Student's second poetry book imminent

Fifteen-year-old Douglas High School student Megan Avila has completed her second volume of poetry, "Figments, All the Truth and Lies I Never Dared to Tell."

The book of 100 poems is being edited before publication.

The Gardnerville resident just published her first book of poetry "The Vitals: An Absolutely Essential Volume of Poetry."

There are few rainbows and no unicorns in the book, whose cover features a blood-spattered tile floor and a smoking gun on the back.

Death, pain, loss of love are more Megan's stock in trade. Most of the work reads like rock songs, and could easily be set to heavy guitar.

The poems aren't for younger readers.

Megan's a native Nevadan, having been born in the old Carson-Tahoe Hospital.

Mother Susan Frost said she started writing the first volume when she was 12 and said the collection of poems include her work through middle school.

She said she's been writing since she was in the first grade, but not always poetry.

She is working on several pieces, including some novellas.

"She has several pieces going at the same time," Susan said. "She pretty much writes every day."

Megan said she doesn't like to characterize her work, but would like to see it set to music.

"That would be cool," she said.

Carson Valley's elementary, middle and high school bands will play together this month in the second annual Bandtastic, 7 p.m. March 26 in the Douglas High School gymnasium.

Band Director Bill Zabelsky said the bands will play a combined piece called "Bandorama." The performance is free to the public.

The band is coming off a first place in the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco.

"We've done it before," he said. "We took first years ago. It's kind of neat."

The Douglas Fighting Tiger Band was up against much larger California schools.

"One of the biggest bands was about 300 people," Mr. Z said. The Tigers field a band of about 75.

He said they received results from the Chinese New Year parade on Feb. 25, about three weeks after their Feb. 7 performance.

About two dozen Douglas music students participated in the honor choir performance in Carson City.

The Tiger band was reunited with Douglas graduate and Emporia University Band Director Tracy Freeze. Freeze directed the honor band in late January.

Senior center home companion volunteer and Gardnerville resident Andrea Schaefer is the Jefferson Award winner for March.

The story appeared on KRNV Channel 4 on Wednesday night.

Channel 4 sponsors the Jefferson Award in Northern Nevada. They interviewed Andrea in the Carson City Smith's as she toured the store with seniors Fran and Jack Johansen.

Douglas High graduate Chris Vasey was in Gardnerville on Wednesday to videotape the fish plant for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

Chris is a fly-fisher, who grew up in Genoa. He said he used to get a dime for every carp he caught out of the Hollister pond.

He's the son of Jim and Marilyn Vasey, whose peacocks' cries once echoed through Nevada's oldest town.

While we were talking to Fishery Superintendent Doug Anderson, a Martin Slough neighbor walked up and asked about the fish limit.

The sign says three fish, but he said he's seen people with strings of fish. He said one time he saw some men drive up and use big plastic buckets to scoop the fish out of the pond.

Both Chris and Doug advised him to call Operation Game Thief if he sees someone violating the limit. That's because pulling too many fish out of the slough is poaching.

The number for Operation Game Thief is (800) 992-3030.