Thursday

It's Garbage Day!

44 degrees and starry-clear at 5:30

WKTV predicts that: "Thursday will start generally overcast for most of us. We'll see clouds hang on through the day as well, along with a chance of showers. Despite this, highs will easily make it into the upper 50s to low 60s, except where there are frequent showers (south and east of Utica), where highs may only be in the mid 50s.
Showers disappear, but clouds linger into Thursday night and the first part of Friday, before dry air surges in for Friday afternoon and evening, allowing for clearing. Highs on Friday should get into the mid 60s."

We haven't had rain for a few days and don't really seem to need any because places like "Lake Hanover" and the pond at the foot of Grant Hill are quite full!



Some mallards have made themselves at home in a newly-formed pond on Sally Road.


The little creek on Brouillette Road is running full and is, apparently, warm enough to wade in!

The temperature rose to nearly 70, yesterday, and Mike Tower was back in the Park making the most of it.

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I received this E-note from Doug Cornelius. It's an interesting little story that makes an important point and very large statement!

"During the recent presidential campaign, there was a homemade sign in the yard of the house at the corner of 12B and Burnham road in Deansboro. The sign supported McCain and Palin on one side and the other side read bible clinging, gun toting, flag loving small town Americans, what a statement. Today the sign is gone and so is the American flag that proudly hung next to it, as well as the flag that hung on the front porch facing 12B. But the loudest statement is the flag on the pole to the left of the house in a little flower bed is at half mast. Isn’t America great! The rights and the freedom that we have. God Bless America!" (Thanks, Doug!)

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The high school looked fairly deserted and closed for business when I got there at around 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, but the front door proved to be unlocked, and so I started to walk in. Before I was even through the second set of doors, a tall fellow in a bright red shirt came walking right toward me, grinning: the first person I saw was Blair!

Donald Brown, II, Pat Moshetti and Blair Raker

He had come out into the hallways to look at all of the framed show posters, but he went back into the auditorium with me, explaining that he had met WCS band director Pat Moshetti when he was in college in Potsdam. He said that when the Liberty Big Band was scheduling this tour, last Spring, he simply phoned Pat and said - in effect - can we make this work? And they did!

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By 7:45 the auditorium was packed nearly full.

Jon Raker arrived early, accompanied by his son-in-law Steve Morton, nearly-two-year-old twins Jacob and Abigail, and their mother - Blair's sister Sarah.

"Doc" and Lois were there, chatting with Paula Gray and Doris Stephan.

There were lots and lots of people that I recognized and a great many whom I'd never seen before!

At 8:00 on the dot, the music began!

The audience loved it, and filled all of the infrequent and brief musical lapses with sounds of their own -- lots of applause, shouts and whistles!

All of the instrumentalists took their turns in the spotlight.

(I've just found this Utube video of "Blue Moon" which was performed last night by vocalist SSgt Michelle Harris.)

All of the members of the Big Band were fantastic, but you know who the favorite was!

Use this link to send your comments about the performance directly to the United States Air Force Band of Liberty!

If you want to write just to Blair, send E-notes to me and I'll forward them to him.

I can also forward E-mail to the Brothertown Music Boosters in case anyone wants to join me in saying:

"Thank You, Boosters, for that great experience and for everything that you do for our kids, our school and our community!"


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The families of veterans are still adding Stars in their honor to the hallway wall at the Waterville Public Library.

Tuesday, November 11th

at 6:30 p.m.

the Library will host a reception to honor all of the veterans.

Special Guest: Louis C. Langone, the author of "A Star In The Window."

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FOR THE RECORD

Have a really Great Day, Everyone!