Man About Canton: CAN YOU PLAY A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT?

DID YOU KNOW…

The Canton American Legion Community Band is looking for musicians to refill its ranks, which have been steadily depleting due to advancing age, health problems, and employment/residence transfers out of the area. The award-winning band was originally founded in 1927, disbanded during World War II and the Korean War, and was inactive until it was reorganized by the late Jack Judge in 1960. Over the years, the band has appeared in all New England states and up and down the eastern seaboard, including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Miami, and Louisville as well as Montreal and Quebec City in Canada.

The Legion has two bands, one for concerts and the other for parades, and some of their musicians play for only one. The concert band plays familiar and popular “big band” type music, including easy-listening show tunes, marches, and polkas. The marching band plays a wide variety of traditional marches and is in demand to perform in many parades.

So even though you may be a bit rusty and haven’t played in the years since high school or college, if you can read music, play the old instrument you have stored in your attic, and would like to make new friends, why not give it a try and join your neighbors in the band? They rehearse each Thursday evening at the American Legion Hall behind Canton High from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Just bring your instrument and a music stand — if you still have one. If you don’t have a stand, they’ll supply you with one. For more information, contact band secretary Sally Judge at 781-828-5778, band business manager Bob Brown at 508-951-1229 or check out the band’s website atwww.cantonband.org.

The pathetic 4 percent voter turnout for the recent town election was an embarrassment. While it’s true that there was only one contested race on the ballot, the other candidates deserved your attention and at least a vote of confidence and thanks. All of the candidates — opposed and unopposed — took the time from their families and busy private lives to run for the unpaid, or very low paid, but important and often thankless jobs responsible for running our town government and town affairs; and they deserve better than what they get. On top of that, in the one contest for the single Housing Authority seat, there were 57 blank ballots by voters who took the time to go to the polls but for some reason didn’t bother to vote for one of the two candidates running.

Boston’s by the Viaduct restaurant at 399 Neponset Street is undergoing renovations by its new owner, Joe Muresco, who is also changing the name to Canton Junction Sports Pub, and he’s going to add “indoor amusement” of arcade games.

MAC is pleased to tell you that there is a new business in Canton. Janet Conroy has opened the Go Simple Furniture Consignment Shop at 12 Revere Street, and she invites you to stop by, check it out, and learn more about the other services the store offers to clients. Store hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and also by appointment. You can contact Janet at 617-233-5697.

Veteran Hollywood and TV actor John Forsythe recently passed away at the age of 92.  Many of you will recall that John portrayed Blake Carrington on TV’s hit show Dynasty from 1981 to 1989; and from 1976 to 1981, he was the voice of Charlie, the unseen boss on the popular show “Charlie’s Angels.”

This March was the rainiest month we’ve had since 1880 when Blue Hill Observatory began recording our weather. They say we received a whopping 18.81 inches of rain during the month.

David Cutler of Duxbury died on February 28 at the age of 66 after a battle with cancer.  You may not recognize that name, but many of us former Canton Journal people do. Cutler was a state house reporter for the Patriot Ledger but left the paper in 1972 to found the Mariner newspaper chain of local weekly newspapers. In 1986, he purchased the Canton Journal from the late Rev. David Mahn and added it to his growing chain. It was during this time that MAC and many other Canton Journal newspaper people worked for Cutler, and we came to consider him a good boss who was firm but fair. Cutler was the owner and publisher of the Canton Journal until he sold the Mariner chain to media giant ABC in 1989. May he rest in peace.

This is advice for members of the class of 2010: What happens next in your life will be determined by your dreams and your determination, by how hard you work, by how smart you work, by the company you keep, and by how much you are willing to lead and give of yourself.

This is all for now folks; see you next week.

Joe DeFelice can be reached at
manaboutcanton@aol.com

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=2434

Posted by Joe DeFelice on May 13 2010. Filed under Man About Canton, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.