BIG VALLEY HOMECOMING FRIDAY - Intermountain News

PAGE 8 • NOVEMBER 3, 2004 • THE INTERMOUNTAIN NEWSSeveral pianists had the opportunity play the historic Kimball parlor grandpiano during a celebration of its return to the Fall River Valley this summer atthe Glenburn Community Church. Former Fall River Valley resident CarleenSt. John, center, donated the piano to the Fort Crook Historical Society and itwill be kept in the chuch so it can be played and enjoyed. Pictured are PastorBill Myers and his wife Shelly, Sally Canright, Betty Walker, Irma Jean Walker,Bobetta Berthelsen, Carlene St. John, Ellie Sauble and Alma Battersby.Piano arrived in Fall River Valley more than 50 yearsago and is inside Glenburn Community Church.Church grand pianohas tales to tellBY MEG FOXIf furniture could talk,there’s a piano in the GlenburnCommunity Church withstories to tell.The Kimball parlor grandcame to the Fall River Valleymore than 50 years ago afterseveral community membersbrought it from San Franciscofor use in the Fall River Theater.The movie theater wasonce the town hall, accordingto Robert Ingram, presidentof the Ft. Crook Historical Society.“They put the piano in thebasement and it was usedduring New Year’s Eve parties,”he said.It survived a fi re thatblazed through Fall RiverMills in 1934, destroying “agood many buildings, “ Ingramsaid.The piano was movedto the Inter-Mountain fairgroundsin McArthur whenHollywood crooner BingCrosby, who owned the RisingRiver Ranch in Cassel,band leader Phil Harris andhis wife Alice Faye performedSept. 16, 1956 to raise moneyto build a hospital, MayersMemorial, for the community.After its brush with celebrities,the piano was movedback to the Fall River Theater.It stayed there until1972, when theater owners,Carl and Molly St. John, decidedto sell their business.“But they kept the pianoand it eventually ended upwith their daughter, CarleneSt. John, in Oakland,” Ingramsaid.Carlene St. John has recountedsitting on Phil Harris’sknee when he played atthe fairgrounds.In February 2004, St. Johndonated the piano to the Ft.Crook Historical Society andits museum in Fall RiverMills.But the museum is notheated and not a good placefor a piano.Ingram said they askedaround and the GlenburnChurch agreed to give thepiano a home.“It’s now on loan to thechurch for as long as it’swanted there,” Ingram said.The piano is played aspart of the Sunday worshipservice and also on specialoccasions, such as the annualIntermountain HospiceMemorial Service set for Dec.3 at the church.“It’s an awesome instrument,”said Glenburn ChurchPastor Bill Myers.The church celebrated thearrival of the piano during arecital and reception Aug.15.Several pianists from thecommunity had the opportunityto play including PastorMyers and his wife, ShellyMyers; Sally Canright, BettyWalker. Irma Jean Barber,Ellie Sauble, Bobetta Berthelsenand Alma Battersby.The Women’s Circle providedrefreshments.Myers wrote about the pianoin a thank you to the Ft.Crook Historical Society:“As a location in which todisplay the Kimball grandpiano recently donated to theSociety, the Glenburn CommunityChurch is a beautifuland uniquely appropriatesetting, being the oldestchurch in Shasta County (at119 years and counting) andenjoying the quintessentialarchitecture of a traditionalcountry church.“In addition, the historicalsignifi cance of this instrumentis well suited to thelong-standing ministry thatthe Glenburn church has providedto the Fall River Valley.“As with all such fi ne musicalinstruments, however,this piano deserves to be farmore than simply a piece offurniture on display.“With regular playing, tuningand routine maintenance,an instrument’s useful life isprolonged almost indefi nitely.“Thus, as a part of the worshipservices at the church,the piano may well havefound its perfect home.”PHOTO / LYN READHam, bacondonated forEducationFoundationfundraiserFor those who missed achance to purchase a pig atthis year’s Junior LivestockAuction, the Burney-Fall RiverEducation Foundation hasa solution.Ray and Marian Christensen,of Fall River Mills, andDick and Joan Nemanic, ofMcArthur, have donated twoJunior Livestock Sale hogsfor a foundation fundraiser.There will be four silentauctions for one-half a hog,each wrapped and ready foryour freezer if you are thehighest bidder.The hogs have been cutand wrapped in portions fortwo and the hams and baconshave been smoked.Two bid sheets are availableat each end of the schooldistrict.In the Fall River Valley,place your bid for half a hogat McArthur Farm Supply orat Valley Hardware.In Burney, the bid sheetsare available at Hovis Hardwareand Tri-Counties Bank.Bids will be accepted untilthe close of business Nov.15.The four winning bidderswill be contacted the followingday.Proceeds from these silentauctions support the Burney-Fall River Education Foundation’smini-grant program forlocal schools.Each year, the Foundationhas helped bridge educationalneeds between ourschools and our communitiesby providing new programs,equipment and technologiesthat cannot normally be obtainedwithin limited schoolbudgets.Since the inception ofthe mini grant program, theFoundation has funded morethan $140,000 in teacher-requestedprojects within thelocal school district.For more information, call336-6169 or 335-3627.BusinessworkshopsavailableThose persons interestedin starting a small businesswith help from Superior CaliforniaEconomic DevelopmentDistrict are urged tocontact the SCEDD.The MicroenterpriseDevelopment Program andthe Cascade Small BusinessDevelopment Center ofSCEDD provide workshops,seminars and one-on-onecounseling to interestedentrepreneurs.SCEDD also providesfinancing options through theBusiness Development LoanProgram and SBA 504 LoanProgram.The staff and board ofdirectors look to create stable,long-term employment opportunitiesin Shasta, Siskiyou,Modoc and Trinity counties.For more information, telephone225-2760 or visit www.scedd.org.Burney Lions Club honors 2BY MEG FOXBurney High School studentsNicole Carlotto andKelsey Bateson have beennamed the Burney LionsClub Students of the Monthfor September.Each month during theschool year, the Burney LionsClub recognizes one eighthgrade student and one seniorfrom Burney Junior-SeniorHigh School as Student of theMonth.The school staff nominatesthese students not necessarilybecause of their academicstanding, but for being studentswho are worthy of recognition.The Burney Lions Clubtreats the students and theirfamilies to dinner at the cluband gives a $50 check toeach eighth grader and $100to the 12th grade student.Kelsey Bateson, 12, wasselected as Burney’s eighthgrade student of the month.Kelsey enjoys sports andplays volleyball and basketball.”I also play some soccerand I like to play fl ag footballin P.E,” she said.When asked what she wasgood at, Kelsey said, “I amgood a basketball and love toplay for the fun of it.”She has a 4.0 GPA andis a member of the CaliforniaJunior Scholarship Federation(CJSF) and has beenrecognized as an outstandingstudent in the Renaissanceprogram.She is also a member ofthe Burney Junior High So-KELSEY BATESONDolman & Solis engagementBethany Alice Dolman and Sergio David Solishave announced their engagement from Mission,Texas. Bethany is the daughter of Robert andChristine Dolman of Pittville. Bethany attended FallRiver Elementary and graduated as the Valedictorianfrom Fall River High School class of 1996. Shereceived a full scholarship to attend Brigham YoungUniversity in Provo, Utah, where she majored inAmerican Studies & Spanish and graduated withhonors in 2003. She is presently teaching a bi-lingualthird grade class at Taylor Elementary Schoolin Mercedes Texas. Sergio is the son of Sergioand Carmen Solis of Mission, Texas. He graduatedfrom Mission High School in 1997 where he was amember of the varsity football team. He attendedBrigham Young University, Idaho where his field ofstudy was International Business. Sergio is a martialarts instructor and owner of Wing Chun Kung FuCouncil Martial Arts School in Mission, Texas; theschool specializes in training law enforcement personnelin the art of self-defense. Both Sergio andBethany served as Spanish speaking missionariesfor the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The Intermountain CommunityCenter Holiday Boutiqueis scheduled for Saturday,Nov. 13, from 9 a.m. to 1p.m. at the community center,37477 Main St., Burney.Planned are a wide arrayof gift ideas from homemadecial Club.Kelsey volunteers in thecommunity and at the BurneyPresbyterian Church, whereshe helps serve meals duringThanksgiving and Christmas.“I enjoy helping because itkeeps me busy and it’s a lotof fun,” she said.When she’s not hangingout with her friends or playingsports, Kelsey loves to cook.“I hope to go to college tostudy culinary arts and then,either cook for the stars and/or own a restaurant, or dosomething else with cooking,”she said.She has two sisters, Megan,10, and Kayla, 15.Holiday boutique slatedat Intermountain Centercrafts and goodies, to jewelry,cookware, cosmetics, andmore.There will be a refreshmentstand, and children arewelcome.Proceeds help support theschool.NICOLE CARLOTTOKelsey and Kayla live withtheir grandparents, “Coach”Ron and Marie Conley, ofBurney.Kelsey noted that whenKayla was in eighth grade,she also was student of themonth.Nicole Carlotto, 17, a seniorand her school’s AssociatedStudent Body President,said her goal “is to help increaseBurney High’s spiritand morale and to help makethis a great school year.”Nicole has been involvedin school government sincethe 9th grade, when she waselected class secretary. Shewas class president in hersophomore and junior yearsand has been school historianand school reporter.As a sophomore, Nicolesat on the Grants AdvisoryBoard for Youth in Redding,learning leadership skills thatincluded the grant writingprocess.She has a 4.0 GPA and forthe past four years has beena member of the CaliforniaScholarship Federation (CSF)and an outstanding RenaissanceProgram student.She is also a four-yearmember of the Leo’s Cluband Ground Zero.In her junior year, Nicolecompeted in the Lion’s ClubSpeech Contest and won thecompetition at three levels.In addition to her Leo’sClub volunteer activities, shehelps with Burney Rotary andBurney Chamber activities.She has two jobs – at Mt.Burney Theater, where shehas been an employee forthree years, and at the Mt.Burney Coffee Company.She played volleyball andtrack through her junior yearand this year plays goalie forthe Burney High School coedsoccer club.In her free time, she said,“I enjoy taking trips aroundour area for fun with friends.I like to do anything relaxingthat does not remind me ofany form of work!”She has applied to the Universityof California, Berkeley,where she hopes to study politicalscience.“After that my sights areset on law school back East,”she said.When asked if there’ssomething she hasn’t doneyet that she would like todo, she replied, “I want to goparasailing or sky diving.”She is the daughter ofRobert Carlotto and LynnMiller, of Burney.BurneyBoostersset to meetA Burney High SchoolBoosters Club meeting isscheduled for Monday, 7 p.m.,at the high school library.Agenda items includeSober grad, Certificate sales,E-scrip, report on Homecomingactivities, refrigeratorinside the concession, Christmastree sales, and Jamboree.Those who would liketo have an item put on theagenda are urged to call LoriWinningham at 335-5588.Those who would like toreceive an e-mail reminderabout club meetings areurged to e-mail Susan Ayersat susan_ayers@yahoo.com