Mountain Ranch Event September 10 will Commemorate the First Year Anniversary of the Butte Fire

n event that will commemorate the first anniversary of the Butte Fire raging through Mountain Ranch will occur on Saturday, September 10, 2016. The public, especially those who experienced the devastation and its aftermath, is invited.  Starting at 10:00 am at the stage of the Mountain Ranch Community Park the event will include an invocation, music, poetry, keynote speakers and culminate with the unveiling of the “Pieces” Memorial Wall, a beautiful 2-sided 5-foot high structure painstakingly created from small rubble that came from burnt out homes.  Then, at noon, the Mountain Ranch Ball Field, which was decimated when it became a fire staging area, will be officially launched in its new condition with an inaugural baseball expedition game.

To celebrate the gradual renewal of Mountain Ranch, the trees surrounding the thought-provoking Pieces Memorial Wall will be festooned with prayer flags made by local students and individuals, as well as colorful yarn “sweaters” wrapped around tree trunks. During the morning people will have a chance to share their fire stories in a story circle, and to write down, thank and post names of those who gave so willingly to help during the days and months following the fire. All of this is meant to show the importance of community solidarity and the return of optimism for the future of the area.

Organizing the morning event is the Calaveras County Arts Council which views art as a vital community healing tool. Even though she lives in Murphys, Robin Modlin, a mosaic artist, saw the need to create the “Pieces” Memorial Wall, and a call went out early in the year to have victims of the fire donate pieces of small rubble from their homes. It was from these thousands of bits of broken china, glass, mirrors, metal, and other torched items, that the wall took shape. Along with fellow artist Anne Cook of Acme Art in Mokelumne Hill, the pieces became the colorful mosaics, each one attached to the wall with grout in an intricate flowing design on both wall sides. You’ll have to actually see it to fully realize its beauty and all that it represents. Sit on the adjacent bench and remember and think about silver linings.  Major funding for the project came from the Calaveras Community Foundation, as well as from many donations. Acknowledgement tiles are embedded in the wall.

Some of the people spotlighted during the morning ceremony include Calaveras Central Fire & Rescue Chaplain Joanne Tedder; young Maria Carillo who will sing “Amazing Grace,” accompanying herself on a harp; Lee Davis who will sing her original “The Butte Fire Song”; Aldonna Cloud on flute when the wall is unveiled; poet Monika Rose; and representatives of government, the fire fighting forces, and the recovery effort. The arts council thanks the Mountain Ranch Community Club and Phil Alberts for their assistance in the September 10 activities. Alberts is hosting an expedition ballgame, bringing retired Giants catcher Mike Sadek and 100 signed baseballs, and providing free hotdogs and assorted games.

For more information, call Calaveras Arts Council at 209-754-1774.