Ben Estlack

Clarendon High School Homecoming 2025 next weekend is shaping up to be one of the biggest in many years thanks to the volunteer efforts of several alumni.

More than 280 people are expected to arrive for the alumni reunion, and the list is growing daily.

The event was the idea of the late Tommy Hill, Class of 1974, and a committee led by Virginia Patten, Reneé Mott and others have made it a reality with plans for fun over a three-day period, September 4-6.

The Sandell Drive-In will kick things off Thursday night with a special screening of Grease. The show starts at dusk, and the Sandell’s famous hamburgers will be available.

Friday’s activities begin that morning with golf at the Clarendon Country Club. “Friday Golf” at the club, $15 per person gets green fees and a cart. Tee time is 10 a.m. For more golf information, call Tim Brown at 806-662-1184.

The new downtown event center The Roost will be the location for much of the reunion activities. Located in the former Cowboy Church in the 200 block of S. Kearney, The Roost will be open at 11 a.m. Friday for visiting and snacks, and alumni are welcome to hang out there anytime over the weekend. For those who ordered the alumni t-shirts, those will be available at lunch at The Roost.

The Homecoming Pep Rally will be at 2:30 p.m. at the Bronco Gym. The Colt Parents’ Mexican Pile-On will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at the school cafeteria for $10 per plate. Charcuterie and Sloppy Joes will also be available before and after the game at The Roost. The Broncos will take on Sanford-Fritch at 7:30.

A Fifth Quarter will follow the game at The Roost with deejay music, snacks, and BYOB.

Saturday the Roost will open at 8 a.m. with donuts and coffee. JD’s Food Truck will be on site for breakfast burritos and lunch.

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce will host a Sip & Shop tour starting at 1:30 p.m. with buses taking shoppers to local businesses. A sign-up form is available at ClarendonTx.com for those interested. There is no charge, but seating is limited.

The Mulkey Theatre will hold a matinee show of Jaws at 2 p.m. with a special $5 admission price., and a Dessert Bar will be available at The Roost starting at 3 p.m.

The Homecoming Supper will be catered by Dyers BBQ Saturday night with serving to begin at 7 p.m. and live music on Kearney Street by “Just In Time.” Barbeque is $20 per plate and you must RSVP with payment to Renee Mott by this Friday, August 29. REFZ Sports Bar & Grill will provide a mobile full-service bar at the event starting at 6:30 p.m.

An Arkansas man was sentenced last Monday, August 18, when the 100th Judicial District Court met in Donley County.

Bralen Malika Austin, 28, from Weymouth, Ark., was sentenced to five years in prison for the third-degree felony offense of evading arrest in a motor vehicle, with a deadly weapon.

Austin was arrested by Texas DPS Trooper Lynn Mays on December 8, 2019. Austin was placed on probation on July 7, 2021 for four years.

On September 22, 2022, the State filed its motion requesting the court to revoke Austin’s probation, alleging 10 violations of his conditions of probation. Austin pleaded true to the violations of his community supervision.

Austin was also ordered to pay the remaining $4,000 fine and $305 court costs.

August brings opportunities for citizens to get involved in their local governments with public hearings set for tax rates and budgets.

Donley County will hold a tax and budget hearing at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 31, in the Commissioners Courtroom of the Courthouse.

The Donley Appraisal District will hold its budget hearing on September 9 at 7 p.m. at 304 S. Kearney.

The City of Hedley will hold a tax hearing on September 11 at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

The City of Clarendon will hold its budget hearing on September 4 at 5:30 p.m. and a tax hearing at 5:00 p.m. on September 11.

The City of Clarendon will host and seminar on the Texas Open Meetings Act and Texas Open Records Act on September 18 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Bairfield Activity Center.

The city is inviting all local elected officials as well as the general public. The seminar is free, but the city would appreciate a $25 donation to help cover the cost of the training. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP to City Secretary Machiel Covey by September 12 at 806-874-3438.

Hedley CISD trustees adopted a deficit budget Monday night following a public hearing as the school continues to look for ways to increase enrollment.

“We had a good meeting and good discussion, and we adopted a deficit budget due to a lack of enrolment,” Superintendent Tracey Langford said.

The shortfall of about $500,000 will be made up from the school’s reserves. Langford says Hedley has suffered a decrease in state funding with enrollment being below 90 students for the last two years. Hedley’s enrollment is 86 this week.

Langford says if they can boost enrollment back above 90, the state funds will increase. School officials continue to consider programs and incentives that might interest kids and families to help boost enrollment, and the school’s adoption of a hybrid calendar this year might draw some interest also. Under the hybrid calendar, Hedley will go to a four-day week following the Thanksgiving break.

Langford said the hybrid calendar was adopted for this year after a survey of teachers, kids, and parents. Classes will be held from 7:40 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. with the school year ending on May 21. Once a month teachers will have to stay an extra day to fulfill contract obligations, and students will be able to use those days for tutoring.

“We’re going to try it and see what it looks like,” Langford said. “We will survey again in the spring to see what people think about it.”

Langford said one thing trustees have not talked about going for another Voter-Approved Tax Ratification Election (VATRE). Last November, Hedley ISD voters said “no” to a proposed 12-cent increase in the school’s tax rate.

The VATRE rate could have brought in about $257,000 in new revenue but was turned down at the polls 108-135.

Hedley trustees Monday approved a tax rate of $0.65610 per $100 valuation, which Langford said is about 2.98 increase over the current rate.

Langford said the school is looking forward to a positive year.
“We have a good staff and good group of kids, and we’re off to a good start,” Langford said.