Anyone going this year? God willing I'll be there with bells on. Even bringing my Bass just in case.. It's been 30 years since I played much, but just in case I'll be ready..

"Kimball Kids" is on July 10-11-12, 2009. Tours of Vivian, Tidewater, Kimball, Carswell, WW1 Memorial Building, Churches, New City Hall and Fire Station, Kimball Caboose, Dr. ******'s house, Kimball Coal Heritage Museum, Trout Fishing, Kayak rides, Blowing of the Kimball curfew siren, and great food and music. Call Markella at 304.585.7959 for details. mbgianato@citlink.net is her e-mail. Bring your camera, walking shoes, and plan for a wonderful day down memory lane. Tour bus available. "Kimball Kids" of the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's are welcome. Car shows, and multiple music bands, dancing, and great American and Ethnic foods available. Don't miss this opportunity to stroll down memory lane. Additional events to be announced shortly. As you can tell, I'm a "Kimball Kid" and proud of it!

Dr. Louis Aikens intricate scale model of Kimball will also be on display during the "Kimball Kids" festival at the WW1 Memorial Building in Kimball, from July 10-11, 2009. For those "Kimball Kids" who have not seen this model, it brings back a lot of memories!!

Mike, I'll look for a guy with bells on and your Bass. Plenty of Bands will be there to accompany you. Looking forward to seeing you at "Kimball Kids" reunion of July 10, 11, & 12th. You won't regret coming. This is "Kimball Kids" 4th reunion, and Kimball is getting great at hosting it. Markella Gianato is the local contact at 304.585.7959, and she thinks this will be the largest reunion so far, and it just keeps on growing!!

I've been telling everyone I can think of. I'm just hoping we can get a Jam Session going..

The "Kimball Kids" area reunion of July 10-11-12, 2009 schedule of events can be found on website located at: www.kimballkids.org

And the "Kimball Kids" reunion PARADE starts at 5PM on Saturday, July 11, 2009!! Bands, Mayors, Fire Department, and all.

I think we had a GREAT TURNOUT this year.. Looked like well over 400 people were there.. Not sure how many turned out.

Had a ball and will return next year and God willing will stay for the Sunday's Festivities.

God Bless and thank you the Citizens of Kimball, Markella & Company and Mr. Smart for giving the Kimball Jr. Hi, School Band Alumni one more day in the lime light..

Festivities draw hundreds of people to Kimball

By Bill Archer
Bluefield Daily Telegraph

KIMBALL — The town of Kimball displayed its incredible resilience in a big way Saturday evening as a crowd numbering in the hundreds — perhaps more than 1,000 — filled the town with joy as the Kimball Junior High School Alumni Band marched through the heart of the town and into the annals of Kimball history.

“It’s been many, many years since we’ve had a crowd this big in Kimball,” Mike Gianato said as he smiled and watched the parade. “The only other crowd was when the war was over ... Maybe,” he said. Mike and his brothers were in service at the time and couldn’t say for sure.

“There’s a spirit here that’s hard to describe,” Kimball playwright Jean Battlo said. “I have many friends who say: ‘Why do you stay here?’ If they were here today to witness this spirit, they would understand why.”

Fred and Lynn Hardee drove all the way from Vivian, a town about a mile away from Kimball, to enjoy the parade which was one of the main attractions of the Fourth Annual Kimball Kids Reunion.

“There were even more people here in town earlier in the day,” Fred Hardee said. “Some of the older people probably went on home, but this is still a great crowd.”

“When Mr. (Talmage) Smart put out the word that he was organizing a Kimball Junior High School Reunion Band this year, everyone wanted to be part of it,” Lynn Hardee said. “Everyone just loved Mr. Smart when he was our band director here.”

Smart, who now lives in Florida, walked beside the 60-or-so members of the reunion band, but stopped frequently to exchange handshakes and hugs with many of his friends lining the street. He borrowed percussion gear from the Mount View High School Golden Knights Marching Band and assembled a drum line that maintained a steady beat. The Kimball Terror Marching Band marched with pride, dignity and joy.

“You better put my picture on the front page of the paper,” Floyd Anderson, McDowell County public defender said as he pointed in the direction of a news photographer. He smiled and didn’t miss a step.

The town of Kimball suffered tremendously from back-to-back floods on July 8, 2001 and May 2, 2002, but many residents as well as several downtown business owners refused to give-up. After the flood waters receded, people who grew up in Kimball and the surrounding communities came back to their former home towns to assess the damage for themselves, and the Kimball Kids reunions have provided an opportunity for people to come back home and see the people they grew up with.

“It’s a lot more fun here when you have this many people flowing through town than when we had all that water,” one man shouted across the street.

Markella Gianato, one of the reunion founders was almost speechless as she looked around at how the event has grown in four short years. “How would you even estimate the size of this crowd,” she said as she stood in front of the Ya’Sou Dli that she and her husband own.

“Every year, this has gotten bigger and bigger,” James J. Gianato said. In addition to being Markella’s husband, James J. Gianato is director of the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and he is also chief of the Kimball Volunteer Fire Department.

“Be sure to mention that Adam Gianato, my grandson organized this parade,” Mary Gianato, James J. Ginato’s mother said.

“Adam put a lot of time into planning this parade and he had a lot of help,” James J. Gianato said. “I think you could estimate the crowd at more than 1,000. I’ve seem pictures of parades from back in the 1940s, and this one seems about as big as those ones did,” he said.

“This is just a great day,” State Delegate Clif Moore, D-McDowell said as he walked through the crowd.

Area fire departments as well as several antique automobile owners participated in the parade as well as the alumni band.

– Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com

Was at the Kimball / Carswell reunion and thought it was GREAT. Enjoyed myself to the limit. Was there Friday & Saturday and was surprised at the people that showed up. Met a few people that I havent seen since I left there in 1956. The town sure has changed, so many of the old buildings gone, just don't look the same to us older generation. was pleased to see so many that took part in their heritage, by returning to their roots, makes a person feel good to see so many come back to where they were born and raised. Hope all had a wonderful time, want to THANK all that was involved in making this reunion happen, you'all did a great job, our hat's off to you all !! "GOD BLESS YOU'ALL UNTILL WE MEET AGAIN"