “Geezers Gone Wild” of Amarillo and Borger.
Tables were sponsored by the City of Clarendon, Clarendon College, The Clarendon Enterprise, Donley County Courthouse, Donley County Senior Citizens, Herring Bank, Phelps Plumbing, Pilgrim Bank, Saints’ Roost Museum, Shelton & Shelton Law Offices, and Tony Clemishire.
Chamber President Ashlee Estlack named the City of Clarendon as having the Best Dressed Table during the banquet.
Alderman Eulaine McIntosh decorated the table complete with a recreation of the Old Gym with opening doors and a Sock Hop going on inside. Characters from Grease and some local faces could be seen in the table decorations also.
This year’s corporate sponsors were Best Western Red River Inn; The Clarendon Enterprise; Greenbelt Electric Cooperative; Greenbelt Water Authority; GreenLight Gas; Robertson Funeral Directors; Nutrien Ag Solutions; Liberty Electric, Plumbing, & Construction; Lowe’s Family Center; and Budweiser.
The Clarendon City Council met in called session last Wednesday, February 22, to consider engineering firms for upcoming projects and to consider an economic development agreement for a new downtown restaurant.
Aldermen scored High Plains Engineering as the highest ranking firm to handle the city’s next proposed CDBG grant for water and wastewater systems improvement. City officials also selected OJD Engineering as the highest ranking firm for the second phase of Downtown Revitalization improvements.
The selection of engineering firms is part of the process in applying for grants to fund those projects.
City aldermen also discussed the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation’s proposed agreement with Ricardo Santillan to open a second location of his Guymon, Okla., based REFZ Sports Bar & Grill to CEDC owned property at US 287 and Kearney Street in the former Clarendon Steakhouse building.
CEDC Vice President Taylor Shelton answered questions about the agreement, and the council gave its unanimous approval, clearing the way for Santillan to take possession of the property and begin renovations.
Santillan plans to have REFZ open for business here this October.
Attracting a new downtown restaurant has been a priority of the CEDC Board of Directors for several years.
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