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Sunday’s community worship service at the Sandell Drive-In was attended by a large crowd and plans are being prepared for an even better service this weekend.

Howardwick Baptist Church pastor Jim Fox said 150 or more people attended the worship service.

“I had 100 bulletins and ran out,” he said. “Every car had two to four people in it and some dogs came, too.”

With most local churches having canceled services or relying on digital broadcasts, the community worship service at the Sandell allowed people a way to congregate while still staying in their personal vehicles.

A stage was set up in front of the drive-in’s big screen, and audio was piped through the Sandell’s FM broadcast system it typically uses for motion pictures.

“It was fantastic, and it’s going to be better this week,” Fox said. “Mr. [John] Morrow was excellent and provided a great facility.”

Fox said Kentucky Fried Chicken buckets were available for worshippers to drop donation envelopes in with their churches’ names written on them, and those funds will be distributed to the respective churches.

Worship will be held again this Sunday, April 5, at 10 a.m., and Fox says he hopes to have first responders there to have a special prayer time for them.

First United Methodist pastor Buddy Payne will have the opening prayer, Fox will have a message on 2 Chronicles 7:14, Church of the Nazarene pastor Allen Posey will preach, and Community Fellowship pastor Larry Capranica will close the service.

Clarendon and Hedley students will not be attending school through at least April 3 following an executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott last Thursday as officials across the state work to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Despite not being able to physically be in the classroom, students still have work to do with lessons being prepared and distributed this week in the form of digital delivery or homework packets or other methods.
Superintendents of both schools had previously announced on Wednesday that would suspend classes through March 27 before Abbott trumped local districts with the closure order. School personnel moved quickly to find new ways to deliver educational materials to their students.

“With the rapidly changing landscape caused by the COVID-19 (Coronavirus), we are continuing to monitor and make adjustments as necessary in order to make educated decisions for the students and staff of CISD,” Clarendon CISD Superintendent Jarod Bellar said.
“The health and safety of our students, staff, and community are our priority as we navigate this difficult time.”

Extracurricular activities at both schools are still canceled at this time, and the University Interscholastic League has also postponed all practices and workouts.

“Please know that this decision does not come lightly,” Hedley Superintendent Garrett Bains said. “We recognize that this decision will cause significant difficulties for parents.”

Both schools also began offering food service again on Monday. The food service is available for all kids up to age 18 whether they are enrolled in a Donley County school or not even residents of the county.
Clarendon CISD is serving breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., and lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Breakfast and lunch is a grab-n-go option where parents and guardians will drive to a designated area between the cafeteria and the elementary school entrance on W. 5th Street.

Parents will not have to get out of their car. Clarendon CISD will pass out meals based on the number of children in the household.
Clarendon officials served 39 breakfasts and 56 lunches on Monday. That number was up to 112 for breakfast on Tuesday after the district began deliveries to Howardwick and north of US 287 in Clarendon.

Hedley CISD also began food service no Monday with deliveries to bus stops in for students in Clarendon and Memphis at 10 a.m. Parents and guardians who live in Hedley can pick up their grab and go meals from the school beginning at 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. by pulling up to the bridge on the east side of the school where personnel will bring meals to them.

Clarendon and Hedley will also begin distributing instructional packets Thursday, March 26. Parents should contact their students’ respective campuses if they have not already been contacted about this process.