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School boards across the nation are receiving recognition in January due to School Board Appreciation Month.

Each campus of Clarendon and Hedley Independent School Districts presented its school board with various gifts, cards, and even a meal in gratitude of their service.

“We have a really terrific board that is focused on what is best for the students of our district,” CISD superintendent Monty Hysinger said. “They stay up to date on issues and challenges we face and keep their focus on providing the vision for the district. I think that they’re the best board in the state.”

Members of the Clarendon ISD school board include President Wayne Hardin, 22 years of service; Vice President Weldon Sears, 16 years; Secretary Lance Thornberry, 12 years; Marvin Thompson, 12 years; Robin Ellis, four years and Wes Hatley, two years.

“We have a great team, and we all work very well together,” Hardin said. “We may disagree on issues in a meeting because we all have our own ideas, but once we take a vote we always agree to abide by the decision.”

Members of the Hedley school board include President Bonnie Brown (one year), Vice President James E. Potts (four years), Secretary Lana Ritchie (two years), James L. Potts (three years), Tonja Ruthardt (three years), Karen Watt (one year), and Ted Wright (six months).

“I’ve been here two years, and I’ve found the board extremely good at making decisions that are in the best interest of the district,” Hedley ISD superintendent Eric Hough said. “They are very supportive, and I am pleased with their performance.”

HISD school board president Bonnie Brown described their board as a “good group of people.”

“We are all committed to seeing that Hedley ISD is the best it can be,” Brown said. “I respect everyone on the board; and even though we have different views at times, we work well together.”

Both boards are thankful for the appreciation shown to them throughout this month.

“We appreciate everything that’s been done for us because we don’t get paid to serve on the board,” Hardin said. “It’s been very nice having an appreciation month.”

Three strangers who literally dropped out of the air at one Donley County couple’s home recently ended up staying two days and becoming good friends.

Bill and Betty Ann Sansing had been to a funeral Sunday afternoon, January 9, when they returned to their ranch home north of Clarendon. As they drove up to the house, they came upon a site they never would have expected – a helicopter had landed by their barn.

“We didn’t know what to think,” Betty Ann Sansing recalled. “We just wondered, ‘Is this for real?’”

Just minutes earlier, Robert Myers, along with his father, Jack, and his son, Haden, had been flying in the four-seat Robertson R44 helicopter, going home to Skiatook, northwest of Tulsa, Okla., after visiting relatives in Clovis, New Mexico.

“We thought we could make it to Watonga (Okla.), but we ran into fog,” Robert said.
With no windshield wipers and facing freezing precipitation, Myers sat the copter down on what he would later find out was the southern part of the Sansings’ land.

“We just gathered hands and prayed for God to get us somewhere safe,” Robert said.

It was a prayer that was answered when they lifted off and flew just a little ways before they saw the Sansing’s barn. Robert landed again, and they noticed the ranch house several yards away. He went to the door, but no one was home. But within just a few minutes of his returning to the helicopter, the bewildered Sansings drove up.

“He came to the car and told us their situation,” Betty Ann said, “so we invited them inside so we could call the weather radar up on the computer.”
The flying conditions showed no signs of improving, so the Sansings allowed the Myers family to stow the helicopter in their barn and then put them up in a guest room with two king beds.

“We knew right away they were good folks,” Betty Ann said. “We didn’t have any hesitation to let them stay.”

“They took us in just like we were family,” Jack Myers said. “We helped [Bill] feed his cattle, and then helped him break ice the next day.”

Monday morning they checked the weather again. It was clear locally, but they would run into precipitation again before they could get home, so it was decided they would stay another night.

“Mondays are usually pretty quiet and boring around our house,” Betty Ann said. “But that day the time flew by.”

The families discovered they had a lot in common, and they spent the day visiting and learning more about each other. Robert had been in contact with friends back home, and at one point a deacon from his church sent him a text message: “There is a heavenly host watching over you.” Certainly, the Myers family thought their earthly hosts were heaven sent.

By the time the Myers men lifted off last Tuesday morning, it was apparent that the Sansings had adopted some new members into their family.

“We’re expecting a visit this spring,” said Betty Ann, and Robert agreed that was definitely going to happen.

“I’m going to come back and bring my whole family,” he said before his crew boarded their helicopter, took off to the south, banked back to the northeast, and flew over their new friends’ home on their way back to Oklahoma.