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Chamber names Koontz, Childress as man, woman of ‘25

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce recognized Barbara Helms with the 2025 Saints’ Roost Award for her lifetime of service and commitment to the community during the annual Chamber Awards Banquet last Thursday, February 26.

Man of the Year honors went to Jerry Koontz, and Sandy Childress was named the Woman of the Year.

Robertson Funeral Directors was named the Business of the Year, and the Jericho Legacy Foundation was named the Volunteer Organization of the Year.

The Saints’ Roost Award is the highest honor given annually by the Chamber to recognize a lifetime of volunteering and community service.

Helms was honored for her long history of helping people. In addition to helping with Bible schools and doing all she can for friends and families during times of illness or sorrow, Helms was also one of the longtime organizers of the Lelia Lake school reunions. For many years she has served First Baptist Church as its secretary, where she also coordinates meals for funerals and helps prepare food for the youth and college ministries. She tirelessly supports the Crossties Ministry downtown and has for many years helped organize the annual Depression Luncheon during the Saints’ Roost Celebration. One letter of nomination called her “a relentless servant.”

The Man of the Year for 2025 was Jerry Koontz. While helping his neighbor ladies take care of their yards and serving on different boards, Koontz stays out of the spotlight but does whatever he can to give back to the community that he grew up and raised a family in. He’s a deacon in his church, he delivers meals on wheels, and he helps maintain the building and vehicles of the Donley County Senior Citizens Center when he’s not selling 50/50 tickets to support the center. He’s been a member of the local housing authority board since 2014 and served on the Donley County Appraisal Review Board as well as the senior citizens center board.

Sandy Childress was named the Woman of the Year for being a volunteer and driving force for many years in Howardwick. She has taken her job as city secretary and made it a passion, going above and beyond to make sure that her city has every opportunity it can possibly get. She even pulled off what some might say was impossible when she acquired a federal grant for street paving. She coordinates city-wide clean-ups and the city-wide garage sale and plans the annual Hoedown and community Christmas party. She maintains communications on social media, tries to find answers for her citizens, and is even a volunteer firefighter, which most recently led her to help coordinate Howardwick’s response to the 8 Ball Fire that nearly devastated the city. Even then, she found some time to help make some hamburgers with the Lions Club.

The Chamber of Commerce named Robertson Funeral Directors as its Business of the Year. The firm was established as the first funeral home in the Panhandle in 1899 by P.A. Buntin, and its records include the final services rendered to many pioneers. The business went through a few owners before Delbert and Patrick Robertson acquired it in 1977 and gave it their family name. A third generation joined the firm in 2003 when Chuck Robertson followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. Today, the business has facilities not only in Clarendon but also in Claude, Memphis, Wheeler, Shamrock, and McLean. Robertson and all his employees are known for their compassion, their commitment to the community, and their integrity. Every worthwhile endeavor in Donley County has had the support of this business, which at some point has touched every life in the community.

The Volunteer Organization of the Year was the Jericho Legacy Foundation, which is working hard to save the history of a Donley County community that had almost vanished. Blair and Blanca Schaffer and their friends who make up the Jericho Legacy Foundation have made it their mission to preserve the history of Jericho, which became famous – or some might say infamous – when Route 66 came through the Texas Panhandle. The Jericho Gap was known as a muddy stretch of the Mother Road where vehicles would often get mired down. The old road is gone now, along with its railroad, businesses, school, and even a landing strip. But the Foundation has put Jericho back on the map with star parties, camping, metal detecting, a 5K, and more. All just in time to make Donley County a stopping point for celebrations this year to mark the centennial of Route 66.

The Chamber also recognized outstanding youth from Clarendon and Hedley, which are selected by the faculties of Clarendon and Hedley high schools.

The Youth of the Year from Hedley was Adrianna Villareal. She has been involved with basketball, cross country, cheer, NHS, FFA and yearbook during her years at Hedley ISD. Her hobbies include reading and hanging out with friends. After graduation she plans to attend Clarendon College and obtain her CNA license. Eventually, she’d like to settle down in the Lubbock area and own a house and a lot of animals.

The Young Woman of the Year from Clarendon was Kate Shaw. She is involved in athletics, FFA, UIL Academics, Student Council, and NHS. She is Clarendon FFA Chapter President and previously served as Greenbelt District Reporter and Chapter Reporter. She earned her Lone Star Degree in 2025.
Her speaking accomplishments include multiple district championships and area qualifications in Prepared Public Speaking and Soil Stewardship. She has earned District 2-2A First Team All-District honors in basketball along with Academic All-District recognition, CHS Defensive Player of the Year, and District 2-2A Co-Newcomer of the Year. She has also qualified for regionals in track and contributed to a district championship cross country team.

She has also been involved in service projects through both school and community organization projects. She has supported and been involved in numerous community initiatives including Project Angel Tree, Project Sharing Tree, Shoes for Success, Snack Pak 4 Kids, and Hillside Summer Serve the City. She has volunteered with Clarendon Senior Citizens and served during class reunions and homecoming events.

Kyler Bell was named the Young Man of the Year from Clarendon. He is also an active student who participates in school athletics including football, basketball and track. He currently serves as President of his Senior Class and is a member of both the National Honor Society and Student Council.

He is also a member of the FFA, serving as Treasure and as a group leader for his Range and Pasture team, which advanced to the State Contest last year. In addition, he has been involved in Donley Co. 4-h for ten years, holding an office each year and currently serving as First Vice President.

He is very active in his church, where he helps lead singing, prayers, classes and enjoys volunteering with Vacation Bible School during the summer. He recognizes that many people have supported him throughout his life, and as a result, he has developed a strong servant’s heart. He is passionate about giving back to the community and participates in Angel Tree donations, snack Pak for kids, canned food and clothing drives, donations to children homes, senior citizens fundraisers, and the courthouse lighting.

This past summer, he came up with an idea that became reality with the help of his dad, brother and a couple of more volunteers: installing hand railing at Bronco Stadium to make it safer for people getting up and down to watch games.

The Chamber also presented a memorial to the family of the late Chris Wilson, who had served as a faithful member of the Chamber Board since 2023 before his untimely passing in December.

This year’s Chamber banquet followed a Disney theme with many in attendance wearing costumes related to Disney characters or dressing as tourists to Disneyland. REFZ Sports Bar & Grill provided the food for the reception, and the banquet was catered by Great Western Dining. A total of 190 people attended the event, which was held in the Bairfield Activity Center. Entertainment for the evening was provided by the band “The Martinis” of Amarillo.

Other winners Thursday night included 50/50 winner Sandy Childress and Box Pull winners Joy Treichel, Brandy Vargas, Travis Brollier, Monica Woodard, and Kate Shaw. Herring Bank was named as having the Best Dressed Table.

Tables were sponsored by the Aqua Maid; City of Howardwick; City of Clarendon; Clarendon College; The Clarendon Enterprise; Donley County Senior Citizens; Herring Bank; Liberty Electric, Plumbing, HVAC & Construction; Pilgrim Bank; and Saints’ Roost Museum.

This year’s corporate sponsors were Best Western Red River Inn, Brollier’s Auto Parts, Budweiser, The Clarendon Enterprise, Country Bloomers Flowers & Gifts, Greenbelt Electric Cooperative, Greenbelt Municipal & Industrial Water Authority, REFZ Sports Bar & Grill, Republic Services, Robertson Funeral Directors, and Sully Suds Laundry Mat.

The combined efforts of volunteer firefighters and state resources saved lives and property in Donley County last week when a wildfire quickly consumed more than 13,500 acres of drought plagued grass and brush.

The Eight Ball Fire started Tuesday afternoon, February 17, in Armstrong County near Midway between Ashtola and Goodnight on US 287, but driven by hot, dry wind, the wildfire first threatened ranch homes and then headed straight for the community of Howardwick.

Fire Chief Jeremy Powell said the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department was paged out at 2:42 p.m. and within 15 minutes local firemen met the fire at Armstrong County Road 30 to help protect structures there. Powell said the fire got big quickly.

“The National Weather Service has a satellite fire detection system, and it usually takes a while for it to pick up a wildfire,” Powell said. “This time it went off before Claude Fire Department was even rolling.”

Powell said the fire went two miles before it entered Donley County and headed for Howardwick. Volunteer firemen from Howardwick and Hedley had been dispatched soon after Clarendon, and Chief Powell also quickly called for mutual aid from Groom and other Eastern Panhandle counties.

“The fire moved north and east into ranch country, threatening homes on the 3C Ranch and the Roach Ranch then headed for Howardwick,” Powell said.

Powell called for state resources through the Texas A&M Forest Service about 3 p.m. and had ground assets, which has been staged in Childress, on the scene within an hour.

“We got it all quick,” Powell said.

The City of Howardwick was evacuated Tuesday afternoon at 3:29 p.m. and residents were allowed to return at 8:35 p.m. But at 2:18 a.m. on Wednesday the Nocona Hills section of Howardwick on the west side of Carroll Creek was evacuated again along with residents on the south side of Greenbelt Lake, and by 6:15 a.m. the rest of Howardwick was evacuated as fire threatened the community. Most people were allowed to return home by 10:35 a.m., but Nocona Hills residents were not allowed back until 4 p.m.

During the evacuations, local churches, the Donley County Activity Center, and other locations opened up for the evacuees to give them a safe place to wait, and volunteer efforts helped take care of those people as well.

Even with the mutual aid and state help, it was not a quick process to contain the massive fire which eventually stretched over 12 miles in length and was two miles wide at one point. Firefighters, along with Donley and Gray county road graders and a Howardwick road grader, worked through the night and into Wednesday to try to get the fire contained and under control.

“Some of us went a good 30 hours on the line before we pulled off,” Powell said.

Air support could not join the fight during the day Tuesday due to the high winds, and the planes can’t fight fire at night, Powell said. Air tankers arrived by 8:30 a.m. Wednesday to help control the blaze. Three SEATs (Single Engine Air Tankers) operating out of Childress and three VLATs (Very Large Air Tankers) operating out of Abilene began making constant round trips to dump retardant on the Eight Ball Fire.

Powell said “Eight Ball” was a name given to the fire apparently at random.

“I think they just pull it out of a hat; it doesn’t mean anything,” he said. “If we had named it, we probably would have called it the Midway Fire or the Goodnight Rest Area Fire.”

With the help of air support and at least 14 neighboring volunteer fire departments, Powell said the fire was in “pretty good shape by noon Wednesday.”

“We had stopped the forward motion, but we still had volunteers on the scene until Wednesday night,” he said. “Thursday it was mostly Clarendon and Howardwick units on the job, and Friday everything was pretty good with the state resources keeping an eye on it.”

No cause has been determined for the fire.

In addition to numerous Panhandle area volunteer departments, the state resources included Texas Forest Service personnel as well as firemen and EMS from several communities near the Metroplex.

“We distributed the workload with our own assistant chiefs and Howardwick to coordinate efforts,” Powell said. “Neighboring departments usually bring their chiefs who are guys that can take care of situations. We [the volunteer forces] use our equipment in the rough country while the state resources protect structures from the fire.”

One shed in Howardwick was the only structure lost in Donley County, and Powell said the only other structure claimed by the fire was an old homestead that was already falling down in Armstrong County. Livestock fatalities he thinks numbered less than 30 and were mostly in Armstrong County.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn praised those who were on the frontline of the battle, saying the volunteer departments and road hands “worked a miracle.”

Howardwick City Secretary and volunteer firefighter Sandy Childress said her community is forever grateful for all the support given to their citizens and the fire department. She also praised Donley County Dispatcher Deanna Phillips and the other dispatchers for helping coordinate emergency response efforts.

“They worked hand in glove with us and a whole bunch of other agencies,” Childress said. “All you can do is tell people how much you love them and thank the public for their prayers and food and donations. I also want to thank my mayor – Johnny Floyd – who never left my side through it all.”

The Texas Legislature led by State Rep. Ken King of Canadian spent part of its last session working to improve resources for rural fire departments and speed up the response time of state assets. The purpose was to prevent disastrous losses like what occurred when the Smokehouse Creek Fire consumed more than a million acres in the northeastern Panhandle in 2024.

Powell said those changes worked.

“They [Rep. King and the Legislature] have done a good job cutting the red tape,” Powell said. “We got a ton of help fast. It was massive. It was quite evident that they have improved things.

“What we had before was a constant red tape. I had to go through all these hoops to get help. They cut all that out.”
Powell said the state now prioritizes things better now, especially when a wildfire starts moving into a community.

“They didn’t hesitate,” Powell said, “and Ken King called me when it was over last week to see how it all went.”

Powell also praised the Panhandle neighboring fire departments who came to help.

“We are blessed to have the best neighbors, and we could not have done it without them,” he said.

Those departments included: Groom Fire Department, Hoover Fire Department, Pampa Fire Department, Skellytown Fire Department, Lefors Fire Department, McLean Fire Department, Mobeetie Fire Department, Briscoe Fire Department, Allison Fire Department, Wheeler Fire Department, Samnorwood Fire Department, Wellington Fire Department, Memphis Fire Department, and Armstrong County Fire Department.

In addition to mutual aid from the Panhandle, more than 25 fire departments from across the state responded as part of the state’s task force to help battle the fire with helping coming from the areas of Dallas, Lubbock, San Angelo, and Odessa.