Images

Clarendon’s Courthouse Square will look a little spiffier when Donley County completes two projects currently underway on Sully Street.

The former Hall Income Tax office and the old appraisal district building are both receiving facelifts designed by A Fine Feathered Nest and brought to life by Pearson Construction.

County Judge John Howard said the project is costing the county about $60,000 and is intended to approve the appearance of the square.

“It looked a little like a slum,” Howard said of the two plain, non-descript structures.

Chriss Clifford drew up designs to improve the buildings last year along with a proposal to spruce up the county attorney’s office located north of City Hall. Howard said commissioners ultimately decided to move forward with the two northern most buildings but to wait on the county attorney’s office since the city is pursuing a TxDOT grant to replace the sidewalk on that block.

“We want to wait and see what happens with the sidewalk there,” Howard said. “We’re pleased the city is working with TxDOT to get that replaced.”

There is currently a ramp up to the county attorney’s door, and a sidewalk project will have to deal with that elevation difference before the county spends money on the appearance of the building.

The former Hall’s building is now the home of the adult probation office, and the sheriff’s office is using a conference room in the old appraisal district office for trainings and using the vault in the building as an evidence locker.

Howard said the county also owns the vacant lots neighboring the buildings undergoing renovations and he would like to see some of that developed for future businesses.

Dirt work began last week on the new St. Mary’s Catholic Church  after nine years of planning and fundraising.

Building committee member Chriss Clifford said the new 80-foot by 40-foot church building will extend from the west end of the Parish Hall, which was completed in 2016. She estimates construction will take six to seven months to complete.

“I’d like to be in by Christmas, but I don’t know if it’s possible because we were behind starting dirt work,” Clifford said.

St. Mary’s original 1892 building was demolished in 2019 after it was found to be structurally unsound and unsavable following a 2016 incident where a car ran into the historic structure.

The new church will have several features of the original building, Clifford said. The stained-glass windows were saved and will be reinstalled in the new church, some original bead board will be included in the new narthex, and the original altar and prayer rail will also be utilized.

Fundraising for the new church has been going on since 2016 and will continue this Friday, August 8, with a St. Mary’s Fish Fry from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 510 E. Montgomery.

With construction started on the new church building, everyone is asked to please enter through the east door of the Parish Hall.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children. Proceeds benefit the church building fund. Call-in orders are welcome at 806-874-3910.

By Elaina Estlack, The Clarendon Enterprise

It was just a normal Saturday matinee showing of “Old Yeller” at the Mulkey Theatre in 1964, but for eight-year-old Garre LaGrone, the experience would last a lifetime.

Sixty-one years later, on Saturday, July 12, 2025, three young kids were given the opportunity to star in a music video at the Mulkey Theatre for the Grass Daddies, a bluegrass band. The song, entitled “Old Yeller,” was written by LaGrone, the band’s lead singer. He took inspiration from the film of the same name, focusing on the morals and themes presented throughout, rather than the movie itself.

“It’s got a great message of old-fashioned values and hard work – that life’s not perfect,” LaGrone said. “ You get knocked down, but you’ve got to get back up.”

LaGrone was born in Amarillo in 1956 and grew up in Canyon, but he has always had ties to Clarendon. His parents, Betty Thompson LaGrone and Odell LaGrone, grew up in Clarendon, and he had several family members in Clarendon.

“All of my school years were in Canyon, first grade through high school,” LaGrone said. “My mother and dad grew up in Clarendon. That’s my connection with Clarendon.”

LaGrone’s interest in music began at a young age, singing with his choir at the First Baptist Church in Canyon. He grew up with several influences in music, but the most significant was his grandfather, Jake LaGrone.

“He was probably the biggest influence on me when I was growing up,” LaGrone said. “He was an old-time fiddler and on my album there’s a song called ‘A Little Fiddlin’. That song was written about him.”

LaGrone’s only formal music education was piano lessons, which only lasted a week.

“The lady got so frustrated with me that I wasn’t trying to read the music,” LaGrone said. “I was just trying to figure it out.”

LaGrone went on to teach himself the piano, keyboard, and guitar.

“I never could read a note of music ever,” LaGrone said. “I just played by ear.”

As a kid, LaGrone attended several movies at the Mulkey Theatre in Clarendon while visiting relatives, but the most impactful was “Old Yeller.”

“I just always loved it, the story of the movie,” LaGrone said. “Sometimes, life’s not fair, but you just got to look at the good instead of the bad.”

It was this experience that inspired him to write the song and record the music video at the Mulkey. He was given the opportunity to have local kids Monroe Newhouse, Kylie Glover, and J.T. Shelton act in the video. Newhouse was the main star and is actually a distant cousin of LaGrone, bearing a resemblance to an eight-year-old LaGrone.

“He’s about the same age I was when I saw the movie,” LaGrone said. “He looks a little bit like I looked back then. He is so cute.”

The kids fit their roles perfectly, needing little to no direction for lines and scenes.

“They just acted it out perfectly. It was so cool,” LaGrone said. “It was just a God thing. It was meant to be.”

The video takes the viewers back in time to that Saturday in 1964 with “Old Yeller” on the big screen at the Mulkey. It pays homage to

LaGrone and his friends watching the film for the first time and how impactful that day truly was.

This, however, was not the original plan. At first, all LaGrone wanted was a few pictures of the Mulkey marquee to use in the video, but everything started to coalesce to create an entire story in the theatre. They were able to use the original ticket booth and concession stand, the same one used by LaGrone all those years ago, as well as a recreation of the original “Old Yeller” movie poster.

“It all just came together. It was really special,” LaGrone said. “It really turned out great.”

Editor’s Note: The “Old Yeller” song is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music. The video can be seen at MulkeyTheatre.com.

The seventh annual Howardwick Hoedown raised more money than last year and was a huge success with a great day of fun and fellowship last Saturday at McMorries Memorial Park.

City Secretary Sandy Lynn Childress said the turnout was great and said more food was bought this year than ever before.

A total of $9,643 after expenses will be going to the City of Howardwick Volunteer Fire Department. That’s an increase of more than $500 compared to last year.

Jesse Burrow and Anna Broussard won the Challenger 200EX, which was this year’s big drawing. Several other prizes were raffled off during the day.

The Putting Contest winners this year were Judy Bland, first; D.K. Robinson, second; and Conrad Lucero, third.

Kay Philley Dye was the winner of the first annual poker run.

The community event was a great opportunity for fellowship, and many people attended to enjoy the vendors, food prepared by volunteers, and music throughout the day.