News

The grand opening of the Mulkey Theatre is just two weeks away, and workers are busy putting the finishing touches on the project to make it show ready on Saturday, May 25.

Tickets for the gala opening event will go on sale to the general public next Tuesday, May 14, for $50 each and a full evening of entertainment is being lined up.

In addition to a red carpet entrance and food and refreshments, organizers have planned a program to take attendees back in time to the opening of the 1946 theatre while also demonstrating the theatre’s new capabilities.

The Mulkey’s first live musical performance will be the South Plains Jazz Orchestra playing big band hits from the 1940s, and the artistic director from the outdoor musical “TEXAS” is preparing a live theatre act to follow the band.

The featured motion picture presentation for the grand opening will be a 1946 John Wayne and Claudette Colbert movie, “Without Reservations.”

Tickets for the May 25 grand opening must be purchased in advance of the show and are expected to sell out quickly.
Following Saturday night’s grand opening, the Mulkey will hold four free admission matinees on Sunday, May 27, and Monday, May 28. Two movies will be shown each afternoon with no admission charge on a first come, first served basis.

Mulkey fans have been asked this week to make suggestions for what those movies should be by commenting on a thread at facebook.com/MulkeyTheatre. Show times and movie selections for those matinees will be announced in the near future.

For more information, contact the Visitor Center at 806-874-2421.

Clarendon High School announced this week that Noab Elam and Gavin Word are the top students for the Class of 2019.

The valedictorian for this year’s graduating class is Noab Elam. He is the son of Brad and Adelita Elam and has a weighted GPA of 5.829.

Elam has been very involved in extracurricular activities while attending CHS. He has played football for four years, basketball for three years, and baseball for four years. He has been a regional and state qualifier in UIL Academics participating in Currents Issues and Events, Social Studies, and Editorial Writing. He is a member of the Clarendon High School Student Council and he has also been a columnist for The Clarendon Enterprise.

Elam has been the recipient of many honors. He has been elected class president two years including this year. He was elected first team all-district in football and baseball. He also served as team captain for the Bronco football team that went deep into the playoffs the last two years. He has been the recipient of multiple Honor C’s for academic performance. Elam is a member of the National Honor Society and was elected first team Academic All-State Football. He was named the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce’s Young Man of the Year for Clarendon.

Elam’s community service includes taking part in the Shattered Dreams program which provided students with education on the effects of impaired driving. He has helped in trash pickup on US 287 and has helped in the baseball field cleanup.
His hobbies include writing conservative opinion articles for The Clarendon Enterprise and playing video games. He plans on attending Sam Houston State and getting a law degree.

The salutatorian for CHS is Gavin Word, son of Tiffanie Word and Cameron Word. He has a weighted GPA of 5.637.
Word played football for one year, golf for four years, ran track for four years, was a member of the Bronco Band for three years, and played basketball for one year. He is a member of the Student Council.

Word has received many honors also. He ran cross country for four years where he was a regional medalist and state qualifier. He was a regional UIL Academic qualifier and participated in Number Sense and Computer Apps. Word also qualified for regional in golf. He was named freshman class president, sophomore vice president and junior vice president.
His community service has included the highway trash pickup by the student council, Teacher Appreciation Week, and Red Ribbon Week, and he helped with Powder Puff Football.

Word’s hobby is golf and he plans on attending West Texas A&M University where he plans to get a degree in mechanical engineering

Elam and Word will both be recognized during Clarendon High School commencement exercises on Friday, May 24, in the Harned Sisters Fine Arts Center at Clarendon College.

Hedley ISD will be under a new administration next month after the Board of Trustees named a new superintendent and principal for the school at its most recent meeting.

Garrett Bains was named as Hedley’s new superintendent, and Eric Alston, a Hedley alumnus, will succeed Bains as the school’s principal.

Superintendent Terry Stevens was very pleased with the selections following the April 15 board meeting.

“I think these are two really good hires that will be here for the long term,” Stevens said.

Bains spent seven years as a coach and history teacher at Hedley before becoming the school’s principal two years ago. He’s a Clarendon native, and Stevens said he was a good fit for becoming superintendent.

“I think he’ll be a great superintendent,” Stevens said. “The main thing Hedley wants is a local person who wants to be here. He will be a good long term hire.”

Stevens said HISD posted the superintendent’s job but only Bains applied. The board then named him as the lone finalist for the position in March before formally selecting him for the job April 15.

After naming Bains the lone finalist, the school posted the principal’s position. Stevens said Alston was among four candidates the board interviewed before he was offered the position last month.

Stevens told the Enterprise the school has also hired Kim Harper to coach girls’ basketball. She is from Lelia Lake and has been coaching in Claude, he said. The school is now looking at candidates to succeed Alston as the boys’ coach, the superintendent said.

Bains and Alston are expected to begin their duties June 1, Stevens said.