November 6, 2019
Liz Writes Life
The 19th Etna Veterans’ Parade was a hit last
Saturday as it marched up Main Street with blue skies overhead and autumn yellow
leaves in the background. A good crowd of 150 to 200 socialized as the stream
of entries went by.
Local rancher, Scott Murphy, served as announcer using the
Etna Police Dept. wireless microphone to interview many of the participants. Sophia
Emerick, a senior at Etna High School, sang a very sweet and beautiful rendition
of our National Anthem as the colors were brought to a halt by David and Theo
Johnson on horseback.
Grand Marshal, Joe Hudson, 88, stood proudly in his Green
Beret Special Forces uniform. It still fit! (He looked like John Wayne!) Joe
was surrounded by family, including his wife, Donna, granddaughter, Randi
Scroggins, and lots of great-grandchildren. Great-grandsons Jacob and Jason
Scroggins carried the Grand Marshal banner. Joe is a Purple Heart recipient
from Vietnam era.
Yreka’s Jackson St. Marching Band once again entertained.
This band has become a mainstay for the Veterans’ Parade. They are led by
dynamic Karen Clark, who teaches her students to respect our soldiers and
veterans. Yay!
Etna Lion’s Club member, Charles Lincoln, drove a pickup
pulling a trailer of veterans: Dave Bradford, Mike Bryan, Bill Roberts, Bill
Beckwith, Peter Wright and one I didn’t get a name. Bummer, but I was glad that
he jumped on with the guys. Ryck Kramer served as an aviation mechanic in the
Army in Libya. He drove his vintage Kabota tractor boasting some grandchildren.
One teen was in the front scoop bucket.
Several veterans drove their own vehicles or rode in Gary
Koopman’s 1941 Dodge WC half-ton carryall or the Sheriff’s HumVee. They were
Marine Fred Scott from Quartz Valley; Mason McCoy, from Yreka; Randy Steinbeck
and Steve Farrington, Callahan; Tim Grenvik, Greenview; and Harry Harper, Dave
Harrison, Don Meek, Sammy Facey, who is also a Purple Heart recipient, from
Etna.
Ray Haupt, Siskiyou Co. Dist. 5 Supervisor rode with Tim
Grenvik in his pickup. They invited Jennifer Bray, and her young daughter, to
get in the parade with them. Jennifer served in the Navy.
Oh, yea, at the last minute, veteran Larry Maplesden,
squeezed in the parade in his little pickup. His mom, Carol, was with him. Bob
Noel led one group of the historical cars. Bob served in the Navy during
Vietnam. There were likely other veterans in the historical cars and Sis Q
(Ford Model) A’s, who were veterans, but I wasn’t able get their names. Darn.
Sorry guys.
Clara Johnson harnessed her little go-getter horse to a small
wagon and invited Army and Navy veterans Tom Stone and Darrell Illian to join
her.
A number of groups also supported the veterans by
participating in the parade. Back Country Horsemen from the Top of the State
Chapter rode. Cliff Lantz, who served in the Army in Korea, drove his horse and
wagon with the Scott Valley Rotary Club Inter-Act Etna High School teens. Lewis
Star revved-up his hot car for Deborah Beam, owner of Paystreak Brew and Pub,
whose son, Forrest Rose, received a Purple Heart from injuries in Afghanistan
in 2012.
Members of Future Farmers of America, from Etna High School,
filled a flat-bed truck and the Siskiyou Mt. Men and Women livened-up the
parade with blasts from their muskets. Reserve Deputy Jim Jacobson drove the
Siskiyou Co. DARE 1989 Camero and Kelly Giradano, from the Siskiyou Co.
Sheriff’s Dept., drove the HumVee.
Alan Kramer fired-up Etna Volunteer Fire Dept.’s 1932 Dodge
Brothers hose truck that was purchased years ago from a San Francisco fire
company. There was also the Etna Ambulance and engines from Fort Jones Fire
Dept., Cal-Fire and U.S. Forest Service with Smokey Bear inside. Army veteran
Al Buchter drove one of the two Scott Valley Fire Protection District’s
engines.
At the last minute, five Veteran Christian Motorcycle Assoc.
riders showed-up for the festivities.
The parade was a nice success! A big “thank you” goes out to
Etna Police Chief Josh Short and his officers, Tony Stacher and Clint
Whitchurch, for setting up the parade along with the P.A. system. It was a busy
week for the Etna P.D. as Friday night the Homecoming Football games were
played and two parades were held downtown on Thursday: The annual Etna Elementary
School Halloween Parade, then the Etna High School Homecoming Parade -- and in
the evening the Halloween Trunk or Treat on Main St. Yep, everything seems to
happen at once.
Also a huge” thanks” goes to the Rotary Club of Scott Valley for
providing the insurance and to members Bob McNeil, Vinnie McNeil and Prudence
Magnuson, who lined-up the 30-plus entries at the Etna High School and Davey
Martin, who spaced the entries at Collier Way/Main St. Corner. Years ago, Bob
served in the Navy – underwater on a submarine.
The Etna City Council also deserves a nice “thank you” for
supporting and approving the event.
There was plenty of food with the Sutter, Farrington and
Whipple families cooking up hotdogs, the Rotary Inter-Act Club doing chili and
the Scott Valley Resource Center selling baked goods. Native Daughters of the
Golden West provided cookies at the Museum and the Etna Library also gave out
free books to children.
Again, “thank you” to our soldiers and veterans for your
service to our country!
Garden
These 70 degree days are crazy, especially after the freezing
temps last week that were down to the teens. I had 19 degrees at my place and a
friend said it was 14 degrees in Fort Jones. Boy, things are dry. Guess, we
better start praying for autumn rains and winter snows.
Legacy
Condolences go out to the extended
Hammond family. Scott Valley’s Jessie Hammond passed away last week at the age
of 101. Yep, she leaves quite a ranching legacy. One of the hardest working
women I ever met. About 15 years ago, she invited me to her place and we dug-up
some daffodils-gone-wild. The bulbs are planted on the west side of my house.
Early next spring they will bloom and I will smile remembering Jessie.
Liz Bowen began writing ranch and
farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County
and lives near Callahan. Columns from the past year can be found at:
lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call her at 530-467-3515.
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