Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Classes Begin Again At High School (cont)

hing's filthy," he said of the items in the band hall. "When I heard about it, I thought the office was gutted and the walls were black.

"When I saw (what had burned), I thought `Oh, my God!'"

One concert was cancelled because of the blaze, but Kelly said the band will work on preparing for the state contest in three weeks.

He said the band will use the PES activity room, which he called a "nice place."

"There's no room for storage, and I'll be without an office for the rest of the year, but we were blessed the fire stopped on the other side of the band hall.

According to Kelly, some music may have been lost because of the soot damage, and the heat may have destroyed some videotapes.

But the uniforms will be salvageable, after they are cleaned, and the instruments usable as well -- once they are cleaned.

"We'll be ready for state."

Cecily Butler, girl's basketball coach, got a call Monday (April 1) about the fire.

"I had just got in bed when the fire alarm went off," she said. "Then I got the call about the fire. I was here till 2 a.m.

"I can't describe how it felt to watch. I was worried about the records, all the work Ms. Gray and Mr. Morrison have done."

Butler lost the regional and district championship trophies her team won this year. However, she said these can be replaced.

Butler expressed her sympathy for the senior class in losing their school this close to the end of their final year.

She said several students were angry when arson was first suspected in the blaze.

She talked of the pride the students had in the school, and of seeing students pick papers up in the hall in order to keep the school clean. This, Butler said, doesn't happen everywhere.

Though the gym is being utilized as classrooms, the girls basketball team is not getting out of off season work. They will be meeting at the gym at First Baptist Church to continue working toward a state championship for the 1996- 97 year.