Photos by Michael Woodward, Reporter

  • Volunteers and needy veterans meet informally during Stand Down, an annual event to provide services and emergency assistance to homeless and unemployed veterans. The volunteers' efforts were hampered this year by the theft of $26,000 worth of blankets, cots, coats and other items intended for the nearly 300 veterans who show up during the three-day event.
  • LONG-AWAITED MOMENT: The Cottonwood Community Library opened Saturday, Aug. 4. Forty new library cards were issued and 218 books were checked out on the library’s first day. From left to right: Dick Ashe, project manager for building the library; Renee Ashe, president of the library board; Suzanne Sargent, secretary of the board; Patsy Finck, board member; Elaine Lowell, child literacy advocate; Cheryl Walther, board member; Gayle Harrington, director; Janell Morgan, board member; Dr. James Reifert, library founder; Jackie Doll, volunteer; Mary O’Keeffe, board member.
  • Wal-Mart donated $4,750 to groups.
  • GNARLY FLOWER POT: President of the Paul Bunyan Conservation Society Steven Peloza shows off a piece of “character wood” that could be sold as a planter or as a water feature in someone’s garden.
  • EASY DOES IT: Owner of Sanderson Communities Sandy Sanderson (right) and Vice President of Development Roger White (left) expect to build the Vineyards, a 2,500-acre development with 5,500 units, over a 20-year span.
  • Trenerry's Boysenberries: Happy Valley Farm Trail founder Johanna Trenerry said that harvest time for her berry crop is earlier than it used to be. She expects her boysenberries to be ready in late May.
  • ANIMALS VS. STORY TIME - Sarah Lewis, 4, as well as other children were treated to a petting zoo at the Anderson Library's Story Time. Anderson Union High School FFA provided the animals, which included chickens, sheep, a goat, a cow, a rabbit, kittens and a chinchilla. It was hard for some children to go inside to color with the animals outside. KIXE donated a book to every child that attended Story Time.
  • SANDWICHES FOR FIREWORKS - Pamela DelMonte serves the last of the tri-tip to fellow volunteer Melissa Hunt. Members of the Anderson Chamber of Commerce, Anderson Exchange Club, and the Anderson Rotary cooked over 1,000 tri-tip sandwiches outside Wal-Mart April 27. Proceeds benefit Anderson Explodes!
  • SAFE SCENERY: Vegetation in this area has been cleared, and smaller limbs have been masticated and left on the ground to decompose into the soil.
  • HOUSE FIRE: Anderson Fire Fighters water down a blaze at a small residence on Dupont Street in Anderson. The structure was destroyed and one man was injured.
  • AIM HIGH AND GET ON DOWN - The Air Force Rock Band from Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield played for Anderson Union High School students during lunch hour last week. The band played pop, rock and hip-hop.
  • BIGGER AND THRIFTIER - The Frontier Senior Center’s thrift store moved a few storefronts north to 2965 E. Center St. in Anderson on March 24. ETC. Thrift Store donates all profits to the senior center. Pictured left to right are Pat Reid, board member of Anderson Area Association of Senior Citizen Organizations, Inc. (AAASCO); Roly Summit, volunteer; Darlene Barrett, store manager; Carol Roe, volunteer; Barbara Jones, volunteer; Laurie Singh, volunteer; Tannis Jones, volunteer; Gib Gibson, AAASCO board member; Juanita Burk, volunteer; and Jesse Ellis, AAASCO board member.
  • FLAGPOLE RAISING - A priest sings while Sikhs cleanse a flagpole before it’s uprighted at the Sikh Centre in Anderson on April 13, the birthday of the Sikh religion.
  • DINING TOGETHER - Community members enjoy a vegetarian curry lunch provided by the Centre.
  • WIN THIS QUILT - Betty McFadyen shows off the quilt she made and donated to the raffle to benefit the new Cottonwood Community Library. The drawing will occur at story time, which starts at noon on April 25.
  • WALK PAYS OFF: Katie Cordy, 10, (left) and Cierra Dunken, 9, enjoyed the walk-a-thon so much they want to have another one. Katie’s efforts helped raise over $2,000 for Cierra’s operation.
  • HELPING HAND: Chris Christopher assists a customer at his pharmacy inside Holiday Market in Cottonwood.
  • A LOOK AT THE PLANS - A concerned audience poured over maps supplied by the North Fork Ranch developers at a presentation at the Happy Valley Elementary School.
  • CAN’T PLEASE THEM ALL - At the end of a seven hour Supervisors’ meeting March 27, the board’s decision against the auto mall evoked a range of reaction. Hearing the news are Francie Parr (right), Jeen Wopat (left) and Frank Strazzarino (front), President/CEO of the Redding Chamber of Commerce.
  • GROWTH FROM THE ROOTS - Formerly a first grade teacher herself, Melissa Hunt of the Anderson City Council was selected for Principal of the Day at Meadow Lane Elementary School. She is pictured with Mrs. McDonnell’s first grade class, where she led a stretching exercise and read “The Big Carrot” aloud to the children, using different voices for different characters.
  • GOING WITH THE GRAIN - Bill Meek, President of Meek’s Lumber and Hardware, cut the ribbon to celebrate the Anderson store’s grand opening at 6781 Eastside Rd. Meek’s raised $13,000 for a K-9 unit for the Anderson Police Department. Pictured from left to right are Paul Lichtman, Meek’s manager in Redding; Anderson Mayor Keith Webster; District 5 Supervisor Les Baugh; Diana Cherrington; Anderson councilperson Melissa Hunt; Bill Meek, President of Meek’s; Anderson councilperson Norma Comnick; Carrie Meek, Meek’s Vice President of Sales; Anderson city manager Scott Morgan; and Mike Robinson, Meek’s Branch Manager.
  • RUNNING ALLOWED - Tori Bridges sprints ahead of Anderson Mayor Keith Webster and Redding Mayor Dcik Dickerson during Lean-N-Green Day held at the Anderson River Park on March 21. The event, sponsored by Shasta County Public Health, involved a walk on the park's trail system and featured booths with information on nutrition and foods to encourage physical activity and healthy eating.
  • PROSECUTOR’S TREASURE - Supervising investigator Ken Burbank, right, and investigative technician Karl Howell, left, sort through one of Shasta County’s 30 illegal dump sites that have been reported since the investigation began in early March.
  • PRIDE OF ANDERSON - The Anderson Chamber of Commerce presented the 30th Annual Awards Dinner on Saturday at Win-River Casino. Prime 11 Cinemas won Business of the Year, with CEO Ken Hill, left accepting the award. Corky Keenan, center, won the Distinguished Service Award, Lynn Gilliss, right, won the Grace Bell Memorial Award.
  • ARBOR DAY PLANTING - The Cottonwood Garden Club planted five Crape Myrtles in the small park on Front Street across from the post office in Cottonwood. The garden club has maintained the park for 50 years. The Crape Myrtles planted were also memorials for the lost loved ones of club members Jayne Smith and Irma Hampton. Smith is pictured with Bruce Stratton who helped with the planting. La Saine Ware, President of the Cottonwood Garden Club, said that she wants to see year-round color at the park. Daffodils and Forsythia bloom in spring. The Crape Myrtles bloom in summer and fall. The Pyracantha trees, which were planted years ago, show red in the wintertime.
  • FIRST COAT - Crewmembers of Frank Acosta Plastering put a base coat of plaster on the new Cottonwood Community Library, which is scheduled to open June 1.
  • HEALTHY STRATEGY -- Tim Trimble, store manager at the Wal-Mart in Anderson, explains the details of product placement to Anderson Middle School students Jonni Hinton, Emily Lafayette and Ally Lafayette. Also involved in the project, but not pictured, are James and Rebecca Lariza.
  • ANDERSON'S FIRST FIRE HALL: Still standing, Fire Hall #1 at the corner of East Center and Ferry Streets, was built in 1903 for around $90 with used lumber and nails.
  • HARD AT WORK: Roy Del Carlo, Anderson Fire Protection District’s new Interim Fire Chief, began his position March 1.
  • PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF — Dennis O’Lea hopes to fly his 1946 Cessna-140 this summer. He’s restoring it to its original configuration, instrument panel and all.
  • COMMUNITY BOOST— Left to right, Michele Erickson, Anderson Partnership for Healthy Children; Rochelle Roberts, Wal-Mart; Kathy Draper and Shirley Quibell, both of Meadow Lane School; Tim Trimble, Wal-Mart store manager; and Mike Evans, ACCA accepted checks from Wal-Mart for community organizations.
  • ANTI-AUTO MALL — Ray Pittam, who recently moved into the Churn Creek Bottom area, asked the planning commission how an auto mall could be approved if he has trouble getting a permit to build a garage because of flood concerns.
  • SAY CHEESE: Diana Walters, Anderson Post Office clerk of 21 years, gets behind the camera used to take passport photos. Passports are now required to return from overseas flights.
  • PEST CONTROL: Inmates of the Sugar Pine Minimum Security Correctional Facility clear vegetation in a flood zone of the Anderson River Park. Left alone, the region would be prime spawning ground for mosquitoes after spring flooding
  • NEW FANGLED 2-SPEEDER: Jarrod Gregory's 1923 'black era' Model-T had two gear speeds and sported extras like a water pump and an electric starter. 'Ts designed before 1915 lacked those extras, were one-speed, but flashed brass trim.
  • THIS OLD TREE HOUSE — Paul Davis built this tree house for his grandchildren out of discarded pallets and siding from a neighbor’s newly built house. He added a solar panel to charge a 12-volt battery that powers the TV and CD player inside.
  • Paul Davis, Cottonwood, is a wonder-worker with bicycle wheels.
  • HONORING THE GUARDS — Cottonwood’s American Legion Commander David Call holds the Blue and Gold Star Service Banners along with the Post Everlasting document.
  • KEEP ON TURNING — After repairing and donating 40 bicycles to children for Christmas, Paul Davis is already preparing for next year.
  • TRAVELING BANKER — Branch manager Kelley Taylor earned her experience in several banks across Nevada and California.
  • STRIKE UP THE MUSIC Ted Dykstra, the Anderson Middle School music director, leads the school band, choir and dancers that entertained Meadow Lane Elementary students. The show included Christmas sing-a-longs and other popular favorites. Dykstra led the band of 7th and 8th graders in performances at Verde Vale and Anderson Heights schools as well.
  • LITTLE SANTA — Miles Leonhardt gives a Christmas card to Marjorie Jones at the Senior Center in Anderson. Kindergartners from Anderson Heights Elementary sang carols and presented the Christmas cards they made to the audience. The children recently performed “The Littlest Reindeer,” a Christmas play at Anderson High School.
  • COLD NOSE — Officer Canavan holds a month-old puppy that was found last Sunday night amid freezing temperatures.
  • DECK THE DOORS — Mrs. Boles’ 8th grade class took first prize in a door decoration contest between 7th and 8th graders at West Cottonwood Jr. High. The winners spent a week of study hall time to create their masterpiece. Just a few of the 32 students involved (from left to right) are: Thom Lewis, Cheyenne Webb, Rylee Mason, Jake Vanderburg, Alex Alverez and Mrs. Boles.
  • OPEN FOR BUSINESS — Managers Terry Bertrem and Paula Adkins were ready for business as Premiere West Bank opened Monday at its new location, 2590 North St. in Anderson. New amenities at this branch are safety deposit boxes and a drive-up teller/ATM.
  • NEXT STOP, SAN JOSE -- The West Cottonwood Jr. High Robotics Team proudly displays the work that made them winners of the Sacramento Robot Tournament. Pictured left to right with science teacher Robert Kizer are 8th graders Jacob Vazquez, Jordan Burk, Corissa Storms and Adrienne Roe.
  • WINNER SHARES TALENT -- Luke Ford displays his trophy for Division IV Coach of the Year of the Anderson Youth Soccer League. Ford also coaches disabled children in the Topps Soccer Program.

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