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A Clarendon woman is counting her blessings after a housefire destroyed part of her home and resulted in the loss of three pets last Wednesday, December 28.

“God takes care of us in ways we can’t imagine,” Terri Luna told the Enterprise this week, recalling how her friends and community have rallied around her. “It’s just been phenomenal.”

Luna was out of town when the fire broke out in her home in the 300 block of West Third Street, but she says within minutes it seems like the community was there for her.

“I was in Amarillo at my daughter’s and got a call from Shantel Harris at the Brake Time deli asking me if I was okay,” Luna said. “I told her I had a little bit of a cold but felt pretty good. That’s when she told me that’s not what she meant and that my house was on fire.”

Moments earlier, Sue Hardy, who was housesitting for Luna, awakened to what seemed like a fog in the house. Meanwhile, Carey Wann, a local EMT, was driving by at the time and noticed smoke coming from the house. He went into action and called the authorities.

“I went and pushed the door open, helped (Hardy) get out, and got one of the little dogs out,” Wann said.
Three other dogs perished in the fire.

The Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched at 8:55 and was on the scene by 8:59, Fire Chief Jeremy Powell said. CVFD responded to the blaze with five trucks and 11 firemen and stayed on the scene until 11:15.

“We got a hold of it pretty quick, but it got into the attic and eves and in a wall,” Powell said.

Rushing back from Amarillo, Luna learned that someone had already notified her insurance agent – Virginia Patten with Hall-Donley Farm Bureau – and that her claim was already being processed.

“Virginia was actually on vacation but stopped to take care of me,” Luna said. “It’s just another positive thing about living in a small town.”

Friends, family, her church, the school, student organizations, and the Ministerial Alliance were all quick to respond in Luna’s hour of need, she said. A fund was established at the Donley County State Bank, and a GoFundMe was set up online. Local businesses began taking donations to add to the fund at the bank.

Offers of places to stay were also plentiful, she said.

“If I slept in every home that was offered to me, I could probably couch hop for two months and never stay in the same place,” Luna said.

While Luna said she’s always loved her community and known the kindness of its residents, she didn’t understand the full extent of it until the last week.

“It’s been too overwhelming for words,” she said. “And I don’t know how people know what you need. I’ve been offered a lot of stuff, and other than clothes, its never the same thing twice.”

Officials say the fire appears to have started in the front bedroom on the southeast side of the house, but Powell said Tuesday that the cause of the blaze is still unknown.

The adjacent living room had some fire damage, he said, but most of the house suffered only smoke and heat damage.

“It is reparable,” the chief said. “It’s a well-built house.”

Luna said her situation is “turning out to be livable and doable” but moving back into that house won’t be an option for her.

“I lost my dogs in there. We had them for nine years. Even if I could rebuild, I just can’t live there,” she said.

Almost a week after the fire, Luna says she believes she’s in a good position. She has a place to stay as she sorts things out and returned to work Tuesday at Clarendon High School where she teaches. Going back to work was refreshing, she said, as she starts to figure out her new normal.

“I think I have what I need, but I still appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers,” she said.

Six new Eagle Scouts were formally pinned Sunday, December 11, by Clarendon’s Scouts BSA Troop 433 in a Court of Honor at the First United Methodist Church.

Mason Allred, Haughton Bivens, Henry Bivens, Benjamin Estlack, Daniel Estlack, and Koltyn Shields earned scouting’s highest rank after a decade on the trail to Eagle that started for them in the first grade.

Saturday’s ceremony marked the end of one journey but the beginning of another, according to guest speaker Lou Ellerbrook, a Troop 433 Eagle from the Class of 1994.

“You’re not done; there’s always more to do,” Ellerbrook said, who challenged them to live up to the ideals of an Eagle Scout as they go on to serve on church boards, school boards, city councils, and whatever roles they take up in life.

As the ceremony continued, each young man was pinned with his Eagle medal by his parents, and later each spoke about their Eagle Scout projects and who their mentors were throughout scouting. Each boy also received a Congressional commendation from US Rep. Ronny Jackson.

All of the boys were keenly aware of the honor that comes with being an Eagle, a rank that only between two and five percent of scouts ever attain.

“It means now I carry the responsibility of what people think I can do and am capable of doing and that I have to push myself to help other people and always be prepared to help,” Mason told the Enterprise.

Ben said becoming an Eagle was something he always wanted to accomplish.

“It means being an upstanding citizen and a good person, and I feel like it makes you a better person,” he said.

Dan said the idea of being an Eagle Scout means honor and service to him.

“To me it means I have to have honor in my everyday life and to be a part of my community and try to better it,” Dan said.

Koltyn said Eagles are role models.

“It’s a sign that you’re a trustworthy and honest person who can set an example for others,” he said.

Haughton joined scouts a year behind his brother but caught up to the older boys in the last couple of years. He likes the idea of being a part of something bigger that is represented by being an Eagle.

“It’s an honor [being an Eagle] and a privilege,” he said, “and I like being a part of the community of Eagles.”

For Henry becoming an Eagle is a reminder of the path to get there and all that was learned along the way.

“It’s having fun with friends, helping your community, helping friends reach a goal, and learning some ‘adulty’ things along the way to learn some responsibility.”

Each of the six new Eagles look back on their time in scouting and recall several fun activities, but they generally all agreed that camping or some activity at camp stood out for them as their favorite memories. Whether it was fishing, cooking, shotgun, or building their own shelter to survive the night, each boy had a special memory.

No scout can attain the Eagle Rank without a major project that gives back to the community. An individual project is big undertaking, but these boys coordinated their projects and accomplished them all on one day in June 2021. Five of the projects were completed at Citizens Cemetery, and one was at the Lions Hall. Dozens of helpers and volunteers were involved, and private donations helped make the day possible, including a hamburger lunch donated by Robertson Funeral Directors and cooked by the boys themselves.

Mason and Ben installed 70 section markers – 35 each – at the cemetery, which involved marking sections, drilling post holes, and setting signs.

“It made me feel like I was part of the community and like I was needed,” Mason said. “Now, I’m really happy we got it done and to know it’s helping people probably every day.”

The finished product was also very satisfying to Ben.

“Getting to see the signs installed in lines – I loved that part and seeing how all our hard work paid off,” he said.

Tying in with the sign project, Koltyn repaired and repainted the tool shed at the cemetery and then installed a section map to further help people locate loved ones’ graves.

“It made me feel like a productive member of society getting to contribute in that way,” he said. “I like thinking about all the time we spent talking about it and working through it that day.”

At the front of the cemetery, Dan relocated and installed a new light for the flagpole that had been originally installed by his late grandfather, Allen Estlack. The new light now shines without interfering with drivers on Highway 70, and he also installed a steel core rope on the flagpole that will last for many years.

“It made me feel good giving back to my community and continuing what my grandfather had built,” he said. “I felt accomplished and felt like we had helped people.”

Henry’s project focused on scraping and repainting the wrought iron fence around the Saints’ Roost colonists’ graves and the main entrance sign to the cemetery.

“It was important because it’s good for families to see that their loved ones are in a place that is cared for,” he said. “The project makes it look like a nicer place for the community.”

Haughton’s project was the final one of the day and involved moving the flag retirement deposit boxes from the old VFW to the Lions Hall and refurbishing a previous Eagle project to receive flags. It’s a project that has since received hundreds of flags for retirement.

“The project made me feel like I was doing something for the community and something to honor the flags with retirement,” he said. “It makes me happy that it’s being put to a good use.”

All six boys still have other opportunities for adventure and learning in scouting and will be role models for younger scouts coming up behind them.

Sunday’s Court of Honor brings the total number of Eagle Scouts produced by Troop 433 since 1969 to 98. With the first two female Eagles recognized by companion Troop 4433 two weeks ago and the nine known Eagles from other local troops since 1927, Clarendon now has a total of 109 Eagle Scouts.