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Vernon  

Vernon woman offering piano for the Vernon Public Piano Project

Music may play on

A piano with a famous connection is being offered for free to keep the music alive in downtown Vernon.

Last week, Dave Stanfield announced he was officially ending the Vernon Public Piano Project after someone trashed the piano that had been set up in the 3200 block of 30th Avenue for the past few years.

The piano was available to anyone who wanted to play and many a passerby would tickle the ivories to the delight of those on the street.

When Susan Rudrum heard the piano was damaged and the program had come to an end, she wanted to help by donating a piano she had in her possession.

Rudrum picked up the piano, that dates back to the late-1800s, from a local family that said country legend Loretta Lynn used to play it at a home in the United States.

“The people that I got it from, they brought it up from Oregon and they got it from people in Oregon who they told me were either family or friends of Loretta Lynn, so whenever she came up to visit, she would play this piano,” said Rudrum.

The piano is an upright grande made by Steger and Sons out of Chicago.

Rudrum said she would even be willing to pay for half of the cost of moving the heavy musical instrument.

She contacted the Downtown Vernon Association about the piano, but the DVA said they are no longer in charge of the program and suggested she contact Turning Points Collaborative Society.

Stanfield said he is interested in Rudrum's offer and he too will be contacting Turning Points about the piano.

Castanet has reached out to Turning Points for comment.



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