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BIG VALLEY HOMECOMING FRIDAY - Intermountain News

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Two talented teenagers striving forcareers in the entertainent industryBY MEG FOXSara Howard, of Fall RiverMills, has been spendinga lot of time in Los Angeleslately getting her career inthe entertainment industry offthe ground.The 15-year-old Fall RiverHigh School sophomorestarted auditioning threeweeks ago for televisioncommercials and acting andmodeling work and, so far,the doors keep opening forher.“It’s a little overwhelming,”she said. “Sometimes I think,‘I’m just this little kid,’ but it’sfun and I think I’m going to doreally well.”That’s what people keeptelling her anyway.A singer, who performedseveral times during thisyear’s Inter-Mountain Fairin McArthur, Sara originallyhoped to be picked up by anagent for her voice, but shecould just as easily be pickedup for a television show.In early October she auditionedfor about 20 talentPHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHI CORDERSARA HOWARDAfter 17 L.A. auditions,9 talent agents calledsinger, actress backagency representatives inLos Angeles.“It was every hour on thehour for two days,” she saidin an interview for the Oct. 13issue of The <strong>News</strong>.“Altogether I saw about 17agents and nine wanted tomeet with me and sign withme,” she said.“I really didn’t think I woulddo as well as I did.”Sara returned to Los Angeleslast week to interview withfour talent agencies and onMonday she’s going back tomeet with a few more.“I’m for sure going to signwith an agency,” she said,adding that it has to be a goodmatch for both.“I need to see who will dothe best for my career,” shesaid.“One agency we went towas upstairs, above a restaurant,with one desk, onecomputer and no secretary,”she said.Another agency said theywanted to create a televisionpilot for her.“That was a little overwhelming.I didn’t think I wasan actress.”Several other agencies, includingKazarian/Spencer &Associates (KSA), were moreimpressively located togetherin a professional building inStudio City and are membersof the Screen Actors Guild.So far, Sara is most interestedin KSA.“They are really big andwell-known and really critiquedme well,” she said.Arriving at a talent agency,prospective clients fi rst fi ll outa lot of paperwork.“They want to know if youcan work well with animals,if you have allergies, or religiouspreferences, becauselanguage or something mightbe offending,” she said.During her audition, Saraperformed an existing Pepsicommercial, “but I put myown personality into it.”Three talent agents – forcommercials, theatrical andvoice-over – watched her andtook notes.“Then they give you a listto choose another commercialfrom and you pick oneand do a cold read.”KSA “fl at out told me Ineeded to work on my coldreads and recommended Itake a lesson with an actingcoach,” she said.“I knew I needed help. Ihave no acting experienceexcept for some Fall RiverHigh School plays.”Back at home, her parents,Kelly Schneider and BruceHoward, made some callsand found a coach and madean appointment.“The acting coach personallyknows the KSA agentand said they wouldn’t haverecommended I get a coachunless they wanted me,”Sara said.She said none of the talentagencies sign someoneunless they are sure they canget them work.“They don’t make moneyunless I do,” she said.Sara and her Mom plan tomove to Southern Californiain January for the televisionpilot season.She plans to do her schoolingthrough the IndependentStudy Program and is sorryto have to give up cheerleading.“I’m a little nervous aboutit, thinking about going onhome study, and I’m not sureI’m ready to leave my friends,”she said. “But, I’m also reallyexcited about going.”Sara’s mother also hasmixed emotions. “It’s veryexciting and it’s scary,” shesaid. “I’m having to hurry upand learn the entertainmentbusiness – but, the possibilitiesare endless.”BY MEG FOXBefore La Cocinita in FallRiver Mills opens for businesseach day, owner Irene Pinedahas a CD player, speakersand microphone set upin the dining room where shecoaches her granddaughter,Jamie (Westlund) Pineda,with her singing.Jamie Pineda, 16, is workingtowards a career as aprofessional singer and wasrecently asked to submit ademo CD to the Cable RadioNetwork.“They want to air her singingand we’re in the process ofmaking the CD,” said Irene.Jamie, who also works ather grandmother’s popularMexican restaurant on MainStreet, recently took the CaliforniaHigh School Profi ciencyExam and hopes now tofocus entirely on a career inmusic.Last month she was one ofthousands of hopefuls waitingin a long line outside theCow Palace in San Franciscoto audition for American Idol.“There were thousandsand thousands of people inline and so many of them hadbeen lined up for days,” shesaid.When Jamie fi nallyreached the head of the line,she was told she was 20 daystoo young to compete.“You had to be 16 by Aug.4. But I was asked to go andrecord with someone the nextday and I was picked outTHE INTERMOUNTAIN NEWS • NOVEMBER 3, 2004 • PAGE 9JAMIE PINEDANEWS PHOTOCable Radio Networkwants to air voice ofLatino, Pop vocalistof the line to sing for a SanFrancisco television newsspot, so it was a good thing Iwent. And it was a lot of fun,”she said.Jamie, the daughter ofRusty and Vera Westlund, ofFall River Mills, was offered arecording deal when she was14.“A rep from a record agencyin Los Angeles heard mesinging on the deck (at LaCocinita) and said he’d callme, but my family said I wastoo young,” Jamie said.She’s been singing sinceshe was 3 and loves performingthe music of Patsy Cline,Etta James, Linda Ronstadtand Alicia Keys.“I like singing Latin music,country, pop – just about everything,”she said.She’s performed at thefairs in Tulelake, Napa, andFresno, where she was oneof three performers acceptedafter submitting demo tapes.“We did three shows a dayand there were thousands ofpeople there. It was so great,”she said.“She was a big hit and severalpeople signed up for herCD,” her grandmother said.Jamie and her family arehoping that as she gets moreexposure and, perhaps a recordingcontract, many morepeople are going to be orderingher CD’s.Jamie is available to performat weddings, festivalsand fairs. Call 336-6620.Holiday treecutting seasonopens on LNFThe Lassen NationalForest is selling ChristmasTree Permits now throughDec. 11.Each permit allows theharvesting of one Christmastree from Lassen NationalForest lands.Permits are $10 each witha maximum of two permitsper household allowed.The LNF also provides aChristmas Tree Cutting Guidewith a map of cutting areas,restrictions, and helpful tips.Permits are availablelocally in person or by mailfrom the Hat Creek RangerDistrict, 43225 East Highway299, P.O. Box 220, Fall RiverMills, 96028. 530-336-5521.Hours are Monday throughFriday from 8 a. m. to 4:30p.m.Permits are also availablein person at the Old StationVisitors Center at the Junctionof Highway 89 and 44 inOld Station. (530) 335-7517.Visitor Center hours areFriday through Sunday, 9:30a.m. to 4 p.m. until Dec. 12.Exact change is appreciated.The permits expire on Dec.25; however forest officialsrecommend cutting your treeearly in the season before thehigher elevations are snowbound.The USFS reminds treecutters to be prepared forsudden weather changesand colder conditions whenin higher elevations.A fun family outing canbecome miserable and evendangerous with a quickchange of weather for theunprepared.It is also helpful to bringa tarp with you when youcut your tree to protect thebranches when the tree isdragged out of the forest.When driving home, makesure the tree permit tag is visible.The permit must beattached to the tree andsealed.A transportation permit isrequired from the Sheriff’soffice for transporting morethan five trees in the samevehicle.Permits ordered by mailmust be postmarked no laterthan Dec. 11.Include your printed nameand address; your daytimetelephone number; and acheck or money order for $10per tree made out to: “USDA,Forest Service.”Provide the name of theperson who will be signingthe permit and cutting thetree. Be sure your driver’slicense number is on thecheck. Allow at least oneweek for processing of yourrequest. Checks with incorrectamounts will be returnedto the sender.Helping handsMt. Burney theater owner Donna Sylvester, on topof ladder, invited anyone willing to help to a curtainhanging party at the theater, where new and lushred curtains with purple trim now surround the interiorthanks to helpers that include John Salo, Al andKathy Hibler, DeWayne Field, Roger Underwood,Pauline Ludwick, Elaine Goodner, Bob Moore, Ronand Linda Hill, Betty Carlton, and Jackie Spencer.

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