Donley County Social Hour 11
Images
Chamber winner
Sandell to screen Garth Brooks concert June 27
Clarendon’s Sandell Drive-In is just one of only 300 drive-ins across North America that will host a Garth Brooks concert event on June 27 that will be streamed onto the big screen.
The concert will be created exclusively for this event, making this a once in a lifetime experience, and will be the largest ever one-night show to play at outdoor theaters across the United States and Canada.
Sandell owner John Morrow is busy this week working to increase the drive-in’s capacity from 300 vehicles to more than 500 in anticipation of an enormous crowd.
“Because of COVID-19, this is all happening,” Morrow said, referring to social distancing guidelines and restrictions on seating capacities in stadiums and auditoriums. “More events will be coming this summer, including video events like this as well as future live concerts.”
Morrow said the Sandell will not have a movie this weekend as work continues to get ready for the June 27 event, which he says could draw as many as 2,800 to 3,000 people. Such a turnout would be a huge influx of people for the local economy and would blow away any previous attendance record at the drive-in. Morrow said the biggest crowd he’s had since he reopened the Sandell in 2002 was 415 people. Previous owner
Gary Barnhill may have had a bigger crowd than that sometime between 1955 and 1984, but still the vehicle capacity was limited to 300.
The Garth Brooks concert video event will be produced by Encore Live, a leading event production company.
“I am so excited to get to play again. I have missed it so much and want to get back to it,” said Brooks. “This drive-in concert allows us all to get back to playing live music without the uncertainty of what would be the result to us as a community. This is old school, new school, and perfect for the time we are in.”
“Families need safe entertainment options that they can enjoy together this summer,” said Encore Live Founder and CEO Walter Kinzie. “We’re excited to partner with Garth, who’s already done so much to help the entertainment industry during these tough times, to provide a truly unique and incredible concert that will do a whole lot of good for local businesses and communities.”
Tickets will be on sale Friday, June 19, at 11 a.m. central time at Ticketmaster.com/garthbrooks. There, you will also be able to review the drive-in theaters available in your area. The tickets are general admission and of limited availability. Each ticket will cost $100 and will admit one passenger car or truck, and Morrow says you can have as many people in your vehicle as you have seat belts for.
“If you have seven people in a Suburban, that amounts to just over $14 per person,” Morrow said.
The event will take place rain or shine and will begin at dusk.
Morrow said in addition to the Sandell’s famous concession stand, he will have at least two food trucks on hand to help serve the crowd.
Clarendon residents will also want to pay careful attention to the Brooks video because the Sandell is reported to play a role in it.
Morrow said participating drive-ins were invited to submit video clips to the producers and said a clip from the Sandell’s fire-blowing “Miss Fritter” school bus made the cut and impressed Brooks himself so much that he sent a personal message to Morrow, thanking him for his efforts and telling him, “You are the man!”
Donley County Social Hour 10
Fifty attend solidarity meeting here
More than 50 people attended a Solidarity Event Monday evening at the Donley County Courthouse as a call for unity and a memorial for George Floyd, who died in police custody last month in Minneapolis, Minn., sparking outrage across the nation and overseas.
The local event was the idea of four local young ladies – Rosie and Lillie Dale, Brianna Martin, and Kira Weatherton. The purpose, Weatherton told the Enterprise, was for the community to come together in prayer.
“Prayer is a way to unite a community,” she said. “It’s very powerful and helpful in situations like this.”
Weatherton said the event drew more people than she expected and said some folks did not understand what was going to happen.
“A bunch of people said we were going to start a riot and throw bricks and stuff,” Weatherton said, “but that wasn’t it. It was super peaceful and quite, and everyone was so attentive.”
Mary Ann Moreno was one of the first to speak Monday night and addressed past discrimination and how things are different now locally.
“Times have changed,” Moreno said. “We have a good sheriff.”
Moreno also said more needs to be done to bring homeownership to young people.
Martha Daohenang spoke of her love for the local community and the love that has been shown to her.
“The whole community – black, white, brown – helped me when I lost my son,” she said. “Recently, I had a flat tire and a highway patrolman changed my flat tire. We’re all children of God.”
Other speakers included Deb Dale, who encouraged voter registration and filling out Census information, and Latonya Wilson, who said her message was that “we will face our challenges but that we can win and succeed anyway.”
Several prayers were offered, and the highlight of the event was when those in attendance who were able and willing kneeled in silent prayer for eight minutes and 46 seconds. That’s the time that Floyd was pinned to the ground by a Minneapolis police officer’s knee on his neck.
Organizers thanked city and county officials for their support and also thanked local law enforcement who attended the event as well.
Prayer of solidarity
Donley County Social Hour 9
COVID recovered
Donley County Social Hour 8
Shields stepping down from senior center
After 13 years, Mary Shields will be stepping down as the program director of the Donley County Senior Citizens Center this Friday, June 5.
The incoming director, Denise Bertrand, says a come and go reception for Shields will be held Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. for everyone who would like to come wish her well.
The senior citizens center has been very busy during the COVID-19 pandemic, preparing two meals (in one container) per day to an average of 130 people in Clarendon and Howardwick since April 1 with most of those being delivered.
The center reopened its dining room Monday with a soft opening and a small crowd. Bertrand and Shields say the center is following state guidelines for social distancing. The center will open for a greater capacity as that becomes acceptable.
The Donley County Senior Citizens Center serves meals from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For a menu, see page four of each week’s Clarendon Enterprise.
Reader Comments