Pool progress
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Ceremony kicks off pool work
City officials and approximately 100 spectators gathered at the site of the future Clarendon Aquatics Center Tuesday afternoon to break ground on the $2.7 million project.
“We are extremely pleased to reach this milestone after years of efforts,” City Administrator David Dockery said afterward. “We are so grateful to have these residents and students help us with the ground-breaking for this momentous occasion for the City of Clarendon.”
Before the dirt was turned, Mayor Skelton recognized those in attendance and reflected on the work that had been done since an anonymous donor first offered half a million dollars to get the project started four years ago.
Project designer Steve Shank of WatersEdge, the Kansas firm that has designed this pool and the one in Wellington says this will be a great facility for Clarendon.
“This is going to be a good pool and the citizens here will love it,” Shank said.
Running owl
St. Mary’s makes plans for new home
The last pre-20th century catholic church building in the Amarillo Diocese was demolished here Monday as St. Mary’s parishioners make plans to be in a new home by the end of next spring.
The 1892 building that has housed the Texas Panhandle’s oldest catholic church was torn down after being severely damaged by an automobile more than two years ago.
Preservation architect Chuck Lynch told the Enterprise he knew the building had to come down after surveying the damage that had been done to it.
“It was one of the most dangerous things that I’ve seen,” Lynch said.
Looking at the building not long after the accident, Lynch said he told parishioners that he was concerned about anything of value inside the building because, he said, “it’s going to fall down.”
Lynch the automobile had traveled about 40 feet, missed trees, and then struck the side of the building concaving the east wall and convexing the west wall. Lynch said the floor was damaged and stress had been put on the roof.
“There was very little foundation to the building,” he said. “There was no engineering done in 1892, and someone at some point had tried to level the building and left leveling jacks under it. That was all that was really holding it up.”
Lynch said fixing the building would have cost three times what building a new building would cost, and the old building was no longer meeting the needs of the church.
“There was very little plumbing, no bathrooms,” Lynch said. “You couldn’t get a wheel chair down the side aisles.”
Church members have also noted that the building had suffered several bad remodeling jobs over the last century, particularly the removal of the original gothic church and bell tower.
Several elements of the original church were salvaged from the building, including the restored high alter, the stained glass windows, some original flooring, and some original bead board that was found behind drywall. Those items and other will be worked into the new building in a way that Lynch says will honor the past.
“We’re trying to rebuild in honor of what was there originally but with modern codes,” he said. “Original elements will be a nice tribute. The new building will also have a proper sacristy and confessional and should be more functional than the old church.”
The new building will connect to the church’s new Parish Hall and will seat up to 140 where only about 60 could fit into the old building.
Prior to Monday’s demolition, Bishop Patrick Zurek prayed with parishioners outside of the old building and asked God’s blessing on the work ahead. Father Arokia Raj Samala oversaw the demolition of the building and kept a close eye on its progress.
Two for the Road season 3 to premier at Mulkey
The locally produced PBS series Two for the Road will hold a special season three premier event next Saturday, September 21, at the Mulkey Theatre in Clarendon.
Stone Ranch Media announced last week that the highly anticipated third season of the international travel and adventure show, produced and hosted by Howardwick residents Nikki and Dusty Green, will premiere on Panhandle PBS Thursday night, October 3, at 8:00 p.m.
The new season of the three-time Lone Star Emmy nominated show follows the Greens and their adventures around the world once again, this time as they explore more than a dozen countries across four continents, including Bolivia, Iceland, Vietnam, the Galapagos Islands, Ireland and more. The thirteen new episodes will begin running concurrently on PBS stations nationwide in early October as well.
“We are incredibly proud and excited to finally get season three out there,” said Dusty. “We’ve been blessed to be able to visit and film in some truly spectacular places for this new season. And a lot of really amazing places in fact that a lot of folks might not be familiar with, or have ever heard about. It’s all coming together really beautifully and we can’t wait for folks to see it.”
The Greens, who continue to shoot, produce and edit the series entirely on their own out of their home studio in Howardwick, say they also hope that viewers will notice a few key differences in the new season from the past two seasons, from overall improvements in production and voiceover to a greater focus on storytelling.
“Yes, one thing that’s different about this new season is that we hope viewers will notice more of a focus on storytelling,” Nik said. “In the past two seasons, there’s been a lot of adventure, a lot of adrenaline for sure. And there’s still plenty of adventure in the new season too, but this time we wanted to focus more on these really touching stories and these fascinating people that we’re meeting out on the road.”
“And the visuals too,” Dusty said. “We put a lot more effort in on the production side in terms of really trying to capture the spectacular beauty of these places. So, there are lots of big, epic, lingering drone shots for example. We really want folks to feel like they’re being drawn into these places we visit, like they’re right there along for the ride with us.”
The first season of Two for the Road premiered in the fall of 2016, and since then the show has grown to be available in more than 90 percent of television households across the United States, via nationwide broadcasts on local PBS affiliates like Panhandle PBS and the popular public television lifestyle network Create TV.
And as the show’s audience continues to grow and the Greens continue to travel and film around the world, they say it’s their home and their roots in the Texas Panhandle that keep them both grounded and motivated.
“It doesn’t matter where in the world we’ve been or what we’ve been doing, we always love coming back home. The folks here in Donley County especially have always been so kind and supportive, and we really hope to make them proud,” Nik said. “In fact, we mention Clarendon a couple of times in a couple of shows in the new season, so we hope everybody enjoys the shout-out.”
Details of the season three premiere event in Clarendon on September 21 are still being finalized, but the Greens say it will feature the first two episodes of the new season, which follow their adventures in Bolivia. In addition to the screening, a free ice cream social is planned at Stocking Ice Cream Parlor before the Mulkey event, and an after party is in the works at the Whistle Stop. Admission will be free and open to the public, although a $5 per person donation is suggested at the Mulkey event, with all proceeds going to benefit the Donley County Community Fund.
Two for the Road is produced by the Greens through their company Stone Ranch Media and is distributed by the National Educational Telecommunications Association. And as in seasons past the series is presented nationally to the public television system by Panhandle PBS in Amarillo. And even with the premiere of season three approaching, they say production has already begun on season four of Two for the Road.
“We’ve already shot one episode for season four and production will really ramp up again in November,” Nik said. “We just feel so blessed and thankful to be able to do what we do, and we really want to thank everyone for all the love and hope they enjoy the ride.”
Rockin’ the Mulkey
March-a-Thon
Riza welcomes faculty back for fall semester
Clarendon College President Robert Riza welcomed faculty and staff last Thursday, August 22, as preparations were made for the opening of CC’s 122nd fall semester this week.
Officials reported that the dorms were full as the semester got underway, an indication of a strong enrollment. Final enrollment will not be available for several days.
Dr. Riza enumerated several accomplishments of the college and praised the faculty and staff for their roles in making those things possible.
“What you do makes my job relevant,” Riza told the employees assembled for All College Day.
Riza also explained the college’s new electronic textbook feature that will save students and the college money.
Clarendon is also noted for its student/faculty interaction and support for learners.
“I applaud you and thank you for what you do,” he told the employees.
CC has also gained acclaim for its reserve national ranch horse team, its national champion meats judging team, and its men’s rodeo team which placed third nationally.
On the state level, Riza said he represented Clarendon College and got community college exempted from the tax changes in House Bill 2, which preserved $42,000 in local funding and up to $350 million in college tax funding across the state.
Riza has also helped expand local offerings through agreements with Western Governors University and Texas State Technical College.
The president also noted that the next round of legislative work has already begun. Clarendon is currently represented by him on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board committee which helps develop the funding formula for community college. He is the only representative west of I-35.
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