Roger Estlack

A benefit hunt this weekend in Donley County will help kids in the foster care system.
The Big Country Children’s Benefit Hunt, a program of BCFS Health and Human Services, strives to bring an outdoor expedition that will provide an opportunity for youth to learn about the responsibilities of hunting safety, the basics of outdoor survival training, and the necessity of teamwork.

A local hunt has been added this year to the benefit’s list of adventures, headed by Donley County Chief Deputy Randy Bond. The Panhandle hunt will be December 1 and 2, 2018, for two days on a ranch south of Hedley. Bond and his wife, Sis, have adopted three children from foster care and are currently fostering a fourth child. Given his background, bond has an intimate knowledge of the foster care system and values the importance of programs like the Big Country Children’s Benefit Hunt.

To be selected for this expedition, youth are nominated by Child Protective Services (CPS) staff based on records from their case file and consultation with each youth’s case manager and foster family. After a rigorous vetting process, the selected youth from foster care attend a day-long hunting certification and training program approved by the Texas Parks and Wildlife, administered by a certified instructor. On the day of the hunt, each youth will be paired with an experienced hunting guide to provide for them throughout their journey.

Marshall Davidson, Special Investigations Program Administrator for Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, serves as this year’s hunting certification and training instructor. Marshall is but one of the many BCFS volunteers who will fill the roles necessary to make a hunt such as this one a safe and successful adventure. An experienced outdoorsman who lives by the values, ethics, and ideals of hunting, Marshall believes teens can learn a great deal from the lessons the wilderness has to offer.

Even though the hunt has volunteers and sponsors, they still need monetary donations to pay for food and essentials for the hunt weekend to be a success. This program is completely funded by sponsors, volunteers, and donations. The public’s generosity is greatly appreciated.

For more information, contact Randy Bond at 806-223-9247 or Tessie Robinson at 806-220-6222.

Clarendon CISD will begin construction on $174,000 worth of security improvements next month.

School trustees approved the budget for the project at their November 12 meeting, and Superintendent Mike Norrell said work should be completed in January.

“We signed the sub-contracts last Monday, and I expect a lot of the work to be done during the holidays,” Norrell said.

The visible change from the outside will be a brick vestibule added to the south entrance of the high school building, which will involve enclosing part of the covered walkway that is already there.

Inside the facilities, vestibules will be added to the junior and elementary main entrances by installing a new set of doors in the halls by those campus offices. Norrell said windows into those vestibules will be added or modified to allow school personnel to check-in visitors.

“The physical improvements are just the most visible,” Norrell said, noting that the school’s top priorities will be to address students’ needs and build better relationships with students.

Another improvement approved by trustees on November 12 is the purchase of Raptor Technology to help screen guests visiting the school. Visitors will swipe their driver’s license or other government issued identification, and the system will issue them a guest pass. The system will also be able to see if the visitor has any restrictions that might prevent them from being able to enter the school or require them to be supervised during their visit.

Norrell also said the school intends to also continue developing training for faculty and staff to enhance security further.

In other school business November 12, trustees voted in favor of approving the notice to the Clarendon CISD SHAC Committee concerning the summer nutrition program; approved the amended stipend schedule; and also acknowledged the resignation of Fran Stidham.

The Clarendon College Theatre Department will stage “A Doll House” this Thursday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. in the Harned Sisters Fine Arts Center Auditorium.

The play was written by Henrik Ibsen, translated by William Archer, and has been adapted and directed by Dr. Rodney Donahue, CC Theatre Director.

“A Doll House” is set in the Helmer family home at Christmas time and is performed in three acts. The play questions the traditional roles of men and women in 19th-century marriage and is the most important play of the nineteenth century. Henrik Ibsen was the “father” of realism. While certain plays had realistic elements before 1878, “A Doll House” cemented realism as the dominant form of entertainment, and it is still the dominant form of entertainment 140 years later.

The cast includes Jenna Faye Wilson, Ethan Cole Shipman, Adley Gilmer, Orian Neal, and Jaci Claxton.

Clarendon merchants are ready to roll out the welcome mats as the community gets into the holiday mood with Small Business Saturday sales and the fifth annual lighting of the Courthouse.

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce encourages everyone to shop local businesses, and the Chamber’s Christmas committee has lined up several activities to make shopping at home fun, including a downtown Christmas Craft Fair, three nights of Late Night Shopping, spinning the wheel for prizes, and taking selfies with elfies.

As part of Small Business Saturday this weekend, a Christmas Craft Fair will be held from noon to 8 p.m. at the Arena of Life Cowboy Church. Everyone is encouraged to come downtown and check out what the vendors have available there. Starting at 4 p.m., the VFW Auxiliary will be holding their annual soup and chili supper, also at the Cowboy Church. Serving will continue through the Courthouse Lighting until the food runs out.

Activities on the courthouse lawn get underway at 5 p.m. with Santa Claus and caroling featuring local children’s groups. The lighting will be at 6 p.m. with the Spinning of the Wheel to come afterwards at Saye’s / Flying ‘A’ Tack on Kearney.

Hundreds of dollars’ worth of prizes including $400 in Clarendon Cash are on the Wheel this season. Participating merchants began on Monday giving tickets for a chance to spin the Wheel with purchases of $25 or more. On Small Business Saturday, the participating merchants will give double tickets.

Three lucky spinners will be drawn during each Late Night Shopping on Saturday, November 24, and on two Thursday’s December 6 and 20. On the final Late Night Shopping on December 20, a fourth ticket will be drawn to win all the remaining prizes on the wheel.

Merchants giving out Wheel tickets include Buckin’ Bean, Cornell’s Country Store, Floyd’s Automotive, Every Nook & Cranny, Turquois & Rust, Henson’s, Speed’s Tire Unlimited, Clarendon Outpost, Country Bloomers, Mike’s Pharmacy, JD SteakOut, Signs Plus, and Saye’s / Flying ‘A’ Tack,

Nine local merchants are also participating in the Selfie with an Elfie promotion. Elves have been hidden at Buckin’ Bean, Floyd’s Automotive, Every Nook & Cranny, Turquois & Rust, Henson’s, Clarendon Outpost, Country Bloomers, Mike’s Pharmacy, and Saye’s / Flying ‘A’ Tack. Customers who find the Elf can take their selfie with it and then post it to facebook.com/ClarendonChamber with the hashtag #ClarendonElf to have a chance to win a photo session by Savannah Askew worth $200. The Selfie with the Elfie winner will be named December 20 during Late Night Shopping.

Local merchants are ready to help you find something for everyone on your Christmas list with their Black Friday and Small Business Saturday specials on November 23 and 24. Details on local sales are printed in the Holiday Gift Guide included in this week’s Clarendon Enterprise and also available by clicking here.

Small Business Saturday began in 2010 when it was founded by American Express to help small businesses get more exposure during one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year.

According to small business advocates, every $100 spent in locally-owned stores returns $68 to the local community through taxes, payrolls, and other expenditures. That same money spent in another town or online returns nothing to your local community.

Shop at home this holiday season and remember the important role your local merchants play in keeping your community strong.

Howardwick Mayor Greta Byars last week joined her counterparts in Clarendon and Hedley last week in signing a proclamation declaring November 27 as “Giving Tuesday” as part of an effort to raise awareness about the national campaign.

One countywide organization offers the opportunities to make donations go even further during this time.

The Donley County Community Fund (DCCF) is participating in The Panhandle Gives campaign for nine days from November 19 through November 27.

All funds raised locally during this time will be matched through the Amarillo Area Foundation.

Donations can be made online by clicking here. Contributions can be mailed to Donley County Community Fund, c/o Jacob Fangman, Box 906, Clarendon, TX 79226. Checks should be made out to The Panhandle Gives, with “Donley CCF” written on the memo line.

Council training and continued friction with the volunteer fire department were the highlights of last week’s city meeting at Howardwick on November 13.

A special meeting preceded the regular meeting with attorney Bryan Guymon providing information on how to conduct city business and how the council can follow the Texas Open Meetings Act.

For about an hour, Guymon reviewed best practices and answered questions from aldermen, Mayor Greta Byars, and City Secretary Sandra Childress.

Guymon stayed for the council’s regular meeting, and the aldermen approved a motion to select his firm as the city’s official attorney. Among the first business, his firm will consider is the renewal of the Red River Water Authority franchise agreement with the city. The current agreement expires in January after a 40-year period, and Red River is seeking a new contract for 40 years.

In her mayor’s remarks, Byars discussed a proclamation she signed designating November 27 as “Giving Tuesday” and called on Roger Estlack to discuss the campaign benefiting the Donley County Community Fund.

Continuing disagreements with the fire department was evident when the council looked to pay the bills for the month and voted to charge back several expenses to the department, including fuel expense for attending a parade in Hedley and fuel expense to pick up meat in Oklahoma, which one fire official later told the Enterprise had been donated.

The council later voted to have the fire chief make a report to the city meeting each month. Volunteer fireman Coy Cooper was in attendance to represent the department and said the HVFD would make a report if it was placed on the agenda. The aldermen agreed that they wanted to hear from the department’s chief, who is currently Will Jordan.

“I haven’t seen him here since I was elected (in May),” Alderman Johnny Floyd said.

In other business, the council opened bids to sell surplus equipment and accepted a bid of $120 for a compressor to Ken Carden. The council also discussed developing a city website but agreed that more information was needed before a decision could be made.