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Media honor roll
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The Clarendon Enterprise - Spreading the word since 1878.
A wildfire north of Hedley consumed more than 300 acres last Thursday and Saturday, highlighting the need for caution as drought conditions continue.
Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Jeremy Powell said people need to be extremely careful and also said last week’s blaze threatened three structures – two barns and one house.
The fire began after 5 p.m. last Thursday, May 19, near FM 2944 and State Hwy. 203, and Powell said wind knocking a power line into tree limbs is believed to have started the blaze.
Hedley and Clarendon volunteer firemen worked until after midnight to get the blaze under control but not before it burned about 40 acres.
The fire re-ignited Saturday before noon and was brought back under control at about 2:30, but it caught fire again about 4 p.m. and jumped FM 2944 and burned northeast toward County Road 32.
Hedley fireman Leon Ward said the wind blew the fire through thick brush making it hard to get to with fire trucks and other equipment.
Assistance was called in from neighboring fire departments as well as from state and federal resources, and the fire was extinguished after 11 p.m.
The following fire departments helped with the fire on Saturday: Hedley, Clarendon, Briscoe, Wellington, Kelton, Allison, Wheeler, Mobeetie, and Samnorwood.
Also helping were Donley County maintainers and the US and Texas forest services. Air tankers and a helicoper were brought in to assist the local effort, Powell said.
A Civil War veteran will be recognized in one of three services planned in Donley County in observance of Memorial Day next Monday.
The late Peru Hardy Benson, who is buried in Clarendon’s Citizens Cemetery, will be honored by the Plemons-Shelby Camp 464 of The Sons of the Confederate Veterans, dressed in authentic uniforms and arms, with a memorial ceremony. The activity will take place at the Benson gravesite in Citzens’ Cemetery at noon. The public is invited to attend. Please bring your own chairs.
Benson was a Prisoner of War who spent two years in Yankee prisons and was among a group of Confederates who became known as the “Immortal Six Hundred” because of the number who survived deliberate starvation, exposure to freezing weather, lack of sanitation, lack of medical care, physical abuse by the guards, and imprisonment in the line of fire. Following the war, Benson settled in Hall County where he died on October 14, 1906. His family still owns some of property he settled near Brice, and his grandson, C.L. Benson, lives in Clarendon.
Earlier on Monday, two services will be held in honor of Memorial Day at 10 a.m. – one in Clarendon and one at Rowe Cemetery near Hedley.
The Adamson-Lane Post 287 of the American Legion in Hedley will hold its annual Memorial Day services at the Rowe Cemetery Monday morning, May 30, 2011 at 10 a.m.
The post members will place American flags on the graves of 225 veterans buried in the Rowe Cemetery. The flags will remain there through Monday in honor of those departed comrades that have served this country.
The program will be conducted by members of the American Legion. The Memorial Day address will be entitled “Preserving the Memory of the Fallen.”
The program will include the ceremony honoring the Missing In Action and the Prisoners Of War, still unaccounted for. The post adjutant will read the roll call of the 225 veterans buried in the Rowe Cemetery.
The program will be concluded with the laying of the memorial wreath and the playing of taps.
The Donley County Memorial Post of the VFW 782 will also hold a memorial service at the
Donley County War Memorial on the Courthouse Square at 10 a.m.
Sales tax revenue continues to climb for the City of Clarendon according to figures released by the state comptroller’s office.
Clarendon received an allocation of $33,908.49 this month, up 6.98 percent from the same period one year ago.
The city is now 12.59 percent ahead for the calendar year-to-date with sales tax revenue of $143,201.99 compared to $127,182.88 last year.
City Hall said higher fuel prices and increased car sales are likely the cause of the higher sales tax figures.
Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said statewide sales tax revenue in April was $1.87 billion, up 11.4 percent compared to April 2010.
“This is the 13th straight month in which state sales tax revenue has increased,” Combs said.
“Business spending in sectors such as the oil and gas industry helped boost sales tax collections. Tax revenue from retail spending also showed growth.”
Howardwick’s sales tax revenue is also up slightly this month with an allocation of $670.38, up 3.08 percent from the same period last year. That city is up 4.6 percent for the year-to-date at $4,941.81.
Hedley was down 4.14 percent with a May allocation of $894.64 and is down 2.44 percent for the year so far at $3,102.90.
Across the state, Combs distributed $600.1 million in local sales tax allocations on Friday, May 13, up 5.8 percent compared to May 2010. Combs sent May sales tax allocations of $403.4 million to Texas cities, up 4.7 percent compared to May 2010. Calendar year-to-date, city sales tax allocations are up 6.2 percent compared to the same period last year.
The sales tax allocations to local governments represent March sales reported by monthly tax filers and January, February and March sales reported by quarterly tax filers.
The next sales tax payment will be June 10.
Hedley High School has announced Reid Copelin and Kaylee Shields as the top students for the Class of 2011.
Copelin is the son of Ernie and Tangela Copelin and has a grade point average of 96.596. He played football, basketball, cross country, tennis, track, and golf during his time at HHS. Reid qualified for regionals in tennis and track his junior and senior years.
He was also first team all region basketball his junior year. He was very active in the FFA showing pigs, placing in several major shows. He was also president of the National Honor Society, and he competed in UIL science, qualifying for state his sophomore year.
Copelin was named the Donley County Young Man of the Year by the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce. He plans to attend WTAMU and major in biology.
Shields is daughter of Keenan and Sandra Shields and has a grade point average of 92.319. She played basketball for four years at HHS. During that time, she was awarded All-District her sophomore year and All-Region her junior year. She was also named Offensive M.V.P. She played tennis for three years and advanced to Regionals her junior and senior year. She advanced to regionals in cross country three years out of the four she ran
Shields is vice president of her senior class and also of NHS. During her senior year, she was named the Hedley Lions Club Sweetheart and was also the Donley County Young Woman of the Year. She plans on attending Clarendon College to major in Dentistry.
Copelin and Shields will be recognized during commencement services at Hedley on Friday, June 3, at 6:30 p.m.
Hedley ISD has also named Kati Adams and Madalyn Verstuyft as the school’s eighth grade valedictorian and salutatorian. Adams has an average of 97.167, and Verstuyft’s average is 95.75. The girls will be recognized during a service at the school on June 2 at 6 p.m.
Last month, Clarendon High School named Dominique Brady and Maegan Hysinger as its valedictorian and salutatorian for 2011. CHS commencement will be this Friday, May 27, at the Clarendon College Harned Sisters Fine Arts Auditorium at 8 p.m.
A great year ended on a sorrowful note this past weekend, as the Bronco baseball team was defeated in the playoffs by a good Stamford team.
The first game of the possible three-game series was played Friday night in Lubbock at Westerner Field. Stamford won that game 18-8 and the Broncos ended their season at 19-3.
“(It was) not the way we wanted to go out, but we had an outstanding season,” said coach Brad Elam. “In both games we had a lead, but we were unable to hold it.
“We had some errors that hurt us but we also had some innings where we really played well. I thought it was fitting that Caleb (Mitchell) made the final three outs in game two.”
The Broncos lost the second game 3-8 after holding a two-run lead after four innings.
The fifth inning was torturous for the Broncos as Stamford put five runs on the board and then added two in the sixth.
Despite the exit from the playoffs, Elam has nothing but praise for his team as players and as young men.
“We had a great season and many contributed to the victories,” Elam said.
“But I was more proud of some of the things that the players did off the field. The team really came together after the death of Caleb’s dad and attended the funeral together as a team in support of Caleb and his family.
“The team also was able to help a couple of students in need at the school. These actions show you the quality and character of these players.
“I know we were looking for a different outcome in the playoffs, but these players and managers have been outstanding all season and should be able to hang their heads high on everything they have accomplished.”
The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce lost its major funding and its executive director last week, but chamber officials say they are still prepared to help host this summer’s July Fourth activities.
During their regular meeting last Tuesday, the Clarendon Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to terminate the city’s tourism services contract with the chamber. That contract provided the chamber with quarterly payments of $5,000 each – a total of
$20,000 a year – from the city’s Motel Bed Tax Fund to promote tourism.
City officials said they had expressed concerns to Chamber Executive Director Judy Burlin about how the organization accounts for the money it receives from the city, and in February the Board of Aldermen gave the chamber 90 days’ notice to change the way did business or risk losing funding. The city also asked for financial records for the last four years.
Burlin took a leave of absence about that same time and then submitted a letter of resignation to the chamber dated May 9, 2011, and sighting her mother’s health and other circumstances as her reasons for leaving.
Chamber President Charlie Smith and chamber board members Britton Hall and Carol Braddock attended Tuesday’s city meeting, where aldermen were presented with four plastic tubs containing receipts and bank statements for the last four years.
Smith said city funds were deposited into a separate account but then moved into the chamber’s general account, which city officials said was improper.
Looking through the receipts, City Secretary Machiel Covey told Braddock, “This is a phenomenal amount of work, but it doesn’t show me clearly where the money went.”
Mayor Larry Hicks also expressed his displeasure with the chamber.
“We’ve had happen just what we asked not to happen,” Hicks said of the boxes of financial records. “We asked that it not be brought to us at the last minute like this. I would like to ask that we discontinue funds until such time that we can sort through this or have it brought to us in a manner it can be understood.”
But Hicks also voiced his support for the chamber and said he thinks the city can come to a new agreement with the organization.
“The City of Clarendon wants to promote tourism, and I believe that the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce is the best vehicle for providing those services,” Hicks said in a statement to the press. “Our hope is that the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce will assess their situation and will return to us with a new proposal to provide promotion of tourism activities.”
Smith later told the Enterprise that the chamber has money available to get it through July Fourth.
“Do not worry,” he said. “We will have the parade and the Old Settlers Reunion and everything.”
Smith also said the chamber will be reassessing how it conducts its business and that it was not ready to take applications to replace Burlin.
In other city business last week, Aldermen approved $3,500 from the Motel Bed Tax Fund to support the Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association’s efforts to promote the annual Saints’ Roost Celebration; approved using grant funds to purchase a used trash truck from the City of Canyon for the recycling department; and approved an agreement with City Secretary Machiel Covey agreeing to pay for certification classes and setting salary increases with each new level of certification.
Signs of progress are beginning to be seen at the Mulkey Theatre after the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation accepted two bids to begin working on the theatre’s marquee.
In called meeting last Thursday, the CEDC Board accepted a bid from Wellborn Sign Company in Amarillo to repair the porcelain enamel on the marquee and restore the neon lights on the front and letters of the marquee for a total of $12,940.
The board also accepted a bid from J.B. Covey of Hedley to repair the framing and
decking of the marquee overhang over the old barbershop for $445.
The marquee work approved by the CEDC board will be paid for by money donated to the Mulkey Advisory Committee’s “Bring Back the Mulkey Campaign.”
The CEDC also authorized the hiring of an electrician to run six new circuits to the marquee and discussed different options for repairing, updating, or replacing the marquee faces – the white glass areas where movable letters announce the current attractions. The board agreed to try to preserve the faces as close as possible to their original condition.
The CEDC also requested the city move forward with an agreement to provide power to the theatre as a step toward creating a visitors’ center in the old barbershop.
Next up on the repair agenda will be repairing the roof of the marquee overhang and clearing drains from that area as necessary steps before restoring neon underneath the marquee.
\Donations are still be accepted to help Bring Back the Mulkey. Donors who give $50 or more will be recognized inside the theatre, and donations can be made to Donley County Historical Commission, PO Box 905, Clarendon, TX 79226 and note “Mulkey” in the memo of your check.
Clarendon’s downtown merchants are also supporting the effort by selling paper light bulbs which can be purchased for $1 and are displayed in stores downtown.
For more information about how you can help “Bring Back the Mulkey,” visit www.ClarendonEDC.org or check out www.facebook.com/mulkeytheatre.
Gaines qualified for the State Track Meet in Austin last weekend in three events, and even though Gaines missed out on the gold, by a combined two and three-fourths inches in the two events, his performance in the meet was stellar.
Gaines jumped to two silver medals and ran for a seventh-place finish in the 300-meter
hurdles.
Gaines jumped a distance of 22’2 ¾” in the long jump for second place, which was only three-fourths of an inch behind the gold medalist.
He then put together a fantastic leap in the triple jump at 45’4” to tie the longest distance at the meet in class 1A. Because of the tie, the winner was determined on the young men’s second longest mark and Gaines fell short again, and this time it was two
inches.
“Forty-five feet four inches was his personal best,” coach Johnny Nino said. “And achieved that jump on his last jump in the finals. He tied for first, but his next jump of 45’1” was less than the other jumper.”
Gaines ran a time of 40:33 in the 300-meter hurdles for a seventh-place finish. The winner of that race ran the distance in a time of 38.37.
“This was Johnny’s third trip to Austin, which is quite an accomplishment,” Nino said. “This year he received his first two medals. I was proud of the way he
competed. Johnny has always represented himself and Clarendon very well. This year was no different. I was very happy for him to finally get a medal at the state meet and I will surely miss his competitive spirit and leadership.”
The Lady Bronco 800-meter relay also competed in the state meet and finished the race in a time of 1:48.85, which was good enough for 8th place. The 1A team from Snook won the gold at a time of 1:43.28. Members of the relay are Amber Keelin, Sarah Luttrell, Marqueda Gaines, and Glory Bryley. Coach Alton Gaines was pleased with the ladies’ performance at the state level.
“The state meet was a real reward on the year for coaches and girls,” Gaines said. “They really worked hard this year to get to that point in the season. I am so honored to be their coach. They put another clip on my highlight reel. Ladies, thank you.”
Gaines knows the girls that ran at state are young and the experience they gained in Austin was huge.
“The meet was pretty intimidating,” Gaines said. “They were able to see what it is going to take to get back to the state meet next year and the hard work they are going to have to invest in, in order to run with that type of competition. They ran really well and we got the experience we needed to repeat next year. Again, thanks for a heck of a year ladies.”
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