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Clarendon Enterprise - 11.17.2022

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THIS WEEK

2 Loyalty is hallmark quality in the Texas Panhandle. 3 The Hedley Owls beat the boys from Sanford-Fritch. 4 Clarendon’s Troop 433 has six new Eagle Scouts this week. 8 Check out more scenes from honoring America’s vets last week. All this and much more as The Enterprise reports in this week’s amazing edition!

Elvis show will be Saturday at Mulkey

Elvis is back in a Vegasstyle show at the Mulkey Theatre this Saturday, November 16, at 7 p.m. Casey McKanna & Blue Suede is a group of amazing musicians who will put on a great show representing the King of Rock and Roll. McKanna, who attended this year’s Mulkey Trunk or Treat, says some lucky concert goers might even get to catch a stuffed teddy bear or hound dog. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under and can be purchased at the door or online at Mulkey Theatre.com.

Plans set for annual Thanksgiving meal

Plans are underway for the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner to be held November 24 at the Clarendon School Cafeteria. The meal will be served starting at 11 a.m. at the school cafeteria. Donations will be accepted.

Area bound!

The Clarendon Broncos celebrate their Bi-District Championship last Thursday night after defeating Gruver in Amarillo. The Broncos will travel to Tulia this Friday night to face Ralls in the Area title game. See more coverage on page six. ENTERPRISE PHOTO / ROGER ESTLACK

Donley voters turn out for GOP candidates Donley County voters overwhelming favored Republican candidates last Tuesday with Democrats and Libertarians picking up only a small percentage of support. All local races were unopposed, and the new voting system did not allow voters to mark those races. Those candidates were simply declared elected. For Congress, US Rep. Ronny Jackson received 1,069 to the 112 received by Demo-

cratic challenger Kathleen Brown. Gov. Greg Abbott was the clear favorite in Donley County over Democrat Beto O’Rourke, 1,084 to 97, with seven votes going to the Libertarian and four votes going to the Green Party candidate. Donley voters also preferred Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, 1,051 to 114, over Democrat Mike Collier. The Libertarian picked up 17 local votes. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton

garnered 1,047 votes to 110 for Democrat Rochelle Garza. Libertarian Shanna Steele received 22. Comptroller Glenn Hegar had 1,069 votes to 103 for Democrat Janet Dudding and four votes for the Libertarian. Dawn Buckingham got 1,047 to be Commissioner of the General Land Office to 111 for the Democrat Jay Kleberg and ten for the Green candidate.

Alliance to hold service on Sunday

The Donley County Ministerial Alliance will hold its annual Community Thanksgiving Service this Sunday, November 20, at the First Baptist Church in Clarendon at 6 p.m. The annual event is a great opportunity for people of faith to give thanks together. An offering will be taken to support the ministerial alliance.

Applications for the Angel Tree are available now at Burton Memorial Library. Children ages 12 and under who live in Donley County are eligible. Applications are due by December 1. Those wishing to select angels from the tree may stop by the library between November 7 and December 2. Gifts will be due back to the library by December 14.

“Shop Small Big Christmas” is the promotion from the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce this holiday season that will put a grand total of $550 in the hands of lucky winners who shop with local merchants. Chamber officials will soon release the list of participating merchants in the Christmas Chamber Cash giveaways. Drawings will be held for $100 on December 2, 9, and 16; and the big $250 giveaway will be held December 23. Watch for more details to come. Shoppers can start entering the drawings on Small Business Saturday, November 26.

Established 1878.

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City’s battle over Neece house ends A historic Clarendon home will be razed following the end of a long legal battle between the city and the property owner. The Clarendon City Council approved a mediated agreement about the house at 602 Bugbee Avenue during its regular meeting last Thursday, November 10. “It’s a long tragic story,” City Administrator David Dockery told the Enterprise, stating that old Neece house – also known as the Gentry house for the family of Donley County’s first sheriff, Al Gentry – will be demolished December 1. City officials had code complaints on the house going back almost ten years, and repeatedly gave property owner Linda Lewis deadlines and extensions to bring the structure into compliance. In January of this year, the city council ordered the property demolished and accepted a bid for that work. That led to another round of legal wrangling between the city and Lewis, which came to an end with mediation recently. As a result, the city will receive the property and proceed with demolition. Dockery said Koetting Construction had the winning bid earlier this year and did not put an expiration date on the bid. Razing the house, which is more than 100 years old, and disposing of the wreckage will cost the city $20,000. In other city business last week, the city council directed Dockery to negotiate an agreement with AW Broadband for a tower lease to bring expanded wireless internet options to town. Dockery reported that the final phase of the USDA grant to replace waterlines will begin this week on First Street, and discussions were held regarding the possibility of amending ordinances to address dilapidated buildings downtown in terms of facades in disrepair and windows broken.

DCCF seeks donations in annual drive

Angel Tree taking applications now

Chamber planning holiday giveaways

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The Texas Panhandle’s First Newspaper.

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11.17.2022

Saluting our Veterans

Hedley Pre-Kindergarten student Ellie Stasio (right) leads other students in saluting during the school’s annual Veterans Day service last Friday, November 11. COURTESY PHOTO / MANDI GAY

Bill to name Canyon post office for Fletcher A bill approved by the US House of Representatives Monday night would rename the US Post Office in Canyon for a former Clarendon rancher. US Rep. Ronny Jackson carried the bill to honor the late Gary Fletcher and spoke on the house floor about his life and legacy. “Gary Fletcher embodied everything it means to be a West Texan – hard-working, God-fearing, and service-oriented,” Jackson said. “He lived a life of service before self with a steadfast commitment to his family, country, and community in the Texas Panhandle. As a Vietnam veteran, banker, rancher, and active

member of the Washington Avenue Christian Church, Mr. Fletcher earned the admiration of all who knew him. He left behind an incredible legacy that will be carried on by his loving family, and now he’ll be forever memorialized through last night’s Congressional action. “I’m grateful to my colleagues for supporting my bill to officially name the US Post Office in Canyon, Texas the Gary James Fletcher Post Office Building. He was a great Patriot and American,” Jackson said. Born in Amarillo, Fletcher graduated from Canyon High School and later joined the United

States Army in 1968 as a specialist E5. He served his country in the worst of times, during the Vietnam conflict, providing lifesaving medical care to countless young men who would’ve never returned home otherwise. He was decorated for his service with the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. Returning to Canyon, Fletcher graduated from West Texas State University, now known as West Texas A&M University, with a Bachelor of Business Administration and Finance. Fletcher spent 34 years as a

banker and 45 years as a rancher and owner of the Salt Fork Ranch in Clarendon. Fletcher and his family also rode in team penning events, riding the same horses they used on the ranch. He was a former president of the United States Team Penning Association. A lifelong volunteer to organizations like United Way and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Fletcher was dedicated to serving the community. Fletcher was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother. He passed away on October 29, 2020.

As part of a national day known as Giving Tuesday, the local Donley County Community Fund (DCCF) is participating in The Panhandle Gives campaign. For nine days from November 21 through November 29, all funds raised locally will be increased through a match from the Amarillo Area Foundation. “Participating in this campaign is an opportunity for our local fund balance to grow,” DCCF chair Jacob Fangman said. The DCCF is a local board whose purpose is to raise money for a perpetuating fund while contributing a portion of the money to local organizations. Over the past six years, the DCCF has been able to give $7,500 to local charities while increasing its own fund balance, thanks to support from county-wide residents. So the DCCF can benefit from the match, anyone wishing to participate needs to donate by Monday, November 28, so the deposit can be made on GivingTuesday. GivingTuesday is a movement held annually in all 50 states on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday giving season to demonstrate that every act of generosity counts towards giving back to local communities and the causes they support. Contributions can be mailed to Donley County Community Fund, c/o Jacob Fangman, Box 906, Clarendon, TX 79226. Checks should be made out to The Panhandle Gives, with DonleyCCF written on the memo line.


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