Selma Band Review

Amazing - how Monache High School wins the Grand Sweepstakes again and again.

This year was no exception. They did it again - winning the award for the 24th time and I loved that I was there to see it again.

Competition was tough too -- with only a half of a point separating the top three bands.

Granite Hills High School shined too and brought home a few awards, including first place for their majorettes.

Here is the story that I wrote for the Porterville Recorder:

SELMA — It was icing on the cake Saturday for Monache High School when for the 24th year, the Marauder Marching Band proved nothing could stop them from winning Grand Sweepstakes during the 44th annual Selma Marching Band Festival at Staley Stadium in Selma.

The competition was tougher than previous years — only one half of a point separating the top four bands — so the young Monache musicians wondered what the final results might be.

“I had no idea we were going to win,”Amanda Allen, head field drum major, said. “We thought we had it figured out, so when [the announcer] said ‘For the 24th year,’ — the band didn’t wait for the rest, they jumped up and started screaming. I had not even gotten to the salute yet to receive the trophy. They rushed the field and beat me to the trophy.”

.....read the rest of the story here.

2008 Band Festival Winners:

GRAND SWEEPSTAKES: Monache High School

PARADE SWEEPSTAKES: Fowler High School

FIELD SHOW SWEEPSTAKES: Sanger High School

GRAND MARSHAL'S TROPHY: Mt. Whitney High School

PARADE HIGH MUSIC: Monache High School

FIELD SHOW HIGH MUSIC: Reedley High School

FIELD SHOW GENERAL EFFECT: Reedley High School

DIVISIONAL AWARDSPARADE PLACINGDIVISION A - 1. Monache; 2. Reedley; 3. Redwood

DIVISION B - 1. Washington Union; 2. Mt. Whitney; 3. Kingsburg

DIVISION C - 1. Granite Hills; 2. Edison; 3. Exeter

DIVISION D - 1. Roosevelt; 2. Fresno Christian; 3. Sunnyside

JUNIOR HIGH

DIVISION A - 1. La Joya; 2. Barlett; 3. Rafer Johnson

DIVISION B - 1. Washington Intermediate; 2. El Monte; 3. Burton

FIELD SHOW PLACING

DIVISION A - 1. Reedley; 2. Monache; 3. Stockdale

DIVISION B - 1. Kingsburg; 2. Paso Robles; 3. Mt. Whitney

DIVISION C - 1. Exeter; 2. Selma; 3. Atascadero

DIVISION D - 1. Templeton; 2. Orange Cove; 3. Farmersville

AUXILIARY AWARDS

PARADE HIGH SCHOOL

DRUM MAJOR, MILITARY: 1. Fowler; 2. Reedley; 3. Kerman

DRUM MAJOR, MACE: 1. Hanford West; 2. Sunnyside; 3. Roosevelt.

DRUM MAJOR, OPEN: 1. Redwood; 2. Farmersville

SOLO TWIRLER: 1. Fresno Christian; 2. Mt. Whitney;

MAJORETTE TEAMS: 1. Granite Hills; 2. Monache

IDENTIFICATION UNITS/LETTER CARRIERS: 1. Monache; 2. Washington Union; 3. Reedley

FLAG TEAMS: 1. Dinuba; 2. Washington Union; 3. Fowler

PERCUSSION: 1. Kingsburg; 2. Hanford West; 3. Sanger

PARADE JUNIOR HIGHDRUM MAJOR: 1. La Joya; 2. El Monte; 3. Burton

SOLO TWIRLER: N/A

IDENTIFICATION UNITS/LETTER CARRIERS: 1. Washington Intermediate;2. Burton; 3. Abraham Lincoln

FLAG TEAMS: 1. Burton; 2. Washington Intermediate; 3. La Joya

PERCUSSION: 1. Washington Intermediate; 2. Burton; 3. La Joya

FIELD SHOWSPERCUSSION: 1. Sanger; 2. Kingsburg; 3. Mt. Whitney

ATTACHED UNITS: 1. Sanger; 2. Kingsburg; 3. Paso Robles

DRUM MAJORS: 1. Paso Robles; 2. Hanford West; 3. Stockdale

NON-BAND AWARDSSCHOOLS: 1. Selma FFA; 2. Jackson Elem. School; 3. Indianola

COMMUNITY: 1. Selma Lioness; 2. American Legion; 3. Maravillas

COMMERCIAL: 1. EECU; 2. Quinn Co.; 3. Selma Auto Mall

JUNIOR DRILL/MAJORETTE TEAMS: 1. Dynamic Twirlers

AUTOS - 1935 & NEWER: 1. Elwin W Peak; 2. Selma Masonic Lodge #277

AUTOS - CUSTOM/MODIFIED: 1. Marvin Raven; 2. Great American Hay Rake;3. Latin Angel Car Club

THEME TROPHY: Jackson Elementary School

Granite Hills shines at Visalia Band Review

We have some amazing school bands in Porterville and Granite Hills High School made us proud at the Visalia Band Review on Saturday, October 18.

VISALIA — A Porterville band took to the streets of Visalia on Saturday and walked away with honors befitting a winner.
Led by parade drum major Erik Bartlett, the Granite Hills High School marching band stepped out to John Philip Sousa’s “Washington Post” during the Visalia Lions’ 28th annual Visalia Invitational Music in Motion in downtown Visalia.

....read the story I wrote about it in the Porterville Recorder here.

photos and story by Esther Avila

cute alien

I picked up this little guy at an event I went to recently - Porterville Art Association sponsor appreciation dinner - at the Porterville Art Gallery.

Ballooney the Clown was there and he made this for me.

Isn't it cute?

I have the coolest job.

emotional - nostalgic -- fairy tales -- whatever it may be .....

"Be calm, only by a calm consideration of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together - Be calm - love me - today - yesterday - what tearful longings for you - you - you - my life - my all - farewell. Oh continue to love me - never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved. ever thine ever mine ever ours."

Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you

If you’re young at heart

For it’s hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind

If you’re young at heart

You can go to extremes with impossible schemes

You can laugh when your dreams fall apart at the seams

And life gets more exciting with each passing day
And love is either in your heart or on it’s way

Don’t you know that it’s worth every treasure on earth

To be young at heart

For as rich as you are it’s much better by far

To be young at heart

And if you should survive to 105

Look at all you’ll derive out of being alive

Then here is the best part
You have a head start

If you are among the very young at heart