Dateline: December 21, 2006

Aldermen agree to support junior rodeo

The Clarendon Board of Aldermen last Tuesday threw its support to a large junior rodeo that will be held here next spring.

Robert Benson addressed the board during its regular meeting on behalf of the Junior Rodeo Cowboy Association, which has already held their annual rodeo once at the Clarendon College Livestock & Equine Center.

“This brings 300 kids and their families to Clarendon,” Benson said. “It fills up the hotel and helps local restaurants and businesses. The last time we had it, you couldn’t find a Coke or bag of ice in Lowe’s (supermarket). It wiped them out.”

Benson said the association considers the LEC the best facility in the area for the event but said more financial support from the community was needed to bring the event to Clarendon in 2007. He said several local businesses had already pledged their support, and he asked the city to sign on as a corporate sponsor.

The board approved a motion to spend $2,575 from the Motel Bed Tax fund to support the event, which will be held May 12 and 13, 2007.

In other city business, a public hearing was held on a grant application through the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department for improvements to City Park. City Secretary Linda Smith said ten letters of support for the project and several donations or promises of donations for goods and services had been received.

Assistant City Clerk Jeannie Molder has been working on the grant application.

Ordinance 365, freezing taxes on the elderly and disabled, was approved on its second reading.

City Superintendent Jim Roberts said he has been working with the city engineer to identify streets that would need to be seal coated this year.