‘Clean’ performance
Posting the colors
Hedley ISD celebrates new playground
Hedley ISD celebrated the grand opening of its new playground on Monday, November 11, with a fun-filled event for students, staff, board members, and the entire community.
After months of anticipation, students finally got to explore the new equipment that replaced the older structures. The event was marked by cupcakes and excitement as students explored the fresh outdoor space designed for both fun and fitness.
The journey to this playground began with the removal of the old equipment, followed by site preparation and the installation of the new equipment.
Thanks to the Stronger Connections Grant, which Superintendent Tracey Langford applied for in July 2023, the district could fund this playground, open a Community Closet, and launch a district-wide mental health program that benefits students, families, and staff members alike.
The grant award took several months to arrive, but the impact has been profound.
“We’re so pleased to offer these new resources to our students and the community,” Superintendent Langford said. “The playground is a space for play and connection, and our Community Closet and mental health program further our commitment to supporting every aspect of our students’ well-being.”
After school hours, community members and their families are welcome to enjoy the playground, accessible through the gate on the east side of the school.
Officals say this playground has been a labor of love, and with a year and a half of planning and dedication, Hedley ISD is proud to offer this new space to both students and community members for years to come.
Franks ready for NFR redemption
By Ted Harbin, TwisTed Rodeo
At just 23 years of age, Cole Franks has accomplished a great deal in the world of rodeo.
Three seasons ago, he won the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s bareback riding and all-around championships while helping Clarendon College to the men’s team national title. He then became the Resistol Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year, advancing to the National Finals Rodeo for the first time. He finished third in the 2021 world standings. A year later, he was back in Las Vegas, where he finished fourth on the money list.
He returns to the NFR for the third time in four years this December with a lot of goals on his mind, but there’s one that sticks out.
“I want to be at the South Point after the first round,” Franks said, referring to the casino and resort that hosts the nightly Montana Silversmiths Go-Round Buckle Presentation. “I want to be at the buckle ceremony getting that buckle.”
That’s one of the things that has alluded him; he’s been close, but he has yet to stake his claim to a round win in Sin City. He’s competed 20, earned almost $300,000 in two trips the ProRodeo’s grand finale, but there are more things he wants to accomplish. Go-round winners not only earn a shiny new buckle and a bottle of Pendleton Whisky, they also collect the lion’s share of the nightly payout.
All those things add up, and when dollars are piled on top of one another, the ultimate goal is the world championship. That is earned by the contestants in each event who conclude the 10-day championship with the most money won through the season. There are 135 cowboys and cowgirls who will challenge for rodeo’s gold in Las Vegas, and only a handful will grab it.
For Franks, just making it back to the NFR is a case of redemption. He finished the regular season with $139,556, good enough for eighth in the bareback riding world standings – only the top 15 on the money list advance to the Nevada desert. This comes a year after earning nearly $110,000 and finishing 17th.
“This year has been a little bit about revenge,” said Franks, who still lives in Clarendon. “I almost feel like I’m going to my first NFR again. I’m a little amped up. I’m excited o be going back.”
He should be. He won close to $150,000 in each of his previous trips, so he understands the opportunities that sit before him over 10 December nights.
“I didn’t want to be sitting on the sidelines watching the finals again,” said Franks, the son of Darla and Bret Franks, the latter of whom qualified for the NFR three times in saddle bronc riding and is the rodeo coach at Clarendon College. “I want to be behind the chutes watching, getting ready to ride. I did a lot of stuff different this year to make it happen
“Not being there last year was the key to me being there this year. I was not going to miss out. I don’t want what happened last year to happen again, so you got to see a lot more fire in me, or at least I tried to have more fire.”
He made sure it showed by finding the pay window a lot. While he didn’t have a lot of victories, several of the titles he won came at big stops. He considers his biggest to have been at Salinas, California, where he won nearly $15,000. It was just the starting point to a mid-July week that paid him more than $22,000 and propelled him up the standings.
It was just part of a transition season for the young bareback rider. After kicking off his career with world champions Tim O’Connell and Jess Pope, Franks adjusted his traveling posse to 25-year-old Louisianan Waylon Bourgeois and 20-year-old Texas firecracker Rocker Steiner, a three-time NFR qualifier who leads the world standings heading into this year’s championship. The key ingredient for all is seeing a progression in their talents.
“I feel like my riding has changed quite a bit, even from this past winter until now,” said Franks, who credits a big part of his success to his sponsors, Cinch, Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, Western Legacy Co., 287 Ag, Eliason Trucking and KN Double Cone Ranch. “I feel like my riding always has to change. Every year, we’ve got these new guys coming in, so everybody’s changing.
“Everybody’s faster. I know for sure I was a lot more conservative at my first NFR, and now, I feel like I can flash it up a little bit better than I used to be able to do.”
That’s important. Bareback riding is judged on a 100-point scale, with half the score coming from the animal. If a cowboy can help the horse earn more points, then the overall score will be better. The difference between first and second in Las Vegas can be half a point, and but the pay contrast is thousands of dollars.
He sits in the middle of the pack in the standings, but there’s not much difference between him and Richmond Champion, the 15th-ranked bareback rider in the field. There is a big gap between Steiner, who has earned more than $233,000, and Franks. Once they all arrive in Las Vegas, though, all that is out the window. Franks can catch Steiner in less than four nights if everything goes his way.
“I’m a little more jittery going into this one, like I was when I went the first time,” Franks said. “That first year, I was just so excited to be there, and I really didn’t know what to expect.
“I was so nervous I don’t even remember the first round. I feel like once I get there and once everything starts going, it’ll kind of be back to how it was my second year.
“Of course, if you’re not nervous doing this, there’s something wrong with you, especially at the finals.”
Clarendon sales tax figure dips
Sales tax revenues for Clarendon slipped in November when Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar delivered monthly allocations last week.
Clarendon’s revenue of $52,736.12 this month was down from $61,362.03 one year ago at this time. The city is still ahead for the calendar year-to-date, up 1.07 percent at $473,040.17.
Hedley was up considerably at $4,358.95 compared to $1,697.73 last November. Hedley is now up 42.08 percent for the year at $17,225.33
In Howardwick, sales tax revenues were up 8.45 percent to $2,097.38, but the lakeside city is behind for the year, down 5.69 percent at $19,373.26, largely due to lowering its sales tax rate in the fall of 2023.
Statewide, Hegar delivered $1.2 billion in local sales tax allocations for November, 1.1 percent more than in November 2023.
These allocations are based on sales made in September by businesses that report tax monthly and on sales made in July, August and September by quarterly filers.
Small Town Christmas to be held on Nov. 30
Shop Small and support local businesses Saturday, November 30, in Clarendon with a great line up of fun, sales, and activities.
Visit local merchants all day in celebration of Small Business Saturday. Then starting at 4 p.m., enjoy the fun and festivities in downtown Clarendon, featuring Santa at the Donley County Courthouse at 5 p.m. and the Courthouse Lighing Ceremony at 6 p.m. followed by food trucks, music, games, a scavenger hunt, and more More details coming soon.
Local voters back Trump, defeat HISD tax increase
Donley County voters turned out in large numbers to support Republican candidates and narrowly turned down a Hedley school tax increase during the general election last Tuesday, November 5.
Hedley ISD voters said “no” to a proposed 12-cent increase in the school’s tax rate during the Voter Approved Tax Ratification Election (VATRE). School officials said the higher tax would have helped pay for higher salaries, security upgrades, and other expenses to help deal with dwindling state funds, according to school officials. HISD voters struck down the proposal 108-135.
With more than 74 percent of registered voters participating, Donley County heavily supported Republican candidates up and down the ballot favoring former president Donald Trump (R) over Vice President Kamala Harris (D), 1,492 to 174 with Libertarian Chase Oliver and the Green Party’s Jill Stein picking up eight and nine votes respectively.
US Sen. Ted Cruz (R) did not have as much as support locally but still overwhelmed Democrat Colin Allred, 1,442 to 191 with Libertarian Ted Brown getting 25.
US Rep. Ronny Jackson and State Rep. Ken King were both unopposed and received 1,445 and 1,483 respectively.
Local unopposed candidates received the following votes, Donley County Attorney Landon Lambert 1,447, Sheriff Butch Blackburn 1,487, Tax Assessor-Collector Kristy Christopher 1,483, Pct. 1 Commissioner Del Essary 377, Pct. 3 Commissioner Greg Wootten 374, and Pct. 3&4 Constable Randy Bond 624.
Broncos face off against Memphis
By Sandy Anderberg
The Clarendon Broncos gave a great effort against the Memphis Cyclones at home last Friday night but could not come up with the win. Plagued by low numbers and injuries, the Broncos are currently 0-9 with one game remaining.
Clarendon will travel to Quanah on Friday, November 8 for their last game of the season.
Things looked promising early on when the Cyclones fumbled but recovered the ball due to a great stop by senior Dalton Coles. The Broncos made great stops in the opening series and caused Memphis to punt. Incomplete passes and a fumbled snap led to a Cyclone touchdown with an extra point to lead by seven.
Neither team was able to score until the opening of the second quarter with great field position at the Cyclones’ three-yard line. Junior quarterback, Kyler Bell gained the touchdown on a keeper to put the Broncos on the board at 6-7. Another Memphis TD put the Broncos behind 6-14 at half time.
Even though Bell scored for the Broncos again early after the break, Memphis was able to put more points on the board for the win. Both teams were plagued by penalties, but the Broncos were unable to convert when they needed to. Memphis won, going away at 14-30.
Benson runs personal best at state
By Sandy Anderberg
Clarendon High School’s Madi Benson is a runner, an overall athlete and remarkable young lady. This past week at the State Cross Country meet in Round Rock, Texas, at The Old Settlers Park, Benson ran a personal record of 12:22.10 for the two-mile course.
She placed 13th out of a field of 150 other runners, nearly receiving a medal. Coach Korey Conkin has everything good to say about Benson and her accomplishments.
“Madi has been such a joy to coach,” Conkin said. “It sure makes a coach’s job easy when an athlete works so hard starting in July, running and working toward a goal.”
Benson is only a junior so Conkin knows she will return for one more run at the state level.
“She ran so well at the state meet and just barely missed getting a medal,“ Conkin said. “She gained valuable experience and knowledge that will help her in future races. We are so very proud of Madi!”
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