Yes, we’re closing the offices of the Clovis News Journal and Portales News-Tribune on Thursday.

For one hour.

It’s just a staff meeting. We hold them every couple of months.

Advertisements in Wednesday’s papers announcing “we will be closing” caused a few readers to call us, concerned the closing is permanent.

It’s not permanent.

It’s for one hour.

We’re not even talking about closing. We’re talking about raising money for United Way. We’ll be back in action Thursday night, making Friday’s papers as usual.

Sorry for the confusion.

In the continuing series of Clovis trivia …

Who was Clovis Ledbetter?

Answer: He is one of Uncle Versie and Aunt Pet Ledbetter’s 11 children. The Ledbetters are a fictional Mississippi family created by comedian Jerry Clower.

Clovis Ledbetter is a focal point of Clower’s “Sittin’ Up with the Dead” and “Coon Huntin’ Monkey” stories.

Thirteen tracks I’ve selected for my Halloween CD (Gotta have 13 tracks on a Halloween CD):

* Boris Pickett’s “Monster Mash”
* Mary Jo Maichack’s “The Hearse Song”
* Sheb Wooley’s “Purple People Eater:
* The Traveling Wilburys “The Devil’s Been Busy (In Your Backyard)
* Lorrie Morgan’s “My Night to Howl”
* The Clovers’ “Love Potion No. 9”
* Jerry Clower’s “Sittin’ up with the Dead”
* Cher’s “Dark Lady”
* Al Wilson’s “The Snake”
* Alison Krauss’ “Ghost in this House”
* Sha Na Na’s “Witch Doctor”
* Dave Rudolf’s “Frankenstein Dance”
* Marilyn Manson’s “This is Halloween”

Clovis trivia questions (followed by the answers):

Who was Clovis Mitchell?

That’s the grandfather’s name in the movie “Lassie Come Home.”

James Stewart played the role, claiming it was the only “family friendly” script he had been offered that year, according to the Internet Movie Database.

After the movie received poor reviews and flopped at the box office, Stewart decided to semi-retire from acting, IMDB reported.

What was the name of “That girl down in Clovis,” that Hank Williams Jr. sang about in “Clovis, New Mexico?”

We know she was a black-haired beauty, a green-eyed lady in old jeans that were faded, the daughter of a driller, a born thriller, kinda wild and kinda lazy … but Hank never revealed her name.

What is the meaning of the German word Clovis?

It means “renowned fighter,” according to thinkbabynames.com.

The site reports Clovis is a fairly common last name, ranked No. 34,048 out of 88,799 compiled by the 1990 U.S. Census.

The Clovis News Journal asked its Twitter followers — 200 and counting so far — to name a favorite Beatles song.

Results so far:

• Scotdot selects “Paperback Writer” and “Strawberry Fields Forever.”

• Auntie_Seh has way more than one, but she starts with “Eleanor Rigby” and “Across the Universe.”

• And jglikas chooses “Hey Jude.”

I voted for “Yellow Submarine,” but now I can’t get “Pa-per-back Writer” or “Naaaa, na, na, na, na, na, na …” out of my head.

Garry Kinzie of Menifee, Calif., passed along these photos provided by his family. They show Clovis’ Main Street flooded after a July 22, 1930, storm.

I guess the city’s drainage system has improved some in the past 79 years, huh?

Former Clovis Mayor David Lansford is a complicated fellow.

At least I can’t figure him out.

In 2004, Mayor Lansford spearheaded efforts to ban smoking in all of the city’s public-access buildings. In other words, business owners’ freedoms, Lansford seemed to be saying, should be trumped by government’s heavy hand.

But on Saturday morning, the former-politician Lansford stood on taxpayer-owned property – Clovis-Carver Public Library — and said he believes our government leaders “should not invite themselves” to speak to students of our government-run schools “for any reason.”

Huh?

It’s OK for government to decide how private individuals should operate their businesses, but it’s not OK for government to involve itself in government schools?

I understand – just don’t agree with — those who say “majority rules” and so it’s OK to strip individual freedoms for the “greater good.” What I don’t understand is why those same folks cry “socialism” when their side is losing – like it wasn’t socialism before.

Would someone please enlighten me?

Melinda Russ of Fort Sumner reports:

Lane Pattison’s model trains have been donated to the Clovis Depot Model Train Museum at 221 W. First. A formal opening for the exhibit is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the museum.

The event will also celebrate Hoyt Pattison’s 80th birthday. Cake and lemonade will be served and the Luna Family Band will perform.

Russ is Hoyt Pattison’s daughter. Her uncle Lane died in April.

Retired Clovis educator Jackie Garrison is moving to Breckenridge, Texas, to live with her daughter.

Cleaning her house in preparation for the move, she found a 1968 newspaper article reporting on the all-sports banquet at Clovis High School and decided to share.

Dallas Cowboys running back Dan Reeves was the banquet’s guest speaker that year. He talked about the 1967 “Ice Bowl” in which the Packers beat Dallas in below-zero temperatures. He also told stories about NFL great Ray Nitschke, racial harmony on the Cowboys and his own Christian upbringing.

The newspaper article included a photo of Reeves posing with CHS coach Steve Graham and Leon Williams, the banquet’s master of ceremonies, for whom Clovis’ football stadium is named.

Don Beasley was CHS’ best all-around athlete that school year. Don Abernathy was the football team’s most-improved player. Aaron Lott was the basketball team’s most valuable player.

Thanks, Ms. Garrison, for sharing the memories.

Freedom New Mexico needs your help.

We’re looking for your favorite teacher.

Maybe it was your high school English teacher, whose love of literature sparked your own interest in reading?

Or an algebra teacher who took the time to walk you through the mystery of formulas and opened up a whole new world of logic?

Or, perhaps, the teacher your kids adore?

We’d like to showcase these dedicated professionals — using your own words.

Please take a moment to write or e-mail us and share your stories of exceptional educators.

Maybe it’s a paragraph or two. Maybe more.

We’ll share all your stories about your favorite teacher on our Web site and in a future print edition.

E-mail david_stevens@link.freedom.com

Or just leave a comment on this blog.