Arlington band gives its seniors a musical farewell

Published 10:30 pm Thursday, April 2, 2009

It’s the time of year to honor seniors in high school.

One might think about seniors on sports teams, playing in their last game, but this event is for musicians.

Arlington High School bands, conducted by John Grabowski will play a farewell band concert at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Byrnes Performing Arts Center, 18821 Crown Ridge Blvd. in Arlington.

It’s free. Nearly 30 seniors will be honored.

Susan Tankersley says her son, Zach, a senior saxophone player in the On-Hold jazz group and Wind Ensemble, will be in the honored group.

“I’d say that my son’s band experience has been invaluable to him during his high school career,” Tankersley says. “It helped him be a better student and he made an incredible group of friends. Band tends to attract the best and brightest and some very unique characters.”

Zach traveled to fun destinations, his mother says, and became comfortable in front of large audiences.

“We would recommend band to all students. Whether or not a student continues on in music, the experiences will never be forgotten.”

Besides senior emotions leaving the high school cocoon, it’s a bittersweet moment for Grabowski, Marlene Lewis says. Her daughter, Ryann, is a sophomore clarinet player in Wind Ensemble.

Grabowski will say goodbye to his students after nurturing their talent and seeing their passion for music grow over their four years of high school, Lewis says.

“Mr. Grabowski is such a positive role model for our kids,” she says. “They adore him, because he’s so much fun, and he’s interested in what they have to say, but he is serious about music, and he has their complete attention at the podium. He has said that by the time the kids reach high school, they’re in band because they love it, not because their parents made them take it, so it’s a pleasure to teach them what they really want to learn.”

Kitchen goods will be featured at a garage sale Saturday in Arlington.

Find appliances, all tested and in working order, dishes, silverware and cooking utensils. It benefits the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society and Library and is planned for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 135 N. Olympic Ave. in Arlington.

Michele Heiderer says the Old Bags of Arlington will also be there, selling baked goods, and their speciality — bags.

Alise Schmitt of Marysville will be busy this weekend at Alpacapalooza at the fairgrounds in Puyallup. Alpacas are llamalike animals raised for their wool.

Schmitt volunteers with the group, as does Ruthann McVicker of Silvana.

“Many Snohomish County family farms are participating,” Schmitt says. “We’d love to have lots of local visitors. The core purpose of Alpacapalooza has always been to be a family friendly show to draw in and educate the public about keeping alpacas as pets or raising them as a business.”

When the Granite Falls Historical Museum acquired the old town safe, it was so heavy it was imbedded in the floor at City Hall.

Museum volunteer Fred Cruger managed to get the safe on piano coasters and rolled it to the front door. Confronted by a policeman, the law enforcement gentleman merely asked if he needed any help, and indeed lent a hand rolling it down the street to the museum.

“No one seemed to mind a safe on the street,” Cruger says. “Next time, I’m taking an ATM machine.

Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451, oharran@heraldnet.com.