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Kent Derelle Rattan

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Retired architect Kent Derelle Rattan, 71, died Oct. 17, 2022, in his Buena Vista, Va., home.

Kent Derelle Rattan

The son of Dennis Meral Rattan of Quitaque, Texas, and Toni Ethelyn (nee McBrayer) Rattan of Memphis, Texas, and younger brother of Ronald Rattan, Kent was born Feb. 28, 1951, at Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo, Texas.

The Rattans lived in Amarillo where Kent spent the first few years of primary school at Alice Landergin Elementary School. The family briefly moved to Springdale, Ark., where Kent attended Springdale Elementary School. The Rattans then settled in Clarendon, Texas, where Dennis started his own successful TV repair and cable management shop, Rattan TV. The family was a member of the local Baptist church, which instilled in
Kent the importance of God’s love that he would carry with him throughout his life.

As a child in Clarendon, Kent played baseball, directed plays in the local community theater, and attended Sunday school. Kent showed an early talent for academics, graduating from Clarendon Junior High School as Salutatorian. Kent graduated from Clarendon High School as the Class of 1969 Valedictorian and was president of the local National Honor Society chapter as well as the Spanish Club.

After high school, Kent accepted a scholarship to Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, where he graduated cum laude in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After college, Kent taught at a prep school in Little Rock, Ark.,
and then pursued his graduate studies at the University of Texas, Austin, earning his Master of Architecture in 1983. Between 1983 and 1986, Kent lived and worked as an architect in Dallas, San Antonio, and Little Rock. In 1986, he moved to Bethesda, Md., where he worked as a Senior Project Manager at Marriott International.

Kent met Nicki A. Miller, of Erie, Pa., at the American Institute for Architects in Washington, DC. On March 25th, 1989, Kent and Nicki married. Together they raised their four children, Sean M. Porterfield, Julia R. Porterfield,
Elizabeth S. Rattan, and Claire H. Rattan in Frederick, Md. Kent remained with Marriott from 1986 until 1998, and then accepted a construction management and design position at Sodexo USA from 1998 to 2005. In 2005, the Rattan family moved to Austin, Texas, where Kent launched his own business, Design Services Plus, Inc. as the President and Project Director, using his project management and design skills for architecture projects. In 2011, Kent and Nicki moved to Buena Vista, Va., where Kent based his business until 2019, when he retired.

In his free time, Kent enjoyed fly fishing, hiking, traveling, playing the harmonica, making bad jokes, staying on top of current affairs, reading travel novels and British comedy, and spending time with family, friends, and pets.

He leaves behind his children: son Sean Porterfield, of Frederick, Md., and daughters Julia Porterfield of Baltimore, Md.; Elizabeth Rattan of Philadelphia, Pa.; and Claire Rattan of Staunton, Va.; older brother –
Dennis Ronald Rattan and sister-in-law Pam Rattan of Austin, Texas; nephew Brandon Rattan of San Francisco, Calif.; niece Jessica Fetzer of Houston, Texas; as well as ‘brothers’ Larry Springer of New Braunfels, Texas; and Nathan Noble of Alexandria, Va. Nicki A. Miller, his spouse of 33 years, died on Nov. 28, 2022.

A graveside memorial service for Kent will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 22, 2023 at Citizens Cemetery, SH 70, Clarendon, Texas.

UPDATE: Additional candidates running in Hedley

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Additional candidates for the Hedley City Council were announced last week after the Enterprise went to press.

Mayor Carrie Butler said two candidates had left their applications in a city drop box and the paperwork was not discovered until after the filing deadline. With the addition of those two new candidates, there are now six people running for three full terms on the council.

Aldermen Trisha Chambless, Alicia Hanes, and Jennifer Floyd are seeking re-election. Christine Coyle was previously announced as a challenger, and now Calvin Holland and Tanya White Gibson will also appear on the ballot.

Butler also said a special election will be held alongside May’s regular election to fill two unexpired terms – those are seats belonging to Sandy Wilkinson, who resigned several months ago, and Danny Russell, whose resignation is scheduled to be voted on at the next regular Hedley city council meeting March 9.

Butler said the council last month appointed Clayton Beagle to Wilkinson’s seat and that he will be a candidate in the special election.

CHS UIL teams practice in Canadian

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Clarendon High School students placing at the UIL practice meet in Canadian included Davin Mays, Cate Word, Adrianna Araujo, and Avery Halsey. Not pictured: Cutter Seay.

Seventeen Clarendon High School students competed in the Canadian academic practice meet February 11.

Adriana Araujo placed sixth in Prose Interpretation. Avery Halsey and Cate Word placed fifth and sixth respectively in Copy Editing. Millie McAnear tied for fifth in Ready Writing while Davin Mays wrote his way to a third-place finish in Feature Writing.

Cutter Seay rounded out the day with a silver medal in Informative Speaking.
Clarendon will compete at the district meet at Clarendon College on March 22.

Lady Broncos JV win Pampa Tournament

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The Lady Broncos junior varsity team went 5-0 in the Pampa Tournament last weekend.

The Lady Bronco junior varsity team went 5-0 in the Pampa Tournament to claim the championship according to head coach Brad Elam. The ladies defeated Booker JV, Borger JV, Canadian JV, and Palo Duro JV. Their fifth win was a forfeit from Amarillo High JV.

The varsity team took second place in the tournament by tying Caprock JV, defeating Borger JV, Amarillo High JV, Claude and Bushland JV.

The ladies blasted Claude by the score of 14-1. No other stats for the games were available at press time.

On February 25, the Lady Bronco varsity team played Lubbock Christian in the Tulia Tournament and earned a big win at 7-3. The ladies had eight hits on the day, had three strike outs, and only committed one error. Tandie Cummins was on the mound and got the win.

Hayden Elam and Kennadie Cummins went to the plate three times with each of the players recording two runs. Baylee Gabel, T. Cummins, and Gracie Wilkins were responsible for the other three runs for the Lady Broncos. K. Cummins, Gabel, T. Cummins, Aleyah Weatherton, and Chelsea Wright. Wilkins was responsible for two RBI’s.

The Lady Broncos posted triples by Elam, T. Cummins, and Wilkins and Elam had four stolen bases and K. Cummins had two.

They also defeated New Deal 10-0 and Booker 12-1 but lost to Lubbock Cooper JV 6-10.

The Lady Broncos will be participating in the Randall High School Tournament March 9-10. They will play Amarillo High JV, Tulia, Randall JV, and Bushland.

CC chosen to participate in state grant

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Clarendon College has been selected to participate in a new statewide economic mobility grant due to CC’s outstanding accomplishments and dedication to student success.

The Talent Strong Texas Pathways is a $16 million five-year statewide economic mobility grant administered by the Texas Success Center is designed to increase the number of credentialed Texans prepared for high-demand careers that offer a living wage.

CC President Tex Buckhaults said Clarendon College is excited and honored to be a part of the Texas Pathways Grant.

The state’s higher education strategic plan, “Building a Talent Strong Texas,” targets expanding the attainment of valuable postsecondary credentials. The intent is to increase employment opportunities and income for individuals while creating a deeper talent pool for employers.

“Texas higher education has unique responsibilities and roles to play in what comes next, to expand opportunities for all Texans and ensure our economic competitiveness on a global scale,” said Harrison Keller, Commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. “Now is the time to seize the vast, Texas-sized opportunities before us to achieve impact at scale and to dedicate ourselves to building a talent strong Texas.”

The Texas Success Center, working with the state’s community colleges, is supporting the scaling of inclusive talent pathways directing students through collaboratively designed programs beginning with short-term credentials and early workplace learning.

“Texas is very fortunate to have a set of funding partners willing to invest in the important work of the community colleges,” said Dr. Cynthia Ferrell, Vice President of the Texas Success Center. “We are very impressed by the college’s commitment to design and implement talent pathways. We are excited to work with Clarendon College as they continue to partner with local business and education leaders to provide valuable workforce and education opportunities.”

Fund established to help Cooper family

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A fund has been established at the Donley County State Bank to receive donations to help the family of Coy Cooper as he battles cancer.

Plans are also in place for a Bake Sale to be held March 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Burton Memorial Library with the proceeds going to help the Cooper family.

Hedley blood drive to be held Tuesday

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Coffee Memorial Blood Center will have a community blood drive next Tuesday, March 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hedley High School.

The Bloodmobile will be there, and appointments can be scheduled by calling 877-340-8777 or by visiting obi.org.

CEDC members attend Retail Academy

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CEDC members attend Retail Academy

Three members of the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation board attended two days of workshops in San Antonio last week to learn more about recruiting new retail businesses to the community.

The Texas Rural Retail Academy was held at the downtown campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) on March 1 and 2. Hosted by the UTSA Institute for Economic Development and Retail Strategies, leaders from six Texas communities were selected to attend the program.

Participating communities include Breckenridge, Clarendon, Eastland, Haskell, Poteet, and Vernon. Representing the CEDC were Roger Estlack, Chuck Robertson, and Taylor Shelton.

“Texas communities need additional support and resources now more than ever coming out of the pandemic,” said Matthew Jackson, Director of the Texas Rural Retail Academy program at the UTSA Institute for Economic Development. “Retail Academy will be instrumental in providing the critical tools to our communities to help boost retail and bolster small businesses.”

Last week’s program was UTSA’s second Texas Rural Retail Academy and participating communities received invaluable data on consumers in their community and education on retail and real estate. Each community came away with a strategic retail economic development plan and the skills needed to execute that plan, Jackson said.

Developed by Retail Strategies, Retail Academy educates communities nationwide on best practices to attract new retail and restaurants while providing resources to support and grow existing local businesses. The UTSA Texas Rural Retail Academy program is funded in part through a Rural Business Development grant awarded to UTSA from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“We are proud to bring the Retail Academy program to Texas communities again, with help from the UTSA Institute for Economic Development and the USDA,” said Madeline Farr, Director of Retail Academy.

“The business-friendly climate in Texas is extremely helpful for the communities that attend our program. The growth in the state is reaching these rural markets and with retailers evolving expansion plans, a lot of those brands look at secondary and tertiary markets. We are giving community leaders the tools they need to capitalize on that growth, Farr said.

City seeks lifeguards, administrator

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The City of Clarendon is looking for a few good people to fill several positions.

The Clarendon Aquatic Center is just a few weeks away from opening for the 2023 season, but City Administrator David Dockery says more employees are needed before the Memorial Day weekend opening.

Applications are being accepted at City Hall for the position of pool manager and for several lifeguard jobs.

“We need at least four or five more lifeguards,” Dockery said Tuesday.
Anyone ages 16 and older can apply for a lifeguard position, and they must take training to become certified.

City Hall also was informed Monday that its final candidate for the city administrator’s position had withdrawn his name from consideration.

Fred Ventresco, Town Administrator at Pine Tops, North Carolina, had told the city council he was applying in other locations during a virtual interview held on February 2. After the council released the other two final candidates from the search two weeks ago, Ventresco was scheduled to travel to Clarendon this week to tour the town and meet with officials in person.

Dockery said the city assumes Ventresco accepted a position elsewhere.

The council will meet this Thursday evening for its regular meeting and discuss the next steps in finding a successor for Dockery, who announced a year ago his intention to retire this April. Dockery will now stay on the job for a while longer.

Editorial: The Record of the area’s best newspaper

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Thursday, March 2, 2023 – the day the light went out in Canadian.

There wasn’t a power failure or an eclipse or anything of the sort. No, it was a different kind of darkness that fell over the city. The light of truth and fairness and justice went out.

Roger Estlack, Publisher
& Editor

After 132 years, The Canadian Record published its last issue. Well, “suspended publication” is the phrase that was used – holding out hope that the paper might yet have a rebirth. Still, the fact remains, Canadian is without a newspaper.

The Canadian Record – for 75 years under the guidance of the Ezzell family – was the best weekly newspaper in the Panhandle. Period. Some might even say it was the best in Texas, and I wouldn’t argue with them. It was the gold standard of community journalism doing all the things that a weekly newspaper does best – be a cheerleader for its town, holding elected officials accountable, and zealously reporting the local news from City Hall to the elementary school.

Laurie Ezzell Brown, who has published and edited the paper since her father passed away some 30 years ago, was and is a close friend of mine. We are two sides of the same coin. She is an unapologetic liberal Democrat and I’m a libertarian Reagan Republican. But we have always been united on the things that mattered – open government, transparency, and the public’s right to know. I know a lot of small-town journalists, but Laurie Brown is the best. When I’ve had tough stories to cover, it was her who I would turn to for advice and counsel. And I could count on her to tell me what I needed to know, whether I was going to like it or not.

It was Laurie and her advertising manager Mary Smithee who I always looked forward to seeing at press conventions. Over the years, they became like extended family members. The newspaper family is like none other, bonding over getting the big scoop or swapping tales of crazy public meetings.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the Cub Reporter was in Canadian for a tennis match and the team went for a coffee. Brown Bag Roasters is run by Laurie’s son and is right next door to the newspaper in Canadian. The Record staff saw Ben walk by, snatched him from the coffee shop, and pulled him into the newspaper to say hello and catch up with him. I think he was both startled and happy to see them.

Through good times and bad, Laurie Brown, like her father before her, bravely recorded the happenings in Canadian fairly and accurately. It was right there in black and white; and you didn’t have to like it, but it was the truth. Some people can’t handle the truth, and that can bring unwanted repercussions. Any good newspaper has had to deal with that, and the Record is certainly no different.

When Laurie wanted to share her personal thoughts, you could find those clearly labeled on page two of the Record in her “Field Notes” column. She wasn’t afraid to let you know what she thought on the opinion page; but when you turned past page two, it was unbiased reporting, and the readers were given as much information as possible to make up their own minds.

Laurie has been trying to sell her paper for several years, but she did not want to sell to just anyone or to some group that would strip the Record of its soul for profit. The job of a community editor can wear on you, and it’s worn on her to the point she can no longer do it. With no buyer, she reluctantly closed the doors.

The Record lives on for now as a social media and web presence, but it’s not the same. It’s not the same as having the paper – in either a physical or digital format – to record kids’ latest school project, to celebrate the state championships, to uncover what’s happening at City Hall, to hold commissioners’ feet to the fire, or to rally the community around a worthwhile project.

Businesses in Canadian that have depended on the Record to help get their message to their customers will feel the newspaper’s absence, and taxpayers, too, will be losers without a paper help them keep tabs on local governments.
What will become of the public notices that once were published in the Record? I suppose the city and the county and the school there will put those up on their websites when it’s time to raise taxes or call for a bond election. The people of Canadian will just have to trust that their officials are telling them the truth, because there won’t be a third party to verify anything. It will be the fox guarding the henhouse. What could go wrong?

At the Enterprise, our hearts are broken both for the people of Canadian, for the Record staff, and for Laurie personally. We can only imagine what it must feel like to sign “30” to the newspaper itself and lay down the pen after decades of service. We will miss their influence and the constant push they gave us all to do better and be better. We are eternally grateful for the friendship, the example, and the high standards they shared with us. Thank you, our friends, for everything.

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