On Top of the World to Be Held THIS WEEK 2 Fred Says It’S Time to Take Clarendon Author fi Nds Her True Calling a Stand Against Abuse of Saturday Women and Children
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THE CLARENDON 09.25.2014 The Texas Panhandle’s First Newspaper. Established 1878. Enterprise THE CLARENDON NEWS & THE DONLEY COUNTY LEADER www.ClarendonLive.com Single 00 Cookoff Copy $1 On Top of the World to be held THIS WEEK 2 Fred says it’s time to take Clarendon author fi nds her true calling a stand against abuse of Saturday women and children. By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise Western heritage will be the 3 Clarendon College hosts hallmark of the 20th annual Col. its annual Constitution Day t’s been a whirlwind year for Clarendon’s Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon celebration. IMorgan Hysinger, going from a college stu- Cookoff this Saturday, September 4 Bob warns that scammers dent to a bestselling author in a short time. 27, on the grounds of the Saints’ are now lurking in online job Writing a Scottish time-traveling romance Roost Museum. listings. wasn’t where Hysinger thought her career path Fourteen wagons are scheduled 6 And the Broncos endure a would lead when she graduated from Clarendon to compete for top prizes, and other loss to Gruver. High School in 2009. The daughter of two edu- activities include a photographic All this and much more as The Enterprise cators, Hysinger fi rst studied broadcast journal- exhibit focused on Quanah and Cyn- reports in this week’s amazing edition! ism before turning to corporate communications thia Ann Parker and a public pro- and later to education. She even took on an gram, entitled “Historic Footprints internship at Disney World, but nothing seemed in Donley County,” which is focused Sheriff’s offi ce to to fi t. on cowboy and Native American cul- get new equipment “Writing was always easy for me, and ture. something always made me think I should be Presentations will center on Offi cers with the Donley writing,” Hysinger said. “Southern Plains Indians,” “Cowboy County Sheriff’s Offi ce will soon She had never tried her hand at creative Culture on the Panhandle Plains,” be sporting bullet-proof vests and writing until she was in college, and even then and “Rope as a Tool in Developing a more unifi ed appearance thanks it was just on her own to see if she could. But the West” by Master Rope Maker, to a grant from an area founda- things began to change in 2012. Greg Davis, of Tuttle, Oklahoma. tion. Hysinger signed up for a writing class under More information on these presenta- The Texas Panhandle 100 the tutelage of Jodi Thomas, a very successful tions can be found on page three of Club is a non-profi t organization historical romance author and the writer-in-resi- this week’s Enterprise. devoted to protecting the lives of dence at West Texas A&M University. Hysinger The wagon teams will arrive area law enforcement offi cers and wrote a 20-page story for Thomas’ class and was Friday to host area students for a day fi refi ghters by paying for training nervous as the well-known writer handed it back of learning about the chuckwagon and life-saving equipment. to her. and cooking the cowboy-way over Sheriff Butch Blackburn said “She wrote: ‘This is ready. Send it in,’” an open fi re. his offi ce will receive seven vests Hysinger recalls. “I thought, if she thinks I can Friday afternoon will also and fi ve uniforms per offi cer as do this, maybe I can.” include the junior cookoff, which well as a vest and uniforms for the Still, Hysinger continued on her traditional pairs kids, ages 8-17, with mentors Precinct 3&4 Constable. career route and was near graduating in the on participating wagon teams to The grant, worth about summer of 2013. She needed to do her student learn the ropes of cooking over an $3,900, will let all local offi cers teaching and fi nish one class to graduate and open fi re. Junior cooks will be pre- look the same, and the shirts and then fi nd a teaching job. But then a June writer’s paring a dish for Friday’s Chuck- equipment should be on hand in academy under novelist Alexandra Sokoloff gave wagon cooks’ dinner. The recipe will about a month, Blackburn said. her fresh insight on plotting novels like movies be left to the discretion of the cooks The sheriff also said his and convinced her she needed to leave college and their mentors, and prizes will be offi ce would soon be receiving and take a new path. given to the fi rst, second, and third seven Benelli shotguns at a cost of “I was driving home thinking, ‘I’m gonna place winners that night. about $475 each. Those guns were have to tell my parents I want to do this and they The big day for the cookoff will purchased by the 100th District are going to die,’” Hysinger said. be Saturday when the wagons square Attorney’s offi ce, and, along with But the news went more smoothly at home. off to battle for top prizes. The trade- the uniforms and vests, are things Her mother already knew she was interested in Morgan Hysinger with her fi rst book, Love Beyond Time. ENTERPRISE PHOTO / ROGER ESTLACK show starts at 10 a.m., and museum the Donley County taxpayer did writing for a living, and her father backed her tours will be available throughout not have to pay for, Blackburn plan but gave her a year to make it work or go a big press run for the new book. Instead, the hit USA Today’s Bestseller’s List. the day. Local and area entertainers said. back to college. Hysinger then withdrew from novel was and is printed as people order it off Now her mother has quit her job at will also be performing. West Texas A&M and went to an Atlanta writer’s Amazon.com and other online sources. By the Clarendon ISD and works for Bethany Claire The authentic wagons will No comments made conference where she learned about the business end of December, Bethany Claire had made fulltime to help with marketing and formatting serve at 1 p.m. with the traditional of writing, marketing, and independent publish- more money than she would have in the two her books. An independent contractor in South chicken fried steak dinner, and other at city tax hearing ing. months of teaching public school. Africa designs her book covers. activities include raffl es for a pair of The Clarendon Board of “I went to workshops on traditional and And with that, her career took off with Less than a year after she started her Kevin Johnson Handmade Spurs and Aldermen heard no feedback on independent publishing,” she said. “The indy a series of novels set in Scotland and moving career, Hysinger has now penned four full- a hay auction. the city’s proposed tax rate during workshops had ladies who were excited and back and forth between the present time and the length novels and two novellas, and the fi rst Admission is free. Tickets for a public hearing last Tuesday, making a lot of money.” 17th century. The characters in the books are book has sold more than 50,000 copies. the authentic Chuckwagon meal September 16. The next week she pulled a pen name out all connected, and the character of Morna is a The young author says being her own boss are $15 each and can be purchased Aldermen have proposed a of the air, “Bethany Claire,” and by November common thread among them in something of a is high pressure and scary but also very fun and in advance at, the Museum, Every property tax rate of $0.708915 per she was ready to go with her fi rst novel in the match-maker role. rewarding. Nook & Cranny, or the Donley $100 valuation, up from the cur- Morna’s Legacy Series, Love Beyond Time. The young author took over her parent’s “I can set my own hours, set my prices, County State Bank or by calling rent rate of $0.65. There were no As an independent publisher, there was not garage for her personal offi ce, and by May she See ‘Author’ on page 5. (806)874-2746. comments from the public during the tax hearing. The board was meeting Tuesday night, September 23, and King discusses education with constituents was expected to approve the tax rate as well as the fi scal year 2015 By Ashlee Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise Common Core objectives even dents’ interests and skills rather than State Rep. Ken King (R-Cana- budget. though the state has spent years a one-size-fi ts-all approach to learn- dian) addressed the Donley County refi ning its own skills objectives. ing. Retired School Personnel Monday “I don’t want Common Core,” King also discussed water Powder Puff game night at the group’s regular meeting King said. “I don’t want the federal issues and specifi cally addressed and visited with local voters. government in Texas schools, and I the three-person board that is now to be held Oct. 3 The representative discussed don’t want Austin in Clarendon any overseeing water development in the The Clarendon High School his freshman year in the State Leg- more than it has to be.” state. That board is appointed by the Student Council will hold its islature last session, and touched on King also said the state needs governor and is currently comprised annual Powder Puff football game several issues of local interest.