News

Local voters will head to the polls this Saturday to cast ballots in four elections.
Voters in the City of Howardwick, in addition to voting for two unopposed candidates for office, will vote up or down on raising that city’s sales tax rate to fund street maintenance.

The measure would raise the city’s sales tax by one quarter of one percent, levying a tax of one penny for every four dollars spent in Howardwick.

Howardwick Mayor Del Essary is the only candidate on his city’s ballot. Incumbent Gene Rogers is a write-in candidate for one of two vacant seats on the board of aldermen.

Other local entities having elections this year are the City of Clarendon, Clarendon ISD,
and the City of Hedley.

Clarendon Mayor Larry Hicks has filed to run for his office again, and three candidates are running for the two open aldermen’s positions – incumbent Janice Knorpp and former aldermen Tommy Hill and Terry Noble.

Clarendon ISD has three candidates for two trustees’ positions up this year. Incumbent Weldon Sears is seeking re-election, and Che Shadle and former board member Renee Betts are also candidates.

The City of Hedley has four candidates for three alderman positions – incumbents Tonya Metcalf, Travis Ruthardt, and David Wells and challenger Michelle Copelin.
Positions on city boards of aldermen are two-year terms, and school board terms are for three years. All positions are elected at-large

Howardwick and Hedley voters can cast ballots at their respective city halls. Ballots for the City of Clarendon and Clarendon ISD can be cast at the Donley County Clerk’s Office in the Courthouse Annex.

Balloting will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. this Saturday.

The Clarendon Economic Development Corporation will meet next Thursday to open bids for the restoration of the Mulkey Theatre’s marquee.

The CEDC Board of Directors met Monday and authorized advertising for bids for the marquee work as well as for new electrical circuits for the sign and for repairs to wood framing and plasterwork on part of the theatre’s overhang.

As of this week, fundraising for the theatre has reached nearly $16,000 either donated or pledged for the marquee restoration. That is three-fourths of the $20,000 goal set by the CEDC and the Mulkey Advisory Committee, and officials are confident that the remainder of the funds can be raised in the next few weeks.

“We want to see the marquee lit up this summer, and that means we have to get moving with taking bids and other steps,” said CEDC Secretary Roger Estlack.

Separate bids are also being sought for electrical work and structural repairs to the theatre overhang, but officials say that any volunteer labor or any donation of supplies toward those efforts will just help the project that much more by stretching dollars as far as they will go.

The 12 letters spelling MULKEY on the north and south faces of the theatre’s marquee have each been sponsored, but donations are still very much needed to finish the work. Donors who give $50 or more will be recognized inside the theatre, and donations can be made to Donley County Historical Commission, PO Box 905, Clarendon, TX 79226 and note “Mulkey” in the memo of your check.

Clarendon’s downtown merchants are also supporting the effort by selling paper light bulbs which can be purchased for $1 and are displayed in stores downtown.
For more information about how you can help “Bring Back the Mulkey,” visit www.ClarendonEDC.org or check out www.facebook.com/mulkeytheatre.