Piper enjoys great year

Jesse Walker Bills, a bagpiper from Sutton, recently completed a successful 2002 solo competition season. He started his season in March at the British Columbia Pipers 70th Annual Gathering where he won the Bob Barbulak Memorial Shield, the Pipe Major Edmond Esson Trophy, and the grade three piping aggregate.

In July he won the grade three aggregate at both the Skagit Valley Games and later Seattle's Pacific Northwest Highland Games. In August, Bills competed at the Caledonia Club of San Francisco's games at Pleasanton where he won the Past Chief Robert Burns Memorial Best Amateur Piper 16 years and younger, given by the Caledonia Club. At these same games Bills also won the grade three Piobaireachd Plaque and the grade three aggregate for the Pleasanton games.

In 2002 band competitions, Bills competed with Crow Creek Pipes and Drums of Anchorage until their season was completed in June. Bills then played with the White Spot Band of Vancouver, winning the British Columbia Pipers grade four championship in 2002.

In 2003, after completing Crow Creek's season, Bills has been invited to tour with the McTarnahan's Prince Charles Pipe Band of San Francisco. The band will tour Ireland and Scotland and compete in the World Pipe Band Championship in Glasgow, Scotland in August 2003.

Bills' teachers are Mark Ryan of Anchorage and Alan Walter of Canada.